Endit 122523

 This has been my non-year, no writing no pictures, very depressing; it has also been a non-year for government, nothing happened.  At least nothing positive although it did validate my political philosophy: “Don’t trust the Democrats, fear the Republicans.”   The left attempts to side step into socialism, while the right jumped right over ultra conservative into pure fascism.  To paraphrase an old car ad “Today’s parties are not your grandfathers parties.” U.S. politics today are best noted for “scream and shout while running about.”  Loud is in; people, country, truth, and governance are out.  It’s all about marketing “Entertainment” to prevent us Rubes from paying attention to the goings on in the three ring clown tent on the Potomac.
 
There is general consensus among scholars analyzing Great Powers’ political life.  Great Power states live only about a century,  their demise is not necessarily from a military defeat but rather a failure to adapt to changing world dynamics and loss of the political will to risk adapting.  In short Great Powers’ commit suicide; often even failing to notice their decline until it is irreversible.   Not fully understanding it at the time I was in 1950s England as it fell from its Great Power status.  A bankrupt England was still riding the euphoric wave of WWII victory as its Empire disappeared beneath post war calls for freedom.  Young peoples’ conversation in coffee shops ranged from elites’ plans for lucrative colonial careers, condemnation of all things American, to trying to understand why the country wasn’t profiting from victory.  England struggled under new colonial wars, calling on the new Great Power, United States to preserve its Empire.

In the 19th century, even before the United States had fully conquered its internal empire Manifest Destiny was reaching out for an external empire, America wanted to play with the big boys.  At the Versailles Peace Conference (1920s) the United States officially emerged as a world power divvying up the globe along with the decaying Great Powers.  Peace was elusive and it took another war for the United States to emerge as the only remaining Great Power.  In 1945 America was the most respected country the world had ever known.  Great masses flocked in to be part of an American dream.  Americans continued to see themselves as the “Greatest Generation” of the 1940s ignoring that the technology of their victory had diffused, developed  and matured to the point where even the smallest state can now be a world power.  Greatness is no longer dependent on large armies or strong economies.  Greatness does require smart people with a comprehensive vision of an interdependent, very small, one-world future.  America does not have a monopoly on very smart people but its political vision is a return to the 19th century of book burnings, waste, patronage and exploitation.

Rome attempted to distract its citizens from its decline and fall with spectacular games. American politicians rely on that opiate of the masses, television and social media to distract the populace while staging gladiatorial games in the halls of Congress.  America’s century began in 1945,  so the end is near.  If that is not sufficient for a large “HUMBUG”, prospects of 2024 election is on the horizon.

                                                                -30-/###

Justice  042723

In the United States Justice is a concept of contradictions.  It depends on perspective, even before the U.S. was a nation Justice was an iffy proposition.  Law in the colonies was primarily based on English Common Law of precedence, or what has gone before.  An unjust ruling compounded repeatedly eventually served as the law of the land.  Land itself generated much of early American law, Indians had it and settlers wanted  it, during the revolution with precedent established English loyalist’s properties were legally expropriated.  With a vast body of precedence as law Spanish/Mexican lands in the southwest was legally seized, own the courts own the land.  A guiding carpetbagger principle in the post civil war era.  The remaining Indians discover that despite Constitutional binding Treaties, they didn’t own the courts and lost not only their lands but also its mineral wealth. For over 200 years courts have applied precedent against those without political influence.

Slavery itself was justified by precedence, which despite post civil war reforms continued to serve to suppress labor movements.  Industrialist and mine owners through money, power and corruption owned the courts and strong-arm labor-busting cops.   If judicial independence was established by the Constitution, how can the courts be bought?  It’s a political process where money talks. The radicalized two party system has become the Achilles heel of democracy and judicial independence through process of appointing judges  held hostage by partisan politics.  Ideally judges should be the country’s best legal minds who will establish legal precedence by just, non-partisan decisions.   There have been some judges demonstrating the Wisdom of Solomon but many bring to the bench enough baggage to break a caravan of camels’ backs.  

Judges are increasingly appointed, not for their ethical ability to render, scholarly just decisions, but rather on making ideologically supportive decisions.  The judicial trends are attempts to stampede the country back into the 19th century dark ages of head busting, corruption and robber barons.   Increasingly the 20th century law reforms on voting, equal rights for minorities, press freedoms and protections under the law are being reversed.  These reversals are not based on judicial points of law, justice, integrity or equity, serving only the interest of the moneyed, political powerful.  If the majority can even get their day in court wealth’s lawyers manipulate the process until the case is moot or plaintiffs bankrupt.  Judge shopping is the new norm with repeated questionable appeals searching for a favorable ruling.

The rule of law is broken, from bias courts to corrupt law enforcement (LEA).   Not every cop on the beat steals apples or is to free with a nightstick, but enough are out there.  Still LEAs may be the most corrupt organizations in the country because honest cops know who are the problematic are but hide the corruption behind a “Blue Wall.”  There is a movement to “defund the police” not sure what that means, it is a buzzword divorced from reality.  The nation needs honest, accountable policing because there are lots of really bad people out there.  Policing is a reflection of society facing two models, beat heads or join the party, both bad choices.  If  by chance cops end up before the bar, they get a walk or slap on the wrist and celebrate in the corner bar.  The problems with the legal system are obvious to the public but oblivious to those within the justice system.

The justice system has failed to police itself and partisan legislatures add fuel to the fire by failing their duties to the people while fanning the flames incinerating the country.  There is little expectation that legislators will act in an ethical manner so voters must choose new representatives who will act in the interest of the country, not radical ideologies.  Democracy unfortunately is not a self-correcting system; it requires attention, participation and adjustments.  The founding fathers never envisioned professional politicians pandering to extremism which approaches fascism.  There is little justice in our justice system and night riders are riding. The people must not believe politicians’ self interest propaganda but judge their actions, they only change their message not their beliefs.

Local disjointed public demonstrations are a sign of systemic distrust.  It awaits only a  coordinated failure to trigger a national REVOLUTION. Despite the probable worst efforts of strong-arm mob-busting policing it’s a no win situation ending with probable removal of “U” from U.S.

                        ###


Question:
If an appointed judge is found to have committed perjury or accepted “favors” from elites will all of that judge’s rullings be reversed or at least reviewed?  If there is no oversight, no court ethical standards and the court cites the Constitution as its justification to be above the law, what prevents the court from becoming the national dictator? Time for a rewrite?

The Fall 081521

 It was probably inevitable that the United States would be run out of Afghanistan.  Its incursion began with a series of flawed assumptions. The first based on a failure to understand Afghanistan and the second being no need to learn.

The Afghans are history's greatest resistance fighters.  They drove out the Persians, Alexander the Great, the great Khan, the British three times, the Soviets and now the Americans and their allies.  In the 19th and 20th century it was the center of the Great Game between great powers. The American failure is not from lack of knowledge.  There were many, in and out of government who knew the Afghan mujahidin that drove out the Soviets.  Some of the present Taliban leadership fought with the mujahidin and used U.S. instruction to train its new generation of Taliban fighters.

The Taliban grew from a small group of fundamentalist students who overthrew a local corrupt and brutal administration.  Other oppressed communities requested their assistance and by 1996 the movement governed over three-quarters of the country by conquest or negotiations.  America de-facto recognized the Taliban government and was in negotiations with it on two main points: eject UBL from Afghanistan and allow an oil pipeline across the country from the Central Asian States to American tankers in the Persian Gulf.  The sticking points were: asking a guest, particularly one that had fought with the mujahidin, to leave went against Muslim honor.  The pipeline floundered because the Taliban wanted a larger piece of the action. The American 2000 election ushered in a petroleum triumvirate of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld focused on pipelines and controlling oil fields. (Strategic Energy Initiative)

Following the 9-11 attacks the triumvirate declared all political opposition as terrorist activity and began a series of political wars.  One thing the military does well is move fast, shoot faster and ask no questions.  When the military is sent in expect military solutions. Its invasion of Afghanistan was no exception.  Everyone with a beard was either shot or captured.  It was some time before the military noticed that most of the men had beards but by that time the concentration camps were overflowing with poor dirt farmers.  Almost every family knew someone that had been imprisoned or brutalized by the invaders.  The Taliban gained a giant pool of potential recruits.  The invaders' quick victories were the result of local political leaders switching sides for profit. Where the Taliban originated in opposition to corruption, Americans fed corruption.  The powerful profited, villagers were targeted and the invaders developed a bunker mentality.

The military remained in charge of the conflict but its rotating leadership never had a clue.  It attempted to establish an old style British colonial government that the Afghans recognized, rejected, but paid lip service so the money would keep flowing.  Out to pick up a combat medal, colonels on 30-day visits attempted to establish a little America and kept the money flowing.  A high tech Army was established for a low-tech environment.  History's great warriors were trained for 20 years to be a western style army that ultimately fell apart.  The training wasn't wasted however, possibly half of the trainees deserted, with their weapons, and fought with the Taliban.  The Afghan Army along with the American Army was completely penetrated by Taliban agents, so much for any secret planning or operations.

