A forgettable year (#3986)

     Now that 2019 is in its last day I can honestly say that it was a regrettable one. Sure 2018 brought us a defense against trump in the form of the democratic led House of Representatives but that was 2018. 2019 has been trying and a hardship on all of us who still believe that democracy is the way forward. The trumps have shown they are not believers in democracy and have been making no secret of it. The reality of our times suggests that they are not alone in this narrative of hate and arrogance. The british people showed that they too are more racist and demeaning as a society with their vote to keep the conservative tory party in power.
     As my life winds down I suspect that if we do not overwhelmingly defeat the conservative republican party here in America that the future for those who survive me will be as bleak as I see the possibility of it. Which is horrendous and a disgrace. The hope for a world that punishes prejudice and greed is waning if we democrats do not win this next election with a powerful conviction to stop the madness of a survival of the fittest scenario. Our human race is at stake and the future habitability of our planet at risk.
     So goodbye to 2019 and for all that it wrought in its wake. The dawning of 2020 is still yet to be written but it begins tomorrow with a bang and that bang has to be a loud and clear awakening of the Democratic spirit that drives us forward into the day when no more shall a man or woman feel ashamed or angry because of their skin color. No more shall a man or woman feel ashamed or angry because they were treated differently solely on the class of people they came from. No more shall a man or woman feel ashamed or angry because they were denied an advantage or privilege others were given freely. No more shall we accept that republicans aren't anything more than the worst of humanity and summarily boot them out the back door of our ever evolving, forward moving, modern social, political, environmental, and economic mix.

Live to work, work to live, that is not right! (#3985)

     I am beyond those days now that I am much older, but growing up into my adulthood and beyond I remember that the angst of life was always with me. For those of us who were not gifted into really great families the path to find our way was so very hard. Being less well off  with a large struggling dysfunctional family kept us from achieving any continuity toward improving our statures through traditional avenues. The school of hard knocks were our teachers and the lessons were often hard pressed. We, a few of us managed to survive the hard knocks and actually made something of ourselves that resembles a bit of success, yet not without a cost to our souls.                                                If anything we may have a better perspective on life but the anger at the unnecessary struggle often clouds our serenity. We like to say that some troubles are Cadillac problems and some are down to earth horrible problems and though they are different they are often considered in the same vein. They should not be. Not having 5 pairs of shoes to choose from is not the same as having to wear the only ill fitting shoes one has. That angst I mentioned earlier was very real and although it caused much emotional disarray within my soul it did provide me with at least a silver lining. It made me produce when producing was hard. I used it as a catalyst to move forward into life instead of letting it tear me apart.
     Now that I am older I am still reminded of that angst and the idea that it was good for me is so profoundly ignorant at a minimum. No child should have to be raised without the nurture and care all lives deserve. The hardships notwithstanding, it was the demoralization and constant embarrassment that poverty and condescension afforded through peer pressure and our own sense of burgeoning doubt as to our own self worth. It is hard enough to begin life on a even keel but to have to do it from the bottom of the ocean is unimaginably cruel and shameful to the way our society is structured.

Ending racial prejudice will happen when we let our youth lead our society (#3984)

     Everyone who has a platform for ears to hear should be advocating for the end of racial prejudice. If I could I would make it so difficult for racists to practice or collude in racial prejudice that they would suffer the worst of penalties for it. No reasonable sentence would be harsh enough to convict people of hating other people solely on their skin color. It appalls me to even have to talk about this subject as it is so debasing and ignorant. A modern society does not have this type of problem within it that can be cannot quashed with extreme punishment.
     Which is what our society needs to do to end the vile dividing nature of racial prejudice. What our society also needs to do is to actively engage in our politics. There should be no less than maximum participation in our electoral process. We need to teach civics in our schools year round so that our children our brought up recognizing the value of their vote. The voting age should be lowered to 16 so that our children in school can begin to formulate their best ideas about how our government can better serve society while they are still in school. Children at 16 can already drive our highways and be legally married in most states so the idea that they are not informed enough is a bad opinion.
     We who are older should already know better but it seems that we are still being influenced by old paradigms. Our fears leave us as failures when it comes to discarding old nefarious traditions. Our youth are not as chained to bad choices as we are as the world in front of them is theirs to form and giving them the right to help shape it with some of our best information available in their schools will only make our society grow much more quickly into it's already albeit slowly emerging modernity. There are so many bright caring young people who need to have their hope turn into practice and we who are holding them back should be ashamed for not helping them attain their dreams.

Another year coming to a close (#3983)

     I cannot tell you how much I care about this year ending. It means that we will be starting the last year of trump being our appointed president. Sure he still gets to be president for 20 days into 2021 but he would have lost the senate by then. He will truly be a lame duck who is awaiting criminal proceedings. So in a few days the 2020 election cycle will begin with earnest. The primaries will start to begin over a period of several months and then we will have our nominee to run against the worst of a human being ever appointed to our highest office.
     On January 1st the countdown to the November 3rd. election begins. 307 days until that election date and for all intents and purposes the end of trump as we knew him. He will not go quietly and with all indications that he will attempt some sort of coup, but we are still bound by our laws and he cannot break them without penalty. He will likely be hauled off the White House grounds in disgrace but that is his due. Our votes in 2018 saved us from a cruel and brutish dictator and for that we are joyful. Yet trumps have caused so much damage and his enablers have been accomplices. They must go from government as well and with the likely blue tsunami coming they, most of them anyway, will be swept out of office too.
     So as I begin to look back on this year I am soothed by the fact of our great victory in 2018 and the brakes we put on the trumps and their democracy busting agenda. As well as the judicial investigations that showed trumps to be more Russian than American. The price for all of this will come due soon to trumps but it will not happen in 2019. In 2020 maybe, but for sure in 2021. Then the real celebration of American deliverance form the clutches of the greedy traitorous republican party will be fulfilled.

