A NEW AGE BECKONS but RESPONSE IS LIMITED -- FEB. 17, 2025 

At long last, the truth is coming forth as some news reporters, analysts, lawyers, judges, organizations and

protesters begin offering hard-hitting summaries of our current political circumstances -- pretty much spelling it out in no uncertain language, but with clear examples of what the Trump regime is actually causing to happen behind it’s smokescreen.  What follows is my rendition of major aspects of such truth-telling..

We are no longer a nation committed to the Rule of Law because many of the laws passed by this  GOP Congress, and implemented or ordered  by this  President , are illegal, unconstitutional or fraught with national security issues and concerns.  Moreover, certain laws of the past that were legitimately processed (such as protection of civil  service personnel and opposition to forced deportation of immigrants) are  either  being ignored or implemented without legal authority such as revoking of SAID relief for under-developed countries or ignoring the status of Congress as the one constitutional legislative body.

Truth is we are closer than ever to one man rule and his  total immunity from accountability than we have ever been. We have even witnessed permission given for the Capitalist FOX (Elon Musk) to be in our national (White) House to disrupt and to totally destroy the guardrails and the checks  on  each of  the branches of government.  We are adrift in a miasma of stupidity, misplaced loyalty, oligarchic power  and control, all wrapped up in the corruption, childish narcissism, and incompetence of a neo-Nazi, racist, misogynistic, sociopath who seeks to demand obeisance from this country and as much as possible to exercise much stronger   control on the international front. 

Donald J. Trump intends to be the American Emperor and the ignorant  fools who support him are just beginning to taste the bitterness of their obeisance and encounter the sting of the Trump-Musk regimen and the thievery being imposed  upon the rest of  us (like the exposure and stealing of personal data at the Treasury!).  WE HAVE BEEN  THOROUGHLY BAMBOOZLED by a convicted felon who was raised to be exactly who he has turned out to be—a despicable despot!  We were warned about this man’s cruelty, his prejudices, and his attempts to wield personal power to his own benefit by his niece Mary Trump in her book, “Too Much…and Never Enough.“  Almost half of the voting public ignored her warnings and twice elected her criminally-minded uncle to the powerful position of PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES.  

SO…WHAT NOW ?

Most of the guardrails against despotism are gone, such as:

• No more Party discipline or protection of constitutional principles
• Little if any leadership built on loyalty to nation and constitution rather than on personal aggrandizement and Party control
• Independence and member responsibilities of each branch are rarely mentioned and thus easily ignored
• An abundance of political rhetoric and corruption but little or no statesmanship
• Oversight and checks on other branches most often used to destroy others’ standing and integrity rather than to protect and defend them and thereby advance democracy
• An almost complete lack of national problem-solving for the well-being and advancement of peoples’ rights and liberties
• A sense of Purpose and Mission are rarely mentioned or actively acknowledged and vigorously pursued
• The Supreme Court seems to have lost its way and is a major obstacle (rather than the strongest advocate) for preservation of the People’s welfare. Several recent decisions have shown increasing contempt for the RULE OF LAW.  Lately, however, seven attorneys in the Southern district of New York, who have resigned rather than support a quid pro quo by the Mayor of that City under Trump orders, have set a heroic standard that hopefully others will follow.
• The People have voted a major felon into their presidency, ignoring or dismissing his anti-democracy rantings and his failed business practices just as they have dismissed his despotic nature and promises. A substantial number of The PEOPLE have abandoned their pivotal role as informed responsible citizens and community- builders in favor of despotic government that tells them what they must say or do rather than the reverse.

With the guidance of unelected and unconfirmed ‘advisors,’ (like Elon Musk) plus the ignorance and apathy of uneducated voters, the breakdown of government of, by, and for THE PEOPLE has been forfeited to oligarchs, corrupt and incompetent representatives, (who hate laws and regulations of any kind) and to the myths and conspiracies of religiosity, capitalism, ultra conservatism, and imperialism.

Without revolutionary return to basic principles of human rights, dignity, opportunity, protection, and welfare, we shall live out our diminished longevity rate in a society that no longer CARES whether or not we have abandoned our very souls to propaganda, conformity, oligarchy, fascism, white supremacy or empty headiness.  The personal choices we make every day will likely determine our individual and communal destiny for we have reached the point in our journey that demands commitment and sacrifice. 

EVERY CHOICE WE MAKE FROM NOW ON IS CRUCIAL to SURVIVAL of our planet, our freedoms, our career possibilities, our health, our families, our happiness and fulfillment; to our community and nation, and to the world’s longevity and our very existence.

THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS,  Every INDIVIDUAL CHOICE WILL GO BEYOND OUR OWN PERSONHOOD TO DETERMINE THE END RESULT AS HUMAN BEINGS.  The latest invasion of Treasury records by DOGE personnel, and the turn-off of federal funds to pay grants and trained personnel, along with the stoppage of the Consumer Board’s investigations and projects are all examples of where the Trump regime is headed. Total destruction of what they term the ‘deep state,’ the silencing of consumer advocates, along with the firing of federal workers, all point in one direction which is clearly the absolute control of all government functions (despotism) and the illegitimate acquisition of resources from the rest of us. 

We are currently being manipulated and made amenable to a government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich.  And, once again, without organized resistance and rebellion, we shall soon be expected to dance on a daily basis to the Trumpian tune containing at least the following       

• Choosing or allowing additional pollution of our environment by rich corporations which contributes to planetary destruction
• Choosing to support lack of adequate funding for scientific discoveries and protections is already leading to advanced incidences of cancer and heart disease, and of brain disfunction.
• The myths of non-scientific hypotheses are dangerous and their spread by uninformed co-conspirators (in political positions like RFK Jr.) will lead us into more pandemics and rejuvenated fatal diseases
• Choosing or allowing one group or one religion or one philosophy to dominate or replace all others is the death knell of opportunity to make personal choices. Current buy-in on banning books and opinions is dangerous; but so is choosing unwise alternatives. The attacks on a public education system that allows and encourages the broadest sense of diversity and inquiry is part of a total attack on the right of every human to explore our universe in all its many aspects.
• Choices must not be used to enslave, demoralize or denigrate and thereby harm others. We cannot condone hurtful, harmful and destructive philosophies that have demonstrable negative outcomes for humankind. Choices we make will each have a bearing on the code of conduct that enlightens and inspires an affirmative path for world population

Thus, we must begin to make everyday choices not just for our own individual well-being but for the well-being and protection of others as well.  For we are under-the-gun and time is running out on the future apocalypse.  We can no longer make choices only on narrow considerations.  We must broaden our perspective and see that our daily decisions are informed by much broader considerations.

We are citizens of the world and must gear ourselves to aim for peaceful well-being for all those who make up that World.

• We cannot buy or conquer others; we must choose to unite the world around common and positive human ideals and needs
• We cannot be only the ‘strongest’ nation; we have to protect and advocate for others as the most neighborly and humanitarian nation
• We cannot make others choose democracy but we can demonstrate the foundational roots of it and invite others to take part in a variety of ways
• We must stop presenting military strength, financial profit, and Olympic conquests as our primary values and instead use them to teach and implement similar outcomes for others
• We must share more, promote peace and unity more, share our successes and discoveries more, and take actions that serve to advance the peoples of our world (not just the wealthiest and most powerful)

Is this all a ‘pipe dream’ that cannot happen?  Of course, it will be if we cannot find a way:

• to change and adapt to the future of AI, robots, rising costs of almost every essential product and service; of electric cars and as yet undiscovered electronics.
• To invite and challenge the oligarchs to join a People’s Movement to reverse the hypocrisies and failings of our governing system
• To enlist the youth of this nation to share leadership of such a Movement, beginning with reform of public education and their integration into positions that inculcate and approve proposed changes such as school boards and community Councils
• To change from destructive shock and awe tactics to behaviors, actions, and outcomes (such as budgets) that are built on constructive purposes, goals, and outcomes rather than on fear and repression
• To construct and maintain organization structures that are built to serve people rather than herd, restrict, or punish them
• To treat the challenges of life with compassion, caring and mentoring rather than with condemnation, separation, prison or penalties
• To heal brokenness or difference or misfunction of humans with mentorship, education and newly researched and tested strategies and mechanisms
• Enhance, involve, accept, train and mentor vulnerable populations and extend help to their caregivers.
• Start this whole Movement with a necessary change in language and descriptive terms for we are a People caught in the trap of descriptors that do not do what needs to be done in order to change attitudes and structures.

 For instance, we cannot continue to refer to vulnerable people in terms that have become derisive, undignified or outright prejudicial.  

As one example, objectionable Words like ‘retard’ and ‘dummy’ have almost disappeared because of the ‘normalization’ philosophy and practices that changed the whole atmosphere and approach to developmental disabilities in the late 20^th century.

It is becoming clearer that we must attempt to overcome terms like ‘the needy’ or ‘poor folk’ or the ‘safety net,’ ‘poverty stricken’ or even ‘the homeless’ and the infamous ‘Welfare Queen.’

Moreover, we need words that give some normalcy to conditions but do not lend to instant bias and prejudice like “crazy nut’ or ‘screwed-up’ or ‘idiot’ all tend to do.  ‘Differently oriented,’  ’different mindset’ are more gently descriptive of causes than are the terms that tend to emphasize personal failure and unacceptable difference from normality.

At any rate, we must discard language that is accusatory or rooted in shortcomings or fears and move toward terms that are merely descriptive (like ‘persons of color’) or that stress some dignity and hope (like associate, neighbor, colleague or partner, or friend). 

There is, of course, much more to a Movement, but the basics are:

1. new language and attitudes
2. living examples to demonstrate the changes
3. New groups and organizations dedicated to the purposes and mission of the movement;
4. as well as new music, art, literature, sculpture, etc. that evoke and promote the Movement and its aspects
5. growing number of local chapters or organizations that spread the word and the essence
6. members who can perform leadership roles and skills and best express their mission
7. Endorsements from media, outside leaders, other organizations
8. Assessment of achievements (and failures) with attention to appropriate reforms and new directions

WHAT SHOULD THIS NEW MOVEMENT BE NAMED?  Any ideas?  SOME SUGGESTIONS:

YES, WE CAN  (sound familiar?)

We Shall Overcome (another enduring cry)

New Age of Aquarius (pulled from the ‘60s’)

Restore Democracy Now

Reclaim Human Rights

People United against Tyranny

Legislate, Litigate, Agitate and Rejuvenate

Voices of the Future

Advocates for Responsible Government (A.R.G.)

Standing UP for       “                   “      Everywhere (S.U.R.G.E.)

What DO YOU THINK? and Where do YOU STAND?

 

Puppets for Hire? --  September 30, 2024

Just what does it mean to be a Puppet in this 2024 Election environment? Glad you asked. It involves making a gift of yourself to someone else in a manner that reduces your nature to puppet-like characteristics. It is something akin to prostrating yourself at the feet of someone and declaring that you are their servant and will do anything to advance them and their cause(s). Without reservation, you become an integral part of that person and his/her gang. You have given yourself to them and there are no limits to your promise to serve them.

So, just what constitutes a puppet existence?

Primarily, you have no voice of your own and therefore will never be listened to nor heard but will always be ignored and reduced to plain wood.

Your only value is that of a figurine that enhances the Master puppeteer. You are equivalent to a gaudy prop that may cause oooohs and ahhhs, or only derisive laughter.

Bu then, if luck comes your way, you might be paired with a ventriloquist who will speak for you. JUST THINK – You will become endowed with words and phrases—some call them ‘talking points’-- that will be not yours but those of your Master. Perhaps you will even acquire a measure of fame or notoriety like MORTIMER SNERD or RUDY GIULIANI!

BUT still, there is that wood thing…  It is so confining  and restrictive. It is also often overdone making you into a character that loses something in the transformation. Lost is the ability to be real, to be genuine, to be an ordinary puppet without all that decorative stuff added on. If only it was possible to change back to an ordinary doll. But there is ”no going back,” because duty calls for puppetry and woodenness, so staying on course is all you have alongside those other wooden props who play roles as needed.

Finally, there is that promise of devotion and obeisance that comes so naturally to passive puppets. But more so for marionettes with strings attached to manipulate actions and behaviors. They clap for nonsense, grimace at rival doctrines, and kick-out at samples of left-leaning Democrats and Liberals all of whom are communists to them.