I spent a number of years observing central and south Asia, discovering that Americans are easily hoodwinked.  When I finally left Afghanistan at the end of 2007 the one question I was unable to answer was, "Why is our military so dead set that Afghanistan should become a failed state?"

It took another 14 years of high cost blundering before the fall with a cost of over two trillion dollars and untold casualties. Military bodies are easy to count but the civilian and Taliban casualties may never be accurately known.  The effects of the war will continue as the wounded suffer and buried munitions explode.  

Eventually America seized on the British and Soviet solutions to their Afghan incursions, "Declare victory and leave."  Western politicians are scrambling to deny or defend their part in the disaster but there is enough blame to go around.  The GOP started the war, the Democrats gave it another go and finally the GOP sold out the Afghan government it created.  The Democrats are now left with a no win situation to clean up.  Biden was faced by Congressional Trumpers threatening impeachment when he extended the pull out by four months. Political deniability must point a finger somewhere so it is probable that much of the blame will fall on individual soldiers who fought, suffered and died rather than leadership that sent them to war without a strategy.  Once the allies allowed the Afghan Army to engage the enemy it suffered a loss of over 50,000 troops (US 2,500). Betrayed by its own corrupt political leadership the Afghan Army finally melted away.  Armies must be paid but more importantly given a rational reason to fight.

What happens now?  America never got its pipeline, but the Chinese are pushing one across northern Afghanistan and accessing its rich mineral deposits.  A viable Afghan resistance to the Taliban is unlikely with out massive, if improbable, foreign support.  Taliban leadership is more worldly and astute than in the nineties but it is still not a disciplined and organized movement.  Leaders may promise reforms and safety but the reality is a loose theocratic force roaming the country, seeking vengeance or their own piece of the pie.  The Taliban is now a well-equipped, well-armed force augmented by remnants of the well-trained Afghan Army.  Any future Afghan adventure will be met with a formidable foe, possibly supported by China, even Russia.

Former government supporters fled the country early in their pie wagons and will lobby American politicians for support of their fanciful vision of returning to power, keep the money flowing.   Despite the massive evacuation effort many of those who actually served allied interest will never escape to safety.  Some of those that do grab a seat on a "freedom bird" did nothing to support the government or allies, they may even be Taliban hoping to escape the coming years of turmoil and derivation.  Once the evacuation smoke dies down its probable that many will spend their days in foreign refugee camps, unable to ever go home or move forward.  Those that do make it to their promised lands will find the promise was more dream than reality.  They won't be able to integrate into society or earn a living wage. Previously Afghan immigrants who earned foreign pensions have discovered it is not enough to live on in a foreign land and may end up on the streets or in crime.  The influx of refugees on western societies will find little sympathy, support or hope.

Like Afghans of the past the Taliban will continue to resist foreign occupiers so the "Great Game" will continue with China as a new player.  It appears that China may have learned from history where America did not.  If America walks away from Central Asia again, it forfeits the game.  Rather than slinking away to lick its wounded ego the United States must remain engaged in Afghanistan for moderation of extremist influences.  The small, land locked country remains the crossroad of Asia, rich in resources and maybe ready for modernization.  The Democrats and GOP must band together striving for a foreign policy to make friends rather than resistance.  The "Win-win" scenario doesn't mean, "can't lose" in Asia, it means both sides win.

Humbug 122320

As the year nears its end it is time for my annual opus (v. 2020) on a philosophical perspective of a year happily fading into oblivion.  It's a little different this year. Despite the world being held hostage to Corona (the virus not the beer) the year in the United States is more noted for Humbug than Bah.  The year's reality is an overload of humbug as the causation for most of the bah. So here it is HUMBUG - BAH, to all with wishes of survival into a better New Year.  

When I was a working news guy I would wrap up a year with a column on the passing of the old guard.  I don't have enough ink to list all that have passed from the scene this year.  In the U.S. alone, over six times as many have died than during the 20 plus years of the Vietnam War.  That war took the cream of the country; Corona has over taken the country, which will never again be the same.  In addition to the dead, millions became very seriously ill with the forecast that they may suffer lasting after affects.

The infections couldn't have been prevented but they might have been moderated by a coordinated national response.  Instead humbug and trumpery met it in 2020 by first ignoring the growing crisis, then attempted to cover up failures to provide resources and medical assistance.  When all else failed it became a blame game with flying fingers pointing in ever direction.  By year's end the crisis was again being ignored by national leadership.  The only hope rested in the dedication of medical professionals and scientist who battled with little official support.  Despite being demonized by the government it was foreigners and immigrants, who on their own, developed the first two western vaccines that may save lives.  Now officials are tripping over each other claiming credit.

 If the virus wasn't enough, 2020 was also an election year.  The campaign that began in 2016 was finally voted on this November but it just won't end.  The world is watching in awe as the country implodes.  If the situation wasn't so serious the world could be laughing at a very bad slapstick sitcom due to be cancelled.   It has everything, a cast of thousands led by a star as an insane clown shoveling deep dark humbug out of his stables.  The clown hilariously bounces off walls while flinging humbug on friends and foes alike.  The house is on fire but the star hides under his desk striking matches.

Hospitals are packed, medical staffs exhausted, millions unemployed, millions more going hungry and at risk of being evicted for the holidays as the government is held hostage to the antics of the clown in the center ring.  Survivors will remember the year, but not as our finest hour. The only brightness of 2020 is that individuals are stepping forward to provide aid and assistance to the desperate as the government fiddles in front of the flames.

The storm has yet to abate but the humbug at least promises to subside.  Good luck to all for 2021.

FOIA 112120

 If America is ever able to rout this administration’s dictatorship of lies the country will have difficulty finding out its truths.  The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was passed to provide an accountability window into hidden government.  The act is available to any citizen but mostly utilized by journalist and scholars to discover what is really going on in government.    The United States’ government is supposedly an open government of the people.   Administrations have attempted to “stonewall” FOIA request preventing exposure of its governing blunders and waste but ultimately records become available.

Written records are considered factual and complete.  Therein lies the problem with this administration, not only does Trump lie, long and loud his appointees have falsified files to support his prevarications.  Trump has personally removed meeting notes so only his interpretations exist.  He has held meetings with the Putin without even an American translator present; there are no notes in U.S. files.  Since Trump’s lost, his appointees have been sanitizing official files and reportedly destroying some official records.  These records are supposed to be filed in the national archives for future research.

There is some hope for researchers finding accurate original information.  This is the age of copy machines, computer redundancy and video records Trump will never be able destroy all existing copies of compromising information.  Researchers however will be faced with sorting through contradicting copies of the same record.  They may find references to missing documents that could lead to criminal investigations of administration activities.

Since the election it appears that instead of a graceful transition Trump is engaged in a scorched earth effort to insure the country that rejected him is ungovernable.  Without accurate records of past agreements, contracts, deals or even conversations the next administration is highly vulnerable.  Its decision processes could be hostage to special interests’ interpretations of U.S. commitments. Nero fiddled while Rome burned, Trump will enjoy the show from his front nine.

'Whathoppened' 111820

The United States has faced two major traumatic events in its almost 250 year history.  The first was a civil war fought over states' rights.  A war that cost over 620 thousand American soldiers lives (S+N); unknown numbers of civilian casualties and finally defined the federal union.   The cost of this war was justified by the objective of uniting the nation.  The second great national trauma is still going on with an objective of shattering that union and dividing the nation.  To date the casualty rate is in the millions with over a quarter million dead.

Civil war casualties were the result of guns, bayonets, starvation and disease.  It was a simple time; doctors were just beginning to understand how to save lives.    A hundred and fifty years later, in what is now the world’s most advanced society with exceptional medical capabilities the Union has been attacked by an unknown lethal Virus.  The federal government that was forged on American battlefields 150 years ago has told the states that it is their problem and they are on their own.  Without Washington’s guidance and assistance, 50 individual states are struggling to deal what a national catastrophe.  The Trump administration denied the national danger even impeded a coordinated response.  Trump’s inability to accept science led to his denial and demonization along with mobilization of his red hats to ignore precautions leading to runaway contagion.   Without access to federal resources, states struggle to deal with a complex dynamic disaster.  People are dying, going hungry, and losing their homes and faith in the national government.   Trump’s response, “not my problem” on his way to the golf course.

more

So ‘whathoppened’ in the last four years that led to disunity trends in the United States.  A view from the bottom has to look back to before the 2016 election.  Hillary Clinton campaigned for eight years and was widely considered a shoo in for president.  Apparently even the GOP believed it, nominating a known con man to disrupt the election processes, as he made good TV.  Clinton’s over exposure tagged her as a wicked witch supported by her loyal coven.  Over confident arrogance led to her poor strategic campaign, and surpriseingly Trump won.  The GOP was left with a TV clown.  Its leadership assumed they would be able to “control” a three-ring circus.  Congressional Republican leaders seized the opportunity to advance their agendas giving Trump early support.  They quickly discovered they were the ones being “controlled” and couldn’t recover their constitution powers.   

