Happening 010125

Portugal is nice and far enough away from Trump and Putin to survive four years without fear of take over.  That is if neither wants to corner the cork or tomato paste markets.

A century ago (1925) astute Germans noted the political winds, moved their assets and became expats or immigrants in “safe” lands.  We missed our chance.  Five years later the door closed, assets were frozen or seized and the fleeing became refugees that no one wanted.   A few refugees were able to convert their wealth into diamonds or other hard assets they smuggled to neutral lands.  There they discovered their wealth was greatly diminished in a buyer’s market (watch the movie Casablanca again) where a place to stay might cost five carats, ten carats with meals.  How is your diamond supply?

Canada and Panama are no longer safe havens for us and Mexico might not let us in even if we go the wetback route.  Fleeing to the mountains and forest is out since Trump is clearing land for oil wells.  The Gulf of “America” island countries are prime takeover real estate for Trump resorts.  Cuba may hold out as a possible safe haven, then again it might be sold back to the Mob in a mega deal.   Speaking of deals, the coming summit where Trump gets his orders from Putin may be reminiscent of the NAZI/Tokyo Pact for spheres of influence.  Putin will eat steak and Trump will dine on stale bread and soppings.

What to do, what to do!  
If you have billionaire friends, not already in Trump’s pocket, convince them to establish offshore media outlets to counter Musk’s growing propaganda empire.  “The truth shall make you free,” but what is the truth?  Fact check every word, every document and every action, shout real facts out loud and often.  The two party system failed America, the system was diverted into left/right extremism.  Your granddad’s party is not today’s party.  Two bad choices are no choice at all, forget labels and support candidates that live and breathe the future not some flawed vision of the past.  Pay attention who the people are and not what they try to hide on the now continuous campaigning.  Officials out campaigning are not out serving the public.

Almost forgotten now, America’s 1930s was awash with isolationism, xenophobia and sanctioned corruption.  The “America First Party” was a NAZI front, “Yellow Peril” the drum beat of false terror and minorities live in gettoes.  It was also the time when the United  States were the worlds industrial engine.   Today the yellow peril is back in political rhetoric as China is making friends and has over 45 percent of the worlds industrial capacity.  There is no catch up, it is time to make friends and save the world together as wildfires rage and oceans rise.  Will they ever meet?

Continuing alienation and conflict waste resources, degrades an already fragile environment and results in the eclipse  of old powers.  It is happening here, fight back, hold those responsible, accountable.  You have two years to make a difference.

Darkness 110624

Years ago some political philosopher stated that, “People deserve the government they voted for.”  He did not mean that in a nice way, many hated oppressive regimes were initially voted into office.  What can America look forward too?  Ukraine is toast with Eastern Europe not far behind.  Surviving Palestinians will be forced to wander hopelessly in the desert as towering hotels rise from the ashes of their beachfront homes.  Taiwan without promised support disappears into Greater China.  The Pacific increasingly becomes a Chinese lake as other island nations join South Korea’s struggle to maintain their independence.  China is already moving into Africa and South America as the United States turns inward.

The United States has lost all claims to a moral high ground, which was the basic of its “soft power” to influence world events.  Foreign nations look on gleefully as the nation enters into the melt down phase to third world status.  While Americans ignored Trump’s first term record of international blunders, the global community seeks ways to work around America during his second term and the country may never regain world respect. The world has studied and assessed Trump’s leadership abilities and find he is not to be trusted, is easily manipulated or outright bought.  Trump and by extenuation America is responsible for instability in the world order.  Under Trump’s inability to understand realities made America complicit in Putin’s colonial land grab as well as Netanyahu’s ethnic cleansing and massacre of thousands.  Trump is also responsible for the fall of Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban leaving his blunders for Biden to save as much as possible.   His rejection of the standing agreement with Iran pushed that nation clearly into Russia’s orbit and freed up its resources to oppose the United States.  Trump empowered China and North Korea’s global ambitions.  He attempted to withdraw Treaty alliances (ratified treaties are equal to U.S. Constitutional law) meeting with legal restrictions but he is now sworn to ignore the Constitution.  Internationally America can now be considered an outlaw nation.  While MAGA seeks isolationism reminiscent of the 1920s, we should remember how that turned out, and it is a much smaller and interdependent world today.  There is a military maxim, “Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way,” Trump can’t lead, won’t follow or get out of the way so the country will be bulldozed out of the way as the world moves past.

