Trump' New World Order

I wonder if you Americans are as confused as we are in the Middle-East with regards to President Trump's actions? Since his inauguration his actions were far left , then far right then turns in a circle, I mean we just cannot figure him out!!!  His allies became his enemies and his enemies became all of a sudden his friends that he admires, I can claim that I analyze world affairs and put a number of predictions that usually comes spot on in a few months time, but with Trump I failed big time in trying to predict what would be his next action, one thing for sure is that when he announces something like meeting the North Korean leader, he usually does it even if does not make sense.

Only a few days back I came upon a fantastic issue of the recent New Yorker, and yes we in the Middle -East are reading and watching more US newspapers and CNN in order to understand what is going on, the front page looked this way

"Trump's new world order" now this makes perfect sense !! This does not apply only to the US foreign policy towards the Middle-East but also applies to all of his actions. Now we know it is not written anywhere as a text but we can deduct from the actions where is this new world order leading to. Four major decisions this administration took, first relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem which triggered out rage in the Middle East even in Arab and Muslim allies countries, Secondly applied tariffs to Chinese and European imports which made both parties decide on retaliatory actions against the USA, thirdly the Humiliation of the prime minister of America's closest ally that is Canada, and finally Trump's meeting with the North Korean leader which only a month ago seemed impossible. The question would be " Is this stupidity or is it a calculated risk for a huge cause?and how would these actions fit in the NEW Yorker's headline Trump's new world order?

The Middle-East has got everything to do with this new world order, Iran's nuclear deal & the Arab -Israeli conflict, the first was ignited by Trump's sort of withdrawal from the accord with the help of Israel and the Saudi money, since the Saudi's have now big ambitions in the region they can find no rivalry except Iran which has to be pushed back into the sanctions to prevent it from taking a bigger role in the region. Then the problem rose from the Europeans since they have over a billion dollars trade with Iran especially gad and oil , and they opposed Trump's new even harsher sanctions on Iran,this in a way unified the Europeans whom started criticizing Trump's administration.

On the other hand the Arab-Israeli conflict is taking a new turn with the Saudis and Israelis working together to accomplish the "Deal of the Century" which is the other name for the American peace plan which states that a new home for the Palestinians will be made in the Sinai desert and Jerusalem will be in total the Israeli capital. This plan is rejected by a lot of countries in the region, but with the Saudi money, the American pressure and the Israelis executing the plan they feel confident they can do it. 

A major war is imminent in the region even if the Russians decided to pull out from the Middle East, to reshape the map of the countries or better still to reshape the new world order. 

Trump does not want allies any more, he wants followers and using these economic measures would be the reward if you follow and tariffs if you do not, the new world order is nothing but a new empire that will extend its hands all over the world something like the Trump hotel chain.   

A New Message. A New Day, for me, anyway.

I've decided politics is too awful for me. When the current president was elected it made me so frustrated that I felt I had to say something. And I did. Basically, I just said the same thing so many were saying. They were just saying it better and I can't burn that hot for that long. So, I've decided that what happens, happens. I will vote, if there is somebody I believe in, remember the words of Jerry Garcia, "choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil," and I refuse to play along.

From now on I will let the people with the asbestos skin do all the fighting.

I am starting a movement. The #MakeAmericaDeadAgain or if that is too graphic, or final, we can use the ever popular #DrainTheSwampFillTheCooler movement. We may never be able to muster a candidate for any office, and we may not care.

I don't really know how those marvelous artists would feel about this. But, I think, listening to the message of their music they would probably be ok with it.

Lately, I have started going back to the classics. Skull and Roses, American Beauty, Terrapin Station, and there is a lot of comfort in those glorious songs. It makes you remember there is a ray of sunshine, and we have to look for it. Even on the darkest days.

I think, if we stick together, and find a way to love everybody, even those we don't really like very much we can make this work in spite of our elected officials.

We have to decide if we are happy, or just at the mercy of those in charge. If you think things could be better feel free to use the labels #MakeAmericaDeadAgain  or #DrainTheSwampFillTheCooler in every post you have until something improves. If we don't do it nobody will.

Or, in the words of the Dead.

"And the politicians throwing stones
So the kids they dance they shake their bones
Cause its all too clear we're on our own
Sing ashes to ashes, all fall down
Ashes to ashes, all fall down"

Halloween, Elections and Specters past and present.

Halloween and Elections are almost a perfect couple. Traditions distorted and twisted, turned into shells of the original.

Long ago Halloween was a very solemn pagan occasion steeped in mystical beliefs. Eventually the Catholic church co-opted the pagan day and made it a very solemn ordained occasion steeped in mystical beliefs.

Eventually, it ended up as a secular celebration for the children of the United States. As a child I ignored all of the ancient, ritual beliefs, dressed up a vampire (it was always a vampire) and tried to go to every house I could, gathering all of the candy available. Ah, man that was living.

Recently, Halloween has been criticized and assaulted as a way to turn our children away from Christian beliefs, and towards a darker, sinister worship. And the debate is often, heated, ugly, and for the most part a little silly.

 As a long time fan of the celebration of Beggar's Night, I respectfully disagree. But, as a citizen of this long suffering, flawed society, during this troubled, uncertain century I stand firm in your right to believe whatever you choose.

It more or less mirrors the political system. Filled with rancorous, acrimonious accusations, slanderous, insulting rhetoric, and pointless, self congratulatory oratory offal. Populated by people pretending to be something they are not, wearing a mask of compassion and concern. We are a nation constantly at war with ourselves. Increasingly, we are a nation at war with others.

It is a terrible vision, watching society attempt to self immolate, and it is even sadder as the ignition point draws nearer. Barbara Tuchman, historian, author, visionary, thought the future was written in the month of August in the year 1914. In that one month the course of our destruction was laid out, and we have been following the map without detour.