Using social media Trump mobilized an extremely radical Red Hat army that took to the streets and became a political power, frightening the GOP.  Trump became bully in chief and through a series of executive orders began to destroy American foreign and domestic policies.  He embraced authoritarian regimes stroking his ego while punishing allies refusing to kneel before him. Continuing campaign disinformation rallies convinced the Red Hats that he ruled in their interest. They pressured local governments to follow Trump’s white surpremist agenda beginning a great divide.  Trump openly used his power to intimidate, bribe, tamper with reality and ignored federal & constitutional law.  He awarded no bid federal contracts to unqualified big donors to his interests.  Trump used federal monies to reward supporting states and denied support to states that opposed his “greatness”.  When the world was racked by a pandemic in 2019.  Trump had surrendered America’s world leadership while denying the growing danger.  His distrust of science and loose grip on reality led to a disinformation campaign against scientific medical advice.  Five months after the outbreak he finally admitted the country was experiencing a minor medical challenge that would soon pass.  Instead of national leadership Trump blamed the states for not dealing with the problems.  Following his directions federal agencies denied state support and hospitals soon became overwhelmed.

Trump continued his mass campaign rallies and by election 2020 the epidemic was out of control.  The Democrats allowed Trump to define their party through extensive disinformation while he continued to reward state supporters and punish opposition.  The people voted and the demonization of Democrats stuck. The GOP won but Trump himself lost big time.  Trump's problem is the electorate had begun to tire of  “Trumpery” (look it up) and demagoguery.  The Trump era is like a bad sit-com that had been cancelled.  It still has a large cult following but more viewers have tired of the same jokes and poor plot.  

Narcissistic Trump refuses to accept his loss and is fighting to overturn election results.  He has mobilized his Red Hats with unfounded conspiracy theories.  He is attempting to reverse his loss by wearing down opposition with frivolous, wild lawsuits that are being rejected in courts.  Trump is a loser attempting to burn down the nation that has rejected his delusional self-image.  He refuses to recognize the new administration while attempting to imbed loyal Red Hats deep within government and disrupt future foreign relations by agreements against American interest.  Trump, the loser, hopes to deny Biden's, the winner, ability to govern a broken nation.  Trump probably sees himself as a king in exile pulling GOP strings to rule in absentia.  Biden may not be able to repair the divisive damage done to the union in his term but it is improbable that Trump can make a comeback as more truths leak out.

The real estate developers code: Never use your own money and there is profit in chaos.  We may never know how much profit Trump made from the chaos he created.

rewrite history 061620

Renaming military bases:  A little 1860 perspective, the civil war was not fought over slavery but over states rights and the issues were many.  The understanding of federalism at the time was states had the right to withdraw from the central federal government.  Most military officers at the time saw that they owed their loyalty to their respective states rather than the central government.  Many had served the central government with honor and distinction until their home states withdrew from the federation and they were forced to chose sides.  Lee was actually offered command of northern forces before siding with Virginia.  Few in the Confederation Armies ever owned slaves or aspired to owning slaves. They fought for their states, which were being subjugated  by northern industrialization.  Lee supported raising black regiments in the south but political leadership balked  at granting freedom to black soldiers.  Confederation Armies fought with honor and distinction as American southern fighting men until worn down the north's industrial might.   Lincoln's post war plans were to repatriate blacks to Africa, reintegrate the southern states and their soldiers into the newly defined federation that is the United States today.  Lincoln  was shot before he could heal the nation.  History has it that the shooter was a southern sympathizer.  Conspiracy theories exist that the shooter was actually a tool of administration officials, who resented Lincoln, wanting loot and revenge on the south.  It was after Lincoln's assignation  that GOP radicals declared the south and its armies traitors.  The south's great crime was to lose. The end of slavery may be the only positive outcome of the civil war, but for the south and blacks the reconstruction period may have been more catastrophic.  The south slowly recovered under the leadership of returning Confederate  generals and soldiers.  Over time states recognized their contributions with statues and naming streets, parks and bases in their honor.  Today the political trend is to tear down the statues, plow up parks  and rename military installations after local politicians who have contributed little to the growth of the nation.  This is an attempt to replace the depth and complexity of the American experience with a sound bite history, promulgated by false prophets seeking immortality.  Our greatest generation passed through the gates of these installations and generations have followed them. To rename these installations on a political whim is to destroy their history.  Put the stories in context, teach real history rather than approved history by mobs.   Confederate soldiers were American soldiers and contributed much to building this nation.

Long hot summer 060120

The country is entering another long hot summer of more hurricanes, rampant disease and increasingly destructive civil disturbances.  Riots from north to south and east to west on a scale not seen since the turbulent sixties of civil rights and anti-war demonstrations.

In1990 I had a discussion on race relations with a bright 20 something-black man.  My position was that there was great progress in race relation, he disputed my hypothesis.  It made an interesting debate.  I eventually came to understand that we were coming from different direction. We both were from the south, but with different experiences and age groups.

I was raise in the south but by the 50s I was a reporter on a small town newspaper.  By the sixties I had worked through a couple larger papers to become a wire service reporter covering the southeast. Over those years, along with other reporters I saw some of the worst of human nature. TV news was in its infancy at the time and real press reporters reported and didn’t become activist, opinions were for editorial pages.  Readers of editorials took time to study and build emotional responses.

The Klan (KKK) was still strong at the time with local politics openly corrupt; both conditions created environmental dynamics of ignoring, fear, acceptance or bragging. Interviewing bystanders when the body of a black man wrapped in chains was discovered in local waters I was told, “You know them ‘niggers’ they always steal more chain than they can swim with,” the crowd enjoyed the joke.  It was the time when minorities across the county faced discrimination and abuse regardless of race, creed and religion.  The Klan was an equal opportunity hater; they target blacks, Indians, Jews, Catholics and anyone that spoke out against their actions.  It had infiltrated the very heart of white Christian society, from the police to the pulpit.

President Truman integrated the military and President Eisenhower extended integration into civil society while the FBI broke the back of the Klan.  Segregation however still held the heart and minds of white majorities.  Martin Luther King led a civil rights revolution across the south in a series of freedom rides.  Those riders were met with hostile local populations; police and officials reacted brutally ignoring the message.  Media exposure did change some minds and light began to shine in dark places.

While walking alone through a lower class neighborhood an elderly lady store keeper sent out several local toughs to chase me away. A reporter friend was badly beaten while photographing police actions.  Unfortunately his publication made a hero of him and published his picture.  This made him a target for every mob along the route.  Legislation began to be passed and enforced by DOJ.  Local officials found creative ways to circumvent legislation and suppress minority voting until federal hammers fell, then they became even more creative to hide suppression.

About this time Uncle Sam wanted me as food for his cannons, ultimately tripping over my feet in Vietnam.  There I knew a number of minorities and listened to their stories.  Feeding cannons I was shipped back to Fort Bragg for necessary repairs.  I got tired of medical holding companies and asked the Army for a desk job while waiting for medical clearance.  The war was chewing up talent and Army was desperate enough to find a round hole I could fit.  As a former newsman I was temporarily assigned to run the post newspaper.

Shortly after reporting to my new office the country was torn apart in a series of civil disturbances and anti-war demonstrations. Fort Bragg became the center of federal response.  I became part of an advance team that went ahead of the troops assigned to crowd control.  With my past exposure and new experiences I developed an understanding mob dynamics.  Standing outside of the emotions I watched the best intentions manipulated by special interest, turn to violence.

Local officials, unable to understand the issues, often over reacted and made bad situations worse.  At some point the riots exceeded Ft. Bragg and National Guards’ ability to respond.  The Army dipped into it training base and constructed units from graduating trainees commanded by graduating officers with less six months experience.  With effective federal intervention and leadership the riots came to an end and calm settled on the surface.  There was progress for minorities who gained an education and assimilated into the main steam. 

I was shipped back to war and lost track of my country.  When I was debating the young black man in 1990 I assumed that the civil rights progress of the 70s was continuing.  Although my young friend could be considered in the elite, his view was of little changed local condition.  My view has merged with his in this century realizing there has been regression in American society.