Domestically, Trump was able to run a campaign of deception and cover up.  Voters were entertained by his outrageous claims, the more absurd the more exciting for the mobs’ entertainment.  Straight out of Cult 101, an excited mob is beyond reason and unable to think for themselves.  Trump was able to paint his first term as a political “Garden of Eden” while the reality was closer to the last bite of apple.  Presidential scholars have concluded that his administration was and abject failure with Trump rated as the worst president in history.  Independent researchers have uncovered over 4000 cases of open corruption with Trump as the “King of Kickbacks.”  A totally unqualified contractor won the infamous border wall with a significant campaign contribution (the wall was never built).  Trump’s son-in-law advisor charged with resolving Middle Eastern tensions walked away with several Billion dollars of Saudi money while region erupted into genocidal warfare.  Trump himself demanded what amounted to open bribes from foreign governments as the price of doing business in America.  He established a number of campaign Public Action Committees (PAC) soliciting nickels and dime contributions from lower class ‘rabble’ and billions from the rich, diverting much of the funds to pay his personal expenses.  Accountants may still be trying to unravel Trump’s financial “Gordian knot” in the 22nd century.

The election is over and blinded by smoke the people have voted and now have to live with their choice.  The smoke refuses to clear, in fact is becoming denser as MAGA goes into the cover up mode.  MAGA calls for election fraud investigations are now silenced to hide its fraudulent operations.  The MAGA leader, an admitted sexual predator has endorsed other sexual predators for cabinet positions to distract, cover up and bury crimes that may embarrass or lead to new charges.  Is there a rule of don’t change behavior, change the Law?  It would seem so as Congressional MAGA stalwarts attempt to bury their own investigations.

Trump spreads chaos under the old adage that in chaos there is profit and he is never one to pass up a profit.  His promised “Golden Age” is more gold for himself, extracted from his faithful.  There will be no trickle down from this administration.

                    ###


NOTE:
As a very young man I often sat in 50s Oxford (England) coffee shops listening to elite students attempting to come to terms with Britain’s collapse as world leader.  I didn’t understand much of the discussions at the time.  Over the years with much analysis that experience continues to haunt.  In short the students were caught up in cultural debates.  They were the products of generations that ruled over a quarter of the world.  Upon graduations their expectations had been to spend a few years running the colonies, make their pile before coming home as lords of manors.  The reality was: the country was bankrupt, colonies were declaring independence, and worst of all returning soldiers were demanding the pie, not just a piece.  Taxes were destroying estates and grand manors falling into disrepair to be snapped up by foreign money.  The debates centered on how do we stop the rot, how are we to survive, we might have to get jobs, and plaintive pleas of what kind of job are we qualified.  America propped up Britain for years but75 years on Britain still hasn’t adjusted to its diminished status.  Rejecting the European Union it faces a final breakup of Great Britain, with stiff upper lip England may have to go it alone. Faced with similar dynamics disunited states may be back to the original thirteen.

looking in 103124

 
The thing about being on the outside looking in, with no hope of influencing affairs, is that one has the freedom objectively question events.

One event worth noting is MAGA’s recent attempt to whitewash Trump’s Russian patron as a misunderstood mister nice guy.  Make no mistake Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is an international criminal of the highest order.  His invasion of the Ukraine was a pure and simple attempt at an 18th/19th century colonial empire.  In the process he has committed multiple crimes against humanity, condoned rape, torture and mass murder.  He is following the Great powers’ grab of colonial empires that employed similar tactics.  Colonial empires came crashing down in the 20th century with post World War Two nationalist movements.  The United Nations even recognized the legitimacy of independence movements.  Putin has no legitimate claim to the Ukraine, which has historically resisted Russian domination.  Possibly on a secret sell out promise Putin invaded Ukraine expecting a quick annexation of the independent country, after all Russia is 28 times the size of the Ukraine.  Here is an overlooked twist to his illegal war, despite it size Russia with a reported over whelming military power the land grab is in a prolonged near stalemate.  Russia is forced to buy foreign weapons and hire foreign mercenary armies to continue the battle.  This has not deterred Putin’s plans, he continues to push Russian “settlers” into surrounding countries as a future “fifth column” for invasion.  He is also militarily buzzing around the former Russian territory of Alaska.  This may be a distraction or part of a plan to annex the state, he would probably demand reperations for all the gold and oil America has extracted form the state.  Depending who becomes the U.S. president, he might get it.  There could be a large domestic contract for flags with 49 stars.