Sports, the elixir that keeps us drunk (#3982)

     No need to go any further in trying to figure out why we Americans don't get more involved in our own politics. Because sports both amateur and professional keep us from focusing on the bigger picture. We can get 100,000 people into a stadium every Saturday or Sunday but not to protest and march for our own rights. We would rather root on a team to victory than to protect our rights and the rights of our children. Is that messed up or what? Especially since our teams charge us ungodly amounts to even see them play. Do we get any benefit from our teams winning? No, but somehow we are gratified.
     The owners and the players do pretty well although the owners do much much better than the players. Just to keep it honest here our cities are actually paying these teams to play in them as an added benefit. Sure there are residual revenues that come in because of the successful teams but the cost to our society is much more than just thumping our chests like cavemen. Now let me be clear here also, I am a sports fan and follow all the major sports leagues both amateur and professional and having this conversation is a bit like kicking my own behind. But the fact is that we the sports fans are giving sports too much of our allegiance while sacrificing our democracy to a bunch of crooks.
     So how do we keep both our joys of sports competition and our democracy? We find a balance that gives both the attention they deserve. I know it is hard since our American sports are spaced out to being year round but we cannot afford to lose our democracy which is also a year round endeavor. Remember also that sports is used to divide us as a society and that isn't within the spirit of competition. We should be united despite our sports preferences and teams. There is only one highest priority in our society whether we want to admit it or not and that is our democracy. Everything else is attributable to having a free and egalitarian structure to allow us the choices we like and need to make.

Don't fall for the propaganda of republicans (#3981)

     The republican party wants to hurt average Americans to make life easier for the wealthy. That is it in a nutshell. Do not be persuaded by their attempts to turn us against each other. Republicans hate those who are not wealthy and even though the rules of society are against those of us who are of little wealth they still deem us unworthy. There is a fundamental flaw in the republican ideology that doesn't allow for the truth of things to filter through their lenses. They only see that they have "made it" and the rest of us as inconsequential.
     Instead of being champions for the human race republicans are instead only concerned with the wealthy and certain races of people. It is an abhorrent political party that puts race and wealth above the dignity of all of humanity. Yet we have too many ignorant and greedy citizens who cannot nor will not justify respect for humanity over their own comfort. I can understand making life a safe harbor for our families but not to the point of letting other families fall to extinction. There is enough to go around for all to be comfortable enough so as not to put others at risk to a human lottery of survival of the fittest.
     This ancient behavior of letting die those who are not strong enough to fend off all attackers is a miserable existence in a modern society. I cannot for the life of me understand how we the many are not able to rise above our own pettiness to throw off the chains of privilege and advantage. I get that some work hard to earn a greater share of value in the commercial world but not so much as to exclude others of basic necessities. I am embarrassed by our human species and it's inability to capture a moment in time where life can be so much better for all. If we cannot correct our present course of hatred and ambivalence then we deserve the bleakness our future will surely become.

Just another day for this atheist (#3980)

     I wish all of you who celebrate this time of year for whatever purpose a most peaceful experience. Most all of us know that we humans should have many days of quiet reflective reverie. I am one of those who believes that we all deserve a lifetime full of happiness and honor. Yet too many on our planet do not even get a moment of reflective peace and pride in their environment. I do not admonish anyone who is not like me instead I celebrate our differences with as much vigor as I defend my own perspective. Yet only if our differences do not intrude onto one another in the public square.
     I am an atheist because I am one who puts his faith in knowledge and the will to discover the unknown. In all of my lifetime I have not seen the hand of any super being prevailing on our societies with the nurture of a creator. Nor have I seen any human uphold the structure of dogma that they prevail onto others. What I have seen is the attempt by too many to take dogma and pretzel it into a narrative that gives them advantages and privileges. So for me the idea of a religion based upon faith is more to do with control for some less than honorable strategy than it is to do with attaining a spiritual plateau.
     Yet there are some who keep to their religion not as a cudgel but as a salve to strengthen their own resolve. For that I give a thumbs up and recognize that just because I don't hold to their belief they have the right to do so when their faith in some being is not determinative in how my life is fulfilled within our democratic system. My complete embodiment of this physical and soulful state is entwined with what I learn of logic and science and the application thereof of those paradigms. I care for my fellow honorable humans just like anyone else but I don't attribute it to some higher calling. I attribute it to my nature. I am curious and I care. This is who I am and as such will always be who I will be.

trump needs to stfu (#3979)

     I am no particular holiday celebrator yet even I enjoy a break from the daily grind. So now when most are partaking of the holiday spirit we still have the loud mouthed appointed president making such ridiculous noises from his innards that most of us cannot enjoy a little bit of quiet. This holiday is purported to represent peace on Earth yet there is no peace with the small minded petulant one being his normal crass and incoherent self. I try to tune out his gravely concerning nonsense but I cannot in good faith to being a warrior for a truthful and rational society tune out his blathering.
     The time isn't quite right yet to be feeling more secure when so much is triggering his incomprehensible behavior. So apparently no rest for those of us who would love some rest. I suppose I do get to find out just how much punishment of his I can take which is some small silver lining but of no good usage for me going forward. Because when the voting time comes this next November 3rd. he will no longer be a source of constant consternation. We will have a president who was actually elected beginning the transition into our, since trump, unholy White House. It will be good to think of our nations house with a bit of reverence again.
     So to think that trump would be quiet for a couple of days while the rest of us recharged our inner batteries was ill fated to begin with. The trumps know no decency nor respect for the nature of our society. They only want what they want when they want it. So staying on track and rebutting the orange colored buffoon is a never ending job for now and getting a little bit of peace will have to wait until he is actually settled dust beneath our feet.

