The Dangers of Thought

The rain is still coming today and after a day spent doing and thinking nothing, my restless brain is ar it again. I try to tell the little guy to chill, but, alas, it eill not cooperate. Thinking tends to make me face unpleasant issues.
We are still recounting ballots. Strange, back in the days before we had modern technology, we never had such problems. If the counts were off, and they may have been, results were called and we got on wuth the running of the Country. I have a very sharp bs detector and I think a very rotten game is being played, by both sides.
Don't like the results? Blame it on all sorts of malfeasance. Don't like the call for recounts" Claim the other side is trying to steal the election. The frustrating thing is that both sides seem to be right. What is happening"
Simple. There is a war, a serious war, between the factions trying to run the Deep State. Those who remember the Iran-Contra hearings under Reagan know that such a thing exists and that it is immensely powerful. They have the means and will to just ignore the Congress The President, and the Constitution. For a brief while, they all seemed on the same page, but power seeks more power  and such alliances will always fail.
The factions? Huge corporations and banks. The Military. The Intelligence community. These are the basics. Who is behind them? Shadow figures from all over the World, who control more money than you or I can imagine. Presidents like Wilson and Roosevelt spoke of such figure and how they truly ran things. They spoke of them once and had sense enough to go no further with their explanations.
There is much discord among such factions. Or is there? Possibly, that is a scam. designed to keep the American people on a confused, disturbed state of mind. Why? Enough chaos, and the Shadow Government can declare a Notional emergency and suspend the Constitution. Will they? Maybe, but not now. More power must be amassed. People must be ready for such a move, fristrated into accepting it. Remember, there are still a lot of very independent Americans who are quite craanky and heavily armed. Can the whole mess be avoided? Sure. Be honest and admit that right now, we have a big mess. President Trump to the contrary, we have not become great again. B etter, yes, but far from great. We still have far too much poverty, too many homeless including may kids, and overprice and unaffordable medical care. Our education system us a joke. We are still raping the Earth out of nothing more than simple greed. Much of the World loathes us and the rest tolerate us only because we are the big dog and they are scared of us. The only way out, other than letting the Powers that Be take over, is to get it together, at least moderately behave yourselves, and do your work, as long as uyou feel that the work is honorable. Do not actively resist. That will trigger the take over.  Passively resist ny forming communities, helping others and generally doing all yoy can to get rid of the tension, anger and dismay that the Nation is going through. Don't rock the boat. Instead, row it gently. Remember, you cannot stand up in a hurricane, but, like the palm trees, you can give a bit, go with the flow and then, when the storm passes, stand tall. I never thought I would see the day when a simple act of kindness was an revolutionary act, but there you are.
Anyway, the rain is easing and I have things to do, so let me end mu rambling nonsese by just say, Bless you, one and all.

The Ryder Cup

Once again, America, despite being a far superior team, has shown that it cannot win a Ryder Cup in Europe. It really has become quite a strange thing  I gave no idea what is behind this, but here goes.
It is true that the course was set up to favor Europe. We do the same thing when we host. In this case, the fairways were very narrow and the rough very high. This took driver out of play for the long American drivers, but it did the same for Europe's Rory McIlroy and John Rahm, yet they coped. The greens were very slow but that is needed in Europe because the courses are often in windy areas. If you have high wind s and fast greens, it is no longer golf' it is hockey. American players do not like slow greens. Why? Who knows? But, they do get testy when forced to play slow greens All such talk misses the point. The course is to be played as you find it and the player is there to adjust. In fact, that is almost the point of the whole silly game.
There were bad decisions by the American Captains. Tony Finau was playing great, yet was sat out for some matches. DeChanbeau was playing poorly, so, of course they kept plating him.. Tiger Woods was clearly exhausted, yet was sent out for all 5 sessions. Phil Mickelson, after an early season win, has played horribly and continued that trend throughout the tournament. He appeared to have no idea what he was doing on the course.
The big issue was the lack of enthusiasm. At any given time, about half of the Americans on the Course appeared about half awake  DJ and Koepka could not understand that in foursomes, if your partner is in trouble, you have to play safe. DeChambeau's mathematical approach to the game fails when he finds himself in wildly uneven grounds with knee high rough. Patrick Reed's Captain America routine finally ran out of gas when he found himself driving terribly. For a spell there, he couldn't have found the fairway with a bulldozer.
I really don't care about the whole Ryder Cup thing. I always have found it silly, but it does show the problem facing golf in the future, the very near future. The game is so dominated by power, that when the players can't just bomb the ball out there. They lose interest. Yet, the power aspect has to be reined in. We cannot keep simply making courses longer. Land costs too much to start designing 9000 yard courses. In addition, the upkeep, especially the irrigation, would be absurdly expensive. The whole game can be brought back into focus by changing the ball. It used to spin more and travel less and that can be done again. However, the modern players will scream like the spoiled brats that they have become. The game will grow less and less watchable on the pro level. However, there is an emphasis on building short, playable courses for families and friends to enjoy.  In the long run, who cares about the pros. Go have some fun yourselves. And, while you're at it, have a Blessed Day.

