A look back at debate # 1 and what happens next

A look back at debate # 1 and what happens next 09/30 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

A look back at debate # 1......Trump by points but he needs to get sharper.....Biden had some good moments but he can not continue to evade questions........Babe Ruth # 60 in 1927 and other stories.....click to listen:

Wednesday’s video: A reaction to the debate

 

Wednesday’s video:
A reaction to the debate
Click to watch: pic.twitter.com/egpebB9ViR

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) September 30, 2020

Corruption is once again the talk of Mexico

A few days ago, I was talking with a Mexican friend about COVID in Mexico.  I was trying to find out more information about the cases and deaths in Mexico.  He could not answer the question, and it wasn't because he did not want to.  He just didn't know, and I can understand that, because no one else really does.   He did say corruption is the reason why doctors treating COVID-19 patients do not have better protective gear.

Corruption is a way of life south of the border, and most people are now realizing that it does more harm than good.  It may get you a birth certificate quickly, but it poisons the bureaucracy.

Ioan Grillo, author and journalist, wrote this truth in the New York Times: 

Corruption tears at the soul of Mexico, and many here see it as one of the country's leading problems. It's the reason killer cartels flourish, roads have potholes, and doctors treating Covid-19 don't have better protective gear. It also pervades everyday life, with bribes functioning as the grease that keeps the system moving, and in this way it makes a large part of the country complicit. Bureaucrats get cash tips for issuing birth certificates for example, and police pocket cash for turning a blind eye to motorists running red lights. The "angels" at the bottom take bribes, too.

But when the "gods" at the top are rotten it has the most devastating consequences.

Yes, it does.  Let me share a simple example.  During my time in Mexico, I was the passenger, and a colleague was driving to a business meeting.  We were stopped by a policeman.  It was a stupid reason, something like the brake light was not working.

The policeman was apologetic but started writing the ticket.  My friend laughed and offered money.  He looked at the peso bill and said it was not enough.  My friend screamed.  The policeman said he had to pass some of the bribe up the chain.

We increased the bribe and moved on.  As we drove away, my friend said this is like a "pyramid" and everything that's wrong.

President Andrés López-Obrador promised to clean house — his version of draining the swamp.  Can he do it?  Many people are still hoping he can, but the clock is ticking.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda

The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda 09/29 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

Guest: Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda......And the Trump vs Biden debate is finally here...a new Supreme Court confirmation coming up..NY Times and Trump taxes..

and more.....click to listen:

Tuesday's video: The Freedom Flights

 

Tuesday Sept 29: The Freedom Flights.......Click to watch: https://t.co/pWi3ShdWwB via @YouTube

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) September 29, 2020

Remember when 300,000 Cubans came legally to the US?

This month in 1965, the Castro regime announced that Cubans were free to leave the island. It happened about a year after our family and many others had left Cuba via Mexico or Spain.  The problem is that Miami-Havana flights were canceled after the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.  So we had to opt for the more complicated and costly trip to Mexico or Madrid.  Also, the flights to Mexico City or Madrid were less frequent.  As I recall, the flights to Spain were weekly and maybe twice a week to Mexico.

Once the Miami-Havana flights were restarted,  “the Freedom Flights” or "Vuelos de libertad" began. Between 1965 and 1975, ten flights a week brought approximately 300,000 Cubans to the U.S.  

Why did Castro do it? Some say that Castro got rid of many opponents and that’s true. More importantly, it was a “brain drain” and many hard working and talented people left Cuba.   Also, the refugees generally came as families and were generally received by their relatives in Miami.

Last but not least, it changed Miami from a sleepy winter resort to a vibrant city that became the capital of Latin America.

And best of all, it was done legally and orderly.   

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

A new Justice to the Court plus more about Trump's taxes

A new Justice to the Court plus more about Trump's taxes 09/28 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

An excellent candidate for the Supreme Court........The NY Times and President Trump's taxes.....The debate on Tuesday......Ted Williams 1941.....and other stories.....click to listen:

Monday’s video: New York Times and Trump’s taxes

 

Monday’s video:

The New York Times and Trump’s taxes

Click to watch: pic.twitter.com/3qojNy58Dm

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) September 28, 2020

Another judge goes super political

In 2017, the Texas legislature eliminated the straight party voting option effective in 2020.  