America might keep its flag or maybe become a continuing Trump flag monopoly as several MAGA states flirt with succession.   Of more immediate concern is growing war in the Middle East, which includes a land grab with ethnic cleansing.  Understand first that this is not a religious war between Judaism and Islam.  It is purely a political war fought in a 21st century propaganda arena, and Israel  is winning by playing its historical “victim” card.  Trump as president empowered fellow criminal Benjamin Netanyahu to oppress Israel’s Palestinian minority as way to remain in power avoiding his corruption trial.  Netanyahu attempted to follow Trump’s lead in packing his courts with partisan ideologues but the Israeli people counter marched in mass.  Netanyahu was still oppressing Palestinian when elements of Hamas staged a supposed “surprise” raid into Israeli territory and seize hostages.  This allowed Netanyahu to claim self-defense when he launched surgical strikes with a meat ax into Gaza.  So far Israeli strikes have killed over 40 thousand men, women with over 14 thousand preteen children. Israel has extended it strikes into Lebanon, Iran and Syria with possible clandestine operations elsewhere.  Private citizen Trump has been in illegal negotiations with both Putin and Netanyahu with the message of, “do what you have to do,” implying that for their support he will support them when reelected.

Israel has played it anti-Semitic card repeatedly in America’s national election pinning the Biden administration to supporting Israel’s continued war crimes.  It is probable that Netanyahu does not want to recover any remaining hostages in order to prolong his political survival.  MAGA quickly rallied to the Israeli calls to punish anti-Semitism in “liberal” institutions.  The reality is that Palestinian Arabs have as many, if not more, Semitic roots than Israelis.  Both Judaism and Arabs venerate Abraham as the beginning of their lineage but not ever Jew can be considered Semitic.  (NOTE: While Turkey took its name from the people, Palestinians took their name from an ancient land (Greek for land of the Phoenicians).)  What Netanyahu’s war is doing is guaranteeing that the Mid-east conflict will go on for generations.  It is probable that every Palestinian has lost someone to Israeli strikes and surviving children will flock to militant recruitment in the future.

America faces the prospect of government by Trump for Trump, and despite MAGA’s expectations there will be no trickle down unless there are massive kickbacks to the TRUMP.  Trump inadvertently told one truth, election 24 will be the most corrupt national election, ever.  What he is not saying is most of the fraud is being perpetrated by MAGA loyalist.  In his last year in office Trump imbedded loyalist in key government position and corrupted the judiciary with judges appointed for political loyalty rather than constitutional jurisprudence skills.  It is interesting that Trump has spent the last four years building a MAGA private army of Trump Storm Troopers (TST) now unleaseshed on the election.  Across the country TST are burning ballots, seized control of polling places, threaten bodily harm to poll workers and voters.  In numerous instances local MAGA officials have released the names potential opposition voters and purged others after the polls have opened.  Win or lose expect TST to run amok for the shear joy of violent freedom. Is that a constitutional right?  Maybe, Trump has promised to do away with the American constitution and advocates violence against all opposition.  Another interesting point is that Trump has spent 12 years campaigning while Harris has only been running for three months and is now neck and neck with the Trump machine.

As the 20th centuries last standing great power America led the world down the dark path of mass marketing.  There is little difference from selling soap to selling politicians.  If a product doesn’t sell, change the message.  It is cheaper to change the package than improve the product.  Anything can be sold if presented long enough and loud enough even the most odious of products.  Conditioned by years of entertaining but misleading advertising 21st century Americans’ fell easy prey to long and loud entertaining political disinformation, read that as out and out lies.  The surge in so called social media provides screaming voices to every propaganda agenda obliterating thought and truths.  Dr. Joseph Goebbels would have loved the new tools for mislead and conditioning a populace.

Trump has validated one American myth; anyone can become U.S. president, even a maniacal, criminal slipping into senility. A keystone to democracy, everyone deserves representation.

Outside 100524

It’s another American election cycle unlike any before or hopefully any in the future. This cycle is long on sound and fury, short on truths with abundant hatred seasoned by fear. That’s only the domestic dynamics. Technology has facilitated international dynamics reminiscent of the “Cold War” when America and Russia played checkers in small national elections. There was no chess like strategy; it was who grabbed off the most checkers. American elections are now the target with not only Russia playing but also China, Israel, Islamic states as well radical NGOs with their own agendas.