Homeless

1. Feeling alone, the army's up the road
   Salvation a la mode and a cup of tea
   Aqualung my friend don't you start away uneasy
   You poor old sod, you see it's only me Jethro Tull, Aqyalung
2. Ever been homeless" I have. Ne and my friend Deb were for 4 days in  Ft. Lauderdale, Fl in 2002. Just bad luck and a bad economy in a bad spot. No drufs or alcohol. We had both been clean for years.
3. It is a nightmare. If you want to get in a shelter, you have to register about sun up and, then, you cannot stay there in  the daytime. That didn't matter because we were not going to one. They are more dangerous than the streets. The daylight hours aren't too bad/ You can walk around and hang out in malls or parks. Then comes dark.
4. You cannot stay still fir long. Coos will move you along or try to arrest you. Not their fault, just their job. There is no place to get indoors. If it;s cold or rainy, you just have to do your best and get under a tree or behind a wall to break the wind and rain. When the weather breaks, you walk.
5. Sleep is the real issue. It is far too dangerous to sleep on the street sides or any open grounds. Even if it were safe, the street noise is constant. If you find a quiet place, out of sight, it is even more dangerous because, if you find it, so will others.
6. There are people out there, at night who are dangerous,, mean, crazy or both. Of course, alcohol and drugs are often their fuel, but nit always. Sometimes, the sober ones are the worst.
7. Then are the scenes that break your heart. Women with little kids, Physically handicapped people. Old folks, some very old.
8. Again, sleep is the problem. You catch naps. 10 minutes here, 20 there. And it is not really sleep. more of a light doze. By the end of the 3rd day, I was hallucinating lightly. By the 4th, it was fairly intense. Blessedly, a few things went our way and some nice folks helped and we got out of it. Things were touch and go for a spell, but they did get better.
9. Right now, in America, there are many, many homeless. About a quarter of the m are children. I cannot imagine what this does to them. Something must be done, but what?
10. Government, on all levels, seems to have no clue. Churches, some of them, do help a bit. The problem is that there are just so many to help.
11. It is almost impossible to find work when you have no home. You need to be in a reasonably stable environment to make any headway. If you get a little money, there are extended stay hotels and thatr is a whole lot better than nothing, but they take most of a week's wages to stay in and you can never seem to get ahead enough to get a real place. Also, apartment agents do not look kindlt on such places when they start checking you rebtal history. And while those hotels are better than nothing, they are not places that you want to stay at for ling. They are costly and many of the folks there are none too stable.
12. The only solution I can think of is for Governments to but abandoned properties and renovate them to house the homeless. The cost would be extremely high, but something must be dome if we are to continue to call ourselves a civilized land
13. Truth is, nothing will be done anytime soon. There is no will to do this. Instead, most people will just go about their business and, when they see a homeless person, just shake their heads and say'what a pity.' Or they will grow hostile. I have seen this. They want such folks rounded up and hauled away. Where" they don't car e as long as they don't have to see them.
14. But see them is assured.  Again, what will the children going through such nightmares grow up to be. I can promise you that it will nit be pretty.
15. I will leave you with a thought from Steely Dan's song Razor Boy. "Will you still have that song to sing, when the Razor Boy comes and takes your fancy things away." Always in this World, the chickens come home to roost..

Trump vs Putin

Yesterday was the big Summit and, not much happened. And that figured. You rarely work out complex issues in a few hours. Folks don't seem to get that. To hear the Media, Democrats and a some Republicans comment. you would have thought that the President handed Putin the keys to the White House and the Nuclear codes.
I think they wanted Trump to slap Putin and challenge him to 2 out of 3 falls in a steel cage wrestling match. Or, more appropriately, a Russian Death match. They very obviously do not understand diplomacy,
No one is stating the obvious. President Trump did not remove the sanctions on Russia. He signed no agreements. They talked. That is all and, talking is better than arguing and threatening. Maybe these people have forgotten the nightmare of the Cold War.
The President did express some doubts about our Intelligence agencies, Well, the recent FBI issues should give cause to doubt their efficacy. A revue of CIA history creates even more doubts. Did Russia muck about in our politics. Of course, just like we have messed with internal politics in many other countries. Read history if you doubt that. And, while doing so, grow up. That is just how politics in the real world works. It is not tight, but it is the way things are and we will never change that by denying reality
Do I think Putin a great, trustworthy guy, No. But he is, for now, who we must deal with. Does he trust us? Of course not. We are witnessing a dance of mistrust and double dealing, but it is far better to dance than fight.

