The Second Presidential Debate, 2016

Mostly SSDD.

Interrupting each other again, but this time a bit less of that...especially by Clinton.  Both candidates regularly exceeded their response time limits, and did so while talking over the moderators' pleas to stop.  The same amount of personal sniping at each other was present...of little to no interest to us, and completely unprofessional.  A tiny bit more discussion of the issues, but that primarily was due to audience questions.

Here's what was glaringly obvious in this debate:  national politicians are masters at either avoiding the question, or answering in such generalities as to make the answer essentially meaningless.  Both Clinton and Trump did that over and over and over.

So, we had a debate set up by a private corporation (the Commission on Presidential Debates), moderated by reps from mega corporations, with two candidates who are Corporatists.  Oh, for the days of the League of Women Voters running the show.  What we have now is a farce.

Clinton's biggest misstep probably was her handling of the question concerning her leaked, taped statement of awhile back that went something like this (paraphrased):  At times, a politician has to have a public stance and a private stance.  [In other words, politicians have to be two-faced.]  This, of course, is pretty much true; that's one reason politicians are despicable.  Hillary's answer to that question was revealing (paraphrased):  Um...[hem-haw], I believe I was talking about Abraham Lincoln [hem-haw]...um...etc.  She then very quickly changed the subject.  I gauge the probability of that answer being an outright lie at about 90-95%.

Trump's biggest misstep probably was that, except for slashing taxes & eliminating regulations, he rarely ever says HOW he's going to accomplish this, that, or the other.  Slashing taxes and eliminating regs has been tried...more than once.  It didn't work; it only made the rich into the Super-Rich.  The trouble with Trickle-Down economics is that it assumes Big Biz will invest in USA manufacturing, new ventures, new products, etc.---all requiring new employees---instead of investing in foreign currencies, foreign bonds, foreign factories, bizarre financial derivatives, etc., or simply socking the extra money away somewhere offshore...all of which require no employees.

Right after WW II through the 1950's and into the very early 1960's was the greatest period of prosperity ever known in this country.  It was known as the Golden Age of [American] Capitalism.  During that time of tremendous economic expansion, corporations were taxed at a 90% rate.  They now pay (if at all) a 35% rate; Trump wants to lower it to 15%.

As to war, both candidates favor different versions of it.

There was no discussion, or sometimes no significant discussion, about:  the gutting of the Middle Class, the coup of Financialization, the Recession in which we find ourselves, the various economic/financial Bubbles ongoing, Climate Change, the ongoing one trillion dollar Fed Gov't nuclear weapons program, our current Police/Surveillance State, the broken Fed Criminal Justice System, the failed War on Drugs, Crony Capitalism, USA Hegemony, and a few other significant issues.

For the most part, the candidates squabbled about the past, sniped at each other, and had very little to say (except for broad generalities) about the future.  According to the corporate moderators and the Corporatist Trump & Clinton, the most pressing issues facing the country apparently are:  Trump's comments about women, Trump's taxes, Clinton's emails, Bill Clinton's marital affairs, and other such trivia.  Talk about distraction from what's really important...good grief!

Neither one of these candidates should be President of the USA.  Both are shills for Corporatism and the Globalist Oligarchy.

The Kabuki Theater continues...on & on.  Wall Street and the CRONY Capitalists are the Directors.  Carroll Quigley's International Financial Coterie is the Academy.  The Oligarchs already have won the election.  Our best hope for avoiding the fairly imminent NeoFeudalism that's coming and the continued hollowing out of the Middle Class is peaceful, direct action outside the Rotten System...such as boycotting the election, or (if you must) voting for a worthy alternative candidate.  On a massive scale, either of those actions would send a powerful message.  Unfortunately, because of unending Edward Bernays style Propaganda, I don't see either of those things happening this year; but, one always can dream.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well