From Russia With Love

How do Americans support the denial and credibility of the former director of the KGB over the CIA? Is there a MAGA explanation for that? Or an invitation to rejoin the G7 to a country that invaded Ukraine against our interests? Is there a MAGA explanation for that? Or the financing by Russia, the killing of coalition forces as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Is there a MAGA explanation for that? I am just asking. I'd like to make an informed decision.

Where are you Americans for Reason and Truth.

Why Won't They Listen?

I am a left of center citizen. I am educated, generous and accepting of different points of view. I never disrespect a person just because their views differ from mine. It does however produce incredible sadness in me to know that there remains a substantial number of my fellow Americans who just don't listen. Forget partisan differences related to size of government, taxation and originalist vs flexible interpretations of our Constitution. Whereas these are viable, relevant and acceptable points for debate, the non listeners will not accept the most basic, human and decent elements of reality. Masks work. Bleach should not be ingested. The virus did not magically go away. There is no caravan of rapists on our border. Confederate monuments do not represent America, they represent secessionist states. North Korea is not reducing it's nuclear arsenal. Telling 20,000 lies as a President is not a good thing. Trying to deflate real numbers during a health crisis is not safe. Encouraging people to rally in hot spots is not good policy. Trying to take health care away during a health crisis is mean without a replacement. Lying about mail in voting while voting by mail is disingenuous and isolating scientific experts in the name of a political campaign is dangerous. Applauding autocrats, ignoring the opinions of intelligence experts and antagonizing allies is unhelpful. Using racist language, encouraging violence and creating division is hurtful to our nation's principles. Still, they won't listen. Vote.

Where are you Americans for Reason and Truth?

Good Government

Many people rail against government. It's too big. My taxes are too high. I don't want government telling me what to do EXCEPT when it affects them. Then, they love government. When it finds you a job (New Deal) or protects your health and retirement (ACA, SS and Medicare), or helps rebuild your home after a hurricane or gives you incentives and loopholes to avoid taxes. Then you love government. Most of the animosity comes from those who actually rely on it the most. Statistically those states who are most likely to be red, take a larger proportion of Federal aid than what they contribute but are the loudest in railing against government. BUT, it is functioning good government that should be debated and demanded. This is what is most important. Government that works, that cares, that makes a difference. What we are seeing now is BAD government. 3 months into a pandemic that has affected us all, we are seeing the worst case counts so far. Why? Bad government. We need Good government. One with leadership, compassion and truth. Wear a fukking mask. Where are you Americans for Reason and Truth?

The New Normal? What's that even mean?

Today, Memorial Day, will likely mark the 100 thousandth Covid 19 death in America. Notwithstanding the utter failure, inhumanity and denial of our President in the handling of this crisis, a lot of dialogue about a new normal is being had. What does that really mean? If anyone tells you they know, they are drinking bleach. We don't know when or if an effective vaccine is coming. We don't know the level of a fall surge. We don't know (yet) how reopening measures will affect the health care institutions. We don't know if positive antibody results protect you from a reoccurance. We don't know how children reexposed to each other will handle the virus. We don't know which underlying conditions give certainty to the virus strength in your body. These are just the tip of the iceberg. We do know that masks work to mitigate spread. We do know that drinking bleach or disinfectant is not a good idea. We do know that hydroxychloroquine can cause fatal heart arythmias. We do know that lengthy crowding in closed spaces causes viral spread. We do know that fresh air, exercise and social distancing work in controlling the virus. We do know that 

Scientists, Doctors and Researchers know more about viruses than do politicians. And, we do know that a healthy, careful and science based population can restore economic growth quicker than any tweet or reckless recommendation. The New normal? Beats me. Where are you Americans for Reason and Truth.

