ICE Comes to the Neighborhood - Wedgwood in Seattle

ICE roared into sleepy Wedgwood, Seattle, this morning to take a fella who told the crowd he was here legally.

Fortunately, an immigration support group was given his name and phone number, which he was able to share before being taken away to God knows where for God knows what kind of treatment.

Great reaction from a crowd of about fifty who were very vocal on ICE’s actions, their wearing of masks, and driving vehicles with no license plates.

One brave young woman pulled her car in front of one of the ICE vehicles to block it from cowardly disappearing. 

They prevailed, and off he went...

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote in The Gulag Archipelago about secret police coming at night: 

“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family?” 

 

How China Won the Iran War

 

Paul Krugman - 3 August 2026

"Make America Great Again? Hah. Donald Trump has weakened us with astonishing speed. Under his “leadership” America’s influence, reputation and credibility have peeled away like the liner in the Reflecting Pool.

The disintegration of U.S. power was well underway before Trump started his war on Iran, but the pace of decline has accelerated sharply since the magnitude of our defeat started becoming apparent.

And when future historians write about this tale of self-immolation, they may well do so in Mandarin.

China hasn’t been a direct combatant in the third Gulf war, and its support for Iran has, until recently, been discreet. (China is now reportedly preparing to send Iran advanced munitions — Phillips O’Briensuggests that it is “going in for the kill.”) But China has clearly relished our humiliation. And both the way the war has played out and China’s role have drastically shifted the global balance of power in China’s favor.

China has been a serious geopolitical rival to the United States for some time. China’s manufacturing sector overtook the US in 2010, and the gap has continued to grow (I’ll explain the line labeled “US+EU” shortly):

And China’s role as the workshop of the world inevitably gives it a great deal of geopolitical influence.

However, there were a number of factors that, two years ago, arguably still gave an America a power advantage despite China’s economic weight and manufacturing prowess. These factors included:

· America still led the world in science and cutting-edge technology

· The U.S. military appeared to have vastly better weapons and leadership than any other nation’s

· The dollar’s dominant role in international transactions gave the United States enormous financial clout, including the ability to cut other nations out of the global payments system

· Above all, the U.S. wasn’t alone. We were the leader of history’s most successful alliance system, nations bound together not just by mutual interests but by shared democratic values

Yet Trump and his lackeys have quickly squandered all of these advantages.

A great deal has been written about the Trump administration’s attack on science, which is a topic largely separate from the Iran war. As one recent discussion put it, Trump officials

have orchestrated a series of attacks on scientists and their laboratories, implemented through funding cuts, grant interruptions, and immigration restrictions. Scientists are gravitating to Canada, Europe, and China, and we are rapidly losing the depth of our innovative and essential scientific community.

The undermining of other U.S. sources of strength was also underway before the Iran war, but the war has accelerated the downward spiral.

Even before the bombing of Iran began, some observers worried about the state of the U.S. military. Had U.S. military leaders adapted to the new world — revealed by the war in Ukraine — of cheap, ubiquitous drones? How much damage had the pro-testosterone, anti-intellectual leadership of Pete Hegseth already done? Now we know the answers to these questions, and America’s military reputation has nose-dived.

Oh, and as a December 2025 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies points out, a Chinese supply chain underpins “the architecture of modern drone warfare.”

America’s dollar-linked financial power has also sharply declined. True, as I wrote a month ago, “The dollar’s role as the dominant currency for ordinary business is not under threat.” However, the war has demonstrated that, thanks in large part to China’s underlying economic power, America’s ability to weaponize the dollar has been greatly reduced:

Iran was able to continue selling oil (until the U.S. temporarily imposed a military blockade) and buying essential imports, despite U.S. financial sanctions, by taking payment in yuan and using those yuan to buy Chinese goods. Ships that paid Iran for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz also paid in yuan (or in cryptocurrency, whose only real use case remains criminal activity.) The details are complicated, but using yuan essentially allows those designated by the U.S. government as rogue actors to fly under our financial radar.

