Monthly Archives: November 2018

Random Thoughts 11/7/18

Random Thoughts

 

It was neither the best of times nor was it the worst of times.

The ongoing debate over the future of America was not resolved yesterday.  But there were a few simple truths.

Racism in America

Yesterday, a significant portion of voters chose not to reject the Republicans’ closing message.  Black candidates are unqualified to run state governments.  Latinos seeking a better life for their children are criminals and a threat to America. A candidate with a foreign sounding name is scarier than a candidate indicted for using a quarter million dollars in campaign funds for personal use.

Racism in America is alive and well.  Yes, it needs to be called out.  But the best antidote may be how the African-Americans, Latinos and Muslims who won election to state and federal office yesterday represent their constituents.  What better way to say, “See, I am one of you.  The same things that are important to you are also important to me.”

Oversee the Constitution, Not Trump

Within minutes of NBC’s projection the Democrats would retake the House of Representatives, the likely chair of the House Ways and Means Committee Richard Neal said he hopes to obtain Donald Trump’s tax returns either voluntarily from Trump or, if necessary, from the IRS.  There were also reports Democrats have a list of 60 plus subpoenas ready for administration officials next January.

Image result for elijah cummingsThe new House leadership would be wise to listen to incoming chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Elijah Cummings.

Right now, we have a president who is accountable to no one. I don’t want people to think we are going to rush in and beat up on Trump.  But, we need to look at all the things the President has done that go against the mandates of our founding fathers in the Constitution.

The worst thing Democrats could do is duplicate the efforts of special counsel Robert Mueller.  Their primary responsibility is to ensure Mueller is allowed to complete his investigation unfettered and the American people have access to his findings.  In other words, “Let Mueller be Mueller.”

And for heaven’s sake, heed the lessons of Watergate.  Impeachment is not the way to remove a president.  Remember, when it became clear Richard Nixon had violated his oath of office, there was a bi-partisan consensus he needed to resign or (as we just learned from the release of archived documents) face criminal indictment.  Unless there is iron-clad evidence of crimes, there is no way 67 Senators will vote for conviction.  And if there is such evidence, the Republicans will be quite eager to get rid of that albatross around their neck and demand Trump’s resignation.

The committees do need to take their oversight responsibilities seriously.  There are many items on Trump’s agenda which need to be stopped dead in their tracks.  But do not use Trump’s personal flaws and possible malfeasance to make that happen.  Reject the agenda because the agenda is bad for America.  And use the oversight function to make that case to the public.

Solve Problems

Which brings me to what Democrats should be doing on day one of the new Congress.  If the term had not already been used, I would suggest they issue a “contract with America.”  Trump and the GOP have focused on repealing the Affordable Care Act and on corporate welfare and tax cuts for the wealthiest in lieu of  issues and injustices which could be quickly addressed.  So, on day one, the Democrats should introduce legislation to do the following:

  • Give permanent status to the Dreamers who qualify under DACA guidelines.
  • Decriminalize marijuana, reduce felonies for possession to misdemeanors and commute the sentences of those who have been incarcerated based solely on possession.
  • Reinstate the Voting Rights Act and make it apply to all 50 states.
  • Reverse the Federal Communications Commission repeal of net neutrality.
  • Allow the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate Medicare and Medicaid prescription drug prices with pharmaceutical companies.
  • Require federal background checks on all gun purchases.
  • Fund major infrastructure investments to be paid for with a dollar for dollar reduction in the 2017 tax cuts.
  • Congressionally mandate participation in the Paris Climate Accords.
  • Congressionally mandate participation in the Iran nuclear arms agreement.
  • Make election day a federal holiday and encourage state and local governments and private employers to honor America by also declaring it a holiday.

Based on polling, there is strong public support for all of these proposals.  Be the House of Representatives.  Represent the people.

A National Disgrace

In the most technologically advanced country in the world, there is no reason why any American should have to wait in line for four hours to vote or have to worry whether their vote is correctly registered.  Instead of issuing subpoenas, on day one of the next Congress, the House Judiciary Committee should introduce legislation which would mandate all electronic voting systems have a paper backup in case the count needs to be audited and prohibit the obvious conflict of interest when individuals, such as a Secretary of State, oversee an election process in which they are a candidate for statewide office.

The House Judiciary Committee should also request the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice to study the distribution of polling resources within each state.  Of particular interest are discrepancies between rural and urban areas or why a university campus with over 50,000 students has a single polling place.

