 Dan fig leaf and I'm welcoming you to figments power imagination big that's my nickname pigments of the imagination. The power of imagination rather is intended to highlight things that go from fantasy to reality, your hard work and perseverance, but today this is a special edition that's right a special edition and figments. You can see we got three hot topics that I think need to be talked about. And I'd like to provide a perspective that maybe you haven't heard the whole. Why me. I asked myself that question very often, as I do the show. I'm no genius, but I've been around the world I served in the Air Force for 33 years I was blessed to be a better about so much of the world. In combat, which influences a lot of my thinking, and worked at a pretty senior levels of three star general. I'd later did some work in the international arena here in the Asia Pacific region. And so I think I've got a perspective that might be a value. I know I'm not right about everything. I'm right about a few things, but I want to engage in a non political discourse. Throw some ideas out there and see what you think and I'd love to hear what you think by getting an email from you at info at base minus one dot com info at base minus one dot com. You can visit my website drop me an email but let me know what you think. I'm going because I think we're at a critical time in the world there's so much going on that is represents several inflection points and domestic and international relations. We ought to be very thoughtful citizens because this stuff is going to affect our future a lot. Again I strive to be non political and more practical I'm fascinated by things that work and not very interested in things that don't work very well. I'm not special because I'm going to talk very briefly about somebody who was special. This past week we lost Admiral Ron zap slatter per former package commander, a man of tremendous influence here in Hawaii and in industry and in education. And besides that one of the best human beings I've ever known. He told me how much taught me how much I have to learn and to do, and that's why I do things like pigments. Rest in peace. Okay, let's get a little more lighthearted because this is lighthearted. My last two jobs in the Air Force is a three star general. I was a vice commander, therefore space man, and the deputy commander of us Pacific man now known as into a for two weeks at the two glorious weeks I was the acting commander they come, but for the last several years I was number two and, and I know therefore that there's a lot of number two and being number two. That said, I'm sympathetic with the Vice President United States who tested positive for coven. Okay, that's bad enough, but then the White House released a statement that she was not considered a close contact with her boss, the President. I'm sorry Vice President Harris. That's just not a good look, not a good statement by the press secretary either. So, about a number two and be a number two, so let's strive to be number one. The first topic I want to talk about is Ukraine. And as I talked today about the three topics, maybe more if I have time. I want to emphasize three words humanity diplomacy and liberty, because they're pretty important words. And that helps me organize what I'm going to say. I look at the Ukraine the humanity have it is really sad tragic truly tragic 12 million out of, I think 44 million people in Ukraine displaced 12 million people's lives are absolutely totally change, and will never be the same. And they're not changed for the better. 12 million people. And for that, the death, the destruction, the tragic situation. Having said that, there are reasons that could make you feel optimistic, if you don't want the Russian forces to prevail. The sinking of the missile cruiser Moscow the largest combatant sunk since World War two. And I'm going to assume that the, the Ukraine played a role in that that we really don't know. Sort of withdrawal to the east and south by the Russians, the problems that the Russians are clearly having the fires of Russian oil refineries which may or may not be caused by Ukraine. That looks pretty good Russia's failing Russia does not look like any kind of a competent military power right now. But if their goals are still just to control the done boss region and deny access to black have access for themselves to black sea ports and deny it to Ukraine. They don't have to take key for anywhere else. Other than Boston area along black sea so. They're losing and winning at the same time. In the meantime, people are suffering in the US. And I'm going to say this with a bit of hyperbole intentionally and then, and then refine what I've said, we're funding the death and destruction. We're supplying, we're providing weapons and missiles and stuff. Now there's a place for that we don't want Russia to succeed and the Ukrainians has have asked for weapons. We don't know where our focus should be. Certainly not our soul focus and do we know where these billions of dollars of aid are going. Hashtag Afghanistan. Look back at what happened in the arms we supply there. So, the supplying a weaponry, maybe absolutely necessary. It ought not be the end game. I don't think it should be our focus and the focus should be on medical and humanitarian assistance with reasonable and well controlled provision of lethal capabilities. Again, I'm not against it. I just don't think it should be our focus. Look at Afghanistan. A brighter note. Well, let me start with a dim note and a brighter note, then a brighter note. Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Defense Austin visited Ukraine it's about damn time. It's about damn time. This hands off approach we were just throwing stuff at the problem. I don't think is very competent doesn't work very well. I visited met with President Zelensky and came away from there with a couple of major outcomes one bad one good first the bad. Following that meeting, the Secretary of Defense said our goal was to weaken Russia. What the heck, because this might be a family show. The reaction initially was a lot stronger. Oh hi. Why would you say that our goal isn't to weaken Russia shouldn't be anyway. And I can't imagine anything would further fee would better feed internal propaganda in Russia and saying we're trying to weaken this country that already has a bit of an inferiority complex. Come on man. Why would you say that Secretary Austin. We should have three goals one reduce human suffering. First and foremost, most urgent to get Russia out of Ukraine. That has to be the goal. Russia leaves Ukraine not Russia gains the control of the Black Sea ports and in the full Donbas region out of Ukraine. That's the three we deter them from