Finally, the war has really put the nail in the coffin of the U.S.-centered alliance system.

America’s alliances have been a fundamental source of global strength since World War II. The line labeled “US+EU” in the chart on manufacturing value added is an indication of how much these alliances used to strengthen us: It shows that even now the US and the democracies of the European Union combined produce more manufactured goods than China, a lead that would be larger if I included the UK, Japan, Canada, etc.

But Trump began torpedoing our alliances on day one. Discussions of the Trump tariffs, even critical ones, don’t emphasize enough the fact that every one of these tariffs broke international agreements made by the United States in the past. So Trumpian tariff policy, by itself, was an announcement to the world that agreements with the U.S. government are worthless. Add to this the demands that Canada become the 51^ststate, that Denmark hand over Greenland, and so on, and America had thoroughly lost the trust of its former friends even before the Iran war.

Then came the war. And in the past five months the U.S. has shown itself both erratic and ineffectual. Trump launched a war that, in addition to creating death and destruction, cut off much of the world’s oil supply without so much as consulting other nations. Once the war began, America proved both incapable of imposing its will on Iran and unable either to open the Strait of Hormuz or to protect regional allies.

So now the world neither trusts nor fears us. The chart at the top of this post, drawn from the Pew survey of global attitudes, shows views of the US and China in multiple countries. Even many of our oldest allies, the nations that helped us win World War II and the Cold War, now have a more favorable opinion of China than they do of us.

Let’s be clear: The end of U.S. leadership and China’s growing geopolitical ascendancy are bad things. China is a corrupt autocracy, with little respect for human rights and none at all for democratic values.

But people around the world have concluded that the Chinese are serious people, and that we are not. So America lost the war — and China won."

A Modest Proposal for Democratic Presidental Hopefuls

How does this sound?

Let’s say that there are five or six of you vying to be President in 2028.

You all meet, now, August 2026, confer, argue, and agree among yourselves to hit the road together, tour America, and share your collective plans for fixing the jackpot we find ourselves in at present.

This could be the most popular road show ever!!!!

Don’t upstage, don’t command, don’t showboat - talk collectively on the plans you agree on, going so far as to express precisely what you’re going to do.

Focus, and speak to, how you are going to help lift the challenges of inflation, health care, housing, education, etc., zeroing in on exact solutions, including raising taxes to furnish Americans with the peace of mind that they have a future.

For instance: ( just a couple of ideas/examaples )

We will return the 40 billion-plus and the 86% of programs eliminated by the Trump administration from USAID.

We will re-fund Biomedical Grants: Competitive grants awarded by the NIH dropped by more than half during the administration’s push, reducing support for thousands of active scientific and medical projects. 

Support Disease and Demographic Fields: Major disease areas and targeted study fields saw sharp reductions, including a 31% drop in newly funded projects related to women’s health, alongside cuts to cancer and mental health research. 

Support Global and Infectious Disease Programs: International initiatives, such as USAID and PEPFAR HIV/AIDS treatment and research sites, faced widespread closures and funding terminations. 

Of course there are a lot of other issues. Gaza, Ukraine, NATO, etc. etc., but stick to domestic issues as much as possible.

Okay, I suggest you all agree on Cabinet positions. 

Example: Talk to Jack Smith to ensure he wants to be AG. If he does, you all agree to give him that position?

You can see where this is going... figure this out now, and, if able, name the people you want to work with in 2029.

Let America see your plans.

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”

We Have the Power to Make Changes!!! - “Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.” Cherokee Nation

Quite a while before now, I lived in Moscow, Russia. I was there when the godless communists were in charge of every layer of society. 

Everybody worked, everybody had medical care, everybody had housing, and everybody spent endless hours slogging through their days in pursuit of basic staples at the state-run shops. Everybody carried a “just in case” bag in case a particular product popped up for sale.  Men usually carried mostly empty briefcases and women carried string bags, “just in case.”

