CRUISE MISSILES FROM KHUZESTAN? A "GAME CHANGER"?

Iran and the Mullahs, a topic that just seems to get worse and worse with each passing day. As much as I would like to stay focused on Mexico and the cartels, it's obvious my old "passion", the Middle East continues to be the hot topic. How many times have I addressed the Issue of Tehran in the past several months? A lot.... more than a lot....I would say it falls in the category of a sh.... well, I better not express myself that way as I may have some intellectuals reading these post, maybe! To say a lot has taken place since my last post on the actions of the Mullahs is a given and in the interest of saving time, let me summarize my last twenty or so post. The old men in Tehran and both desperate and emboldened. Crazy combination I know, but the fact is, it's the truth. 

Desperate because the actions of Team Trump have ripped apart Tehran's ability to make money. 

Desperate because the Tehran thought other nations would come to their economic rescue have not done so, at least not at the level the Mullahs demanded....yes.....demanded....and that is one of the reasons the aid has been slow or nonexistent. 

Desperate because Moscow is maintaining control over Syria's future, regardless of what Tehran desires. Yes folks, Tehran is remains a proxy, all be it a reluctant and even hostile one, of Moscow. To have Syria's future cast in Moscow is not the dream of the Mullahs.

 Desperate because they continue to witness their proxy groups repeatedly attacked by Israel and the US, if the truth be known, while the Russian anti air networks sit idle. 

Desperate because the Mullahs know the youth of Iran grows more restless with each passing day. The " In Crowd / IRGC Al-Qud senior leaders, not the rank and file and that is a point I hope I can get back to, eat and shop while the rest of the nation begs for scraps. 

Okay. That's a lot of desperate. Let me move on to "Embolden".  

The old men in Tehran are embolden by the lack of actions by The Donald!  Tweets, and a few extra ships and troops in the area are not enough to convince them their time is nearly up. 

Embolden by the fact that each time Tehran turns up the heat with a new, more dramatic event, nothing happens. 

Embolden by the constant attacks on The Donald over not getting the US involved in yet another conflict in the region. 

Embolden by the Sultan's support for the Mullahs, ya... The Turks and the Persians are going to hold hands with the Russians! Has anyone read a history book about the region? That whole mental picture cracks me up. 

Embolden by the French. Yes, the French. The country that rights checks to try and keep Tyrannical leaders at bay. Side note. The French military leadership must have a hard time working for a real live Teletubby.   

Okay. about twenty or thirty of my post summarized in a half a page. Not bad for a guy who can ramble on for hours. Now, let's get down to the nuts and bolts. Let's take a look at what just took place and what it could lead to.

Rumor has it, this is where part of the attack came from. It sounds like we shall soon see if the US verifies this rumor. If and I stress if, this is true, than Tehran's attempt to increase the temperature of this crisis just went up dramatically. Is it critical what target was chosen? Was the fact that target struck was ARAMCO the real issue? No. Aramco has been hit before, yes, not to this extent, but it's been a target in the past. Why did the US center it's statement about the event around the launch location of the attack? If the rumor is true and the US is going to verify the launch locations, why does that become the center of gravity for this stage of the crisis game from Tehran?  Well, just look at the map above and you have your answer. If the US or anyone else is to accuse Tehran of attacking the worlds oil industry, something they've been doing by the way, then showing that attack's origin coming from Iranian soil is a HUGE issue!  

How:

How did a series of cruise missiles fly from the Khuzestan region of Iran, or any other area for that matter, and the US didn't see it coming? Can cruise missiles fly around a region that has more surveillance taking place than any other area in the world? Was this an intelligence failure like some of the party hacks and so called "experts" in the US are saying? Does Moscow and Beijing really believe that could happen? Remember when everyone was wondering how Israel could just fly into Syria, a Syria covered by Russian air defense, and bomb Iranian proxies? What happened here? If you want me to tilt my head with confusion, this is the issue I'm stuck on. How, or maybe better yet, why? Yep, I said it. Why? Why, the world that indicates prior knowledge. Did we know the attack was coming? Would we let unannounced cruise missiles fly a path that most likely took them over or forces in the area. Yes, they may have hugged the Iranian coastline, but that wouldn't have stopped us from taking action.  I don't like what I am insinuating here, but I have two choices. 1. The US didn't know the weapons were launched, a realty that terrifies me. 2. We did know they were launched, but we knew where they were going and we decided not to take the bait. Bait! 

