<a href="https://oakbaystarfish.com/2026/08/07/more-political-failings/" rel="bookmark">More Political Failings

Seattle Has Taken A Dive In The Post 911 Era

Seattle Fentanyl – Any Different Today Than Under Biden?

Seattle Open-Air Drug Use Rolls On

The Invisible Veteran

The country struggles with:

Fox News screaming desperately into wind as Trump loses grip

Categories Homeland Security is a scam, Ongoing Breakdown of Society, Voting

Happy Summer

August 6, 2026 //

Categories A Small Nonprofit Rescued & Adopted Cat Daycare Center That Is Always Open

Beach Find

August 6, 2026 //

Monica found this one.

Several years of beachcombing:

Beachcombing

Back in 2022

Also fun to find:

Local beach glass

Categories Beachcombing, Pacific Time

Political Failings

August 6, 2026 //

Above: Approved Flag Images

Symbols of the propaganda that makes it all work.

The failings of one extreme political party bring on the next extreme political party.

What Others Are Saying

Valhalla VFT

More than 2000 comments are posted with the video above.

Nolan Denaro – Responsible Statecraft

Iran War Is Unfortunately Helping Democratic Socialists and Hurting Republicans

By John J. Duncan Jr.
The Duncan Dispatch
August 6, 2026

“Consider the Pentagon’s recent assassinations of more than 200 people in boats on the high seas near Venezuela Those assassinations are ostensibly based on supposed violations of U.S. drug laws, even though any evidence of incrimination is kept top secret.”

Source:

Will the CIA Assassinate Democratic Socialists?
by Jacob G. Hornberger
August 6, 2026

The Hill

Both major parties have taken turns in power over the past 40 years or so. For sure, there is a chunk of public policy that has become worse, not better.

The Fantasy Newsperson Asks

Working to stabilize the region since 1990 Operation Desert Shield

Which DOD Military Operations Were For Defense Of The Constitution?

US Air Power

The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East

Freedom Comes And Goes

Seattle Has Taken A Dive In The Post 911 Era

Seattle Fentanyl – Any Different Today Than Under Biden?

The country struggles with:

Which DOD Military Operations Were For Defense Of The Constitution?

Categories Ongoing Breakdown of Society, Voting

A Good Day

August 4, 2026 //

Above: Did these guys pose for a record album cover?

More here.

For the first time, we found Vance Creek County Park at Elma, WA.

Very nice for walking.

We found people who were very friendly. People of all ages and generations.

Want to visit or live in a friendly place? This is important. We enjoyed it.

Dogs were very well behaved.

The area was tidy. Plenty of trash cans.

Categories A Nice Walk, Old Man Blog, Simple Living

No hurry to be anywhere

August 3, 2026 //

Categories A Small Nonprofit Rescued & Adopted Cat Daycare Center That Is Always Open

Working to stabilize the region since 1990 Operation Desert Shield

August 3, 2026 //

Or maybe since the 23 October 1983, Beirut Marine barracks bombing.

Was this operation meant to benefit the American way of life?

Were Marines defending the constitution in Lebanon?

Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.

These questions do not need to be asked on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Blue Angels day or Armed Forces Day. Sometime during the year, please ask these questions.

Breaking Points

LiveNOW from FOX

C-SPAN

Don’t worry, we are still the best at militarized pageantry for public events.

US Air Power

The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East

Freedom Comes And Goes

The country struggles with:

Operating A Camera In A Public Place

Photo-

Something from the last century

Post-Vietnam guilt

The guilt doesn’t seem to work towards staying out of undeclared/unwon wars or maintaining bases inside the US.

A giant flag ritual at the next ball game will make it all good.

Categories USA - 250 Years

WA Public Records Request

August 3, 2026 //

Above: Walking to the beach at Green Lantern State Park.

Public Records Request

It is very common that public offices in various states will say something like: Go to our website to submit your public records request online.

They would prefer the person with the camera leave the office as soon as possible.