Play Fair

Today our President is upsetting apple carts. Good for him.
For long years, the USA has, financially carried NATO. We pay 70% of the bill and provide an enormous amount of military supplies and personnel. By any standard, that is not fair, especially when Germany and other European Nations are doing well financially and could do a lot better if they would solve their immigration issues and stop buying so much oil from Russia and the Mid East,
NATO formed after WW2 when Stalin seemed to be threatening W. Europe That threat was not as great as we were led to believe because the USSR was flat broke.  But, in a patriotic fever, we signed up and have been paying the lion's share ever since. Do we , the USA now need to fear Russia?
No. Putin is shrewd and opportunistic and may, here and there, get a bit aggressive. But, he does not threaten the USA because he is not a stupid man and he is not crazy. In the cold War days, we talked about MAD, mutually assured destruction. In short, you attack us and we nuke you into a grease spot. And vice versa. There will be no major war between the USA and Russia Threatening and blustering, yes, but no more.
If W. Europe feels they are threatened, by Russia, Iran, Korea or any one else, they should get busy learning how to defend themselves. We don't really have a dog in their hunts
NATO is of no real use to us. If we stay, it is a favor to W. Europe. It is not fair to expect us to continue to foot the bill. If Germany and the others cannot defend their own land, 73 years after WW2it ended, it is not our problem. If they want us to stay, they need to give and I am glad that our President is getting right to the heart of the matter.

What Do People Think?

In what Universe is it a good idea to send kids and their soccer coach into a cave in the monsoon season. That Universe must be where Thailand is located..
We do some amazingly stupid things in this Country, but really, I cannot believe the insanity of actions like that. It seems that all will end well, but the danger and expense involved in the rescue is enormous.
Then again,, maybe we are not all that bright either. Pro football players often leave their careers barely able to walk. Many leave barely able to think, due to serial concussions Yet, each year, we send thousands of kids out to play this violent game. Teenagers are sent out on the Friday night ritual in high schools everywhere and colleges hit the gridiron every Saturday. WE even send wee ones out in Pee Wee leagues. They often suffer, not just broken bones and concussions, but heat stroke. I used to work at a high school and they had those guys out, in fill gear, in 98 degree heat with 90% humidity. Every year, a number of these kids drop dead from the strain. All for a stupid games.
If grown ups want to engage in dangerous activities, that's their business, but aren't kids supposed to be protected. Not coddled. Kids are going to get hurt and that's just a fact of life,. But not over a game.
Next thing, maybe we should have bare knuckle boxing matches for ages 10 and up. Sometimes I almost think that we are sacrificing kids on the altar of football because, make no mistake about it, in many ways, football is a religion in America. and, few seem to bat an eye when some 16 year old drops dead of heat stroke or winds up with spinal injuries from a hard hit.
Well, maybe I was too hard on Thailand. We're not much better sometimes.

And Now an Opposing View

It occurs to me that yesterday's predictions drifted a wee bit toward the gloomy side. I stand by all of them, but I do see some bright spots.
First, the announced retirement of Supreme Court Justice Kennedy. He was basically a moderate and I guarantee his replacement will be  conservative, a fairly young cponservative, who will sit there for many years. The President has Congressional Majorities and will hanner thiss appointment through before the mid terms. Hooray.
Second, by imposing his travel and immigration ban, now approved by the Supreme Court, the affedted countries will be forced to deal with their own problems instead of pushing dissidents over here. Most European natins will follow suit and the Mid East may finally setlle down.
We will finally redognize the importance of Latin Amerrica and turn our attention toward them, nor ro impose our will, but simply to become good neighbors.
We will see even lower Federal taxes. Local and State taxes may go up a bit,, but at least those officials know what their citizens need and want.
We will, at long last, make a serious move to repair our disgraceful infrastructure.
More, non violent criminals will be punished ny fines, community service and being restricted in their travels ( home to work and back).  This will lower the overall cost of imprisoning the truly dangerous. Also, more and more prisons will be administered by provate companies. Nothing improves efficiency ike looking for profits.
Likewise, you will see a move to have schools run by private companies. They may still be public, but not government administered.
The Space Program will return, only this time at a more practical level/ The first steps toward creating a Moon colony will begin. It will be small and, initially serve as a base for launching probes and Rover type missions to Mars, of course, but also to the moons of Saturn and Jupiter, which may actually support life. We will explore the asteroid belt and, at last see what lies beyond Pluto.
Huge entertainment blockbusters will give way to small local show.   They  are less expensive and usually more entertaining, Golf will become more popular as an actual sport people play instead of watching with the spread of tiny courses, (9. or even 6 holes), short and playable by all. Bowling will get more popular as will other sports that real people can play, badminton, croquet, flag football and such. Restaurant chains  and fine dining palaces will give way to small cafes, diners and even street vendors. On line shopping will fail just as soon as their business is hit with sales tax, which us right around the corner.
A religious revival will occur, but not the old time fire and brimstone evangelism. Instead, we will have a gentle, community action oriented faith, short on doctrine and long on helping those in need, and open to moderate Christians, Jews and Moslems, to  all the People of the Book. And, at last, we will have a religion compatible with science, as it used to be.
So, cheer up. Things are dark, but glimmers of light are staring to show. \