Everybody was extremely cautious about expressing opinions, as the legacy of informers and punishment had touched most people directly or indirectly. Everywhere, and I mean everywhere, Lenin looked down from building facades, from park and square pedestals, and up from the money in your hand.  

“Lenin lived, Lenin lives and Lenin will live,” called out to remind the citizens that their sacrifice for the motherland was well worth the few challenges. 

I didn’t think the Russian people would ever demand a better life! 

I traveled through the wall in Berlin confident that the East Germans would never give up that slice of power.

I read about Nelson Mandela feeling secure in my oft-voiced opinion that he would die in prison. I never thought Idi Amin Dada would be chased from his murderous ways in Uganda. I never thought peace would come to Northern Ireland. 

Well, I was wrong about all those closely held beliefs.

 

When I walk along the parade in Fremont, a Seattle neighborhood, looking at a statue of Lenin, I can only shake my head in wonderment, as his step down in history was an impossible consideration when I walked various streets across the Soviet Empire. 

I hear a lot of talk today that we are in an impossible situation here in America. Yes, we have challenges, but we also have opportunities few referenced above ever had - we can speak up!

We can organize. 

We can call on elected officials, reminding them of who they work for- 

We have the right to run for office or support any candidate. 

Most importantly, we can educate ourselves rather than being fed government speak!   

Times change.  

Don’t look back wishing you had done something.

5 Out of 5 Review - One Story of Resurrection

Click Here to Order the Book

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!

Reviewed in the United States on  Amazon

“I read this is in one sitting. It is profoundly raw – and real. I found myself immersed in the writings of Atreus to the author. I could tell he was an extremely intelligent man who was very much in touch with the reality of being homeless, yet made no apologies for his choice. I applaud the author, for his determination and dedication in helping – without preaching – to these individuals. It is no small thing that the author’s interactions, in particular with “Atreus” was pivotal in the introspection which resulted in his motivation to eventually re-connect to his family.”

Remembering Matt - 29 July 2026 - "I've Had a Great Run"

 

This morning, I was talking about Matt and his remarkable courage to take control of his healthcare when he was approaching the end of his life. 

Here are a couple of things I wrote about him a few years ago. He was, as some would say, "a bloody good bloke."

__________________________________________________________________________________

To Matthew Barrett, it seems like a thousand years have passed since he was a roustabout with Barnum & Bailey’s Blue Unit. Matt enjoyed the circus life, traveling from town to town, delivering jaw-dropping acts and ferocious animals to crowds drawn from the hamlets dotted along the rail lines snaking throughout the West. 

It was a great job that provided Matt with a temporary escape from his relentless companion—a persistent companion that never grants him liberty or peace!

Now, Matt is looking down the road, preparing for what could be the greatest adventure of his life. About a year ago, he stopped taking 600 mg of morphine a day to find some relief from the pain in his head. Ever since, he has been living with unrelenting pain without respite. Instead, he has been using Blue Scorpion venom, which a friend recently brought back from Cuba.

Matt told me he can feel pain in his legs for the first time in ages. The pain in his head has loosened its grip just enough to allow him to feel signals from other parts of his body. Matt has a tumor the size of my hand clinging to his brain like a starfish, stretching from his left eye to the back of his neck. Both this tumor and a smaller one on the right side of his brain are inoperable. Is the venom having an effect on the tumor? It's too early to say.

At 47, Matt is now an expert on Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome, a condition that entered his life when he was just two years old. It is genetic and unforgiving!

Eleven cancers, four brain tumors, lymphoma, and bone cancer, as well as three types of skin cancer. 

Imagine enduring 1,708 separate operations that only temporarily restrain the cancerous invaders! Operations that have so disfigured Matt that he looks as if he survived a horrific fire. 

Most of the skin on his face has been replaced with skin from his forearms and legs. Facial features, bone lines, and teeth have been dramatically altered. 

Matt tries to catch a few hours of sleep and peace with eyes that only close partway.