Conclusion

On Tuesday morning, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders described the election as a contest between problem solvers and obstructionists.  Of course, she implied that Democrats were the ones creating all the road blocks.  (Projection has been honed to a fine art by Trump and his surrogates.) Nancy Pelosi has the opportunity to prove her wrong.  The exit polls confirm voters were more worried about things that affect their lives–health care, immigration, the economy–than the tone of the national discourse.

Trump will be emboldened by yesterday’s results.  And his advisors will continue to believe their interests are best served when they “Let Trump be Trump.”  Pelosi and the Democratic party can either fuel that fire by giving Trump and the GOP an excuse to say, “I told you so.”  Or they can do what the voters elected them to do.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

 

Pictures Are Worth…II

Culture

 

When the party of faux family values tells you they want to “make America great again” show them the following pictures.

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Or this one…

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Or this one…

Image result for obama with daughter

Then show them this one…

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Or this one following Barron’s birth…

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Then ask them, who is the better role model for what THEY mean by FAMILY VALUES?  And wait for the cricket invasion.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

 

A Picture Is Worth…

Media, Politics

 

With four days left before the 2018 mid-term election, both sides are bringing out the big dogs.  And much is being said about the difference in tone between Donald Trump’s message of fear and the re-emergence of former President Barack Obama’s call for hope and change.

But it is not just their words which tells the story.  One cannot help but look at photographs at these rallies to understand who cares about his country and party and who cares about himself.

The first picture is from a rally in Ft. Myers, Florida on October 31 for the purpose of boosting the prospects of Republican candidate for governor Ron deSantis.  Without the dateline on the article, one would believe it was more likely taken during the 2016 presidential campaign.  Where is deSantis?  Where are the deSantis for Governor signs and t-shirts and hats.

Image result for trump rallies for desantis

The second photograph is from yesterday’s rally in Miami for Democrats Andrew Gillum (governor) and Senator Bill Nelson.  Imagine that, both are right there SHARING the spotlight with President Obama.  And campaign funds were used, not to remind people of Obama, but to make sure viewers knew why the former president was there.  He was the main attraction but it was the Andrew and Bill Show.

Image result for obama rally for gillum nelson

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.  I can only imagine Ron deSantis having dinner Friday night with his wife Casey.  She turns to him and says, “Too bad your guy didn’t do that for you!”

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

 

All It Takes

Politics

 

Image result for veterans day 2018

I was planning to write this entry on Veterans Day, but it cannot wait.  Yesterday, once again Donald Trump demonstrated his lack of respect for America’s men and women in uniform and his misguided understanding of what it means to be their commander-in-chief.  Consider the following exchange with a reporter about the migrant caravan in Mexico:

Q With the military, do you envision them firing upon any of these people?

THE PRESIDENT: I hope not.

Q Could you see the military (inaudible)?

THE PRESIDENT: I hope not. It’s the military — I hope — I hope there won’t be that. But I will tell you this: Anybody throwing stones, rocks — like they did to Mexico and the Mexican military, Mexican police, where they badly hurt police and soldiers of Mexico — we will consider that a firearm. Because there’s not much difference, where you get hit in the face with a rock — which, as you know, it was very violent a few days ago — very, very violent — that break-in. It was a break-in of a country. They broke into Mexico.

Despite the proud history of American armed forces, there have been episodes when uniformed troops have conducted operations which remain, to this day, a canker on the chronicle of U.S. efforts to keep America and the free world safe and secure.

On March 16, 1968, American soldiers tortured, raped and murdered close to 500 unarmed South Vietnamese civilians in the Son Tinh District.  Prior to the engagement, the members of C Company were told by Captain Ernest Medina, “They’re all VC, now go and get them.”  The investigation found that not a single shot was fired by the villagers.  It was the assumption they were hostile forces which justified the attack. (Sound familiar?)

On May 4, 1970, National Guard troops killed four unarmed students and injured nine others during a protest of the U.S. bombing of Cambodia.  During the investigation of the incident, the adjutant general of the Ohio National Guard told reporters a sniper had fired on the troops, although the investigators found no evidence of this allegation.

While under control of U.S.-led coalition forces during the second Iraq war, the former British prison at Abu Graib was used to detain captured Iraqi fighters.  In 2003, photographs surfaced that exposed reserve soldiers from the 327th Military Police torturing Iraqi prisoners.  This disclosure proved to be a major embarrassment and public relations disaster for the United States.  The culture of torture at Abu Graib was partially attributed to a desire to avenge American losses during the conflict.