Bait:

Every single action taken by the old men in Tehran can be tossed into the category of "bait". Is Tehran attempting to start a region war, a war that would leave them in concrete dust? No, at least not yet or not deliberately. Remember at the top of this story when I addressed the issue of the Mullah's "demands", well, that is the key to every thing we see going on here. Who is the target of these demands? I've said it time and time again, but I will let you guess. Yep, the EU. the land of Teletubbies. Each time one of the actions sanctioned by Tehran doesn't produce the desired results, an EU begging the Mullahs to stop as the EU money flows back into the bank accounts, private bank accounts of the blackmailers, a new, more dramatic event takes place. In the scale of events, this attack from Iranian soil and a major oil complex in Saudi is the apex blackmail card. Here is the problem. So far, it hasn't worked. Can the EU afford to be seen as being soft on the Mullahs after such an open attack on Saudi? Not even a Teletubby would think such a move to be wise, well, maybe, give it a few days and we may be surprised. Yes folks, these events are bait and so far, no one is taking the bait. As bad as this one was, no bites, at least not yet. Well, that explains the whole bait concept, but how does that answer the question of, "did the US know or was intel that bad"? 

How could the US "Know":

 If someone in the Iranian military speaks, if someone has a conversation with the Mullahs, if the Mullahs say, "take it to the next level", who knows it? Is it possible the US intelligence network and "others" are that good? Could the US have known this even was taking place and decided to still not take the bait? What would happen if that bait had been swallowed? Where would we be today if we struck the Khuzestan site, before the cruise launches, you know, the Israeli model of doing business? Would the US Democratic Party be foaming at the mouth by now? Would CNN and MSNBC being screaming into the camera on how The Donald has started a conflict with Iran that might lead to regional war? By the Tuesday after the attack, would this whole thing have been Trump's fault? Why did the US not take the bait?  Hint. How many oil workers were killed in the attack? How fast did Saudi recover from the event? Why has Saudi's future King, a Hardliner to say the least, not responded? You know, why did Saudi not take the bait? Does all of this sound crazy? Can anyone prove me wrong? At the end of the day, most of everything you hear is opinion. Oh, by the way. Has Moscow come to the aid of Tehran on this issue? Did the Mullahs let Moscow in on what their next step was? I bet not! Has anyone hear out of China? 75 percent of ARAMCO fuel goes to Asia. It sucks to be in Hong Kong right now. Not too many people in the West are paying attention and that is music to the Dragon's ears.  Yep, opinions. That's what we have. Trump didn't take the bait, but is that the end of the story? No, no it's not. 

Time to pull the pole into the water:

When you go fishing, you never expect the fish to win, yet they often do. Tehran is fishing for a response, but so far, they not gotten the one they want. It seems the fish just aren't biting. That usually goes on for a long period of time and then all of a sudden, wack! The next thing you know, your pole is in the water and gone. It's time for that wack. It's time for the Mullahs to see a response they may have been warned about from Moscow or Beijing or even their own military commanders. If you have read my post or listen to my podcast, Col Dan's Opinion on iTunes, than you know my opinion on this response issue. Will the Mullahs go to war over their proxy militias in Iraq and Syria being turned into smoking holes in the ground? Better yet, would the military commanders allow the old men in Tehran to drag Iran into a regional war that would leave Iran a crushed nation unable to recover for decades?  Send the message. " Stop fishing this hole before it's too late". Strike the Shia Militias and strike them hard. Keep striking them and then, with a flash, be gone. No boots on the ground. No Nation State Building. No follow on contracts for BILLIONS of dollars for international companies to chase. Follow the Israeli model only do so on a grand scale. As the US is conducting this operation, get Putin on the phone and tell him. " We are not going to strike inside of Iran unless they strike back at our assets. If that happens all bets are off. You have the opportunity to change the course of your hostile proxy. You have the option of conducting a change in leadership. We don't care if you keep your influence over Tehran, but the path they are on is only going to lead to regional destruction and then you can explain to Beijing how your proxy ended up costing China it's flow of fuel. Have a good day"! 

