Court Painter looks back to what was on the reading list for those hazy lazy days of summer 2017.
original post August 6/2017
Court Painter modestly suggests the best 2025 summer reading at this time for America may be a re-read of :
Written in 1940
A wartime manifesto on the moral obligations of democratic citizens from the most influential first lady in American history.
With the threat of the Third Reich looming, Eleanor Roosevelt employs the history of human rights to establish the idea that at the core of democracy is a spiritual responsibility to other citizens. Roosevelt then calls on all Americans, especially the youth, to prioritize the well-being of others and have faith that their fellow citizens will protect them in return. She defines this trust between people as a trait of true democracy.
Roosevelt advances an optimistic model for the democracy of the future, and although we’ve taken some steps in the direction of her vision, it’s still a long way from reality. The issues first addressed in this 1940 essay—namely financial inequality and racial discrimination—are sadly still relevant today, as bigotry continues to undermine our national unity.
Just so you know Court Painter wasted over three hours putting this together…
Tumescence refers to the state of being swollen, especially due to an increase in blood volume within tissues. It’s commonly associated with sexual arousal, where the erectile tissues of the penis or clitoris become engorged with blood, causing them to swell.
In the face of this biological, celebrity, and monetary force of nature, Court Painter apologizes for distracting his fans with the Venetian wedding news of billionaire Jeff Bezos and media personality Lauren Sánchez—while daily reports persist of the ongoing, unrelenting slaughter of men, women, and children, subsumed in a desperate struggle to evade munitions, search for food, protect each other, and survive with life, dignity, and limb intact amid the onslaught of the so-called “democratic” state of Netanyahu’s Israel.
Now …where were we…
Ah yes..a wedding!
There was a lot of discussion with the Court Painter’s Press Attache AHM and the unruly unpaid studio interns as to the morality and ethics of taking on this wedding portrait commission however it was pointed out that morality and ethics are sooo… un-monitizing.
After agreeing to 30-day timeline, Mark Carney now says ‘nothing’s assured’ on deal with U.S.
June 27,2025
President Trump said on Friday June 27/25 that the U.S. would terminate trade discussions with Canada and assign a tariff rate on Canadian goods within the next week.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said “we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately.”
“We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period,” Trump wrote.
Trump preening as his eventual comeuppance awaits in the wings.
Court Painter with painting “PM Carney explaining Canada to a gourd”.
The term domino effect refers to a chain reaction that occurs when one event sets off a series of similar, interconnected, or related events. The name comes from the playing pieces in the game of dominoes, which can be toppled over by knocking down one piece, causing the rest of the pieces to fall as well.
Welcome to the new global arms race: faster, smarter, more dangerous and more expensive than ever. In 2024, world military spending surged to a record $2.7 trillion, the steepest annual increase since the Cold War’s end, driven largely by European, Asian and Middle Eastern nations.
Who’s buying?
Faced with threats from Russia, Europe has ramped up defense budgets, with Poland’s spending growing by 31% to $38 billion and Sweden’s by 34% to $12 billion in its first year of NATO membership. Germany increased military expenditure by 28% to $88.5 billion, making it the fourth-largest spender globally and rearming the nation that precipitated the two major world wars of the last century.
In the Middle East, Israel’s military spending soared by 65% per cent to $46.5 billion, the largest annual rise since 1967, amid its war with Hamas in Gaza and conflict with Hezbollah in South Lebanon. In Asia, China spent 7% more on its military in 2024, adding an estimated $314 billion, raising fears of an imminent operation against Taiwan, which boosted its military spending by 1.8% in 2024 to $16.5 billion. Fellow Asia-Pacific power Japan saw its military budget rise by 21% to $55.3 billion, its largest annual increase since 1952.
Who’s selling?
Traditional arms exporters like the United States, France, Russia, China, and Germany continue to dominate the market. However, emerging players such as India, Turkey, and Israel are increasing their share. Notably, Israel’s defense exportsreached a record $14.8 billion in 2024, with Europe accounting for 54% of sales, up from 35% the previous year.
What’s on the wish list?
Today’s arms race is not just about quantity, but technology. Nations are investing heavily in next-generation weapons, including drones, hypersonic missiles, artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, and space-based systems.
In the US, President Donald Trump’s desire for a “Golden Dome” missile defence system akin to Israel’s “Iron Dome” would add $175 billion to Washington’s arms budget over the next three years. It would also require the cooperation of neighboring Canada, at a price of either $61 billion or 51st statehood – Prime Minister Mark Carney has made clear that the second option is not on the table.
At the other end of the spectrum, however, Ukraine’s recent “Pearl Harbor moment” attack on Russian strategic bomber airfields was carried out with a fleet of $300 consumer-level drones, raising questions about what technologies are most valuable and effective for 20th century warfare.
The political tradeoff: guns or butter
All of this military spending will put a dent in national budgets, possibly requiring cuts to social benefits, increased debt, or fewer government services. If voters aren’t convinced that national defense is worth the tradeoff, the Great Rearming could trigger a significant popular backlash in the coming years.
Props used by Court Painter in sit down portraits of PM Carney & President Trump
Prime Minister Carney & President Trump to sit down Monday ahead of G7 start as work continues on tariff deal. PM looking to secure a trade deal to see the U.S. tariffs lift.
Court Painter in anticipation of the meeting and being unable to attend because of prior committments;has rendered a couple of plausable hot & cool versions of the meeting.