It may have been written on the shores of Marathon in 490 BC, or even in Megiddo in the 15th century BC. The Pharaoh's army marching all the way from spears, shields and massed infantry to strategic response, and nuclear winter.

Personally, it matters little to me how you vote, or even if you vote. And it may not matter to you, either, if Ms. Tuchman was correct. The script was already written, the actors parts defined, and the end predicted. But, what if she wasn't? What if there is still time?

We must let the show go on.

J. K. Galbraith once said that governing was rarely more than a choice between "the disastrous and the unpalatable." He was part of the Best and the Brightest of the Kennedy administration. Occasionally, looking back, you can see they chose poorly, disaster is much worse than distasteful. But, they chose, and these were men of intelligence, educated, business leaders. Their problem was they couldn't factor in humanity. There is no effective way to quantify humanity.

I don't know what kind of business man Donald Trump is. I am not even sure what kind of game show host he was. I can tell you when he gets stuck between disastrous and unpalatable he cannot choose. He waffles, choosing one, then the other. In the end he "dances with who brung him." Angry, dissociated people.

When his policies fail he is sure that it is the subversive work of some underground cartel bent on his failure. Ignoring the more obvious and likely cause; all of his suppositions are faulty because he has no experience governing. With a rugged determination and almost unwavering linear thinking he cares presses forward with the same demands no matter how futile, no matter how often they have failed. His thinking is linear and unflinching in the face of logic.

I watched the infrastructure interview as it degraded into the Charlottsville fiasco in the garish, gaudy Trump tower. And I couldn't help but feel sorry for General Kelly as he watched his employer take an unpalatable situation and magically, effortlessly turn it into disaster. It doesn't matter who is chief of staff, who are the advisers, who is "cleaning house" if the person at the wheel wants to drive into the ditch.  He could reanimate Mother Theresa and she couldn't add any dignity or decorum to the situation.

Maybe this experiment was needed, maybe we had to try electing someone that was not an insider. Maybe we could have picked someone who could control his temper. He never misses an opportunity to miss a chance to prove he can be a leader.

I'm not sure where this will end, but it will probably be bad. How bad is more than likely going to be driven by how long. It is in motion and we are stuck in the wagon, everybody, because whether Trump wants to admit it or not America is still part of the international community. We are all in this together.

America First?

 "They say that patriotism is the last refuge 

To which a scoundrel clings 

Steal a little and they throw you in jail 

Steal a lot and they make you king 

There’s only one step down from here, baby 

It’s called the land of permanent bliss" *

Trump ran on several promises, some concrete, measurable. A wall, that is never going to be built. A travel ban that will never happen. But, campaign promises are meant to be ignored, and nobody really believes them. Some of his promises were more abstract, dreamy, ethereal. Make America Great Again, it depends on how you define greatness, and the general state of the nation. Maybe you could think the country was already pretty great. Had, in fact, never lost its greatness, all perspective, all relative. And my favorite, America First. Nobody could argue the point. Marketing genius, two words, all wrapped up in red, white and blue bunting, you could carry it around town without a cart. Toss it out to crowds, shower it down on halls filled with screaming fans.

Of course, once he was elected he backed out of the Trans Pacific Partnership. Handing the keys to Asia to China without so much as a backward glance. Beijing had to marvel at their good fortune. Not only was he not starting a "currency manipulator" fuss (another campaign promise) he was in fact putting China first, to the dismay of allies and trading partners around the world.

Next, he turned his acidic attention to Europe, and basically told the world that Russia had every right to be in the Ukraine, and he wasn't all that keen on assisting anybody else who didn't ante up. Russia had to laugh all the way to Kiev. All of the sudden Russia was first, at least in Eastern Europe. 

A victory tour of NATO followed. Where allies and European leaders witnessed Trump acting like a caricature of the rude American.  Blustering, pushing and griping his way through allies and everybody else who stood between him and the camera. And then he came home, and proved it was not an act. Walking away from what is arguably the most important international agreement since the Geneva Convention. Because he didn't think Americans could compete. In effect pushing Germany and France into the role of leadership.  

I have to wonder when is he going to put America first anywhere? He doesn't think we can protect our country and preserve our freedoms. He is certain the American worker can not compete with the industry of the other countries. He certainly has no respect for the hard work that went into preserving the peace for the last 70 years. How little respect can one man have for a country and still be elected?

*Sweetheart Like by Bob Dylan

Tilting at Windmills for Today, or The Quickest Path to Insignificance.

It has been a long time since I read Don Quixote. It was a true classic, although, anything written so long ago can be difficult. Still there was something charming, entrancing, almost magic in the delightful, delirious chase to an imagined past. There is a little Quixote in all of us, a little desire to be heroic, return to a greatness we may never have had.

Listening to Trump I can't help but think De Cervantes would have understood his calls to action. His need to slay dragons, his need to have songs written about him. His need to find monsters that don't really exist, because the real monsters are not so easily defeated.

Quixote was bound up in all the religious dogma of knighthood, and the manly requirements of the martial arts is a ridiculous mixture of comedy, and tragedy. Quixote actually believes he is destined to a life of knighthood, his greatness is ordained.  It isn't so damned funny, though, when it comes from a head of state. When you see the alliances so carefully established to protect the peace being cast aside in a careless act of foolish self delusion.

Certainly, Trump does not have the charm, or chivalry, and there is nothing even slightly amusing
about his confrontations with allies, and trading partners. In fact, the rhetoric is frightening, terrifying. Everything to him seems to be based on a zero sum accounting principle. Every gain in prestige or power for a subordinate, competitor, or head of state is automatically deducted from his accumulated wealth of self worth.

