Trump Says He Wants a Third Term & US Officially Claims Russia Didn't Invade Ukraine
Friday, February 28, 2025
What I’m Discussing Today:
Kareem’s Daily Quote: Waiting around for some form of universal karma to fix injustices is dangerous.
Trump talks of a third term amid growing concerns about a constitutional crisis: Why are Trump followers in Congress laying the groundwork for an unconstitutional third term?
Over 3,000 beauty products targeting Black women contain health hazards, study shows: A new study confirms a 2016 study. Yet little has been done in nine years to protect Black consumers.
In Gently Correcting Trump, Macron Sends a Message on Ukraine Peace Deal: Trump says America’s official position is that Russia did not invade Ukraine. Even Putin has to be laughing at us.
Kareem’s Video Break: A raccoon gets saved and it made my day.
Kareem’s Kvetching Korner: Billionaire Trump ridicules the thousands of workers he’s fired. Presidential behavior?
Kareem the Science Guy: A new study reveals that parents do have favorite children and how that affects them.
What I’m Watching on TV: Zero Day and Reacher offer tense suspense. Muslim Matchmaker tells us some uncomfortable truths about looking for love.
Kareem’s Sports Moments: This is what hustle looks like.
Roberta Flack Sings “Killing Me Softly With His Song”: Roberta Flack died this week and this song, inspired by a Don McLean concert, is the perfect way to remember her.
Kareem’s Daily Quote
Justice is never given; it is exacted and the struggle must be continuous for freedom is never a final fact, but a continuing evolving process…
A. Philip Randolph (1889-1979), American labor unionist and civil rights activist
The greatest life lesson can be found in the 2000 movie The Family Man—it’s just not the lesson the filmmakers intended—nor one anyone really wants to hear. The movie stars Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni as college lovers until Cage gets a year-long internship with a bank in London. Their relationship doesn’t withstand the long distance. Thirteen years later, Cage is a millionaire Scrooge. After a magical encounter, Cage wakes up to find himself married to Leoni living a working-class life with two children in New Jersey. Eventually, he gets back to his original life of single opulence. Of course, by then Cage realizes this rich family life is what’s been missing from his wealthy but hollow single life.
Wrong! Here’s why:
Thousands of years of stories, poems, songs, plays, and movies have left humans with the smug illusion that “what goes around, comes around” or some other version of universal karma. We like to believe that good will be rewarded and evil punished. But because we don’t always observe that happening in life, cultures have extended the reward/punishment system into an afterlife. We choose to think that horrible people—no matter their wealth or success—are secretly miserable, drinking themselves into a stupor at night while lying next to a spouse who hates them and down the hall from children who despise them.
As much as I love the sentiment in The Family Man that Cage eventually comes to realize that his love for Téa Leoni is more important than material success, we need to rewind the movie for the real lesson. In the beginning, Cage is not miserable. He’s delighted with his success. He wakes up dancing and singing opera as he selects his daily wear from a closet stocked with expensive everything. He is the king of New York and he loves it. Had he never had that magical interaction, he would have continued being a ruthless prick, but he would have enjoyed his lack of conscience life. He wouldn’t have missed what he never had.
That’s the real lesson we have to remember: Bad people won’t stop being bad because they have some sort of spiritual epiphany. They do not have a nagging conscience thumping like Poe’s tell-tale heart. They feel justified in every evil they perpetuate because they believe they are superior to others. Even if they are secretly miserable (which they aren’t), they don’t know how to be anything else, so their behavior won’t change.
Yes, their lives could be better, happier, and more fulfilling, but they will never understand that any more than a person raised in a remote tribe in the Amazon misses television. Logic, reason, and appeals to morality will not have any effect on bad people. It’s useless, or in the words of The Lovin’ Spoonful, “It’s like tryin’ to tell a stranger about rock-’n’-roll.”