A couple of days ago, a federal judge in Texas intervened.   This is from the Texas Tribune:    

In a ruling issued late Friday, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo cited the coronavirus pandemic, saying the elimination of the voting practice would “cause irreparable injury” to voters “by creating mass lines at the polls and increasing the amount of time voters are exposed to COVID-19.”Marmolejo also found that the GOP-backed law would “impose a discriminatory burden” on black and Hispanic voters and “create comparatively less opportunities for these voters to participate in the political process.”She acknowledged the burden the decision could put on local and state election officials, who will have to recalibrate voting machines or reprint ballots. But she reasoned that the potential harm for those suing, including the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans, was “outweighed by the inconveniences resulting.”     

Attorney General Ken Paxton will appeal the ruling and let's hope that he is successful.

First, where does a judge get the authority to overturn a law passed by the legislature?  

Second, where is the evidence that this law would hurt black and Hispanic voters?  

Once again, we see a judge who does not understand her job.  Judge Garcia-Marmolejo should quit the bench and run for the Texas legislature.  She has no business legislating from the bench.

Do you understand now why so many of us love what President Trump is doing with the judiciary?   Activist judges like Garcia-Marmolejo need to be stopped.

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

And so started the "freedom flights"

(You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.    If you like our posts, drop a dime here.)

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On this day in 1965, the Castro regime announced that Cubans were free to leave the island. It happened about a year after our family, and many others, had left Cuba via Mexico or Spain.

And so started what we called “The Freedom Flights”. Between 1965 and 1975, ten flights a week brought approximately 300,000 Cubans to the US.

Why did Castro do it? Some say that Castro got rid of many opponents and that’s true. More importantly, it was a “brain drain” and many hard working and talented people left Cuba.

Last but not least, it changed Miami from a sleepy winter resort to a vibrant city that became the capital of Latin America.

This is one of the many books written about leaving Cuba:

No ball drop on December 31st

Why is it so hard for people to take government seriously on COVID-19 rules?

The city of New York will be saying goodbye to 2020 in a bizarre way.  This is the latest:   

Every year the New Year’s Eve Ball descends atop One Times Square in front of an estimated one million people in person, live bands, celebrities, etc. This annual event creates enthusiasm about the new year to millions watching on television and over a billion watching throughout the world.
Because of the CoronaVirus, 2021 will be welcomed with an animation of the annual event. The teaser of the animation seems like a noble attempt, but the bottom line is that it looks more like the weekly opening of Monday Night Football than New Year’s Eve.

Well, I don't know about the opening for Monday Night Football since I am angry with the NFL.  

This is a silly act from De Blasio and the gang.   His government had no problem with protests. He encouraged them.  However, a ball dropping with a limited crowd wearing masks is bad.

Hold the event, warn people about COVID, tell them to wear a mask and maybe limit the size of the crowd.   Please don't cancel one of the country's greatest traditions.

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

1968: "Hawaii 5-0" made its TV debut this week

(You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.    If you like our posts, drop a dime here.)

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"Hawaii Five-O", one of the all time TV classics, aired for the first time this week in 1968.    It stayed on until April 1980.  Frankly, I don't remember the show lasting that long!    We also remember 'Hawaii 5-0" because of the show's music, specially its fantastic intro:

Trump and election results plus a new The Supreme Court roster & more stories

Trump and election results plus a new The Supreme Court roster & more stories 09/25 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

Talk of President Trump staying in office if he loses.........Justice Ginsburg will be replaced by President Trump.....Term limits for The Supreme Court......We should encourage retirement.....Debate coming up on Tuesday........Nolan Ryan # 5 no-hitter 1981.....Bill of Rights 1789.....and other stories......

 

Friday’s video: Retirement not term limits for The Supreme Court

 

Friday’s video:

Retirement not term limits for The Supreme Court

Click to watch: pic.twitter.com/yQwJJGNgyB

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) September 25, 2020

BLM does a website correction

Frankly, I am surprised that it took this long.   In other words, it's amazing that all of those Marxist and anti-family ideas sat on the Black Lives Matter website for so long.

Well, BLM is changing its image, as Jason Whitlock wrote:   

BLM’s “what we believe” page originally exposed the movement’s heavy Marxist influence. The page called for the disruption of the nuclear family. Let me quote it directly.

“We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents and children are comfortable.”

That’s a Marxist concept. Libby Emmons at The Post Millennial succinctly summarized the BLM agenda, writing that BLM “espouses Marxist principles of communal children and the demise of the family structure over American ideals of individualism and family unity.”

People are finally looking beyond BLM’s catchy slogan and evaluating the actual agenda. The agenda is Karl Marx’s anti-God, pro-communism political theory. BLM scrubbed its “what we believe” page because smart people are distancing themselves from BLM. 

Thank you Jason, for pointing this out.

