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 Obamacare has not been repealed nor replaced.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 and The Wall

I am almost completely befuddled. It seems that in the next day or 2, President Trump will sign new Executive Orders on immigration. However, those analyzing the advance notices about them say that they are invoking already existing laws. May be I'm missing something but, if that's true, whay all the fuss about the new Orders.

They will call, so it seems, for work on the infamous Wall to begin in earnest. I have no issues one way or the other with the Wall, but one thing is being overlooked, The Federal Governe=ment does not own most of the land it will be built on. Buying that land will cost a large, large fortune.

In addition, many of the owners may not, probably won't, want to sell. Okay, if the Feds want it, they can get it, but the whole mess will then end up in the courts and I will bet large sums that no Wall will be built any time soon.

Now, putting more agents on the border will help. Why not put hem to work sealing the many tunnels leading from Mexico to the US.  You know, the ones where countless tons of hard drugs are flowing through. That should be top priority.

Another thing. I hope they're going to buy those agents a lot of boats because no one wants to acknowledge the fact tha a boat can leave Mexico's Eastern shore and shoot up through the Gulf, landing on the Texas Gulf shore. It is a very short easy trip.

In other words, there are a few things that need tending to before we worry about a Wall that very likely will never be built.

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.

America - Get It Together, President Trump

As I have said, I did not vote for Trump and have consistently said that I do not trust him. I have been making an effort to give him a chance, mostly because I like some of the people surrounding him. I assumed that once things settled, he would calm down and let them run things.

Well, I should have known to never assume. Instead, it is becoming 'all Trump, all the time." He is popping up everywhere, giving an alarming number of press conferences. Why he is holding these conferences is a mystery, since he hates the Media, refuses to answer questions from most, and generally spends the bulk of the time ranting about their bias and fake news.

I do not love the news media. I find them to be silly, pompous morons who do little but uselessly pontificate. And, yes, there is a lot of fake news. However, that is true for mainstream, conservative, and alternative media. I am not sure if they are looking for sensationalism or they do not remember how to research properly or if they have simply lost track of what is real. I say a pox on them all, media and politicians.

They never were my favorite group of people, but all sides, Democrat, Republican and all points in between, are acting like spoiled brats. And, that is an insult to spoiled brats everywhere.

It turns out that all of the fuss about immigration orders is a total waste. The Supreme Court is due to hear 3 case, probably in June, brought during Obama's term, that will decide what can and cannot be done.

All the fuss about Russia's meddling in our election, is complete hypocrisy. WikiLeaks has just released documents showing that we took similar actions during France's 2012 election.

Oh, by the way, despite all of Trump's 'make it in America' talk, Ivanka's clothing line is made in China and Hong Kong.

It also seems that no one is that eager to be National Security Advisor. Harwood and Plateaus have both declined, and who can blame them? Why would any sane person want the aggravation of working in a chaotic environment?

Hypocrisy, double dealing, scamming, and out-and-out lying are the norm in our current political climate. That has always been true, but not like this. The President, Cabinet, Congress and Courts need to get their acts together, immediately, and start dealing honestly and intelligently with America's many problems.

America and the Early Days of Trump

Twenty-five days in, and the new Administration is already hit with scandal, a rather silly one on the surface, but, who knows how deep it goes. Mike Flynn, National Security Advisor, has resigned because he talked sanctions with the Russian Ambassador.

Nothing illegal there, although it was a bad idea since they discussed sanctions, which are still hanging around. Then, Flynn supposedly lied to VP Pence who then went on TV saying the sanctions were not discussed. Well, it seems that the FBI heard the talks, information was leaked by someone, and it was 'bye bye Mikey.'