Once we all admit that there is no karmic punishment for the Trumps, Musks, and other billionaires and politicians sacking our country, we can get down to the messy but necessary business of inflicting real punishment, which is getting them out of office, boycotting their businesses, and making sure their legacy is an accurate description of their behavior rather than the lies they will try to promote. We can’t let them write history (especially since they won’t allow us to teach factual history to our kids). Let them be known for the greedy, petty, classist jerks that they are. Let their children and grandchildren be embarrassed to have descended from them.
We all want to live in a just society. Only those too lazy or lacking moral courage depend on the universe to do what must be done to achieve that. The universe doesn’t impose justice, we do.
Trump talks of a third term amid growing concerns about a constitutional crisis (Politico)
SUMMARY: The Constitution expressly forbids presidents from running for a third term. But that hasn’t stopped Donald Trump from raising it repeatedly — and this time from an official White House event.
“Should I run again? You tell me.” Trump said on Thursday before a crowded East Room filled with mostly Black supporters who were there for a Black History Month event held just a month into his second term.
The crowd, which included elected officials, like Republicans Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Rep. John James of Michigan, as well as political appointees and athletes like famed golfer Tiger Woods, responded with chants of: “Four more years!”
…The scene took place amid a backdrop of growing concerns that Trump is wielding his presidential power in a way that the Constitution doesn’t permit. The Constitution’s 22 Amendment bars any president from being elected to more than two terms and was ratified some 74 years ago. But Trump’s early actions in office have indicated he’s willing to challenge constitutional law, by issuing spending freezes on funds allocated by Congress and issuing orders to shutter departments and take over independent federal agencies.
And there’s no sign that the MAGA base is tiring of him.
MY TAKE: Many constitutional law experts have been sounding the alarm that much of what Trump has done during his first month in office is undoubtedly unconstitutional. He knows it; he does it anyway. At the same time, Trump and his highly unqualified Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have fired several senior military officials (“Trump removes Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown in purge of military leaders”). Among those fired was Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position. Also fired was the navy’s top officer Admiral Lisa Franchetti. Hegseth had accused both Gen. Brown, who is Black, and Franchetti, who is a woman, of championing DEI in the military.
The reason I bring up this purge of top military officials in an article about Trump wanting to run for a third term is that when a dictator wants a pretend election, they first need to ensure they have a military loyal to them, not to the country’s constitution. There is also legitimate fear about Trump expressing the desire to take control of Washington, D.C.’s 3,400-member police force (“Fears Over Trump Power Grab With Police Takeover”). At what point will it be too late to do anything about it?
It is unlikely that Trump will muster three-fourths of Congress and three-fourths of the states to ratify a constitutional amendment to run for a third term, but if he has the military behind him, well, welcome to Russia.
A key sign that a politician is more concerned with their power than in helping the people is discussing their next campaign one month into taking office. Especially if in that month they have not accomplished anything but have only created chaos and social uncertainty.
Quick Takes
“Over 3,000 beauty products targeting Black women contain health hazards, study shows” (The Guardian): This new study, which echoes a 2016 study, found that “80% of more than 4,000 beauty products marketed toward Black women contain at least one moderately hazardous ingredient—and most contain multiple.” These chemicals contribute to higher rates of certain diseases in Black women, including uterine and breast cancers. The study’s authors were especially dismayed that so little progress has been made in the past nine years since this hazard was discovered. Although some of the chemicals were targeted under Biden’s administration, the authors expect those restrictions will be eliminated under Trump.
But the sad part of this study is that many of these products that Black women spend $7.5 billion annually on are hair straighteners and skin-lightening creams, which reveal a deeper malady in Black culture: The desire to follow beauty standards set by White culture. That pursuit is hazardous to their self-esteem, the Black community, Black girls—and to their health. The best way for women—White and Black—to protect their health—mental and physical—is to stop using beauty products altogether. (FYI: Check out the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website for healthier choices.)“In Gently Correcting Trump, Macron Sends a Message on Ukraine Peace Deal” (Time): In the past week, I’ve watched in shame for my country as the Trump administration has tried to rewrite history by claiming Russia did not start the war by invading Ukraine. That’s like saying Mike Tyson didn’t bite Holyfield’s ear off but that Holyfield deliberately jammed his ear into Tyson’s unsuspecting mouth. For eight years, journalists and world leaders have been warning that Trump’s cozying up to Putin would be dangerous for U.S. security as well as for democracies around the world. Once again, another scary Trump prophecy has come true.