An early victim of sound and fury politics is the establishment of 80 as the age of political incompetence. Following that logic, if 80 is the limit for one elected office then why not also the limit all over 80 government officials? Why not also senators, representatives, judges even business leaders? Extending the argument, age limits also limit views of history and national identity.

The over 80s set was born at the end of the depression as the progeny of America’s greatest generation. Socialized by that generation, their cultural values may seem out of step in the 21st century. They saw their fathers march off to war, while the KKK still marched across our land. Lynching was common, as was minority discrimination, organized and disorganized crime. Local governments were often corrupt and the 3d degree ruled police departments. When fathers returned they instilled a love of freedom and reform in their children. As the kids matured they fought a number of wars, foreign and domestic, to defend freedom. They saw the battles for civil rights. As the only great power left standing they understood the economic and power benefits of being American as well as its obligations.  America held a moral high ground.

For a century American politics had been shared between conservatives and liberals principles under the titles of Republican (GOP) and Democratic parties. Cooperation between the parties was often reluctantly given but national governance did work for the next fifty years before government broke down in the face of self-interest over national interest. The 20th century was the American Century of great power. Scholars have postulated that great power last about 100 years before being supplanted by other rising powers. The 21st century “Me” culture may validate the great power hypothesis as America surrendered its moral high ground in the 2016-election cycle. So far the 2024 election cycle does not bode well for America’s survival as a power player.

Before political correctness an early typing exercise included the phrase, “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” The American two party system is broken, no longer do liberals and conservatives debate and compromise in the interest of the country. Party politics have been captured by “winner take all” extremism to the point that the conservatives (GOP) have lost their party to MAGA disinformation. Without a vision of a future MAGA is attempting to sell a mythical past of fear, discrimination and hatred as a desired policy. The old typing exercise must be rewritten as, “Now is the time for all responsible voters to save their country.”

Donald Trump is the biggest nut in the MAGA fruit cake but he has empowered and even more extreme “nuttier butter” of extremism that “the DON” is not smart enough to notice his ego being played by other interest. Every slice of the cake exposes extremism spinning off in every direction with the rule of law the first victim.  America does owe the Don for exposing just how corrupted our justice system has become.  He has built his empire on, “money talks,” with bribery, intimidation and legal obfuscatory delay.   He carried these tactics into the Whitehouse openly applying them in his two impeachments.

MAGA partygoers hear only the words of their self appointed ‘God’ generated by a vast propaganda machine of spin-doctors, mass marketers and fake pollsters.  The reality is not the braggart’s words but rather his open and proven tawdry record.  The Don is neither Republican, Christian, honorable or trustworthy.  If he accuses an opponent of nefarious deeds he is blowing smoke to cover his own crimes and he seizes all credit for others’ accomplishments.  If he can’t pass the buck, or grab the credit he orders his decibels to obstruct legislative solution.  His character is that of no ethics, integrity or loyalty which his many loyalist and lawyers have discovered to their sorrow.  He is a party of one and that one must profit.

His admitted heroes are mob bosses and dictators seeing himself on that level.   There is no pretense of becoming even a benevolent dictator it will be all for self, the ultimate ME cultural goal.  Government is for sale; he demanded a billion dollar “donation” from tech companies with a promise of favors in the future.  His made in USA spiel is lost in his money grab with out sourced Trump souvenirs.  His over stated fortune was gained by not paying his bills, taxes or through ten cent on the dollar bankruptcies leaving economic chaos in his wake.  When he “owns” the mint he will print a greater fortune for himself leaving the country bankrupt like some banana republics.

Stripping away the wordsmith’s cover the Don has openly admitted to getting away with numerous crimes.  By his own admission he is a draft dodging, rapist, tax cheat and traitor.  His longstanding links to The Russian mob have been documented and he may in fact be a Russian agent.  In secret meetings, with no American witnesses, did he sell secrets to the Russian dictator; did he also promise the Ukraine to Russia?

In his latest claim straight out of the NAZI play book he will require the military to swear a personal loyalty to him rather than the Constitution.  There are enough mid-level officers who’ll sell their souls to become generals.  It could happen.

Harris may not be the best choice to repair the damage MAGA has inflected upon the country but she won’t sell it out for personal profit. She will be faced with a daunting task of regaining the county’s moral leadership, repairing its fault lines, and ending patronage and partisanship.  The presidency is a position above party; the president governs for all people.

