Tag Archives: Trump

Current events, politics, Uncategorized

True Patriotism in the Sea of Blind Allegiance and Loyalty

In this celebratory year that recognizes 250 years since the signing of our decision to be independent of His Majesty’s Crown, I look at the state of our nation. The day of Jan 6, 2021 saw irate right-wing militias attack what they perceived as an assault on freedom. Today, those same people now act and speak like a private army for a tyrannical leadership. And I would be amiss if I didn’t call out the left-wing groups that have acted in violence during the Trump regimes as the same type of blind allegiance. And the lefts sided administrations have gone against personal Liberty during its various times in office, as much as the right has. But this isn’t about national leadership. It’s about blind allegiance.

A look at a few points of our history. Thomas Gaddis (eventually a full Colonel in the Virginia militia) built Fort Liberty in Monongalia County. He later commanded Prickett’s Fort, Fort Scott, Fort Stradler, Fort Jackson, and Fort Lindley. He was by all definitions a Patriot to the cause of Liberty.

After the war he owned a tavern and distillery. Then the new American government used a tactic for finances that cause one of the main issues with the Crown. Taxes. The new government levied taxes on alcohol (the whiskey tax). Colonel Gaddis, and others, would have none of it and leading a group known as the ‘Whiskey Boys’ became involved with a conflict known as the Whiskey Rebellion. After Washington sent troops and the violence subsided, the tax was repealed by Thomas Jefferson in 1800.

I bring this up for a couple reasons. The first is his positions. First as a man who saw his duty to fight for Liberty from the oppressive Crown. The second, to show his loyalties were not blind allegiance but founded in the cause of liberty against any oppression but a government. First the Crown and then his own. That is PATRIOTISM. Blind allegiance follows a man not on principle, but on ignorance. Following blindly, whether the left like Biden or the right like Trump.

True patriotism follows the idea of Liberty. Nothing else. A true form of the Patriotism that formed a nation was one where calling that national leadership out when they were wrong.

John Adams stated, “But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored,. Liberty once lost is lost forever”. And we see this administration attempting to do that very thing, with help of Congress and the Supreme Court.

Edmund Burke said this, which now is more prevalent now than ever. “The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion”.

And this quote from James Madison may have seen the day of our time. “Liberty and order will never be perfectly safe, UNTIL a trespass on the Constitutional  provisions for either, shall be felt with the same keenness that resents an invasion of the dearest rights, until every citizen shall be an Argus to espy, and an Aegeon to avenge, the unhallowed deed”.  Argus means to be vigilant and espy means to see and catch something wrong. Aegeon was a Greek myth about a giant who was always powerful enough to punish them who crossed him. In Madison’s quote, he is likened to a person who see violations to the Constitution and seeks to destroy the perpetrator of such a crime.

Thomas Paine, who gave us the tracts of Common Sense and the Rights of man said this. “He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself”.

And today, in this political climate, It makes the words of Thomas Jefferson ring even louder. “Timid men…prefer the calm of despotism to the boisterous sea of Liberty”. Despotism is the form of government leadership where consolidation power is help by one specific person or group and rules with absolute power. Does that sound familiar? It should.

I have been called a non-patriot for opposing the current leading regime. But I have opposed the last few on many points of their administrations. Does this remove the term of Patriot from me. No. By definition in word, in ideology, and by the actions of my forefather, like Col Thomas Gaddis (my ancestor), I and many like me, meet the very definition of Patriot. The defender of Liberty no matter where the threat to it comes from.

So, for those that give blind allegiance to one side or the other, you are no more than a LOYALIST. Definitely NOT a Patriot in any meaning or sense of the title.

Standard
Current events, Human Right, war

Trump 45 Actions Lead to Trump 47 War with Iran

On July 13, 2015, Iran’s nuclear material was at 20% purity. That means it was higher than needed for simple power production and closer to weapons grade. They had a large stockpile within the country. Estimated at 19,000 centrifuges installed at Natanz and 9,000 of those were enriched. They also had approximately 8-10,000 low-enriched. The estimated time to have what would be needed for weapons, at that time was estimated at 2-3 months.

On July 14 of that year, the JCPOA was signed by the US, other nations, and Iran. Under this agreement, enrichment levels would be held to 3.67%. Production wold be cut and the Fordow facility would be moved from production to research. As well as a few other changes within the system. It also allowed unfettered access by IAEA inspections.

Within the next few months, Iran shipped over 11 tons of enriched Uranium out of country due to the restrictions of the agreement. So started the nation of Iran to hold up to the agreement established by the global community.

On May 7, 2018, the nation of Iran was well below the limits set by the agreement. Approximately, as determined by IAEA inspections, Iran had 123.9 kg of 3.67% enriched uranium (U-235). This was below the agreement standards. This remained under the 300kg UF6 cap. They had retained only 5,060 IR-1 centrifuges at Natanz. Also less than the agreed upon amount. The 3067% enrichment was only 10% of the level required for weapons grade material. Here is the point when things drastically change.

On May 8, 2018, under the first Trump administration, the US was removed from the JCPOA agreement. Ending three years of Iranian nuclear compliance. Trump’s belief was that the initial time-frames within the agreement were not satisfactory. So instead of renegotiating for longer time-frames, President Trump removed the US from the agreement, opening the door for the agreement to fail and for Iran to restart their pursuit of weapons grade material.

By August of 2018, inspectors found that Iran had increased their stockpile from 1239.9kg to 139.4kg. The percentage had not changed and remained at 3.67% Both within the set agreement. But by the same time the next year (2019), that changed.

The July 1, 2019 inspection report showed an increase of plutonium (U-235) to the level of 205.0kg, 2.2kg over the required cap of 202.8kg. Also noted was that the enrichment held at 3.67%. But, just one week later, the inspectors found that within that week, Iran had increased enrichment to 4.5%. This exceeded the cap of enrichment of 3.67%. Now the world started to see the ramifications of the US removal from the treaty and renewed sanctions on Iran by the first Trump administration.

By the September 2021 reporting date, Iran has increased enrichment from the required 20% to 60%, This is only 30% from weapons grade enrichment. Their stockpile had gone from 2.4kg to 10kg in a span of a few moths, showing a huge uptick in production. The November report that year, showed that production of the 20% enrichment at 113.8kg while the 60% enrichment grew to 17.7kg. By the 2024 election cycle, the stockpiles in Iran had grown to 6,200kg. This included over 140kg enriched at the 60% level.

At the time of the start of the war with Iran by the US and Israel, IAEA reports showed that Iran had approximately 440-441kg of its uranium stockpile at 60% enrichment. An estimated total of 6,000kg covered all levels of percentages in the stockpile. According to the  IAEA Director, General Rafael Grossi, the amount of material listed at 60% purity, if purified to the 90% required for weapons grade, it would arm an estimated 10 nuclear warheads.

Iran was now producing at three facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.  The stockpile was kept in underground areas to prevent destruction if attacks occurred. IAEA inspectors were also being limited in inspection ability. The 60% enrichment purity is, understandably, concerning.  Civilian nuclear purity is only 5%. Nuclear reactors for electricity are only 20%. The increase to 60% is 40% over what is needed for electricity generation and closer to weapons grade by 10% in distance.

So the summary reads this way. The Obama administration initiated and agreement with Iran, which Iran followed and therefore was not to be seen as a nuclear threat. Donald Trump, in his first term, removed the US from the agreement and placed more sanctions on Iran. This opened the door for a massive increase of production and enrichment that sets at almost weapons grade level.

Because of this increase by Iran, the Trump administration (Operation Epic Fury) and the Israeli government (Operation Roaring Lion) launched the first attacks on Iran on February of this year. So the need to attack Iran for possible future nuclear attacks was the fault of the first Trump administration. By removing the US from the agreement, which Iran was following (at levels below required by the agreement), Donald Trump had opened the needed space and reason for Iran to grow its nuclear program. This nation is now in a war, initiated by the Current Trump administration for an issue that the first Trump administration caused.

Standard