Yep, that would be me if I was in the White House:). Look. If this round of attempting to bait the West / US / EU / doesn't work, than one thing is for certain. There will be another round. If each round is an escalation of the last, then what is next? At what point does the preplanned criticism of Trump go from, " He got us in another conflict in the Middle East", to, " Trump has no foreign policy and is in way over his head"! Oh wait.....they are already saying that! It's time to go from talking tough and carrying no stick to playing Wack a Mole with the Mullahs proxies and then looking their Puppet Master in they eyes and saying, "that's enough". 

By the way. I have had this conversation with one of the few people who truly doesn't let party politics get  folded into his opinions and let me tell you, that's refreshing. If you don't follow Daniel Horowitz at The Conservative Conscience, you should. Neither he nor I stick to any "party line" Call it like you see it. That's Dan. @RMConservative

Thanks Dan for giving me a much bigger platform to give my "Opinions".  

THE MEXICAN MILITARY. WHAT IS TAKING PLACE?

https://twitter.com/hrs4ntos/status/1171219712413327360?s=12

( Hopefully, this site will open for you).

Is it new news that I am once again focusing on the conditions in Mexico? No. Is it new news I'm taking issue with the status of the Mexican Military? No. I'm I doing so today because things are getting worse? Yes. So, what is taking place? What prompts me to come back to the issue of the Mexican Military? Well, this time, it's not about corruption. It's not about Death Squads, although I hear rumors those are on the way back as well. No. It's not about either of those issues. It's worse than that. It's about an issue I have been addressing for over ten years now. Stability. It's about the stability of the country of Mexico and how the signs are becoming more and more obvious stability needs to be a real concern. What is the key "sign" I've picked up on? what makes me come to the conclusion Mexico's government is in real trouble? Well, it's a series of events that most are going to once again say, "look.....it's Mexico..... no big deal.....it's always been like that"! Here is the problem. Some of that mindset may be true, but times have changed and with that, the threat has changed as well. The once "heros" of the Mexican people are increasingly becoming the target of the public's anger. Anger that is both justified and fabricated.

let's start by recapping where Mexico really stands at this moment in time. A few weeks ago, I made the statement Mexico, the US's number one trading partner, is controlled by the cartels. controversial? You bet. An opinion I am willing to back up? Absolutely. So, a little "reality 101" here. Mexico has no real judicial system. Yes, it has courts and yes it has civilian law enforcement, but both are nothing more than the Hollywood version of props. You know, fake buildings that make the viewer believe there is a real Western Town. Is this true or just my opinion? Do you remember Mexican President Calderon? Do you remember when he placed the Mexican military on the streets of Mexico because civilian law enforcement was so corrupt or so overmatched, the nation was demanding he take action? Was that a mistake? Yes and some of us said so from day one. What became of that concept? An increase in murders. Nationwide accusations of the military killing people without hesitation. Within just a few years, most of the senior leaders of the Mexican Military wanted out of the job they were not designed or trained for. Did that stop them from being utilized as the day to day police force? No. The years kept clicking by and the situation in Mexico continued to get worse. Then, along comes Nero, my new name for AMLO, and the promise to remove the military from the streets of Mexico. Not only that, but Nero stated the apprehension of the major drug lords would not be his top priority. Sound like a recipe for disaster? it was and it still is, even as I write this post. In the end, Mexico became a place where the violence was still going up. The President lives in some alternative universe and the military? It's has become what is known in military terms as, "combat Enefective". At the end of the day, what holds a nation together? What makes a nation have the ability to survive? If you answered it's military, you're about 60 percent correct. Here is the problem. Mexico doesn't have the other 40 percent.