Utopian goals:
Amend Constitutional requiring elected officials be truthful to the electorate.  
End billion dollar election cycles to feed the hungry.
MAGA broke the country, GOP and Democrats will come together to rebuild.

As a well over 80 outsider, I’ve seen much and studied more so I can take whatever comfort there is in the knowledge that I won’t have to survive long in a MAGA Gulag.

Rules 040324

Politics
Create a crisis, promise a solution you don’t have and when caught, blame someone else.
Shout loudly to take credit for accomplishments of others.
Give the masses someone to hate, a good American tradition. Hate the Germans, Scots, Irish, Poles, Jews, Italians, Chinese, Japanese, and throw in the earlier Indian and Mexican settlers. Change the Constitution, deport them with their broods, and take the country back to the Buffalo.

Culture
Christians who eat apple pies and products containing apple cider vinegar are committing a mortal sin. It’s in the Bible; eating apples are the root of all the evil in the world.

Fundamentalists are pushing the Second Coming of Trump, as messiah. But messiah is the deliverers of Jews not white male Protestants.   In search of votes the “Don” is claiming Jesus like persecution.  Judging his behavior, he is more of an anti-Christ. Every Christian must have a Trump bible and pass them out among non-believing heathens, it’s a rule to make Trump more money, worked for Hitler.

Low finance
Just paid two and half dollars for a five cent donut with a nickel cup of coffee costing
eight bucks. Back in my day I could have gotten breakfast of a couple of day old donuts and a bottomless cup of coffee for a dime while being entertained by cafe comedy and dramas. My idea of high finance.

The point of finance is not about the amount of money but rather how low, financiers will sink.  Bernie Madoff ran a Ponzi racket that pocketed 65 billion dollars before being caught and sentenced to 105 year in the slammer. Bankmon-Fried was just sentenced to 25 years in a bit-coin scam that lost over eight billion.  Among his many scams and tax dodges Trump has set a new low.  He sold his near worthless media company to true believer, small investors for an estimated six billion dollars.  He is now suing stockholders because he is unable to loot the company for six months. There seems to be grounds for a SEC investigation.  This is the guy just found guilty of fraud in New York state and has a half billion-dollar fine pending.   Have no fear; he has already stated an intention of shutting down the IRS when elected president.  He will just add the SEC to his hate list of watchdog agencies.  This Mafia “Don” has a long history of fraud, bankruptcies and using shyster lawyers to defend his crimes.  He then fails to pay legal fees and throws the shysters under the bus of disbarment.  The “Don’s” greatest fraud is convincing poor folks to send in their nickels and dimes to bankroll his defense.

 Madoff may have made off with more money but the “Don” sinks lower.  The “Don” owns judges and makes up his own rules of connivance.  The only way to stop his crime wave is for a courageous justice system to stand up and sentence the “Don” to hard time busting big rocks into gravel.
                                                            ###

Sitcom  031224

The most watched sitcom in the world has been running for some time but the 2024 season will break all viewer records, except maybe in the United States. It’s really a poor show in part because it is too long and can’t decide if it’s a comedy, love story, drama, mystery or crime show. While there are a few stars, the cast is a shifting mish-mash of over 340 million. With eight billion worldwide viewers watching cameo appearances by their local big wigs.

This season is all about two old men slugging it out for free rent in a house on a very small hill.  The main characters are and incompetent “scream and shout, run about” (S&S) criminal and a relatively quite, competent workman. The main supporting characters have learned to entertain in Scream and Shout’s agitprop university. The Workman’s team is handicapped by ethics and questionable utopian visions but are reluctantly learning the new media rules for market share.

Rule one: loud is in, logic and reason are out. Hatred and violence are in while books, education and reason are out. The past is in, the future is out and science is evil. Lots screaming and shouting about how great the 1920 and 30s were in the hands of the likes of Al Capone, Mussolini and Hitler. Wealth ruled and striking labor was gunned down while political mobs roamed the streets, cops and judges were for sale to money or power. Even the divisive slogans of that period are being recycled and parroted as new thinking.