It’s hard to integrate that a man who has endured so many medical challenges, long spurts of homelessness, abject discrimination, and humiliation can face each morning full of hope and faith in the better nature of his fellow travelers. 

Matt has spiritual faith that his walk has been for a purpose. He feels his role is, and has been, to educate people about the differences among us and how those differences actually tie us all together. He is generous with his time, volunteering to talk with anyone who will listen to his message of reaching out to the poor, the homeless, the sick, the lonely, and those abandoned by those who don’t understand.

Recently, Matt put together a book of poetry, “A View from the Street,” to share his feelings and raise income for Greater Seattle Cares, a non-profit that supports the homeless in Seattle Tent Cities with meals, clothing, and supplies. 

His book is available on his blog, “A View from the Street.”  

Matt lived in Seattle’s Tent City 3 for over three years. He still visits his friends there weekly even though he recently received subsidized housing.

When I asked Matt which poem he would like me to share in this little tale, he picked the following poem.

                                                                   Your World in a Bag

For a homeless person who doesn’t have much

  there are a few things about which we can brag

Especially when everything you wear, own and such

  is summed up in your world in a bag

That’s how it is when you live on the street

  you learn about the meaning of gratitude

For little thing like a jacket and shoes on your feet

  when your world is in one bag, you have a different attitude

Carrying everything you won on your back

  or pushing around a shopping cart filled with your stuff

This is when you know what it means to lack

  and when the littlest thing is more than enough

This is what I’m trying to express

  it isn’t a joke, a prank, or a gag

When you’re on the streets you live with less

  and learn to appreciate your world in a bag.

The words speak to Matt’s acceptance of what he has been served in life. He didn’t ask for it and would have preferred to have skipped a lot of it, but knows that this is the way it is, and he can only try his best to be gentle with all that he has been handed.

In addition to his volunteering his time to help others facing homelessness and the challenges of being poor, he has shared the powerful story of his life with Seattle freelance photographer Ilona Berzups to produce “Walking with Giant.”

Matt’s story can be found on Ms. Berzups’ website.   

When asked for a description of her photo essay, Ilona said, “Matt’s journey has been incredibly hard but inspirational. I’ve been able to capture a part of his journey visually, and I hope that it will be received with the sensitivity and care it deserves.” She continued, “I desire that his visual story will make others examine how they see and treat those who are different.”

Ilona’s incredible photographs are accompanied by a compelling essay sharing many of the hurdles Matt has faced while fending off the inevitable. 

While sitting in a Starbucks with Matt, I could only wonder at the randomness of life. Why has Matt been given a life so full of pain and suffering when so many others seem so blessed with lives brimming with fulfilled expectations?

When I asked Matt if he had ever experienced anything we might define as a bit of normal life, he returned to his remembrances of the circus.

Matt, I hope that when your circus comes back to pick you up, you will join it with all the enthusiasm and grace you have shown those of us who will be waving to you as the train speeds down the tracks. Thank you.

If you would like to help Matt reach out to others, please visit his blog, buy his book, and toss a few bucks his way.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Rather than having a memorial, after the inevitable, Matt Barrett agreed to have a celebration instead.

It was held last night in the parish hall at St Joseph’s in Seattle.

The end is near for Matt.

Watch his longtime friend Brooke (video) tell one of many tales about how Matt has made the very best of a lousy hand.

See the following article sharing some background information on Matt.

I’ve Had a Great Run.

Matt has been a courageous role model for so many over the years. Invisible Disabilities.org recently recognized him for his generosity of spirit and his dedication to reaching out to the sick, lonely, homeless, and others in need of a kind word.

Here’s a little story.

Back when the circus hired Matt, one of his jobs required him to lead a grizzly out of the arena when the trainer gave him the high sign. This all went very smoothly until one day when the trainer got ill towards the end of the performance. What Matt didn’t know was the trainer always gave “Bruno” a couple of peanuts before turning and handing the lead to Matt. Well, the assistant trainer, worried about the other two bears, gave Matt the lead line to take Bruno out. He either didn’t know about the peanuts, or forgot due to the anxiety of the moment.