Like Quixote, he longs for a past that doesn't exist. "Make America Great Again," is not a slogan to him, it is an overreaching, all encompassing imperative.  And he sees himself as the Dragon Slayer in Chief. Any time you try to recreate something that never was, based on the memories that are fiction you end up with a distorted version of reality, a nightmarish world where decisions are based on belief, and desire rather than fact.

Of course, there are rumors, and allegations that Bannon is the real delusional knight, and Trump only the willing Pancho Sanza. It really makes little difference. Either way brings the same disturbing conclusion, the dissolution of the American Dream, and the birth of the tyrannical oligarchy based on the madness of sir Donald, de la Manhattan. And you don't have to wait for it to be made into a movie.

Fake News, Unfortunately, No, it is Too Real.

I grew up during the Vietnam War, the Watergate Scandal. I know a little about government generated misinformation. I lived through the Reagan administration. The great manipulator in chief. A man who could smile and "aw shucks" his way out of the Iran-Contra crimes with a simple "I was napping at the time," sort of claim. Trump, however, is in a league of his own.

Speaking to the military at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida he made the claim that terrorist attacks are being ignored by the press. Saying, "and in many cases the very, very dishonest press doesn't want to report it. They have their reasons and you understand that." No, they probably don't understand that Mr. President.

I certainly don't, Mr. President. Perhaps they, the "very, very dishonest press" are too busy making up "fake news" about the things you said, Mr. President. Though, there is no way any dishonest reporter, no matter how creative, how feverishly imaginative, could ever match the news you actually create.

If, during the Obama presidency, or either of the Bush presidencies, Reagan, Carter, Clinton, any of them, the press would have reported the president threatened to invade Mexico it would have seemed like "fake news." Today it seems like "news." Troubling, terrifying news, but real news.

If the press would have reported that Bush, who launched an invasion in Iraq, would have instituted a ban on seven predominately Muslim nations, including Iraq, thereby infuriating almost one half of the world it would have seemed like fiction, sensationalistic journalism. Now it just seems like journalism. 

If, during any presidency I can remember the president's senior adviser had called the press the opposition party and advised the press to "keep its mouth shut," it would have seemed like fiction. Today, obody has any trouble believing it as fact. 

Telling the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the director of National Intelligence they were being replaced on the National Security Council by a presidential adviser, and then having the press secretary justify the action by citing his short, unremarkable career in the navy people would have scoffed, calling it rumor. Until now. Now it almost seems predictable.  

No, Mr. President, it seems the real problem with the press is not how little they report, but how much. At least how much they report that defines the damage you are doing. And the more we know the better. 

Two Weeks, And A Long List of Accomplishments

Almost two weeks in and President Trump has been extremely busy. Besides his exhaustive tweet schedule, and I defy anybody to try to keep up with the man, he has made time to call, harass, and irritate people all over the world.

He really made the Palestinians angry when he talked expansively about moving the embassy to Jerusalem. An act that would incite extremists everywhere and drag the whole region into chaos.

Then, in a surprising show of equal opportunity, he made the Israelis furious when he left the Jews out of his holocaust remembrance speech. Intentionally, he claimed, or had his spokesperson claim, because "other victims also suffered." Delightful, Mr. President.

He angered all of the Middle East, and the Iraqis in particular when he said we should "steal Iraq's oil." So reminiscent of the comedian Gallagher, whose plan was to drill straight through the earth and suck the oil right out from underneath them. "It's not there oil, it's our oil, they're just closer, that's all." It's not so damned funny now, is it?

He has threatened Iran, with some unspecified retaliation, for ignoring the treaty Mr. Trump said he was going to walk away from. Iran's president has responded by calling him a political novice. How do you respond to that, Mr. President?

He has repeatedly insulted Mexico, America's third largest trading partner. Insisting that they are going to pay for a pointless, foolish wall. Threatening embargoes, tariffs, and most recently to send in US troops allegedly to round up all the "bad hombres" waiting in line to rush across the border before the wall is assembled.

In one fell swoop he has handed most of the regional influence of the Pacific Rim to China by backing out of the TPP. But, not until he had them thoroughly angered by having his Secretary of State designate make bold, unenforceable claims on islands in the South China Sea.

In a bold move of infantile diplomacy he cut short a call with the Prime Minister of Australia. A nation that has sent more troops to assist the US in Iraq and Afghanistan than any other. After claiming that taking the refugees was "the worst deal ever."

Taking time from his busy schedule, he managed to irritate almost everybody with a pointless, rambling, and insulting speech to commemorate Black History Month.

In what is certainly an ambush visit he managed to insult the fallen heroes of the CIA by standing in front of the memorial wall and talking about himself.. His favorite topic. A subject that fascinates him. He can go on and on about himself.

He loves to talk about himself, and his impressive victory, which was impressive, admittedly, but not because of the scope, as he so often claims, because of his outsider status, which was an enormous accomplishment.  And, the number of people who viewed his inauguration, not as many as he claims. And CNN, and his ongoing feud with CNN,

His goal of American Isolationism should be relatively easy. Nobody will want anything to do with us pretty soon.

Values, Have They Changed?

In 1986 I was working as a clerk in a small liquor store. On April 15th of that year the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps dropped or fired 60 tons of munitions on Libya. It was a retaliatory attack for a terrorist bomb exploding in a nightclub in Germany. At the time it seemed like another shot in an endless, inconsistent war, that wasn't really a war, but still got people shot, blown up, or killed at an alarming rate. A cold war that heated up, and immolated thousands of people.

On the Saturday following the Tuesday bombing raids a man came into the store. He was the parent of some students at the Catholic High school I had attended. He was very active in the church, and a successful businessman. I was a lousy student, nondescript, almost invisible so I never knew if he had any idea who I was.