It is common in various states that open records laws allow the public records request to be submitted in person orally or in writing and that the public records request may be made anonymously.

Public records laws set up an open door policy for people to go and interact in person with government offices and agencies during normal business hours at public offices.

Tyrant Terminator Audits!!! is a favorite channel where he has explained all this over and again in public offices.

I.A.M. Free – Inland Auditing Media

Operating A Camera In A Public Place

The era of newspeople not asking questions brings on private citizens who go out and ask questions.

Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.

These guys were also never waiting on the overthrow of Saddam Hussein or the take down of any other bad guy in distant lands, as DOD defends the constitution, etc.

Maybe they are tired of being lied to.

Away From WA

KULT NEWS

Tyrant Terminator Audits!!!

Please see 12:38

More here:

The Freedom Talk

Categories Operating A Camera In A Public Place

Calm and Sandy on the Pacific Coast

August 2, 2026 //

Washington Coast – The North Beach

When the time is right, the top of Mount Rainier is visible from this cam:

Westport – coastal weather cam here.

Categories Pacific Time

Reflecting Pool Damage

August 1, 2026 //

Aug 4 Update

Good Morning America

KUTV 2 News Salt Lake City

Aug 1, 2026

CBS Evening News

Sorry, we got it wrong:

Then

Cocky/Schmoozy

July 3, 2026

Fox News

Now

Brian Tyler Cohen

Categories USA - 250 Years

Consider Replacing The Phrase

August 1, 2026 //

Consider replacing the phrase:

“Thanks for your service”

With:

What do you think about all this?

To me, this would come off as more respectful, thoughtful and meaningful. It could lead to discussions people might learn from.

Valhalla VFT

More than 1000 comments are posted with the video above.

Why It Matters

Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.

If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?

Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.

Is the Seattle fentanyl situation any different today than it was under Biden?

Any questions from newspeople?

Seattle street scenes:

choeshow

The Fantasy Newsperson Asks

Which DOD Military Operations Were For Defense Of The Constitution?

Replace The Phrase?

Seattle Has Taken A Dive In The Post 911 Era

The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East

The country struggles with:

Occasional Visitors/Still Looking for Bigfoot

Categories A Free And Honest Society, Homeland Security is a scam

Visiting

August 1, 2026 //

Visitors over the past 5 years:

Categories Simple Living

Team Concept

July 31, 2026 //

Visitors over the past 4 years:

Occasional Visitors/Still Looking for Bigfoot

Categories Simple Living

The Fantasy Newsperson Asks

July 30, 2026 //

Above: A meetup with newspeople who ask questions.

Sponsored by a local Invisible Veteran chapter.

KOMO News

Cheerful TV newspeople play the role of federal public affairs staff:

At 0:19 It’s the Sound of Freedom.

The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.

In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.

In terms of American rights and freedoms-The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.

Both major parties are OK with federal prohibition of alcohol and tobacco for adults age 18-20.

No such thing the day I graduated from high school.

That was before decades of military operations for your freedoms.

The Fantasy Newsperson Asks

US jet aircraft have been able to strike targets in what wars won by the US?

Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?

The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?

Currently serving four-star officers and high level DOD civilians have been associated with what wars won by the US?

If the CIA (est 1947) serves as an advantage to the US, why does the Department of Defense have such a poor record of winning undeclared wars going back to 1949, the year DOD was established?

How would American freedoms be any different if US troops were never sent to Iraq?

US Troops were sent into life and death situations in the aftermath of 911.

For this reason it is important to ask questions and develop a feel for what is real and what is honest.

It feels like a society where honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion, but the questioning and discussion rarely takes place.

Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.

These questions do not need to be asked on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Blue Angels day or Armed Forces Day. Sometime during the year, please ask these questions.

Macho Swagger

Watch Secretary of War Pete Hegseth takes thrilling fighter jet ride with ‘Top-Gun’ pilots:

Since 1986 Top Gun:

The US Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911.