The incoherent trump (#3978)

     What is wrong with trump? As time goes by it is becoming clearer that there is a real problem that isn't being discussed with trump's inability to function as a human being. His erratic language and physical quirks are now as troubling as ever. He won't take a real physical with a real doctor and release those findings so we don't know what is going on. Now I say what is wrong with trump as a prelude to his physical being, I already know that he is a disgrace to normalcy and compassion. His inarticulate physical nature though is even more confusing.
     The time is now for us to now what the heck is going on with his physical health. We cannot as a country let him run our nation with so many important functions to attend. As well his being in charge of emergency situations that may arise if he is not physically capable of making life and death decisions. He is already a cruel and despicable person but to leave unchecked any debilitating mental functions within him would be like us playing russian roulette. The diabolical senate leader mcconnell is so down with anything trump does that he mcconnell cannot be a deterrent to a disintegrating trump.
     What we the American people are left with is a rambling incoherent appointed president that has too many backers without regard to his mental or physical health. This time right now leaves we the American people vulnerable to a whacked out president who may start something out of fiction that the many of us end up paying ultimate prices for. The other republicans in the senate need to either force mcconnell to put our nation first or they need to remove him through several options such as defecting from the republican party. Whatever it takes to get trump out and mcconnell out of the way has become increasingly a priority as trump continues to deteriorate before our very eyes.

The misrepresentations are coming (#3977)

     This is how the republican party is going to attack our blue wave. They are going to misrepresent, or in plainer language, lie about what we democrats have accomplished. While also lying about what they didn't accomplish. So the trick is to doubt anything that they say and then before reposting things you haven't actually read or fact checked yourself, do read and fact check first. The only way we don't win a blue wave tsunami election is if we get lazy and let doubt set in. Because that is exactly what republicans want, for us to doubt ourselves thus lessening our enthusiasm to get all our voters to vote.
     Republicans will do their part in suppressing the vote while also working hard to confuse we the electorate. The only opportunity they have to win is to make stuff up and make it hard for us to vote. They, the republicans have no policies for us nor a track record coming into the election they can point to and say that they are behind the working middle poor class. They have nothing but suppression and confusion as their working model for winning. So when you see some article that attacks democrats make sure you are careful about the intent of the article. I know we democrats are far from perfect but politically we are the only political party fighting for the working middle poor class.
     It isn't even 2020 yet and I see some normally intelligent people who are democrats starting to post articles of dubious authenticity because they are not as thorough in their fact checking as they should be. It is a shame that we democrats at times can be our own worst enemies by becoming complicit in the republican war on truthful information. None of us would intentionally do this but by not making sure our posts and words are actually factual we fail each other and those who would be like us. Like I said, the republicans have 2 narratives as strategies, one to suppress votes and the other is to disseminate inaccurate information attacking our democratic policies and positions.

The weariness of my mind (#3976)

     It seems unreal to me at times when I cannot even seem to put one word after another in a cogent and thoughtful way. Instead of thinking that I am getting oldtimers or something physically impairing like that I just remember that I am weary of both mind and soul occasionally and it reflects in my ability to be informative and yes, even witty. The last several years have been very hard on me in terms of just trying to keep up with the lunacy and cruelty of trump. Having to digest the illogical nature of the past few years has been pulling me down to a place of bone weariness.
     I am not as young as I was earlier in my life so the fact that I get tired and less able to discern the cutting edge of life is more difficult with the insanity of trump. I do however have a stored bank of information that will never depart my decision making and for that I do applaud the time I took to make myself self aware. Yet, I know I could be doing more to enlighten not only my own mind but to share new information in ways that attracts other learners. My biggest problem is that I am just flat out worn out! I hurt from the physical things in life that keep occuring and from the natural aging process because I fail to address my not being young anymore in my movements and actions.
     Although I am weary and less focused as I would wish to be I am nonetheless convicted as a martyr for a good and respectful democracy. Trudging forward is sometimes all I do, but do I will. Nothing in this life right now is more important than fighting with all I have to end the trump reign, and be part of a new day for American politics. So if you see me failing in areas where I could naturally be passing, then remember to give me a break and hope that I can find some time to recharge my soul back into a tireless relentless warrior for fairness and justice.

Will the Supreme Court uphold the rule of law? (#3975)

     We do know that the 4 liberal/progressive justices on the 9 person court will do the but the other 5 conservative justices are not likely to give the rule of law its due deference because of trump. However, the Chief Justice John Roberts may break from the other 4 more disrespectful members and vote with the 4 liberal/progressive justices. I say that because as the chief justice, Roberts has a much more telling legacy to preserve. He can be a partisan hack like his fellow conservative jurors or he can rise above the partisanship and join those who are for maintaining the separation of powers written into our constitution.
     The other 4 conservative justices will pretzel out some logic in their defense of denying equal power to all branches of government, even as they are in one of the 3 branches if it means protecting trump from certain guilt. But Roberts may not be inclined to do so. At times, like when he preserved Obamacare, he has shown he can rise above the noise of the illogical. In fact I am somewhat expecting him to on the trump issues now before the court. Because for one thing setting new precedence that all branches of government are not co-equal undercuts his own power going forward as well as making the next president more powerful than any other president in history.
     So when they decide the trump cases in the present they are also deciding the expanded role that presidents will inhabit in the future. To actually rule against what our constitution clearly prescribes will take some kind of audacity to begin with and I do not think Roberts will allow that. What I do expect is that Roberts and the 4 liberal/progressive justices will compromise to protect trump a bit but also deny his claim for complete immunity from any ongoing investigation. If this conservative majority Supreme Court were to side with trump and allow him to essentially change the presidency into a kingship then not only will our democracy be undercut in such as way as to cripple it permanently but it will spark an anger within our society that will not dampen nor hold back its anger.