Do I believe American soldiers would actually fire on women and children seeking asylum in the United States?  As Trump said, “I hope not.”  But based on the above incidents, I know all it would take is the sound of a firecracker or a young boy or girl perched in a tree or on a wall holding anything that resembles a firearm to spark a lethal response.

On this morning’s talk shows, commentators opined that Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis would never let that happen.  Just as Clark Clifford never would have authorized the My Lai massacre.  Or Melvin Laird ordered the the shooting at Kent State.  Or Donald Rumsfeld sanctioned the torture at Abu Ghraib.  Until our leaders stop putting our armed forces in situations where they are one misstep away from a major affront to humanity, shit will continue to happen. “Mad Dog,” it’s time for you to get REALLY mad!!!!  You, of all people, should speak out against this misappropriation of the military.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

 

Lest We Forget

Culture, Politics

As we are daily bombarded by the latest Trump manufactured crisis du jour, it becomes increasingly difficult to remember next Tuesday’s election is a referendum, not on any single issue, but on the 2016 presidential election and the first two years of the Trump administration.  It is for that reason I chose the title for today’s post.

But first a little history.  The phrase “Lest We Forget” has it origins in the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 4:7-9 to be exact.

7For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? 8And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? 9Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy son’s sons ….

Today, it is often used on commemorative occasions in remembrance of the sacrifice of those who perished in times of war and, of course, the fate of six million Jews during the Holocaust.

It would be easy to apply the phrase to the 11 congregants who died at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh or the two victims of the Kroger shooting in Kentucky or the targets of pipe bombs who escaped death or injury.  However, my decision to use this terminology is not in reference to the untimely demise of any human being.  Instead, I ask you to think about different casualties, the normalcy and values which have guided America for almost a quarter millennium.  Below are just a few ways, Donald Trump has tried, and on occasion succeeded, in invoking his alternative version of the founding fathers’ vision for America.

LEST WE FORGET…the country is led by an individual who has such disregard for the foundations on which this country was conceived, he believes the Constitution can be superseded by an executive order.

LEST WE FORGET…candidate Trump insulted the bravery of members of the armed services belittling the pain and suffering of an American POW who chose to stay with his fellow captives rather than use his father’s position to skip to the head of the line.

LEST WE FORGET…the commander-in-chief, just today, told the nation he has authorized the troops he is sending to our Southern border to open fire if confronted with refugees throwing rocks.

LEST WE FORGET…authorized the kidnapping of children from parents who sought asylum from political persecution and violence in the native countries and has failed to comply with a court order to reunite all the families.

LEST WE FORGET…faced with what could have been deadly domestic terrorism, chose not to condemn the terrorist, but went after the press because their coverage diverted attention from his rallies and messages of hatred.

LEST WE FORGET…given the opportunity after Charlottesville to remind Americans white supremacy and antisemitism have not place in our democracy, gave cover to neo-Nazis and bigots.

LEST WE FORGET…personally dictated a false statement to cover up the true purpose of a meeting between Russian operatives, his son, son-in law and campaign manager.

LEST WE FORGET…took the word of a Russian dictator and former KGB director over that of our own intelligence community.

LEST WE FORGET…calls for the incarceration of his political opponents and critics.

LEST WE FORGET…believes the protection of a free press under the First Amendment applies only to those who agree with him.

LEST WE FORGET…continues to claim he has no financial conflicts of interest with foreign powers but will not provide the best evidence to prove his point, his tax returns.

LEST WE FORGET…calls others crooked when he is the one who ran a phony real estate school and has been fingered as an accomplice in the payment of money to silence an adult movie star and Playboy model.

LEST WE FORGET…he promised better, cheaper health care for all Americans but solely concentrated on repealing the Affordable Care Act with no viable alternative which would have deprived 20 million Americans of health care coverage.

LEST WE FORGET…he shames women and the disabled instead of showing them the respect they deserve.

LEST WE FORGET…Trump believes the federal Department of Justice and the attorney general are supposed to protect him from criminal investigations.

LEST WE FORGET…he has reversed any progress we have made to protect the environment going back to Richard Nixon’s creation of the EPA.

LEST WE FORGET…he champions due process for everyone except his imagined enemies, opponents and critics.

LEST WE FORGET…characterizes every domestic and foreign policy action which preceded him as failed despite the fact such policies have resulted in American economic and military dominance for 80 years.

The list could go and on.  But, I will add just one more.  LEST WE FORGET…next Tuesday’s election is our opportunity to, as the Old Testament states, “diligently keep our soul” and to say, “NEVER AGAIN!”

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP