America and the Tiny Apocalypse

When I write this blog, I am often sarcastic. I write, at times, in  a tongue in cheek fashion, exaggerating for effect. This is none of that. I am dead serious. I am going to do a series of posts that should scare you senseless. I am going to tell of the coming Apocalypse. No, not the one written of by John of Patmos. this is a tiny apocalypse. No, this does not involve Iran and Israel, Not Russia or China or N. Korea. Not Islamic terrorist. Well, on second thought, it does, but only as a side result.

America has just placed a species of honeybee on the endangered list. For years we have been told that bee populations have been declining. Not just wild bees, bit also those commercially raised.

For those who gave forgotten their high school science classes (I don't have kids; do they even teach science these days), bees pollinate flowers. Flowers produce fruit and seeds, which we, and many other of life's creatures, eat. We also eat the leaves of those plants and, without those seeds, no more new plants.

You see, I hope, the problem. Bees are dying off at an ever increasing rate. They are not all gone yet, that will take time, but not a lot. Why? Good question.

It seems that they are dying from a combination of 3 factors. One, natural parasites.Two, pesticide uses. Three, lack of proper habitat.

There are other pollinators, bats, some birds, butterflies and moths, and some types of flies. The thing is, most pollinators tend to stick to just a few types of plants. A hummingbird may not, and for reasons due to their physical shape, feed on the same plants that a bee does. A fly may not be attracted to a flower that a moth would make a meal from.

Also, these creatures are having their own issues. You still see hummingbirds, but not in the number you used to. Many moths and butterflies, such as the magnificent  Monarch, are threatened. And, truthfully, how many bats have you seen recently? (besides, the flowers that bats, and not all are nectar feeders, tend to are very limited.

So, as you see, we have ourselves a spot of bother, here. It can, and quite likely will, get worse before it gets better. In fact, it may just get worse and net better at all. Next time, we will look at the implications of the looming crisis and trust me, they are worse than you might imagine.

America - the Rats are Leving the Ship

I had high hopes for the Trump Administration. Well, folks, I will readily admit that I was wrong. I thought we had some serious people, ready to get to work. Wrong.

Monday, FBI director Comey said that he saw no evidence of Trump's claim that he was 'wiretapped.' More important, he said he had approval of the Justice Department to make that statement. That means Donald's old buddy Jeff Session just yanked the rug from under Trump's feet. Comey was seconded by Mike Rogers. another Trump appointee. That pitter patter you hear is the sound of rats starting to flee a sinking ship.

Sessions himself, after promises of stern law enforcement measures, has seemingly gone underground since the accusation that he lied to Congress about that whole Russia thing. Now, with the revelations about Paul Manafort's Russia connection, on top of Mike Flynn's little problem, and Trump operative Roger Stone's Russian ties, there is a problem.

And what of all those top generals? You know, the ones who said they would quickly have a plan to wipe out ISIS and get us out of the Mid East quagmire. The only solution they have so far is to send in 20 or 30 thousand troops. That would work, but what then. We can beat any army in the World, but what do we accomplish, unless we want to take over the running of other countries. That is not a good idea, as we learned in Iraq, or should have learned. The same hot shot military guys also seem to have no viable plan to deal with N. Korea. I distinctly remember being told that these guys were the best and brightest. It looks like they are just another bunch of half bright thugs who want to flex their muscles and spend a ton of money that we don't have.

Secretary of State Tillerson has now stated that he never really wanted the job and that is obvious, since he seems to have no idea what he's doing.

VP Pence is pushing that health care bill, the one that has no chance of passing. Trump's inane budget is also DOA. Without those two bills passing, you can forget those promised tax cuts. Those of you in the middle class, what's left of it, need not worry about that. You were not going to get much of a break anyway.

In economic news, the Dow is bouncing up and down, but with an overall down trend and about 1300 retail stores around the country are closing.

Trump is taking bids on The Wall. He seems to overlook the fact that a much more productive, and cheaper option would be to seal all of those tunnels running from Mexico to Texas and put the Coast Guard off the East coast of Texas on high alert. This is how all the massive amounts of opiates are coming in. the ones he promised would stop.

But, he has solved one burning issue. That football player who refused to stand for the National Anthem is having trouble finding a new team. Trump says that  is because teams fear getting a nasty tweet. Well, thank God for that. This is an issue that has been keeping me awake nights..

That is all I'm going to write about politics for awhile. I am sick of the subject and there is a far more important issue to deal with. I am not being sarcastic. This is of the utmost importance and is being almost totally ignored. Tune in next time for The Tiny Apocalypse

America - Watch the Pea

I imagine most folks have seen the shell game. You know, the one where the con man put a pea under a walnut shell, flanked by 2 empty shells, shuffles them around and the poor idiot who bet with him has to pick the one with the pea under it. The con man always wins. Americans are being conned.

We are being urged to be concerned about wiretapping. Look, everyone spies on everyone. Every nation with any sort of power tries to influence other nations and everyone in any country's political system spies on every other politician. That is just the way things are and no amount of investigating is going to change a bit of it.

We are told that we should be vitally concerned about the Supreme Court Nominee's hearing. Why? It's a done deal. When Trump was elected, he got to make his pick and while you may not be happy about it, that is the way Government works, The Nominee is qualified and, thanks to he Democrat's own parliamentary manipulations, the work of Harry Reid, they cannot even filibuster the matter. Truth be told, with the exception of abortion rights and, maybe gay rights, their is little that the appointment is likely to change. Even in those cases, the issues will likely go back to the States, where they always belonged, and if you are not happy with your State, you have the right to move.

What is being hidden? Two things. First, real climate change. I do not believe humans are destroying the environment with fossil fuels, but we have done plenty of damage by dumping toxic wastes in an indiscriminant manner and by attempting to hide nuclear waste in old mines instead of spending the money to learn how to recycle fuel rods. I might also add our seeming obsession with growing useless grass by wasting vast amounts of good water. But. all that aside, the climate is changing, likely due to natural cycles of change. Geologist know that the climate just sometimes changes, radically and we are at one of those times. No need to panic, we can adapt, but not if we don't get busy. We don't get busy because a great deal if the problem is happening around coastal areas and there is no good solution except moving people out. But, they are important business and resort areas, so we don't want to do that. Atlantic City, NJ and Miami Beach, Fl are subjected to regular flooding these days, but we don't want to deal with it.

The other issue being hidden is the fact that the World has seemingly gone quite insane. Russia is now saying that, if confronted by a threatening conventional army, it would consider using nukes to 'de-escalate' the crisis. This would be like putting a fox in a henhouse to de-escalate a squabble between 2 chickens and it is madness. But, there is more. Israel is now flying bombing raids and lobbing missiles in Syria. The pretext is to prevent arms shipments to Lebanon; the reality is to put pressure on Iran to stay out of Syria, Iran is going to do no such thing, so the tension will rise. Add to this China's reluctance to rein in the fat Korean kid (or maybe they just can't do it) and war of some sort is becoming a real possibility. US officials don't want you thinking about this because they would have to admit that they cannot do much about any of this. Contrary to what we have been taught, we do not rule the World.

So don't sweat all of these Senate investigations. Don't get yourself in an uproar over the Health Care bill (yeah, it's bad deal. Don't fret, it won't pass). Relax, enjoy your time while you can because it is going to get rough soon.

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.