You have, for sure, taken on a cloak of obedience that covers over every flaw, falsity, failure, and flub in your Master’s repertoire. YOU worship the ground upon which he treads and sometimes applaud the terms and actions he uses to demean, diminish or FIRE those he hates or fears or despises for their actions toward him.

YOU ARE HIS PASSIVE PUPPET, and he needs you even though he despises you. And that fact will become your destiny if he applies his programs and policies nationally with no exemptions for PUPPETS!

Rewards for PUPPETS are ILLUSORY They do not exist. They remain frozen in time and space; while Puppets simply serve their Master and accept their limits and his crimes. They do not know the rigors of active citizenship and the joys of serving others in their communities. They act only when manipulated to do so.

But be cautious, for they have been known to use fabricated swords, knives, and guns when their Master sends them forth to battle perceived rivals or enemies. Puppets are dangerous because they have no empathy for others and do not care about those who have special needs. Their sole purpose is known as ‘wooden obedience’ to their Master. And Donald Trump would love the presence of thousands more just like he saw and admired in North Korea where he ‘fell in love’ with dictator Kim Jong Un. One more giant reason to soundly reject Trump the Puppeteer as totally unqualified to be the President of these United States.

VOTE for the PLAN NOT JUST the NAME

July 7, 2024

The current political situation with President Biden’s questionable performance in the candidates’ debate plus Democrat responses, requires clear and concise thoughts and concepts, in my opinion:  

• We could have avoided this whole  mess had Joe Biden done what I suggested BEFORE the 2020 election. Apparently (and facetiously), the advice was never considered which was: that he announce his intention to initiate bold advances during one term and  to serve for one term only.

He and other Democrats (and some Independents)  are now caught in a deep political dilemma which could have been avoided by that one term announcement before the 2020 election.   It is entirely regrettable that the Party is  dividing up over whether or not Joe Biden should try for another term.  What we should be discussing is the Vision  we have for the future, how we will get there and who will carry the banner and illuminate the future for all the People.  Strangely enough, that is exactly what President Biden is saying he will do.  But because the Party is so concentrated on his health and ability to function, the true message is lost.  In other words, those calling for Biden to withdraw now are FOUR YEARS LATE.  This is the ongoing problem with the Democratic Party --  concentrate so much on current exigencies they do not pay attention to future concerns.          

Now what is needed is an even bolder Vision and Plan for the future that must be articulated by Biden, Harris, Wal and every Democrat office-seeker. The broad outline of such a future plan might include, at a minimum:

• Continuation and enhancement of the bold project(s) already initiated by this administration, including infrastructure habilitation, battling climate change ( and restoring our planet to good health), strengthening alliances across the globe, health care improvements, and attention to higher education needs and strengthening of family supports such as jobs and wages.
• Add to that plan much needed attention to our entire system of elementary and secondary public education, as well as equal attention to complicated and difficult curriculum issues. All of which are crucially important to understanding who we are and who we want to be as a nation.
• Equally important is rejection of Trump concepts that make criminals of teachers who merely refer to certain words, phrases, and concepts like gender, slavery, and Jim Crow. The discussion, debate and research involved around such topics is crucial to understanding and addressing past errors and flaws and addressing the present and future with innovative ideas and reformative concepts.
• We cannot have democracy without struggling and grappling with what it means to be an informed and active citizen responsible for seeking and enhancing the rights and benefits of our system, not only for oneself, but protecting and maintaining them for all others.
• There is constantly some sort of challenge to living out the ideals and the principles that we have espoused in our Constitution.
• Emphasis on family values and assistance, including the Child Tax Credit, restoration of state taxes and mortgage interest as tax deductions; enhancement of student loan assistance could be based on hours devoted to community service performed.
• Include Day Care enhancement in the budget; support for Education Department increased; private education academies allowed to receive federal funds for performing community service, subsidized enrollment, and support for homeless and students in families meeting poverty guidelines are useful concepts; privatizing many government functions is not helpful
• Codification of Roe v. Wade provisions and budget support for women’s health centers
• Democrats and Independents could have secured more critical victories in House and Senate had the Democratic Party done what it needed to do before 2020 (or earlier), like:
• Continuing to push election reform
• Training office-seekers
• On-going training in problem-solving techniques and public communication
• Building budgets that are based on input of voters
• Advisory groups dedicated to constituents’ major concerns
• Why is Donald Trump at age 78 off the hook for mental conditions that meet criteria for narcissism and sociopathy; or for aberrations that have led to fascist and criminal-type behavior while Biden is actually losing out in new polls for age-related losses of mobility, memory, and oral presentation?
• Is Biden’s age less acceptable and more troublesome than Trump’s criminal behaviors?
• OR are Trump supporters kidding themselves into believing that Trump is capable and mentally fit for the job when millions died because of his do-nothing attitude toward the COVID virus? Or, because he is seeking the rewards of absolute control and immunity that promise multi-faceted results, such as:

1. change to a dictatorship with no restraints will mean that Trump supporters – who he has called ‘dirty and despicable’ – will not have social security, affordable health care, Food supplements, adequate housing, or affordable loans and mortgages, nor good jobs & wages because Trump is going to need those federal dollars to lower more taxes on the rich and to support cuts in government services and social programs already in effect. 
2. DEMOCRATS need to CHANGE THE NARRATIVE and talk about the PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT TRUMP and what the future under Trump will bring back upon them, for Trump makes no exemptions for them so all he plans to impose will land on everyone including his current supporters!
3. How can anyone not realize that their vote is the only power standing between democracy and dictatorship?

For Another caution -- Students who choose to vote against Biden because of the Israeli revenge war against Hamas and the destruction and loss of life that entails – need to understand that sometimes life provides difficult choices (some that must be protested and changed), but the choices are not always between good and bad, but can be between gray and grayer, between bad and worse, between wrong and criminally inspired.

The student vote is crucial because it is almost a quarter (24%) of those voting. It is thus a power vote that if strong and focused enough can turn any election to its favor and direction.

That is reason enough to favor Biden-Harris and to reject Trump realizing that you are voting for what is behind each name, not for the person but for the unprinted ballot issues: abortion rights, women’s health and inherent rights of equality and justice; for student loan forgiveness and tuition help; for community development and broad work/vocation opportunities;  for futures that have promise rather than exploitation and manipulation of our lives. You do have a choice after all – for experience, record-setting economics, student aid contrasted with Trump and SCOTUS who are fighting against all its forms.

Again, the only reasonable choice is Biden-Harris because Trump will never support the social  causes or civil rights and freedoms favored by 55% to 99% of the People  

1. We are at WAR, but not that suggested by the Heritage Foundation in their lengthy 2025 Document.

We are at WAR with the de-construction of our way of life and governance. Can it be more obvious? Or more imminent? Or more foreboding? Will it end up in a Civil War?

1. I agree with Heritage on one thing: we are already in a War mode with red states taunting, threatening, and trying to take over as many blue and purple states as possible. The Red states of South and  Midwest have decided to back an anti-democracy, anti-equal rights campaign intended to invalidate the current government and install a dictatorship that will be headed by Donald Trump as the absolute ruler, probably for life.

It is important that we stop referring to him as ‘King Donald’ because this is not who he is or what he wants. He wants no deep connection to his  base supporters, nor does he want to be bothered with their problems and needs. In other words, he has no penchant for any form of royal benevolence toward his subjects but expects them to demonstrate complete loyalty in obedience toward him. His choice is dictatorship and forgetting that could be dangerous for the miscreant and the rest of us.

So it is that we come round to what his little brother observed about him, and his niece Mary confirms, Donald wants to be worshipped by his people as their ultimate ruler—THE GREAT I AM.

THERE IS JUST ONE GLITCH IN HIS PLAN and that is the power that the Supreme Court  has acquired for itself by its rulings in several recent cases, most egregious is the decision regarding immunity from prosecution for acts performed while president that were part of “official duties.”  In other words, the SCOTUS has found a way to excuse the findings of a jury that Trump was guilty on all thirty-four counts of the ‘Stormy Daniels’ case in NYC. Before that came the Roe v. Wade decision, the Hobby Lobby case, and the Citizens United decision – all of which have in their own way contributed to the jettisoning of major principles of our Rule of Law system. The ultra conservative Justices have effectively opened the door to taking away rights and precedents that do not fit their particular beliefs. They have instituted legal definitions that allowed them to violate Constitutional principles like separation of church and state. They have decided that corporations have a right to their political contributions being equated with free speech, thus making bribery an accepted practice in the world of politics.

What is worst of all the responses of the Courts is the delays that have been used by the Trump defense to give time for the conservative Five to grant the immunity principle. As a result of those delays all of the counts against Trump’s criminal activities while in office may be in jeopardy. He could end up escaping any penalty for his criminality, and that is what he now expects will happen as his appointed judges up and down the court system suspend final  trial actions and sentencing until after his nomination.

However, ‘the Donald’ and his co-conspirators may have missed a beat here. First, the unfinished business of who will finally decide what acts by a president are ‘official acts’ and which are not is up for grabs. I suspect that the Trump Team has a plan that involves their lawyers drawing up criteria for ‘official duties’ and presenting same to courts for approval. I suspect that the SCOTUS majority of Ult Right justices believe the decision will end up in their jurisdiction.

That means either every case that involves such a decision will go to SCOTUS, or that SCOTUS conservatives will impose a general guideline definition on all such cases.

          Finally, there  is something that most voters and leaders have avoided i.e., Article III Section 2 first enumerates original and appellate functions or jurisdiction as primary responsibilities of SCOTUS but  then appears a phrase that reads:  “…with such exceptions, and under such regulations as the Congress shall make.”

Notwithstanding the conclusions that legal scholars have reached, or may yet reach about this, it seems to this mere mortal (no expert in Constitutional Law) that the Congress has been given an oversight function as regards the rules, regulations and jurisdictions of the Supreme Court (and apparently in cases and courts where states are involved as parties). 

And that says to me that the Congress is the branch of government that should be dealing with the jurisdiction and rules of the Trump cases; certainly, with the issue of “official acts” and with the procedures (rules and regulations) of hearing these cases.  Where have the 'dissatisfied-with-Biden' crowd been on this need for judicial reform

If the political stars align themselves in Democrats’ favor, they should immediately set forth the following new rules:

1. The underlying ideological principles of the current Supreme Court Justices (and of current lower court judges) is so out-of-balance that fair hearings are constantly in jeopardy. The first act of a new Congress with Democratic majority must be the codification of definitions of “official acts” of the President, and the codification of rules that define when a Justice must recuse oneself from a case.
2. That action must be followed immediately upon passage by the nomination of four new additional justices to balance the Court’s ideological basis and approach.
3. And the Congress must pass legislation that codifies regulations for trying a former president, establishing rules that restrict such a person from favoritisms and privileges that other defendants do not possess, and assuring that the category of cases involving the United States specifically incudes former presidents;
4. Finally, there must be restrictions placed on the two powers that the SCOTUS has granted itself:
   1. The power of declaring laws as ‘unconstitutional’ (‘judicial review’)
   2. The power to rewrite those laws (essentially legislating by means of judicial decisions) Each of these self-empowerments must be eliminated and declaration made that legislative power is invested in Congress alone, with proviso that SCOTUS may petition Congress to recommend changes in laws it believes are constitutionally questionable, unfit, potentially harmful to people, or enabling harmful, hateful, elitist outcomes that tend to degrade and denigrate one’s ability to seek the protection and promises of our Constitution.

There is no doubt in my mind that such legislation would undergo so much opposition from MAGA Republicans in all three branches of government, from private organizations and business sector, that the first major battle of the political fronts will occupy lawyers and politicians and judges for decades.

5/16/2024  -- SUBJECT or CITIZEN?

OUR VOTE is the most powerful citizenship tool we possess.  It expresses just Who We Are and WHAT We Value.  Voting is not merely a citizen duty or a popularity contest.   Elections are declarations of the principles, motives and ideals that demonstrate our purposes, our commitments, and our  future hopes.