He Deserves It

He is a bad guy. A bully, a liar and a cheat. His whole life has been built on a narcissistic self promotion narrative and on the backs of others' misfortune. As President he has violated his oath to protect and defend the Constitution and no matter what his supporters say, he is just not worthy of the office he holds. He may not be removed by a feckless sycophantic Senate, but he deserves the historic rebuke that will be delivered by the peoples' House. Only 2 before him have suffered such a repudiation. He will go down in history as deserving of the pain and insult he will receive just like how he piles onto others. Merry Impeachment Donald. Wear the mantle of scorn with dishonor and shame. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Not a Close Call

I am far from a genius. I am no better than you. I do, however, understand our Constitution. I taught it, I went to school to learn about it up through and including graduate courses and I keep a copy of it at my disposal at all times. It is not a close call regarding trump's continuous violation of his oath to defend it. No matter what your political party affiliation is, take a breath, be honest, pretend it was Obama if you are a Republican, and clear your mind of spin. trump has refused to execute existing law. He has obstructed Congressional authority for spending. He has held aid back from an ally for political gain. He is colluding with jurors at a possible trial. He has set policy for personal financial gain. He has instructed people to defy subpoenas and he has obstructed an investigation into an enemy attack on our democracy. Not a close call. Where are you Americans for reason and truth? Impeach.org for a rally near you.

There was a time

There was a time in America where bullying a child, making fun of a disabled person, lying, being a hateful, indecent piece of human trash, would be viewed as bad. No more. The New America. Welcome. Brown people not welcome. Education is not needed. Only wealth matters. Health Care is a privilege. Debate and compromise are gone. Indecency is our new motto. Hate your enemies. Ignore the law. Rip up the Constitution. Love Russia. Ignore truth. Yes folks, this is our country. What a shame. Where are you Americans for Reason and truth. Go to impeach.org and rally for how we used to be.

All this winning

Mexico has not paid one cent for a border wall. Manufacturing at a 10 year low. GDP growth is half of what was promised. North Korea is expanding it's nuclear program, calling djt a dotard. Love letters? Iran is enriching uranium. No Middle East plan. 11 million additional uninsured Americans. Record defecits. Lifespan of Americans declined. Small farmer bankruptcies on the rise. Trade war getting worse and not so easy to win. 6 child deaths in detention facilities. Coal mines closing with no new coal jobs as promised. Air and water more polluted according to government agencies as a result of deregulation. No plan to address Dreamers. Still in Afghanistan. Hate crimes quadrupled. No sensible gun legislation in the face of mass shootings. Have I mentioned Impeachment?...nope Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Still Not Enough?

What I don't get is that regardless of what this man does, the Republicans don't see him as an existential threat. One day he'll be gone and where will the party be? Left as the representatives of indecency, immorality, racism and injustice? Is that what they want? Imagine a KasichHaley2020 ticket where they ran on Conservatism and Decency. Wavering Republicans, angry and embarrassed would vote for that ticket. The party would be saved. And still, they won't. I hope they stick by this cancer they have enabled, this filthy inhuman indecent thug. Stick by him Republicans, I beg you. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

The Un Constitution Moscow Mitch Style

It is crystal clear in the Constitution that Congress legislates and the Executive enforces. It is also clear that a President does not ever have the final word on law. NEVER. Our past greatness has always come from debate, disagreement and compromise. According to "Moscow Mitch" McConnell, these rules and realities need not apply. It is profoundly incorrect to hold up legislating because of what a President thinks. For that reason, Congress has override authority. People are getting killed by guns at alarming levels and the most vociferous 2nd amendment advocates want this debate to be in the open and supportive of sensible measures. McConnell's refusal to move forward by using the excuse that the President won't support it, is not only a dereliction of duty, but an insult to the founding principles of our nation. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Sick Children

The new policy from the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania avenue is to deport children of immigrants of questionable status, who are receiving life saving medical care. These are children, sick children, who will die. The greatness of America? Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Garbage

When the current occupant of the White House ran for President, he ran against America. He said everything Obama touched turned to garbage. Today he criticizes his opponents for calling America garbage when in actuality that's a lie, they didnt, but who cares, right? The best way to express love for America is by debate, disagreement and free and fair elections. By this standard, trump hates America. Who stinks of the garbage? Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