Immigration - Let's Get a Few Things Straight

I am sick of the immigration issue. Americans, and others, need to get a few points straight in their heads.
Illegal immigrants are, by definition of the word 'illegal,' criminals. We are a Nation of laws and they have broken them. They are not citizens and have no rights. We do not beat them or starve them. They should be detained until deported. Part of our problem stems from past policy. We let them loose if they promised to show up for hearings. They did not and we now have no idea how many there are or where they are. Now we detain them.
We separate them from their kids. Okay, that is sad, but detention facilities are not a good place for kids. This is not new. When citizens are imprisoned, they don't take their kids with them and in abusive and neglectful home, child welfare removes them. Separating kids and parents is not new. Regretful. but standard procedure..
Do not believe this 'we always welcomed immigrants' nonsense. I am old enough to remember the 'no Jews allowed' signs and in my grandmother's day, the Irish and Italians were scorned. The Asians and Hispanic were never welcomed with open arms.
In our early days we encouraged immigrants because we were sparsely populated and needed people to develop the land. Then, we industrialized and needed factory workers. In case you haven't noticed, we are no longer sparsely populated and since we need things like food and water, we have little land left to develop. And we no longer do a lot of heavy industrial work and much of that is robotically done/ Like it or not, and I don't, get over it. That's just the way it is now.
Immigration should be allowed in an orderly lawful manner. Applicants should have to prove that they can support themselves for some period and that they have something to offer that we need. We have a woeful lack of skilled workers and if an applicant has needed skills, let them in. Maybe that will wake up young Americans and they will get busy learning something. If not, I hope they enjoy picking fruit.
The same scenario is playing out in Europe. Germany's Chairman Merkel is threatened with a loss of power if she does not get a grip on immigration.
Compassion is always required but so is Justice and good common sense. Pay no attention to that inane little poem on the Statue of Liberty. Most people were never enamored of immigrants except when they needed cheap labor. It is just a silly poem, not National law or policy.

Respect

How do we solve America's problems? It all starts with 1 word. Respect.  Nothing will change until we learn to respect ourselves and others.
People do not respect themselves. If you do,  you will behave sensibly, Work to improve your life. Get yourself in good physical shape. You don't have to be a gym rat or a vegan. You don't have to shovel down vitamins by the handful or totally abstain from alcohol. Just use some sense. Stay active, physically and mentally. If you are misbehaving, you know it and the only real way to stop, is to stop. Folks can and will help you, but you must do the stopping yourself.
Respect others by looking at them and looking at yourself. Then,  compare the two. What you see in the other person, will be  a reflection of your own behavior. I know no  saints. I certainly do not qualify. Who are you to judge? Criminal behavior must be stopped, but you do not then throw the criminal on the trash pile. They are still human and they can still change, just like you. True psychopaths, despite what you might believe if you watch Law and Order, are very rare.
Men, respect women. They are not your play toys. Women, respect men. Do not immediately assume that any man who flirts with you is a mad rapist. Most men just have trouble understanding women and most women don't really understand men. The fun part of the game is figuring each other out, so stop being so touchy. At the same time, don't take real abuse, not for 1 minute.
Labels. liberal, conservative, left, right, Christian, Jew, Moslem, even young and old, are just labels and can never describe the whole person. They can, howevr, be used by advertisers, politcians and the media  to manipulate the public  and they do so very effectuvely. Recognize thus and stop paying attention to this dangerous nonsense.
When facing disagreement, discuss the issue using reason and fact and listen to the other side. Almost always they have valid points. Then, be ready, in most cases, to comptomise. The middle ground is usually where the best solution kies.
Respect is the first step towaed solving our priblems. Either that, or we keep on without accomplishing anything.

Where are American Workers?

I am a tad cranky this morning so let me be brief. What is going on with America's workers?
\A report last week showed 6 million jobs in the USA going unfilled because we lack qualified workers. 6 million. What is wrong that we cannot find good, qualified people to fill these positions?
For one thing, schools seem to have quit teaching kids to read, write and do math. Thought seems to have fallen out of favor and the ever increasing minimum wage has stifled ambition. I guess if you make $15 per hour you have no reason to better your position. That may seem correct when you are 16, but trust me. that will get old. Low pay jobs are entry level, a way of getting your feet wet as a worker and a way to pay the bills while you find a way to move up.
How do you move up? Education and training.
Most of the jobs that are unfilled are STEM jobs. Science, technology, engineering and math and yes, they require education. If you are in school and have talent in these areas, stay there and do the work. If you are out of school and can get the money, there are night classes at community colleges and accredited  (don't get scammed) on line schools. Do the work,, get the degree or certification and get a good jib, It is that simple.
No interest in school? No problem because many other jobs are available and unfilled in the trades. There is a huge demand for plumbers, carpenters, electricians, mechanics,, welders and heavy equipment operators and there are plenty of training programs that cost very little. Some even pay as you learn. Yes, they require some hard work but you will always have a job and the pay is very, very good.
Say that you just don't have tine? Nonsense. Just give up a football game on TV here and there and a few nights out and you will have tons of time. Boy, will you be happy when you are making enough money to have some fun, comfortably raise a family and put aside some money for your old age. Too tired? It is amazing how a nice pay check makes the fatigue disappear.
So, Americans get busy. Or just finally admit that we have grown lazy and stupid . Don't worry. There are many folks in other Nations that will jump at the chance to cone gere and take those fine jibs. Who knows? Maybe you like saying, " want fries with that?"