Conservative elements are attempting return the country to the 19th century where Elite's ruled by oppressing minorities, labor and ‘anarchist’ while profiting from their virtual serfdom.  Causation of the 2020 riots are many and more complex than current Elite's can fathom.  The roots of today’s disturbances lie with the 20th century’s incomplete reforms.  The ethics of our greatest generation died out with the generation.  President Clinton lied for fun to see how much he could get away with. The 9-11 attack shocked American self-image and Bush II invented evidence to justify aggressive war against the world.  A war that alienated friends, united foes and we are still losing. 

According to white supremacist Obama’s greatest crime was to be black.  Despite Trump’s assertions the last president America elected was Eisenhower, (everyone liked Ike) ever since we have been voting against the other guy.  Trump really owes his election to aversion to Hillary, not to his self-proclaimed popularity.  All these factors contribute to public distrust and frustration with the government. Many local governments have gerrymander-voting districts to dilute minority influence in elections.  Legislation effectively made law enforcement actions above the law even to the point of making recording of police actions illegal in some jurisdictions.  Some police push this authority to shoot first and ask no questions.  This was not ignored by minorities but didn’t incite wide-ranging disturbances.  The difference is that country is now covered by surveillance cameras not controlled by governments with images widely available to the public via social media.

Laws have also been passed with poorly written self-defense statues that allowed defense against murder charges.   Again the end effect was more public distrust and frustration.  The problem is that more people are starting to see themselves as minorities.  The trigger for the current disturbances was the 'alleged' police murder of another black man that was caught by multiple cameras.  The fact that the jurisdiction attempted another cover up then over reacted with police brutality and attacks on the media incited protest across the nation.

The difference between the disturbance of the 60s and 2020 is federal reaction.  During the 60s the government made changes and troops were sent in to bring peace.  The Trump response is completely different from the past.  His rhetoric is to incite white supremacist and evangelical movements for campaign support.  Once aroused his followers move to the extremes of legislation and violence.  His war on the media is leading to police attacks on working reporters covering the demonstrations.   Some police see his tweets as condoning ever-increasing police force that Trump not only condones but also will pardoned.   He has corrupted and politicized the justice system to the point that the public no longer expects justice.

In the sixties the National Guard and regular Army deployed to bring peace.  Trump promises to take the Guard away from governors and send the Army to violently suppress dissent along partisan lines.  The military of the 60s was three times its present strength.  Even fighting a war the Army had resources to react to wide spread domestic disturbances.  Like the regulars the Guard of today is better trained to fight a war but with almost 20 years in combat their skills of peaceful crowd control may have eroded, requiring extensive retraining.   Although the Army has half a million soldiers only a small percentage have the experience to quickly train for civil duties.  Without that training soldiers may automatically follow Trump’s deadly force orders.  Another consideration is that almost half of the soldiers represent minority populations.  It is suspected that Trump is attempting to declare martial law in blue states for suppression of voting in the coming election.

 While the trigger was police brutality against a black man and lack of official reaction, the disturbances have become inclusive of others abuses of power.  Minorities as well as majorities are demonstrating with by-partisan support.  The demonstrations have also mobilized extremist groups.  Civil unrest follows Newton’s law of, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  Trump’s divisive policies of divide and get reelected are directly responsible for the current crisis.  It is unlikely that Trump will accept his responsibility in driving the nation into mob rule but politicians must understand that once elected they represent all the people, not just a particular party or class. 

Once this is accepted they must end their divisive rhetoric and craft legislation that serves all the people, not just partisan extremism.  They must tear down the “Blue Wall” that protects police brutality.  Judges must be appointed for ethical rulings base on fair laws, not extreme political ideology soundness.  Congress must cross the isle to develop laws that serve the nation, not extremist ideologies.  Politicians at all levels must work to end government waste and corruption.  They must make the effort to hear the voices that are unspoken, not just those of the loud and rich. The country can be saved but politicians must be held accountable for their failures to govern in the interest of the people and ultimately the nation. 

Political accountability is the product of free and fair elections. It is utopian idea but there should be a law that elected officials must tell the truth.  It’s criminal to lie to the police, in court, and to Congress so why not hold elected officials to the same standard before the people.  They should go to jail and not collect two hundred dollars, not to a Club Fed but to hard time so they can learn reality first hand from the failures of their policies. 

We shouldn’t condone mob violence but we should strive to understand its dynamics.  Such civil disturbances do not happen in a vacuum it is the result of cause and effect, a political failure followed by disillusionment, disenchantment and reactions.  Classic cause and effect is of a failure of trust in government.  Governments create their own enemies foreign and domestic, often by partisan political objectives or simply to win elections. 

In general Americans are easily manipulated from years of exposure to soap commercial, political disinformation and partisan agitprop (agitation propaganda) via social media.  We often hear what we want to hear, in an information world we do not ask for clarification.

culture 093019

I was born too late to be a depression baby and too early to be a boomer.  Not part of the greatest American generation but I do know it by second hand as the first half of the twentieth century.  For me socialization began with my father who at 14 drove his family across the country while teaching my grandmother to drive.  There were no highways and maps were farmers' tales at country stores.  Later dad would fly over the land in a “Jenny”.   An uncle went from climbing poles to climbing the corporate ladder that built “Ma Bell.”  Another uncle was a pioneer of the Army’s Armored Force and survived landing on Norman Beaches. 

As a teenager I met many from the turn of the century and WWI.  I grew up on stories about early radios, automobiles, the depression and mobilization for WWII.  I regret to say I didn’t pay much attention at the time and now it’s too late to recover the little historical footnotes.  I’m left with trying to mine the memories of other first generation dependents of our greatest generation, but like me they are disappearing rapidly and becoming history themselves.

Sitting in South American bar I discover a friend’s father was one of the army of depression unemployed that flocked to a desert in the middle of nowhere to pour concrete that became Hoover Dam.  A dam that made Las Vegas possible, taught the unskilled workers new technologies that made possible rapid WWII mobilization and built America’s infrastructure.  My friend grew up on the personal stories and observations of his father’s experiences that shaped his own values years later.

Now almost a hundred years after that army of unemployed face down danger and primitive living in desert heat I discovered that another friend’s father was pushing a railroad across equally hostile terrain in the same era.  That railroad was part of a network transporting soldiers and weapons to embarkation ports leading to WWII victory.  This discovery came to me through binary technology that pole climbers, track layers and tank drivers could never envision but they are responsible for scientific and societal advancement that made America great.

The term “Greatest Generation” was coined long after WWII in a book about the soldiers and Rosies that made victory possible.   Taking nothing away from the contributions of 1942-45 Americans but the victory was the result of the culture and values gained between 1900 to 41.  Unlike other nations American recruits not only knew how to drive but also how to repair vehicles, even build their own hot rods.  Many already knew how to fly, others were ham radio operators who built their on sets.  They were used to hard work on farms, oil fields and living rough during the depression.  Every thing from toasters to radios to trains had to be repaired with limited resources.   The generation were problem solvers, able to fix everything with nothing.  If they couldn’t solve a problem with what they had, they invented new technologies to construct dams and lay track.  New industries emerged along with mass production that improved output.   America got to the moon on the groundwork of Goddard and Langley science.  It was a period of cultural advancement; invention and innovation like no other and may never again be as great.  That advancement came from a universal public school system building on family values of hard work and integrity.

Sociologists are in agreement that the culture and values of the greatest generation are no longer those of modern Americans.  Consensus on causation of this change is limited because they are interactive.  Single parent households amplified by latchkey kids entertaining themselves with rock-em sock-em television, broken by sell, sell, sell commercials of exciting, invented facts.  TV news is filled with murder, mayhem, and white collar criminals who escape punishment.  They walk down streets playing violent video games where the dead and injured are recycled for the next game, no one dies.  Higher education teaches how to lie with statistics, sell the unsaleable, glorify greed and plagiarize someone with better ideas.  Kids notice that the country has become a throwaway society from planned obsolescent to running companies into the ground while bailing out under a golden parachute.  Century old businesses are collapsing or already fallen from bad management.  Management adding up bonuses while exploring more companies to exploit.  The concept of building for the future has given way to “I want it all now,” what ever it takes.  Even the buildings are throw a ways designed to be replaced in decades rather than last for centuries.  Toasters can’t be repaired and few know how to repair a tractor or even change a tire on cars they can’t drive.  Digging ditches, mowing the grass or even climbing stairs require mechanical machines that will be replaced rather than repaired.  The military has discovered that only a small percentage of Americans can meet minimal physical requirements to enter service in time of emergency.  Public schooling for all is being replaced by tiered system the favors elites, another for those expected to serve the elite and a final tier for those considered likely to dropout and a waste of time to educate.  The effect of tiered education is cultural stratification and elimination social equality as the dynamic of national advancement.  The ethical models for the now generation are televangelist extorting the faithful.     Business leaders who are rewarded for evading taxes and absconding with payrolls.  Politicians who openly lie to mislead voters and exploit public budgets for personal gain.  With this socialization as the American “Way” it is understandable that modernist have abandoned the values of the greatest generation.  What is lost is greatness of a nation that may never again be as great or even survive.

