What I Think About What Other People Say (WITAWOPS)

In both 1812 and in 2026, Venezuela was rocked by devastating earthquakes and the US responded. Both times, without USAID because it did not exist. I've traced what happens whenever the United States decides whether, and how, to spend the taxpayer's money on people who aren't citizens or permanent residents. Madison and Haitian refugees in 1794. Polk and the Irish famine in 1847. FEMA, DHS, and non-citizen migrants in Washington State this year.  But our bizarre response to the 2026 disaster warrants a deeper dive. It echoed research I had conducted a decade ago for an unpublished manuscript when I ran across a bill that historians affectionately call America's First Foreign Aid Act. That was Congress’s response to the 1812 earthquake. Image by Magnific 1812: Madison flip-flops  Caracas was hit by an earthquake in March 1812 during Venezuela's fight for independence from Spain. The US Congress debated relief in April, focusing primarily on whether the aid would actu...

Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta and the Duwamish tribal may have had different conquerors, in different centuries, and on different continents, but did they have one thing in common? Did they sell out their neighboring tribes?  "The Great Chief above who made the country made it for all." — attributed to Chief Seattle (Si'ahl), Point Elliott Treaty negotiations, January 1855 “Mau Mau was a disease which had been eradicated, and must never be remembered again.” — Jomo Kenyatta, 1962 Made by ChatGPT, July 2026 What do I think Every colonized people needs a Kenyatta or a Si'ahl … or Mandela, Gandhi, and Jinnah. These revered leaders bravely step forward, distancing themselves from the freedom fighters to put their marks on the paper the colonialist hands them. In doing so, each buys his own people a seat at a power table. History rewards him with a country or city named after him. But history is less kind to the neighbors he signed away in the process. Is this pro...

Quick quiz for my fellow Eastsiders: what do you call the flat, slow-moving waterway between Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington that you bike, run, or kayak along every summer? If you said "river," you're only sort of right. If you said "slough," you're also only sort of right. The U.S. Geological Service (USGS) calls it the Sammamish River. The river supplies 27% of Lake Washington’s water. Longtime locals still call it the Sammamish Slough. Old maps call it the Squak Slough. Nobody, apparently, felt like settling this before naming an annual hydroplane race after it. Image by Galeeb Kachra So which is it? Technically, a slough is a slow, marshy, meandering channel — which is exactly what this waterway was for most of its existence. It wound through a wide, swampy valley for 30 miles. What you see today, a tidy, 10-to-14-mile, laser-straight ditch with a bike trail on top, is a river only in the sense that a canal is a river. Both run where engineers told t...

I'd love to help, but where in the Constitution does it say Congress can spend the people's money on charity? The Senate majority leader has done it. Probably more explicitly than I had expected in feeding the President’s agenda. On the topic of supporting non-resident immigrants, he stated that he "could not undertake to lay his finger on that article in the Federal constitution, which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." He warned that if Congress "once broke the line laid down before them... it was impossible to say, to what lengths they might go." But in May 2026, the Court rebuked the Executive (FEMA/DHS) for pedaling back across the line! What's going on? Designed by Graphiqastock / Freepik http://www.freepik.com FEMA Loses Again On May 26, 2026, Judge Barbara Rothstein handed Washington State a victory against FEMA and DHS for the Shelter and Services Program (SSP). Congress had fun...

This week marked the tenth anniversary of this conclusion made by the U.S. government against the government’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).  Let me say this again:  one branch of the federal government found, a decade ago, that another branch of the federal government was jeopardizing 16 species of endangered or threatened salmon in Oregon and the orcas. Image by freepix.com This is not an environmental group or group of activists accusing FEMA. The determination was made in April 2016 by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. NMFS is charged (by Congress) with recovering marine-related endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The US Fish and Wildlife Service manages terrestrial, freshwater, and avian endangered species. What does jeopardizing mean? Jeopardizing does not mean that the NFIP (an insurance program) is actively wiping out the species. Rather, it means that the program in ...