The Syrian Question

Let's look at Syria. First, I trust we all agree that Assad is a despicable monster. Second, chemical weapons are horrible. Agreed? Okay.
Now, monster does not mean stupid. Every time a President wants to  pull out of Syria, we have one of the arracks.  Once is an aberration. Twice is coincidence. The third tine, we have a plot.
Now, chemicals in WW1, were very effective because that war was fought in trenches. Fired into a trench, a  shell released  gas, which settled and lingered. causing horrible suffering. The Syrian war is fought in open air. Gas dissipates  and, unless you are right where the shell hits, you likely will be okay. Scared, but okay. Chemical weapons are awful, but mostly as terror agents. All countries ban the, and all have them.
Now, we bomb chemical factories and claim we have crippled the Syrian chemical warfare program/ We should have learned from the 1st Gulf war that missiles are not as accurate as the military c laims. Do not believe Trump's claim of 100 out of 100 hits. Trust me, we hit civilians, those we claim to be protecting. Already. reports are out from reporters on the ground saying we hit very little  and fired few missiles Second, simple physics shows that if you blow up a gas plant, gas will be released, which sort of defeats the whole point.
The truth? Any person my age should get it because we all, mostly, had to read 1984. In Orwell's classic, Winston Smith is shown  that all the constant wars are meaningless, fought over a few feet of useless ground and fueled by lying propaganda.  The reasom? To keep the masses under control. The ultimate goal? None. Just for the sake of power.
Take a hard honest look at the World and that is what you see. A bunch of sick, criminally insane monsters fighting for power..
This is madness and must stop. The first step in solving a problem is recognizing it. Take a hard, hard look. Tomorrow, ISIS, who we definitely have not defeated..

I'm Back

After a spell of poor health, worse vision and a change of residence, I'm back, and no more nonsense. The truth, plain and unvarnished is all you will find here.\
First a word about my former home, Brunswick, Ga. This odd little place is in the 'low country' along the Atlantic coast. It is a pretty place, in a harsh sort of way/ However, its only reason to exist is to  feed labor to the rich folks on the nearby island. All well and good, but they pay sorry, low wages. and things are even worse in the city of Brunswick. Add in the rather taciturn nature of the low country people and you get a distinctly unpleasant vibe. The general atmosphere is hostile uncaring and willfully ignorant/ Customer service is nearly unseen and mostly ill tempered. In short, it is a nasty place to live and I am so glad to be back in the civilized world of North Georgia/
I have gone on about my ex=home because the attitude there is all too common in the USA these days. Stupidity, ignorance, poor judgment and a complete lack if vision rule the land these days and I will be back tomorrow and the day after and every day that I can to start telling the truth about how sorry, how inane and how viciously stupid this once great Nation has become. Trust me folks, this Country was not always this way, and we best figure out what is wrong. Tomorrow, Syria. I will ask the question, how does it punish Assad when our bombings are just killing more civilians who he wants dead anyway, because all of these  missile strikes are just killing even more non combatants, including, yes, kids. In addition, what is the point of bombing a country that has already been reduced to rubble. But, that is for tomorrow. Ah, yes, it  is good to be back.

America and the Tiny Apocalypse, Part 2

Today, let's look at a number. 70% of our crops require pollination, and bees are the main pollinators.

It is true that some major crops can be grown without the little critters. Grains, such as wheat, barley, oats, and rye. Yes, we could survive on those, but not well and not for long. They provide inadequate supplies of nutrients. Think, no strawberries, no beans, no leafy green, no apples or pears, no oranges, or peaches, no nuts. And that is just a few things we would lack.

Meat? Forget it. True, many animals can live on grains, but  those grains will have to be turned to human use. No wild game either, since they depend on fruits, leaves, etc.

What about sea food and plants? Sorry. We have overfished the water and turned it into a garbage dump. In addition, the climate changes are making the water more acidic and the kelps, etc are dying. The coral reefs, home to many fish and shellfish are also dying.

Could we survive without bees? For awhile, but not long. It is conceivable that we could adapt to such a limited diet, but we evolve slowly. Next time, I'll mention the political fallout from the famine that is. possibly, even likely to occur.

America - That Swamp is Getting Mucky Again

Remember Trump saying. 'we're going to drain the swamp.' Remember how great it looked when he started naming all sorts of new and different people to his Cabinet? Sure you do. It was just a few months ago, and boy, we were all ready for that.

Well, folks, calm down, because that ain't happening. With the introduction of the Ryan/Trump health care bill. we begin to see the mud reforming and I am fairly sure I see a few alligators swimming around.

Suddenly, we are hearing talk of 'committees,' and 'panels.' and compromise. Caucuses are questioning and votes are being lined up on all sides. Talk of parliamentary procedures, like reconciliation, are being bandied about. In other words, business as usual is back.

