I am noticing, in the aftermath of our election debacle, that there is something rotten, stinky, in the Land. I am having trouble putting my finger, or nose, on exactly what it is, but it is there.
The brash Trump came out of his security briefings looking like a scared rabbit. He immediately began backing away from several of his positions. Now, that may or may not be a good thing, but it is odd. He positioned himself as the 'Great Outsider.' I expected him to start bringing in experts, top notch people, new blood. Instead, we are seeing a parade of the same, tired old hacks, Gingrich, Sessions, Huckabee, Giuliani, and their ilk.
The media has been caught red handed, thanks to WikiLeaks, at their stacking of the deck in favor of Clinton. FBI Director , Comey, displayed all the deftness of an elephant trying to dance ballet in his handling of the Clinton affair. Demonstrators are running amok, which is odd considering many of them did not vote; yet, no one in the mainstream media seems willing to suggest that we are seeing a revival of past government programs such as COINTELPRO and Operation Chaos.
Then, there is the silence of the Clintons. As I have said, I loathe them but, I find it very peculiar that they have gone so quietly. They, despite winning the popular vote, have not questioned the results, calling for no recounts. At the same time, Barak, despite his faint praise of Trump when they met, is flying around the World whining like a child at the thought that things are going to change. He talks about his legacy as if it were something precious. Truth is, he and his cohorts have damaged the once great Nation to the point that it may not recover.
In fact, now we are seeing a move to get the members of the Electoral College to refuse to vote for Trump. Can that be done? No one seems to know. If they succeed in getting it tried, this whole mess will end up in the Supreme Court, where, guess what? We have only 8 members so, there will be a tie vote and God only knows what will happen.
To make all of this a whole lot stranger, we have the Podesta emails and the so-called pizzagate scandal. I am not going into any of the sleazy details. It is sufficient to ask why some of this Land's most powerful people are seemingly hanging out with some very, unpleasantly bizarre people? A sensible person will question what the ordering of pizza for $40000 is short for; that it is code for something is beyond any doubt. It might seem a bit odd that the media is just ignoring this disgusting mess, but, then, they know who butters their bread.
And, seemingly, so do all the politicians involved in our recent despicable sham of an election. Trump, the Clintons, Obama, Podesta, etc. all are sort of whining and carping, but they are marching in lockstep to wherever it is the folks who know where the deepest secrets lie want them to go.
This whole disaster stinks and the worst part is that the good folks of the USA are going to get dumped on again. Just when and just how remain to be seen. I wish I had a crystal ball to help everyone out, but I seem to have lost mine. Just pay attention and be ready to duck when it all hits the fan.
Showing posts with label Trump. Clinton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trump. Clinton. Show all posts
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Monday, October 3, 2016
America and the Politics of the Absurd
We are entering the home stretch of our interminable Presidential Campaign. God, help us all. It is finally sinking in; Trump or Clinton will soon be President. Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, seems to have trouble forming coherent thoughts and coherent sentences and Jill Stein has about as much chance of being elected as Brittany Spears.
A new survey tells us that over 40% of voters don't know who the Vice Presidential candidates are. Just think. These are people who are being allowed to vote.
Donald has learned to give decent, reasonable speeches. Then, in the wee small hours, he goes on Twitter rants picking on a former Miss Universe. A few of his tax returns have been leaked and it turns out that this billionaire pays no income tax. It is true that he has broken no laws and that shows how screwed up our tax laws are but it sure looks tacky. His solution to our befuddling tax woes: cut taxes mostly for high incomes. This is Reagan's 'trickle down' economics, recycled. It was disastrous the first time. Folks forget that when Ronnie left office, we were in a recession. David Stockman, his economic advisor, the guy who thought up the plan, said in later years, that the whole idea was ridiculous. He was right but, you can't tell Donald that.
He is proposing huge spending increases with lower taxes. If you think that is possible, you need to seek therapy immediately. He is a belligerent, misogynistic bully and he seemingly lacks any semblance of self control.
Hillary is worse. She promises free college and young Bernie Sanders supporters go wild. In private, we have tape of her saying that the idea is ridiculous. She lies almost every time she opens her mouth and has been at it for years. Now, we have old tapes surfacing that remind us of how foully she treated the women who came forward telling of their misuse by Bill.
She is military crazy and in favor of using military force wherever she thinks we need it. True, that is part of the role of Commander in Chief but most Presidents at least make a pretense of wanting peaceful resolutions of problems. I will guarantee you that this woman will have the World in an uproar in her first six months and, guess what? Our military, fine as they are, is burnt out. We have been fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq longer that we were in Vietnam and have about as much to show for it; a bunch of dead and maimed troops. We have gained nothing from these wars and we will gain nothing from fighting in Syria, Libya, or whatever other hellhole she sends troops to and the thought of her negotiating with Putin sends shivers up my spine.
She claims she is going to tax corporations and the wealthy. No. She is not. They are her financial backers and she will not be biting the hand that feeds her. What she will do, and I am quite sure of this, is raise taxes on the upper middle class. The folks running her have all but eliminated the middle class. Next, they will be going after those who are still doing well. The well off but not wealthy. Why? Power. That is about the last group that they believe can produce people who are healthy enough and educated enough to stand up to them. They are wrong, but that is another story.
In short, Hillary is a belligerent, misogynistic (just look at how she treated those women who told tales about Bill) bully with absolutely no self restraint.
Like it or not, out choice is between Tweedledee and Tweedledumb. Or, maybe just Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber. I will vote Republican, holding my nose and trying not to vomit, only because I think that Donald will bore quickly with the job and turn the running of the Country over to advisors.
Again, God help us all.
A new survey tells us that over 40% of voters don't know who the Vice Presidential candidates are. Just think. These are people who are being allowed to vote.
Donald has learned to give decent, reasonable speeches. Then, in the wee small hours, he goes on Twitter rants picking on a former Miss Universe. A few of his tax returns have been leaked and it turns out that this billionaire pays no income tax. It is true that he has broken no laws and that shows how screwed up our tax laws are but it sure looks tacky. His solution to our befuddling tax woes: cut taxes mostly for high incomes. This is Reagan's 'trickle down' economics, recycled. It was disastrous the first time. Folks forget that when Ronnie left office, we were in a recession. David Stockman, his economic advisor, the guy who thought up the plan, said in later years, that the whole idea was ridiculous. He was right but, you can't tell Donald that.
He is proposing huge spending increases with lower taxes. If you think that is possible, you need to seek therapy immediately. He is a belligerent, misogynistic bully and he seemingly lacks any semblance of self control.
Hillary is worse. She promises free college and young Bernie Sanders supporters go wild. In private, we have tape of her saying that the idea is ridiculous. She lies almost every time she opens her mouth and has been at it for years. Now, we have old tapes surfacing that remind us of how foully she treated the women who came forward telling of their misuse by Bill.
She is military crazy and in favor of using military force wherever she thinks we need it. True, that is part of the role of Commander in Chief but most Presidents at least make a pretense of wanting peaceful resolutions of problems. I will guarantee you that this woman will have the World in an uproar in her first six months and, guess what? Our military, fine as they are, is burnt out. We have been fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq longer that we were in Vietnam and have about as much to show for it; a bunch of dead and maimed troops. We have gained nothing from these wars and we will gain nothing from fighting in Syria, Libya, or whatever other hellhole she sends troops to and the thought of her negotiating with Putin sends shivers up my spine.
She claims she is going to tax corporations and the wealthy. No. She is not. They are her financial backers and she will not be biting the hand that feeds her. What she will do, and I am quite sure of this, is raise taxes on the upper middle class. The folks running her have all but eliminated the middle class. Next, they will be going after those who are still doing well. The well off but not wealthy. Why? Power. That is about the last group that they believe can produce people who are healthy enough and educated enough to stand up to them. They are wrong, but that is another story.
In short, Hillary is a belligerent, misogynistic (just look at how she treated those women who told tales about Bill) bully with absolutely no self restraint.
Like it or not, out choice is between Tweedledee and Tweedledumb. Or, maybe just Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber. I will vote Republican, holding my nose and trying not to vomit, only because I think that Donald will bore quickly with the job and turn the running of the Country over to advisors.
Again, God help us all.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
America and the Rise of the Deplorables
By now, I am sure you have heard Ms. Clinton refer to Trump supporters as a 'basket of deplorables.' This is one of the most idiotic statements I have ever heard come out of the mouth of a politician and I have heard a whole lot of idiotic politicians. It was not only an amazingly stupid political move, it was deeply insulting and shows how she and her ilk (I like that word) really feel about average working Americans. She, and the elitist slime she shills for, think of the rest of us as backward, ignorant redneck slobs, illiterate, bigoted and dangerous. Well, I am not backward by any means. I come from a family that could be called redneck and I wear the tag proudly. I am not only not illiterate, I am far more widely read than her or her cronies ever will hope to be. I am not a bigot, although I have had to work hard to overcome the prejudices I learned in the culture I grew up in and, in that regard, I am like every other human that walks this Earth, including Hillary, Willie, Barak, and all the other pseudo-intellectual asses in their circle of supporters and sycophants.
As far as dangerous? Well, I am not a violent person simply because I do not fight battles I cannot win, so I am of no physical threat to anyone and anyone who thinks they can fight the government is going to have a hard awakening. There are folks who back the various militia groups, who threaten harsh reactions to the Federal Government's further encroachment on our rights. They will not win a direct confrontation and I urge everyone to use their heads. Those of us who use our heads are the most dangerous opposition that passel of fascists will ever face.
Do not break laws, at least not in any way that will get you caught. Work around the government as much as possible. Develop your communities and watch out for each other. Cooperate and do as much as you can within those local groups. Do not withdraw from the world, just be careful in your interactions with it. Learn as much as you can. That will become a chore.
Why? Simple. If those power grasping, money grubbing, idiots do win, they will, more and more, restrict education. The common folks that they loathe will be taught in schools only enough to function at whatever little job they are assigned. All other knowledge will be restricted, including, maybe even especially, what you can find on the internet. Knowledge is power and they want all of that to themselves.
I am telling you that soon, books will be restricted. Libraries, if allowed to exist will be stocked with James Patterson novels and inane self help, New Age psychobabble. You will not be allowed access to real learning. The solution? If I were younger, and especially if I had kids coming up, I would buy and/or download as much decent literature and as many history and science texts as possible and, after packing them in water-proof containers, hide them away. In the future, they may be as rare as gold. Read Ray Bradbury's fantastic Fahrenheit 451 for a vision of a possible, perhaps likely, future.
The future, if Hillary is elected, will be nightmarish. In truth, it isn't her that I find frightening. Well, yes it is but, she is not nearly as scary as those backing her. But, as much as I do not trust or like Donald Trump, I implore everyone to vote for him, just to at least slow down the fascist, totalitarian train that's speeding our way. If he turns out to be a disaster that is better than the certainty that she would bring and, maybe in 4 years, a real candidate will come along. If she is elected, don't sweat the next election. It will be meaningless.
If I had the means, I would start printing T-shirts today. I would be proud to wear a shirt that reads "I Am Deplorable."
As far as dangerous? Well, I am not a violent person simply because I do not fight battles I cannot win, so I am of no physical threat to anyone and anyone who thinks they can fight the government is going to have a hard awakening. There are folks who back the various militia groups, who threaten harsh reactions to the Federal Government's further encroachment on our rights. They will not win a direct confrontation and I urge everyone to use their heads. Those of us who use our heads are the most dangerous opposition that passel of fascists will ever face.
Do not break laws, at least not in any way that will get you caught. Work around the government as much as possible. Develop your communities and watch out for each other. Cooperate and do as much as you can within those local groups. Do not withdraw from the world, just be careful in your interactions with it. Learn as much as you can. That will become a chore.
Why? Simple. If those power grasping, money grubbing, idiots do win, they will, more and more, restrict education. The common folks that they loathe will be taught in schools only enough to function at whatever little job they are assigned. All other knowledge will be restricted, including, maybe even especially, what you can find on the internet. Knowledge is power and they want all of that to themselves.
I am telling you that soon, books will be restricted. Libraries, if allowed to exist will be stocked with James Patterson novels and inane self help, New Age psychobabble. You will not be allowed access to real learning. The solution? If I were younger, and especially if I had kids coming up, I would buy and/or download as much decent literature and as many history and science texts as possible and, after packing them in water-proof containers, hide them away. In the future, they may be as rare as gold. Read Ray Bradbury's fantastic Fahrenheit 451 for a vision of a possible, perhaps likely, future.
The future, if Hillary is elected, will be nightmarish. In truth, it isn't her that I find frightening. Well, yes it is but, she is not nearly as scary as those backing her. But, as much as I do not trust or like Donald Trump, I implore everyone to vote for him, just to at least slow down the fascist, totalitarian train that's speeding our way. If he turns out to be a disaster that is better than the certainty that she would bring and, maybe in 4 years, a real candidate will come along. If she is elected, don't sweat the next election. It will be meaningless.
If I had the means, I would start printing T-shirts today. I would be proud to wear a shirt that reads "I Am Deplorable."
Saturday, March 26, 2016
America - Thoughts at Easter
I will continue my series America on the Edge of Survival on Monday. This is Easter weekend and I do not think it is the right time for that. Besides, I was depressing myself. Easter is a time for celebration.
But, before I get to that, I have a couple of things I need to say. To Donald Trump: I thought this election could not get any lower, but you have proven me wrong. To Ted Cruz: As a self professed Christian, you have no business diving into the muck with Trump at this, the Holiest season in the Christian calendar. The 2 of you should be ashamed. You have turned the election process into something from a bad tabloid. Maybe we should just elect one of the Kardashians and admit that this whole process has become a low farce.
To Hillary Clinton: What is wrong with you? After the horrific Brussels bombing, you dared to come on and, in essence, say that we just need to keep on with the Obama policies. The economy is constipated and the chaotic Middle East has spread to Europe and is headed here. In case you have not noticed, you twit, Western Civilization, something I and many others have grown fond of, is under attack and very likely will lose, unless we change our tactics radically. You have the gall to stand their and sanctimoniously lecture us, telling us that we have to allow immigration by the same kind of folks who immigrated to Europe and are now blowing up big chunks of the Continent. You tell us that we cannot place Islamic neighborhoods under surveillance. Who should we watch? 90 year old Irish-Catholic women? 12 year old Baptist kids? If there is a riot in the inner city, do you send police to the suburbs?
Okay, with that out of my system, I want to wish all of you a Happy Easter. Celebrate the Holiday. Relax and have some fun. But, come Monday, get up ready to get busy, because this Nation has a lot to do.
But, before I get to that, I have a couple of things I need to say. To Donald Trump: I thought this election could not get any lower, but you have proven me wrong. To Ted Cruz: As a self professed Christian, you have no business diving into the muck with Trump at this, the Holiest season in the Christian calendar. The 2 of you should be ashamed. You have turned the election process into something from a bad tabloid. Maybe we should just elect one of the Kardashians and admit that this whole process has become a low farce.
To Hillary Clinton: What is wrong with you? After the horrific Brussels bombing, you dared to come on and, in essence, say that we just need to keep on with the Obama policies. The economy is constipated and the chaotic Middle East has spread to Europe and is headed here. In case you have not noticed, you twit, Western Civilization, something I and many others have grown fond of, is under attack and very likely will lose, unless we change our tactics radically. You have the gall to stand their and sanctimoniously lecture us, telling us that we have to allow immigration by the same kind of folks who immigrated to Europe and are now blowing up big chunks of the Continent. You tell us that we cannot place Islamic neighborhoods under surveillance. Who should we watch? 90 year old Irish-Catholic women? 12 year old Baptist kids? If there is a riot in the inner city, do you send police to the suburbs?
Okay, with that out of my system, I want to wish all of you a Happy Easter. Celebrate the Holiday. Relax and have some fun. But, come Monday, get up ready to get busy, because this Nation has a lot to do.
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