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is, I believe, off-track. We are subsidizing (socialism) flood risk using a mid-20th century insurance framework (ancient) against 21st century climate change (reality), local politics (not national), and changing hydrology. FEMA is not actively constricting or guiding development away from high risk areas, despite this being an objective of the law. The NFIP is deeply in debt. Flood water does not care about your mortgage, zip code, income, skin color, generation, or party registration. It only cares about gravity, volume, and contours. Image generated by ChatGPT, March 2026 The NFIP is next in my series of things that surprised me about FEMA. FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). I quit FEMA in March and wrapped up 20 years working for the executive branch of the government. See why in my  earlier post .  Flooding Every year, we experience flooding. It’s a global problem...

I live in King County, Washington. The county hosts the cities of Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond, along with 33 other incorporated cities and towns. Ask anyone. King obviously refers to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After all, its easy to find following type of comment: King County, Washington's largest county, is the first county in the nation to be named in honor of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), the celebrated civil rights leader and advocate of nonviolence.  We see his silhouette on our buses, our government buildings, and the county flag.  Image courtesy of freepik.com But wait a minute Think about this. The county pre-dated Dr. King. Therein lies the irony. For over a century and a half, our county was actually was named after a man who stood for everything Dr. King spent his life trying to dismantle. Yes, for sure. The county has been "King County" since it was created in 1852, When the Oregon Territorial Legislature carved out this land. They n...

WITAWOPS turned one year old. My first blog post on October 13, 2024,  You too can change the world  was a synopsis of my 2021 book reflecting on how I believe I changed the world in my own unique ways. This blog is contributing to that effort. I started WITAWOPS (What I Think About What Other People Say) because I had a lot of opinions about things people said. And I wanted to share them. Most posts reflect on a quote, discuss what I think, and end with why you should care. It’s been an interesting, eye-opening, and self-reflecting year. I’ve enjoyed [most] of it! What Do I Think 1. It’s harder than I thought.  I was asked how much time I spend on each post. About an hour writing and editing but more time during the week thinking. I've toyed with A.I. (see the post about  me vs. ChatGPT ). The week's topic has to jump out at me at some point before Friday and given that I really dislike procrastinating, I start getting antsy if I don’t have a topic by Thursday ...

We live in a state with rules and those rules guarantee certain freedoms. When put together, some interpret those collective freedoms as sovereignty and what better way to demonstrate ultimate sovereignty than to build and run your own city?  Source: ChatGPT, 10/9/25 Is there really a substantial difference between the 1980s Oregon desert city of Rajneeshpuram and the 2020s Texas coastal flats city of Starbase? If you need a quick refresher on Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and the city he legally incorporated in Oregon, read my February 15, 2025 post .  What Do I think I believe they are inherently the same and a precursor of more to come. Cities normally grow organically in that people settle, attract people, jobs, arts, and culture, and then eventually incorporate for self-governance. But both Rajneeshpuram and Starbase were born out of visions from their leaders: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and Elon Musk. There was no natural evolution. Sure, the labels are different: religious leaders...

Having worked on a number of environmental analyses for airports in the early 2000s, I continue to track interesting cases. I am also exploring the limitations of ChatGPT. Several months ago, I learned (thanks to my teenager) the difference between my writing and ChatGPT’s. More recently, colleagues have insisted that ChatGPT 5.0 is much better. So I am putting it to the test.  Below are two versions of the same story. One is mine. The ChatGPT prompt was: “for my blog, witawops.blogspot.com, write a piece in my style on the dissenting opinion in this case . Leave a comment indicating which is mine and which is AI’s. Disclaimer: the views expressed in this post are solely my own, published under my first amendment rights, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Government or any of its current or former federal agencies. Version 1.0 “Does anyone doubt that this Environmental Analysis would not see the light of day if this project were sited anywhere near the we...