Trump promised repeal of Obama's wretched health care plan. Then repeal and replace. The Ryan/Trump bill is nothing more than a slight amending of the plan. The changes will hurt some and help others, but the real issue is not addressed. What is that issue? Glad you asked.

The real issue is simple. Health care is none of the Federal Government's business. It is an issue best dealt with by each individual American. What medical treatment I need, is my business and I have no right to tell anyone else how to take care of themselves. Suggestions, medical facts, all of those are welcome. Advice is welcome, but the individual must take care of themselves.

What of those who cannot afford care? Well, for most of the Country's history, family, friends, churches and civic groups helped the poor. Doctors donated time to free clinics or took indigent patients with no charge. We did this because we are basically a decent people who like helping each other.

Guess what? It worked pretty well; not perfect, but nothing is perfect. Then Uncle Sam decided that we all had to be taken care of and turned from Uncle to Daddy.

It does not work and it will not work because, as is always the case, when the Government gets involved, the simple gets way over complicated. Then, because all that easy Federal money starts getting tossed around, special interests get involved and politicians start counting votes and money and the next thing you know, we have the mess that we have, a swamp, a mud hole, full of gators and snakes and quicksand and all manner of filth.

If anyone thinks that after this bill passes, we will get phase 2 and 3 laid out and that, then, at last, our problems will be solved, is quite insane. There is no phase 2 and 3. Ryan and Trump felt the immediate backlash against their plan and came up with that nonsense to shut people up.

Besides, it doesn't matter. Phase 1 is dead in the water, and, along with it, Trump's political power. Don't hold your breath waiting for those tax cuts, entitlement cuts, infrastructure repair bills, and military spending. Definitely, you can forget all of that 'Wall' nonsense. What we will have instead, is 4 long years of bickering by Congress combined with paranoid twitter tantrums from our President. That is, if we don't get in a real war with Iran and/or N. Korea.

The Health Care Problem

The news is all abuzz with the new Health Care Plan. You know, the one that is about the same as the one we were frantic to replace. Trump originally promised to repeal Obamacare. Then, to repeal and replace. Now, it seems that the plan is to reform it, a little bit. Not too much.

How did we get in this mess? Simple. One word. Government.

I remember, when I was a kid, my Mom paid the doctor $10 when she took me for a check up. Folks did not bother with health insurance because doctors were so cheap. Generally, the only folks who had health insurance were those covered by a work based plan, and in Florida at that time, that meant union workers (and since we were a 'right to work' state, there were not a lot of union workers)

Then came Medicare. Doctors, knowing they could get away with charging the Government anything they wanted, started raising prices. The Medicare funds grew and so did doctor's fees.

Then, poor people couldn't afford doctors, so we got Medicaid. And, yes, with more Government money, came higher doctor's fees. And so it went.

Then, health insurance gained importance. When I first had a job that provided insurance, we had Blue Cross Blue Shield. Office visits has a $10 co-payment. Emergency Room services were at no cost. Hospital stays had a $100 deductible. What did I pay for this policy? Nothing. Not $1. After about 12 years, insurance companies were raising rates, of course, so I began paying $10 every 2 weeks. That's all. Now, you could not insure a mouse for that.

Last time I went to a doctor, I had no insurance. Having to pay out of pocket, I went to a walk-in clinic, trying to get the cheapest price I could. The cost? $85. They took my temperature, weight and blood pressure and listened to my heart and lungs. That is exactly what my doctor did when I was a kid for $10. The difference, years of Government intervention. Yes, I know there has been years of inflation, but that too, is the result of Government meddling.

What is the answer? Well, this will not be popular, but the system must collapse. Pull the Federal Government out of Health Care completely. Let the market find its own, natural level. Believe me, without all of that easy Federal money. rates will fall.

Will this happen? Not a chance. There is too much money and too much politics involved. In addition, Americans have become so convinced that they need Washington to provide cradle-to-grave care that they will riot if the Federal rug is pulled out from under them. We have become a Nation of whiny little wimps who will throw a tantrum if they are ever forced to grow up and act like adult human beings.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. This used to be a damn good country.

America and Our Real, Immediate Problem

Health care, Russian spying, Obama vs Trump disputes, all of these pale into insignificance when we face the really big issues, Iran and North Korea.

Both of thesw Nations are working feverishly on nuclear arms and missile technology. Blessedly, neither has learned how to successfully aim a missile, but they will.

The Iranian leaders, not the common folks, are insane. They are obsessed with a sort of Moslem Apocalyptic vision that tells them that they must start the Big, Final show. It is madness. Fortunately, it will be a long time before they can fire a missile and hit the USA, but not too long before they can hit Israel. In the meantime, they seem determined to harass our ships in the Mid East.

The fat kid in N. Korea is even loonier and seems to have developed a thing for offing his relatives if he suspects they might want his job. He is probably wise to suspect them, but that aside, he seems to want to prove his manliness by trying to pick a fight with S. Korea, Japan and the USA. He is refusing to listen to his one ally, China, and, more and more, I'm not too sure that they are really trying that hard to control him. He has nukes and is getting better with the missiles. He, Thank God, does not know how to put the nukes on the missiles and get them to explode over their target, but odds are his people will figure that out.