We talked a little as he was buying a six pack of beer. Eventually he looked at the television, the news was on, and Ronald Reagan was on screen. The man turned to me, and said passionately "I can't believe they bombed in the Holy Land so close to Easter." There were tears in his eyes. He was upset. There was no doubt where he stood, what his values were. Bombing was not so bad, but the time and place were unforgivable. I admired his strong beliefs.

I have been a liberal, a democrat, for as long as I have identified with either party. I don't really believe there is much difference, but mostly the lies democrats tell are more comforting. However, even in the times of republican leadership I have always felt the government was true to American values, at least their version of American values.

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, all had a vision, A sort of misguided, callous Pax Americana dream. They felt the country was so wonderful everybody should have something similar, and they would invade everywhere and kick everybody's ass if that is what it took. It didn't work out very well, and many places are still paying the fee, but they thought they were doing the right thing. And they stood up to the critics, and took the heat for their actions.

With Trump it is so hard to say. Maybe he has strong values, but it is so hard to tell. His words keep changing. His strength is not in his unflagging resolve. It is in his chameleon approach to justifying his actions. He changes his reasoning as quickly as he signs executive orders. Is he just trying to do the right thing and doesn't quite know how to convey the message? Or is he hiding something? When a lie is exposed does he express remorse, and promise to invest more heavily in reality? No, he doubles down, and launches an investigation, and does his best to suppress the facts, crushing any dissent, any opposition.

Are these the new American values? Do we really want to stop immigration? Are we really so afraid of helping people? I remember when Reagan, and I wasn't really a fan, said, "Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." Have we moved this far from those values in such a short time? I hope not.

Week One, Wow What A Ride

Nobody wants the president to fail. There are those who will be disappointed if succeeds spectacularly, democrats and republicans alike. And there are thousands who will be shocked if he succeeds, completely floored, if he doesn't implode, in a black hole of petulant, indignant self righteous bluster. It seems, from the press the whole world is watching the circus, waiting for whatever comes next.

He might succeed spectacularly, too. But for now it doesn't seem the man can get out of his own way. First it was not a Muslim ban, then it was a Muslim ban, just like Obama's. No, it was nothing like Obama's. No matter how many times the President claims it is, it really isn't. Obama was wrong to do what he did. Innocent lives were lost, because he buckled to a xenophobic, angry congress. Whether he regrets his actions or not only he can say. But, it was in no way a precursor to, or anything like what President Trump has done.

How did he arrive at the list of countries? He has repeatedly gone back to the attacks on American soil. Reince Priebus, referenced the 9/11 attacks, mostly Saudi's, and the San Bernadino shooters wife, who was from Pakistan. The Fort Hood shooter was an American citizen, as was the Orlando night club shooter. His choice of countries is almost mystifying.

And his first bold strike against extreme Islamic terrorists happens in Yemen? Yemen is the home to
one of the most secret, dirty little wars today. Mostly, it seems, the Saudi royal family is fighting a proxy war with the Iranian Revolutionary Council. And a lot of people are getting blown into little pieces. And there is probably some terrorists involved, but, it seems like an odd place to draw a "line in the sand."

Removing the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Director of National Intelligence and placing the resigned editor of an extremely hard line internet news publication in their place at national security briefings. A move that has almost everybody shaking their head in consternation.

He wants to withdraw from organizations that have were designed to save the world from self immolation, leave trading partners hoping somehow that will increase trade, build a wall with money from some magical source and this is all in the first week. Somehow the only thing that comes to mind is the final scene from the Oliver Stone movie "Platoon" when Captain Harris tells the disembodied voice on the other end of the radio:

"Snakebite leader, Bravo Six, for the record, it's my 
call.  Dump everything you got left ON MY POS.  I say 
again, I want all you're holding INSIDE the 
perimeter.  It's a lovely war.  Bravo Six Actual and 
Out."

It was probably his way of saying "man, we are screwed. But, we are not going down without blowing up a bunch of stuff, and taking as many people as possible." So, Bravo Six, where are you when we need you? It's been a lovely war. Thanks for the memories.

A Career Ruined, A Career Beginning

I remember the sad figure of Colin Powell. The war in Iraq had ended, the American military had won in convincing, powerful fashion. But, the American government was losing the peace. It wasn't a slow process, it happened almost overnight. It wasn't a planned failure, it was simply a failure to plan. Nobody had ever given much thought to what to do with a country after "liberation." It was almost clockwork the way it spiraled into chaos, hate, and resistance. And you could watch Powell accept his part in the painful opera playing out on the world stage, shrinking in stature and resolve. 

Like a good soldier he had stood, with conviction, in front of the United Nations and declared Iraq had developed, stockpiled and was ready to distribute dangerous amounts of the notorious Weapons of Mass Destruction. Like a good soldier he never winced, or cried out loud when he realized he had been fed a pile of elaborate deception.

And like a good soldier he watched without complaint as the situation deteriorated until the contempt and loathing for America had become a palpable entity in Iraq. He knew, better than most, we had taken a country and turned it into a laboratory to nurture, train and enthuse terrorists. and he knew he had a hand in its creation. He watched without public complaint as his career was destroyed by the ambitions of those above him.

Now, I watch Sean Spicer. Watch as he speaks with strength about America defending its interest in the South China Sea. American interests seem to be some islands that China actually built in the sea. Knowing full well this will inflame virulent opposition in China. Knowing China is our largest trading partner, and the world's second largest economy. When pressed for details I hear him say, "I think, as we develop further, we’ll have more information on it." Yes, Mr. Spicer that has always worked so well. Maybe we can impose a naval blockade from over 8,000 miles away. 