What continues to amaze is that this information sat on their website during all the riots and violence.   Yet, no one in the media ever asked anything about the people behind BLM or what all of those statements were about.

Back in 2010, I recall the media was always looking for everything behind the Tea Party movement.  It did not show the same curiosity behind the BLM movement.

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

The Supreme Court debate with Frank Burke, author

The Supreme Court debate with Frank Burke, author 09/24 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

Guest: Frank Burke, businessman and author.......We will talk about the passing of Justice Ginsburg and the political situation in the US.......and other stories.........click to listen:

Thursday’s video: We need to respect the system

 

Thursday’s video:

We need to respect the system 

Click to watch: pic.twitter.com/4P2NS5PhBM

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) September 24, 2020

First Fidel and now Diaz-Canel...but the anti-US message is the same

As expected, the Cuban selected by Raúl Castro to play the role of President of Cuba spoke to the U.N.  His name is Miguel Díaz-Canel, and he blasted the U.S.  This is a sample from the speech:

"While the U.S. government is ignoring the call to combine efforts to fight the pandemic and it withdraws from the W.H.O. [World Health Organization], Cuba, in response to requests made to it, and guided by the profound solidarity and humanistic vocation of its people, is expanding its cooperation by sending over 3,700 cooperation workers distributed in 46 medical brigades to 39 countries and territories hit by COVID-19 [Chinese coronavirus]," Díaz-Canel said. 

"In this sense, we condemn the gangster blackmailing by the U.S. to pressure the Pan-American Health Organization so as to make that regional agency a tool for its morbid aggression against our country," he continued. 

"As usual, the force of truth shall do away with lies, and facts and protagonists shall go down in history as they should. Cuba's example shall prevail."

Well, some people correctly refer to those medical brigades as "slave labor."  In other words, these doctors are nothing but a pathetic stunt to earn foreign exchange to a regime starving for hard currency.

Not long after Díaz-Canel's speech, President Trump was in Miami and made life more difficult for the regime.  The Treasury Department announced new rules restricting Cuba-origin alcohol and tobacco products and prevent travelers from attending or organizing certain professional meetings or conferences in Cuba.

One of these days, Díaz-Canel will figure out that President Trump has a lot more options to play than Cuba does.  It couldn't happen to a more despicable and corrupt leftist regime!

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

Yogi Berra was one of a kind (1925-2015)

(You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.    If you like our posts, drop a dime here.)

As a little boy, I remember my dad talking baseball with friends over dominos, cigars, and Cuban coffee.  

Most Cubans were Senators' fans because of Camilo Pascual and Pedro Ramos, two of the best Latino pitchers ever. They pitched for bad Washington teams until they moved to Minnesota and started winning. Unfortunately, Pascual and Ramos did not enjoy pitching for those Twins teams that featured fellow Cubans Tony Oliva & Zoilo Versalles, a young Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew in his prime.

My dad and friends were huge admirers of the Yankees, the top sports team of the time. I remember my dad telling stories of the Dodgers-Yankees rivalry and those World Series that he followed on radio, and then on TV. Yogi Berra was one of those players that they talked about. 

Like a lot of kids of my generation, we got to know the post-baseball Yogi Berra. We remember him on Johnny Carson or other baseball events. We remember laughing and admiring the wisdom of his quotes.   

Berra died yesterday at age 90. It's worth remembering just how great a player he was: 

1) 13 World Series rings, three American League MVP Awards (1951, '54, and '55) and World Series records;

2)  He batted .285, hit 358 home runs and drove in 1,430 runs. No player whose primary position was catcher has driven in run more runs. He averaged just fewer than 5.5 strikeouts per 100 at-bats, never striking out more than 38 times in a season, and 102 RBIs per season in an 11-season sequence that began in 1948, the first year he appeared in more than 100 games.

3) He was a teammate of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle; and

4) He played for the Yankees that won the Series 5 years in a row: 1949-53.

He was a great player as those 3 MVP's confirm. Like Pete Rose, he made the best out of his skills.

Of course, you can't write his story without one of his quotes. My favorite is one about life that is so profound, especially those of us who had Little League kids:

I tell the kids, somebody's gotta win, somebody's gotta lose. Just don't fight about it. Just try to get better. 

RIP Yogi Berra. Wonder how St Peter greeted Yogi?  He probably said:  Thanks for your generosity, loved your quotes, and a lot of your Yankee teammates are waiting over there.  

A word about Billy the Kid

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Billy the Kid was a great character from the Old West.   We remember that Billy was arrested for the first time in 1875.

