This just in: I say, “Call their bluff.” Call everyone’s bluff.

Let’s take just 3 examples:

Putin is implying that he will use tactical nuclear warheads if his newly “annexed” Ukrainian properties are invaded. What should we do? We can cower. However, this will mean that anyone with a nuclear weapon can now threaten us…and win. North Korea can say, “I now own Hawaii and if you don’t give it to me I will drop some nukes.” Saying, “I have nukes and I’m not afraid to use them,” will become the equivalent of our filibuster where it is no longer required to take the stage and talk for 24 hours; you just need to threaten to do it.

Yes, maybe Putin isn’t bluffing. But either way, failure to challenge him effectively makes him the ruler of the world. A tactical nuclear device will wipe out a city. The next day, Putin will see his army defeated and his navy at the bottom of the oceans. The United States may not be good at fighting non-traditional wars like in Afghanistan. But when it comes to army vs. army, we are professionals and no one should ever doubt the outcome. Against Russian, it wouldn’t even be close.

A second example; Republicans are threatening a civil war if Trump is indicted for ANY of him numerous crimes. We can say, “Hey, let’s not get all angry about this,” and give Trump a pass. What this means is that ANY president going forward is immune from ANY prosecution for ANY act that he commits.

I say, “Charge Trump and then let’s take note of who is causing violence…and put them away.”

A final example is the 299 election deniers that are running for office in this midterm. Maybe I should better call them election “De-Liars” since they know the election wasn’t stolen then just like to say that. Here is a link to a Washington Post article that is almost beyond belief. We can not show up to vote and let Republicans vote these people into office.

Yes, let’s do that. Let’s see what happens in Arizona when the majority of the population votes for a Democrat for president and the Republican Secretary of State say, “Nah…we are going to cast all of our electors for a Republican.” Let’s see what Americans do when that happens to them.

I predict that most will not miss an opportunity to vote the frauds out next time around…if they can. I say this because Orban in Hungary has made it impossible for anyone to vote him out of office. Republicans will find a way to squirm around and ultimately justify why the electors sent to D.C. didn’t reflect the will of the people.

To bluff is to make the other person think you have a winning hand when you have nothing. Putin is bluffing. Republicans are bluffing. I say, call their bluff, not because we’re brave. Call their bluff because we refuse to live in fear.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim