US Annex Canada and Mexico?

I'm active on Quora, a site where many folks participate and weigh in on a plethora of topics every day. It's a very active forum. I'm on daily, following, writing and replying to questions Quorans throw out. For me, it's pretty much all the political stuff and a lot of military history topics as well.

Having said that, it's true that many questions thrown out on Quora are really far-fetched and can be taken with a grain of salt. I get it.

But recently the question--and no, I can't say how serious the query was--the question of whether or not the US should annex Canada and Mexico was thrown out for discussion. 

So please permit me to post with my thoughts which go a bit deeper and addresses some of the larger issues raised by the fact that some folks—on and off Quora—keep imaging ridiculous scenarios such as this one.

First of all, the UK, Australia and all other Commonwealth Countries—there are more than 50 of them—would declare war on us and defend Canada to the last man. They’re bound by law and treaty to do this. The fact that the US would stand a decent chance to still come out on top in such a nightmarish and completely unnecessary conflict does nothing to mitigate what a mind-blowing and horrible course of events that would be.

Imagining a scenario like that one reveals not just stupidity, ignorance and arrogance, but betrays a shocking inability to grasp basic and obvious facts about living on this Planet and see our world—and the other Nations with whom we share it—clearly.

No one with even a basic grasp on reality would believe such claptrap. And these hateful and delusional fools who would even speculate and such an absurd scenario are living in their own fact-free reality.

Furthermore, many of them are armed to the teeth and they--through their chosen leaders who hold or will soon hold positions of power--may very well get their hands on both houses of Congress and all three branches of government in the next few election cycles.

Well, I’m headed toward the medicine cabinet to pop a blood pressure med—or three—and try to forget that roughly a third of my fellow Americans think about such crazy things and are poised to—quite possibly—take nearly-absolutely power in Washington in the next 2 to 5 years. And in the meantime, they’ll go on wasting our time when we’re foolish enough to address their bat shit-crazy scenarios on the internet.

"Bulldog Ben" Basile

© 2022 Ben Lawrence Basile

Gabbard and Friends: Just Stop!

It was ten days ago when Boris Bondarev -- the Special Counsellor to the Russian Mission to the U.N. in Geneva -- resigned from his position, walked out and lit a fire that is still burning through the diplomatic world. 

The written statement that accompanied his resignation is stunning in every way. It honestly must be read in full to have any idea of what a bombshell it truly is.

Just one of the things that comes to mind as you read what Counsellor Bondarev had to say is that it reveals how completely clueless some of my progressive friends here in the States are when it comes to the war and why we’re where we are right now.

Tulsi Gabbard and others of her ilk have gone on at some length about how the eastward expansion of NATO since the dissolution of the Soviet Union essentially left Putin with no choice but to invade. Her tweet about how the Biden Administration and NATO could have prevented the invasion by forever barring Ukraine from membership and recognizing Russia's "legitimate security needs" received a shit-ton of push back from Twitter users who don't buy the Kremlin's talking points. And that's as it should be.

That assertion was garbage from the beginning and it’s so easy to see that such reasoning also dovetails perfectly with Putin’s dishonest and self-serving propaganda. One can draw no other conclusion after reading Mr Bondarev's candid and heartfelt assessment. He was, after all, a career diplomat and apologist for Mother Russia; Putin's bloody, unprovoked attack on Ukraine was simply a bridge too far for him.

Putin and Putin alone is responsible for the tragedy that is the Ukrainian-Russian War. It is turning out horribly for Ukrainians and the Ukrainian Nation and is and will be even worse for Russia. Comrade Vlad has truly swallowed the Porcupine here. (Not the best metaphor, actually. He’ll never get that spiny fellow all the way down.)

It’s maddening. It’s tragic. And it’s 100% Putin’s doing.




"Bulldog Ben" Basile

© 2022 Ben Lawrence Basile

Drink Java, Live Longer

I just finished another delicious, life-giving cup of coffee. I’ve always known my regular obsessive consumption of the juice of the sacred bean had beneficial effects. And a recently-published study confirms it… again! With or without added sugar, I hasten to add.

Here’s to all of my sisters and brothers who’re also cashing in on coffee’s benefits! Let’s celebrate with another cup o’ joe!

To read the study’s results, follow this link.

“Bulldog Ben” Basile

© 2022 Ben Lawrence Basile