Quite a character!  He went on to be an outlaw and eventually killed at a young age.

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The political consequences of the Supreme Court with Barry Casselman

The political consequences of the Supreme Court with Barry Casselman 09/23 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

Guest: Barry Casselman, The Prairie Editor.............We will look at the political consequences of the Supreme Court appointment......Polls 2020....US Senate & US House election outlook.......and other stories.......click to listen:

Wednesday’s video: Talk of packing the court

 

Wednesday’s video:

Talk of packing the court

Click to watch: pic.twitter.com/KyGXpzxPk6

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) September 23, 2020

Keep Don Lemon talking and he’ll blow up himself

On Monday night, Don Lemon of CNN added his thoughts to the Supreme Court debate.   It turns out that Don wants to blow up the system, or something like that.  This is what he said:     

During his nightly handoff with primetime colleague Chris Cuomo, Lemon floated a solution for the masses who are disenfranchised by both parties."We're going to have to blow up the entire system," Lemon said."I don't know about that," Cuomo reacted, who argued that Americans just have to vote."You know what we're going to have to do?... You're going to have to get rid of the electoral college," Lemon continued. "Because the minority in this country get to decide who our judges are and who our president is. Is that fair?"

Well, I guess we know now why this man only draws a million people to his nightly anti-Trump rant.   

Someone should explain to Lemon that Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy were not elected by any majority of the popular vote.  They got a plurality but won because of the Electoral College.  Al Gore and Hillary Clinton did not crack the magic 50% mark either.

Blowing up the Electoral College will end up blowing up the country.  It will likely turn the U.S. into another democracy with lots of political parties and chaos.

The good news is that the U.S. won't get blown up but the Lemon show may be when CNN's ownership realizes that they could attract more viewers with a different host.

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

Those Black Young Men Without Fathers

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Something awful is happening in black America, something that no politician peddling “hope and change” or reparations can fix.

Linda Chavez quotes Jason Riley’s book Please Stop Helping Us: How Liberals Make It Harder for Blacks to Succeed and some statistics that the left can no longer explain by playing the “race card”:

In 2012, blacks made up 38.5 percent of all persons arrested for violent crimes and 51.5 percent of those under 18 arrested for such crimes, but they constituted only 13 percent of the population. And even accounting for the possibility or likelihood of bias in arrests, the conviction rates are similarly stark. One Bureau of Justice Statistics study from 2002 concluded that when the race of the person committing homicide was known, blacks committed 51 percent of homicides.   Riley’s book discusses why these depressing statistics stem not simply from poverty or prejudice, but from cultural changes that have occurred in the black community and the unintended consequences of liberal efforts to blame everything on poverty and prejudice.  Much of Riley’s discussion has to do with what has happened to black culture. He describes the pernicious effect of even middle-class black youngsters eschewing proper diction and devotion to schoolwork…   But, of course, the major problem in the black community that accounts for so much of the disparity in achievement and criminal behavior is that more than seven in 10 black children are born to single women and will spend much of their lives with no father present.  If we want to have an honest conversation about race, we need to begin here. Riley is not afraid to confront this issue or any other.   As the conversation on race in America continues, let’s hope his voice gets a hearing.”

Yes, let’s have an honest conversation about black young men growing up without fathers in the inner cities of America.  

“Fatherlessness” is the root of the problem in our inner cities!

Of course, we can not erase or overlook the reality that young black men were mistreated by police in the past.  That was then and this is now..

Something very bad is happening in our inner cities and it has nothing to do with racism!   Check out the book:

Justice Ginsburg and the future of The Supreme Court with Chris Corbetr

Justice Ginsburg and the future of The Supreme Court with Chris Corbett 09/22 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

Guest: Chris Corbett, DFW conservative.....We will discuss the replacement of Justice Ginsburg and the future of The Supreme Court........and more....click to listen:

Tuesday’s video: It’s time to return The Supreme Court to reality

 

Tuesday’s video:

It’s time to return The Supreme Court to reality 

Click to watch: pic.twitter.com/famYR3mFC0

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) September 22, 2020

It's all about abortion

Like some of you, I am stunned by how the left is reacting to Justice Ginsburg's death.   It makes you wonder what this is all about.  

Why are people screaming and cursing while at the wheel over her death?  Are they related to her?  

What's the big deal?   It's one thing for people to remember her as an accomplished jurist.  It's another thing for some to react that the world is coming to an end because we are changing the Court's roster.

Well, the big deal is that President Trump is about to do what it normally takes a two-term president to do.  He will put three Justices in the Court and that will be very consequential looking down 20-30 years.