The Sad Truth

Every time I watch the pundits after each trump action of hatred, I listen to them say "it's not who we are". Well folks, it is who we are. We elected him and may do so again. Until we eject him from power and hear decent elected officials call him out from his own party, this is America. We are the country that has brought him to power and nurtured his racism. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Air and Water

For six months this blog has been heading to the graveyard of blogs. It didn't quite make it. Its near death experience was precipitated by my deep sadness and despair over what has happened to my country. It is easy to scapegoat the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. whose name I cannot utter without a peristaltic rage. There are others. A majority leader whose corruption mirrors the reckless cabinet of which his spouse is funneling money to his home state. A man who defies the will of the people by blocking every substantive piece of legislation coming from the People's House. Perhaps we should include the feckless cowardice of Mitt Romney or the hypocrisy of Susan Collins, or the abject fraudulence of Lindsay Graham or the news network that enables lies and promotes bigotry in the name of the President. All candidates for barnacles that feast on the muck and mire at the bottom of the sea. The daily lies, the prejudice and racism, the narcissistic and hateful vengeance, the denial of facts, science and truth, the self aggrandizement, the daily drumbeat of self congratulations, the incompetence and dangers coming from his aids and advisers, all weights upon my desire for expression. My psyche has been harmed, injured, battled and put on life support. BUT, it has not died. Not yet. What has brought it to life? Very simple. Air and Water. If you put everything aside about the man in the White House, everything, didn't follow politics at all, didn't care much about DC., but knew your air and water were under attack, you might say, maybe I should pay attention? For the first time in 40 years, the scientific community has issued non partisan reports that say our air and water are less safe and more polluted. The President's response in typical rally like fashion was that our air and water are the safest they have ever been under his Presidency. A lie, but who listens anymore? His further response due to his obsession with all things Obama, was to deregulate coal and end the Clean Energy initiatives of his predecessor adding to the dangers of drinking our water and breathing our air. This is what has caused this blog to arise from its near death experience. Perhaps next, we should care about Nazi marches in the streets of Florida when the polluter in chief held his re election rally. Just sayin. Where are you Americans for Reason and Truth?

A very bad ,sick, evil man.

"He was impatient, overly aggressive, overly dramatic. He acted on impulse. He tended to sensationalize the evidence he had. He would neglect to do the important homework and consequently would, on occasion, make challengeable statements" Roy Cohn. This is the same Roy Cohn who was a lawyer to the trump family. In the quote just cited, most relatively smart people, might think he was describing our current President. He was not, but he could have been. Instead, he was describing one of the most indecent, lying, dishonest, hateful thugs in American politics, Joseph McCarthy who better than most, could use lies, fear and demagoguery to seize upon the hate in the hearts of the ignorant and use to his political advantage. He had no match, until now. Donald trump, our President, is a darkly disturbed, evil manipulator of the truth, an ignorant fear mongering narcissist that cares not a hoot for our country or its people, other than those who blindly support him. He gladly supports policies that separate children from their parents in the name of security. He supports and fawns over obvious dictators who have no restraint from a free press and no concern for human dignity. He blames every dangerous situation of his own creation on others. He gladly supports the taking away of health care in the name of personal hatred of his predecessor. He gladly supports shuttering our government just to hang on to a campaign promise neither needed nor truthfully expressed. I can go on with similarly evil and mean spirited examples but the point has been made. Donald trump is simply an evil, bad, sick and darkly disturbed man. We either hold him accountable for his criminality, his mean spiritedness his indecency, or we don't. If we don't, we cease being the beacon of hope for all who value freedom, we disgrace our founding principles and we dishonor ourselves. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

What If?