Okay, what can we do? In both cases, the answer is the same. We have tried economic sanctions and been woefully unsuccessful. We have tried pressuring their allies, with no avail. That leaves the military support. That can take 2 forms. First, nuclear and we all need to hope that nukes are not a viable option. President Trump, by all accounts, has not been convinced that nukes cannot be used and let's hope some sane folks talk sense to him.

That leaves conventional responses. One problem. After years of absolutely senseless war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, our conventional forces are horribly depleted.

Trump needs to call an emergency meeting of Congress, televise it, and tell everyone to stop all the nonsensical arguing over various issues. We can get back to that later. For now, we need to start a rapid, intense rebuilding of our conventional military forces. Iran and N. Korea are ruled by utter madmen and they must be stopped before we have no options except the nuclear ones.

This Country has responded to emergencies like this before, At the start of WW2 our forces were in sad shape. In very short order, we created an awesome military. We can do so again. The rest of our petty quarrelling can wait.

Pay Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

If you remember the story of the Wizard of Oz, you recall that Oz, the Great and Powerful, was but a light projection run by a man behind a screen. I think that is an apt analogy for what we are seeing. If Trump is Oz, all bluster with little or no substance, then who is the manipulator, the man behind the curtain? Steve Bannon, of course.

Bannon fascinates me. He is the monster in the closet, the ruthless ideologue who drives policy and stomps on everyone who gets in the way, and all Presidents have one. Nixon had Chuck Colson, Reagan had Bush 1. Bush 1 had Lee Atwater, Bill Clinton had Hillary, Bush 2 had Karl Rove (remember what he did to poor Max Cleland).

When dealing with a world that runs on form and tradition, like American politics, every Administration needs an enforcer, a hit man, who will get the job done at damn near any cost.

In previous Administrations, Presidents treated these folks the way you might treat a pet rattlesnake. They admired them, took care of them, but kept them at arm's length and usually locked away, releasing them only when needed then hustling them, quietly, back to their cages.

Trump is not locking Bannon away. Trump has no real ideology. I believe he genuinely wants to see the American people doing well. He, like myself, remembers a much better America and wants that back. Worthy goals, but he has no interest in ideology so he has trouble presenting a coherent plan. He seems to want to do just whatever he thinks will work. That is not a bad plan, but it is very hard to get the ideologues who have run the Country for way too long to go with that. Add on to that, Trump's innate defensiveness, bad temper and overly high sense of self worth, and  he is having a rough go of it. Some, in his Administration seem to want him to tone things down. Priebus is one of those, Pence is possibly another, maybe even Sessions. They are probably correct, but what fun would that be?

On the other hand, there is Bannon. He is definitely an ideologue and his ideology scares the poop out of the Washington establishment. Why? Simple. He wants them gone. His stated goal is the dismantling of what he calls the Washington Administrative State, the system that wants to control every element of our lives; what we do, where we work, what we eat, what we read and listen to, what we think. Trust me. That is the ultimate goal of the Bushes and Obamas and Clintons that have afflicted us for these far too many years. Bannon wants the government and social structure they have built destroyed and America returned to the sort of live and let live attitudes that we have not seen in full effect since the 1950s when the middle class was at its strongest.

Works for me, but I see no way we can jump quickly to that, unless we want a horribly traumatic period of almost complete revolt. Maybe that's the plan. I have little doubt that Bannon would not mind it and, remember, by all accounts, he has long and private meetings with Trump.

Part of me says, why not? Tear it down and let's get back to a sane government. Another part of me says, no, too many would be hurt, people who should not be punished for simply believing the lies they have been fed for so long, by expert liars. Oh well, it really doesn't much matter what I believe, since none of the big players are asking my opinion and, any of you reading this are pretty much in the same boat. All I can say is, don't let it get you down, stay happy and healthy, and be ready for a very rocky time.

America - The Battle Begins

Last night, Donald Trump gave a fine speech to Congress, laying out a clear plan. Now, he has to get it past Congress. The Democrats will vote against anything he proposes. Well, you say, the Republicans control Congress.

True, but many don't like what he proposes. Let's look at a few items. He wants to increase defense spending and lower taxes. How? By cutting certain social programs. The GOP leaders want to attack Social Security and Medicare, Trump ha vowed not to do that. Instead he wants sharp reductions in EPA funding, IRS funding, student loan programs, and medical research funding. The EPA and IRS are beaurocratic nightmares. He might get those reductions through. Student loans make parents, otherwise known as voters, happy, so that will be tough. In fact, any parent who is remotely sane and cannot afford the ridiculous prices of many colleges, will insist that the kids go to a Community College. Then, if they do well, they can transfer to a relatively low cost State school and, thus enter their adult life without a mountain of debt.