Bruno didn’t want to move.

Matt gently pulled on him.

Bruno struck out, leaving Matt’s left ear dangling by a thread of flesh.

When the dust settled and the bears and Matt were attended to, he was told that policy was that any animal that “attacked” an employee would have to be put down.

Matt sat there for a moment before replying, “Then I quit. If I don’t work here, there is no reason to punish Bruno for doing what comes naturally to a bear.”

Bruno lived.

Matt went on to new adventures.

We’ll all miss you, Matt.

Looking for Adventurous Stories? Look No Further!

 

Looking for an adventurous read? 

Books are free to download with Kindle Unlimited. 

Print and Audio versions are available, as well as three titles in French. 

Take a look!

Marine - Banker - Intelligencer - Educator

http://tiny.cc/6v37101

With Cancer, We Don't Win or Lose — We Walk Through Something Difficult

 

So many friends I have met along the way wanted so badly to live and they weren't able to. They didn't lose and I didn't win. We all walked through something really hard and got different outcomes.

Written by Doris Cardwell for CURE Magazine

"I haven't been able to write about cancer for quite some time. Maybe you can relate? I am coming up on 19 years from my diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer. In those 19 years, I have educated and advocated. I have started programs, testified before legislators and lobbied on Capitol Hill. I finished raising our daughters, who were 10, 12 and 17 when cancer came into our lives. Now I hold their daughters and play with them, reading books and building towers with Magna-Tiles.

Words have not come easily over the past few years, not because I am aging and losing my capacity, but because my heart is full of contradictions. So many things feel complicated when it comes to my thoughts on being a cancer survivor.

First of all, I am thankful. I mean thankful to the core of my being for the ability to live these past 19 years. Also today, a friend of mine is losing someone they love to breast cancer. She has young children and many more years she wants to live. Soon, people will say she lost her battle with cancer. Those words trouble me. They trouble me because there shouldn't be language that implies you either win or lose. But when it comes to cancer, that is what we say. Why?

Today, a wildfire started in an area where people we know live. They have horses, livestock and pets. Part of their family lives close by. There was an evacuation order and a social media post asking people to pray. As I prayed, I felt terrified — were they going to come out of this alive, would they lose their home, their animals? Would the family all get out? It moved me to my core. All I could think was that one moment their life was normal, then the next it was anything but.

Then I saw a post from Nebraska where hundreds of thousands of acres have burned, and it is a wasteland. The post stated that until they get moisture and the grass can recover, every strong wind will carry the aftermath with it. Fire had ravaged the area so badly that there were mounds of ashes everywhere for miles. It wasn't lost on me that in the ashes there could still be embers to reignite a fire.

Then it hit me. Nineteen years ago, my life changed in a moment. The aftermath has left me with an ever-changing landscape. Much like the wind is doing in the aftermath of the Nebraska fire.

I've spent years working on survivorship programs, and the more I listen, the more I feel the confusion — who helps, when, how. It's all so complicated. And I understand why. But it shouldn't be.

We shouldn't have to win or lose. We didn't sign up for this. It happened to us. It's not a competition, and no one wants a participation prize. Every person's path is different, and we don't get to decide the outcome. We do get to use our words, and we should use them carefully.

Let's stop saying "lost their battle." We could say they left a legacy of love. We could say they will be deeply missed.

Instead, those dreaded words — lost their battle — just haunt me. So many friends I have met along the way wanted so badly to live, and they weren't able to. They didn't lose, and I didn't win. We all walked through something really hard and got different outcomes.

Many times over the years, when I have tried to talk about this, people say, "Oh, don't let survivor's guilt get you down." I don't have guilt. I have an awareness that the desire to live or your ability to "fight" this disease doesn't determine who wins or loses.

I know I can't change the world. And I may be the only person who feels this way. But this is a disease that affects millions of people, and we need language that better reflects that.

This piece reflects the author’s personal experience and perspective. For medical advice, please consult your health care provider."