Elections answer a fundamental question that has been key for us since our birth as a nation:  Are we subjects or are we citizens?  Do we allow petty tyrants to manipulate us into the questionable roles of subjects and sycophants?  Or are we the People -- the Citizen Corps—the VOTING Public who are the active Guardians of constitutional democracy? According to our basic guide to governing – our Constitution—the contrasting answers to that question have never been starker than they are in today’s political environment:

• We are not meant to be those who divide people from one another or who denigrate or defeat others to show a false strength. We are not called to see how much we can cheat others in order to enhance our own fortunes  
• FOR WE ARE the Builders of Unity out of the diversity of national origins, cultures, races, religions, and ideologies and none of us has any business attacking, diminishing, or demonizing any group or segment of the People. The language of Amendment 14 speaks strongly against words and actions that aim to destroy the credibility, validity, or viability of any segment of our society.
• We ARE NOT the Avowed de-constructionists of government entities, policies, and programs that are intended to protect, insure, and enhance human lives and dignity.
  • BUT, WE ARE meant to be the staunch Defenders and Guarantors of the People’s rights, liberties and freedoms on a basis of equal opportunity of access and equal application of benefits offered by tested methods of equitable distribution.
• Further, WE ARE NOT Insurrectionists who threaten the livelihoods and lives of other citizens when they refuse to act in strict adherence to a radical agenda advanced by Right-wing Extremists
  • However, we are the evaluators, critics and correctors of those processes when they do not meet the legislated standards of effectiveness, efficiency, and equal application.
• WE ARE NOT the crude and churlish followers and worshippers of one despotic leader in a servile desire to please and be rewarded.

 WE ARE THE CITIZEN ACTIVISTS who advocate to uphold and to demonstrate commitment to the bold idea that government is a product and instrument of citizens who care for one another, who advocate for others’ rights, and who reform their government and its institutions when we have strayed from our democratic ideals.

WE ARE NOT PASSIVE SUBJECTS of extremist or corrupt politicians, nor are we people who use government to enhance personal wealth and position, nor should we be electors of spoiled brats who believe they are above the law, are smarter than the People, and are simply not interested in or guided by humanitarian or democratic principles.  They want all the power they can take to make us into subjects again because they despise and fear the power of the People by whom governments are empowered to provide responsible hope and fulfillment for all constituents.

Every election is a demonstration, not only of who we are but of who we are becoming. Every election is meant to be a declaration that we THE PEOPLE must become all that we have promised to be.  Use your VOTE to reject those who have promised de-construction, retribution, and regression; elect only those who have demonstrated their commitment to becoming all we are challenged to be!

 For we are NOT mere subjects of government “making America Great Again” by RETREATING TO a flawed past of being passive subjects and consumers,

 Instead, WE MUST ASPIRE TO BE THE  VANGARD of  new communities of Citizen futurists intent on being ALL we are meant to Be in the fashioning of a new world of citizenship and governance, complete with a new narrative, a wider purpose, and new approaches to unity, equality, protection, liberty and justice for all.                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4/30/2024 - The RULE of LAW

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PART 2:  EXPAND EMPATHY NOT HATE

10/21/2023

(Read more about cultivating EMPATHY, if you’re interested)

There is one more thing we can do, and author/teacher, Steve Taylor, suggests that it is of primary importance for healing the human errors exemplified by leaders and their base supporters who tend to be consumed by hate and retribution.  Taylor says:

“To a large extent, all crime and all cruelty are the result of a lack of empathy. It’s a lack of empathy which makes someone capable of attacking or oppressing other people. A lack of empathy for another tribe or country makes warfare and conflict possible. A lack of empathy towards other ethnic groups, social classes or castes makes oppression and inequality possible.

“Empathy is the ability to ‘feel with’ another person, to identify with them and sense what they’re experiencing. It’s sometimes seen as the ability to ‘read’ other people’s emotions, or the ability to imagine what they’re feeling, by ‘putting yourself in their shoes.’ In other words, empathy is seen as a cognitive ability, along the same lines as the ability to imagine future scenarios or to solve problems based on previous experience.

“But in my view, empathy is more than this. It’s the ability to make an emotional connection with another person, to actually enter into their mind-space. When we experience real empathy or compassion, our identity actually merges with another person’s. The separateness between you and the other person fades away. Your ‘self-boundary’ melts away, so that in a sense – or to an extent – you become them.”

Could it be that what we are lacking can be learned and enhanced?  According to Taylor, that is exactly what is needed. But neither he nor I claim empathy as the solution for conflict in the Middle East.  It is, however, a motivating factor that can begin a healing process.

“Just as the lack of empathy makes cruelty and oppression possible, the presence of empathy heals conflict. The wider empathy stretches – from victims to offenders, from one ethnic group to another, from nation to nation and religion to religion – the less brutal and more harmonious a place the world will become.

“And perhaps most importantly…to some degree empathy can be nurtured. When people are brought together in a neutral context, with an open, trusting attitude, empathy naturally establishes itself. Distinctions of ethnicity, religion and other superficial ‘identity badges’ begin to fade away, as does the sense of grievance and rage derived from past events. The same could be said of nature too: when human beings spend time in natural surroundings, relaxing into its stillness and space, a bond naturally establishes itself.

“And it’s this bond which is surely our true nature.”

Here are a few clues as to what is needed to cultivate this bonding experience:

1. Small groups that meet in neutral settings to exchange thoughts, ideas, and feelings; a facilitator with some expertise in eliciting the building of bridges to each other would be important in this process
2. Harmony with nature might be captured by simply being there, but again a navigator would be ideal; perhaps a native American who still sees his/her people as expressed here:

“…as the caretakers of nature, with a responsibility to preserve harmony. As Chief Edward Moody of the Nuxalk Nation says, ‘We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can’t speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish.”

3. Expansion of our minds is not something we seem to do easily or as a rule, especially by using meditation like the following excerpt from Taylor:

 

“Think of someone you love and be aware of the warm feeling that wells up inside you. Hold on to that warm feeling, and let it spread throughout your body… Let it flow into your mind too…. Think of all the people around you, in the rooms or buildings close to you, and imagine that warm glow of compassion leaving your body and spreading to them. Think of all the people in your city, in the streets and buildings… in this country…. Then expand it further, to all the people on this planet. Feel the glow of compassion spreading from your being to the whole world, and into… the whole universe.”

4. Above all, perhaps, is learning to stretch one’s mind and nurture empathy through actual involvement in service to others…where you put the needs of others before your own e.g., caring for the sick or elderly, charity or voluntary work. Altruism and service help us to transcend separateness, and to connect with others, creating a fellowship of empathy.”

Taylor adds a few more thoughts for cultivating empathy:

• Use your imagination to picture how the world looks through other people’s eyes. Think about how their experiences mold their perceptions.
• When you speak to other people, give them your full attention; respect them… enable empathy to flow between you.
• Before you condemn another person for behaving badly, think about the reasons for their behavior…. bad experiences they’ve had, or because of personality traits that they have no control over?

 “Empathy shows that the concept of separateness (egocentrism) is an illusion. Empathy is simply the experience of our true connectedness, the exchange of feeling through the shared consciousness which unites not just all human beings, but all living and non-living things.”

PRACTICE EMPATHY, NOT HATE!

Begin Today:

1. Start a small multi-cultured group in your home or in a comfortable atmosphere. Locate a facilitator of small group interactions (try NAACP, AARP, RCIL, a Senior Center, A Center for Ability Awareness, a college instructor, etc.)  Build bridges of empathy together.
2. Try to join or experience a group or organization of people that you have never tried before; perhaps a group offering a service to people unfamiliar to you.
3. Write something about your new experience that helps people understand how empathy can be learned and cultivated; publish it on social media, or in newspapers, as an Op-ed piece or maybe as a newsletter.
4. Expand your learnings and experiences into groups to which you already have membership
5. Become a Facilitator or a consultant or a resource for spreading empathy training – YES, YOU CAN!

 

TRUMPISM: THREAT & CHALLENGE

9/25/2023

For some time now, I have taken the position that the misguided extremism displayed by the Right-Wing mob of Republicans is not entirely due to the shortcomings and criminality of Donald Trump (although his behavior has epitomized and invigorated the anti-democratic fervor that is corrupting our society).

My thesis has been that one large malevolent factor at work is that base of voters for Trump, i.e., his gang who follow his every word as their cult leader.  His malicious words and indictable actions have spread irrationality like a cancer to the sinews and organs of the body politic.  His followers are spurred onward by the abysmal ignorance and lack of citizenship that is endemic amongst the Trump supporters. It is the willingness of such voters to trade democracy for authoritarian governance by Trump’s despotism that is the foundation stone of this spreading corruption. Without the votes of his fawning oligarchs, Trump would be a mere dictator wannabe, destined for the garbage pile of history where lie the remains of others like him – Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Mao – and so many more.    

I believe furthermore that this current outburst of lawless nihilism (see my Blog of 12/9/2021) has been exacerbated by certain failures in leadership and by attitudes and myths that are accepted without question, becoming dangerous prejudices and life-threatening malaprops that are mired in the concretized minds of his supporters.

 THE FAILURES:

1. The failure of the two major parties and of elected representatives to address the basic needs of the public education system has clearly produced under-educated voters who cannot function as well-informed citizens
2. The specific failure of these parties to train and prepare each generation of this country’s citizens for active citizenship participation, building unity, common purpose, and sense of fulfillment for every member of our society.
3. De-emphasizing community and national service (similar to the PEACE Corps concept) as an integral responsibility of all citizens has resulted in a lack of personal experience and dedication to the principles and values of democratic governance. (See more on this in my blog posts of 5/15/2011 and 2/8/2016).
4. Have we diminished our mission and purpose by not challenging ourselves and each other to regularly undertake the routine tasks of citizen activism (promoting and protecting rights and freedoms for all; paying taxes to enable others to achieve happiness, VOTING, doing a community service,)? Are we failing to inspire (‘breathe life into’) a national system of equality, justice, opportunity, and loyalty to the well-being of every member of our society?
5. Currently, the most Fascist radical Right-wing of his followers has begun to make threats and actual acts of violence into a prominent weapon of aggression and retribution against government workers, elected officials (and their families), school board members and librarians, plus against law enforcement agents from the FBI, police forces, and even the IRS. This is the inevitable result of those who seek power for themselves rather than the general welfare and protection of the People of this democratic Republic.  It perhaps has its origins in the misguided capitalistic principle that winning competitive contests is all-important and certainly receives impetus from the mistaken idea that Second Amendment gun rights include the right to carry guns wherever you wish and use them to defend against anyone who can be interpreted as a threat.   
6. Moreover, we seem to be failing in our international responsibilities of humanitarianism, peace-making, and providing hope to other nations. Is “America First” or “Making America Great Again” an adequate expression of who we are and who we want to be? I sincerely doubt it because it speaks more to trade, commerce, and national aggrandizement than it does to human wellness and wellbeing.  Each slogan diminishes the vision and majesty of the purposeful words engraved on the Statute of Liberty or of those written in our Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to our Constitution.
7. It may be, then, that our greatest failure is a loss of Purpose through neglect and through the substitution of capitalistic values for democratic values that so often contradict each other.

THE MYTHS:

 Democracy cannot be sustained by:

• elevation of property rights over civil rights, seen recently in two major SCOTUS rulings: Citizens United and the stripping of Sections of the Voting Rights Act
• substitution of profit motive for a service model that evidently emboldens some public officials to seek personal benefit from their positions
• pursuit of a goal of fulfillment, success, or happiness for individuals or a chosen few but not for the many is built upon the evangelical concept of individual salvation and the last judgment scenario of the chosen few that will be ushered into paradise. Such individualism is a core concept of the Radical Right that leads away from community service, from responsibility for unity out of diversity, and which defends MY rights as a citizen but does not offer equal protection and advocacy for the rights of others
• the concept of trickle-down economics that assumes an elite who allow others to join if they meet certain standards; they also maintain a private philanthropic method that has never provided adequately for the general welfare of our population because of another restrictive capitalistic axiom--
• Everyone must earn their way by pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps thereby earning a measure of success, status, and recognition.
• All of which promotes something called Laissez-faire (‘leave me alone’ and ‘don’t tread on me’) capitalism that emphasizes survival of the fittest with few if any restrictions or regulations. It gives impetus to the avoidance of legal restraints, and thus threatens replacement of the Rule of Law with the nihilism of individual desire and self-aggrandizement at the expense of others
• A principle of combative competition against others is used as opposed to a contractual responsibility for mentoring and affirming every human being in a cooperative manner. 
• Each of these axioms regards others as being of lesser value and worth until they earn respect. There is no room here for unearned and unproven worth and success or for any concept of inalienable rights, affirmative action, or equal opportunities. No human in their eyes deserves the investment and protection of both public and private sectors (government and capitalism) as free gifts-- they must earn respect and stature and power –none of which just happen as birthrights (which is why Republicans are proposing legislation that requires every recipient of benefits like Medicaid or food supplements to work before they can receive them
• Trumpers promote and support a hierarchy of societal levels to keep the diverse unruly and undereducated, minimally successful mob from disrupting the holders of wealth, power, and national control (under the guise of “culture wars” that their extreme nationalism aims to win) by imposing national societal standards made up by them, such as a national religion, a national ban on abortions, and a national policy of white supremacy.
• achieving an elite status of privilege and power over others and keeping it that way by every means possible including use of misinformation, intimidation, and violent repression—as illustrated by their destruction of our voting and election systems-- is the daily task of this anti-democratic Trumpian insurrection.

