trump only makes America great for the wealthy... (#3742)

     The wealthy have never had it so good. Not only are they now paying even less in taxes but every time the working middle poor class tries to pass legislation to make their own lives better the trumps smack it down in order to protect the ever increasing income inequality the wealthy enjoy. That the wealthy do nothing to persuade trumps to stop helping them the wealthy therefore are complicit in the execution of trump's strategy. So for the rest of us who are continuing to feel the squeeze in resources because of trumps the only logical way to stop this is to vote the republicans and their trump leader out of office.
     We are the many those of us within the working middle poor class so the idea that we cannot end this nightmare is a fallacious one. We can and will on November 3rd. 2020. We keep getting closer to that voting time and even now we are fielding our potential candidates to eventually take on trump head to cruel demented head. The strategy for republicans in  the past was to do some goodwill and then claim that they are the champions of the working middle poor class but not trump. He is all in on his demented cruelty to our group and nothing is in store for us from him. Which makes it easier for us to build up such a large wave of momentum against him and his republican party stooges.
     This coming election will be epic as trump has alienated every sector of our society except the ruthless wealthy. He does also have some religious zealots on his side who would rather live in a dictatorship than a democracy but neither of those groups is even remotely large enough to get trump within striking distance of being appointed to a second term. On the other hand we democrats are finding that our resistance to trump has allied us with most all sectors of our society even taking many from the wealthy and religious sectors. All other sectors are growing even larger in support for whomever our candidates end up being when the voting time comes. I expect a crushing defeat for trump and a massive victory for democrats across the board.

Why I am a democrat and always will be (#3741)

     Because I care about more than myself. It really is that simple. Sure I matter in the big picture but I am not the driving force for the thoughts and actions I have and make. Honorable and noble ideals, and equality, are the driving force behind every breath I take. Because all animate beings and inanimate objects are a gift to us. As any gift I take good care of it because no one owed it to me or made me worthy beyond anyone else. I am just a humble man who respects the ideas, innovations I have been given to learn from the labors of those who have gone on before me. I am the continuation of the will to discover that so many of our species through time and space have exhibited.
     But what is most telling about why I care is that my emotion is strong through my heart. I am/was a strong physical man but the strength of my emotion through my heart is much more fit. So when I see another example of how we humans intentionally hurt one another for reasons based upon greed, lust, etcetera... I am again shuddered by its outcome. Life is hard enough to navigate without we humans making it harder just for our own selfish reasons. That appalls me! I understand and fall in line with the concept that we need to have guidelines in our society so that it functions for all but when it doesn't and is purposely abused for private gain I pivot and call it out with a fury.
     In the history of our American society it has been the republican party that has the most egregious violations of equality and fairness toward our civilization on whole. There is no contest between who chooses to violate democratic principles and those who choose to uphold them. We democrats are always battling to bring republicans back within the societal guidelines and republicans are always trying to find new ways of skirting our necessary guidelines. We democrats, like me, have an emotional attachment to stop harm where it doesn't belong and that fits with our idealism of caring about more than just ourselves. Yet you won't find few if any republicans who care about more than themselves and their care for others is infinitesimal.

The second advent of the "dark ages" (#3740)

     I guess once wasn't enough. Yet not surprisingly since those who fail to learn our history are doomed to repeat it, paraphrased. We see the growth of the religious crusades right in front of us with governments around the world executing those who are not in line with religious dogmatic ritual and the rise of persecutions among differing religious cults. Why anyone who has an inkling of intelligence would lay their knowledge down and follow the archaic myths of antiquity is mind boggling to me. Yet as a clue I see their fear and why they are afraid of the future more than they are of the past. It has a lot to do with being courageous or being coward like.
     These are just words to describe the reality of our times and are not intended to brand anyone. But if the words fit the narrative of our reality then we must accept them as true. I am not one of those who sees his fear in the morning mirror. I am one who has no time for past mistakes or unreal expectations. I am still the bold child of my youth who when confronted with the ills of our society chose to fight against them and nothing in my aging has changed. I do not accept the myths, mores, and superstitions that keep our populations tamed and cowered. I am an explorer at heart and the universe is my aim so nothing of antiquity has any place in my life when it comes to challenging logic and common sense.
     Yet I am of the minority it seems because too many are intertwined with the dogmas of the past to be part of the wonder of the future. So back we go to a time when the heretics are burned at the stake and the wicked by religion are beheaded for being alive. The control of our species is upon us and the direction of republicans and conservatives world wide is to maintain control by denying our right to individualism as sorcery. What the future holds on this battle for the soul of our species is yet to be determined but that there is even a battle for our souls reckons that we are no further along in our destiny to explore the universe than we are at breaking free from the repression of religious tactics.

Hope is a powerful emotion (#3739)

     I hadn't thought of hope as an emotion before I came to the realization that it is a the last possibility before having to accept that everything is what it is, or will be. I can only describe hope as a calm and peaceful place where all other emotions are muted. Without hope the other emotions would run roughshod over me as they came to be. But with hope I have a safe harbor from the whirligig, either extreme good or bad, of emotional events. For the most part my hope is what stays the worst of expectations while giving me reasons to move forward. I suppose we all need some type of crutch in our lives to help us along in our lives and it is hope that is mine.
     Being that I am much more an optimist than a pessimist it helps that with all the disappointment that has come of late that my hope is being tested on a daily basis. Separating out the significant needs for hope in my life from the insignificant ones is acutely important at the moment. However it seems that all the disappointments lately are either indirectly or directly related to suffering, pain, and death that is a choice by those republicans who govern. But even as such my personal life has its own touches with hardships and cruelty that are of no one's particular fault, yet part of our manufactured existence. My humanness is directly related to how we treat each other and how better we can do that.
     Yet as life moves on it is becoming quite apparent that improving life for all is not an agenda item of priority. For many of us democrats it is but for the cheating, lying, stealing republicans it isn't and they seem to have the political sway at the moment. There isn't a lot I can do in my own life that would change the overall direction all of life should take but I am not without hope that it can be done when the many of us band together to make it so. I also have hope for my missing cat that he will show up again after I thought he was gone forever. Yet I know it is unlikely and I am probably just staving off the pain of his loss because against all odds I hope he can somehow make it back to me.