The fall 093019

A republic is a State without a monarch with the power remaining with the people.  Republics are not built of stone and have a history of falling.  The French have gone through so many republics that they are known as numbers.  Rome lost its republic to Augustus Caesar. There are a number American Republics that have come and gone then power returned to the people through revolutions.

The United States was established as a Republic but in its 200 plus years it has often been stressed as political interest have attempted to take the power away from the people.  The country is in the throes of another attempt as Trump campaigns for a dynastic imperial presidency of the Empire of Donald.  The Empire’s national sport will be golf, its national symbol the “birdie”, and the seal will have the image of a wall of entwined “Ts” topped with crossed golf clubs.  The Trump organization will have exclusive rights to Imperial symbols.  The rabble must pay exorbitant taxes while corporations and business will pay for protection in the finest traditions of old New York and Russian mobs.  Foreign nations will be extorted to support the chosen one under in the name of tariffs.  Frightening image but it is in the works.  The arm breakers have increasingly become the Senate, “Blue Wall” and packed courts.

Trump has publicly declared that he has no intention of surrendering to the people and intends to remain in power as anointed President for life.  Belatedly the House has opened an impeachment investigation with little hope of penetrating the White House stonewall, which hopes to be the most successful wall in history.

However that stone wall is beginning to shows some cracks.  An arrogant Trump has admitted some polite arm twisting in the Ukraine to influence our 2020 election.  The Ukraine may prove to be the smoking gun that validates the hypothesis that began the Muller investigation.  Trump is calling the investigators traitors and threatens persecution.  He is also calling for civil war to defend his imperial presidency.  His propaganda machine is working overtime to defend the administration.  He may have finally gone past the limits of sanity.  Despite Trump’s stonewall orders the White House has become leak central.

If indictment's begins to rain down they must include Pence, McConnell, Barr and Nunes as accessories before and after the fact.  They not only knew that crimes were being committed but also are actively participating in massive cover-ups.  As the noose begins to tighten Trump will incite his mob to overthrow the Republic in a civil war.  He has never demonstrated a grasp of the world beyond reality TV scriptwriters.  In the real world it is easy to incite a mob but impossible to control one.  Once a national mob begins to flex its muscle it becomes a dynamic that will destroy the Republic beyond repair.  The United States will splinter into many competing fractions similar to Yugoslavia.  Trump’s civil war will probably be more bloodily than America’s previous war that brought the country together.  Trumps‘ civil war will tear the fabric of the nation.  It’s possible that states’ rights objectives of the first civil war may be attained in some parts of the country while lasting anarchy will rule across wide regions for extended periods as polities are unable to form consensus.  This American revolution will not be a Jeffersonian Revolution, but more likely resemble that of Robespierre,  “off with your head.”

random thoughts 051519

War powers of heads of state should be for the defense of the nation. They have become an attempted instrument to impose the will of one man on the world. This is called a dictatorship (or a least that of a want-a-be). In times of war the country rallies around flag waving dictators until the cost becomes known. War becomes an electioneering activity. 2020 is around the corner how many must die for votes? How long has this country now been in a continuous state of war with someone and we must now look for new enemies since we can't defeat the old?

Roe v. Wade Christian fanatics again attempting to impose their ideology on all women and the country. They do this in the name of God just to appear pious to congregations but don't apply the same standard to themselves. With fanatics controlling legislatures and courts can we say we are a democracy?

It's clear that Barr served Trump's interest and not the people. He lied to Congress at his confirmation and to the people in his statement on the content of the Mueller report. Clear from the start that Barr was hired to cover up. His refusal to appear before Congress is clearly extending cover up to democracy's grave. A clear case of abuse of power, corruption and betrayal of the rule of law. Impeach!

Trump is guilty of many things; the question is how deeply does his guilt go. There is little doubt that an attempt to cover up administration's questionable actions is underway. To deny Congressional oversight is to disband Congress and overthrow any pretense of democracy. Of course disbanding congress will save money that Trump can waste on his useless wall.

The debt is a sad legacy for our grand children. China does not have to defeat us just foreclose, send the country into receivership and sell off our assets to the highest bidder. American hedge fund model comes back to haunt financial markets. Based on his business record Trump's plan may be to declare national bankruptcy and take a tax write off. It's hopeless to attempt to explain to him the flaws in his plan, a confirmation of low IQ.

DNA testing clearly a Trump plan to build a persecution database of those seeking entry into the U.S. If this flies expect a Trump order for all citizens to be tested for a database to be used against potential Trump opposition. We already have concentration camps for kids expect it to be followed by one for political dissidents, where did this happen before?

Drafting women into the military is equality. In theory the draft will only occur if the country is faced with a national emergency. Does that include the Mexican border? Once the draft registry was only used to fill military ranks to secure the country. Today however giving the government unlimited access to a draft registry is to hand people like Trump a big stick to threaten and abuse men and women citizens. A draft registry is National Insurance, but people should be protected from hackers and most importantly from their own government.

The administration refused to provide investigation reports to Congress.  The New American way, suspects get to control investigations and evidence of their wrongdoing. Al Capone would have loved it, but failure to provide the full report to Congress ends the rule of law in this country.

In his budget request for his so call border crisis Trump set his priories. Looks like we support military dictatorships rather than people in need. 4.5 Billion seems to be a lot of money for just beans and bandages.  Should we ever believe Trump? There may be a wall around his new desert golf course, which will need lots of watering by imprisoned illegal immigrants.  Consideration should be given to his created border crisis victims, but not through Trump and his minions.   Much of the border money has already been diverted.  We are strong on bullets and weak on beans and our foreign aid spending percentage is near the bottom in a list of providers.

Trade war rhetoric is Trump belly bumping for votes.  The result may get a few votes but the country will be walking with a limp from shooting itself in the foot as it tries to raise exports and reduce the trade deficit.  Trump is attempting to manipulate the market in his trade pronouncement.  "We are close to a settlement," and the market surges a week later, "they didn't appreciated my business brilliance," and the market plunges.  White House inside traders could be making a fortune.

Horrors Should Congress rush to impeach Trump? Not yet, Mueller ran his investigation pretty much in accordance with his mandate, Russian influence in 2016 election. Along the way he uncovered other crimes that couldn't be ignored. Despite claims by the White House of Horrors, Mueller didn't pursue other wide ranging leads of other criminal activities of this administration. To begin impeachment proceeding only on the immediate charges will be seen as a partisan battle. There is no doubt that this administration is the most corrupt in the history of the county. Grant's administration previously held that dubious honor but Grant wasn't corrupt just naive about the people around him. Trump on the other hand is using his office to further his own business interest and directing the corruption of those around him. What are needed are further investigations into the full extent of his corruption while in office and even before. It is probable that evident of extensive financial crimes will be uncovered, possible even links to foreign organized crime. The point is that an impeachment indictment should be so complete with incontrovertible evidence that most of the GOP will finally stop covering up for a national criminal enterprise and treason, isn't that accessory after the fact?  If it takes another year to gather all the evidence, so be it. If Trump is out of office before the case is ready to go to trial an honest Attorney General can pursue criminal charges. Trump can have a real first, first former American President to serve hard time. Imprisonment in club Fed is out, no golf for prisoner number one, he cheats anyway.

Iran 062119

With the exception or the four “Rs” (radical, raving, racist, right) believers, few can doubt that the present war crisis is the result of Trump’s blundering electioneering. 

It is possible that the administration now sees more election opportunities, war demands flag rallies, and everyone knows how Trump loves a good rally.   A sure vote getter, war worked four times for Democrat FDR.  War as a political tool in America has historical precedent that dates at least as far back as the Lincoln administration.  It was proposed that the United States declare another war on Mexico so the south would rally around against the common enemy. 

American problems with Iran date back to the fall of the British Empire and assumption of world power in the 1940s.  By the 50s the United States over threw the only democratic elected government in the Middle East, returning a despot to the throne of Iran.  U.S. responsibility for their suffering was not lost on the Iranian population.  Continued exploitation led to revolution and eventual seizure of the American Embassy.  A failed rescue attempt greatly embarrassed America to the point of continued conflict by supporting regional proxy wars.

While Americans don’t remember last week, Iran and the rest of the Muslim world have very long memories.  Minor slights don’t go away they just pile higher and higher.   The Rumsfeld/Chaney plan to take over mid-east oil by control of Iraq and Afghanistan and threatening Iran with a two front invasion has spectacularly failed, resulting in regional instability.  The GOP hard-liners still holds on to the hope of revenge for America’s embarrassment and pushes mindless Trump into a no-win confrontation.

Shots have now been fired and its string of blunders isolates America.  There is no question of the shot heard around the world but where the drone fell is immaterial.  It was there to intimidate Iran.   It’s possible it was American armed drones creating provocations that damaged tankers.  It is also possible that any number of regional dissent groups damaged the tankers.  The administration blames every incident on Iran, which are denied so whom to believe? Should we believe an administration that has never told the truth or its demonized Muslim foe with a motive to tell the truth?

This is a clash of cultures: one embracing game theory of win-win  (can’t lose) with Christian calls for holy crusades, the other who believes win-win means no loser with Islamic values of defense of the faith.  Thump who has no ethics or integrity probably still believes he can bully Iran into a subordinate American colony.  Iran reflects regional history, occupation is not surrender.  The Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, Russians, British, French, and Soviets were defeated and ejected from the region.  Trump is hoping to arm Saudi Arabia as an ally after losing influence not only in the region but also the world.  America will never recover and Iran will never surrender.

It may become known as the 2020 hindsight war, but Trump will finally get his military parade, Caissons slow march rolling into Arlington.

Horrors 042319

Should Congress rush to impeach Trump?  Not yet, Mueller ran his investigation pretty much in accordance with his mandate, Russian influence in 2016 election.  Along the way he uncovered other crimes that couldn't be ignored.  Despite claims by the White House of Horrors, Mueller didn't pursue wide ranging leads of other criminal activities by this administration.

To begin impeachment proceeding only on the immediate charges will be seen as a no win partisan battle.  There is no doubt that this administration is the most corrupt in the history of the county.  Grant's administration previously held that dubious honor but Grant himself was clean, just naive about the people around him.  Trump on the other hand is using his office to further his own business interest and personally directing the corruption of those around him. 

What is needed are further investigations into the full extent of his corruption while in office and even before.  It is probable that evidence of extensive financial crimes will be uncovered, possibly even links to foreign organized crime.  The point is that the impeachment indictment should be so complete with incontrovertible evidence that most of the GOP will finally stop covering up for a national criminal enterprise and treason.  Some of the Republicans will discover some remaining integrity while other may hope to avoid being charged as accessories.  Trump will issue and executive order repealing RICO laws for his administration and continue attempts to blackmail, bribe and threaten legislators who could vote for impeachment.

If it takes another year to gather all the evidence, so be it.  If Trump is out of office before the case is ready to go to trial any honest US Attorney could pursue criminal charges if the Attorney General continues to be one of the corrupted.

Trump can have a honest real first, first former American President to serve hard time.  Imprisonment in club Fed shouldn't be an option, no golf for prisoner number one he's known to cheat and other players there carry shivs.

Visions 041919

The 2020 election campaign is already unprecedented; it began on the 2016 election night.  Previously campaigning only began a few months before the next election.

The two party system had presented two flawed candidates forcing bad and 'badder' choices.  The popular vote and the electoral votes diverged.  Hillary Clinton based her campaign on being the ordained woman while Donald Trump ran on hate Hillary.  The Democrats had fallen for the Clinton machine’s spiel and considered no other viable candidate.  The GOP saw Hillary as unbeatable and chose a TV loud mouth’s hate campaign over qualified candidates.  Hillary's arrogance that she was the chosen one led to poor campaign strategy that handed the electoral vote to Trump.

As soon as the results were projected Trump announced his 2020 campaign still based on hate Hillary, which he has carried on for two years.  Demonstrating his narrow vision Trump taps into societies xenophobic elements to expand his reelection hatred strategy to be all-inclusive while not ignoring Hillary.  Stung by her defeat the Democrats spent the last two years with their own hate campaign, hate Trump, rather than developing viable candidates and strategy for 2020's election and Hillary keeps teasing another run.

The GOP has become the party of hate while the Democrats appear to be the party without a clue.  There is some pushback in the GOP but it is probable that Trump will be its candidate.  The Democrats are faced with campaigning failures both in candidates and strategy.  Both parties are poorly serving the electorate, what they need is a vision, a vision of inclusion. They need candidates that will represent all of the electorate.  They need candidates with ethics and integrity.  They need candidates who will lead and support the Constitution.  They need candidates who will reestablish American soft power and respect among nations. Reality candidates who see a future in democracy.

It is not in the interest of any nation to isolate itself behind a policy of universal hatred.  Isolationism wasn’t a good policy in the 19th century and a complete failure by the 20th century.   At the end of WWII the United States was the most respected country in the world, that was its high point.  The United States took the world stage in 1918.  It is now the 21st century and 2019.   History has proven that great power last only about a hundred years.  Great power is lost by lack of vision and poor leadership.  Our century is almost over; we need elected officials with great forward visions if we are to double cross history.

The 19th century world was much larger than in the 21st century.  In today's world communication is virtually instantaneous, world travel a matter of hours and potential conflicts only minutes away.  Even small nations are now in space with mutual destruction a button click away.  Leaders with vision and respect can back the world away from melt down.  We can't do it alone; we need world leaders with visions of respect and cooperation not xenophobic hatred.

I have a vision; it's a federal crime to lie to Congress, a crime to lie to police, a crime to lie in court.  Why is it not a crime for elected officials to lie to their people?  Utopian, probably but candidates who express a positive, cooperative plan that most people can support, (damn the party) vote for them.  Continued hate politics leads to proven national downfall.

Reflections 122618

Wrap up

The end of the year between Christmas and New Years is the traditional time for quite reflection of the year that was and the year to come.

Trump’s Christmas gift to democracy.  Dec 27/28 he stated he will use his Justice Department to imprison Democratic Congressmen for crimes if they attempt to investigate his Treason, High crimes and Misdemeanors.    With the Democratic Party outlawed the nation becomes imprisoned with no protector but the GOP rubber stamp Congress and courts, which falls under control of the supreme Humbug Party.  (Look it up) Will they have special shirts and salutes?

Trump has found the funding for his wall, he said he will end federal flood insurance.  It is more than a little insane to attempt close down the flood insurance program during major flooding across much of the nation.  It is doubtful if even his Humbug Party will go along with Trump’s latest order.  The flood program is not an executive program but a federal program that was approved and funded by the Congress.  The Humbugers are also faced with another dynamic, large portions of the flooded areas supported the Humbug party and 2020 is just around the corner.  If billions in disaster funds are not enough Trump announced that he will withhold cost of living raises for federal employees.  His latest using his own fake facts, is that he is going to make 25 Billion dollars for the wall by withholding welfare payments.

Trump lowered the federal clean air clean standards so his business friends could again darken our skies and poison the air with coal and chemical emissions.  Voters must learn to love green skies and shoulder low smog.  In another attempt to destroy our national heritage there is a bill to sell the nation's soul to big business.  There is money to be made for the inter circle by oil and mineral mining in the national parks.  After business exploits the land there will be no parks to see, only desertification that will eventually creep into farmlands.  Of course we can then use scant corporate rent monies to buy grain from China and beef from South America.  Russia could provide citrus from its seized Black Sea region.  Everyone wins except the United States.  Is that the plan? 

It has been a busy week for Trump.  He managed a campaign rally with deployed U.S. military personnel where he insulted the troops with extreme humbug, exposed classified information and outraged a friendly nation.  While he was at it he turned Kurdish allies into an enemy's ally that of American arch demon Syria’s Assad. Trump effectively silenced all American influence in Asia leaving an open field for exploitation by non-friends: China, Iran, Russia and Turkey.  There is oil and minerals under all that sand.  Of course we don't need their oil we are going to pump our national parks dry.

The art of the deal, remember the ghosted book.  With the exception of Russia and Saudi Arabia Trump demonized friends and foes alike bragging he would make them bow to his great skills as a negotiator.  His name calling raving rants disrupted a number on going negotiations and really displeased (there is better word) foreign negotiators.  When Trump finally sat down with foreign leaders, he claimed it was a "Love Fest".   It probably is true, Trump bent over for; Putin, China XI, North Korea's Kim, Saudi's MBS and even Mexico got everything they wanted.  Trump did get his photo op but America lost.

In a holiday grandstand play, like a petulant child Trump shut down government because Congress would not fund his wall.  An estimated 400,000 federal employees and their families lacked holiday sugarplums because the White House Scrooge had a temper tantrum.   The wall won't work even if it gets built.  It is a boondoggle to beat all boondoggles that waste money and resources on a throwaway campaign sound bite.  The Great Wall of China failed to keep out Mongols.  Rome's Adrian's Wall failed to keep the Scots pinned in. The Maginot line didn't deter the Germans. McNamara's Line was equally a failure in South Vietnam.  Don't forget the Berlin Wall failure to keep East Germans contained.  In each case the wall failed despite being guarded by massive numbers of troops.  Trump's latest claim is if he doesn't get his wall he will seal the border.  It's estimated it would require 666,000 military personnel to seal the entire border for 24 hours. The U.S. Army and Marines has 748,000 personnel.  The Generals don't stand guard so they are out and only 20 percent are trained to defend the nation. Will they shoot women and children to protect the regime?  We can't make it even if all our troops come home.  The Navy and Coast Guard can't get their ships through the mountains, or is a canal from the Gulf to the Pacific planned?  Will the Space Corps fire its death rays along the border?  That might dig a canal.