HOWEVER, Capitalism is not democratic and never has been. CEOs are meant to be autocratic and get paid enormous sums for increasing profits not rights. Combative Competition is not neutral, fair, or just and does not aim at greater unity.

 Being seen by corporations as a faceless and pliant consumer is not the same as being regarded as a valued person/citizen with inalienable rights. One of those rights is that of peaceful protest or grievance when treated unjustly.  How many corporations encourage labor to picket or strike?  Labor rights are not protected as much as tolerated because laws have been enacted to control corporate greed and their illegal or unethical conduct.

  Voting for wealthy, competitive combatants and “successful” businesspeople (just because they appear to be successful by promoting their own ‘standards’) is not a productive enterprise when the recipient of those votes supports authoritarian principles, vows to uphold the Constitution but then breaks that vow repeatedly. And, most importantly, is not held immediately accountable for every illegal infraction he or she committed or conspired to commit.   

  Donald J. Trump is the very definition of why laissez-faire business standards must not guide our next presidential election.  Trump is a despotic CEO out to control all that he possibly can to his own benefit. And, he has told us numerous times that he believes that the President has absolute power to do what he determines should be done and that neither Congress nor SCOTUS can override his decisions.  He believes that government is his (just like the documents he confiscated from the White House!).  He represents all that is despotic, fascist in nature, and anti-democratic, and must be stopped from ever being able to hold public office again, just as the 14^th Amendment to our Constitution summons us to do.

Are those who continue to vote for him guilty of supporting insurrection, of abetting conspirators in their plans of insurrection, and of taking an action that in itself is contrary to the plain words of Section 3 of the 14^th Amendment of the Constitution?  Are they traitors against Law, the Constitution, and democratic standards?  YOU MUST DECIDE!  

The Challenges:

• Some Good news comes from:

PEW RESEARCH CENTER JULY 12, 2023

“The elections of 2018, 2020 and 2022 were three of the highest-turnout U.S. elections of their respective types in decades. About two-thirds (66%) of the voting-eligible population turned out for the 2020 presidential election – the highest rate for any national election since 1900. The 2018 election (49% turnout) had the highest rate for a midterm since 1914. Even the 2022 election turnout, with a slightly lower rate of 46%, exceeded that of all midterm elections since 1970.

Census.gov confirms this and adds a large contributing factor: “The…coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led some states to expand early voting, while others automatically sent registered voters a ballot that could be returned by mail. Collectively, these changes resulted in a large increase in voting by "nontraditional" methods… prior to Election Day.”

HOWEVER—

 PEW RESEARCH makes two important contrary points: (1) Americans are not consistent voters, and (2) the share of our population over the age of 18 who voted in every one of those same 3 elections shows a much more limited share of participants.

AND, Despite Record Turnout,

80 million (eligible) Americans DID NOT Vote.

December 15, 2020, 5:00 AM ET

Heard on Morning Edition w/Domenico Montanaro

 Nonvoters' reasons for not voting included:

• not being registered to vote (29%)
• not being interested in politics (23%)
• not liking the candidates (20%)
• a feeling their vote wouldn't have made a difference (16%)
• being undecided on for whom to vote (10%)

Difficulty voting doesn't appear to be a major reason why they don't vote.  It's more that these voters feel a sense of alienation and apathy. They are generally detached from the news and pessimistic about politics, the survey found.  Politics is simply not the way to make change, they said. (See my blog on ‘Garrett’s Passport’ for a single mother’s lament on ‘politics’ – dated 7/19/2015)

They are disengaged, disaffected, and don't believe politics can make a difference in their lives. They are also more likely to be younger, make less money and have lower levels of education than other voters.

Other findings in the Survey imply or reveal challenges to candidates and campaigners:

• For the first time, Hispanic voters… made up 11% of the total turnout, close to the non-Hispanic Black share of 12%.
• As the U.S. population ages, the share of older voters is also growing People over the age of 65 now make up 26% of all voters, up from 24% in the previous presidential election.
• The population is diversifying and getting older but also more educated
  • People with a bachelor’s degree or higher were 32% of the citizen voting-age population in 2016 and 35% in 2020.
  • However, turnout for voters with less than a bachelor’s degree increased at a higher rate: 60% in 2020 compared to 54% in 2016.
• In addition, 73% of all voting-age citizens were registered to vote, 2 percentage points higher than in 2016
• HOWEVER, there are still 27% of eligible American citizens who are not registered to vote, which according to my rough calculations leaves a significant number unregistered (is it possible that out of the 80 million who did not vote, that 50% of them were also unregistered? nearly 40 million?).
• Challenge: are current strategies on registering new people adequate to meet the challenge of apathy and disinterest?  I doubt it.

There are also some strong socioeconomic correlations between voting and not voting that serve to challenge our methods and strategies:

Nonvoters tend to make less money, have lower levels of education, are less likely to own their home and are less likely to be married.

• While only 21% of voters made $50,000 a year or less, 43% of nonvoters did.
• Just over a quarter of voters had a high school degree or less, but a majority (52%) of nonvoters did.
• Sixty percent of voters said they were married, but just 44% of non- voters did, which impacts economic power in a society when dual-income households are becoming increasingly necessary in parts of the country.
• Overall, 70% of nonvoters said they were not registered to vote. If we use 70% instead of 50% and apply that to the 80 million nonvoters, the result implies that 56 million may be unregistered!

[NPR and the Medill School of Journalism commissioned this survey of U.S. adults who voted and did not vote in the 2020 presidential election. The survey of 1,843 adults included 1,103 nonvoters and 740 voters. (www.nonvoters2020.com).  Overall, the survey has a +/-2.9 percentage point margin of error for all adults; for nonvoters, it is +/- 3.5 points; for voters, it is +/- 3.9 percentage point margin].

=================================================================

I conclude with a sampling of what I consider relevant and challenging statistics and estimations from Census.gov regarding voters and nonvoters drawn from their analyses of the 2020 election, (also based on data collected for their monthly Current Population Survey (CPS). “CPS remains the most comprehensive data source available for examining the social and demographic composition of American voters in federal elections, particularly when examining broad historical results.” (Census.gov)  

• The largest age group of voters was between 45–64, constituting just over one-third of all voters in 2020 (34.7 percent). This group shrank from 37.6 percent of voters in 2016 to its lowest share since 1996.
• The oldest age group, those 65 or older, made-up 25.7 percent of 2020 voters- the largest voter share for those 65 and older on record in the CPS time series.
• The youngest age groups, those 18–29 years old and those 30–44 years old, grew to 16.5 percent and 23.2 percent, respectively.

I suggest that we need to re-think some election strategies and our assumptions about what actions are needed to apply to elections generally.  My experiences have induced the following thoughts (for more on these subjects see blogs at 11/16/2014, 10/22/2016, and 6/17/2019).

• Candidates are not required to meet thoroughly relevant qualifications. Do we need to push for non-partisan commissions to assess the qualifications needed for each position on the ballot and then lobby legislative bodies at all levels to enact enabling legislation?
• Vetting and training and recruitment of candidates is a jumble of meetings and some debates but rarely a serious grilling of would-be candidates by a spectrum of voters. Usually, political parties make the decisions as to their candidates for office, but is this the best method for choosing candidates? If so, then some new guidance is needed for energizing, reforming, and overseeing that process because too many candidates have turned out to be lousy legislators and corrupt individuals.  
• Campaigns are built around tried and true strategies (with very little innovation) which may include phone calling, face-to-face home visits, postcards, flyers, leaflets, posters, newspaper articles, LTEs – which usually involves using lists of Democrats and a few others. If independents are reported to be a substantial cohort of voters (and nonvoters)—reported at around 41% in Oneida county – shouldn’t we target lists of independents in the largest voting block which is between the ages of 45-64?
• Candidates for national office usually have an advertising campaign on radio and TV. The challenge is to regulate the content of such ads (free speech is not the right to disseminate false information, to defame innocent people, nor to throw unspeakable amounts of anonymous money into negative campaigns, notwithstanding the egregious rulings of SCOTUS and the vengeful atrocities of Right-wing legislators). But, most importantly, we must push hard to get big money out of politics.
• Debates and town meetings or Meet & Greets are popular. But do they provide the opportunity for in-depth discussion of issues with candidates? Do we need smaller gatherings of citizens (20 or fewer-- perhaps chosen as representatives of civic organizations) to engage in dialogue with candidates?
• Voter registration is too often done haphazardly or without a targeted purpose by state agencies or at tables at gathering spots. There are other methods for targeting independent and non-registered voters: using non-profit agencies, libraries, schools, health centers, etc. to target certain populations; or targeting a neighborhood with flyers, calls and door-hangers inviting people to a meeting about an issue relevant to their lives and then making registration part of the event; or using well-known entertainers to attract large numbers; or taking registration materials to locations or events not often targeted.

I would propose several concepts, all beginning with the letter ‘T’

TEND to analysis of voters, elections, strategies, and candidates

TARGET what analysis and stats tell us with less attention to general approaches that are traditional but may be lacking in effective results

TRADITIONAL approaches need to continue but need to be targeted at people, areas, and groups that analysis shows to be most relevant to our purpose and desired outcomes

TRY new approaches to traditional strategies; i.e., loudspeakers on vans; non-profits doing registration (a Manual for doing this is available by email at ttottey@gmail.com); obtain lists of independent voters and non-voters

TRAIN candidates, workers, callers, visitors, voters.  We need to stop assuming that people know the ropes and assume instead that everyone needs to learn facts and to hone skills.  New York State has recently enacted legislation that calls for training of poll workers among other initiatives like New York’s first universal Vote by Mail system and requiring local Boards of Education and non-public schools to provide opportunities to register students to vote and pre-register to vote.

TRANSPORT people especially new voters to polls and check on early voters

TAKE TIME to include college students and young people in every aspect of election -- my district, for example, has over 55,000 students at 13 different schools both large (Syracuse) and small (Nursing schools).  It is hard for Democrats to be elected in this swing district when college students and other youth (like 17 and 18- year-olds) keep being overlooked or ignored by traditional groups and campaigns.

 They ought to be sought as well for election jobs (both volunteer and paid) and as candidates for offices because they are generally willing and able to take on such responsibilities.  I challenge all candidates and Democratic leaders to make every effort to involve/support this valuable resource.

THUMP TRUMPISM!

 

 

THE BOSS

August 19. 2023

I have often wondered-- as perhaps you have – if Donald Trump ever sees himself as “The Boss”, like a Mafia Don.  He has certainly suggested by word and deed that the title is a good fit for him.  For example, he has referred to himself as the ultimate Retribution for his people; that he is smarter than generals; that he wants absolute powers for the President to do what he thinks is best.

After all, Trump plays many of the same tunes as do the Sopranos of crime.  As an Esquire.com article points out: “Trump is always hunting for snitches and ‘leakers’, he's quick to retaliate against perceived disloyalty, and loves to reward his associates when they refuse to turn state's evidence.

 “That same Esquire.com article reminds us that doing business in NYC in the ‘70s and 80s often involved mafia interests and sometimes meant making deals with them to ensure orderly and peaceful pursuit of one’s project.  Reportedly, during a 2013 appearance on David Letterman's late-night show, Trump admitted to having met mobsters "on occasion."  "They happen to be very nice people," he said. "You just don't want to owe them money."

And the Esquire article goes even further to assert:

“Trump had a personal connection to some of the city's most powerful mobsters through his friend, mentor, and lawyer Roy Cohn. Cohn, who is these days remembered as one of the most malignant figures in 20th century America, was an attorney for mafia leaders including "Fat Tony" Salerno, Carmine Galante, and Paul Castellano, bosses in the Genovese, Bonanno, and Gambino crime families, respectively.”