First, Trump tried to blackmail Ukraine by insisting they give us rights to valuable rare earth minerals worth billions to their economy because we demand payback for our assistance. The payback, other than helping keep democracy alive, is stopping Russia from continuing to invade other European countries, which it clearly has every intention of doing if it wins in Ukraine. We are paying for a dam to prevent a flood that will destroy us and our allies. That’s the payback.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who’d flown to Washington to defuse Trump’s insistence on supporting Russia’s version of history, stood beside Trump and said, “I think that no one in this room wants to live in a world where it's the law of the strongest and international borders can be violated from one day to the next.” This is the kindest way possible to express what all of our allies are saying: America can’t be trusted to keep its word or defend democracy.
Kareem’s Video Break
Who doesn’t have a soft spot for a raccoon in distress? As always, I caution people against having wild animals as pets because, well, they’re wild and can revert at any moment. Yet, I can also appreciate people caring for an animal in need.
Kareem’s Kvetching Korner
This is where I can indulge my pettiness about minor things that bug me but aren’t worth getting outraged about.
How Not to Act Presidential
Remember those times during Trump’s election campaign when he spoke of being a president for “all the people” and how he would end divisiveness? Everybody who knew of him personally as well as looked at his record, had a one-word response: bullshit. To no one’s surprise, turns out they were right.
Amid the thousands of layoffs that Mump (Musk/Trump) have enacted, instead of showing compassion for those who have lost their livelihood and ability to support their families, Trump demonstrates callous disregard and disrespect for those who don’t have billions.
For those who mistakenly think that these cuts in people’s jobs are actually saving money for the government, you might want to consider how such massive unemployment might affect us in the long run. All of those people fired will not be buying products at their local stores, which means owners of those stores will make less money and may have to lay off employees. Some may not be able to afford to send their children to college. All of them will be paying less or nothing in federal taxes, which further reduces the money the government is taking in. Among those fired are over 6,000 IRS employees, which means they will be taking in less income to fund our government. In addition, Trump wants to give the wealthy more tax cuts.
To have such contempt for people who have lost their jobs or are afraid of losing them because of a billionaire clown like Musk and his unqualified youngster squad decide, it tells you just how bad of a leader he is. And how much our economy is in trouble.
Kareem the Science Guy
You probably have a ‘favorite’ child. A new study reveals who and why. (The Washington Post)
A new meta-analysis of existing research that included 30 studies as well as 14 unpublished datasets about parental differential treatment, and representing more than 19,000 participants from across North America and Western Europe, just confirmed what most parents secretly know but don’t want to admit, even to themselves: They have a favorite child.
What makes this study especially important is that it amplifies what decades of studies have already concluded: Children who receive less-favored treatment are more likely to be depressed or anxious, more likely to get in trouble at school, or engage in substance use as teens. “One study suggested they are less likely to go to college, and less satisfied with their life as adults,” the lead author of the study said. However, children who are favored have better mental health, get in less trouble at school, and are more likely to attend college.
The study concluded that children who are more obedient and responsible tend to receive favored treatment. Older children are given more freedom and autonomy—and this treatment continues even when they are adults. This disparity of treatment—even if it’s subtle and unconscious—has clear effects on how siblings interact for the rest of their lives. The findings of the study can help therapists, social workers, and others in treating or supporting families.
Parents may love all of their children equally but they may like them differently—and who they like better can change from day to day based on the children’s behavior. Those who make life easier for the family may be appreciated more, even if they aren’t loved more. That gets noticed by the other children and can cause them to act out. It’s a tricky dynamic—a riddle no parent ever solves.
The great burden of being a parent is always second-guessing yourself about whether you’re doing the right thing. The co-author of the study explains that treating children differently is inevitable, but awareness of it can allow for adjustments to be made.