On Tuesday, there will be millions of people who rely on Medicaid, pharmaceuticals, good roads, improved infrastructure, good schools, food assistance and healthcare that will willingly and actively support a political party that has vowed to reduce or take these benefits away from them and avoid spending money on needed improvements. This has been the case for a while, but this mid term election makes this stupidity even sadder and more dangerous than ever. These folks will vote for candidates that support massive tax benefits for the wealthy leaving very little for them. These are also people who are less educated and less informed than those who view things differently. In an effort to further solidify their loyalty, they are being scared to believe a massive invasion from the south, by darker skinned terrorists and lepers is coming to destroy their way of life. To these people I say, sorry for you. You are lost. To everyone else, you have witnessed a Presidency for the last two years that had doubled downed on racism, narcissism, lies, indecency and hate and many have stood by in the name of party loyalty. This Faustian bargain, however, has had an opposite effect in practice,for the many things that the Republicans told us they were about. Things like free trade, deficit control, family values, decency, stuff like that. These have been ignored. Very little of what traditionally comprised the Republican party has come to fruition and while this happened, we have been witness to one of the most corrupt, inhuman and indecent thugs ever to preside over our country. I wont continue. Instead, WHAT IF we honored the Constitution and put the desired checks and balances in place? What if we split government like in the past and reigned in this ignorant, narcissistic fool? WHAT IF we stopped our government from taking away healthcare, demonizing public education, cutting benefits to pay for the tax break for the wealthy and stopped the onslaught of lies and conspiracies? WHAT IF we returned to the values of decency, honor and truth? WHAT IF? We may actually feel better and begin to correct the mistakes of the past two years. Not if you sit on your ass we wont. VOTE BLUE. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

An accessory to Crimes

In law, if you aid and abet a crime, you are considered an accessory and subject to punishment in accordance with the law. Donald trump did not march with neo nazis in Charlottesvile. Donald trump did not mail the pipe bombs to his political opponents and Donald trump did not shoot and kill 11 Jewish worshippers in Pittsburgh. Donald trump did not shoot and kill the journalists at a Baltimore newspaper. Donald trump did say there were good people on both sides in Charlottesville thus sending a not so subtle message to white extremists that their behavior is acceptable. Donald trump did tell his supporters that Hillary Clinton should be locked up. Donald trump did say George Soros, a Jew, is leading a "globalist" agenda, a loud and well known dog whistle of anti Semitism. Donald trump did call the press the enemy of the people and applauded the violent body slamming of a journalist by an elected Republican member of the House. Anyone who denies that his words and his actions are not emboldening and giving a loud voice of acceptance to extremist, violent lunatics, is hiding from the truth. This President, like no other, is aiding and abetting the hate, the violence, the bigotry and racism we are seeing currently. As such, he is an accessory to these horrific acts of terror. Perhaps we should "lock him up"? Vote Blue, regardless of your political loyalties. It is about our soul, about decency, acceptance, respect and truth. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Anger

Psychologists will say, anger is destructive. It serves to only induce stress and cause us to react irrationally. trump is an example of such irrationality with his angry mob tweets as he deflects toward Democrats. trump has used anger to describe women unfavorably, you know that angry bitch stereotype. trump uses anger to induce fear such as drug running illegals crossing our open borders. He uses anger to stoke the uneducated to hate his opponents and lies non stop with angry tweets, anger against Muslims, NATO, allies, Mueller and on an on and on. However, I disagree that anger is a bad emotion. In fact, anger induces action and can create change. On November 6th, we should get angry, we should act, we should vote. If you do not like that children are separated from their parents, get angry and act. If you don't like your health being politically used to hurt you, get angry and act. If you don't like seeing women disrespected and ignored, get angry and act. If you don't like that trump supports and loves dictators while mocking our allies, get angry and act. If you don't like the direction of the Republican party that explodes deficits with unpopular tax cuts for the wealthy and promises to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid blaming the elderly, the sick and the poor for such deficits, get angry and act. If you don't like the mocking of disabled people or those with darker skin, get angry and act. If you don't like corruption in our Cabinet or a political party that has forgotten its check and balance role, get angry and act. If you don't like the fact that a journalist can be hacked to death and your president does nothing about it other than support the murderers for some dollars, get angry and act. If you don't like lies about the economic issues facing the middle class, get angry and act. If you don't like America losing its prestige and influence around the world, get angry and act. If you don't like the fact that the president disrespects those who honor us at the Justice department and FBI and courts of law, protecting us against corruption, collusion and obstruction, get angry and act. If you think trump is an inhuman pig, deserving of all the contempt and hurt he so richly deserves, get angry and act. Anger can be good, it can be constructive, if used during desperate times. We are facing desperate times with a government that has chosen power over right, power over people and money over values. GET ANGRY, AND ACT. Vote Blue, Or Else. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