Then to cap off the references to Mafia and Trump, the article asserts that:  

“According to a former Cohn employee, Trump and Salerno met face-to-face at Cohn's townhouse. Trump has denied the meeting ever occurred, but Salerno was later indicted on racketeering charges for an $8 million concrete deal made for a Trump project. And the construction of Trump Tower is far from the only endeavor in which Trump has been accused of striking deals with organized crime.”

Trump even received an endorsement from former Gambino family underboss Salvatore " Sammy the Bull" Gravano, who said that America "doesn't need a bookworm as president, it needs a mob boss."

My point is not to prove that Trump conspired with Mafia Bosses, but to understand that he might well have adopted some of the concepts of “bossing” that he knew first-hand from his contacts with them.  And, sad to say, we are the unfortunate recipients of some of those acquired characteristics, a number of them deeply embedded in that recent one-line Trump tweet: “If you Go After me, I’m Coming After You!”  Can you hear mob boss concepts between the lines?  Here are some that came to my mind:

• Don’t mess with me – I’m the Big Boss
• Don’t test me – I have ways to get to you
• Don’t push me – I will push back against you
• Don’t ever think I am powerless – I have ways and resources available to get to you
• I am innocent of all charges – but will hurt you if you fail to confirm that
• I will win in 2024 – and use every tool I possess as president to bring justice to bear on your injustices toward me
• In fact, I will increase the powers of the presidency to be sure that absolute control over the judicial system is in the Executive’s hands just as Bebe Netanyahu wants to do in Israel
• I intend to make you pay a price for your disloyalty and your arrogance
• As The Big Boss, I intend to do a makeover of this nation’s past and present, and to shape its future destiny, so be careful what you do!

Having looked at “The Donald” through the prism of colorful Mob Boss, let us now understand that a new element has recently entered the scene.  It is now an official part of the indictments in Georgia’s Fulton County that Trump is considered to be linked to a ‘group’ of co-conspirators who together constitute an organized gang dedicated to the common goal of overturning an election by fraudulent means.

In other words, whether or not Trump is found guilty by a jury, the fact is that he is considered in a legal document to be like a mob boss heading up a conspiracy to defraud the voters of Georgia and the United States of America.  It is, without equivocation, an apt description of a gang of criminals acting to defraud (and rob) the public in order to reward their Boss.  Such is not the pursuit of free speech but the illegal pursuit of conspiring to take something precious from the innocent victims of their criminal plan.

Thus, it is now legitimate to declare that Donald Trump has been recognized and alleged to be the boss of a gang of thugs intent on robbing the People of their votes and of their complementary right to have each vote count. 

It can accurately be said, then, that Donald Trump is not simply a former president, but that he is identified in a legal document as an organizer (boss) of a group (gang) of co-conspirators (mobsters)  who are united together in common cause (conspiracy) to obstruct a legal government function (election), to prevent its certified result (by several fraudulent methods, including slates of false electors) , and to destroy its constitutionally ordered result (peaceful transition of power).

Moreover, in my opinion, it is past time and patience to do the following:

• constantly apply these terms to this man who deserves to be described for who he is, what he says, and all that he does
• call him to account for his disregard of the Judge’s warning to refrain from discussing the trial, obstructing the process, and threatening or intimidating trial witnesses or participants – revoke his release and put him in jail until the trial date
• invoke the 14^th amendment Section 3 now because it requires only that no executive officer, having sworn an oath, “that has engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the United States “shall hold any office under the United States.”

It is time to call this mob boss exactly what he is, and to reject this head mobster from every public office.  Thank you, DA Willis, for your leadership and your courage to indict this crime Boss.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

The REAL NAME of ONE-MAN TAKEOVER

July 30, 2023

Many think it all started with the Jan 6^th attack upon our Capital, but that is short-sighted. 

Donald Trump’s obsession with himself began in childhood and grew with the help of family (mostly his father), politicians, obeisant women, a moribund and corrupt judicial system; fools whom he conned, and the development of a criminal mindset.  He has developed a set of norms of behavior that feed his lust for power and control.  He has little empathy or sympathy for anyone beyond his immediate family, and even then, he can take actions and exhibit behaviors that have negative consequences for them. 

 

THE POINT IS:  DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN WILLING AND SOMETIMES OVERLY ANXIOUS TO DECLARE HOSTILITY UPON THIS COUNTRY or To Contend With Groups Therein--just as long as it benefits him in some evident, often substantial, way. In his presidential candidate announcement in 2015, he made it clear where he stood in relation to the US government:

 “Our country is in serious trouble. We don't have victories anymore. We used to have victories, but we don't have them. When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let's say, China in a trade deal? They kill us. I beat China all the time. All the time.”

“The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else's problems.”

“When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best.  They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems like drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

It's coming from more than Mexico. It's coming from all over South and Latin America, and it's coming probably -- probably -- from the Middle East. But we don't know. Because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don't know what's happening. And it's got to stop and it's got to stop fast.”

“ Now, our country needs -- our country needs a truly great leader, and we need a truly great leader now. We need a leader that wrote "The Art of the Deal."

“We need somebody that can take the brand of the United States and make it great again. It's not great again.”

“I will be the greatest jobs president that God ever created. I tell you that.

“How stupid are our leaders? How stupid are these politicians to allow this to happen?

“Sadly, the American dream is dead.

“But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before, and we will make America great again.”

Recently, while announcing a third run for the presidency in 2024, he again revealed his agenda:”

 “America’s comeback starts right now,” Trump said from the ballroom of his Mar-a-Lago resort, on June 15, 2023, where he was joined by members of his family and supporters.  “We have always known that this was not the end. It was only the beginning of our fight to rescue the American dream,” Trump said, adding a twist to his trademark slogan: “In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States.”

Trump promised the future would resemble the past if he is elected, and his speech rehashed scores of old grievances and conspiracies: The FBI is corrupt and out to get him; the voting system is rife with fraud. He littered his address with inaccuracies, some old, some new.

He also vowed to repeal President Joe Biden’s initiatives to address climate change and immigration. He credited himself with creating a strong economy and ripped Biden over inflation.

“Joe Biden is the face of left-wing failure and Washington corruption,” Trump said. “I will ensure that Joe Biden does not receive four more years. ... Our country could not take that.”

““Our country is in a horrible state — we’re in grave trouble,” Trump said. “This is not a task for a politician or a conventional candidate. This is a task for a great movement.”

As has become his custom, Trump offered up hyperbolic, false or misleading claims, including touting a record of midterm endorsements that ignored the failure of his candidates to win in key Senate and gubernatorial races, citing low-inflation statistics that were the result of a near-freeze of the U.S. economy during the national Covid-19 lockdown and falsely crediting himself for refilling the country’s strategic oil reserve. 

But he didn’t dwell on the issue that has animated him since his defeat, which proved a loser for candidates who embraced it: his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Nearly an hour into his speech, Trump alluded heavily to the grievance by promising to reshape election law.

“To eliminate cheating,” he said, he would press to implement new voter identification standards, limit voting to Election Day and count only paper ballots.

He also resurrected policy ideas that predate his time in politics, like backing a constitutional amendment limiting congressional terms — a promise of the 1994 class of Republicans that took control of the House for the GOP for the first time in 40 years.

But mostly, he called for a restoration of the platform he ran on in 2016 and 2020. Less than two years after his supporters rioted in the halls of the Capitol, he said the corridors of power in Washington belong to his movement.

“We are coming to take those corridors back,” Trump said, adding later that he feels aggrieved by federal investigations of him. (sources: USA Today; PBS, CBS, NBC, Guardian.com).“

I am a victim,” he said.  His platform for the 2024 run also includes the following:

• a "permanent ban" on taxpayer funding of campaigns and a ban on lobbying by former lawmakers
• more rooting out of the ‘deep state’ – bureaucrats opposed to his agenda
• more control over social media
• restricting curricula of schools and possible elimination of the department of education
• protection of second amendment rights
• mandatory death penalty for drug traffickers
• and most recently, threats of violence by his followers if the election is stolen (lost?)

  Donald Trump has warred against our constitutional governing system for most of his life, according to his niece, Mary.  He broke the law whenever that helped him gain an advantage as was evident in his development business and in his adventure into casino gambling.

He would never hesitate to best a rival whether that included governments or individuals – just look what he tried to do to Barack Obama in his first run for president in 2008.  Trump attacked Obama’s citizenship even after a birth certificate was issued.  He did a similar stint in relation to all his primary opponents in 2016 as well as endlessly accusing Hillary of sending classified emails and phone call messages that undermined national security.  He even involved a foreign adversary, Vladimir Putin, by asking him to find her ‘lost’ emails.  Trump is never content unless he has gained “absolute authority” and that is exactly what he seeks and has sought throughout his business years and during his political ‘career.’ 

DONALD TRUMP HAS TOLD US AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT HE WANTS TO HAVE ABSOLUTE CONTROL OVER GOVERNMENT.  That in itself is contrary to our Constitution and our government structure of checks and balances.  But THE DONALD insists that anyone is a fool not to take advantage of the government when the government invites us to do so. 

--Taxes for example – he paid far less than he should by cheating on property values. 

--Control of agencies and their functions by hiring, firing and using loyal followers as henchmen

--Used Congress to overturn laws and regulations so that businesses including his own could prosper far beyond expectations

--Appointed SCOTUS justices that are loyal to Far Right agenda and who will deconstruct al liberal versions of governing, regulation, and policy-making

--Above all, used his authority and control to interfere with the electoral process and to declare himself the rightful president, not Joe Biden.

If he wins the presidency again in 2024, he has already indicated his intention to control all of government from his office.  HE PLANS TO ASSUME ABSOLUTE EXECUTIVE POWER AND TO HIRE, FIRE AND GOVERN according to his mandates.

 

As long as WE, THE PEOPLE accept and allow such behavior, the treasonous controlling nature of this man will be at war with the country and its Constitution, and the Republican Party will be his main weapon for taking it over. (By the way, the main derivative for ‘treasonous’ behavior harks back to ‘taking over’ something)

For that is the main question now:

SINCE DONALD TRUMP CONTINUES HIS ASSAULT ON ALL ASPECTS OF THIS NATION’S GOVERNMENT(S), and HAS OVER SEVERAL YEARS OF CONTROL, LED IN AIDING AND COMFORTING OUR ENEMIES (Russia, North Korea) plus aiding and giving comfort to questionable nations like Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey, and IS NOW SEEKING THE PRESIDENCY IN 2024 TO ESTABLISH ABSOLUTE CONTROL, WHY IS THERE NO CHARGE OF TREASON ATTACHED TO EACH OF THE INDICTMENTS FOR FEDERAL CRIMES?

 

THE ONE CRIME HE HAS ADMITTED TO CONSISTENTLY IS HIS WAR UPON THE GOVERNMENT OF THESE UNITED STATES.  IT IS PAST TIME TO CALL HIM OUT FOR TREASONOUS ACTIONS.     While indicting Trump for federal and state crimes, the special Counsel should consider raising the issue of treason based on a definition of the phrase “war against the United States” that stresses actual behaviors, intentions and warlike strategies that he has used:

• the administrative opposition and war upon something he calls the ‘deep state’
• support of state and federal laws that restrict voter access to the ballot
• attempt to overturn an elected government by attacking the capitol
• stealing classified documents for possible sale or quid pro quo
• trying to overturn the electoral college vote with faked electors
• unsubstantiated charges against government entities and personnel alleging election fraud amounting to criminality
• punishing of disloyalty to his persona and agenda on part of ‘employees’
• warlike antipathy toward democracy, our Constitution and the Rule of Law

DONALD TRUMP HAS PERPETRATED TREASON AGAINST THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND SHOULD BE BANNED FROM ANY PUBLIC OFFICE.

He wars against our democracy daily by using all means possible to undermine our constitution and laws.  Undermining a government, or even tempting to so, is a form of war against that government.  We need to call such behavior by its rightful name lest we fall into the trap of being unprepared to deal with the reality behind the words, just as we did when media and commentators kept calling his words and actions ‘authoritarian” rather than FASCIST.  The result was that we were not prepared for the strategies or the consequences of a fascist leader, his command lieutenants, his base of cult-like followers or his extreme actions.  Because we refused to face the reality of his fascism, we were unable to slow the progression of his capture of a Party, an election, the Congress and finally the Supreme Court.  