Respect is owed the honorable office of the presidency, not the dishonorable person occupying it! (#3974)

     Yesterday, for what should have been the third time in my life, nixon included, a sitting president has been impeached. Although only two presidents were actually impeached, nixon resigning from office to avoid the impeachment investigation, all three count towards the total for me. I will say that the Bill Clinton impeachment was not about a betrayal of country. The nixon impeachment was about the Watergate break in of the democratic headquarters by the (creepy) band of republican operatives to steal information related to nixon's reelection. The trump betrayal was about using power and money to coerce a foreign power to dig up dirt on a political rival for trump's personal reelection campaign.
     Both nixon and trump used the high office of our presidency to attack political rivals as a weapon in the complete disregard to our constitutional protections and safeguards. The office of the presidency is our most cherished public office position and for both nixon and trump to have weaponized it to gain an advantage for themselves personally dishonors them not our office of president. That is what the impeachment process was devised for, to protect our democracy from an out of control executive branch leader.
     So now both nixon and trump are stained with the disgrace of having sold their loyalty to themselves and selected others; and not to our democratic republic. This is the distinction going forward, that there is nothing wrong with our form of government just the people who occasionally occupy positions of leadership within it. There are no wholesale changes coming to how our government operates but there will be some tweaking of it to make sure that a sitting president must always answer constitutionally for any violation that is a nefarious action. There is no immunity to charges when the act rises to the level of impeachment. No obstruction is to be allowed when an equal branch of government is doing its constitutional duty.

No time for ignorant obnoxious people (#3973)

     The time in my life left for stupid hateful people is over. I will not be told or have demanded of me to be helpful. If someone was hat in hand to come to me and ask a favor then I would be willing to negotiate some response that is helpful, otherwise there is no time left to give. I had in the past been able to be bullied in doing the bidding of the bully through guilt or some other sense of duty. Yet no more. I see that as enabling the bully to keep on bullying for their own sake. No more. When you are a carefree happy go lucky kind of guy that deep down in my soul I am then some of those who know that have a bad tendency to use that to their advantage.
     When I make a decision now I am fully behind it even when it disrupts all that others may deem undisruptable. I make no apologies. In fact when it comes to family there is no delineation as to my principles. What was once family is not anymore because the old saw that blood is thicker than water is loyalty to shared interests not disparate ones. I will never recognize any family member who supports republicans and trump. The line there is drawn in cold hard concrete and will not be crossed until the support for such bad things has been disavowed. I will not compromise on the idea that helping to hurt people is excusable.
     Then there are those whose very being is about being a spoiled child grown into an adult figure whose life is nothing more than superfluously shallow at best, who think they can at their whim cause the actions of others to be theirs. Some are painfully obvious like trump and others are more inconsequential like a family member. Either way neither will prevail with me. I am a grown man given to doing what he sees as correct without demands or unasked for guidance. If others cannot find it within themselves to act within civilized behavior then to dust to them as far as I am concerned, which is no concern at all from me.

The pied piper trump (#3972)

     The lemmings in the republican party are following their leader right off the cliff of insanity. They have to because they are all in on him. They listened to the music he played and now cannot stop from its siren call. So to expect that republicans have a floor from which they will not go below is naive. They are going to follow the sound of their master no matter what any reality dictates. There a very few republicans who are breaking free from the lethargy of their trance but not enough to even put a dent in the march to the great fall down.
     Even they though are not examples of greatness only of fear for their own. Which is no noble or honorable position. So we who are immune to the greedy racist call that trump is trumpeting must keep our diligence and unending perseverance in denying trump the following he adores. The music he plays is deranged and demented but it feels so right to his ardent followers. They are unable to distinguish facts from fiction when all they ever hear from him is that only he is telling the truth. They have to accept his narrative because he is the only one who justifies their own hatred for others and greed as uncompromising.
     The pied piper trump is heading for the cliff and not even he gets that the great fall is to his doom. He is triumphant in his march and cannot see the end as real. Those of his most precious followers cannot nor will not see the end as well and with trump they will march of the cliff unawares of the grave peril. They are in delirium over their leader and cannot do anything that resembles an honorable stand for their own species. We who are not mesmerized by trump are the only obstacle to becoming his victims so the onus is on us to do all we can to end the reign of trump regardless of what happens to his acolytes. We have to save ourselves and not worry about those who will not save themselves. Such is the era of trump.

Intentionally letting immigrants die is murder. (#3971)

     I don't know what statutes we have on the books that would address this specifically but morally there is no question that willful, with intent to let a person die when under restraint, is murder. Playing god with human beings with no ability to protect themselves should be murder when death is the objective. There is no doubt now that letting those who are prone to becoming sick to die when a remedy is available is an act of murder. Now that may not be a legal definition but who in their healthy mind would argue against me? No one who has any belief in human rights for all.
     Yet there are those like the trumps who have no regard for the sanctity of human rights for all. Who think they are the masters of those who are weak and/or vulnerable. Not giving the free flu shots to detained migrants when already some of the migrants have died from the flu is intentional and murderous. These detained folks who are just trying to come to America and build a new life like all of our ancestors did are not able to go get their own flu shots. They are incarcerated indefinitely and are dependent upon the trump jailers for life maintaining options. That the trumps refuse to allow free flu shots to immigrants when they know that certain death awaits some of them is a calculated cruelty that has no place in a democratic society.
     Therefore the trumps who are not applying democratic principles and values to its policies are therefore not democratic. Let that sink in for a moment. How much longer are we to allow the unelected, appointed trump to kill people with impunity? The disgrace to America really does pale in the face of the murder that immigrants are experiencing but nonetheless is a mirror to the face of America for allowing it to continue. We the American people are all accomplices to this and for that we will never be able to shirk our responsibility. What comes for us after this era of trump has passed will no doubt be deserved. No longer is America the shining city on the hill. Instead we are a scourge on the world body politic that has no correct claim to decency nor courage.