A bleak picture? Yes. From the standpoint of the Mexican Military, could it get any worse? Hold on because the answer is yes. For weeks now, I and a few other folks that track events in Mexico have been observing and talking about a very concerning trend. Videos of what appear to be ordinary citizens actually confronting small squad size elements of SEDENA, Mexico's Army. The link I posted above, the one I hope works, is of just such an event, only this one has a twist, a twist I predicted was coming. The unit being confronted, at least it seems it's them, began to fire their weapons. Into the air? That is what I and a few others pray took place. Why? Why would they resort to this level? Here comes the answer the Mexican government, at least the current one, doesn't want you to hear. As I've said over the past few months, Nero has made it clear the military is not to get into any confrontation with the population, even if it means being humiliated and disarmed. Now, think about that for just a minute. The military, who is involved in its 11th year as a civilian police force, a job it has never wanted, has gone from public heros to Villians. They have become the symbol of oppression and are often feared to the same level as the cartels. Was this something they wanted? Is this an environment absolutely devastating to unit and individual morale? Yes. More importantly, is this a situation the cartels can exploit? Reality check. It's already taking place. The past two or three videos of these incidents where the public seems to be challenging small units of SEDENA appear to be far more coordinated than I can accept. Like every adversary, the cartels have developed a mechanism to exploit the weaknesses in their enemy. Gather up people who are beholden to you, from town and areas you control. Place them in the streets in front of the military units and then video whatever takes place. Does the military know most of these events are staged? Yes, but to the rest of the nation, a nation where the people are tired of seeing the military on the streets every day for the past eleven years, it's a brilliant ploy. A ploy that up until I watched the clip attached was limited to the military simply standing there. Was it bound to happen? Was it predictable someone in these units would fire a weapon? Just how frustrated is the rank and file of Mexico's military, to include its senior leaders? Better yet, could the cartels have fired those shots? Just look at Hugo Chavez and how he manipulated the truth in Venezuela.

What does this mean? Why did I take the time to post this story today? Are these instances of the military being confronted by so-called, "civilians" having an impact on the perceptions of the Mexican People? Here is the real question. Is anyone even bothering to do that analysis? I think I know that answer and that is why I sat down today to put this issue in front of you. Mexico has no judicial system. It has no functioning law enforcement network, that's the reason why Nero has not removed them from the streets like he promised. Last but not least, Mexico has a political base that is so saturated with corruption that anyone who thinks they can make a difference is slapped with reality as soon as they show up in Mexico City. On top of all of this, Mexico's "A-Team" it's military is now portrayed as being openly confronted by the very population it's sworn to protect. Nero fiddles while Mexico burns and the Legions have rotten food tossed in their faces. But that's okay. DC will look into the camera and simply say, "it's not that bad", or, " It's Mexico...... It's always been like that". The Mexican Military. Doing a job they were not designed or tasked to do and now, now they have a leader who sits and fiddles as the country burns.

POD CAST EXPERIMENT 

Going to try an experiment here. Simply going to post a link to my podcast and see if I can get the same results as my blog post. I hope it works. 

Topic?  China and why it matters. 

https://podcast.app/china-and-why-we-should-worry-e69913117/?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=share

IRAN’S NAVY AND THE DEADLY GAME OF CHESS

So, The Iranian navy commander, not it’s members and there is a difference here, states they are ready to escort the Adrian Daryl-1, with their oil in it, it ordered to do so? A bold statement? Yes. An operation they could actually execute? Yes. An action they could accomplish in a conflict? Only if everything they sent on the mission had a desire to rest on the bottom of the very shallow bottom of the Gulf. Again, a bold statement? Yep. Ready to put the collective money where the mouth is? I bet not. But, and here is the real purpose of this post, this is as always a game of chess and this move is a calculated based on one assumption. Will the US prevent the “escort” from taking place? Brinksmanship? Oh boy, is it ever! I woke up this morning thinking the latest round of protest in Honk Kong was the issue of the day or perhaps the cartels ambushing the Mexican military again, but when I read this, that was it. This is the story of the day. Chess, a game played to the end and that is the danger here.