We must not hide behind euphemisms and half-truths.  Trump spells TREASON and he has proven himself to be a wannabe DICTATOR.  Now we must act to find him guilty of warring against our democratic system and proceed to

LOCK HIM UP!  

There can be no compromise or bargaining with fascist dictators

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

BUDGETING for GOVERNING and QUALITY of LIFE

June  3, 2023

 

```

The grinding axe of Republican political nonsense about debt and spending has been displayed in Congress for all to see.  We have been told incessantly that we must cut certain budget categories to reduce our national debt.  And Republican Extremists always start their budget cut proposals by aiming their propaganda guns at programs that help people meet the exigencies and challenges of life’s critical stages.  Thus, education, health and well-being, housing, safety, work, wages, pensions, and retirement are always their targets.

The military, the business world and the wealthy always seem to escape any large cuts; as do budgets appropriated for Congress and the Supreme Court (Judiciary branch in general).

However, Republicans always seem to maintain the transactional monetary agreements and sponsorships that keep them in offices from which they can sustain and maintain the oligarchy that manipulates the levers of our supposedly democratic government. 

Right now, listen to words from an expert source (BY AIMEE PICCHI, IRINA IVANOVA; UPDATED ON: MAY 25, 2023 / 5:57 PM / MONEYWATCH)  -- a carefully crafted explanation of the so-called “crisis” that sets the stage for a clearer understanding:

“A key element of the debt ceiling negotiations in Washington, D.C., are demands from Republican lawmakers that the nation chop federal spending, including outlays that ballooned during the pandemic. 

“The push for cuts comes as the U.S. has been spending more each year than it has received in taxes and other revenue since 2001, when President Bill Clinton left the White House. During the pandemic, spending and deficits surged, thanks to the double whammy of President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts in addition to spending on emergency measures like stimulus checks and unemployment aid. 

“Government spending spiked to a high of $7.2 trillion annually in fiscal-year 2021, the year that Trump left the White House, or about 78% higher than the nation's spending just four years earlier, according to data from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Since then, federal outlays have dropped, but the nation is still spending trillions more annually than it did prior to the pandemic.

“While Republicans want the government to spend less, they have pledged not to touch two of the biggest expenditures: Social Security and Medicare. Those programs provide retirement income and health care services to millions of Americans over the age of 65 and represent more than 30% of U.S. spending.

“Where the money goes: a Breakdown of federal spending in the 2022 fiscal year. 

National defense
12.0%

Discretionary
non-defense
14.5%

Social Security
19.3%

Medicare
11.9%

‘Medicaid
9.4%

Other
means-tested entitlements (includes health insurance premium subsidies, SNAP, TANF, the Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax credits, Pell Grants and veteran pensions)
10.1%

Other
mandatory
spending
18.9%

Net interest
on the federal
debt
7.6%

Source: Office of Management and Budget

“Cuts to defense spending are also off the table, which accounts for about 12% of the nation's outlays. Instead, the spending cuts pushed by GOP leaders are focused on Medicaid — the health care program for low-income Americans — as well as on food stamps and welfare. 

“The GOP plan would add work requirements to Medicaid for the first time and expand them for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the formal name for the food-stamp program and for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or welfare.

“Over the next decade, those cuts would add up to about $120 billion in savings, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The reduced spending would stem from kicking thousands of people out of the programs. Combined, Medicaid, SNAP and TANF represent about 7% of U.S. spending, or about 13% of spending on individuals.

In 2022, about half of all federal spending — $4.5 trillion — was in the form of payments to individuals. Here's where the proposed program cuts debated in Congress fit in.

Social Security: Old-age and survivors insurance                 23.6%

Medicare: Hospital and supplementary insurance              19.8%

Student assistance - Department of Education                    12.0%

Federal employees' retirement and insurance                        6.8%

Medicaid: Aged, blind or disabled                                             4.5%

Medicaid: Children and adults                                                    4.4%

SNAP                                                                                                3.3%

Social Security: Disability insurance                                           3.2%

Child Tax Credit and Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit    3.1%

Refundable premium tax credit                                                   1.8%

Earned Income Tax Credit                                                             1.4%

Unemployment assistance                                                           1.1%

Child nutrition and special milk programs                                 0.8%

TANF                                                                                                 0.4%

Children's health insurance                                                          0.4%

(Source: Office of Management and Budget; EconoFact)

“In the short term, those cuts in aid could potentially backfire by contributing to a recession this year, some financial experts say. That's because the reductions would be directed at programs where federal money is redirected into the economy through food purchases and health care services. Without that spending, local businesses could take a hit.

"Austerity connected to the compromises suggested above would contribute to the moderate recession we expected this year," said analysts from Wells Fargo Investment Institute in a research note.

“But, they added, there's also a risk to the nation's financial health if the U.S. isn't able to trim its spending. If the U.S. needs to issue more debt to finance its spending, that would result in higher interest expense for the nation — potentially spurring Congress to cut spending or raise taxes to compensate, the analysts noted.”

Clearly, WE DO HAVE PROBLEMS related to budgeting and spending, which seem to be made up of numerous elements (as most high-powered problems are):

1. Yes, we spend a lot of money on meeting needs, issues, challenges, and problems, and
2. It hasn’t helped to have a pandemic threatening our lives, Putin ‘s War forcing us to spend on Ukraine efforts, or weather catastrophes destroying lives and property and causing long-term challenges to individuals and communities
3. Yes, our debt is growing and the interest we must pay on loans is perhaps more than we can afford, which threatens not only the government but the financial industry as well
4. Recession has already reared its ugly head and the rising debt could result in a return to that condition.
5. Yes, the government needs to take action(s) to solve our growing debt and to adjust our spending. McCarthy and Republicans say:  "Look, this all comes down to spending," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters on Wednesday. "We need to spend less this year than we spent last year. It's simple."
6. To Republicans, it’s always simple: just cut ‘entitlements’ (social programs) and that will solve everything.  Except it doesn’t and never has because Republicans-in-power always turn to pleasing the rich oligarchs who end up with greater tax breaks and loopholes while middle class working families are targeted for tax increases in whatever form may be easiest to impose without fanfare.  Result:  under various Republican administrations since 1920, we have experienced large deficits that increased the national debt and here are four modern era contributors:
   1. Reagan -- increased the debt by $1.86 trillion, or by 186%.
   2. H.W. Bush -- added $1.55 trillion to the debt, a 54% increase
   3. George W. Bush -- added $5.85 trillion to the national debt, a 101% increase
   4. Trump -- added $6.7 trillion to the debt, a 33.1% increase

The current deal will suspend the debt limit until the first quarter of 2025, after the 2024 elections. Under the agreement, domestic, non-defense spending would be kept roughly flat for 2024, and in 2025, the bill allows a limited increase of 1%. 

The measure also overhauls the nation's permitting laws and specifically approves the remaining permits on a West Virginia natural gas pipeline championed by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. The bill rescinds unspent COVID-19 funds and adds work requirements for people on food assistance until their early 50s, while eliminating work requirements for veterans and young adults leaving the foster care system. 

Here is what I think:  Nobody wins, and everybody loses something because budget ceiling legislation is not the way to approach budgeting and spending.  It is a political invention that does not approach budgeting in a pragmatic and efficient way.  It should not be used by itself as any kind of guideline for budgeting money for governing.  In fact, it should be abolished.

Budgeting for governing should be much more creative and pragmatic than being guided by a limit unrelated to the outcomes and effects that need to be achieved.

• My first recommendation is that the payment of debt must be separated from budgeting because politicians like Joe Manchin will use the debt ceiling as a tool to re-institute ‘Member Items’ into the Budget process (that benefits him politically and probably monetarily)
• If building a workable and beneficial budget is the aim of Congress, then Congress should pass legislative guidelines that all will follow (which indeed might well include caps on certain expenditure categories), including the Congress
• BUT – here is the Catch –no overall debt ceiling is needed since the guidelines would not allow deficit spending by more than 1% but would allow use of unused funds from other approved budget lines (as in the current deal that allows the use of unused COVID funds for other categories)
• It is my contention that certain guidelines are now missing or overlooked by the politicians who prefer number-counting and spending cuts that have no relation to purposes, goals, outcomes, and effective proven results for actual human beings.
• And that narrows the guidelines for budgeting and spending:
  1. No budget authorizations should be considered unless there are clear goals and aims enumerated and methods specified for determining outcomes
  2. No budgets should be approved that fail to include testimony from ordinary taxpayers who will be affected by the budget
  3. All recipients of taxpayer funds or benefits (individuals or corporate entities) must return the favor to the community by performance of a cumulative total of two years (or 2500 hrs) of documented community service or work (and that includes Congressmen and Senators as well as Judges who receive big salaries and special benefits)
  4. There must also be documentation of positive outcomes in people’s lives due to the received benefits
  5. Navigators in each community must be available to assist with these matters
  6. Consider building in incentive rewards for money-saving measures instituted by the recipient
  7. No congressman may initiate budgetary legislation without documenting the collecting and use of consumer input
  8. Investment in new tech must have a priority; investment in people must have top priority
  9. Congress may not cut program budgets without due process which means providing proof that funds are not being used to accomplish aforementioned goals and outcomes
  10. Congress cannot suggest cuts in any budget without taking a similar cut in congressional budget
  11. Likewise, every time congress raises or enhances its own budget or privilege base, an equivalent gain must be awarded to recipients living below the poverty guidelines
  12. Budgeting guidelines must also include penalties for wanton disregard of them. So, if the guidelines prohibit member items from being inserted, a violator like Manchin should be either charged with malfeasance or fined for obstruction of federal functioning
  13. Further, each appropriations bill should be considered for a floor vote based on certain fundamentals that must appear in those bills (for more on this, consult my postings below)
  14. Finally, input from consumers and evaluation of results by them must be a hallmark of determining the validity of program and department budgets. Governing (and its costs) should be guided by Purposes, Goals and Outcomes, not by political whims, retributions, or propaganda. 
  15. Which speaks finally to the powers behind the budget:
      1. There must be no paid lobbying allowed; the use of dark money must be eliminated or drastically curtailed; and non-partisan commissions established to evaluate results related to specific goals for enhancing life, freedoms, rights, and quality of living.
      2. Any legislator involved directly in profit-making entities where there is, or might be, an advantage gained by his/her vote, shall declare a conflict, and recuse him or herself from writing or voting on any such appropriation bill

• Likewise, any judge or justice with any such conflict shall recuse self if a case involving that appropriation comes before his/her court

1. All of this involves much more planning and procedure than is possible to carry out here; what is needed is basic change in terms of what it is that must guide spending for governing. And that conversation needs input from many sources including individual consumers, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, those who are wealthy and those who are living in poverty.
2. The Congress is often the last place on earth that should be entrusted with the total process of spending or saving our money and this debt ceiling nonsense has served to remind us of that.

Budgeting and Spending for governing are not easy – it is complicated and difficult and requires hard work.  That is why we need broad-based input and consumer involvement in evaluation of effectiveness.  Republicans will rail against the expenditures involved in preparing for such a system that disturbs their control, and Democrats will take up time trying to figure out a proper process.  Which is why, experts, scholars, people living with poverty and organizations dealing with grass-roots issues must be constantly and consistently involved in the process.  With emphasis on how spending impacts people’s lives, we can re-configure our approach to budgeting and spending taxpayer money without politicalization that blocks progress. 

Our Goals involve enhancing quality of life for all as illustrated by Biden administration legislation.  However, debt ceiling weaponization and targeted budget-cutting plus purposeless work requirements for some (but not all) are examples of arbitrary governing by disruptive and unrepresentative buffoons.  DON’T BE BAMBOOZLED!

(Further thoughts on these matters can also be found at the following postdate/title:

8/03/2011 -- Sick and Tired

  2/28/2012 – Dead on Arrival

12/02/2012 – The ‘Fiscal Cliff’

02/03/2013 – Congress has a problem with problem-solving) @

www.rubamboozled.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

```

GUNS TRUMP CHILDREN in TEXAS: whatever happened to protection of our 'most precious' natural resource'? 

