It was time for EA to do its annual March posting of my favorite Saturday Night Live performance. Hearkening back to this week’s contentious debate about the ethics of wasting one’s life, which began here, I give you John Belushi. I’m still furious with the troubled comic for robbing the world of all the laughter and entertainment his gifts would have provided had he managed to survive his 30s.
In case you’re interested, my March came in like a Woolly Rhinoceros and is going out like a sea slug.
And on the topic of comedians, how did you like President Trump joking about Pearl Harbor to the Japanese Prime Minister? If you are minimally culturally literate, this classic comic performance should have come to mind…
But I digress. Please proceed to the ethics aisle…and you can certainly talk about the war.
Ethics Alarms 
I would suggest that it was beneath the President. Jokes about Pearl Harbor, whether countering an accusation about a sneak attack or not, are unbecoming a chat with one of our major allies. The Japanese paid dearly for Pearl Harbor. This is one of those Trump just blurts out whatever he’s thinking incidents that make some people laugh, some people fume and just bugs the dickens out of the rest of us.
Pardon me for now. I have to get back to slogging through The Sun Also Rises. Do I just not get Hemingway? Is there something I’m missing?
Nabokov criticized Hemingway starkly:
”He is merely a writer of books for boys. He is better than Conrad and has at least a style of his own. But it is nothing I would care to have written myself. In terms of mentality and emotion, he is hopelessly juvenile. I loathe his works about bels, balls and bulls.”
Ernest was at his best with short stories.
I did like the novella “The Old Man and the Sea”. Maybe it just made me think he was better than he was.
Would you take a book recommendation? I have a feeling you would like it: Doctor Glas by Hjalmar Soderberg.
As long as the atomic bombs are not yet falling I reckon it is a good idea to take in beautiful literature.
Las leyes callan cuando las armas hablan can be modified to Cuando las armas hablan las letras callan.
I’ll put it on the list. Thanks!
While the Iran attacks aren’t a precisely equivalent situation to Pearl Harbor, I actually thought the President’s response wasn’t offensive, though maybe a bit smarmy and blunt to a strong ally. As I recall – and correct me if I’m wrong – Japan didn’t warn Italy and Germany about its impending attack on the U.S. in 1941. Coming back to the present, loose lips still sink ships and President Trump can afford to trust precious few people with secrets, particularly military secrets.
Speaking of Pearl, years ago I read (or heard or saw somewhere) that there is circumstantial evidence that the Russians discovered “Kido Butai” (the Japanese force headed for Pearl). At the time, Joseph Stalin was in a bad way with the Germans and was pulling troops from the far east to defend Moscow. He needed no conflict with Japan to create his own two-front war. So he contacted the Japanese government and told them if they left the ship that made the discovery (a Russian trawler) alone, he would “forget” to tell the Americans about the Japanese fleet he now almost certainly knew was headed for Pearl. He also had to suspect that an attack would bring the U.S. into the war…on his side.
“President Trump can afford to trust precious few people with secrets, particularly military secrets.”
Can you imagine briefing Rep. Ilhan Omar or Rep. Rashida Tlaib, those paragons of patriotism and honor? Do you think those scoundrels wouldn’t have disclosed the information? There is credible evidence that Omar actually posted on social media that an attack might be forthcoming.
jvb
This was a joking way to answer the reporter’s question. The question was why did he not tell some of the allies about the planned attack. Would it have been any better had he just said that surprise attacks must be kept secret which is why we were left at the mercies of the Japanese in 1941? You could view the joke as acknowledging the Japanese tactical advantage by keeping their plans from falling into our hands.
The more accurate answer is that he cannot count on the allies to keep secrets or otherwise commit to anything involving Muslim nations now that their own countries have been colonized by the nation of Islam. Do we want honesty or do we want to lighten the mood on a very serious subject that will require significant work to ensure that our alliances will not continue to be one sided where the United States shoulders the burden of protecting Europe and other nations around the world.
If you’re in the Madison area, our local Braver Angels Alliance is hosting a Crossing the Continental Divide event tomorrow the 21st at 10 AM as an introduction to Braver Angels.
At the event, you’ll meet people with different political perspectives who want to listen to your concerns and engage constructively.
What topics do you want to see us cover in future discussions?
You can view the event details and sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/crossing-the-continental-divide-registration-1982909347236?aff=oddtdtcreator&discount=BRAVER.
Ok. I am going to share a short article and then tell you how it’s being implemented. It’s probably something you didn’t know existed so I will attempt to explain. My issue with the rules is that the FMCSA is overstepping their scope while causing delays in the H2A program and unnecessary expenses for everyone but most importantly, delays. They are temporary ag workers, after all, and delays of 6-12 weeks during the growing season is a problem.
https://www.globalimmigrationblog.com/2025/11/fmcsa-restricting-non-domiciled-commercial-drivers-licenses-announces-interim-final-rule/
Since Jack likes movies I’ll present to you the main characters.
FMCSA: (federal motor carriers safety administration). This department was created during the Obama era with the same bill that did the best grants for schools. They are responsible for interstate commerce transportation (ie the safety of commercial trucks and buses crossing state lines) They also issue DOT numbers.
The US consulate: they are responsible for issuing temporary visas.
Me: I’m just trying to get my help here on time.
What happened: roughly 3 weeks ago the consulate, without warning, denied H2A workers visas because they didn’t have all their paperwork in order. The new requirements include a background check, a copy of their country of origin driving record, a copy of their CDL equivalent in their country and certificate of clean driving record, as well as an official statement of driving record of any state drivers license.
What is the purpose of this? Apparently there’s been a few accidents with illegals driving trucks. This aims to stop it.
Why do I have a problem with this? First off, my guys were here until last October. They’ve been coming to work for several years consecutively.
Second, they don’t even have CDLs nor do we drive across state lines. Therefore this is outside the scope of FMCSA. (Plus it won’t do a thing to stop the accidents) Third: Sudden implementation. There was no warning at all. They didn’t get notice at all of these changes. One day they had all their paperwork in order and the next they needed extra. (Which takes a minimum of 6–12 weeks)
Fourth: They are asking for normal state driver’s licenses records. While I’m sure they can, because they aren’t US citizens, again, this is outside the scope of the FMCSA. With this kind of department creep, I don’t doubt they’ll be asking for evidence of all drivers proof of citizenship and driving record in the name of safety within 5 years.
Lastly: aren’t departments required to have a public comment period on rules? I don’t think that happened.
There is absolutely nothing I can do. I don’t even know who to complain to about this department overreach. Congress isn’t allowed to interfere in department rulings.
This is just one more example of why things cost more. Time really is money, and background checks, proof of driving records and unnecessary delays are not “free”.
I am sorry I’m not as articulate as most of you, and what’s worse is you have no idea what I’m talking about at all. However my question is….. Do you believe (after an AI explanation and this one) that FMCSA is within their rights to demand regular driving records when they are responsible for Truck interstate safety, and should H2A workers be required to have background checks annually or should they, in the future have exemptions for annual workers? The broader question is how far should department rules restrict in the name of safety? We have a lot of regulations on safety already. Will more help or will it just be burdensome regulations to no effect?