America and Mrs. Clinton

More and more comes out about Hillary. Leaked emails show that her own staff does not think that she is mentally balanced. Still, it looks likely that she will be elected. The Clinton Foundation is an obvious disgrace, and still she will likely be elected. I just do not understand.

Trump is a deeply flawed human male. Get over it. We are all flawed. He at least admits that he has made mistakes with women in the past and has apologized. I do not hear a lot of apologies from Bill Clinton. Hillary excoriates Trump, but we have a record, on tape and written, of Hillary brutally attacking the women who spoke up about Slick Willie's bad behavior.

Hillary is still all for continuing business as usual with nations like Saudi Arabia where the treatment of women is deplorable. She is pro gay rights, yet again, she favors  business as usual with nations like Saudi Arabia where gays are at risk of being killed at any moment.

She attends prayer breakfasts and frequently evokes the name of The Lord, while stating, quite bluntly that Catholics would just have to change what she says are their antiquated beliefs. How dare she? Yet, she will likely be elected.

She goes on and on about Russia, claiming that they are trying to influence our elections. Now, while I find her  loathsome, I do not think that she is unlearned when it comes to history. I am very sure that she knows that we have often intervened in the politics of other Nations. Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Cuba, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Egypt, the Congo, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Sudan, Somalia, Yugoslavia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, Grenada, Argentina, Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, Indonesia, in all of these Nations we have deeply intervened in their politics, often very violently. And these are just the ones from WW2 until the present. There are probably more; these are just the ones I remember off the top of my head. I could write pages and pages on this subject, but why bother? Because, still she will bray about how Russia is intervening and no one in the Press will call her out on this. I would call the Press spineless scum, but, again, why bother, because, she will still likely be elected.

She has been caught, going all the way going back to her days as a Watergate investigator, in lie after lie and scandal after scandal. And still she will almost surely be elected. I was hoping that maybe one more scandal, one more batch of problematic emails released by WikiLeaks will stop her march to power,  but, the more I think of it, the more convinced I am that it would make no difference.

She will be elected. Trump is certainly no prize, but he looks saintly in comparison. America will not accept him because the folks he appeals to are no longer the majority. The folks who are willing to work and strive for better, the folks I grew up with, have been replaced by a bunch of spineless wimps who just want the Federal Government to hold their hand, pat them on the head, and tell them not to worry. They want cradle to grave care without the responsibility and work.

Well, all you adult babies get ready, you are about to get what you wished for. It will be a nightmare, but, you know what? I think you are all so spineless and ignorant  that you won't even understand how bad things are.

America and Obamacare

The news is out. Obamacare premiums are about to go through the roof. Monthly payments are about to jump and, if you have coverage, well, you are going to lose a chunk of your pay.

The whole system was doomed from the start. No matter how the administration twisted the numbers, they just did not add up. Lately, several carriers have said they were  opting out of the whole mess because they were losing money.

Hillary's campaign has put out a statement saying most folks will still be able to get coverage for $75 per month when you consider the assistance from the state funds. Not so fast. There are states   that do not support the plans and even if yours does, you have issues with the deductibles. Some states help some with those, some do not, and in every case, the policy has large deductibles.

There are folks, many, many of them, who are living from check to check, Some are only managing by using credit and will likely never get out of debt. To ask them to pay more is an outrage. I remember, in the 1980s, not that long ago, I paid, through my job, $20 a month for a Blue Cross policy with $5 co-payment for office visits and a $100 deductible for hospitalization. Why have things gotten so out of hand? That can be answered in one word, government. Whenever the government sticks its nose into people's finances, the results are disastrous.

Many of the people who supported Obama are Hillary supporters and I ask them this; what in God's name is wrong with you? You are about to get clobbered with expense and the woman you are voting for is 100% behind this fiasco. She is telling you that she is all for the greater costs about to hit you and you still support her.

And to all those Bernie Sanders supporters who want bigger government, I ask this; are you insane? The disaster that is Obamacare should tell you that the last thing we need is more government. At the risk of sounding like a dinosaur, let me tell you a little story. When I was a kid, an office visit to the doctor costs $10. Now, since the government has become more and more involved in the whole business, that is just the co-payment. There is no rational reason why prices have gone up so much except, that this is always what happens when the government gets involved. Wake up and get over the idea that we need some sort of socialism.

The Obama/Clinton policies on health care are a failure that is about to become a disaster. I cannot believe that in the wake of this announcement there is anyone who is still planning to vote for Clinton. If she is elected, don't any of you dare complain. You can stop this madness.

America - Just 3 More Weeks, Then the Fun Really Starts

I have said it before and I will say it again, I have never seen a thing like this Presidential Election. I feel like all that acid I took in the 60s is causing flashbacks and that I have stumbled into some sort of alternate reality. That would be a comforting thought compared to the reality of what is happening.

We have story after story of Hillary and her crew acting in blatantly unethical, and frequently completely illegal fashion, and her lead in the polls keep growing. There is no need to enumerate her crimes. If you watch the news, you have heard the stories and if you have not, you have no business voting; just stay home and watch your favorite reality TV show.

On top of this, the woman had obvious medical issues and now, leaked emails from Leon Podesta, one of her chief campaign officers show him doubting her sanity. In one he said she sometimes does not seem to know what planet she is on.

And, you can top that with the stories coming out that several State Department officials did not want to work with her because of her temper problems. Yet, her lead grows.

We now have proof that her campaign sent bogus demonstrators to Trump's rallies to cause violent disruptions. And, still, her lead grows.

Donald Trump continues to be his own worst enemy. Time after time, he gets sidetracked by personal vendettas. All he had to do was stick to 2 issues, jobs and homeland security. That's all. Instead, he responds at great length to any and all attacks on his problems with women, his tax issues, his bankruptcies, and his problems with fellow Republicans. He could direct the conversation by simply not responding at length over these foibles, and shifting the conversation to issues.

I do not like Donald Trump. I find him only slightly less loathsome that Ms. Clinton.  But, I will vote for him, because I find his crimes somewhat less heinous. I will also vote for every Republican on the ballot, in hopes that they will stop her plans. Gridlock is much better that what she has in mind.

However, it is looking very possible that both the House and Senate will be Democratically controlled after this farce of an election. If so, God help us all. This used to be a great Nation.

In the Wake of the Flood

Well, it really wasn't a flood, but it was a mess. I just wanted to use that title because it is the name of one of my favorite Grateful Dead albums. In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, we were without power for a day and half, without cable TV for 8 days and without the internet for 10 days. It was an inconvenience, but, right where we live, in Brunswick, Ga. It was not anything more than that. Some, including some not far from here, got hit much worse.

I often criticize the news media and they deserve a lot of criticism, but, on the whole, they are to be congradulated for their storm coverage. A few got a bit over the top in their predictions of impending doom, but mostly, they just gave the facts and presented a whole range of possible conditions. They certainly told us worse case scenarios but always tempered those warnings by saying that just a small shift could lesson conditions.

These storms, and I have seen my share of them, are impossible to predict with a 100% accuracy and, when proper preparation is the key to survival, the beat tactic is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Anyway, things are back to normal. We made it through just fine and it is good to be back. I am just catching up on the news (it is very strange to go for several days with no news, but, honestly, it was kind of nice) and I will get back to offering thoughts on our increasingly strange culture inn a day or two.

A Brief Time Out For A Hurricane

I am taking time out from politics and social issues today for a hurricane. I am in Brunswick, Ga. and, starting sometime tomorrow, we will be getting slammed by Hurricane Matthew.  High storm surge, intense rains, and heavy winds will be upon us. The winds, depending on the exact path, will range from 60 to 100 mph. It will be a mess.

We will likely loose power, so I may be unable to blog for a bit. But, these storms are weird. Having lived most of my life in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., I have seen several and the only thing you can count on is that you can count on nothing. They sometimes weaken unexpectedly and sometimes they strengthen without warning. They sometimes move quickly and sometimes slow to a crawl and wobble around for days. This one is traveling along the very warm Gulfstream so any sudden change is unlikely, but who knows.

For once, I want to congratulate the news media. They have done a darn good job in reporting the news without getting hysterical. Government officials are also doing fine work.
You have got to let folks know just how dangerous these things are and make sure they understand the necessary precautions. If people pay attention and do what is necessary, they should be alright.

Anyone reading this who may be affected by this storm should know that they are going to have a very rough day or so, Do not go outside. Even when the storm has passed, be very cautious when you go out. There will be standing water and sometimes it can be quite deep. Do not drive your car through deep water; it will kill that car. Sometimes power lines come down and they can be live so touch no downed wires.

If you lose power, be careful cooking over fires and do not light a grill anywhere near you house. Carbon monoxide poisoning is an issue with fires in closed in spots and it won't hurt you to live on cold canned food for a few days. Fill every available container in your home with water. Sometimes, with power outages, cities cannot pump water for a few days and you really do not want to be outside standing in line for bottled water. Fill your bathtub with water; you can use that to flush your toilet.

Just pay attention, stay calm and use your head and you will be fine. Stay safe and I'll write again when this mess is past.

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.