May 8, 2023

 

I’m sorry to have to say it, but we are living another Extreme Right LIE that is causing chaos and fear of death throughout our land.  We have accepted the danger we face daily from the wanton and unregulated misuse of guns. In this year alone, we have endured 199 mass shootings – more than the days passed through in this year.  

The carnage is so commonplace that I found myself contemplating it a few days ago in a hospital waiting to undergo a surgical procedure that was continuously delayed.  I thought: “how could I protect myself (and others) if a gun-wielding terrorist began shooting in this area?”  I would never before have thought in such terms, but there I was, accepting the nasty reality of life in current American society – mass shootings in shopping malls ( just like the latest example in TX), inside and outside hospitals, concert halls, nightclubs, restaurants, churches, synagogues and mosques, as well as in schools and colleges, post offices and other government locations, even at private birthday parties.

Those extremists, who advocate for and support this current chaos, often offer solutions (excuses?) for our chaotic gun misuse that ignore the real problem, such as:

• Prayer(s) and thoughts;
• Better mental health services that might catch warning signs of mental disturbance at early stages;
• Arm more people (like teachers) with guns to defend themselves;
• Sell more guns to children and youth so they can learn to prevent gun violence aimed at them;
• Guns are protected by the 2^nd Amendment and should be available without restriction
• Owners should be able to conceal and carry guns wherever they please.

And yet, a large proportion of those same people own cars with mandated protective, safety measures like seat belts, catalytic converters, head, and taillights as well as turn signals, and locks on the doors and trunk, plus child seats.  They might also buy OTC merchandise that is regulated by the government, including food, pharmaceuticals, household cleaners, and certain tools.  They might also be a portion of those who reject certain substances that used to be used widely but now fall within a category of “dangerous to your health” products, like DDT, lead-based paint, even cigarettes. Some may simply dismiss consistency when they speak out against public health mandating of masks during a pandemic while supporting non-smoking in public areas.

In terms of reducing gun violence, we desperately need to change the narrative from guns as rights to guns as potentially lethal products that must be carefully regulated to offer reasonable protection to the lives of others – the very same action we take with other potentially lethal products like cars, cigarettes, foods, chemicals, household goods and many more.

Increasing gun use is contrary to maintaining the general welfare and promoting the pursuit of happiness and human fulfillment.  In fact, if these lethal weapons of war escape regulation and control, government is not living up to its purpose. Anti-regulators should be held responsible for abetting the heinous actions of shooters of innocent children and adults.   There must be a penalty or cost associated with acting in contrast to one’s oath of office and in causing harmful or lethal consequences to others.  Misuse of guns should have fines, loss of license, jail time for gun misusers and confiscation of their guns when they threaten harm or cause harm to innocent people.  We must have consequences for misuse and abuse just as we have for car owners whose lights don’t work, who disobey speed limits or stop signs, or who drive while drug or alcohol impaired, or drive into crowds of innocent parade watchers.

Here are some things I believe we need to enact to protect gun ownership and to offer enhanced protections to other inhabitants of society from the harm guns cause:

1. All gun sales must be registered with the government; no exceptions
2. The government must oversee licensing and owner title for all public and private sales
3. An age limit of 21 is appropriate for ownership which shall be denied for convictions for violent crime, domestic abuse, and mental aberration red flags
4. Guns must undergo periodic inspections and new owners must undergo training and testing
5. Misuse shall result in various levels of penalties including fines, suspension of ownership and use, treatment for mental disorder, jail time for criminal misuse, etc.
6. All guns must have a manufacturer’s stamp and number etched on them; this GIN shall be unique and usable as an ID on documents such as license, title, and registration
7. Guns - like cars - shall be considered personal property that cannot be taken from legitimate owners and users by public or private entities without due process
8. A warning shall be displayed on every gun indicating that
   “this product may be harmful to your health and life.”
9. Similar cautions and warnings may also be necessary for enactment by legislators at appropriate levels of government

The 2^nd Amendment is a problem in itself because it fails to treat guns as potentially lethal products.  It is a wider problem because its original basis and essence have been misrepresented and misinterpreted by a Right-wing Supreme Court intent on promoting a conservative agenda that favors the protection of property rights over civil rights.  Amendments to Amendment #2 may therefore be necessary.  However, the above suggestions (and others that are already favored by large numbers) can probably be enacted by legislation (they might be challenged in the courts). 

Notwithstanding, let’s begin treating guns for what they are – potentially lethal PRODUCTS, and stop the big lie that they are rights, protectors, or icons.  It is time to stop speaking and acting as though guns are sacrosanct and iconic.  They are no different from other products that can threaten our well-being, i.e. regulating the manufacture of such products and regulating their safe use is a prime responsibility of government.  Product safety is already being undertaken daily by our federal government in various offices and departments, including:

Food and Drug Administration (FDA in HHS) regulates:

• Cosmetics
• Drugs
• Foods
• Medical Devices
• Veterinary Medicines
• Electronic Product Radiation
• Tobacco / Tobacco Products

 

Federal Aviation Administration

• Aircraft

 Federal Trade Commission

• Dissatisfaction with Business Practices

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

• Automobiles
• Trucks
• Motorcycles
• Tires
• Car Seats

Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS in USDA)

The Consumer Product Safety Commission

--has jurisdiction over many types of consumer products, from coffee makers, to toys, to lawn mowers, to fireworks

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

-- Pesticides, fungicides, etc

U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

-- Chemical Safety

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

-- protect consumers from unreasonable injury from products  

Occupational Safety & Health Administration

• Industrial/Commercial Products/Farm

 

And this leaves out the Coast Guard, the White House, DOT, and several other agencies that have some responsibility for regulating certain prioducts and services. protecting us from products and procedures that could harm us.  Yet nowhere is seen an agency devoted to the regulation and oversight of guns as potentially dangerous products harmful to human beings.  There is, however, under the auspices of the DOJ, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms dedicated to the enforcement of laws that are relevant to those areas of concern. "ATF's responsibilities include the investigation and prevention of federal offenses involving the unlawful use, manufacture, and possession of firearms and explosives; acts of arson and bombings; and illegal trafficking of alcohol and tobacco products. The ATF also regulates, via licensing, the sale, possession, and transportation of firearms, ammunition, and explosives in interstate commerce. Many of ATF's activities are carried out in conjunction with task forces made up of state and local law enforcement officers, such as Project Safe Neighborhoods the role that firearms play in violent crimes and pursues an integrated regulatory and enforcement strategy. Investigative priorities focus on armed violent offenders and career criminals, narcotics traffickers, narco-terrorists, violent gangs.  Clearly, the ATF is concerned with violent criminal activity on a large scale, with littlw mwntion of the effects of domestic terrorism being practiced by fascist groups against innocebnt victims.  The queation still arises; could the ATF take on the peioblem of gun violence in our institutions and oganiztions? 

Probably not for some of the following reasons: 

• Gun regulation has devolved to the states who tend to view gun manufacturers as prize industries worthy of political support and nurture to maintain them within those states
• Gun lobbying by the NRA has protected weapon manufacturing from anything that would diminish ownership rights, hinder sales, or restrict usage. Gun lobbyists are not paid to increase protection or safety of the public; they ARE PAID to protect gun makers, gun owners, gun rights and unimpeded gun carrying.  They are paid to defend killers who “stood their ground” or defended their property.  
• Politicians who benefit from the status quo – protection of guns not people – insider trading, campaign contributions, corporate support, special trips (on legislative business, of course), and potential future success – are all incentives for politicians to convince themselves that choosing gun health over child protection is a positive, defensible position for a servant of the people.
• Right wing Justices on the Supreme Court who have re-defined the 2^nd amendment so that individuals can own and bear guns whether or not they are members of a government militia. But more especially, Justices committed to protecting manufacturers from mandated restrictions and from punishment for products that fail, swindle, harm or threaten lives.  The Court has acted often in the Robert’s era to weaken the effects of product regulation, and especially to strengthen gun rights (and sales) in decisions like those in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) limiting commonsense gun regulation and drastically expanding the scope of the 2^nd  amendment 
• Voters who vote for those corrupt politicians are the worst abettors of all for they have the power to reject the entire scheme of lies surrounding the treatment of guns as something other than potential death-causing products. Instead, they continue abetting the killers by re-electing gun violence promoters.
• Donald J. Trump is the leader of this chaos, and he should be the target of our rejection of this neo-Nazi, white supremacist, fascist, and violent anti-democratic, attack on women and children, and on all the rest of us. HE IS NOT ABOVE THE LAW, and it is past time for him to suffer the consequences due him for acting contrary to that axiom whenever he pleased.

LOCK HIM UP and THROW AWAY THE KEY! 

Another Recent Post on same subject--

APRIL, 2023 

The Nashville  Christian School shooter is dead and evidently that satisfies some.  But so are three nine-year-old children and three adult staff, and that broke hearts everywhere.

Grief is displayed in different ways as we attempt to express the hurt, anger, sorrow and helplessness -- the mixture of feelings-- that flood our beings at such dreaded times. 

Too soon, many will go back to normal lives and set aside the hurt and sorrow that some of the victims of this and more than 130 other mass shootings this year will bear for a lifetime.

BUT—NOTHING  CHANGES – and that rightfully provoked protests like the Nashville students (and others) mounted this past week.

By their grieving, they helped turn one episode of Tennessee’s lower House into a national spectacle that could become a turning point in our political history, according to some commentators.  For we witnessed the very reasons that nothing changes, ranging from political vengeance and stupidity to modern day ‘lynching’ of persons who are black while ‘protecting’ a white female.  We witnessed the irrational actions of white politicians who can’t abide the leadership of young black men.  We saw the hate and scorn those Republican legislators have for liberal Democrats and in that moment, we were also witnessing the historic hatred that has plagued our democratic experiment for over 250 years – the irrational hatred of others because of personal characteristics that do not conform to a pattern of white supremacy and control.  It was slavery, apartheid, KKK, Jim Crow, social discrimination and segregation come back in time to fan the flames of hatred, of discrimination, of political dominance, and cultural cruelty.  It was the equivalent of watching an historical re-run of our inability to form a perfect union, to fully establish a land of freedom and opportunity for everyone, or to perpetuate a government of, for and by the People.   

We can’t even agree on a common and widely accepted definition of what constitutes a “mass shooting.”  According to Wikipedia, “Mass shootings are incidents in which several people are victims of firearm-related violence. Several different inclusion criteria are used; there is no generally-accepted definition.” A 2019 study of mass shootings published in the journal Injury Epidemiology recommended developing "a standard definition that considers both fatalities and nonfatalities to most appropriately convey the burden of mass shootings on gun violence.”