We haven’t won a war since.

Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.

Which DOD Military Operations Were For Defense Of The Constitution?

US Air Power

The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East

Freedom Comes And Goes

The country struggles with:

Podcast 9 Defending The Constitution?

Categories Newspeople not asking questions, The Fantasy Newsperson, Veterans Day Propaganda

Which DOD Military Operations Were For Defense Of The Constitution?

July 30, 2026 //

The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.

The Fantasy Newsperson Asks

The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?

Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.

“The Oath” is a very big deal to people who did time in uniform. Decades after doing time in uniform some veterans will say their oath never expires.

How would The Constitution be any different if US troops were never sent to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, etc.

Americans are raised on a pledge of allegiance to the flag. Small school children grow up with this. Are we raised to avoid the idea of asking questions?

Love to see newspeople interview elected officials and let us know how sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution.

From 2021

A 2:54 audio file:

Freedom?

Elected officials have often thanked The Troops for defending American rights and freedoms.

Former Secretary of Defense:

“…we also remember our Service Members fiercely defending the freedoms we value every day.”

How would American freedoms be any different if US troops were never sent to Iraq?

US Troops were sent into life and death situations in the aftermath of 911.

For this reason it is important to ask questions and develop a feel for what is real and what is honest.

It feels like a society where honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion, but the questioning and discussion rarely takes place.

Stan Goff went to 8 conflict areas and found no enemies to The Constitution.

Please see 2:30 below.

Replace The Phrase?

The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East

“…to support and defend our Constitution.”

Take An Oath To The Constitution

Much Talk Of An Oath

DOD And The Constitution

Categories The Fantasy Newsperson

Seattle Has Taken A Dive In The Post 911 Era

July 29, 2026 //

Like many others, I graduated from high school in the greater Seattle area in the late 1970s.

Back in those days, Seattle was a place to visit for day or night activities such as shopping, movies, concerts, sightseeing, Seattle Center, dining, sports events, etc.

None of these activities were seen as unsafe or controversial for teens at the time.

Seattle was a world-class city in the last century. The WWII Generation had a modern society up and running in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

What Has Changed

Today we have homelessness, drug addiction and overdoses, frequent gunfire and concerns related to gang activity.

To be fair, The USA has taken a dive in the post 911 era.

KOMO News

FOX 13 Seattle

Zero Mention Of Needing Cash To Pay For Drugs

KIRO 7 News

The weak-minded culture expects very little from its newspeople.

Seattle street scenes:

choeshow

The post 911 surveillance state (fusion centers, license scanners, Homeland Security grant money, monitoring of e-mails, text messages, & social media sites, no fly/terror watch lists, tracking of cell phones, best advances in REAL ID and AI technologies, etc.) seems to be irrelevant in shutting down Seattle area gang activity:

KIRO 7 News

This video seems to show a roll into action after the shootings take place protocol:

Seattle Fentanyl – Any Different Today Than Under Biden?

Ramping Up Seattle Security

Seattle DEA Nonsense

The Kristi Noem Ass Kicking Road Show Skips Seattle

Seattle – Drug War Show Business

Seattle – Rampant Drug Activity

Seattle Gun Violence

Drug War Show Business & The Puget Sound Area

Puget Sound Gun Control

Investigation Took Nearly 3 Years – Drug War Scam Update

Seattle Drug Scene – Welcome Home Troops

Seattle Open-Air Drug Use Rolls On

Possibly of interest:

Several years back, I started the Old Man Blog category. It involves thoughts on changes in American culture relating to those born roughly in the late 50s & early 60s.

Original Old Man Blog here: https://oldmanblogdotcom.wordpress.com

New updates here: https://oakbaystarfish.com/category/old-man-blog/

Also:

1954 to 1965

Categories Homeland Security is a scam, Old Man Blog, Ongoing Breakdown of Society, Seattle has taken a dive in the post 911 era

Midterm Message – Biden Did It

“…to support and defend our Constitution.”

