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.

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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.

Coup 111120

 Election 2020 is the election that won’t end with the incumbent loser attempting a coup by reversing its results in the finest fascist tradition.

Trump’s political career follows the classic fascist model. Identify a disenchanted segment of the population; feed it a diet of fear, hate and lies at spectacular rallies while wrapped in false patriotism.  Consolidate power by creating a uniform to distinguish radical followers from an “opposition” (black shirts, brown shirts, RED HATS).   Then incite the red hats to intimidate and attack the general population creating systemic vulnerability for the country.  That vulnerability facilitates the use of democratic processes to seize power.  In power corrupt the institutions of government by replacing judges and professional civil service with unqualified red hat loyalist.  Then micro manage through one a man rule that ignores unwelcome dynamic realities.

This is the model of Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler among others.  This difference between Trump and the big three dictators, they were a lot smarter.  Remember they ended in destroying their countries and Trump is on track to destroy his country and his party. This administration is one of Trump rule not Trump governance. From day one it has been campaign Trump, feeding the red hats their regular diet of fear, hate and lies.  This has been the most corrupt national administration in American history.  Unlike straight arrow Grant’s administration Trump not only condones agency corruption but runs much of it from the White House.  Consider no-bid contracts for political donors, witness intimidation, bribery, jury tampering, a stream of obvious lies and waste of tax dollars for political support.  At the same time Trump withholds funds to organizations and states not considered sufficiently 'loyal' to the golfer in chief.  Election 2020 was a ‘come to Jesus moment’ for Trump (remember he claimed to be divinely chosen) he lost and lost big.

In his blundering careers he had many failures and bankruptcies but these were mostly out of sight. However during election 2020 he was publicly tagged as a loser and may also have bankrupted his party and even the country.  It’s possible that being a loser is not the issue that bothers Trump but rather the public exposure of his character flaws that led to his defeat.  He is flailing away crying fraud, robbery and hiring hundreds of lawyers (he can’t pay) to muddy election waters, possibly an effort to prevent states from certifying the election results to justify his coup.  A week after the election Trump continues refuses to acknowledge his lost filing multiple challenges to the results.  GOP party leaders, from fear or self-interest, are supporting Trump’s claims that the election was stolen.  They claim that they are giving Trump’s ego time to adjust to his lost but the truth of the matter is that they are accessory in Trump’s attempted coup.

While his coup attempt flounders on he hides in the White House watching TV and tweeting a steady diet of lies and ordering the red hats send money to pay his bills and for more lawsuits in support of his coup.  It appears that he is still trying to incite his red hats to lead a revolution returning Trump to power.  While waiting for the revolution Trump ignores the nation’s peril from what history may call the GOP virus for its failures to deal with the crisis.

Now while thousands are dying, like the Queen of Hearts he is shouting “Off with their heads,” but must settle with decapitating national security agencies to degrade the next administration ability to govern.  If he ultimately must surrender when his coup fails it won't be his fault.  The red hats will have betrayed Der Donald and the country deserves to die.

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.