Then, we hear Sean Spicer talk about how President Trump would be willing to work with Russia in bombing ISIS. Despite the fact the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act forbids most contact with the Russian military “until Russia has ceased its occupation of Ukrainian territory and its aggressive activities that threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization." What about American interests there, Mr. Spicer?

And what if we do work out a deal with the Russians to bomb ISIS. The lessons of Afghanistan, our war, and the Soviet Union's, the painful lessons of Iraq, the never ending lessons of Israel in Palestine all serve to prove that bombing extremists accomplish nothing of lasting value. The amount of dead terrorists means nothing, changes nothing. We spend a lot of money on bombs, lose a few planes, kill some innocent civilians in the process, unavoidable when bombing an enemy entrenched in a civilian population, (and also serves as a fine recruiting tool for the terrorists), and we still have ISIS, or whatever they call themselves next.

I wonder how much it takes to get a man to sell out, with Colin Powell it is easy to think he really believed what he said, he was willing to gamble his long, glorious career. But, what about Sean Spicer? What is gambling? I'm afraid the gamble is huge, and no matter who wins America will pay the fee, just like we did for the people who sent Powell into an early and shameful retirement.

Well, This Started Poorly, or Am I Dreaming.

The last couple of months have been very odd. Looking at the landscape of American government today it is increasingly difficult to know whether this is a new reality or just an uncomfortable dream. We have a president who has never served in office before, never served his country before, who, by all accounts does not even pay taxes to his country. Is this real, or should I roll over and go back to sleep.

We have a president who is feuding with an actor who portrays him in an unflattering manner. It so enrages our president he fires off angry tweets, mean things, about an actor. I remember watching this show in the 70s and Chevy Chase was acting like Gerald Ford trying to roll a joint, and being too clumsy to manage the task. And it went on, through every president since then. It is a profitable industry mocking the president, but the current occupant of the white house tweets in anger. Man, I need to get a new dream, this one is getting old.

The president's press secretary holds a press conference, on the first day of the new presidency. Does he talk about the aggressive agenda being pursued in the oval office? Does he talk about the ways in which the president is going to make America great again? Does he take the opportunity to talk about the executive order being signed altering the affordable care act and how it will affect the well being of those people who signed up and have found the joys of being able to afford to stay healthy? No, he talks about the size of the crowd at the inauguration. Something so inconsequential, something so trite, something so easily discredited. I was waiting for him to say "I walked through and counted them, Each and every one of the screaming Trump fans. I counted them all." Please, stop this dream, I think I want to get off.

Sunday rolls around, and the senior white house aide tells us the press secretary was only presenting "alternative facts." Obviously, these are facts the new president is much more comfortable with. "Facts" that fit his version of "truth." Of course, this senior aide was the same person who told us "we needed to listen to what was in Donald's heart," rather than listen to the things he was saying. This is a skill we are going to have to practice, even in this dream. Until then we are forced to listen to the things he says, and tweets. Mean things, scary things, things that a president should probably not say. Maybe he should just say what is in his heart if it is noble, so presidential, and not force us to guess. This dream is no fun, is there a money back option?.

Here we are, a presidency in its infancy. Barely three days old, and we are led to believe that any unfavorable report is "fake news" and should be tempered with "alternative facts," which are much more favorable. We are led by man who has honor and kindness in his heart, but mean, vile things coming from his lips, and his rapid fire fingertips. And nobody in either house is asking any questions, and the press is just letting it go. We used to be a nation of democrats, republicans, liberals and conservatives, hawks and doves, now we are a nation of sheep. Willing to let the clumsy, verbal sleight of hand go on with out question. More's the pity. I don't like this dream anymore, it is turning into a nightmare. A nightmare of things and times to come.

History Repeats Itself, Unfortunately.

President Trump’s disdain for the intelligence community is troubling. These are the people tasked with the difficult task of finding, analyzing, and presenting to the cabinet all of the information that will help the president keep the country safe. He challenged them openly on Russian hacking, fearing it somehow questioned his victory. He knew better, he knew Putin would never stoop to such undignified levels.

Yes, it is troubling. But, it is not without precedent. Remember back to the days of the Bush administration. He was, he claimed, certain Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Despite the fact that all intelligence estimates almost insisted there were none.  And despite all evidence to the contrary Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld insisted there were deep, strong ties between Iraq and Al Qaida.

“You missed 9/11, what else did you miss?” Rumsfeld asked, almost demanding some proof of something awful, some grounds for invasion.  This, despite strong evidence that intelligence had been signaling something being planned by extremists.

So, they decided they knew better, Iraq was guilty as hell, of something. They had their “evidence” and a a star witness, all they needed was something to charge them with.  

And they sent a force that was much smaller than the contingent requested by the Armed Forces into Iraq, because they knew better. “Way too pessimistic.” Rumsfeld claimed about the Pentagon’s assessment of the requirements to occupy and control the country.  Once they found the proof they would have world flocking to the aid of the American forces. They just knew.

Trump knows too. He knows Putin is not a bad guy. He knows the Chinese can be forced into accepting “reality according to Trump.” He knows the Mexicans are so wealthy they are willing to pay for a wall.

It is always nice to be able to trust someone so bright with the keys to the kingdom. Last time it worked so well. We can save a lot of money on intelligence gathering and analysis. Why bother, he knows.

Well, Senator, What About That?

This morning on Marketplace there was a story about the drop in values of pharmaceutical stock after a statement President Elect Trump made about the profits, and tax havens, of American drug manufacturers. It struck me as odd that an elected official would have such casual disregard for American investors. Ultimately, these are the people who will suffer. Drug companies have a pretty strong grip on profits, so they will not suffer very much. And Mr. Trump is no fan of regulation, so there is very little hope for relief through legislation. In essence, tax payers, investors, and people who need prescriptions are going to suffer.