While the ultimate boondoggle has no chance of working in the long term.  It does give jobs to Mexicans who will be hired to build the wall; they at least won't jump the wall until it's they are finished. What are the costs figures for maintaining the wall, or does it just fall down after a year?  Question, how much will the Trump organization make for managing the project?  Based on records when the first stake is driven the organization should be renamed Corruption Inc.

Around the world reforms are protecting children from exploitation.  That is everywhere but in the United States where over 13,000 children are being held in concentration camps.  Camps mismanaged by private companies with questionable records but with friends in the Humbug Party.  Despite government and business news blackouts, official information has leaked out of; over 400 lost children, sexual and physical abuse of children, poor and sparse food, even death.  Trump is attempting to roll back Freedom of Information legislation to hide administration missteps. Winter is here and it's probable the children have no winter clothes and heating cost money.  The administration can keep the kids warm by putting them to work on the wall.  Free labor, it worked for Stalin and the Nazi party why not the Humbug Party.  The amazing thing is there are no protest marches on America streets.  It might be explained by the fact that the concentration camps are a product of the Humbug Party and the Party is suppressing not only information but also investigations and accountability.

It is possible that the White House has engaged in insider trading.  The stock market has been on a roller coaster this year, up a few hundred points on rosy White House propaganda.  A couple of weeks later the market falls several hundred points on White House gloom and doom rages.  The cycle has repeated itself several times.  Those in the know of coming tweets can buy low and sell high for substantial profits over and over.  Money managers generally recognize that the year-end market plunge is the direct result of Trump's angry December financial rants.  The questions in the buy low White House is, will the next rant drive the market lower, how long will it take for the market to recover, can new fake facts be created to bring the market back?  

 Since Trump never takes responsibility for any of his failures he is definitely seeking scapegoats for his repeated blunders.  He is destroying the GOP and is an accessory before and after its destruction.  If the GOP will stand up for the nation it might survive, stand with White House dysfunction and the Party and nation faces oblivion, only a footnotes in history.


NOTE: Follow Washington government activities at "https://www.countable.us/"

Mad bomber 102718

Blame the messenger, to hide responsibility.  Trump is not solely responsible for the increasing violence but he has been the primary witch stirring the pot of hate and fear for the last two years.  Double, double toil and trouble; is Shakespeare now a White House strategist?

Stand to
Remember Kent State?  Troops have one purpose, to shoot.  This small number of troops on the border are outnumber at least five to one.  They have no chance of stopping a mob flowing around, over and through them.  At best the troops could only defend two of three football fields without shooting.  This is just another Trump ploy to influence the mid-term elections through fear. (Note: last word is for the same number of troops to be deployed to the border as caravan members for a one on one confrontation.)

Roller coaster
Maybe there is method to the madness, at least where the issue is money.  Trump makes a rosy proclamation and the market soars.  A few days later he makes another of his fire and brimstone campaign hate speeches and the market plunges.  The cycle repeats with false claims of happy days are here again followed by fact checks and trade war threats.  It seems the market is being manipulated from the White House where those in the know of the next speech stand to make significant profits. This is called insider trading, which is illegal for the average investor.  But when the insider is the one doing the manipulation and packing the courts with possible beneficiaries of his information, is it still illegal?   This may go a long way in explaining how the GOP is out spending Democrats in the coming election. Nixon was called a crook but he didn't use the White House for profit.   The house is becoming a little dingy, will another coat of paint bring back it luster or will it just fade away as the great manipulator hangs red lanterns in all its windows.  The forecast White House exodus makes one wonder about possible net worth growth and golden parachutes.  Follow the MONEY!

Fake
Trump has blamed the Democrats, Jews, Hispanics and fake media for electioneering violence. The real fake is in and from the White House.  This is an administration built on divide and conquer, with hatred as its instrument.  TV news doesn't have a sterling record but in general it a self-correcting balanced presentation.  Then again there is FOX News, should it be required to register as a lobbyist organization?  It's been discovered that Trump is using tax dollars to further his hate speak far beyond American borders.  Trump had complained that U.S. propaganda agencies have not adequately supported his agenda.  Propagandists at USIA's Radio Marti were recently caught following orders with open attacks on Trump's political enemies as well as minorities deemed enemies of the regime.  Will these enemies soon join the children already in concentration camps? 

Aliens
Trump has stated that he is going to sign an executive order to cancel the citizenship of natural born American children of non-citizens.  It follows that they will be deported as undesirable aliens.  Picture an 80 year old lady who has live her entire life as an American being dragged out of her home and deported to some foreign land she never knew.  Of course all her children, grand children and great grand children must also be deported because they also are now the progeny of a non-citizen.  Let's make a clean sweep and deport anyone with a non-citizen ancestor.  The country can free is itself from the illegal heritage influence of British, Blacks, Germans, Irish, Italians, Swedes, Jews, Cubans, etc, etc.  Indians and Southwest Mexicans present a unique legal question; they became American citizens by conquest of their own lands.  Not a real problem with packed courts hearing the cases.   Then again will there be any GOP judges left after the deportations?  It was only a matter of time before Trump would attempt to overthrow the U.S. Constitution and in essence declare himself supreme monarch.  Which of his own children will become the heir apparent to the throne?  The monarch has already declared himself above the law and of all oversight, but he may be the ruler of an empty land.  Who will stay in the various Trump towers and play on his golf courses?  He will have no problems with their up-keep, he has already granted himself exemptions for employing undocumented workers.

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102418 Nationalism
Trump is following the time-honored practice of all dictators by declaring himself a nationalist. Should we expect a declaration of "President for Life" soon after coming election results are tallied, no matter the outcome?  Why not, so far he has pretty much ignored law and reason governing by executive dictates.

Caravan
The so called migrant caravan seems suspicious, a group of diverse individuals, came together and began a long trek across three countries to arrive at the United States border just before its mid-term elections.  As it winds its agonizing way north the question arises did GOP provocateurs instigate an electioneering ploy?  If so then the caravan has taken on a life of its own as more people join the parade. Trump is rallying his electoral mob with loud raciest campaign rants to employ the military to destroy this foreign invasion.  In two weeks will the polls open with photos of American troops gunning down women and children?  Will this go down as another Long March? Opposed by another nationalist, the survivors of that Long March twenty years later not only disposed the nationalist but also took over his much larger country.

Nuc treaty
The non-decision to withdraw from IRNF treaty is a dumb idea, we should seek to expand nuclear limitations not expand nuclear stockpiles.  Look at the issue in another perspective the treaty was the result of actions by GOP God, Reagan.  Is Trump saying God was evil?  The question must also be ask, is this a real treaty or not?  If it is a treaty then it ranks along with the U.S. Constitution and Trump has no power to ignore the Constitution, although he tries.  This becomes another dictatorial power grab by Trump.  Treaties may be renegotiated, with the advice & consent (approval)  of the Senate, then ratified by the president only then is the old treaty retired and new treaty becomes the law of the land.  Dictator Don is out to destroy not only the Constitution but also international order.  If McConnell pushes this one through it is the end of the rule of law and the nation.  The GOP will become the world's second most hated political party.

Mid-terms 18
This is the year of hate.  It's also the year when voters must forget party loyalty.  Moderate Republicans must embrace moderate Democrats and independents to use their overwhelming combined electoral power to destroy political radicalism and extremism.  It may well be the last opportunity to prevent the ultimate decline and fall of the United States.  History has shown that uncontested great power last only about a hundred years. Powers are not defeated but in essence die by their own hand.  The United States grabbed great power status in 1918, it is now 2018 and the country is on increasingly shaky ground. At stake in this election is not party control of the House and Senate but the survival of American democracy and image of an enlightened nation.  The very images of a united country, where all people are free and equal under the law.  A country that doesn't hold 13 thousand ethnic children in concentration camps where they are sexually abuse and treated as criminals.  A country that allows all adult citizens too freely vote.  A country that doesn't condone gunning down citizens just because of race, creed, religion, sexual or political orientation.

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Back in the day, a major newspaper’s masthead read “All the news that’s fit to print.”  That was when people believed something was true just because it was in the black and white of newspapers.  There were metro broad sheets and half-sized tabloids.  Metros were gray ladies packed with news, while Tabs had lots of sensation, pictures and features.  Both hit the streets as either morning or afternoon papers with multiple editions adding depth to the culture as extras and five star finals enshrined in early movies.

