THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

I didn’t watch “The Apprentice” at all but then, Donald Trump was hard to miss. When he ran for POTUS in 2016, I only had harsh words for him (check my blogs in those days) up to the time he eventually won. Yet I started pondering a few months after his MOAB hits in April 2017, the time he u-turned to a relatively dovish playbook. And so on and so forth.

      Meanwhile, I pretty much view Mr Trump as my granddad talkin’ smack when I was little. His words astounded even my grandma, but he is entirely cool beyond his mouth. Yes, I still don’t watch The D say it before the media. But I intensely follow his work. POTUS work. His foreign policies? Yes, I am diggin’ it. Understatement? In case you’d opt to say the contrary, let me know. But no laughing emoji, but your grown-up words only. Educate me. ☮️🗽☮️

USA Today: “Trump unveils $400 million Air Force One gifted by Qatar.” I’m lovin’ it! Valued at approximately $400 million, the custom VIP Boeing 747-8 jet is the most expensive gift ever given to a U.S. President by a foreign government. I don’t have any problem with that, whatsoever. Qatar is not poor like Botswana or Congo. Qatar is ranked #9, richest country on earth, per capita.

      I see this as a win-win as America sees a bonanza of FDIs (investments) from rich Middle East countries on Trumptime. Qatar is #3 behind UAE and Saudi Arabia per ME category. Overall, Japan is the #1 FDI nation in the U.S. (the rest: Canada, Germany, UK, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg); yes, no China. Total worth of foreign direct investment into the United States in 2025: $288 billion. All good! ✈️😚🇶🇦

USA Today: “UFC Freedom 250 scored a ratings win. It also got a reality check.” What is the “reality check,” you reckon? Another insult leveled at Mr Trump? Of course. Although my only son is a pro mixed martial arts fighter, I am not a fan of the sport. But I know REALITY. Reality: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is the world's third most popular sport, boasting an estimated 450 to 650 million fans globally, trailing only soccer and basketball. Meanwhile, the UFC's estimated valuation sits at around $12 billion to $23 billion.

      Hey, instead of a lavish party as part of the Freedom 250 where we’d ogle at the rich and famous in Vera Wangs and Tom Ford outfits flashing their Van Cleef & Arpels, we saw a sport for the masses. Sure, Donald Trump is a populist POTUS. But I stick to how I define the word, old-school. A populist is a political figure, ideology, or movement that champions the rights and interests of "the ordinary people" against a perceived corrupt or self-serving "elite." 🏛🗽🏛

AFP: “Italy's leader calls Trump's comments 'made up' as foreign minister cancels U.S. visit.” Read through it. Read between the line/s. Whatever. For me, this is another example of how today's media manipulates us, the readership public. Left-wing media (who are, of course, anti-Trump) prop up their "reports" with a "Trump quote." Quotes are The News! These new journalists are expectedly young, who are writing/reporting per baton of old 1 Percenter corporate bosses a.k.a. profit gods. They have "reworked" how news is peddled to the consumer market. We are not anymore provided the pertinent info. We get the flash, not the facts.

      These “kids” get the highs when world leaders fight and we in Social Media duke it out on a diversity of subjects, such as donuts and condoms, Bruce and Billie Kid Rocky, and other stuff that are "influenced" as political trans-fats. We suck `em up! Meanwhile, do you want a better analysis that’d feed your Left/Right angst? Go ask AI or ChatGPT. 🗣✍📰

The Hill: “GOP senators sound alarm over Trump's Iran deal and $300 billion in relief and aid.” Of course, the U.S. military budget (more than 4x than China’s) doesn’t alarm lawmakers, Blue or Red. (Sarcasm, okay?) Anyhow, they seem to suggest that the money would come from U.S. taxpayers. Nope. The $300 billion proposed redevelopment fund for Iran will come from private sector investments and contributions from regional countries, contingent on Iran adhering to strict conditions and peace agreements.

      Private sector investments? Companies from the U.S., Asia, South America, and the Gulf are expected to inject capital into Iranian infrastructure, energy, and logistics once sanctions are officially lifted. Tell me what is really new about this? That has been the story in the Middle East since discovery of oil in the 1920s/1940s! Or in/around the global glade, post-colonization years. Or after a world war, go check Bretton Woods of 1944 for starters.

      Why do my super smart Left-winger “armchair revolutionary” pals keep on ranting about it as though we don’t know history? As for me, in my super old age, anything that ends a war, I am for it. Respite from body bags or mass graves, and $2 billion saved for a day (of war). 🇺🇸☮️🇮🇷