Moves:

It’s clearly the US’s move in this dangerous game and that move has the US contemplating very few options. Let the Mullahs escort the tanker and the perception advantage once again is clearly Tehran’s. Get between the tanker and any advancing Iranian ship and the advantage goes back to the US. Are US assets closer to the tanker than the Mullahs? Yes. Does that create a dangerous escalation choice for Tehran? Oh yes. Does that mean the that is the COA / Course of Action, the US will take? I have no idea! Figuring out the actions of DC now days is even more complex than this game of chess with the Mullahs. Remember, it’s Pon Farr time in the US and the only thing that matters right now are sound bites and trends in polling data. Twitter.... I forgot Twitter. In my perfect world, getting between that tanker or even seizing it before Iran’s navy can make it there, and that would take days, is the optimum move. If the US pulls that off, than the Mullahs may very well never give the order to escort the tanker. It could be the order was never going to be given in the first place. Could this be just another information operation by Tehran? Yes, it’s very possible. You know who is praying that’s true? Remember those Iranian crew members I referred to. A bluff, that’s what they are praying for. As for the US and UK Navy, can they tell if the Iranian ships are preparing to get underway? You bet. It’s the US move, but the right move is a smart one. Chess. A game that is played until there is Checkmate? Let’s hope not. 

MEXICO. US'S NUMBER ONE TRADING PARTNER AND THE CARTELS

A few days ago I was reading the news and I saw an article that stated Mexico had become the US's number one trading partner. Look, I am no economist and stock market talk gives me a headache, but I have to admit, I stopped to think about that statement for a minute or two. Mexico. the US's number one trading partner. Mexico, the nation run by the drug cartels and and completely corrupt political leaders. Okay, yes, the issue of corruption and government officials is a timeless as well as global reality, but, everything has it's level's of severity and when it comes to corruption in politics, Mexico is in the top tier. So, why did this story on the US's top trade partner strike me so hard? Well, if you know me, you know how hard I've been after this issue of the drug cartels and Mexico and have been so for over a decade. Having said that, let me make my point right up front and then spend the rest of my time in this post showing you why I make this statement. Okay, here we go. The US's "number one trade partner is controlled by the drug cartels, thus, the US's number one trade partner is the cartels! There. I said it. Does that make you angry? Do you disagree? Do you let your political or ideological beliefs hide you from reality? Let me go back and cover a few facts that I've addressed in the past and let's see if you still think I'm way off base. 

Close your eyes and imagine:

Close your eyes. Imagine you are driving down a four or six lane highway heading into let's say, Kansas City or Cleveland. It's 7am, because you live out in the burbs and it takes your an hour or so to get into the city to work. you are approaching an overpass and you spot something that seems odd. As you get closer, your brain begins to tell you that "something" looks like a body hanging upside down from the overpass. Next to whatever that is, is what appears to be a large white sheet with writing on it but you can't make out what it says. Two or three other cars seem to slow down ahead of your but then speed up and keep going. As you get closer, your brain informs you your hunch was correct, it is a body. A body without a head. Like the cars in front of you, you slow down for a moment but then you realize the safest thing to do is just keep going. You might call it in on your cell phone but then you tell yourself, " someone else probably already did". When you get to work, you mention what you saw to your coworkers and several say they saw the same thing but they didn't bother calling it in for the same reason. The next thing you know, you are knee deep in work and the whole episode slides to the back of your mind. Why? because it was the fifth time this year you've witnessed this same scene.