It is possible that education and books are a bad thing, they lead to independent thinking and questions. Having read a book or two questions must be asked to complete the sitcom’s 2024 scrip. At least as far back as the Russian revolution in the early 1920s, Russian intelligence services used honey traps to recruit compliant agents in the west. Both men and women visitors, especially students and the potentially influential, were caught on film in questionable situations for possible future blackmail. Is it possible that frequent visitor S&S with an admitted proclivity for young women, has star billing in Russian honey productions? Is it possible that S&S known blundering greed led to laundering Russian Mob money for a loan to save his failing real estate empire? Will the mob post the bond covering his nearly half billion dollar fines? This leads to the ultimate question, is it possible that in an acknowledged secret meeting with the Russian leader, without any American witness, that S&S agreed to degrade NATO and surrender Ukraine for the Russian dictator in return for his silence? This could explain the dictator’s surprise at Ukraine resistance and expansion of NATO.

Another foreign policy blunder must be questioned, did S&S’s green light of Netanyahu building Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory push Hamas to strike back with the only tools they knew. Which is being used by Netanyahu to justify ethnic cleansing and full occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. The Gaza war quickly became a propaganda conflict with Israel winning, ignoring the fact that thousands of real people are suffering and dying. The question is did S&S take an option on Gaza beachfront property?

Years ago there was a book written, “The rich get richer, the poor get jail,” S&S has validated that hypothesis while also demonstrating the corruption of the American legal profession.  S&S claimed a net worth of 30 billion  (independently assessed around three billion) in a self indictment he now claims he can’t afford to pay all the court order fines and legal fees and is soliciting donations from adoring fans.  The question is since these donations are to pay personal obligations of an individual, shouldn’t they considered individual income on which income tax is due?  Did he declare this income on his last three years’ tax returns?  Is this one of the reasons that Red Hat legislators are attempting to dismantle the IRS? After all the IRS did take down his hero Al Capone.

It is relative easy to incite a mob, but extremely difficult to control that mob once on the march.  This leads to another question. Did S&S’s created caravan of 400 immigrants, used to justify his border non-wall policy, gather steam along the line of march leading to the present turmoil at the border? It seems like a good political idea at the time?

History will remember S&S’s tactics that changed world politics forever: lie, deny, delay, blame, attack louder and louder until it drowns out reality.  A modernization of Herr Doctor Goebbels principles of the 1930s, he would have loved today’s communication tools.  If caught, intimidate witnesses; bribe juries and shop for pet judges.  It worked in two impeachments and is being mirrored by tin pot dictators around the world.  The Red Hats joined the ranks of Black and Brown Shirts strong-arm political bullies to over throw of legitimate governments on six January.  The Black and Brown shirts were successful but the Red Hats failed.  The question is will the Red Hats try again and have they learned to win?  The cost to America is the loss of the moral high ground and its “soft power” to influence world events.  Technological diffusion has enabled even the most extreme minor power to compete with powerful armies.  Foreign polices that flip-flop like a dying fish insure that the world can no longer trust U.S. words.  As a private citizen S&S is making commitments to foreign dictators, ordering Red Hat legislators to stonewall bills and ordering his judges to ignore the constitution and the rule of law.  Isn’t this another coup attempt, even treason?

The sitcom has become reality TV: Will the Red Hats conquer the world, Will blood run in the streets, Will the Christians throw scientist to the lions?  Stay tuned for the next episode of Scream and Shout.  That’s entertainment, but the world is real, very small and soft power may never comeback.

While cliffhangers are entertaining, this one is not about ratings but rather national survival. Pay attention, question political assertions, turn down the volume so you can look past the sitcom’s flag waving visuals to see the future national risk.

                                                                    ###

 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?

Humbug 122022

We’ve almost made it through another year but it is still a question if we will survive election 22 with its count and recount Christmas message of “I WUZ ROBBED.”

This is the season of “Peace on earth and good will toward all ‘persons’” HUMBUG. The real season message is, “hate, deception, profit, corruption, power and war.”  Might doesn’t make right, but it does spin its positive message.  Rational maximization, “What’s good for me is good for the company/government/country/world/the people.”  A good many years ago I told a freshman class that my generation had made a mess of the world but they had an opportunity to learn form our mistakes to make a better world.  Time has passed and those fresh-persons are now running the world.  They did learn, not to solve problems but how to profit from them.  

Back in my day I did a bit of traveling, discovering that despite nationally, race or gender we are a common people.  Some are smart others not so smart, some are good and others are really, really bad.  Ignoring the cultural artificially induced prejudicial perceptions, the good/bad, smart/not so are fairly equally distributed around the globe.  Orientals are noted for taking a long view of world dynamics but the long view is there for all to see.  Look at the 2020s from the perspective of 1820s and 1920s dynamics.