My compassion drives my actions (#3738)

     I know that I have based the premise of this blog on curiosity and compassion being my two overall instincts and nothing in the many years later has changed that. But the actions of my life choices is solely attributable to my heart. My curiosity takes me places to observe and understand but it is my passion for the animate and inanimate that stirs my existence. So when I see these republican followers just bull rushing through life without a "by your leave" to those they trample I get angered and resolved to end their compassionless agendas. They are the greedy selfish ones who cannot abide that others have the same rights to exist as they do.
     In my mind those who are without compassion have even less rights than those who do care for the reality of life. There has to be a paradigm shift wherein the current socio/psychopathic are treated as they should be, as those who have a severe mental deficiency instead of being heralded for their ruthless success. The republican party is the political party where you find these broken souls so any kindness given to them is equivalent to the dogmatic "tossing of pearls to swine". The fact that the socio/psychopathic thrive because they are given kindness is the problem. Allowing virus like creatures to remain on the host body politic is not only idiotic but it is highly likely to cause the death of our democratic society.
     So as my compassion drives my actions toward the day to day living of my life so does the fact that if we don't stop the republican party from holding public office we are going to end up with problems greater than we can solve. I only have to speak about climate change and how devastating it is to our planet and as the clock ticks down on us we are soon to lose our planet. How de we recover from that? We don't! Like I said, if we don't get the republicans out of office then the amazing experiment of human evolution will come to an end. No more shall our children dream of conquering the Universe or of being great humanitarians of their time. Instead they will be left to figure out how to survive on a planet that once was nurture and will now become hostile.

trump is a symptom of the disease we Americans breed (#3737)

     We Americans are not as good as we think we are. First we let our democracy come under attack by a borderline socio/psychopath and his politically strong republican party. Second we spend more time expecting things to come our way the way we want and less time making ourselves better. Third we condescend to anything that is not as divine as we believe regardless of the myths, mores, and superstitions the beliefs are based upon. Fourth the fear in our nation for those who are not just like us, whatever the crap that is, is overwhelming and purely racist. We white American humans are the most spoiled child like beings that have ever existed in time and space yet nearly none of us is willing to accept that truth.
     So for a cad like trump to end up as our appointed leader speaks more about who we are than what he is. Unfortunately, both are lacking in many areas of our lives a redeeming quality that would otherwise be expected from what we see from ourselves. We live in some fantasy world much like trump and although it is madness that he is actually called our president it is appropriate considering that we are not far from exemplifying his reflection. We got what we deserved in essence and although the many of us did not want him, there were far more of us who didn't even bother to vote because apparently our democracy is not important enough to participate in for about half an hour every two years.
     I really thought before the 2016 election that we Americans were primed to reach great heights with our political will of liberal politics. Yet the fear in our nation of whatever republicans can scare up at the moment was too great for us to overcome. Our national weakness was exposed and trump scurried into office. We now have a supreme court that is going to run roughshod over our constitution and nothing much in the way of will can stop it. It is our due for not caring about the democracy so many have died and suffered to bring us. I am ashamed and will be so for all the rest of my life for what is the swirling sound of our nation being flushed down to the depths of depravity and hatred. We Americans own this and nothing about it is worthy of honor or respect.

Hatred simmers in the pot of poverty and the wealthy don't care (#3736)

     When the many are forced to live in conditions that are far less than fair then the inner strife within our massive lower class citizenry exposes itself through hatred. While the wealthy are hogging all the benefits of a civilized society the poverty stricken are left with little to rail against that is effective. So turning in on ourselves seems to be our release. That we do is perfect for the wealthy as they all along have had a strategy of making us blame ourselves for our lot in life when that is not the truth. The wealthy are the ones who are responsible for our poverty and its devastating effects. They don't care however since we are simpletons in that we don't hold them responsible.
     The wealthy figure that if their greed is working and it makes them even happier why change? Even if it would help billions of people worldwide. They are immune to compassion for others since those who didn't necessarily inherit their wealth had to be socio/psychopathic about gaining their economic success. Which in their minds was earned by them no matter the lack of morality and/or ethics involved. So if we think that the condescending wealthy will solve our problems then we are incapable of objective logical thought on this subject. The only way to make our society more fair is to grasp the mantle of leadership for the masses and institute policies that engender honest merit while equally caring for all of our citizenry.
     This isn't rocket science despite the complexity of our problems. The republican party is the party of the wealthy and as I have pointed out they only care for their donors. The democratic party is the party of the masses and in putting democrats back into control of our government we can then bend the arc of justice back toward all Americans, not just toward the wealthy. The only way the wealthy will fall back from their greedy ways is if democrats completely control our national government and as many state governments as possible. If we don't do this then the hatred born from poverty will not go away and lives who otherwise might be fulfilling will likely cease to exist due to the cost of having hatred simmer over and over.

The putrid state of republican politics (#3735)

     If many of you lifelong republican voters are still republican then you are not a normal person. Normal persons don't vote for people who hate other people. Normal people mind if a treasonous act to subvert our democracy has occurred with their republican candidate. Normal people don't vote for cheating, lying, and stealing con men just because they are republicans. Normal people care about facts and truths and are willing to research those facts and truths to make sure they are correct. Non Normal people don't check to see if facts and truths are correct but instead just let other republicans tell them what to think.
     If you can live with the smell of death that the republican party is telling you is the smell of blooming roses then you are not normal. In fact you are so far less than normal that it makes you look not only foolish but abhorrent. The idea that you consistent voters of republicans are immune to reality just because you have this sense of knowing it all without having to do the due diligence of actually knowing it all is borderline insanity. Measuring your perspective by how closely you can align with the republican rhetoric coming from the much less than cerebral limbaughs and hannitys of the world is indicative of you not having a mind of your own but a shock collar of obedience around your neck.
     The objective weight of the world is coming down on your head but you take it as an attack against your ingrained righteous privilege to be better than others. Your ego is bruised but that isn't because you were/are wrong it is because the rest of us are jealous of your magnificence . Personally you republican voters are nothing more than a waste of space since you are not part of the best of what humanity is or strives to be. In fact you represent what is wrong with humanity and with every breath you take you continue to reinforce it. I don't know what it will take for you to come out of your cocoon and see the panoramic world like it truly is or if you ever will. I however, will just keep seeing all that is going on around me and give my allegiance to enlightenment, human kindness, and the logical reality it exists within.