The next week, you work sends you off to another city, let's say, St. Louis. You arrive at the airport, pick up your rental car and head out to the small town about 30 miles away to meet the client. Once again, it's early in the morning when all of a sudden you see traffic up ahead is at a standstill. Strange, given you are heading in the opposite direction of morning rush hour traffic. You creep along for thirty minutes or so and suddenly you see the red and blue lights ahead. A wreck, must be a wreck. Just your luck. You keep creeping along and suddenly, once again your brain transmits a picture you are not sure you understand. A few hundred yards ahead of you, it looks like several vehicles have burned. Not just one, but several and there is crime scene tape all over the place. Well, that could only mean one thing. Someone has been killed in what appears to be a horrible accident. But, as you get closer, your brain gives you an update. It doesn't look like an accident. As your are creeping along, you look down and notice the crime scene tape just about along side you, but you are two hundred yards away from the wreck. Strange. Then it hits you the tape is protecting an area along side the road and the left hand lane that looks to be covered in shell casings. Not just a few, but hundreds. Still you keep creeping, now being moved over into the far right hand lane by cones and police officers, a lot of police officers. What in the world has happened here? Finally. Finally you creep up alongside what appears to be the vehicles involved in whatever took place here. Then your brain sends you the truth. It has figured it out. Those are no ordinary vehicles. They look like large trucks with extra steel welded on their sides. They seem to have gun ports and no windshields. What is this? The next thing you know, you are waved on by the Police and you are past whatever took place. When you get to the client's office, you tell them the amazing story and they reply, "yep. Third time this year". 

What I just described to you was world of the US's number one trade partner. Is it factions of the government fighting for control? Is it a Civil War? In reality, it might as well be. But, don't fear, trade is king and trade is good with Mexico. 

Video:

As I was contemplating how to frame this post, I came across another example of just who truly runs Mexico. It seems one of the cartels, one that goes by the name of CJNG, what that stands for is not important, had it's leader send a video to the President of Mexico / AMLO. I won't slow this post down by giving you all the details, but if you would like to read the story, it's one Borderland Beat. Just look it up. What did this cartel boss have to say to the President of Mexico. Well, he wished him well and then asked him to take action against the CJNG's rival and to make it worth the President's trouble, he was going to give him the names and accounts of the local governor who was working with the CJNG's rival. Man....what a stand up citizen. You know, " See something, say something":).

Again, let me get to the point. This cartel boss was asking the Mexican President to "deal" with the rival and the boss would make sure the territory he has taken, yes he called it, "his territory", would be safer for the President doing so. Stop. Stop to think about this. Imagine one of the old five crime families sending a video to the US President asking him to take out the rival in let's say New Jersey and the "boss" would make sure his territory, not the countries, but his, New York would be able to lead a normal life. Folks, if my point is not sinking in yet, it's because you just don't want it to. Who runs, truly runs Mexico? PEMEX is the life blood of AMLO's socialist agenda. Who is taking PEMEX oil when they want, where they want? Yep. Corruption to the highest levels in Mexico. Just go have a drink with a retired DEA agent who worked Mexico and find out the shows about the cartels are too soft on what is really taking place. 

Yep. The US's number one trading partner is controlled by the drug cartels and everyone in DC knows it. are the Cartels Terrorist? You know my opinion. Is the US leadership, on both sides, going to come to the same conclusion? Number one trade partner. There is your answer! 

HONG KONG AND KASHMIR. AN UPDATE

 Folks, I don’t typically do this, but I read something this morning that compelled me to do a quick follow up on the topic of Hong Kong. For the life of me I don’t understand why the US has suddenly validated the  fears of Beijing.  The rumor and right now it may just be a rumor, of the US tying its trade negotiations to China’s actions in Hong Kong is insane.  I know full well there are people inside the intelligence community and private industry that realize the significance of Hong Kong to Beijing.  To somehow believe that the Chinese can be pressured into allowing Hong Kong to continue to spiral out of control in defiance of Chinese  baffles me .  If this strategy is actually taking place behind the scenes as well, then I’m not sure where this is all heading. Playing the Bluff game for economic leverage  is one thing, but taking part in what could quickly become brinksmanship, well, like I said I’m at a loss .

Kashmir:

 Is it difficult for China to ridicule India over the events in Kashmir and at the same time crush the protesters in Hong Kong? Yes, the answer is yes but the greater question is, does Beijing care?  India understands  the growing relationship between Pakistan and China and they understand the threat that means to Indians future. This is quickly not becoming an issue of protesters and territorial rights. It could be becoming an issue  of Super Power confrontation!  