David Pakman Show

What we are thinking:

The failings of one extreme political party bring on the next extreme political party.

KOMO News

From comments:

“Doesn’t matter. It’s obvious you aren’t fixing Washington by voting.”

“You know what I did to my ballot tore it up put it in the trash. I refuse to vote for professional criminals anymore! Im done!”

Possibly of interest:

Categories Voting

Seattle Gun Violence

We blogged about it back on July 23rd:

Puget Sound Gun Control

It hasn’t improved since then.

Seattle was a world-class city in the last century. The WWII Generation had a modern society up and running in the 80s and 90s.

The USA has taken a dive in the post 911 era.

Welcome Home Troops.

KOMO News

More than 100 comments are posted with the video above.

The Fantasy Newsperson Asks

Has any WA gun control measure or public policy effort of the past 20 years slowed down the gunfire between say, Everett and Tacoma?

What works? What fails?

The weak-minded culture expects very little from its newspeople.

Newspeople remain silent.

Possibly of interest:

Good Sport

Categories Gun Control, Old Man Blog, Ongoing Breakdown of Society

Public Records Request

Operating A Camera In A Public Place

Public Records Request

It is very common that public offices in various states will say something like: Go to our website to submit your public records request online.

They would prefer the person with the camera leave the office as soon as possible.

It is common in various states that open records laws allow the public records request to be submitted in person orally or in writing and that the public records request may be made anonymously.

Public records laws set up an open door policy for people to go and interact in person with government offices and agencies during normal business hours at public offices.

Tyrant Terminator Audits!!! is a favorite channel where he has explained all this over and again in public offices.

Tyrant Terminator Audits!!!

Multiple LE officers dispatch for public records request.

Man with a camera first explains himself to LE at 13:02

Earlier in the video below, we see that people will lie to LE dispatch and describe things that are not taking place. LE may respond as if the lies are true.

KULT NEWS

Public records request at 103:17

Operating A Camera In A Public Place

The era of newspeople not asking questions brings on private citizens who go out and ask questions.

These guys were also never waiting on the overthrow of Saddam Hussein or the take down of any other bad guy in distant lands, as DOD defends the constitution, etc.

Maybe they are tired of being lied to.

Amagansett Press

More here:

The Freedom Talk

Photo – top of page: One I took a few years back.

A symbol of operating a camera in a public place and newspeople not asking questions over the past 35 years or so.

Salmon Season – Whidbey Island – Driftwood Park

Categories Operating A Camera In A Public Place

“…to support and defend our Constitution.”

GOP senators warn confidence in Hegseth eroding as Iran war drags on

Above: A meetup with newspeople who ask questions.

Sponsored by a local Invisible Veteran chapter.

In The News

“Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Tuesday criticized the departure of senior military officials when Hegseth testified before her panel Tuesday.”

“I find this deeply troubling,” Collins said at the hearing, which was held to discuss the administration’s request for emergency Defense funding. “These are men and women who volunteered to serve our country and swore an oath to support and defend our Constitution.”

Source:

By Alexander Bolton – The Hill

July 27, 2026

The Fantasy Newsperson Asks

The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?

Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.

Former Secretary of Defense:

“…we also remember our Service Members fiercely defending the freedoms we value every day.”

The Fantasy Newsperson Asks

How would American freedoms be any different if US troops were never sent to Iraq?

US Troops were sent into life and death situations in the aftermath of 911.

For this reason it is important to ask questions and develop a feel for what is real and what is honest.

It feels like a society where honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion, but the questioning and discussion rarely takes place.

From 2004

“Today, however, the Congress has relinquished its delegated powers, giving the President license to do whatever he and his office determine that they can get away with. Consequentially, the presidential and legislative oaths to the Constitution have just turned into a great photo op on inauguration day.”