Medical research is a huge, fat cow. Of course we want to cure diseases and big Pharmaceutical companies lead the research. The folks make unthinkable amounts of money and have no need for research subsidies. They do not need this. In addition, there are a plethora of private charities supportin research on various diseases. We do not need tax money given to these projects,  but, as I will explain soon, Congress needs the money kicjed back by big drugs to keep their seats.

Trump also wants to cut foreign aid and that ha startled many neo-cons, such as McConnell and Rubio. Well, we now have President who dies not want to play Risk, the game of Global Conquest that Republicans have been at for years. If you stop the game, why do we need the foreign aid? If we have to buy friends, they are not friends. To help the poor in those lands? No. Most aid money goes immediately in the pockets of the leaders, enabling them  to live lives of luxury and to build massive armies. We do not want impoverished, backward nations to have big militaries. We did that in Afghanistan with the Taliban when they fought Russia and, in the long run, that has been a disaster.

The truth is, the programs Trump wants to cit bring money back to our elected representatives, in the form of campaign contributions, They cannot keep their seats without it and Lord knows they are loathe to give up their power. That is sick and one reason why we need term limits.

America - Pay Np Attention to the Words

Our current President is something of a talker. He seems to love speaking to Congress, Governors, and the few members of the Media that he trusts, and he is fairly good at it. Watch those words and then look around to see what's happening.

I never expect a President or any other politician to tell the whole, real truth. They generally manage to throw in a few facts but then they spin them harder than a Tiger Woods wedge shot. Trump, well, he seems to have trouble even tossing us any truths.

Last night I actually heard him say that his Administration had already accomplished most of his campaign promises. Really? He does not even have his full Cabinet seated. He has been forced to backpedal from his terribly written immigration order. Obamacare has not been repealed nor replaced.

The Wall is but a distant dream. The Pipeline is still in negotiations. Russia has not budged from the Ukraine. Iran and N. Korea are still testing missiles. We still have sanctuary cities and folks in Chicago are shooting each other at alarming rates.

It has only been a shade over a month since the Inauguration and any sane person would not expect these amazingly complex problems to be solved. Yet, our President tells us that he has already handled them. Well,  alright then. Guess we can all just forget those, sit back and coast for the next 3 years and 11 months.

Trump's term may or may not turn out well, but he does himself no good by making idiotic statements like this. He carries on about the Media, calling them liars, but he invites criticism by overstating and needlessly embellishing.

There may be a slightly more sinister angle to this. Assuming that he is not simply a blustering buffoon, there is the possibility that he has learned a lesson from the great power seekers of history. That is, tell a lie; make it a big one; and keep telling it. When  anyone calls you on it, get really loud and harsh and make fun of them. If you do this enough, it is surprising how many people will start believing you. Then, once they believe, you can sell them anything, and remember, Trump is a salesman.

I still have hopes for his Administration. I am just waiting anxiously to see when he is going to settle down and let his Cabinet and advisors take over. He picked some good folks and I trust them. Him, not so much.

America - The Fun is Just Getting Started

This is getting to be fun. Over the weekend, our President stunned the Swedish people when he spoke of their recent terrorist event. There wasn't one. True, violent crime has increased in that frozen country, but no bombs, no shootings, not even a knife attack.

We seem to have an ever expanding list of potential National Security Advisors, now that Flynn has left. We still are short a few Cabinet members. Somewhere, at someone's hands, sensitive documents are being leaked. The Russians are dominating discussions. And the fat Korean kid is growing a wee bit more dangerous every day.

The Iranians are paying zero attention to our demands that they stop testing missiles. Syria is a complete disaster and Iraq is not far behind. Afghanistan is a mystery; we seem to no longer have any say in the events there, yet we still have troops present.

We have an unthinkable opiate addiction problem yet, the Afghani government, who are supposed to be at least somewhat friendly, is doing nothing to stop the growing of poppies. I guess that money beats morality. If we want to keep the heroin out, and we have troops and equipment in place, why have we not simply burned those fields. Again, I guess money wins no matter which side you're on.

More time is being wasted on various immigration orders when, in early summer, the Supreme Court is already set to rule on cases brought during Obama's term and these will say what will and won't happen.

Today, I saw a feature on folks perusing literature with an eye on banning offensive works. They are not just talking about pornography. Remember, there have long been those wanting to ban anything not politically correct. Read Ray Bradbury's masterpiece, Fahrenheit 451. In the meantime, I guess I should hide my copies of Huckleberry Finn and Heart of Darkness, after all, they contain the dreaded 'n' word.

We have vast amounts of hard drugs pouring into the Nation by way of Mexico. We have an infrastructure that is collapsing (look at the California dam issue and the massive sinkholes in LA). We have a complete lunatic in Korea merrily building nukes and testing missiles and a barely saner group in Iran doing the same (remember, that branch of Islam is obsessed with their version of the Apocalypse. We have a President who cannot keep his foot out of his mouth and an opposition party who would attack Jesus if he returned and wasn't a Democrat.

Trump is saying that the White House has never run smoother. If you believe that, I want to again remind you that I am the only licensed realtor handling those Moon colonies Newt Gingrich wants to build.

You might as well laugh at the whole idiotic mess.