Later, during Morning Edition they asked a Senator about a potential drama unfolding between the FBI, the CIA, the Russians, John McCain and Donald Trump. He said, in a reassuring voice that it was all fiction, designed to discredit the President Elect, who should be left alone and allowed to govern. He was almost philosophical about the combative atmosphere at the press conference.He approached it with a Zen calm, it was the sound of one hand slapping the faces of detestable, heinous inquisitors. It was not spoken, but it was implied. He seemed to dismiss any conflicts as frivolous, ridiculous. The questions not asked were left, screaming through the atmosphere, bouncing around the airwaves. 

“Senator, what is going to happen if the President Elect decides to follow through with so many of his more outrageous campaign promises?

“What if, Senator, Mr. Trump decides to build a wall without getting Mexico to pay for it? And, Senator, what if Mexico just decides not to pay for the wall? What then, Senator? Who will pay for the wall? Will it come from a pool of donations provided by members of congress, Senator, or Senator, will the tax payers have to foot the bill? A tactic preferred by your average Congress person, Senator.

“What if the President Elect decides to impose steep tariffs on goods from China? Where, Senator, are those goods going to come from? What are retailers going to do, Senator, when things assembled in China cost twice as much? Do you think, Senator, that, possibly, they will sell half as many? And, Senator, do you suppose companies will rush to America, build factories, and hire people to produce dolls and toy guns that spark, Senator, or will they simply move south and start producing the goods in Vietnam, where wages are almost half of what they are in China. India, is another developing country, Senator, and wages are only one fourth of those paid in China. And, what will Mr. Trump do when China decides to retaliate by imposing stiff sanctions on American goods? Which country is more likely to win a protracted trade war that cripples the world’s economy, Senator, a democracy, with a fickle and capricious pool of voters, or a totalitarian regime with an iron grip on protesters?

“And, Senator, what if DJT decides to abandon our NATO responsibilities?  ‘Sorry, Slovakia, you don’t pay your dues, you get left out in the cold.’ What if the protection racket falls through, and those Eastern European countries, that you yourself, with such rapturous glee, said Reagan freed, run back to the Russia, not as members of the Soviet Union, but as vassal states who want to avoid the fate of the Ukraine, what then Senator? What if Germany decides to take a leading role in the defense of Europe, Senator? What if Germany turns it’s huge economy, technological prowess, and manufacturing abilities to the production of arms? How will the world feel about a giant German army being assembled on your tenure on the Armed Services Committee, Senator?”

But, no one asked those questions. And we can only dream about the answers, but we can dream. And remember that nobody ever keeps campaign promises, we hope.

To NATO or Not To NATO

During the 1970's there was a wide held belief that the world peace was being held together by a unique blend of distrust, revulsion and the painful memories of a terrible war that had killed approximately 3% of the worlds population. A horrifying number, particularly if you lived in Europe, or Asia, where most of the dying actually happened.

It was also a fairly widely held belief that any one of three occurrences would be enough to stir the pot sufficiently to cause the next power struggle that would drag neighboring countries in and start the whole ugly fiasco all over again;

1. The reunification of Germany
2. The dissolution of the Soviet Union
3. The elevation of China to a true world power.

It was assumed that any one of these things alone could be enough to ignite the flames. But, somehow, the world lived through all three. 

It might have been the threat of nuclear holocaust. Possibly the united front provided by NATO, or it might have been the terrible pain caused by World War II. Whatever the reason it is safe to say that avoiding a war of that scale is probably a wise move.

Assume, for the minute, that NATO begins to doubt the security provided by American forces. Nature, and international politics both abhor vacuums. Some national power will step, more or less easily, into the leadership role. 

Of all the nations in the NATO alliance who is the most likely to assume the mantle of Europe's protector. Germany, with a GDP of 3,032.8 billion Euros, and the only country in Western Europe with a budget surplus, is the probable candidate. Particularly considering its proximity to Russia, and the overwhelming need to defend the countries on the eastern border. 

Along with dramatic increases in conventional military spending they would feel the inescapable need to arm themselves with a nuclear deterrent able to counter the threat posed by Russian nuclear forces.

It is not difficult to imagine the discomfort caused by an elaborately armed, nuclear tipped German army ready to roll into Poland or Czechoslovakia. It is equally easy to understand Germany's reluctance to accept a protracted armored land war being fought on their homeland. The scars of the last conflict are still visible.

The old saying "those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it" is the story of mankind, from the earliest days, Cycles of prosperity and destruction, growth, war and pestilence rolling like a boulder crushing mans existence.

It is possible that the rapid pace of technological innovation will allow us to forget the hard learned lessons much more efficiently, in years instead of generations. And, it certainly has provided us with a means to a complete end, The End.

So, the world watches, waits and worries. Who can blame them?

Don't make them pay for our choice.

Now that his tax plan is public, and dissected it becomes easy to understand where Donald Trump plans to make the bulk of his tax cuts..  After promising to “massively cut taxes for the middle class,” to huge applause and fantastic effect, he has decided to turn his stimulus to those with a little more capital.  To the victors go the spoils and to their contributors go the “tax incentives.” And it is widely known that campaign promises are the first casualties of elections.

According to the Tax Policy Center the middle class stands to lose some ground in exemptions, and pay a little more of the national debt. A sad reality, but reality nonetheless, according to the Tax Policy Center.

Tax Increases Projected Under Trump Plan

Lily Batchelder, a law professor at NYU and visiting fellow at the Tax Policy Center, says Donald Trump's plan would boost taxes for many families, with some of the largest increases applying to single-parent families "because of the repeal of the head of household filing status and personal exemptions."

§  A single parent with $75,000 in earnings, two school-age children and no child care costs would face a tax increase of around $2,440.

