Category: Are We Great Yet?

It’s a Free Country, Right?

On By Norbert HauptIn Are We Great Yet?, Atrocities, PoliticalLeave a comment

I could buy myself fatigues, boots, a bullet-proof vest, a gun and a club.

I could put on a vest over it with big white letters spelling out POLICE or ICE. It does not really have to look like a uniform. Just thuggish.

I could then drive an unmarked white van and remove the license plates.

I could put on a black beanie hat and a face mask.

I could pull over on any busy city street, get out, and forcefully drag any random person into my van. If they resisted or struggled, I could threaten them with my gun. If anybody asked, I could say I am ICE and I don’t need to identify myself.

I could then lock the abducted person into my van and drive away.

I could do whatever I wanted with that prisoner.

Nobody would know who I was, there would be no recourse.

It this still a free country?

Taking Out Los Angeles and San Diego

On By Norbert HauptIn Are We Great Yet?, Atrocities, Political, TrumpLeave a comment

The White House has stated that Trump’s comments about Iran “taking out Los Angeles and San Diego” were taken out of context. Here is his exact quote, with context:

I want to see a tremendous victory. You want to see a tremendous victory because it verifies all the things we did. And again, remember, with the war, it’s just artificial. It’s a little bit high. It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe.

They can take out a city. Let them take, let them take out Los Angeles; let them take out San Diego. That’s — this is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon. It’s essentially almost over with.

And they might keep going a little long. You know, they always say they have a big threshold for pain. They need it. Let me tell you, they need it. But it’s going to end very soon. And it’ll end one way or the other. And your gas and your gasoline and all of the things.

And don’t forget, we also took on a country known as Venezuela. They never talk about that. They never talk about Venezuela. And we’re taking in hundreds of millions of barrels of oil every week. We’re pouring oil. We’re pouring oil into this country like nobody’s ever seen before.

There was laughter and applause after this statement at a rally in Nebraska. Seriously? How can any human being applaud this?

On Tuesday morning, the White House’s communications director, Steven Cheung, responded:

The media freakout over President Trump’s comments is not rooted in reality. He was clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped. America is safer because of the president. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money.

You judge for yourself.

I live in San Diego. About 16 million people live in the San Diego and Los Angeles Metropolitan areas combined. That’s 4.6 percent of our nation’s population. We generate about 5% of our nation’s GDP. There are currently about 115,000 active-duty military personnel stationed in San Diego County, representing approximately 8.5% of the total active-duty military population in the United States.

Remember when Congress grilled Hillary Clinton about Benghazi in 2013 and then again on October 22, 2015, lasting for 11 hours? It was one of the longest congressional hearings in history. I clearly remember the outrage of the right-wing media at the time because “four American’s lost their lives.”

Four. And they were ready to crucify Hillary Clinton and called for locking her up.

It is truly frightening to me when the sitting president can make such a statement and our guardrails don’t hold up. If this lackadaisical attitude about the lives of millions of Americans and military staff does not meet the threshold of removing him from office, clearly nothing ever will, for this president, and any future president.

Are we doomed?

Gas Price in San Diego September 2026 – $6.35

On By Norbert HauptIn Are We Great Yet?, EconomyLeave a comment

I had to get gas. This was the best I could find. It was the first time ever I had to spend over $100 to fill up my car.

$6.35 for regular unleaded.

Are we great yet?

All Quiet at the Grand Canyon

On By Norbert HauptIn Are We Great Yet?, Economy, TravelsLeave a comment
picture credit: Andy Starflinger

Last week, on Friday, June 12, my brother from Germany and I visited the Grand Canyon. I love taking people to the Grand Canyon “for the first time” as that first view into the void usually takes their breath away. After being there and even hiking down dozens of times over a period of 50 years, it still happens to me now every time.

What struck me however was how “empty” of visitors it was this time. June is usually high season. Many tourists from Asia and Europe visit the Canyon during the summer. Lines to get through the park gate can be several hours long, yet we drove right in. There were only five or six cars in front of us at the entry gate.

There were plenty of parking spaces everywhere. There were no lines in the restaurants. We went to eat at the Bright Angel Lodge for lunch. We were able to walk right in and there were plenty of open tables.

Outside of the park, the town of Tusayan was practically deserted. We went into the visitor center with the IMAX theater and a bunch of restaurants, and the place was empty. It seemed like we were the only guests in that huge facility.

There are many possible reasons for this.

  1. A real reduction in visitation especially from international travelers, which disproportionally affects the Grand Canyon.
  2. The new $100 nonresident fee policy for many foreign visitors appears to have discouraged overseas tourism. The fee is charged per person aged 16 and older. This surcharge is in addition to the standard park entrance fee, which is typically $35 per vehicle.
  3. Heat advisories are causing some people to postpone trips. Even though the temperature at the rim was only around 80 degrees F while we were there.
  4. General softness in leisure travel due to higher travel costs.

All the above could contribute to the decline in visitors at the Grand Canyon.

If you’re local and want to visit our National Parks, now might be a good time. But the overall trend makes me wonder: Are we great again already?

Be Wary of Paramilitaries

On By Norbert HauptIn Are We Great Yet?, Atrocities, GunsLeave a comment

Be Wary of Paramilitaries

When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching with torches and pictures of a leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the end has come.

— from Chapter 6, On Tyranny – by Timothy Snyder (2017)

Are We Great Yet?

Countries with the Best Reputations in 2025

On By Norbert HauptIn Are We Great Yet?Leave a comment

I stumbled upon this chart showing the relative reputations by countries. Reputation Lab visualized a survey that ranks the world’s 60 leading economies by their reputations. Countries with stronger reputations may attract more foreign investment, tourists, or respect in international institutions.

You can go to my source link below to access the details.

Source: Ranked: Countries With the Best Reputations in 2025

My observations:

United States – The US dropped from position 30 to 48 in just one year. That must be the largest drop of any country in history. The reputation of the US in the world is now below that of Kuwait, Algeria, India and Turkey. It’s just a couple of notches above Colombia.

Russia – Solid in place 60, right there below Iran, Iraq and China.

Switzerland – Solid in place 1.

Canada – Now in place 2.

And with all this, and our collective common sense, our leaders have the gall to tell us that we are finally respected in the world. My question is: How deep can we fall? Are we going to the territory of Russia and China?

Are we great yet?