It was only High School...So what?

I am so sick and tired of those people who suggest that alleged sexual predatory behaviors in high school are just the raging hormones of young men acting out under the influence of alcohol. These idiots say, no big deal. Well it is a big deal. I am 64, retired, taught HS for years and I can tell you that groping women, forcing them to have sex against their will (rape) is neither normal nor epidemic. Most young men I know avoid such despicable and inappropriate behaviors. They know better, which makes those who do not, guilty of unacceptable actions that should not be easily forgotten or forgiven. I was in High school. I never considered violence or aggressiveness toward a young girl. I raised a son. He never considered such actions as normal. It is time to stand up against this cavalier approach to such behavior, real or alleged. These behaviors are abnormal, disgusting and outside the boundaries of adolescence and adulthood. If we succumb to such thoughts and normalize them on a long term basis, we will get more trumps and forget who we are as a human species. Brett Kavanaugh may be innocent, I doubt it, and he should be treated fairly on this matter, but Dr. Ford deserves to be heard and loud voices must condemn the prospect that this is or was normal adolescent high school behavior. IT IS NOT. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Not So Fast

If you despise trump, as I do, you might feel like gloating. This was by all accounts a bad week for him. Talk about the mid terms and the dimming prospects of continued Republican control may boost the spirits of those who believe that the absence of moral character, the dangerous unhinged nature of his narcissism, the lack of any intellectual capacity and the utter indecency that is pervasive in this man, but I say not so fast. I have seen this game played before. Talk about record turnout when it doesn't occur. Talk about an active youth movement, and it never happens. Confidence in your candidates and your ground game, with no real change. Confidence and then letdown, excuses, punditry, analysis and blame. If you look at reality, another conservative justice will be confirmed, the base of 35 percent will remain unwaveringly in trumps pocket. Republicans wont dare confront him regardless of new indictments and new information. After all, no one is surprised anymore. He is a mob boss, a thug, a bully and an idiot, but his party is in the majority and even decent Republicans feel he remains the vessel for them to continue their assault on anything that speaks of fairness and compassion. Earning the biggest prize of my contempt, is Susan Collins who remains a woman who pretends moderation and compromise, goes on TV and then caves every time. Even her ACA vote was based on a promise that never materialized and she stands by while trump erodes any prospects for expanded and better healthcare. So all of this is happening in the summer, when people aren't even watching. As we get closer to November trumpublicans will boast about another justice confirmed, point to the positive aspects of this fake economy and scare us about illegal immigrants and for all the talk of a trump meltdown, an existential threat to his Presidency and how the people will end this nightmare, Not so fast. Apathy remains the root of all evil in this country of ours. Millennials will likely stay home, uneducated white men will vote Republican. White woman while their wellness is stripped before them, will vote Republican. The wealthy will vote Republican and gerrymandering is still an advantage to Republicans. So before we get on our victory pedestals and say democracy works because the people do what's right, remember that we are a deeply flawed people, influenced by selfishness and ignorance. There is nothing I want more than a blue wave, a dismantling of this President and a return to decency, but I say to my fellow anti trumpers, Not so Fast. Where are you Americans for reason and truth.