Sidenote :

 The lack of coverage on both of these issues by Moscow is telling. Yes, there has been some minor press coverage but one would expect far more input from the Russians than what we have seen and that is even more interesting .

 Like I said, just a quick update but these two stories could have major implications for world stability. 

CITIES. HOW ARE THEY CHANGING AND WHAT MIGHT IT MEAN?

Two points right off the bat. 1. I'm going to address cities in the US, but I realize some of the comments could easily apply to many other nations. 2. If you read this and you live in a large city, you may never read my post again. So be it.

Before I get started, I fully realize many of you are going to read this and say to yourself," so what? Cities have been different from the countryside since day one". For the sake of argument, I will state I agree with you. What has changed is time, size and awareness, and so I am going to press on with my opinion and see if I can't make you understand the issue from a different light.

For the past several US Presidential Elections, I've seen a map some organization has complied that depicts the voting status of the nation by county. In each case the overwhelming percentage, like 85 percent or better, of the US landmass has shown to be "Red" or Republican / Conservative.  Each one of these maps has depicted the same results for the "Blue"  or Democratic areas, with only slight variances in percentage. The major cities in the US are "Blue", about 15 percent of the landmass, don't hold my percentages to an exact standard but I know they are really close. What does that mean? Is that phenomenon new? Is it worth paying attention to? Does most of the nation say, " so what"? Well, it's the 21st century and yes, yes it does mean something and let me tell you why.

Back Then:

Throughout time, cites have been their own entity. Yes the people outside the cites new they were there and some were close enough to travel to them if they needed or wanted to, but day to day life didn't revolve around such locations. I can remember driving down the road in Southern Missouri with my Grandfather who was in his 90s, listening to him talk about how the trip we were on that took 90 min use to take him a full day. that was in the early 70s so  you do the math. The Big City was St Louis and people went there for excitement or to purchase things that you simply could not find out in the country. By the way, in my opinion, the area outside the cities is referred to as, "the country" for a reason. Back then, cities were hardworking industrial centers where people went to make their fortune, or so they thought. In the industrial age, cities worked around the clock. There was not rolling up the sidewalks, look it up if you don't know what that means, at 6pm. Back in those days, cities were large, but the majority of the population still lived far enough away they had little in common with "city folk". Elections were won by "stumping" the countryside and not just winning the city vote and here is where my opinion starts to take hold.

What they have become: 

Are cities modern day, technological wonders? Most would say yes, to some degree. Mass transit, huge sports complexes, high rises. Yes, some are amazing to gaze upon. Zoos....did I mention Zoos? St. Louis Zoo.....it's the best in the world....really. Large Cities became modern day marvels and just about everyone wanted to live in one, but then the inevitable happened. Political parties began to realize the major cities were growing so big, they didn't have to " Stump" the countryside nearly as extensively as in the past. The major cites had grown to the point, enough votes could be won just by winning the majority of the votes in the cities. Short answer, the trend of the countryside becoming less relevant had begun. With the onset of unions, they swing to one political party was set into motion, a motion that would last for decades. Promises were made for the sake of votes, nothing new there, and the color of the major cities was nearly cast in stone. Then, the worse thing, for that party that is, began to happen. The jobs began to go away and with that, the fear of the votes leaving the concentrated areas of the large cities became a reality. One party had only one choice, they had to make the large cities the center piece of a voting block that would be too dependent on that party to ever leave the city. Okay. I know this is where some will think I am getting on a soapbox, but if you can prove me wrong, then do so. Large cities became "safe voting blocks" and all that was needed was to continue to provide as many "entitlements" as possible. Now, here comes the really tough love part. Not only did one party come up with a strategy to keep a voting block in the cities, they had to frighten that block into believing someone wanted to take those "entitlements" away from them. "Vote for us or you will be tossed out with the trash"! Yes, fear tactics set in and they were reinforced by just about everyone involved in this particular political party. Well, before too long, large cities were not just economic engines for the nation, they were guaranteed votes...dependent on one party for just about every need the "city folk" may need. Sound outrageous?  Again, prove me wrong.