Nevertheless, I’m going to sit here for a while and ponder all of my parenting mistakes.
What I’m Watching on TV
Zero Day (Netflix)
Robert De Niro plays a respected ex-president who heads an investigation after a disastrous cyber attack on America that resulted in thousands of deaths and nationwide panic about another attack. As the investigation progresses, a wormhole of conspiracies and murder unfolds that threatens De Niro and the country. This is a very suspenseful political thriller that does not take a political side but focuses on the mystery. De Niro is especially effective as he wrestles his personal past demons while uncovering the villains. (Grade: B+)
Reacher (Amazon Prime)
Lee Child’s popular Reacher novels are tasty snacks featuring a former military cop who roams the country carrying only his toothbrush and listening to blues music. The attraction isn’t the writing style or literary insights, just the joy of seeing a big, smart man seek justice for the helpless and exploited. Tom Cruise played Reacher in two entertaining movies, but the Jack Reacher from the novels is wonderfully captured by Alan Ritchson, who has the most purposeful walk on TV. The third season just dropped on Prime and this season is as engaging and action-packed as the others. The secret delight of each season is when Reacher dispatches smug bullies. Oh yeah, he also gets the villains. (Grade: A-)
Muslim Matchmaker (Hulu)
I’ve watched Jewish Matchmaker, Indian Matchmaker (which is mostly Hindu couples), The Bachelor franchise (which skews Christian), and now, Muslim Matchmaking. I’m fascinated by the delicate process across all cultures of trying to find someone to love and who will love you back. The singles in all of these shows have usually been hurt multiple times in previous relationships and have found no joy in dating apps. The Muslim women who are the hosts and matchmakers (one is a successful comedienne and lawyer) are very sensible in their approach to merging modern culture with traditional religious values.
The viewer begins every episode with the hope of a love connection when the couples meet, but that slowly fades as we start to see why some of them struggle to connect with others. One problem they face is that in religion-based matchmaking, some of the singles are under the mistaken impression that because they are religious, they automatically have romantic values and depth of personality. That is clearly not the case as we see some of these young singles using religion as an excuse for not being interesting, or making any effort to bring personality into the process. But when two people actually connect, it’s a glorious thing. (Grade: B+)
Kareem’s Sports Moments
“Hustle” is a key ingredient in most sports. It means the indomitable commitment to run each point down no matter what. This is what hustle looks like.
Kareem’s Jukebox Playlist
Roberta Flack: “Killing Me Softly With His Song” (1973)
Roberta Flack died this week at the age of 88. Her unique blend of jazz, folk, R&B, and pop was part of the “quiet storm” radio format popular in the seventies and eighties described as smooth, romantic, jazz-inspired music. She became the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in consecutive years. She had numerous hits, both solo and with collaborators such as Donny Hathaway and Peabo Bryson.
“Killing Me Softly with His Song” was composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel. Twenty-year-old singer Lori Lieberman claimed she contributed to the lyrics after watching Don McLean (“American Pie”) perform in 1971. Even though Fox and Gimbel at first admitted her contribution, they later denied it. Lieberman recorded the song in 1972, though it never charted. In 1973, Flack released her version, which quickly became a number-one hit around the world.
I love many of Flack’s songs, but this one captures the intensity of her longing, of her innermost emotions being exposed, of the deep wounds that love can leave. This is how I will remember her.
In recommending a show on Prime, you highlight for me a serious quandary. I am a premium Prime member and enjoy the benefits of T.V. programming, free shipping on items I purchase from Amazon, Audible books and Alexa-- but I am really troubled by Jeff Bezos' embrace of Trump and the bro culture: and the further AI-ification of Alexa bothers me. Any suggestions?
DEI needs to be spelled out EVERY TIME. DIVERSITY- EQUITY-INCLUSION. So easy to dismiss the 3 letters, but when you spell them out there is real meaning, and real horror that we would reject those principles that seem so basic to our democracy. To fire people like Gen. Brown and Admiral Franchetti because they embrace these principles is saying you DO NOT believe in this country.