This story just does not quite add up. Flynn, is a General, trained in military discipline. It seems unlikely to me that he would, on his own, just start babbling to the Russians. Then, he claims he didn't remember if he talked of the sanctions. Huh? He doesn't remember. when this is one of the key issues in our foreign policy. Then, in a blink, he's gone. The question being asked is, did Trump know he was going to discuss that issue with the Russians. If so, things get a wee bit murky, since this discussion was in December when Trump was not yet President. Still, it would not be a huge issue, except for the idiotic attempt to cover it up. When you are a President that half the Nation does not like or trust and that even a substantial number of those that voted for, don't trust, you want to be squeaky clean while you get going. The whole thing seems like Nixon's Watergate. The cover up is worse than the crime and leaves the impression that the crime you are caught at is only the surface.

All that aside, we are still beset with demonstrations and court battles over the immigration orders. This was not a 'Muslim ban,' since the Nations covered only account for 10% of the World's Muslim's. It really does not even cover most Nations with terrorist activities. To cover such Nations, we would have to include Saudi Arabia, from which all but 1 of the 9/11 hijackers came and which was also the home of Osama ben Laden.

And, we would also have to include England, Spain, France, Germany and Belgium, all of them home to vast terrorist networks and scenes of horrific attacks.

Will the bans make us safer? Not a bit. Folks conveniently forget that the Orlando shooter was born in the USA, as were the Sandy Hook and Columbine shooters. The Virginia Tech shooter was Asian and not Muslim. Charles Whitman who, in 1966 killed and wounded many Texans while shooting from a tower, was a Texan and a Marine. Timothy McVeigh blew up a few hundred in Oklahoma City and  was American.

I want immigrants from the Mid East kept out for economic and cultural reasons. We cannot afford them and they have an annoying habit of wanting to impose their beliefs and practices on others. However, keeping them out will not much affect our safety. The issue is a smoke screen being used to hide a real agenda, or several possible agendas. Every player on the governmental scene has an agenda and who knows who will win.

And, this is part of the problem.   Trump has assembled a weird blend of establishment types and loose cannons. If he can control them and play one off the other, it just might work. The big issue is can he control himself and is he as powerful as he thinks. And, even if he is, when you are the alpha dog, someone will try to take your spot.

I urge all of you to learn this phrase: President Mike Pence. And for all of you Trumaphobes, out to dump Donald, be careful. You may get your wish and Pence, a devout Catholic and Christian Dominionist, will not be fun for you at all ( note: Christian Dominionists want America to be a strictly Christian Nation that basically follows Old Testament law and that tolerates no variation from the standard).

America - Meet Jeff Sessions

Last evening, Jeff Sessions was confirmed as our new Attorney General. Boy, is this going to be a change.

Sessions is a very bright and energetic man, a fine attorney, and long time Senator. He was a US District Attorney in Alabama. The man is a conservative and very definitely pro law and order.

No more will criminals be coddled as they were during the previous Administration. Gone are the wimpy days of Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch. This Administration has given notice, by naming Sessions to he post, that they are bring a halt to the lax prosecution of criminals that has become the norm in America.

The streets of America, not that long ago, were safe. Now, many of them, are near battle zones. This can be stopped and it will be stopped. No one wants overly harsh enforcement; we are not that kind of Country, but things have gotten completely out of hand.

This will be fun. Everyone needs to get used to the idea that times have changed. The people of the USA should be able to walk the streets. Organized crime is costing a lot of money and angst and must be stopped. Gang activity, slightly less organized crime, has made a nightmare of too many neighborhoods. Time for this to stop.

One last note: Those of you smoking weed, unless it's for legitimate medical reasons, best lay in a good stash. All that cheap Mexican weed is about to go away.

America and the Global Game of Risk

I don't know if people still play the old board game of Risk,, in which the goal was World conquest, but all over the World, that game is heating up and it needs to cool down.

Old alliances are breaking down. The EU is teetering and Brexit is looking more and more sure (the House of Commons has approved it and the House of Lords seems likely to follow).NATO is splintering, with Turkey growing very close to Russia and Trump vowing to review our role in that increasingly irrelevant organization.

The UN has grown so irrelevant that the US is talking about defunding it, or at least cutting the amount we contribute.