The 1820s were the era of slavery and colonial expansion by countries seeking greatness.   By the 1920s the resulting great powers barely survived an imperial killing war that saw the United States take a seat at the great power table divvying up the spoils.  The problem was that the war had shattered the world order and victory euphoria obscured a coherent vision of a future.  Governments were falling, inflation was rampant and nationalism gave rise to opportunist dictatorships. In 1820 the world was very large and nations had room to blunder but by 1920 the world had become much smaller and interdependent.   The smallest misstep sooner or later reverberated around the world.  Although xenophobic loud mouth politicians deny it, the 2020 world is so small and interdependent that it should be viewed as one world of one people.

The 2020 dynamics are straight out of the past: nationalist hatred, growing inflation, neo-colonialist wars of conquest, governments’ instability and political corruption.  Political self-interest is the greatest Humbug of all, threatening to drag our one people of the one world into global disorder and melt down.  The dynamics of the past are the same, the players have shuffled, rules have changed and the diffusion of technological capabilities may also dry up our blue marble.

There is little time to prevent the decline and fall of earth to the status of another celestial cinder.  It has taken centuries to reach our tripping point and it will take centuries to repair the damage.  If Earth is to survive all human resources must focus on slowing the downward spiral while searching for solutions.   The one people must ban together, pay attention, resist loud rational maximizers and seek real solutions.

We will go along following the loudest false prophets to our doom, now this is our real Bah Humbug.

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.

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.

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.”

Corruption and other stories 093019

Trump led two allies down the garden path and left them swinging in his hot air breeze.  Based on Trump trade promises Britain fell into Trump's bottomless pit. Acceding to Trump’s demands the British Prime Minister stonewalls the EU, supports war with Iran and attempts an overthrow of British democracy by shutting down Parliament.  PM Johnson (the poor man Trump) was handed his head by Britain’s high court.  It remains to be seen if he will do the honorable thing and leave quietly or be offered a quite room and pistol for a more traditional failed dictator’s exit.  Advised by Trump Johnson returned home with attacks against everyone including the dead, (classic Trump distraction tactics). Further east Trump supported the dictatorial Israeli PM with promises of support for his seizure of the West Bank.  After two elections in a year Netanyahu failed to win and is desperate to hold on to his office in order to prevent criminal corruption trials.  Trump may attempt other dubious ploys to insure Israeli support for his war with Iran.  Both Johnson and Netanyahu fail to appreciate that Trump is a pathological liar and never keeps his promises.

Speaking of which the administration is in a mad scramble to manufacture evidence that Iran launched the attack on Saudi oil fields as claimed by Trump.  The truth is that the Saudis have learned to play Trump like an out of tune fiddle.  Saudis gave Trump a parade and gifts which dazzled, insuring he would support them against all misdeeds.  America that invented marketing, and spin in its arrogance is particularly vulnerable to manipulation by those it considers inferior.   Historically the Middle East had few borders and political influence ebbed and flowed across the region.  Now in the era of artificial borders ruling governments' blundering compounds those ancient influences.  The region has an abundance of internal resistance groups and State competitors willing to resort to violence.  In a day when big guns are of less importance that than big brains sophisticated weaponry is available to all.

Modern weapon systems are expensive to produce and nations use arms sales to offset cost.  Before World War One arms sales were mostly in the hands of private dealers who were called “Merchants of Death”.  Today governments support domestic arms production by sponsoring advanced weapon sales.  For decades the Middle East has been the dumping ground for increasingly sophisticated arms.  The United States has been the leader in arms sales but all weapon producing states have shared in the bounty.  The result is a region awash in high tech weapons that local brains adapt, modify and improve.  Every regional dissident group now has access cutting edge systems either through purchase, capture or provided by “sponsors”.  To attribute a smoking gun as supplied by particular state player is more political speculation than reality.  It is possible, but improbable that Iran launched the attack on Saudi oil fields. The arms trade makes it difficult to determine who supplied weapons even if the manufacturer is ultimately discovered since intelligence agencies supply foreign weapons to cover covert operations.

BOOM, and before the smoke blew away Trump claimed his favorite whipping boy is guilty on his way to war.  Expect Trump to continue to swing his little sword in the run up to the GOP convention in order to appear decisive for votes.  October 2020 may well see a declaration of victory and “peace in our time” for re-election and his coveted Nobel Peace Prize.  There will be no peace and Iran, or some other target, may again have to serve a scapegoat diversion from more Trump geo-political blunders.

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.