§  A single parent with $50,000 in earnings, three school-age children and no child care costs would also face a tax increase of around $1,188.

§  A married couple with $50,000 in earnings, two school-age children and no child care costs would face a tax increase of about $150.

§  Other married couples would get almost no benefit.

While that spells trouble for the middle class it spells disaster for those who rely on the kindness of the public. So much of the aid is provided by the generosity of those who are comfortable. But as the budget tightens charity will probably begin at home.

It becomes so easy to ignore the truly needy, even blaming them for their unfortunate situation.

Honestly, though, nobody would choose to live that way, hoping for a warm meal, a friendly smile and a shower before trying to find a dry place to sleep, an out of the way hole away from chilling wind, soaking rain and judging, prying eyes. They deserve help, not contempt.

If you voted for trump, by all means celebrate the victory, and applaud the groundswell that took him to the White House. If you voted for Clinton don’t give up hope, the next campaign is really only a couple of years away. No matter how you voted take a minute to remember the forgotten, to help the helpless. When people have less to give, more people need to help, and there are people who need help. Together we can make a difference, it is the American way.

Don't make them pay for our choice.

Now that his tax plan is public, and dissected it becomes easy to understand where Donald Trump plans to make the bulk of his tax cuts..  After promising to “massively cut taxes for the middle class,” to huge applause and fantastic effect, he has decided to turn his stimulus to those with a little more capital.  To the victors go the spoils and to their contributors go the “tax incentives.” And it is widely known that campaign promises are the first casualties of elections.

According to the Tax Policy Center the middle class stands to lose some ground in exemptions, and pay a little more of the national debt. A sad reality, but reality nonetheless, according to the Tax Policy Center.

Tax Increases Projected Under Trump Plan

Lily Batchelder, a law professor at NYU and visiting fellow at the Tax Policy Center, says Donald Trump's plan would boost taxes for many families, with some of the largest increases applying to single-parent families "because of the repeal of the head of household filing status and personal exemptions."

§  A single parent with $75,000 in earnings, two school-age children and no child care costs would face a tax increase of around $2,440.

§  A single parent with $50,000 in earnings, three school-age children and no child care costs would also face a tax increase of around $1,188.

§  A married couple with $50,000 in earnings, two school-age children and no child care costs would face a tax increase of about $150.

§  Other married couples would get almost no benefit.

.

While that spells trouble for the middle class it spells disaster for those who rely on the kindness of the public. So much of the aid is provided by the generosity of those who are comfortable. But as the budget tightens charity will probably begin at home.

It becomes so easy to ignore the truly needy, even blaming them for their unfortunate situation.

Honestly, though, nobody would choose to live that way, hoping for a warm meal, a friendly smile and a shower before trying to find a dry place to sleep, an out of the way hole away from chilling wind, soaking rain and judging, prying eyes. They deserve help, not contempt.

If you voted for trump, by all means celebrate the victory, and applaud the groundswell that took him to the White House. If you voted for Clinton don’t give up hope, the next campaign is really only a couple of years away. No matter how you voted take a minute to remember the forgotten, to help the helpless. When people have less to give, more people need to help, and there are people who need help. Together we can make a difference, it is the American way.

Effort, Progress, and Us, Don't Forget to Try

Yesterday I had the opportunity to have lunch with a very bright, charming person. Shannan is the Editor of Street Speech Newspaper in Columbus, Ohio. Street Speech is part of the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless. This is a person who has seen despair, and hopelessness. She has decided to be the voice for those who have trouble being heard. A difficult career choice.

Behind the bright, sparkling eyes, and the quick, engaging smile, though, there was a worrying concern. She understands more than most the chaos and cruelty inflicted by the whims and caprices of the government. She knows how a decimal place to a politician can mean disaster at the level of the street. She spoke, softly and hesitantly, about the right for self respect. It was a gentle voice filled with sorrow talking about the doubt surrounding the future of the people she has struggled so tirelessly to help.

My wife works in a high school, and there is a class for handicapped children in the building. One of the girls in the class has a job she goes to every day. She waits for the bus with my wife. They have become "friends." This girl tells my wife (with enthusiasm) about her day, her weekend, her family, her life. My wife is a good listener. One day she was talking, happily, and turned ashen, and cold. She asked my wife if she had seen the news stories about the clowns. She was terrified the clowns would do harm to her little brother, her grandmother. She was terrified. Nobody targeted that poor little girl, but consequences are never so neatly planned.

In the coming years we will see some changes, and most of us will muddle through. Somehow, most
of us will get by. But, there are people whose lives are not stable, whose future is shaky and small changes can drop them precipitously to a place they have been fighting to avoid. And there are those clinging tenuously to the edges of society. It is there the ax will fall the hardest. The safety net is sometimes the difference between sleeping under a roof and a bridge.

Yes, the government needs to wean people from state subsistence, and has a responsibility to tax payers, but it is always the weakest who are supposed to bear the brunt of the sacrifice. Think, for a minute, of the potential savings if all of the monstrously successful and profitable companies were forced to give up their weekly allowance from the fed. It would be like a license to print money.

I have heard it said, "it can't get any worse," but they are probably not giving themselves the credit deserved. With just a little effort it could surely get much worse. Of course, since the people in question are so easily overlooked, so easily ignored, so uncomfortable to acknowledge hardly anybody will notice.

As the surrealism of the situation drains and the reality becomes inescapable it is important to remember that those with the least have the most to lose. It becomes increasingly important to help. Find a shelter, find an outreach program, and donate.  Better yet, donate and volunteer, there is never enough money, and there is never enough help. If you don't know where or how contact me and I will help you find a place. Don't think you can't make a difference, you can, don't think a little doesn't help, it does.