The Mid East is torn to bits. It seems that most of the Countries hate each other and share only one thing, their hatred of Israel. Israel must be feeling a tad better with Trump in office. They are undoubtedly glad to see Obama gone, but they must be getting a wee bit nervous over the increasing presence of Russia in the area, especially the great friendship between Russia, Iran, and Turkey. If Assad survives in Syria, he will join those three and I imagine Israel will begin to sweat a little.

Especially with Trump seemingly wanting to be buddies with Russia. I certainly agree that it is better to be cordial with Russia than at each other's throats, but we need to be very cautious. Putin is playing a different game than we are, and the more I read about it, the less I believe that we should trust the man. Reach agreements? Yes. Trust? No.

And what of Asia? That may be worse. China is growing very aggressive, now claiming islands traditionally thought of as Japan's and is claiming waters thought of as International. By all accounts, tales of their fantastic economy have been greatly exaggerated. South Korea is reeling from political corruption. Thailand and Myanmar are unstable. India and Pakistan are still at each other and still remain sewers barely fit for human habitation.  Japan is very jittery, in part because the insane fat kid in North Korea is still building nukes and trying to figure out how to build rockets that work (odd, it seems harder to build working missiles than it is to build nukes; peculiar).

Africa is a disaster. South Africa is relatively wealthy and stable, relatively, for now. The rest of the Continent is torn by tribal and religious wars, and is an ecological disaster, in part because of war, in part because of bad farming practices, and in part because of the whims of the Natural World. The last I heard, and this changes daily, Zimbabwe was almost inaccessible to outsiders and the Congo had 14 different armies fighting for power. The Northern Countries are worse.

South and Central America are slightly better than Africa, but only slightly. Disease, poverty and corrupt leaders, combined with ecological havoc caused by a combination of clear cutting rainforests, poor farming and worse mining procedures and Natural climate changes, have left a vastly over populated and impoverished people.

The big players, America, China, and Russia are playing Risk with the World. They are positioning troops, building industries and spending money in efforts to carve out their spheres of influence. It is fascinating to watch this game of imperialism play itself out, but it is a terrible idea. Imperialism was rampant in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries and it all played itself out in the early 20th Century when WW1 shocked the World. This led to WW2 which should have made it clear that imperialism is a really, really bad idea, but it seems that humans just don't learn. We are living in fascinating and very dangerous times.
  

America - Look at What's Happening

This weekend we are going to have the Super Bowl. We have been hit with controversy and protests over the immigration issue and Democrats are threatening all sorts of things they cannot do to stop Trump's SCOTUS appointment. Do not pay any attention to a bit of that. Ignore demonstrations in Berkley. Give not 15 seconds thought to possible LGBT discrimination or religious freedom rants.

Fascinating issues, one and all, but side shows. Watch Russia, Iran, Israel, China and Korea if you want to see the future. We are entering a war time era. Will we see true warfare any time soon? Maybe, but even if we do not, there will be incredible tension. When? Good question. Ten minutes from now is a distinct possibility. Within 10 years is almost a sure bet. However, there is a way out, for the USA. The folks running this Administration, and how much that includes Trump I don't know and really don't care (Trump may be part of the side show), are smart and competent. Russia is playing odd games, but we can deal with them, carefully. China is desperate. They cannot grow enough food and with increasing efficiency in American industries, we really do not need them to turn out cheap goods. S. Korea is a corrupt mess and N. Korea seemingly has a suicide wish because they keep stirring the hornet's nest, even though they cannot possibly get their way. Iran and Israel will, one day, finally blow up and Iran will be no more.

But, what do we do? We seem to be moving on 2 fronts. One, fear. We are scaring the crap out of other nations while getting ready to rebuild and modernize our already awesome military. Second, withdrawal. We are closing borders, ousting illegals and making it clear that all future economic deals will favor us. Corporations are coming home and seem to understand that in the current world atmosphere, home is the safest place to be. They even seem willing to boost the sagging lifestyle of the average American, maybe because of altruism but, certainly because they know a somewhat prosperous middle class (which has been decimated by previous Administrations) is not going to be given to upsetting the apple cart.

So, again, if all goes well, things will be okay, maybe even good. But that will only happen after a very rocky period.