I was planning to go back to reviewing books and movies, but the various troubles of our world and our country have seized my immediate attention., I have decided to devote one more(at least)blog to studying our President’s behavior and its likely effects. I will be brief but intend to make points on several issues

–Putin, Zelensky and Personal Diplomacy–I have tried hard to be fair to Trump–I never liked or trusted him beginning with his entry into poltics(or slightly earlier)but I wanted to be fair. He has made it more and more difficult. During his first term he created a lot of attention for himself by his personal approach and particularly his much awaited meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. There was a lot of ballyhoo about it and I even felt myself that these were two odd guys who maybe wanted more or less the same thing and that therefore they might accomplish something. I was wrong. They accomplished very little beyond publicity for themselves and North Korea now is thought to have nuclear capable missles aimed at us.

He also met with Putin in his first term and they never looked really comfortable together. Trump strutted and tried to pretend he was an equal-in- talent world leader, but the sly, power-minded Russian dicatator let him have the floor and, eventually, look foolish. Nothing much came of it.

Despite this and other such failures, I still allowed myself to have hopes for the Alaska thing a couple of weeks ago. Trump announced loudly that he expected success in at least starting the beginning of the end of the Ukranian-Russian war. He also, at one point, at least hinted Russia would face serious consequences if they didn’t come through with a reasonable agreement.

Well, it apperas that they didn’t and he didn’t. The Russians made no commitment except to have another meeting, maybe including Zelensky, in the future. So far they have faced no consequences, not even a new tariff threat from the Admihistration. They are now attacking Ukraine with more than usual power and are killing and injuring many of its citizens and doing significant property damage. They appear to be refusing to consider any compromise the Ukranians would agree to.

–The mess in Greenland–This is one of the smaller ones for the moment. But Greenland is not insignficiant. It appears to have a vast amount of resources each side would like to have access to. Also, in a time when global warming plus technological change has made across-the-polar-region war not impossible, it is to be noted Greenland is located pretty much betwween the Northeast USA and Northern Russia.

A few days ago it was announced by the Danish Foregin Ministry that they had reason to believe that three Americans connected to the Administration had gotten into Greenland and were thought to be in touch with the Greenland oppostion(Greenland domestic politics appears extremly complicated and unfamilar and I’m not going to deal with it now). They are not there officially but are talking nonetheless–or such is suspected at least. If this is true it is reckless and presumptious and does us no credit

Denmark no longer has much power over Greenland but does supply it with considerable economic assistance and has what is usually defined as “suzerainty” over it which means it has some kind of authority no one wants carefully defined. Anyway, as the technical soverign power there, the Danes have some interest and some reason to be irritated as they certainly appear to be. This is not likely to be the start of a significant crisis, but keep your eye on it. At the very least it may be highly unfortunate publicity for the US.

__Chaos at the CDC-When Trump appointed Dr Susan Monarez to lead the CDC many people hoped she would serve as something of a check on some of the Administration’s stranger science ideas, particularly those of HHS Secretary RFK, Jr. She was confirmed by the Senate recently, earlier this month! Now she’s out, apparently because of a difference over(guess what)vaccines with Kennedy. Her exit led several other leaders of the CDC to resign in protest, including at least three doctors who felt betrayed and at least one of whom said publicly how important it is to keep the CDC oreiented toward American health, not politics.

RFK has appointed one Jim O’Neill, apprantly a longtime supporter and employee as temporary leader of the agency. As nearly as I can tell O’Neill is strictly a political guy with no scientific background. There is also an interesting constitutional question here. Dr Monarez argued that although appointed by the President he could not dismiss her. Now this is, if not exactly the same, just about the same issue that got Andrew Johnson impeached in 1868. I haven’t heard anything about that today so perhaps O’Nell will just take over her desk and things will proceed–or not. Certainly the old saw about chaos following Trump appears to be enhanced

Trump has a potentially serious issue confronting him here. People are concerned about the CDC and its functioning. I believe the great majoirty of our population suports nearly all vaccines. It will be extemely difficult to find a trustworthy, believeably competent person who will meet the obvious high standards needed at the CDC but shares the Trumpish-RFKish doubts about vaccines. Even if they find such a person, it seems likely there would still be a Senate battle over confirmation because of the vaccine issue.

-The Guard in the Cities–Is the President within the law and the Constitution in sending the natinal guard to enforce the law in DC and threatening to do it elsewhere? It’s complicated, but you could likely make a good case that he hasn’t crossed the line–yet. But he’s on touchy territory here because the Posse Comitatus Act, passed shortly after the Civil War and Reconstruction, forbids most of the US military forces, including the Army, to participate in law enforcement There are a few eceptions, too complicated to go into here. I strongly suggest you visit the Posse Comitatus Act online and get the details.

Regardless of whether he is within the law now, I do not like what I see or the direction the US seems to be going. I thought before Trump’s goofier ideas were too ludicrous to take seriously. I am now less certain

As for the Fed-well, let’s save that for a little later.