trump isn't the tail that wags the dog, he is the flea that infests both (#3970)

     The American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all is an illusion in the days of trump. There is no American dream, only an American nightmare. Yet as time goes by and the symptoms of the virus become normalized we Americans are losing our minds to the fever. Much like in Great Britain where the too many majority were at ease with a brutish cruel political party in the tories. It is as if the nature of the human being is not striving to be better instead it is falling back into what we should hate most about ourselves, being greedy selfish beings.
     In the context of trump being an agent outside our body it is obvious that he has some ties to humanity but the ties are not humane. Instead they are ties that feed off of humanity like a virus needs a body to attack in order to survive. As the virus trump increases his chances to survive, the human species is made less whole and well. I suppose I should have alluded to trump as being a mosquito who spends its life sucking the blood out of the host human, yet the virus metaphor is much more appropriate. It attacks with a ferocity that belies any remorse or compassion. It has one purpose in life, to destroy all that is in its path.
     Whether you see trump as a flea, mosquito, or virus, it is the effect of all of them that best defines the nature of trump as he sets about to take from our healthy body and leave the waste of his gluttony. The very idea that we would allow this scourge of a human form to stay in office is beyond any reasonable argument. Yet it is the lack of courage from our body politic that has been his foundation. We know trump loses all arguments in the paradigm of democratic rule yet we don't seem to be able to act on the information in a proper human way. Instead we fall into a normalization of his continued bad acts and become immune to his daily despicableness.

Quality of life over quantity of life (#3969)

     It seems that too may are more concerned about living to an old age than living life with some edge to it. I say that because for all those who are banking on living a long life will find that the quantity of their decision is being outweighed by the lack of fight they put up to protect what is best about the quality of American democracy. Like we just saw over in England, where a once in a lifetime chance to overturn income inequality and prejudice was just put down out of fear and ignorance. Sometimes I wonder about our species and its ability/inability to see how societies work. We are not here to please the powerful, they are here to serve us the many.
     We the majority who are the working middle poor class have lost our insight into who really is the boss. We don't hang our heads or kick the dirt in embarrassment to no one! We are the best of what makes America great. we who get up every morning and go out and provide for our families and our own future. Those who have power have it only because we give it to them. When they are not serving our interests then we take that power from them and give it to someone who will serve our interests. We are not the followers here, we are all the leaders!
     So if the quality of our lives is vacant then we need to stop letting those who are denying our quality of life, yes, even ourselves, and get a bit hard on those who would stop our destiny within the greatest democracy the world has ever witnessed. We are not less than anyone anywhere! We are equal in all respects that matter. So our courage to claim our manifest destiny is all that is missing. We must have quality lives to live not just quantity of time with little hope. If fighting for what is sacred is needed then we all must fight to protect the dearness of our democracy. Where we all deserve the respect and dignity of our dreams without disparage from the greedy cowards.

Prehistoric day yesterday (#3968)

     Well did I get it wrong about how much better the United Kingdom and it's people are than we here in America. With a majority victory yesterday for tories the narrative I had been going with was utterly destroyed. I had assumed rather incorrectly that the British people were better than the low scum of conservative politics. It now appears that the British people are either ignorant to what they are doing or are less humane than normal. I suppose they are less humane as it would be difficult to be ignorant in this age of readily available information.
     For all the time I spent trying to convince the Brits to remain in the European Union, I now see after this election that they really do need to go. Their causes are not aligned with unity, instead they are segregationists who fear the loss of their own perceived identity. Instead of realizing that we recreate our identities every day the Brits have decided that the age old differences of race and class are still the moral high ground for them. It is shocking to me that this is so given that tory politics rewards the wealthy and not the working middle class but then again we have a similar strain of illogical thought here in America.
     The difference is though that we here in America are not to be fooled twice when it comes to having our pockets picked and our human rights stolen from us. We did allow it in 2016 when we were caught napping when we should have been on guard but that was then and this is now. There is no guarantee that trump and his cronies will be defeated come November 3rd. 2020 but the odds of it are better than even he will be run to ground. Unlike with the election in the UK yesterday when a strong majority chose to keep a conman thief and his party in power again. Again is the operative word here and for that the Brits will find that their brand of selfish nationalism will break their better souls hard!

Historic day today (#3967)

     The fact that it is in Britain is besides the point. We Americans seem to think the universe revolves around us but since trump we have been summarily dispossessed of that fantasy. Instead we are witnessing today the course change in world politics as the British people vote for the future of their society. Not only vote but vote in such a heavily participated way. I am one of those who thinks that the heavier the turnout the greater the vote for liberal/progressive ideals. All indications so far this morning have a huge turnout taking place. It seems that the British people will have their say in one very loud voice and that voice is for change at the top of their government.
     This is all premature at the moment as the polls have been suggesting a tory victory albeit a close one but I do not because like so many pollsters they didn't seem to conclude the unbelievable turnout. Like I say, and many before me, when the turnout is light the conservatives usually come out on top. When the turnout is heavy the liberal/progressives usually come out on top. Well so far the turnout is abnormally heavy even for me to have expected and I expected a heavy turnout. So again, like a few days ago I am going against all major polling in England and am predicting a Labour victory.
     I am not prognosticating for some value or recognition, I am prognosticating because down in my soul I know there are more good people in the world than bad people. The will of my soul expects the better of who we humans are to prevail in all ways except that I know that does not always happen. Like what happened here to us with trump. We got the short end of the bettering of our souls and we have for nearly his 4 year term been paying with suffering and demoralization. Which is why I can reasonably say that the British people will return their country to a more sane approach after watching we here in America, and elect leaders who actually care about them and not just themselves and their donors.