For many in the left, it's all about abortion or "reproductive rights" as they choose to call it. 

Back in 2005, David Brooks (The New York Times) saw the Samuel Alito hearings and gave us a sneak preview of how Roe v Wade has destroyed the U.S. Senate and perhaps the nation.  This is what he wrote:  

The fact is, the entire country is trapped. Harry Blackmun and his colleagues suppressed that democratic abortion debate the nation needs to have. The poisons have been building ever since. You can complain about the incivility of politics, but you can't stop the escalation of conflict in the middle. 

You have to kill it at the root. Unless Roe v. Wade is overturned, politics will never get better.

We saw what just happened to Justice Brett Kavanaugh.  They tried to destroy him over some 36-year old allegation when he was 16 and the "victim" was 15.  No one could prove anything and the country was put through hell all because someone "might be" the vote that overturns Roe v Wade.

So Justice Ginsburg dies and people are literally jumping from buildings and screaming obscenities while driving their cars.

The Founding Fathers never meant for the Supreme Court to be like this. 

Glenn Harlan Reynods is right that these vicious fights over the nominations of Justices tell us that something is wrong with the judiciary and the nation.  

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

Cy Young won # 511 on this day in 1911

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Yes, there was a guy named Cy Young.   He pitched over 100 years ago.    On this day in 1911, Young won # 511 and last victory in the majors.   He was 44.

RIP Justice Ginsburg and 2020 just got more interesting and more

RIP Justice Ginsburg and 2020 just got more interesting and more 09/21 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

RIP Justice Ginsburg and now she has to be replaced.......Select and confirm ASAP.....Where is Biden's list?........DOJ goes after Portland Seattle & NYC......Monday Night Football 1970......and other stories......click to listen:

Monday’s video: Nominate and confirm ASAP

 

Monday’s video:

Nominate and confirm ASAP 

Click to watch: pic.twitter.com/lWHYs0OkxX

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) September 21, 2020

From 'defund the police' to police leaving

A few weeks ago, the slogan was "defund the police" and hire more social workers.  Now, the real threat to citizens in blue cities is who wants to work as a police officer?

Sadly, the left has accomplished what "defund the police" could not do.  They have destroyed police forces by encouraging more and more officers to leave the force.

Over the weekend, Portland's Mayor Wheeler got  a taste of what happens when you don't support the police. as we see in this post by Victoria Taft:     

And now they are leaving. The cops, not the rioters. Nope, the county’s catch-and-release program for rioters sends these same criminals back out on the street in time for the next wave of rioting.

And now Portland, Ore., has set a new and disturbing record. While law-abiding Portlanders depend on police now more than ever in the wake of more than 100 nights of riots, looting, arson, vandalism, and violence, there are now fewer and fewer cops willing to take the call.

A record number of police officers are tapping out and retiring.

There have been more retirements in the month of August 2020 than in most years.

Yes, leave town or get yourself an AR-15 if you are planning to stick around Portland.  

Again, this is not a shock.  This is what happens when local governments go "woke" and forget to protect their citizens, encourage economic growth, and attract more taxpayers.

"Defund the police" is yesterday's news.  Who will serve as a police officer is today's reality.

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda

The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda 09/20 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

Guest: Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda........A new opening Supreme Court.......The two women with a Supreme Court future........Trump vs Biden and more.....click to listen:

Ginsburg’s death won’t make things any easier for Biden

(You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.    If you like our posts, drop a dime here.)

Politics aside, Justice Ginsburg was an extraordinary woman.  Her battle against cancer was an inspiration for all who’ve dealt with it directly or indirectly.  So rest in peace, Justice Ginsburg.

Now back to the real world.

Justice Ginsburg will mobilize both sides but will present more problems for Mr. Biden.  Let me explain why:

First, we already know whom President Trump is likely to nominate.  He put out his list of candidates weeks ago.

Second, Mr. Biden has been avoiding releasing a list because the left will go crazy if the choices are more moderate than radical.  In other words, don’t expect a Merrick Garland to please that bunch.

The pressure will grow on Mr. Biden to give us a name, and that’s where his troubles begin.

Before Justice Ginsburg’s death, Mr. Biden could get away with saying “trust me and you’ll be happy with my selection.”  He can’t do that anymore, but the opening is now.

With all due respect to the late Justice Ginsburg, she did not help the Democrats by holding out in 2015–16, anticipating a Hillary Clinton victory.  It gets no better now because the left base wants a name, and Mr. Biden is not sure that he can come up with one that the AOC gang will accept.

The 2020 election just got more strange.