Newsrooms were filled with low paid reporters who crammed as many of the five “Ws” and “H” into the lead graph as possible. (Who, what, when, where, why and how). Central to newsrooms were editors checking facts and developing coverage for expanding stories.  When papers hit the streets a public hungry for the latest news seized them.  Those papers smelled fresh and left readers’ fingers smudged from still wet ink.  Dedicated news hounds read both morning and evening papers and quickly grabbing up “Extras.”   Out of newsroom chaos came great authors and early screenwriters educated by old cigar chomping editors.  When radio and later TV news began to develop in mid 20th century former newspaper reporters staffed them.  The discipline they had absorbed in city rooms trained them to boil down lead graphs for five minute 'rip and read" newscast.

When aging print-trained radio and TV reporters were forced off the air they were replaced by college educated, ego driven TV journalists.  These were more interested in on air face time than in accurate reporting.  Electronic news grew from five-minute spots to half-hour moneymakers leading to around the clock shows, TV magazine shows and infomercials posing as news.  These rehashed real news with speculation that confused and distracted. A prominent TV news face probably makes more in one year than all the old time print reporters in a lifetime.  This has contributed to new graduates seeking a fast track to fame and fortune as the next big face.    Spectacular stories lead to fame and fortune, not necessarily lead to fake news but rather to sloppy reporting.    Since TV stories are not black and white records to be re-read, but flashes of half heard commentaries, open to interpretation, which then vanishes. Journalists have lost not only their duty to inform but also their objectivity.  Reporters reported the news, TV journalist are the news. Add to this that news programs are broken by moneymaking advertising, news teasers and irrelevant chitchat between personalities. Researchers are discovering that people who rely solely on TV news are less well informed than those that have no direct access to news.

All this contributes to a news vulnerability to manipulation by politicians and special interests.  For years sloppy reporting has conditioned the public to accept sound bites as in depth factual reporting.  It’s a very short distance between misleading sound bites, to spin doctors, disinformation and ultimately open political lying.  Airtime is seized by the loudest and most frequent political lies. The population has become easy victims of political cons.    Research has also found that while fake news does exist, most of it is generated by official sources.

With a president that admittedly doesn't read and reportedly spends four to eight hours a day watching TV news it becomes apparent why the government has reached an all time high of dysfunction.  As bad as electronic news is a dedicated researcher can mine a few facts from multiple news outlets.  New social media computer applications have added even more mud for an informed public to sink into, (that's another story).  The president has embraced social media as his preferred distracting disinformation outlet.  In a circular reporting conundrum the president then watches only programming that recycles and glorifies the tweets from a twit.  It's not news!

In the next election voters should only elect candidates that have read and understand Gibbon's, "...Decline and fall of the Roman Empire," published in 1776.  This qualification insures that they can read complex material and see the potential for the fall the empire born in 1776.

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Jerusalem:  Trump blew it again, Jerusalem should be an open city because it really is holy to three warring religions and to declare one over the others insures war will go on.  Trump blows in the wind and the wind from Mecca may ultimately cover Jerusalem and Rome with sand.  Is it impossible for America to make friends rather than enemies?  Wasn't one of Trump's many rants to bring peace in the Middle East?  This "ain't" a peace making deal. 

Special Counsel:  When a special counsel is fired by an administration that is being investigated then there should be an automatic review by an appeals court independent of any administration appointed judges.  An administration packed court, which is a GOP goal, would be suspect in any ruling handed down.  If an administration appointed court rules against independent investigation of that administration it would be the end of democracy and reinforce Trump's attempts at authoritarian rule.  The GOP congress has already proven that it will not stand up for the Constitution and the people against Trump rule.  Ultimately the final collapse of the United States and revolution.

Immigration: Trump is attempting to cut a deal on immigration, that imposes even more pain and suffering on innocent people, in order to get what he wants by bullying Congress.  A Trump deal is a bad deal and should be rejected immediately upon his proposal.  There does need to be a wall, not on the border but around the White House. A border wall is a waste of money on a failed concept.  A White House (WH) wall however just might keep Trump off his many golf courses and in Washington.   Don't expect the WH wall to insure rational government.

State of Union: In bad shape, I have no interest in watching a talking parrot reading from  a list of special interests by a man unable to tell the truth on anything.  With his proven record why should we pay attention to more lies while he attempts divert attention from his high crimes and overthrow of democracy.  The fact is that Congress appears incapable of defending the Constitution against his repeated attacks,  indicates he is accomplishing the objectives of American adversaries.  This SOTU will probably be just another fund raising campaign rally.  I'm much more effective in wasting my own time than watching another reality show on TV. 

Designated survivor: Donald Duck for Trump's designated survivor, it would be a step up.  A real entertainer with credibility to replace a fake entertainer with none.

Need a larger budget for snow removal from Minnesota golf courses that would be developed in exploitation of public wilderness areas.

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Memos:  The GOP memo was manufactured by a known Trump agent in Congress in an attempt to obstruct justice in defense of Der Donald.  The Democratic memo is an attempt to defend American legal system.  While the GOP memo is known to contain false and bias information the Democrats' memo proclaims to be an attempt correct the record it may also contain bias.  To withhold or redact the Democrats' memo is another Wall: Protect the former children and forget the Wall.  To quote that GOP saint, Ronald Reagan, "Tear down that wall." Clear attempt to obstruct American justice.  Both document must now be available to the public in a last defense of democracy.

Clean water:  Another attack on science, it's well proven that watersheds feed larger bodies of water.  Filling in watersheds for golf courses or hazardous  waste dumps will poison the land, kill wild life and ultimately all life. There is no need for an expensive Mars exploration, just wait for Trump finish his destruction of earth and save all that money for caskets.

Pentagon and money:  It is probable that Pentagon has lost far more money than the missing billion from one line item.  It is proven that there is serious corruption within the military, (on going naval cases) major waste and lack of accountable.  The military system is to inflate budgets to justify promotions.  In the far flung operations the military has been throwing money  at problems to hide its inability to craft solutions.  Corrupt local officials in Iraq and Afghanistan have become rich on direct handouts and what they and what they are able to divert from American projects.  The military does not want the scope of  the problem to become known, while pleading poverty to extort more funds from Congress.  There should be no defense budget increases until the Pentagon can account for every dollar, it still will be able to fund its corruption on the lose pennies. Congress should not allow itself to continue to be blackmailed by corrupt generals cries of national security crises.

Journalist protection:  A dictator's ancient cry, "kill the messenger," has become a democracy's president's order to his fanatical supporters.  It is sad that this legislation has become necessary in America.

Everyone love a parade:  The cost of Trump's parade will probably exceed 20 million dollars.  Such a parade Trump envisions (the greatest ever) follows those grand parades of Hitler, Stalin and Kim.  Those were just to show the world military might, the French Bastille day parade dates from it birth as a republic.  Each of these parades marched 20 abreast down broad avenues, longer and possible wider than the national mall.  Trump can only offer the congested Pennsylvania Ave.  In the foreign countries troops and equipment are already stationed close of the capitals.  American troops and tanks are hundreds even thousands of miles away and would have to be transported days in advance disrupting regular air, rail and road transportation.  In Washington the troops would be sleeping on the ground in all kinds of weather.  It is doubtful Trump would put that "dirty rabble" up in his tower.  He might over charge the more senior officers for the servants' quarters.  Past parades have been a salute to victories or to honor soldiers, who hate such parades.  Trump's parade is another ego trip to honor Trump, who has no honor and done nothing for the country.  Save money and give the troops a month off instead of abusing them for at least a month of parade preparations.

Infrastructure:  Trump's non-plan falls far short of needs and even the 1930's WPA accomplishments.  To repair the U.S. infrastructure far more money is needed than what Trump claims for his useless wall.  His plan feeds his friends who can pig out at Trump's trough but does little for the country.  Consider the need to first repair dams, lots of lives at stake down stream, not to mention electrical power, flood control and drinking water.  Second there are all the bridges and over/under passes that carries commerce.  Then there is an urgent need for a true national transit system that could bring the country up to at least 19th century standards.  The rail/bus systems have deteriorated to the point that we can't get there from here, except by private automobiles.  Auto & Oil companies marketing the romance of the road created America's love affair with cars in the post war era.  That romance has turned to hate of traffic jams, smog, oil addiction, failing scattered malls and wall to wall blacktop; its time for a divorce.  Air travel was once a pleasure and is now a pain in the cramped seats of sardine packed planes.  Add to discomfort on planes is the difficulty in getting to airport, fighting the confusion of changing regulations, humiliating non-security screening, ground delays, air delays and short hop flying take longer & cost more than boarding an old steam train.  Why is the United States the only major country without high speed rail?  What is needed is a vision for future infrastructure needs humanity not expensive handout to big business and golf courses.

Education reform:  Another Trump disaster,  America became great on universal public education in the 19th and early 20th century.  So now let's privatize for poor education or expensive good elite education.  There is money to be made and parents to be extorted.

2019 Budget: Obviously the road to a police state to keep the starving rabble in its place.