Seeking truth together
The Trump Administration has seized multiple oil tankers and President Trump has stated that Venezuela will soon cede 30-50 million barrels of oil to the United States. The U.S. was the world’s top producer of oil in 2022 and 2023. Venezuela was not even listed in the top ten. So, does the Trump Administration need Venezuela’s Oil: Probably, Maybe, or Probably Not?
In the late night of January 2nd and early morning hours of January 3rd, the U.S. Military successfully abducted Nicolas Maduro from his residence in Caracas, Venezuela. Maduro has now been extradited to New York to stand trial for various criminal charges being brought against him in that State. The former Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, has now been sworn in as President of Venezuela while President Trump has suggested that a second wave of military strikes could take place if the Venezuelan Government fails to comply with the Trump Administration’s demands. Trump has suggested that U.S. companies will soon gain access to and jurisdiction over Venezuelan oil resources which will then be leveraged for the benefit of both the United States and Venezuela. So, is the Trump Administration in control of Venezuela and its vast oil reserves?
There’s a lot at stake in the Trump & Zelenskyy White House Meeting 2.0, but I’m keeping my expectations low. Here’s why…
President Trump’s April 2, 2025 tariff announcement imposes a 10% tax on imported goods, leading to increased prices for U.S. consumers and potential losses of $3,800 per household. While tariffs raise federal revenue, they may also encourage domestic production if U.S. goods can compete with cheaper foreign options. Protests against tariffs are expected as consumers react to rising costs.
Trump, Musk, and DOGE are rapidly downsizing government. But are these billionaires looking out for the interests of the American people or gutting government to enrich themselves?
Some of the pervasive systemic problems with this nation’s bureaucracy include the dispersion of distance, Parkinson’s Law (Parkinson, 1980), The Peter Principle (Peter et al., 1969) prospective budgets (Finkler et al., 2017), penalties for under-spending your funding, and other top-down interventionist tendencies that are prevalent in many large organizations.
The author expresses frustration with the U.S. Executive Branch’s actions, including the suspension of vital foreign aid and funding, and concerns about billionaires like Elon Musk influencing government. He calls for the Legislative and Judicial Branches to act against these issues if the Executive Branch fails to correct them. The author suggests people should petition for impeachment if conflicts of interest and corruption persist.
Government needs transparency and people who do the right thing. Resilient and rational government employees represent the best of our government’s civil servants. But three other types of government workers are more common: riders, risers, and rescuers or wannabe humanitarians. The current executive branch appears to be targeting left-leaning humanitarian or rescuer types in order to (1) consolidate power and (2) cut spending. But, would mandatory annual itemized financial reports do the job for them?
The neti, neti project encourages a healthier, wealthier lifestyle through silent action. Emphasizing the concept of “neti, neti” (“not that, not that”) encourages acceptance of life’s uncertainties and imperfections. The video series aims for iterative improvements over unattainable perfection. This video reflects on old democratic principles from Alexis de Tocqueville.
The media is speculating on potential replacements for President Biden, such as Vice President Harris, Governor Newsom, and Governor Moore. I proposed Admiral (Ret.) McRaven should also be considered. Who is your favorite potential alternative? Harris, Newsom, Moore, or McRaven?
Deliberating Truth 