Some quick, unedited thoughts. Much going on here so making this fast:
You may have noticed the latest Flat Screen Riots in Philadelphia, New York, on the West Coast, and Here-and-There.
Messages coming to me from media, "Are you in Philly yet?" No. I am a serious war correspondent and analyst, not an adrenaline photographer. My credentials do not hang on walls but in historical notes. Proven year-by-year with accurate assessments. Results of hard work and calling the ball no matter where it lands. There is little value in wasting time at Flat Screen Riots. Our economy is a thousand times more important than FSRs.
Pro-democracy protesters give the three-finger salute outside a station in Bangkok as rallies continued [Lillian Suwanrumpha/ AFP]
Unedited morning thoughts:
Recently, I was an expert witness on arbitration for a situation involving Hong Kong. During proceedings, someone asked the difference between insurrection and insurgency. Answer: depends on who is answering. Same with "terrorism." Ten people, ten answers.
Of course, someone will fall back and say, "But this dictionary says..."
Today, dictionaries are rewritten in real time. "The dictionary" -- of which there are many -- is not a final arbiter on anything. Dictionary publishers are like police sketch-artists trying to describe a subject based on a thousand separate witness statements, and then pretending the sketch describing the subject is the new truth.
Six local people gathered today the four corners of Marvin Road and College. The peacefully waved support banners for two hours from 1500-1700. I went with my friend who is a 79 year-old retired Soldier.
Over the two hours were stood there, hundreds of people beeped horns, shouted support, or gave supportive smiles or hand gestures. Of the hundreds who made some sort of overt acknowledgment, no more than 5% were anti-Trump, including one guy hanging out the door over the rooftop with his pants sagging gangster-style.
I'm out here sensing the ground and working on the network. Will soon make a serious fundraiser for a mobile communications/media vehicle that I will use to cover this around America. One generous soul already committed to matching the first $25,000 with an additional 25,000. The entire system will be not more than $240,000. More on that, later.
After many years overseas, I've now been home to America for a full month. Mostly, so far, in Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. Now in Lacey.
Yesterday, I spent 13 hours with a couple of veteran friends. The senior of our group did about 30 years of service and joined in 1960.
Something that strikes me is something that is common among Americans, but not of many other folks I see around the world.
Do you want to know what bad governance brings? See this video. This could be downtown Portland. Once a jewel city, the sort of place everyone wants to see. Today, Portland is the place that I, as a war correspondent, came for work.
Today, a long day. Out with an Army vet friend who did two EOD tours in Iraq. Name is Al Johnson. Al and I have been fighting China together around Asia since 2014. We've done more than our share to CCP and are plotting more.
Today we were out with Proud Boys. Checking them out in Salem, Oregon. The Proud Boys are not a concern. The ones we met are fine. They like to drink a lot of beer but they were not up to any trouble. One even had moonshine.
I am American living in Thailand. Currently in Portland, Oregon, embarking on a journey around America to check our situation in United States. We got problems. So does Thailand. And Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan. All of which are on my mind seven days per week.
Many folks know that during a break from the Iraq/Afghanistan wars, I covered serious fighting with many casualties in Bangkok. Taking a slight ricochet myself. No damage to me other than a good sting, but many others were killed or wounded. Many people -- even foreigners who were in Thailand at the time -- have no idea how sharp some of the fighting was because it was so localized. (Web search on the casualties.)
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