Solving one problem at a time (#3734)

     Too many times I see from our democrats the need to solve all our problems at once. If not that then many of them linked for solving regardless of the impossibility to get it done. My advice will be to solve those problems we can solve now, now! I don't mind that there are many problems that need solving I mind that we get bogged down trying do too much all at once instead of taking each step we can to solve a problem. Eventually we get there if we keep our focus on accomplishing what can be solved. If we fix one problem then we can focus all our energy on the next problem. Always prioritizing where we can as much as possible.
     Some problems will take years to solve just because of the enormity of the challenge of change. All the minutiae and nuance that has to be adjusted is not something that can just be waved into existence. For every problem we have there are myriad reasons for them. So it seems logical to take one problem at a time and put all our might into making the solution the best and most efficient so that it can last over time because it has been vetted to the core. When we try to link problems with a final solution we often find that we have not answered all the questions about how best to make these solutions work. I don't want to have a pile of problems solved together only to find that by doing so we have only changed the problem from one problem into another problem.
     By resolving to focus on just one problem we can pick that problem apart and then see all the inner workings of it so that when we do find the change that best fits solving the problem there won't be any ambiguity or confusion. Always after the most exhaustive investigation into how and why the problem persists are we able to scrutinize a solution for its best fit. Trying to do that on a multi problem level only makes the event of solution exponentially more difficult with a greater chance of getting it wrong. I am arguing here for a single solution for a single problem. Then moving on to the next problem. We are an amazing species but as time has shown recently we are not all that amazing when we set out to change what needs to be changed or stop that which needs never to have been.

Approximately 62% of trumps appointed presidency is over. (#3733)

     Since trump was appointed to the presidency by the electoral college, since he lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes, effective November 8th 2016, he has already wreaked havoc for 894 days. Which means he has only 562 more days to continue to harass and embarrass we Americans. I have to keep reminding myself of how much more we have left so that I can pace myself. I am an older American so therefore for me to be wishing 562 days were already behind me is rather selfless on my part because what is more important to me than my time alive is saving our democracy. I would forfeit that 562 days from my life without a second thought if tomorrow it would put us on election day November 3rd. 2020.
     So to me at least we are on the downhill slide from the appointed trump era and with the help of the 2018 election we also have a firm grip on what trump cannot do legally through legislation. All off his executive orders will most likely be reversed by what damage has been caused in the interim will be our cost for allowing him and his ilk to rough up our democracy for 4 years. The only way to sufficiently wipe the slate clean of trumps and his enablers is for our blue wave to hit republicans so hard that there are few in any left standing. That way we can begin to legislate in ways that strengthen our democracy and investigate in both the Senate and House those who would have hijacked our future for their own greedy gain.
     These last 562 days will be hell and then the last the last 78 days of the transfer of the presidency will see some flurry of ineffective activity but regardless the end is in sight. For those rich and powerful who think trump still has a chance to win a second term I say to them that if that is what they think they will also be caught out unawares by our blue wave and my hope for them is that they spend their money on backing what they see as a trump future and then have it all come crashing down on them November 3rd. 2020. The only silver lining I see in all this that is/was trump is that we know who are worst citizenry are since they have all come out from under their rocks to boast about their champion trump and his view for a purging of all we melting potters who are not like his idealization of a hitleresque future.

Modernization is our only hope (#3732)

     The idea that we as a species can continue to thrive under the rules of capitalism alone is impossible. Literally impossible! Because while everyone is running around trying to get all the money they can there are no stewards setting rules and maintaining order so that we don't slide into utter chaos. Even then the manipulations, dishonesty, privilege, and advantage of playing outside the rules despite contracts is more than rampant. The courts get overwhelmed by the deceit and then the adjudicators can be swayed. All together the concept of an anti modern society with this much know how to cheat, lie, and steal is much more than vulnerable to self destruction it is a virtual outcome of the highest order.
     Which is why we need to modernize our society in ways that eliminate the need for the hot pursuit of all the resources by everyone. Capitalism has its good points as it motivates us to get out there and work our talents and knowledge to our best abilities. But capitalism must be tempered with boundaries that do not allow for any reason, excess in the form of harm to the whole of society. As it stands now the super wealthy are keeping much too much of our nations wealth out of circulation which creates far too many hardships for those who are just starting out in life. I get the fear that the super wealthy have of losing their advantage but it is a fear the is feather light on the scales against the unbelievably heavy lack of fairness to tens of millions.
     I have been an advocate for a mixture of capitalism and socialism since I could form a political thought. It makes sense that there should be a cap on wealth just like there should be no one living below a foundation above poverty. Where true merit and grit to succeed can elevate ones position in life toward a form of prestige while not detracting from the opportunities for all to have a dream of their own to succeed. That to me is modernization. Where we look at the consequences of our application toward economics, science, social evolvements, and political necessities. This is not the dark ages nor a land without enlightenment. It is high time that we recognize that and begin to modernize our society based upon the common sense logic we are all now gifted with if we so choose.

Criminals are in the White House (#3731)

     They may not be convicted as yet but by their very acts and deeds their guilt is obvious. What is perplexing is that we don't have a check on them since the republicans control the Senate and are as corrupt as the trumps. The House, controlled by democrats, is trying to find its way to end the reign of trumps but as of yet are not there yet. We aren't even talking about an election ending the trumps, we are talking about impeachment and/or criminal prosecution. The endless, and I mean endless violations of the public trust and the rule of law by trumps and their hideous republican enablers has all of us worn out from its now normal occurrences.
     Yet we are keeping track of all the wrongs perpetrated by the criminals in the White House and republican Senate, and the time for their reckoning is sooner than later. How republicans and trumps specifically thought that they could muscle their way past our criminal justice system is ballsy to say the least. Yet they do not get that our criminal justice system will not break although they have put a bend in it. This is not the land of Russia where the will of the people is not protected by democratic values. No, this is America where the brave have fought and died for an egalitarian constitution that is ever evolving toward social justice and opportunity for all.
     In Russia the president there can change the laws and practice brutality to consolidate his power without compromising his stature. In America the trumps long for such a paradigm where they are the law and we are their servants. The hijacking of our White House by the thieves and liars who now reside there is almost unimaginable yet it has happened. What we learned yesterday from the heavily redacted Mueller report is enough to sicken our citizenry with disgust and if truth be told the redacted part has to be much more than sickening, it must be the epitome of power gone amok and the trumps involved in all of it. That trump says he didn't remember as an answer to many of the written Mueller questions, https://www.politicususa.com/2019/04/18/trump-responded-i-do-not-recall-three-dozen-times-in-written-answers-to-mueller.html, is just the beginning of knowing how far trumps and Senate republicans will go to protect their stolen power.