Blame the other guy

The final results of the 2016 Presidential Election are just around the corner and I think those results are just the tip of the iceberg. I've seen more than I care to on social media and the news covering this election and I'm quite ready for it to be over. I must admit this election feels like it has greater potential fallout than previous elections regardless of who ends up winning. 

Smear campaigns are nothing new to elections, but this time everything seems to be escalated. It seems the conspiracy concept has really kicked into high gear. It would be one thing if it was just your typical "drag old news out of the past" smear campaigns, but this has gone to a whole new level. Violent attacks on opposing parties, legal investigations, health concerns and even conspiracies about whistle blowers mysteriously (or coincidentally) ending up dead. 

Who's to blame though? Is it the people running for election or the people supporting them? We could split hairs about what's factual and what's merely part of the rumor mill, but in the end it comes down to all of us. The final two (since they're the only ones that really matter at this point) are there because of all of us. We let it get this far. The common theme I am seeing is that many of us feel like we're having to vote for the lesser of two evils. 

Whether conservative or liberal, we're all to blame. We let it get this far because of the way we think as a society. There's way to much "me versus them" mentality in our society and nowhere near enough "us" mentality. We've lost site of this being OUR country as a whole. We spend our time fighting each other so much that in the end everyone ends up losing. 

There is no middle ground and compromise seems to have disappeared long ago. We fail to support the people who actually have the best interest of our country in mind and end up having to choose between two polar opposites. There are some core beliefs we each have that don't necessarily match what our neighbor has and we end up having to choose based on a couple of major issues. 

Nobody wins when we do this. Roughly half the country will be upset because their candidate lost and the other half will force their own one-sided agenda for the next four years. The fact that the two party sides are so opposite, there is a lot of wasted time and resources when we flip between the two sides. It's like running a race in two different directions and the finish line keeps switching ends. 

The new party works for at least half of the four years trying to reverse everything their predecessor put in place. Sometimes this is a good thing, but often times it is merely a waste of our ever increasing tax dollars. The next couple of years are then spent pushing their own agenda. At the end of that time, it's either flip directions again because you lose the next election or continue another four years running in your direction. Either way, it eventually reverses again and the race is off in the opposite direction again. 

I know who I'm voting for in a little over a week and I am confident in my choice. I will admit though that it really did feel like a lesser of two evils decision. There were better options for the final two, but they didn't gain the ground they needed. Since I am not one to throw my vote away on someone other than one of the two leading candidates, I made my decision based on the best information I had available. 

Since there's not a lot we can do about this particular election in a week's time, I encourage you to get out and vote for your lesser of two evils. Unless we learn to get together as a society (which I know will never happen), we will continue to vote in "lesser evil" elections. We can stop the downward spiral though by not allowing the two sides to continue to race in opposite directions. It will take a lot of work, communication and the changing of our current mindsets to get our nation as a whole back in the center of the election.

I'm sure it's wishful thinking on my part, but I know many of you (from both party sides) agree that we could do a whole lot better as a country. It would be really nice to get back to having solid choices in future elections. I'm just hoping to get to see it in my life time. I won't hold my breath though. Until next time....

8th of November

In less than a month, the votes will be counted and the new President of the United States will be named. Although past elections brought the campaign "battle" to an end leaving roughly half the country feeling like victors and the others feeling defeated, I feel this election will be different. My personal belief, and fear - since I believe I am right, is that everyone will come out a loser in this election. Regardless of your personal and political beliefs, there is no real win this time around. 

This year is going to end with an uproar that will fuel a great battle in America...and possibly beyond. I am see a hybrid war with the combined characteristics of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and the World Wars. Imagine, if you will, fighting all three of those wars at the same time - because that's what I see coming. 

A Clinton Win

Let's imagine for a minute that Clinton is elected President of the United States. Those in opposition to her and what she stands for are very likely to rise up against the socialist government they fear she will create. This will obviously not go uncontested and may very well result in a citizen revolution.

A Trump Win

Now imagine a Trump victory in this election. His opposition will be up in arms as well. You see how much violence and civil unrest the liberal left is causing now under Obama's reign. Just imagine how bad it will escalate if their enemy Trump were to win the election. 

You could write a book on their differences. Basically, just make a list of every topic or issue anyone could care about and these two would be on opposite sides. At least, that's what the typical smear campaigns are telling us. The problem is that the supporters for each candidate aren't quite that clear cut on every issue. I have heard many times that people on both party sides feel like they're being forced to pick the lesser of two evils. 

Nobody Wins

If you were to grab your average American citizen off the street (without a news crew filming) and had them go through the list of issues, I bet you'd find a lot more middle ground than you thought. The real hot and major issues like military spending, immigration and gun control will be cut and dried for most, but the rest could go either way for many. Most of that won't matter though. One side will be the victor and the opposite side will react.

This will create a new civil war as neighbors blame each other for the actions of the other's party. That's not the whole problem though. We have others continuing to attack us on a weekly basis. If it's not radical terrorists attacking, it's our own home grown terrorists. Then again, our own citizen "protesters" are doing a pretty good job of destroying our towns without the help of terrorists. (Assuming you don't lump them into the same group heading already.) 

Now add in our foreign enemies. They are like vultures circling and waiting to swoop in and feast on the impending carnage. They'll let us beat each other down until we'll tired and then make their move when they think we're weak. Unfortunately, this may be what it takes to get us to take a look around and start treating each other like neighbors again and work together instead of against each other. 

No matter how you look at it, we have dark days ahead of us. The election hasn't even happened yet and we're already at war. Arguing, protesting and vandalizing every chance we get. Killing law enforcement personnel who are here to protect us. Mass shootings in schools, malls and other public settings. Turn on the news any evening and see for yourself. We are already at war and it's going to get worse before it has a chance to get better. Until next time....