The word ethics comes from the latin, ethos ,  defined as “the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution.” Contemporary debates about ethics generally center on things like artificial intelligence or medicine.  The former is neither person, group nor institution and its only ethics are what we build into it or what it learns from its creators. See this  story  about a male AI robot in Saudi Arabia groping a female reporter.  Ethics in the field of medicine (think of assisted end-of-life) is derived from a whole host of entities including the doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, and lawmakers.  What do I think Go back to the Merriam-Webster definition of  ethos . It starts with  a person . A.I. or a hospital or a legislature cannot have an independent ethic; its ethic must reflect the collective ethic of its constituents. Therefore, it all depends on you and me. Our individual ethic...

Most of the world celebrates labor day on May 1st. Ironically, the U.S. doesn't even though the impetus for the day originated in Chicago. Why is this the case and why does Canada follow suit? “This is a day of dedication. It is a day on which America salutes her workers, not with the blare of guns, but with the recognition of honest toil.” -- Woodrow Wilson (1916, Labor Day address in Buffalo, NY) After the Haymarket Affair in Chicago in 1886, May 1st became associated with the international labor movement. The map shows the countries that observe it on May 1st.  World map highlighting countries that observe May 1st Labor Day.  Generated with OpenAI’s ChatGPT (DALL·E), August 29, 2025. Notice Canada and the U.S. stand out: they sidestepped May 1st as an official holiday to avoid the socialist/communist associations with the day. Ask A.I or start here for more information.  As you enjoy the end of the northern hemisphere summer or the southern hemisphere winter, empathize...

The 40-day mourning period for USAID has passed (see my earlier obituary ). This post articulates one of USAID’s many little-known accomplishments.  “I want to emphasize the unwavering determination of the United States to push for and support implementation of the reform agenda. President Obama and Secretary Clinton believe strongly that Kenya must seize this historic opportunity to bring about fundamental change. . . . The constitution is, in many respects, the sine qua non of the reform process. Without a new constitution, implementation of other reforms will not prove sufficient to steer the country in the right direction. If a new constitution is put in place, then implementation of other reforms, along with the new constitution, will help ensure future democratic stability and prosperity.” —Ambassador Michael Ranneberger, “Reform, Partnership, and the Future of Kenya,” speech, American Chamber of Commerce, Nairobi, January 26, 2010.  What Do I Think: A constitution is a ...

During my recent visit to Portugal, I struggled to see any evidence that Muslims had lived in, governed, and expanded the country. This rich history was painted over with several coats and labelled as “medieval”.  The Spanish and Portuguese called them Moors; they were in fact Muslims from North Africa who crossed over the Mediterranean and settled in Al-Andalusia (Iberian Peninsula). They left us significant elements that we cherish today, including the Al-Hambra and the grand mosques of Cordoba and Seville. They also left things we use every day but don’t recall their origin: medicine, baths, architecture, science, and art. Muslims governed for over 500 years; they built, wrote, irrigated, walled, created knowledge, and ruled until they were expelled in 1249. The Jews were expelled two centuries later.  Sintra I started in Sintra, 30km (19 miles) from Lisbon. Sintra has a highly effective and unique micro-climate. Several old palaces dot the landscape, many featured in movie...

What exactly is a “British” museum if it is not about British history, culture, society, or people? Why does the British Museum proudly announce their thievery and wickedness.   Ghanaian Gold Regalia on British Museum website. https://www.britishmuseum.org/terms-use/copyright-and-permissions#re-use-of-images Wandering the museum's diverse galleries last week, filled with wide-eyed tourists and weary tour groups, I noticed two blatant brilliantly-lit messages. 1. We proudly display the stuff we have stolen, and  2. We offer artifacts (old and modern) to tell stories of the places we conquered.  Since I’ve lived in five former British colonies: Kenya, Pakistan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Virginia, I was very curious about the museum and these messages. The museum invites visitors to “experience cultures across the globe, from the dawn of human history to the present.”  In my mind, that would actually be a World Culture Museum. But it really is a World Coloni...