The news is happening fast (#3966)

     Much of the news lately has been about trump and his impeachment while other breaking news is about his court cases trying to hide his income from scrutiny and his staff from testifying. There is also a major election in Great Britain that will likely decide the fate of Brexit tomorrow. The month of December with all the holiday festivities going on is the backdrop for all the hullabaloo that is coming our way. Nothing like a full mixture of the fate of our nation alongside the happy feelings of giving. Yet here we are and for me it is no perfect storm.
     I am no christmas nor religious partaker so the festivities of this time are moot for me. I try to be a good person year round so this one month ordeal is normal for me without all the trimmings. Yet the importance of the impeachment outcome and the court cases is monumental. the Supreme court which is now a majority republican court may well be like the republican members in Congress and make up justifications whatever they may be to protect the most dishonest president ever  appointed or elected. I can pretty sure guarantee that Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh will invent some defense for trump to shield his taxes and his staff from Congressional and judicial oversight. The key is the republican chief justice Roberts.
     Chief justice Roberts has at times shown a true deference to our constitution without creating a law out of thin air. It is my belief that he will be the swing vote here and likely he cares about his legacy more than the other republican justices. Roberts may well conclude that the framers really meant separation of powers in the literal sense and not try to pretzel some obtuse logic in order for trump to enhance the powers of the executive branch. Most of us know that the republican Senate will not convict trump of impeachment because as it appears they are as much in it as he is. So the best hope of getting at the truth of trump's behavior lies with the Supreme court and the rulings should take some form by next week.

Momentum has shifted to Labour (#3965)

     It is rare for me to delve into foreign politics but this time is special. I don't like the fact that the UK (Great Britain) had initiated a dubious Leave campaign a couple of years ago. It all seemed to be based upon right wing fears of immigrants. Which is suspicious since immigrants have proven to be exceptional in their ability to adapt to the host country. So like here in America, the impetus had to be more nefarious like hatred for others like what we have. Prejudice is a cowards approach to life and for the UK to fall for that old lie was demoralizing at the time.
     But I have been expounding for a Bremain campaign like all good folks in the UK have as well. They call it Remain but I add a B at the front to specialize it to Bremain. Well for some unfortunate set of reasons the British public has not been quick to recognize the dirty politics here keeping Leave as a viable option. My best guess is that the British news organizations have been somewhat complicit in maintaining the deception, given the bad coverage the Labour party has received over the years. However that is changing because the condescending tory party is less able to secret their austerity riddled agenda while the Labour party is all about screaming their pro working middle poor class agenda from the rooftops!
     So although there are only 2 days left before this snap election takes place on December 12th, the tide seems to be turning against a once perceived tory victory and a Brexit Leave finality. With Labour attacking austerity and offering a referendum on Brexit, the British people seem to be listening. It is my view, taking into account the latest surge in voter registrations and the ineptitude of the tory campaign that Labour will prevail with a victory on December 12th. I know it seems rather unlikely given the polling but it is my intuition that the major news outlets haven't been as trustworthy as they should be and if that is the case they would be touting a tory lead. I don't believe it and when the final votes come in I hope to be proven correct.

The poor among us (#3964)

     If you don't have at least one homeless person living near where you are then you are not of the norm. I can't go anywhere without seeing the effects of homelessness. On the streets I travel for regular store visits, on the back roads where shortcuts are now filled with homeless camps. Nor on the creek that borders my backyard. Everywhere is homelessness and with homelessness is the futility to do anything about it. One of my housemates yesterday, while I was out getting necessary roof patching supplies, was visited upon by the homeless man in the tent out in the creek area.
     He came to the front door begging for food as he was starving. My housemate said he looked terrible from the months of rough living and she was compelled to help him as he struck a chord with her. She gave him a sandwich and some chips which he devoured on the spot. It is always tricky giving help to those who ask for it as many use it as an occupation instead of a real need. Yet in this case my housemate convinced me that the fellow was in such disarray that no reasoning could conclude he was grifting for advantage. This account she gave to me when I got back from getting supplies shook me hard.
     I know what it is like to be homeless and without food to eat so I will always sympathize with those who are in similar predicaments. What to do about this close rough sleeper out back in the creek area. There is a church that borders another side of my property that is straight across from the area where the homeless man camps. I have thought about contacting them to see if there is anything they are prepared to do to help him. Since we have such a huge homeless problem in our state and I know of no real programs that can come and rescue this person from his predicament my soul is still rattled. As the wealthy continue to take the majority of the profits in our society I am unsure if we will ever get to fix the worsening homelessness problem and how many will actually die with no hope of an American dream.