The student protests remind us of certain truths about these gruesome shooting incidents that beg to be addressed. Primarily, NO CHILD IS SAFE because:

• mass shootings are happening everywhere
• guns are available to people who shouldn’t have them
• guns are potentially lethal products that are protected instead of strictly regulated as are potentially lethal products like automobiles, cigarettes, certain drugs, some foods, and car seats for infants
• conceal and carry laws make guns accessible and usable any time and anywhere as in Florida
• some law enforcement officers are reluctant to confront shooters carrying powerful automatic weapons made for brutal killings on battlefields
• No one is fully prepared to confront a gunman intent on killing innocent adults AND CHILDREN with a lethal weapon
• Research and treatment of criminal and deranged minds is not sufficiently funded nor pursued
• Expelling legislators for no good reason, banning books and certain words, making criminals of women who seek medical intervention of abortion are all attacks on democracy and its ideals and principles and must be vigorously opposed with every legitimate means

I find a truth that to me stands out from the protests and from the lack of action on these mass shootings:  TOO MANY OF US HAVE BEEN BAMBOOZLED FOR TOO LONG BY CHILD KILLER ABETTORS, WHO INCLUDE:

• The ARMS MANUFACTURERS who refuse to restrict their making of military-style weapons to military contracts and stop distribution to private dealers
• The ARMS DEALERS who refuse to restrict profitable sales of military-style guns and accessories
• LEGISLATORS at all levels (and state Governors) who accept and support directions from NRA and other lobbyists, manufacturers and dealers so that all proposed restrictions are thwarted
• GUN OWNERS who favor some controls but speak not a word
• NEWS REPORTERS (and NEWS DISTORTERS like FOX) who spew anti-democratic rhetoric and who are avaricious sales staff for the mass shooters
• The ORDINARY VOTER who keeps voting for unrepresentative candidates for Congress who by their inaction abet the killing of children in schools and other venues
• TRADITIONAL DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATIONS that continue to seek compromise instead of a re-birth of progressive ideals
• THE REPUBLICAN PARTY EXTREMISTS that don’t care about anything except power and control of the culture and people’s lives

 WHAT CAN WE DO? One suggestion:  TURN THE TABLES AND FOCUS ON THOSE REAL BUT ABSENT KILLERS and Abettors that we just identified.  They should be made to bear a large portion of blame for the delay, neglect and outright abandonment of protection and well-being of our children.  There ought to be a set of laws that provide substantial penalties for abetting the protection of guns over the safety of our children. But WE KNOW that the Absent Killers and their Abettors will perpetuate ‘gun rights’ over the right of every child to a full and satisfying life, UNLESS we manage to achieve some of the following:

• CHANGE THE NARRATIVE – we must assert that guns are products that have no rights but must meet certain standards to protect people all of whom have a right to seek fulfillment (or pursue happiness). Guns should have to meet safety standards just as other potentially fatal products must do
• AMEND the Constitution to make clear that people have a right to own guns in a manner totally in keeping with their responsibilities toward safety for all; initiate amendment legislation that is introduced in every session of Congress (also attempt state constitutional amendments).
• BOYCOTT their products, their businesses, their organizations, their vacation spots, their publishers and apologists
• OPPOSE government contracts for gun manufacturers who will not initiate controls (like inner gun IDs)
• SUE their sponsors and lobbyists for abetting wrongful deaths
• Support Ballot PETITIONS at every general election
• RECALL (or defeat) ‘unrepresentative’ congressmen who ignore the 60% who want reasonable regulations
• START A RIVAL gun owner organization
• SUPPORT individual OWNERSHIP and LICENSING of all non-military guns; ban private ownership of any and all military-style weapons

As the proud descendant of gunmakers (several of whom were Superintendents of gun manufacturing firms in England, Canada and the USA), I am confident that they would agree with most commonsense suggestions for change and restraint, for they favored the artistic and sporting nature of gun making and  gun use.  Community involvement and enhancement were also important to them.  Although they were involved in weaponizing of guns for WW1, they were also involved in organizations that attempted to render service to their fellow citizens – presidents of masonic orders in Victorian England and New England; recognized in New England and Fulton, NY media for community service.  My grandfather served England as an Armory Commander on the March against Germany into Belgium in WWI.  He died of effects of Mustard Gas poisoning at age 47 in Ithaca, NY having spent the post-war years from 1923 to 1947 as a gunsmith at the Ithaca Gun Company. One of his four sons served as Superintendent of that facility.  Two grand uncles served as superintendents of gun companies in New England – one as a  superintendent of Tobin Arms when it moved from Norwich CT to Woodstock, Ontario in 1909-1910.

Which is simply to say:  I do not oppose the individual ownership of guns.  Rather, I favor the responsible ownership and licensing of guns as products that are potentially able to take the lives of children and teachers. And, I favor the restriction of ownership to those persons who are mentally and emotionally able to act responsibly, who pass a required test after suitable training, and whose guns are able to be identified by a unique registration number (and owner Title certificate) much like a VIN number on cars.

In my humble opinion, the Second Amendment is about “well-regulated” militia and the right of the people to own and bear arms just in case a roguish centralized government decides to overuse its authority and abrogate the rights of the People.  The SCOTUS and NRA collaborated on making it more about individual gun ownership and gun rights and less about regulating militia and the right to keep and bear arms against proven dictatorial government.  Armed attacks against government and political rivals over policy differences is seditious and involves illegal actions of insurrection.  If the Rule of Law is to prevail, revolutionary action must be based on clear judicial evidence that demonstrates and confirms the despotic activity of a government. 

 The anarchy of the Tennesee Republicans, and others of their ilk seen on January 6, 2021 is not about building democracy – it is about stealing and destroying the principles of democracy so that a self-protecting government of extremism can set the rules (and the laws) by which government and culture will operate for the good of the chosen and the privileged.  It is part of the reason we have a Second Amendment – to be sure the people have the right and the tools to defend against an autocratic, anti-democratic central government that uses power and illegal means to thwart the inherent rights and opportunities of every citizen.  Get it?  The Second Amendment was written to oppose the very words and behaviors of Republican Extremists who seek absolute power over all of us. 

One more observation and opinion for your consideration:  THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE – progressives everywhere must realize the importance of new leadership and take every action necessary to train, learn from, engage, and support young people for political office at every level of elected government.  ARISE to a NEW VISION and PROGRESSIVE REALITY:

• Involve young people in every progressive organization and support their separate efforts and actions.
• Encourage them to take on leadership functions.
• Support their candidacy for office. 
• Take part in their initiatives.
• Start a ‘Pass the Baton’ Movement and PUBLICLY DEMONSTRATE THE SEA CHANGE THAT MUST NOW OCCUR!

   

(For more commentary on guns and their use, see my posts of 6/18/2016, 6/25/2016, 8/9/2019 and 8/21/2019)  

 

"I AM YOUR RETRIBUTION" -- APRIL 3, 2023

 

At the CPAC Conference held in Florida on March 3, 2023, Donald J. Trump chose to utter one nugget of truth.   That he is the epitome of punishment, of violence , and of vengeance for those who are dedicated and loyal followers.  He IS their VOICE. their LEADER, their RETRIBUTION.

Just before that was declared, he hauntingly displayed himself in roles in which he grossly exaggerated his part in order to gain the further acceptance of dwindling numbers in the audience and in the polls. It seemed to me that he tried to represent himself as the All- Mighty one who seeks retribution/payment/sacrifice for misdeeds (“sins”) against him.

But let us delay comments on ancient biblical images and return to the main point:  Donald Trump’s acknowledgement that his actions and his persona are all aimed at retribution.  He claimed to embody it and to epitomize its essence.  Here are some examples of how he has described and presented himself adding up to what he truly is:

• Someone who consistently views others as enemies and himself as a victim of wrongs done to him by them.
• Thus, he feels justified in seeking retribution by besmirching, belittling, or bullying those he perceives as working against him or against what he views as best for America.
• He is One who seeks VENGENCE for EVERY WRONG ever perceived against him. Saying that he is the retribution for others who have been wronged is a new thing for him -- any such behavior that empathizes with or stands up for someone else would be new territory for him.  He uses empathy as just another tool to garner a cult-like following.  He remains in a fighting mode that will, he believes, win him monetary support, votes, and eventually the presidency. 
• In other words, he will make himself a victim-hero to capture many to his mission of taking over this nation – and probably other countries.
• He has been One who interacts with others as though always in a contest with winners & losers
• As one who seeks revenge on people who oppose his beliefs, words and action but mainly on those who cross him or who inflict some negative burden or charge upon him
• The one who will stand up for victims of liberalism in all its forms and will bring some sort of punishment upon those who bring unfair regulations and restrictions upon the conservative progenitors of the right approach to human beings. He claims to be the protector and avenger of all who deserve to be left alone  by governmental entities and over-burdensome laws.
• He will be the Great Retribution when he obtains the presidency and effects absolute power in a despotic government that forces all of his agenda-- anti-democratic values and principles on the whole of our society. FOR THAT IS HIS GOAL and he has TOLD US SO MORE THAN ONCE, with the January six speech and resultant insurrection being the living symbols of his persona and his agenda.

 “Too Much and Never Enough” are key descriptors that his niece Mary wrote for her book's title.

His younger brother said it another way:  'Donald believes he is THE GREAT I AM' as described in the Biblical book of Exodus (3:14).  He not only believes he knows it all; he believes he knows more than anyone else!

Above all else, stand his beliefs that socialistic liberals are ruining this country and its people.  Translation: he stands as retribution against those politicians who have legislated and promoted a socially progressive agenda that generally is seen by right-wingers as rewarding the non-productive losers in society by basically robbing the rich to give to those who have not contributed but in various ways simply feed off the rest of us.

These ‘feeders’ tend to be immigrants and welfare recipients about whom he has said they are drug dealers, criminals and rapists in addition to being lazy, non-productive and unworthy.

These unworthy people in Trump’s mind, tend to be of other racial groups than white; and from cultures thought to be inferior to our own.  Some are members of other religions, especially Jews and Islamists who are portrayed as causing terror and crime and attacking our white (mostly protestant) Christianity. 

A major question emerges here: is Donald J. Trump simply the product of a flawed gene pool and faulty nurturing, or is there something more involved here?

Let's ask it another way.  Would Trump have been able to sell his lies, his immoral character and his criminal mind unless he had a number of bucket-bearers prepared to carry his water?  Some basic faults in our governmental, economic and cultural systems have enabled Trump to emerge and for his criminality to manipulate much of what we have  neglected, ignored or tolerated. Our shortcomings as a democracy and progressive culture have played a key rile in producing a large base of loyal disciples of his destructive agenda.  I’ll be brief in listing a few broad-based examples:

• Our wretched inability – plus our innate opposition – to making our justice system work as it should for the safety, protection and benefit of all, not just a few who have status, money and/or power. Police must enforce laws as guardians and protectors of rights and freedoms, not as militarists set on destroying enemies.  Lawyers must bear fiduciary responsibility for people’s welfare and not just their fees.  Judges must be restrained from politicizing or maximizing  justice for the rich and powerful while administering it based only on the concepts of punishment and retribution for others.  Investment in second chances should be more prominent, along with greater attention to the mental health and development of every human being. 
• Our cultural tendency to divide people and groups from each other has been more prominent lately. In contrast, our responsibility for forging greater unity has not been a priority of late, and Trumpism has thrived in its absence. 
• And now, it has been proposed by extreme rightists that we eliminate any teaching or instruction that would help us to better understand the harbingers of inequality, prejudice, bias, or belittling and diminishing of others. Teaching only subjects about which no one would have to feel the emotional burden of responsibility for harmful outcomes is a fateful twist we have taken on the road to greater unity and too many have embraced the new normal rather than to stand against it.
• Interactions between people and groups are more in the style of the survival of the strong and the fittest and the failings of the weak, than they are about opportunities for the advancement and enhancement of persons and democratic institutions. The concept of winners and losers in competition is replacing that of neighbors meant to care for one another.  It has led people like Donald Trump to believe that taking from others is the norm and that includes keeping some people in their assigned places, taking (and making) payments for things that do not deliver on promises like a Foundation, an online college, materials used in building , apartments for rent to only certain people, and using government loopholes to obtain taxpayer monies to support questionable enterprises and projects.
• For some, like Criminally-minded Donald Trump, there is a concept that strength equates to force – and that the use of power, force or violence in getting what is good for you is more than OK – it is a necessary tool in the everyday fight to succeed and to prosper. It does not consist only of physical violence.  There is a violence that intimidates and causes the one threatened extensive damage to self, home, family, and material success, there are also threats of isolation, loss of business and profit, loss of jobs or positions, and other manner of threats like stalking or dirty gossip, or accusations.  There is even the threat of adverse legislation or budget-cutting to add to the mix.  And, of late, we have seen enough examples of all of them to make us afraid of what may come next! And, we are uncertain as to what can be done to turn off this torrent of violence.  Trouble is, we have accepted violence or intimidation for so long from many sources as legitimate defense or offense that we have lost our ability to counter its destructiveness or its prevalence.  One answer is that of organizational and institutional collaboration to address the problem for it cannot  now be solved or abated by any one method nor any one organization.  It has to be addressed by many at the same time working toward the same goals, and it will  not be possible under the leadership of a criminally-minded Donald J. Trump!

 

In conclusion, what Donald Trump needs to call himself, to cover all of his anti-democratic agenda is that

HE IS THE GREAT DESTROYER. 

For Trump cannot be anything  but destructive of all those humanitarian values, democratic values and moral values that seek everything contrary to his desires and objectives.  He wants absolute control of people, organizations and  circumstances that will lead him to greater wealth, unlimited power, and a dictatorship that operates according to his desires and whims. Those who support Donald Trump support who he says he is and are themselves avengers, destroyers and insurrectionists feeding and spreading a political virus that will undo all that democratic institutions have built.

Thus, it is that--

EVERY VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP IS AN ACT OF INSURRECTION AND

EVERY DOLLAR DONATED TO HIM IS A DOWN-PAYMENT ON TYRANNY!

 

THERE IS ONE PERFECT SOLUTION THAT HE RECOMMENDED FOR A RIVAL: