֎ Who will the democrats pick to run for President in the 2024 election? Perhaps the chart below may eliminate some guessing.

֎ Putin, like Donald, can’t back down. So it is an economic battle between Russia and the West. It is tragic that Vladimir thinks an old fashioned bullet war will net him anything; so many people will die unnecessarily. Russia isn’t the only country with cyber interference – the West is just as prolific at cyber warfare as Russia is. Mariner is waiting for the West to disable Russia from within. Sanctions can have an effect but shutting down Russian utilities, oil production and military communication can deliver serious blows.

Despite the intimate involvement of European nations because of proximity to Russia, the US dollar represents 40 percent of Russia’s foreign trading. If the US can shut down trading involving US dollars, that can have an impact.

All this said, stay tuned to the news (try NPR, PBS and NEWSY).

֎ Xi Jingping must be tickled to death to watch Vladimir test America’s resolve and response to Putin’s bullet war. As we read, China flies constant sorties of fighter jets across Taiwan and has warships well within Taiwanese waters. Mariner worked in Taiwan for a while and knows Taiwan has the same resolve as Ukraine.

Given the destructive, global influence of the Covid pandemic, the persistent worsening of weather in the southern states and the Caribbean, and the challenge of conflict on both oceans, the US is stretched thin on the world stage. This is no time for Trumpian shenanigans or internal wars between political parties.

Sadly, the 2022 elections are fraught with infighting and populist attitudes. Things are not as stable or as dependable as we may think. We need one nation – focused on crises of the moment and staying ahead of a rapidly changing culture. As mariner often suggests, don’t vote for anyone past 55.

Ancient Mariner