Hope is always there (#3963)

     What do I hope for? Well let me see. How about a democratic blue wave unlike anything ever seen in our recorded history. That would be wonderful if it came in like a tsunami and swept most all republicans out of office this coming November 3rd. 2020. Now I am being optimistic here and of course would settle for victories in key races that give we democrats majorities in the House, Senate, and of course the White House. But if I am going to hope why not hope for the better and best than just enough? The reason I put my hope out for a democratic blue wave is because our society has been beaten and cracked for the last nearly 40 plus years and we need to get a lot of work done to repair it.
     I can foresee in my hope the rebuilding of our infrastructure putting 10's of millions of Americans to work upgrading and smarting up all our utilities and commerce related activities. I can foresee new laws that reverse the current horrendous economic income gap and start to pay average Americans the respect and dignity of living wages. I foresee the reversal of fossil fuels as our main source of energy and the increased production of green energy solutions everywhere in our nation. I foresee the day when health care is not excluded from anyone and senior retirement is not a death sentence.
     I can foresee much more but the gist of it is that the society we are now laboring under will end and a new paradigm of happiness will begin. Where the good of all the people is the priority and not the least of which the poor among us. I know wrestling this hope into reality will take some real heavy lifting but it is in the hard of doing and accomplishing things that we find dearness. I may be just whistling Dixie to no one but my hope is that despite all the difficulties that are laid bare before us the will to have a more perfect union will prevail.

What trump is doing to America is a psychological Pearl Harbor (#3962)

     On this day we again remember the horrible events of Japan's surprise attack on our Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. 2,403 are officially recognized as being killed from that attack. Now trump hasn't physically killed a large group of Americans in a surprise attack but he has put so much harm on the psyche of the working middle poor class of Americans that we are a lesser nation because of what trump is doing to our moral compass and our democracy. His brutishly cruel approach to anyone not him is devastating and in effect soul crushing.
     That America is saddled with such a cavalier lout is shocking and embarrassing. Yet that isn't the worst of it. We now know that trump is very comfortable with being a devious vindictive traitorous conman. We, America are now in the depths of a despair that cannot be fathomed by any long knotted rope. As the Pearl Harbor attack shocked our senses the same is the daily experience under the never satisfied with destroying democracy trump. He is the answered prayer for our enemies and the worst nightmare for our allies. The idea that the republican party can hold onto him despite the boundless evidence of his terror is again unfathomable.
     The time is getting shorter for his presence on our political landscape and the just reward if I live to see it is him sitting in a prison with no hope for any parole. He is a menace and a vessel for those who would do our nation harm. As the end of the attack on Pearl Harbor gave us, a moment to gather our will to never let such an event happen again is the same with trump. When we are done with him we need to then take a moment and set about to making sure the circumstances of another trump like cretin will not come into power over our mighty nation.

Stark contrast between democrats and republicans (#3961)

     There is no equivocating the two parties with any sense of truth. We the democrats are for democracy and they the republicans are for a monarchy/autocracy. We the democrats are for equality of opportunity and in race relations whereas the republicans are against equality of opportunity and are segregationists. We democrats are for policies that help the working middle poor class, the republicans are for policies that only help the wealthy and the powerful. We democrats are for saving our planet from extinction while the republicans are too busy to acknowledge the climate crisis as real because they are too busy counting their ill gotten gains.
     I could go on and on but this is not the time for that. Instead I refer to the above as proof enough that any argument that the two parties are equivalent is absurd. So the choice is as starkly clear as clear can be. If you consider yourself a member of society with equal rights and opportunities then you should vote for all democrats running for election. If you are not predisposed to consider yourself one among many but instead see yourself as more important than others then by all means keep voting for republicans who most probably don't care about what you think as long as you vote for them.
     The voting time is coming and many states have registration deadlines for this coming November 3rd. 2020 election. So make sure you are registered to vote and then decide if you are one among many who are capable of greatness and vote for democrats or if you think you are the only one who is great and everyone else should treat you as a king/queen, if so vote for republicans. There is no middle ground here to stand on nor fence to straddle. Either you hate we the immigrant nation or you love we the immigrant nation. Figure out which it is you feel and then vote accordingly. There is no other option than (1) being a democratic patriot for democracy, or (2) as is increasingly becoming clear, a republican traitor to democracy. You decide!

republicans: the wealthy get tax breaks and subsidies, while the poor get nothing (#3960)

     I won't call it a war on the poor but I will call the hate for the poor. War to me is fighting life and death combative battles, which the hate for the poor isn't quite that but that some of the poor will die or become criminal to survive is a predictable outcome. Why do republicans so despise the poor while giving everything to the wealthy? It is the republican reasoning that the wealthy serve a far greater purpose than the poor and while republican policies keep the poor poor they do not care. Never raising the minimum wage while giving the wealthy every advantage to utilize the desperation of the vast many poor.
     Now the food stamps are being taken from the poor among us that is crucial to them surviving in real life. No one can afford to rent a 2 bedroom domicile, and are if lucky, barely able to rent a 1 bedroom apartment anywhere in the USA on minimum wage, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minimum-wage-doesnt-cover-the-rent-anywhere-in-the-u-s/. Which is why right behind my house that borders on the creek people are living in tents. So taking away their food subsidy, which by the way is cruel when in comparison the wealthy are slathered with so much dough from our government that the food subsidies for the poor are dwarfed by them, is a bridge too far for the poor and advocates like me who support their cause.
     People will die and others will commit crimes to eat so how is it not a cruel and brutish act to deny the poor food that keeps them going? How is it that the hate for the poor is now policy? How is it that the wealthy who are already wealthy need more wealth from we the taxpayers? There is no assumption here to be made. The fact that the republican party hates the working middle and especially the poor class is indisputable. So we the working middle poor class, who make up the largest voting block by far have an opportunity to end the republican party of hate this coming November 3rd. First we need to make sure that we are all registered to vote and then when the voting time comes make sure we all vote!