future adventurism in Ukraine and elsewhere now that deterrence may involve some weakening of the forces, but that weakening of the Russian military is not the goal. I hope that coming exercise energized and irritated, it pissed me off. Check. But there's some better news and that this next bit I think reflects some new competency in the diplomatic efforts of the Biden administration and I've alluded to what I see is failures of competence or incompetence. There are other shows, but now they are restarting diplomatic efforts they're going to reopen the embassy and key and Ambassador Bridget Brink interesting name in this case. The current US ambassador to Slovakia has been nominated to be the ambassador to the Ukraine. And I think that's awesome. I think it's trying to correct a mistake to in Afghanistan and in Ukraine the first thing we did when the fecal matter hit the ventilation system is withdraw diplomat. Okay I understand the sensitivity coming from the death of our ambassador and Libyan and others. But the last thing to go should be diplomacy in time of Christ. There's a lot of our great straight State Department professionals diplomats, other folks in the State Department apparatus, and we need them in time of crisis so the last thing to happen should be withdrawal of our tip. And instead, under two different administrations. It's become the first three actually. Now we've got a diplomatic presence restarted there. And I'm hopeful for that. That said, it's still a dire situation and can't lose fact, but lose sight of the fact that 12 million people been displaced many thousands have died on both sides because I am a moral absolutist. That's a, that's a nod to you as a free speech absolutist and every life matters and any life loss of human life unnecessarily especially more is a tragedy that we ought to seek to avoid. Let's pray that the diplomatic initiatives and the strength provided to military strength provided to Ukraine prevails, and that we achieve those three goals which once again are in this suffering. Russia out of Ukraine and deter further aggression. Okay, let me take a breath from that and tell you that I'll be back soon in six days with another edition of pigments for imagination this this will be special but it won't be a special edition. I'm going to have Clint Churchill, former international guard pilot and commander here and why Clint's an amazing guy, great friend, and one of the founders of the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. And I want to help you imagine history you can feel now full disclosure I'm a member of the board of the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum and I had my retirement party from their force. He's many years ago. But you're going to love this. Clint story is so interesting. And there is history you can feel right there on Fort Island, America's World War two battlefield. So I hope you'll join me for that may second to PM why standard time the rest of you do the math. All right, what's the next topic China and coven. Remember, you should remember because I've reminded you many times that I was right on December 6 when I said that the emergence of Omicron is the principle variant of coven mark the end of the pandemic. I was right. And the reason I said that was it was so highly infectious so much less lethal, and that it was going to mark the end of the pandemic and the coven infections would become endemic. And in fact CDC announced today that 60% of Americans have coven antibody on it 60%. And in our house we've wondered if we already had coven and don't know if it's entirely possible, but that was the end of the pandemic. There's something else I said that may not have gotten as much attention because it wasn't so obviously right at the time. And that's the China would be first in and last out regarding pandemic. I don't mean by that they were first in because the virus originated there and I don't care to debate. What happened in Wuhan or, or how could we don't know, but that's where the virus started. When it started there. The Chinese were very successful at controlling internally didn't care much about controlling it externally and allowed it to leave with 1000s 10s of 1000s of passengers travelers from China, but internally they were very successful. How were they successful through a coven zero or zero coven policy, where they would squash every infection like a bug. I don't the way I mean that is, they tried to limit the infections to zero through aggressive testing, isolation and quarantine, reporting, etc. And it seemed to work and I think it would be reasonable to view Chinese numbers skeptically wonder if maybe there weren't a few more than the reported infections but generally worked well and life was relatively normal for those in China. Until this year, mostly until on the ground. When in Jinlin province and later Shanghai, the, the virus made a very dramatic emergence resulting in significant and oppressive lockdown. The reason I said that they'd be last that was that on the ground being so contagious doesn't care about China zero coven policy. That's part one part two is the zero coven policy is simply not compatible with with long term control of an infection of an infection because the way they made it zero coven was to have strict controls strict isolation strict quarantine strict testing and high consequences for those who failed local officials in controlling the virus so if you're the mayor of will call Green Bay, there's probably a Green Bay somewhere in China, you're the mayor of Green Bay, China, and Green Bay China has five or six coven infections show up. And here's what happens to you get fired fired, you're fired runs well for some reason, but the local officials who had the incidences of COVID were relieved, taken out of office. Now, certainly that gets everybody's attention but not in the way long night hope. If you're the mayor of let's say Milwaukee, China. Just to use another generic name. And you see what happens to the mayor of Green Bay, China. Are you going to report infection no you're going to suppress accurate reporting. You're going to hide it until it's too late. And I believe that's what's happened in China is the fear and mowing of the local officials led to hiding of significant infections until they, they expand it and when you add that to the nature of the background virus. You've got kind of big trouble that we see in Shanghai, before that genuine problems. And now, in Beijing. Let's see if China learns from the failures in Shanghai and genuine and the human tragedy, I mean it's a, it's a human tragedy won't go over some of the draconian measures that Chinese have I will read from April 24 25th of April time magazine, an article called parents in China protest COVID child separation gross protest in China risky business. But here's, here's the, the important sentence for many Chinese people, the fear of getting COVID-19 is not about getting sick. It's not about having to submit to China's strict pandemic measure. There you have it. That's not good for China. So I hope they learn and adjusted and take a more humane approach to addressing the virus. We do because they're very authoritarian authoritarian form of government, but no, no authoritarian leader has absolute power absolute power in the modern era of information sharing is a myth just doesn't exist. What does this mean for for the long term for China. First of all, it means internal unrest. And that's bad, because in addition to these very strict and you have to read them to believe them horrible measures that are leading to food shortages and medicine shortages and so on and so forth. The economy is being stifled by it and any failure of the economy in China to progress leads to social unrest, which leads to more repression or perhaps distracting. What I worry about is that approaching the 20th Party Congress is very important event this fall in China that that Xi Jinping may be compelled to launch his own October surprise, ignore the lessons he should have gathered from from Russia's adventure in Ukraine and launch military action action against Taiwan. I think that'd be tragic on every level for China and for Taiwan and a huge mistake. But will he be compelled to distract his internal constituency. So, absolute power, not a good thing. And the application of it in China is a lesson we should all learn from. We should learn from it because it's possible here in the US people, it really is. Another thing that pissed me off this week was when I heard Dr. Fauci's remarks on the court decision that lifted the mask mandate for transportation in airplanes, airports, buses, etc. trains. Not automobiles so we do see some people who think that it applies to automobile. Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute for of allergy and infectious diseases has become the central, central figure of this pandemic, said that he found it disturbing that the federal court would roll against the CDC's COVID-19 travel mask mandate. It was his opinion that this was not judicial matter, because they're the experts right. Obviously, and understandably Dr. Fauci was not a political science major and doesn't know jack anything about the American system government and the separation of powers. Yes, it's a legal matter. Okay, I don't know what the right decision is on on masks, but I do know this. We are a nation of law, and those laws govern our behavior. The judge in the judicial branch finds something that somebody in the executive branch or CDC resides incompatible with our law, despite the consequences they are compelled to overrule, and they did this judge did. They agree with the judge you're done. That's where separates our city, our system of governance works. So Fauci is a long time government employee doesn't understand that just drives me crazy. And there is danger with the overreach of government power throughout the COVID pandemic that this will become the norm, the CDC or some other element of the executive branch without law from the legislative branch. And they'll say do this do that, or else, and it won't be addressed properly by the judicial, by the judicial branch or anything else won't be controlled. It'll be the kind of absolute power that is creating the human tragedy in the we're seeing in China it's a Shanghai is a human tragedy. Take a look. So, what would fig do. Hey, don't let that happen here. I don't care. It's not a matter of how you feel about the pandemic, how you feel about the liberty that gives you the life you want. We've given up a lot of it during the pandemic. Maybe it's been worth it. Maybe not. But you got a draw line somewhere, and a federal judge did. Got a couple of minutes left so let me talk about one more thing because it's so interesting. And that's the Elon Musk purchase of Twitter, I'm not a Twitter maniac or whatever you call people who use Twitter 24 seven, I'm a little more interested in it because it's been in the news. These days, but here's what I'm interested in. Elon Musk likes to say, as I alluded to earlier, that he's a free speech absolutist. What does that mean okay free speech anybody can say anything. Now there are categories of speech that are prohibited and by law. So we have a way to address that. I agree with it. I agree that even a warrant is not as long as you're not harmful speech should be allowed. Why want to because it's, it's in the Constitution Bill writes, rather, and to because and I wrote this down, as I thought about it so I'm going to pull up my note card, folks, actually do prepare for these. This is what I think about it. Abhorrent speech is enhanced by repression, allowing abhorrent and incorrect speech to see the light of day over time will wilt it and make it less effective, less convincing. Former President Obama said something quite to the contrary, and I haven't been there will be president, but I respectfully disagree. President speech is dangerous, more dangerous than allowing important free speech. I really believe that anything we suppress will have an implied credibility this this speech is so bad we can't let you here. And we have to have a little more faith in our citizenry and within reason. So those are my thoughts for today, I'll remind you that you can find our pigments episodes on the YouTube playlist. I'm going to give you give you a minute here to scan those in if you'd like your codes, making a comeback by the way qr codes are pigments power of imagination this show in for a while several months I did pigments on reality which was all count solo commentary on events of the day. And then, more importantly, let me remind you, if you haven't seen maybe haven't seen that it's not a reminder I'm telling you, it's fun drive time the spring fun drive, or think tech wise this is a great organization over 20 years old. A true nonprofit 5013 C or so, whatever that number is, it's a nonprofit folks, they don't make money, I don't make money, but they enable citizen journalists to put together about 30 shows a week, every week. Very diverse in topic and viewpoint, and they need your support to continue to succeed. So that's a wrap on figments, the power of imagination, special edition, I'll close by saying that I'd like you to think of these words, humanity, diplomacy, and liberty, and make sure they're all part of your life. Aloha. Thank you so much for joining us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, and donate to us at thinktecawaii.com. Mahalo.