“It is a sad and hard realization for a grunt who loves the Marine Corps to admit that the organization is not used in the preservation of liberty, and has not been used toward that end for a very long time.”

Source:

Why I Didn’t Reenlist

By Casey Khan

February 14, 2004

The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East

Categories The Fantasy Newsperson, Veterans Day Propaganda

Good Sport

July 26, 2026 //

Above: Unaltered photo taken at a greater Puget Sound area farmers market several years back.

In The News

KIRO 7 News

ABC7

“Terrifying Moments”

FOX 13 Seattle

KING 5 Seattle

Onlookers are terrified:

Part of the thrill would be the jump, and part would be defying the post 911 surveillance state (fusion centers, license scanners, Homeland Security grant money, monitoring of e-mails, text messages, & social media sites, no fly/terror watch lists, tracking of cell phones, best advances in REAL ID and AI technologies, etc.)

We live in a world where special ID is required to go have lunch in Canada and return home.

Surveillance infrastructure is constantly in the news.

You’ll be auto enrolled for the draft in coming months.

Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.

More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?

If lower OD numbers are claimed, is this because DHS is able to keep cartel product from arriving in US communities, or because drug addicts are now fogged down with Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, ect. to combat overdoses?

Any questions from newspeople?

Categories A Free And Honest Society

Maritime Updates

July 26, 2026 //

Above: A view from Westport, WA USA

What’s Going on With Shipping?

July 24, 2026

July 22, 2026

Categories Maritime Culture

Escape

July 26, 2026 //

Above: Backyard harvest of the past.

Still makes sense in 2026:

ghostryder8567

Possibly of interest:

USA 250 Is Here

Categories USA - 250 Years

Music Once Included Protest

July 25, 2026 //

Above: Sun Gold at Port Hadlock

The USA has taken a dive in the post 911 era.

Seattle was a world-class city in the last century. The WWII Generation had a modern society up and running in the 80s and 90s.

Even if we celebrate the best of American culture during the last century, that time is gone now.

What are we celebrating that still exists today?

Worth Seeing – Click On Through

The Dirty Fucking Hippies Were Right (original version)

joeyess

What we are thinking:

The failings of one extreme political party bring on the next extreme political party.

Favorite Political Tribes

Ongoing Wartime Progress Reports

Categories Alternative Media, Armistice Day, Ongoing Breakdown of Society

Whole Turkey On The Weber

July 25, 2026 //

Taking a trip down BBQ memory lane and remembering the times we have done a whole turkey on the Weber Kettle.

This method works for camping or at home.

We set up a new blog category here: Whole Turkey On The Weber

How we set up the grill here: Thanksgiving – One Week Later

We rotate about one quarter turn and add a few briquets every hour.

Many suggestions are posted on the web.

Categories Food & Drink, Whole Turkey On The Weber

Blustery Afternoon Out There

July 25, 2026 //

The beer photo fetish page features a true grab bag of different beer styles and brands. We’ve been at it since 2012.

Also:

Warmer Weather

Nice Summer Drink

Possibly of interest:

Green/Clear Beer Bottle Myths?

Part Two – Green/Clear Beer Bottle Myths?

Categories Beer Photo Fetish

Ongoing Wartime Progress Reports

July 24, 2026 //

Life and Death situations are in play.

Secretary of War struggles to justify past claims.

What other wars have featured ongoing progress reports?

WatchlistTYT

US Troops have been sent into life and death situations in the aftermath of 911.

For this reason it is important to ask questions and develop a feel for what is real and what is honest.

Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.

RETRO REPORT

“…temporary data disruption.”

Source:

‘Shameful’: Pentagon accused of cover-up over US military casualties in Iran war

David Smith – The Guardian

July 25, 2026

Macho Swagger

Watch Secretary of War Pete Hegseth takes thrilling fighter jet ride with ‘Top-Gun’ pilots:

Since 1986 Top Gun:

The US Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911.

We haven’t won a war since.

Replace The Phrase?

The Invisible Veteran