Look, I could talk all day about the status of large cities in the US, but here is the down and dirty. The rest of the nation began to live with the nickname of, "flyover Country" for a reason. There is a reason this same political party in question has now openly called for doing away with the Electoral College. Why? Because the large cities have a majority of the population now, for now that is, and with that, the political party in question simply doesn't need the "flyover Folks".....but....only if they can get rid of the Electoral Collage. Once again, those pesky Founding Fathers are in the way of power and control.

 A Nation Divided: 

Here is what I have been driving towards. History is a great cornerstone of knowledge, but times do change and complex societies, ones that have over 3 BILLION people able to communicate 24/7/365 without filters, are going to encounter issues that history has not set examples for. What holds a nation together? If you said a common good.... a common goal, then you are on the right track. In the past few years, even decades, how often have you heard, " I don't give a hoot what LA or New York does are thinks. How many times have you heard the major news networks, focus on the coastlines? If you googled CNN or MSNBC for the term, "flyover Country" what would that number be? Folks, the US population is growing apart.

When I was 30 yrs younger, would I have believed I would look the news and listen to major cities openly tell the federal government, federal law doesn't apply in "their city"? Sanctuary Cities...I'm talking about Sanctuary Cities! What if George Wallace would have tried that approach? Oh...that's right...............he did. what happened? His National Guard was federalized and used against him, that's what happened. When I was a Cop in Ft. Worth and St. Louis, would I have witnessed, other than the city of Dallas and that is a story for another day, national leaders from one party, to include the President accusing Law Enforcement in general of being discriminatory or racist? Yes, we witnessed this in the 60s, but it wasn't coming from the federal government. It wasn't coming from the President of the United States.

If large cities are going to be allowed to ignore federal laws, make up their own rules regardless of what the federal government states, where does it stop? One party is in favor of allowing illegal entry to the US in massive numbers and again, those cities that agree simply ignore federal law. Where is that heading? What happens when "Flyover Country" says, " If it's okay for the large cities to make up their own rules, then it's okay for us to make up our own as well". Then what? What happens when "flyover Country" doesn't want to be be affiliated with large cities? Think it can't happen?  Come to Texas and ask anyone who lives outside the cities of Dallas, Houston, Austin....good grief....Austin, San Antonio what they think of what goes on in those cities. Just how much more division can the US withstand? Does it even begin to worry you? it should. The major cities in the US are growing more and more distant from the rest of the nation and nobody on either side seems to mind. In reality, most are even glad it's taking place. Where does that leave the US? People in the US often hear talk of 'division", but are they taking that worn out phrase for granted? Do they really see what the future might hold? Can cities produce energy? No, at least not most of them. Can they produce food? Nope. Can they manufacture the luxury items they are addicted to? That capability is dwindling away.  The fact of the matter is, big cities live off of life support from the areas outside the city. Don't believe me? Watch the next time a Hurricane or Earthquake hits one. Look at New Orleans in Katrina.

The real Danger: 

What do nation state's real enemies constantly look for? yep. weaknesses from within. Was the 60s just an issue of the war and civil rights? Yes, but to an extent. Did our enemy, the Soviet Union, leverage the 60s? You bet they did. Has that concept changed? Absolutely not! It's an old saying and it's one the US has used to it's advantage in the past. " A house divided cannot stand"! The US large cities continue to morph into something the rest of the country is not comfortable with. Morals, Ethics and social norms are growing apart at an alarming rate. Is that a danger to the survival of the nation? Truly, I cannot think of a more dangerous topic. A crazy strong economy is the glue that keeps it together.......for now!  If that glue melts, then what? Worse. Who is out there trying to make that glue melt?  " Nations without borders". Who supports the concept and why? Who supports the idea of taking the world economy off the dollar standard? Is the US living on a razor's edge? That my friends is up to you to decide.

PS. I said this story was applicable to other nations and I can assure you I am correct in that assumption.