No time for barr (#3730)

     Today is the day when the barr report, redacted Mueller report, is released. I won't be watching the spectacle because I like the condition of my mental health and watching that conman side show is not conducive to a healthy existence. I like to stay within the bounds of normalcy so I will wait to hear all about it on social media when it is done. What I had hoped for was a surprise release by someone not connected with the trump regime so that we the American citizenry could see for ourselves the facts laid out after two years of gathering evidence. But with the fix in and barr the patsy, we the American citizenry will be lucky to get 10% of the truth.
     If I seem a bit lackadaisical about all this it is because I trust in justice. So just because the trumps can at this moment bend the truth or even hide it they will be caught out when the time comes for it. The trumps won't be in power for much longer after the 2020 election so then the transparency surely will begin. However in the meantime our democratic controlled House is busy making sure they get an unredacted version of the Mueller report so as to better evaluate the Mueller conclusions. I have no doubt that although the trumps may try every possible trick to keep the unredacted report hidden their attempts will fail if we are to remain at least the appearance of a democracy.
     So as others eagerly watch the sideshow from barr through trump I will be busy doing anything else even if that anything else is outside pulling weeds. Because I won't let my mind be contorted with the spin that is either right now going on or will be going on shortly. The only thing that matters to me is the actual Mueller report, not some dodgy draft of it by the complicit barr. The trumps are in desperation mode and all of this attempting to hide hide facts from us is just another example of the filth that trumps and their republican party employ to govern. Again, it won't be long before they are gone from power and when that occurs the wrath of we the people will have its day.

Our blue wave outraised trump by nearly 4 times. (#3729)

     That trump raised 30 million for his reappointment to the presidency campaign is by itself enough to get our attention from a one quarter year total. But when compared to the 119 million raised by our many democratic candidates for president in a one quarter year makes trump's totals look much less significant, https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-fundraising/. As well what is significant is that in the above same article, for those who gave to both sides of less than $200, only 13.2% gave to trump, while 34.3 of small donors gave to democrats. So not only is the our democratic side giving much more to win the election for president but many many more of us are just regular folks who are doing well to counteract the big donors of trump.
     So another indicator of our blue wave is confirmed from the fundraising of the last quarter. Not only are we democrats still engaged from the 2018 elections but we are much more likely to work hard for our candidates and then the nominee as ever. The one concern I had coming into the 2020 election was if we could sustain the incredible energy we displayed in 2018. As of now I am not as concerned about our energy and instead am well pleased with it. This coming election in 2020 is going to be the much needed correction from the discouraging and nearly democracy defeating election of 2016. We democrats are somewhat to blame for the result in 2016 because we didn't recognize the fevered and underhanded unscrupulousness of the republican party.
     But as far as blame can be given to us democrats, it is dwarfed by the manner and deed of the heinous republican party and their willful intent to subvert democracy and the will of the American people. No more will we democrats be caught out unawares with distractions and uncaring. We now know the worst that republicans can do and it has awakened us from our slumber and forged us to a new paradigm of a steely eyed patriot. The fact that our blue wave is rising and still coming is being reinforced everywhere. From new democratic registrations to vote to unchanging democratic affiliations over time. We see more citizens voting for democrats and older democrats remaining democrats while the republican party is not gaining many new converts and their base of older Americans continues to dwindle.

My cat Artie (#3728)

     Over the last several days my cat Artie has been out of character. There is something physically wrong with him because he is not himself and is sedentary with a trance like stare. He also is off his food and water. He keeps moving around and yesterday I was so bothered by his inaction that I took him to my Vet to see if anything could be diagnosed. Well after an examination the Doc said that he could have just eaten something that was bad for him or he could have a pancreatic problem. So for $175 of which this poor guy really couldn't afford I paid for not only his office visit, but a water injection, an antibiotic, and a pain killer for him. Now the waiting begins to see if anything changes.
     He stayed under my bed last night without moving except to change places but not his position. Which is upright with all four legs under him. Normally my boy would be lounged out with his legs spread everywhere. Not now. It has been about 20 hours since we got home and no change in his behavior. I have been through this several times with other animals and the outcome is rarely a happy one. I have only had Artie for about 8 months but he has worked his cool ways deep into my heart. You see Artie is a very cool dude for feral cat who was trapped as a 3 month old and brought to my house along with his companion Betsy. They are inseparable for the most part but not for the last few days, although Betsy spent a few hours under the bed with Artie last night. I know because I got up through the night many times to check on him without disturbing him.
     This is the worst time right now because either he is going to improve or he will drift off into some kind of comatose state. I don't have the funds to run blood tests and then pay for whatever treatment the blood tests suggest. So it is now out of my hands and I will have to accept whatever fate has in store. It angers me that we carers of animals are not able to help our pets without putting impossible costs on ourselves. Not only are we Americans horrible at not helping our own with health care but we are even worse when it comes to health care for our animals. I will say this now and it is so very true to me. My 4 animals are like children to me in how I feel about them and not being able to care for them when they need me is heartbreaking and emotionally takes a part of my life away.

All republicans have are lies (#3727)

     I heard mention all the money trump pulled in for his reappointment campaign and how that it is an whopping number. Well that does not surprise me since he does represent the wealthy and foolish among us. But what doesn't bother me is what he will do with it. First, that much of it will surely end up in his own personal accounts is expected but even with most of it going into his advertising I am not worried. Because he has little to nothing to claim as promising for most of us. So instead of telling us the not great things he has done, he will tell us the great non things he has done. In other words, he will lie about helping our society. The thing is though is that we have had more than 2 years of his punishments to remember and it won't be hard to distinguish his outright lies.
     Some of his claims will be more subtle and will take some nuance to rebut but it won't be hard to do either since he is generally known as a cad to begin with. But the barrage he will likely throw at the airwaves and social media will be intense and will be aimed at dividing our democrats with infighting. Again that won't be hard to reverse as well since most of us have gotten used to his calling others what he really is. The old "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me" axiom is well worn with trump. He fooled many the first time around in 2016 but his chance of repeating that trick is far less now with all our pain as a reminder of his duplicity.
     So even though we are still well more than 500 days from the next election day, the lies coming from trumps will keep on increasing to the point of attempting to wear us down. Yet steady as she goes matey because in the end when the voting time comes there is no way trump will be able to whitewash his racism, condescension, and his misogyny. So those of us who are quite aware of trump and his lies will faithfully keep rebutting his lies with facts and truths for the next many months so that no matter how much of his republican money is spent on telling his lies we will simply destroy them as they pop up. Busy work for us to keep him in check but remember, the days of his appointed presidency are dwindling and although he is so tiresome to constantly be fact checking the due date of his executive privilege is coming to an end sooner than later.

When will we humans stop being stupid? (#3726)

     I get so tired sometimes from all the constant stupid behaviors we humans cannot escape. I mean it isn't hard to know we are doing stupid things just look at how we treat each other and our planet. The time will eventually come when the stupid becomes the exception and not the rule but until then it is the rule and not the exception. My soul is weary from the constant barrage of shame and embarrassment that our species actuates in just about every area of life. I earlier in my life was so full of hope and brimming with confidence that the intelligence and courage of our species would lead us to greater advances than those we had already achieved. Yet currently I am only hopeful that we don't kill ourselves and our planet with every stupid thing we keep doing.
     I am not quitting on life but I am tiring of the battle to keep inexcusable insanity from being our legacy. That we have to fight against the worst of ideas and policies while destroying the good we have already achieved is so discouraging to me. My life here on this planet should have been one where we helped lead all of us to dismantling the scourge of antiquity and continuing the modern growth and ideals of democracy and equality. Progress should have been our motto, not regressive cowardice and fear. To be bold is not an exception either, it is the rule yet we human beings are not ready yet to embrace what is best about us because we cannot let go of what is worst about us.
      I fear that stupidity is going to be our legacy in the end and for that to happen when all we needed to do was to say enough with being scared is pathetic. We humans may be the most advanced biological species existence has ever evolved but we obviously as a species are not ready to live like it. It seems we are better suited to being led around as a herd for no practical purpose instead of forming great thoughts and policies with innovation and determination. For all the enlightened advantages our species has evolved toward our handling of it is pitiful and not worthy of anything amazing. The potential is there waiting for us to just grasp with an ounce of courage but until we do the time and place of our possibilities keep slipping further and further away from reality.

If we do not defeat trumps and his acolytes then we deserve to lose our democracy! (#3725)

     I am as passionate about politics now as I was when I was 15 and a member of my high school student council. Even though I couldn't vote in any public election until I was 18 I still advocated for the candidates that tried to represent all of our citizenry and pushed policies that reflected that. When I got to vote I voted in every election for the party that stood by the working middle poor class. I am a member of that class and as such know much about how we are being systematically reduced in stature compared to the rich and powerful. Our society is one where all can work to make something wonderful of themselves but not when the the work is made almost impossible through privilege and advantage techniques.
     The further along in my life I had come the farther apart the republicans and democrats became. I suppose it was happening well before I was born with the first half of the 1900's a battlefield between the democrats who wanted everyone to have a real shot at their dreams and the republicans who hate sharing power with the dirty masses. Well over the last 50 years there has not been one republican candidate I could vote for because not one republican candidate felt the need to represent all of America. So my voting has been consistent and steady for every democrat on the ballot. Yet if a republican actually stood up and proclaimed they would fight for the working middle poor class then they would have a real shot at getting my vote.
     As we are where we are today, the idea of a republican candidate fighting for the working middle poor class is unimaginable. Many republicans have said they would but they never fought or produced legislation that proved that. We had trump in 2016 parroting many democratic policies in his campaign and then turned out to be a traitor to those policies. I learned long ago that words are just a beginning to the debate. The actions before, during and after the words are what count. As we have seen once again the republican party does not care for the working middle poor class and even worse they are trying to prohibit many of us from voting. So the next time your precious duty to vote is allowed remember who is fighting for you and who is fighting for themselves. I shouldn't have to identify which party is which at this point any longer.

Tick tock, waiting for the next election... (#3724)

     What do we do during these dogs days of waiting to change our government administration? We fortify ourselves with information about why we need change and not so much build up our anger. Because when the time comes for the deciding who to vote for we have to have facts at our disposal and not only our emotion. Sure we need to be fired up but our fired up state has to have a logical reason for it. We can't just hate for the sake of hating. Unlike what republican voters seem to embrace. That is why they will not attract many new converts to their side as it is based upon segregation and disrespect. But we cannot sit back and allow ourselves a false sense of hope because we think the many will likely choose our side.
     We have to prepare as if we are going into a debate. Where we have our facts and logical sequencing of them in a comprehensive order but also anticipate what the republicans will claim and be ready to debunk them. The only way we can prepare for any such lie or confusion republicans will present is to know all our arguments well and understand the needs of our democratic society. The republican party is not that difficult to figure out these days as they want their survival of the fittest white nationalist government and continue with advantage and privilege provisions that always favor them. So we have to not only know our American history but our reasoning for the foundation of our democracy.
     America was and still is the melting pot of the world and nothing republicans do can change that fact. We came from all over the planet to build our society here and for republicans to now deny that we are the amalgamation of that great migration toward a better life is their linchpin argument toward their white race longing. Our forefathers/mothers fought for our right to govern ourselves under democracy and every war we have had since our inception, either correctly or incorrectly, has been based upon protecting our democracy from those foreign enemies who would conquer us. Yet even now we have a domestic movement within the whole of the republican party that is aligning themselves with the foreign forces who are still trying to end our democratic growth. So lets build our knowledge for the day not much more than 570 days from now when we all go to vote for the next chapter of our democracy or if we are not successful, the end of our democracy.

If it hasn't happened by now it probably won't (#3723)

     In the first few days of the appointed presidency of trump I had expected that he would either retire or even expire. Well that didn't happen and then the Mueller investigation seems to have fizzled so the now likely outcome is that trump will serve the full 4 years. If you would have asked me right after the 2016 election if I thought many of us would die I would have said yes. But that seems not to have happened either so I expect that the extremes I thought would come about haven't. Yet the damage that trump has wreaked on our world will be felt long after he is dust.
     The good news is that we have only 19 more months of trump and most of his elected republican protectors. I am certainly satisfied that our democratic base will be fired up to end the trump charade and then punish those who are helping him to destroy our democratic society. In the meantime we cannot count on some miracle that trump will suddenly be gone from our political, economical, and social lives. But what we can do is make plans for his ouster and then work on solutions to the problems we will face once he is gone from public life. There are many wounds to our society and to the world body that trump has intentionally inflicted.
     Keeping the problems to a minimum is our goal for the rest of his appointed term and although it won't be easy we must try everything in our power to curtail the last of the damage he is strategically planning. He is not going to make life easy for we the working middle poor class but we have options now that we didn't have before the 2018 midterm election. These last 19 months will be a time of unnecessary suffering on behalf of many in our working middle poor class but we must get through it so that when the voting time comes on November 3rd. 2020, trumps departure becomes reality. Even then he may try like hell to stop a fair election but if he even dreams of causing a constitutional crisis our torches and pitchforks will be there to help him out of our once proud national White House.

We must all pay attention (#3722)

     I am not asking you to do anything that I wouldn't do so like me, you don't have to watch or listen to the insane republican party and their mouthpieces but at least follow along the news wherever you get it to keep up with the current destruction of our democracy. Because that is exactly what is happening here. Our nation has been hijacked by jackbooted thugs is now without dispute, unless of course you are not able to understand facts, logic and common sense. There are many like that out there which is a problem in itself outside politics. But for the rest of us the need for us to know what is constantly going on with trumps, and mcconnell in the senate, is imperative.
     No doubt the republican party is imploding under trump and he doesn't care. So as we build our democratic base to defeat trumps in 2020 we have to be loaded with all the information necessary to make our arguments for votes. It isn't enough that trumps are brutishly cruel although that will be a major determining factor for votes but we democrats have to have our message ready based upon the social structure of our society. We will only know what we need by what we don't have anymore and by what will help heal our desperate society. We democrats must be clear in our message of hope for our citizenry while laying out our plans for doing just that specifically with examples.
     There cannot be any lackadaisical approaches to our build up to election night November 3rd, 2020. The absolute importance of winning these coming national and state elections is the defining moment in the history of our current 232 year growth in democracy. The very nature of the takeover of our government by republicans, up until the 2018 election, was a shock and a wake up call but lest we fall back into some delusional comfort zone the takeover must be thwarted. So it is that we democrats, independents and disaffected former republicans cannot rely on others to carry our load. We all must carry our load and vote for all our democratic candidates who are nominated without a second thought because the alternative is the miserable republican party and their lust for our future.

Keeping my humor during these trying times (#3721)

     I used to be that guy who would make a joke of just about everything when I was growing up. Needless to say I was popular with a couple of people and dismissed by many many more. Yet as I began to temper my joke making "talent" I found that I wasn't as happy about who I was. Yet it was the price I had to pay to be serious every now and then through example. Not that I wasn't serious through my jokester efforts but for those who didn't know me it appeared to them I was just a flippant pig. How we all deal with things in our lives is the measure of what works and if something works yet is totally misunderstood well that is the price we pay for surviving.
     Not everything in life is peaches and cream. Well actually very little in life is peaches and cream so again, whatever works to keep the insanity at bay. As I have gotten much older though I still find it necessary to invoke humor as a response to what the republican party and the trumps are doing to most all of us. If I said what a really wanted in response to their words and acts I would have been imprisoned, tortured, and put down about a million times over. So instead of being honest I go with humor and try to be as dry, witty and oblique as I can be while poking a fiery hot blunt stick into their metaphorical eye. :)
     Humor also has the effect of calming me down and changing my emotional temperament away from my obvious disgust with whatever ridiculously, callous, and painful objective the republican trumps are devising for our next real life suffering. If I can make a joke about it while being sarcastic and satirical then my cynicism won't overwhelm me. I need what works for me to actuate my survival and this tool of mine from my childhood is getting it's just due. Soon in a few short months we should be about done with trumps and republicans so much so that I can go back to being humorous just for the sake of humor and not using it as a tool so that I won't do something stupid in a fit of consternation and anger!

Our American democracy will survive! (#3720)

     I am no soothsayer nor have I a crystal ball. But what I do have is an enduring ability to fight until my last breath to keep our democracy alive and well. So all those out there who are less than concerned about how the republican party is tearing our democracy down I have this to say to you. Either wake up and join the rest of us in keeping the greatest form of government intact or suffer the fate of those who are trying like all get out to beat our democracy down into their advantage. I will suffer no fools either so if you are unaware that our national heritage of democratic values is under attack then you will also be rolled up when the thieves who are perpetrating our democracy's demise meet their sentence.
     I am steady, looking forward toward solutions to combat the aggressors to our heritage. Nothing I am doing in life is more important than protecting our democracy from the ruthlessly cruel con men that are exemplified by the trumps and their acolytes. There intent to disguise their take over has now been shattered as their leader, trump is nothing more than a simpleton who is somewhat charismatic. However as each day shows, his charisma wanes in the face of real life struggle of our citizenry and offensive acts towards the weak and vulnerable. We Americans are less like trumps and more like honorable folks who care about reality and how we live in it. There are many major problems in the world that need honest intelligent leadership yet we are getting none of that from trumps and in fact they are now contributing to the problems in hopes of disintegrating our democracy.
     So it is with a sure knowledge that I say that our democracy will survive because I and many patriots like me will it so to a greater extent than the thieves who would take it from us. This is war and in war there cannot be any lessening of the necessity to win at all costs come what may. I am no shrinking violet, no, I am a powerful force to be reckoned with and in combination with the many many just like me we will prevail because life has taught me that winning is all about what is most dear and our democracy is more dear to us than the overthrow of it is to those thieves who would try to wrest it from our living hard gripped fingers!

576 days until we vote trump out! (#3719)

     When we get under 500 days it becomes more a reality than ever for me. After being part of so many elections in my life I have found that at 500 days the end comes up real fast. I suppose it is because the flurry of election activity begins in earnest. Yet this election cycle is even more real for me than any other election since nixon. The dire state of our democracy is at stake and with the information boom we have had in the last 2 decades the remedy is now more important than anything else in existence. Nothing is more important than all Americans voting this coming election. Nothing!
     Even putting off death in order to vote against trumps is worth the extra effort to not die. Every vote will count and none should shirk their duty to save our very democracy because that is what is at stake. The trumps must be defeated not only personally for the executive position but in the Congress and all across the statehood elections. The coming census in 2020 will be once again be allowed to allocate either democratic fairness or continued republican partisanship. We will not survive as a democracy if we cannot uproot the republican party form our governmental leadership roles. We are somewhat stuck with the many lifetime positions that republicans are currently ramming through against the will of the people but we can deal with those underhanded maneuverings when we democrats regain the power that was stolen from us over time.
     576 days to weather until we can let out a collective sigh and then turn to reversing the trump onslaught against enlightenment and modernity. Our national pride at being the melting pot of the world can then be restored to its prominence with dignity. I am so ashamed of who we are as Americans at the moment but in the short time it will take for the next election to come around will eliminate that shame within me and replace it with a dogged determination to never let such a filthy political republican party to hijack our minds, hearts, and souls again! Restoration to democracy is our battle cry and there are enough of us to make it so. 576 days left to fend off the deviousness and brutish cruelty that trumps feel they may pound down upon our heads.
 

My atheism keeps me clear headed (#3718)

     I know a lot of you need your religions for one or more reasons but not me. I am free of the belief system paradigm where someone is always trying to tell me that things need to be this way or that. I am the one who gets to decide which way I live my life and in the most foundational way the logic of me controlling my life is established. Now before you get geared up to tell me that my atheism is not moral I would remind you that I was born innocent and in that innocence I find my goodness and strength. I don't need to be told what is correct or incorrect, I already know that doing harm is not to be allowed in almost every situation. I know that caring for all of us, even those who are inevitably incurable harm causers is a goal to be attained.
     I know that despite my atheism I am the most knowledge seeker I have ever encountered. I know a lot of people who are much more knowledgeable and wise than myself but none that strives to learn more than I. I love learning and my heart loves to care. I have a wonderfully fulfilling life of curiosity and compassion and nothing about atheism diminishes that. In fact my atheism allows me to be comprehensive about what I learn without restriction or contradiction to myth, mores, and superstitions. I get to stick to logic and common sense and my determinations of reality. I reason, analyze, and conclude without any shackles based upon a system of faith. As unorthodox as it may seem to the devout belief system congregations, I find that having no belief system makes me much more real and in time with the space I inhabit.
     The Universe is an awesome and scary place for many and that alone is enough to get them to searching for a safe harbor of belief, yet not me. I have always felt fortunate to have survived in life and as such making the most of it is my goal. Regardless of the religiously stated repercussions of my atheism I am a stalwart sentinel of objectivity. That belief systems are just that, belief, not factual should tell you that although I respect all possible belief system thoughts about what may be they still remain only possible, not factual. In all considerations I have had so far in my years of living I have gathered that the idea that all of science, biology, physics and the rest of the study of air, water, dirt, and fire, is less than some hope for a sovereign deity. Which makes us less than the best of who we humans are and more like who we humans were. Here's a thought, we live in the present and the future, not the past.

Too many Americans are not good people (#3717)

     There is no other way to summarize the truth of things given that trumps have such a loyal following despite the hatred fueled agenda trumps advocate. How anyone could be so disgusted with personal honor and respect is a failing of an enormous magnitude given the possibilities for proper education based upon the wealth that our nation creates. Instead of using our financial bounty to enrich our society with enlightenment and ending poverty, the powers that be in the republican party only seem to want to enrich themselves and maintain misery within our population. The hatred it takes to be so greedy and so condescending toward most Americans is indicative of our current state of affairs.
     When our political power is so corrupted by the republican party the cure for such an ailment as we have is to vote them out at every position. Yet there are many who will not fall to a higher level of conscience, because of generations of illogical learning and segregationist idiocy. We do live in a Democracy yet too many think that we live in a cult of hatred. How difficult it must be for those many to have to rationalize that they are hating fellow members of our species based upon fear and misunderstanding. So instead of overcoming their fear and misunderstanding they choose to ignore it, thus the ignorance label. The cognitive dissonance of thinking they are the good people of the Earth is mind shattering in that their lens on life can only be described as being out of focus.
     How they allowed themselves the ease of ignorance over the pleasure of discovery and comprehensive knowledge is unfortunate given the resources still available today to grow and mature in a modern and sophisticated way. I know this much about myself, I am not one to live my life without knowing. Knowing is fundamental to everything that occurs in my life. What is even as significant is being honest about what I learn and know. If I lie to myself I then become not me. I am only me and thus being absolutely truthful with myself is the only way I can know who I am. I don't exist on this planet just to take advantage of existence, I exist to know why I exist and what it is that I don't know about all of existence.

No remorse, no mercy! (#3716)

     The hatred and cruelty of those whose lives have been enhanced because of it deserve a harsh conclusion to their actions. The reason for a harsh punishment for being a scourge is to discourage others from like behavior. Yet there is pause to lessen the harshness of punishment given a truly remorseful turn. Yet no relief from the overall punishment can be given, but a lessening under the correct circumstances. We see with trumps that they have no inclination to change their abhorrent behavior thus no mercy on their heads will be given. I am sure on their deathbeds they will likely try to seek some form of absolution with the religious sect of society but too little too late for those of us who are not beholden to myth, more and superstition.
     If any lessening of punishment is to occur with those of us who hold dear no ideal of a sovereign being the previous pernicious acts must be rectified by trumps in real time before any immediate end time. I am a hard man when it comes to those who bully through life and then ask for forgiveness from me when it matters little to them at the end of their lives. As they lived to crush the spirit of all those they abused such in measure should come back on them without mercy. Yet if they turn from their behaviors to ameliorate the effects of their dastardly acts only then will they get some mercy from me. My heart has been hardened to those who choose to harm instead of help, yet I am not inhumane.
     Remorse is the act of deep regret with shame and guilt expressed unequivocally. Only then when a lifetime of churlish hatred has been born and then rebuked can a forgiveness of any measure be given. Such is not the case with trumps as they have not turned from their mean spirited behaviors. Instead they have increased the frequency of their abominations against humanity. I am a man who would rather we care for each other and not abuse each other. So it is not without some hesitancy that I must harden my soul to tame the intentional reckless and uncaring brutes. Yet it is exactly what I will do to protect our democracy and the ever perfecting ways of our egalitarian society. No remorse no mercy!

The hypocrisy of society (#3715)

     What we are taught about right and wrong is not what we have to live with in the real world. It is amazing to me that we as youngsters are taught to live a virtuous life while the actually machinations of life are nearly the opposite. We are told that being honest and honorably principled is how we should be all the while we do not stop the con men and hucksters who keep taking for themselves at our expense. In fact the more one takes from others the better chance they have of not being held accountable for their crimes. So much so that the thieves on Wall Street are given a pass when they destroy lives and make huge profits on it. The real winners in life are showing themselves to be the biggest and most outlandish liars.
     So the disconnect between what we are taught as we grow up from adolescence to the fact of adult life is hypocritical. It is almost as if the illusion of an honorable and noble world is preferred over actually living one. My innocence was shattered early on when I thought that others would be like me and try to do the correct thing. What I found instead was that those who ignored the facts and truths of things often gained in prestige and financial success. I soon found out that those who screw over others better than others gained in popularity instead of in time in prison. Our societal culture likes to celebrate the bullies and thieves of the world more than we like to celebrate the honest and good.
     So how do we go about changing the disconnect between living a noble life and the reality of celebrating the criminals? The only way I know how to do that is to start electing democrats who are trying to bring equality to life instead of greed and lust for power. Once we can weed out the republican destroyers of democracy from our public offices then we can elect trustworthy lawmakers who have the respect to represent their constituents and appoint honest judges who uphold laws that fulfill the ideal of a true democracy evolving into a more perfect one. As it is now we are all getting to see a clear view of how NOT to function as a democracy. The current republican regime is about as close to how not to administer government for the people as we are ever likely to survive. So vote for democrats in every election going forward and we may then see what we were taught as children actually be as adults.

"I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today" (#3714)

     The trumps say that after they have dismantled existing health care coverage they will then give us coverage under their terms. While not telling us what their terms are. So like the headline above, from the character Wimpy, in the Popeye cartoon series, they want something from us without having to pay for it now. I don't know about you but it seems that every experience I have ever had with someone promising me something in the future for something they want from me now has not ended well for me. Truly I have given many the opportunity to make good on their initial offer but most always I never got back what was promised to me. Life can teach us many things and this is one of them, don't trust promises when the promiser is an unreliable conman.
     That the trumps think that we are gullible enough to fall for his "deal" is an affront to those of us who know better. Why on Earth would we give up something that benefits us for a promise of something else that is not defined? I have called trump a carnival barker since I have known about him and this is just an extension of that carnival barking. We already know that trumps hate health care coverage for all and they have been dead set to destroy Obamacare since its inception. So why on Earth would we believe that all of a sudden trumps would be willing to create a new health care law? I mean, come on, why on Earth would we believe it? I cannot think of any logical reason so I am persuaded that trump is just lying to us in order for us to believe him and let him take our health care coverage away.
     What I have learned in the capitalistic system is that you get the service and then pay for it. So if I am well satisfied with the service the payment is happily made. If the service is terrible then the payment is withheld until both parties to the agreement are satisfied. So why would I pay for something I haven't seen nor heard of before making my payment? I wouldn't and neither should anyone else with have a mind toward contract negotiation. So what trumps should do is get his promised health care law passed into law and then disband Obamacare as unnecessary. Not the other way around. Because most all of us don't trust trump to keep his word is just further evidence that he will most probably not keep his word and then call us all fools for trusting him.
     

The clueless republican party (#3713)

     So what is the big plan for the coming election by republicans? It is to take away health care for 21 million and deny coverage for preexisting conditions to around 130 million American citizens. Yeah, I am not seeing that as a winning strategy heading into the 2020 election. But republicans seem to think so and well and good for them to be as clueless as the political party in a bubble. For one thing there is no way legislatively it can be accomplished so that is their first clueless clue and then they are relying on the courts to help them along with denying Obamacare when the Chief Justice John Roberts decided the law was constitutional. With the other four liberals that would preclude a Supreme Court ruling to take away health care.
     Yet suppose Roberts had a change of heart and rules with the other four republicans on the court and disbands Obamacare, what next? Well all those people mentioned above would lose coverage and the preexisting conditions clause in their policies. I can just imagine how happy those folks are going to be so close to the 2020 election that if any republican survived the coming onslaught it would be miraculous. Yet not even I think that Roberts is willing to reverse his 2012 decision to keep Obamacare as law. If he did it would make him out to be less a trailblazer and more an acolyte. he controls his perception as his position is for life so there really is no pressure on him to change his point of view now.
     But even outside the outcomes of an unlikely judicial intervention there is little else that republicans can do to make Obamacare null and void. First off Obamacare was always a compromise, a step in the right direction toward universal health care like so many modern countries already enjoy. So if there were any tweaks to the law that could be had it would be to improve it not dismantle it. Thankfully we democrats have control of the House and it would be impossible for any legislation to go forward in that body that even had a hint of denigrating the law. Yet the republican party will further their rallying cry to end Obamacare as if it was the most popular will of the people agenda item on their to do list. Keep being clueless republicans, you are doing the rest of us a huge favor.