Impeachment panel round 2 (#3959)

     As the House judiciary committee begins its investigation into the impeachability of trump we get to see a further understanding as to how this has all come about. The witnesses today will testify as to whether impeachment has been reached given the findings of the previous House Intelligence committee. Fact witnesses are being kept from testifying by trump but very shortly we will see if that is reversed in court. The findings of the Intelligence committee came from fact witnesses who all added to the overwhelming evidence that trump did in fact commit an impeachable offense(s).
     The House judiciary committee will lay out the process from which impeachment is determined. The fact that trump violated the constitution in the form of a quid pro quo is indisputable. Now we are being given the reason for triggering impeachment. The logic is sound and impeachment is required. The Senate is playing at politics by making it known that they, the majority republicans, are not going to convict despite not having had a trial yet. A predetermined outcome despite the evidence to the contrary. To say that the republican Senate is objective here is to lie like a liar. The republicans will do all they can to protect the soon to be impeached trump and for that they should find the kind of karma that is fitting their dishonorable behavior.
     This may be the second round but it is really just a hard hitting reminder that trump and republicans have soiled our constitution with their own power and greedy ambitions. If our nation is to survive the likes of these trump republicans then the rule of law must be upheld by those who represent we the people. If not then the alternative is to let our democracy die and give into the narrative that not all are created equal. We will know soon enough how this all plays out but do not be fooled by the lame ass excuses the republican party is throwing out instead of being earnest in rooting out lawlessness regardless of party.

The republican mindset (#3958)

     It won't matter if trump is overwhelmingly proven to have bribed a foreign official for his own gain. The only thing that matters to republicans is that trump keep tearing down all the progressive/liberal policies that have become law. When trump said he could kill someone on 5th avenue and get away with it this is why. The conservative party doesn't care about anything democratic unless it gives them power and money. They want their henchman in power so that the equality loving democrats like myself can be put down without a second thought.
     So no matter what happens in the impeachment process in the House, the Senate will never convict trump. They want him so badly that he can screw their wives, steal their money and take their children if it meant that we democrats were put down. So you can see what we democrats are up against. I for one quit trying to convince republicans to do the correct thing by our constitution long ago because I understand just how important it is to conservatives to destroy everything progressive and liberal that has become law and culturally acceptable. They want their vision of America to be the survival of the fittest in a wild west setting.
     So we the not republicans need to focus on combating the republican party as if it were enemy number one. With no hesitation and no mercy. The rabid nature of the republican party has no deserves left with us and no amount of squealing will get them any reprieve. I am a good person who does offer clemency when it is appropriate but not to the willfully hateful who only see clemency as a strategy and our weakness. We must not give them anything in this battle and we must keep on fighting as if our very lives were directly at stake because again, survival of the fittest is what the republican party is fighting for. No mercy for republicans and no stopping us from putting them into a no win situation.

When the law is insufficient as a deterrent then change the law or accept extralegal strategies (#3957)

     I am no one who would ever say that vigilante justice is appropriate yet when the rule of law is being dismissed then the idea of vigilante justice becomes real to many others who cannot abide a blatant unjust society. I would fight like all get out to change the rules of law that are failing because working within the system of rules is the best and most efficient process for equality and justice to prevail. Now there may be others who think that forcing the lawmakers to act through coercion and duress will bring change about more quickly. I am not one of those who does think that. Another can of worms is just waiting to be opened when we set out to force actions that are not within the law.
     I would hope that our citizenry would be wise enough to understand how important it is for all of Americans to live under the same umbrella of justice yet, at the moment we are not there. So electing politicians who will obey the oath they are given and put our constitution first and foremost is vital. Regardless of political party the role of our government is to be absolute in its function to protect democracy and the rule of law. Those who would challenge that, need to be put out with no uncertain doubt. I still believe that our democracy is the best vehicle for change without having to use vigilantism.
     Another election is 11 months away, 337 days to be exact, and at that time we will have the opportunity to change our society for the better. Whom we elect to govern our laws and policies is more important now in this age of trump cronyism. The need to end the disparity in how the wealthy and politically connected are adjudicated in comparison with the working middle poor class is within our grasp. The desire to rule by mob at times when the injustice of our system is being abused is understandable but not acceptable. We can make the change necessary to improve and protect our democracy but we have to do it with the rule of law and not from outside it.

We all have a duty to good and those who won't are ripping us apart! (#2956)

     You can tell the good people from the bad people easily enough. Good people work to help make our world better whereas bad people work to make others suffer. There is no mystery here as to what purpose is the most exemplified as to what a human being should strive to achieve. There should be no way anyone profits in our society if they are cheating, lying, and stealing. Even worse if they are colluding with our enemies to subvert our democratic processes. Any time I see anyone trying to make it harder for our citizenry to vote I know they have an ulterior motive. I don't necessarily need to know that motive because it isn't a good one and it should never be allowed to occur.
     When we see wrong being done we stop it, not let it continue until we have all the facts. Wrong is wrong and no amount of persuasion should ever change that. Regardless of income or race, the same rule of law must prevail. Until our society reflects this undying devotion to equality of not only opportunity but of punishment for the same crimes we will not move onward from our teetering democracy. We may be around 240 years old as a democracy but that about 240 years has been difficult and strained in the battle to unseat power that has its roots in privilege and advantage.
     So when a political party like the republican party has a stranglehold on our institutions of government it is our duty to break their grip as nothing republicans do is of service to all Americans. In fact the only thing republicans do is to solidify our power as theirs and help the wealthy turn the working middle poor class into a servitude class with little to no escape. Wrong is wrong and for far too long the republican party has been immersed in their own desires with no respect nor admiration for the hard work of we the backbone of America. Their condescension of the working middle poor class is proof enough that they deserve the backside of our modernity and with nothing less gracious than a boot out the door of progressive enlightenment.