Saturday, February 8, 2025
"Don't Believe Him"
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Trump has made a great start toward his self-destruction
Sunday, January 12, 2025
With his recent ludicrous ideas, Trump is gaslighting again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Friday, January 10, 2025
This is highly probable: Hydrogen will not be an alternative fuel
Here's why---
Saturday, December 28, 2024
China, Brazil, Argentina, the USA and more in relation to agriculture, tariffs, the economy and POWER
This short video speaks for itself---
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
The title is:
$164 Billion Blow! China Officially Cancels U.S. Farming Trade!
[It's less than 11 minutes long, but you do have to suffer through the beginning of a few Ads before you hit the "Skip" button.]
Friday, December 27, 2024
Biden & Crew apparently believe almost anything said by the extremist Netanyahu
https://www.democracynow.org/
Watch/listen to why a fifteen-year USA diplomat resigned from the State Department. Several others also have done likewise, but we don't hear about it from the Mainstream/Corporate Media.
Casey was a frontline diplomat in the Israel-Gaza conflict. He wrote numerous reports to the Upper Crust of the State Dept. detailing the war crimes of the Israeli military. They were ignored. Details are at the link above.
Israel continues to attack children, hospitals, schools, refugee shelters, ambulances, journalists, and basic infrastructure. Biden & Crew continue their "ironclad support". The tiny amount of humanitarian aid (food, water, medical supplies) which sometimes is allowed to get through to Gaza is grossly inadequate. People in Gaza are starving, dying from lack of medical care, and often being maimed or killed outright still to this day. Where's compassion?
The entire scenario is a stain not only on Biden's Administration, but also on our country. Yes, some are protesting and speaking out against this immoral Gaza policy, but not nearly enough. Some world Leaders are boycotting Israel, but not enough. What the Israeli Gov't is doing in Gaza is textbook genocide, and our Gov't is complicit in the execution of it. There's a high probability that when Trump takes office, he'll make things even worse.
Watch the video at the link above, and then ask: are the deaths of innocent people in Gaza simply "collateral damage"? Keep in mind that genuine collateral damage is accidental. The deaths in Gaza are are not such. They are brought about on purpose. The Israeli military knows children are in the hospitals, schools, shelters, etc., being attacked. The excuse for the killing appears to be: Hamas is hiding there, so we have no choice. Really?! There is, of course, always a choice in such matters. No sane, ethical person would use such an excuse to murder innocent children.
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Here's what happens when capitalism is deregulated
Remember the 2015 film which dramatized the (commonly called) 2008 Crash, The Big Short with Christian Bale as Dr. Michael Burry? Weird (and unregulated) private financial derivatives*** caused a financial meltdown felt around the world. Real estate companies, banks, Wall Street Traders, bond rating agencies, and others all contributed to creating the fiasco. The groundwork for it all developed during the Clinton Administration CORPORATE DEMOCRATS ERA and the Dubya Bush DEREGULATION ERA. Millions of people were severely impacted.
Monday, December 9, 2024
The Myth of Capitalism vs. Socialism re Reality
The Myth
There's only one general type of Socialism, and it's all bad/destructive. [Such is the view of the Political Far-Right around the world.] There's only one general type of Capitalism, and it's all bad/destructive. [That's the view of the Political Far-Left around the globe.] Neither assertion is true. In each case, there are at least two types: dictatorial, and democratic.
The Reality
First, let's look briefly at the USA. My beloved Land is usually thought to have a purely capitalist economic system. That's certainly the view of most people on the political Right, and probably the view of most on the political Left as well. The fact is: ours is a Mixed Economy. While it's primarily capitalist, it has many aspects of democratic socialism. Here are several of those aspects: PUBLIC roads; PUBLIC schools; PUBLIC water systems; PUBLIC sewer systems; PUBLIC museums; PUBLIC parks; PUBLIC health clinics; PUBLIC Zoos; the Social Security Administration; prison industries; and the V.A. health care system. There's more, but you probably get the idea by now. Also consider the following.
When people refer to "capitalism in the USA", precisely which version of that economic system is being referenced? Is it Crony Capitalism? Neoliberal Capitalism? Disaster Capitalism? Casino Capitalism? Monopolistic Capitalism? Oligarchic Capitalism? [They all exist here.] It most certainly is NOT Adam Smith Capitalism. That's found mostly only in the arena of Small Business enterprises. Mega Biz people engage in the other forms. I doubt most of them even have read The Wealth of Nations.
Adam Smith considered himself more of a philosopher than an economist. Nevertheless, he's lauded as the Father of Economics. He favored the establishment of SMALL, competitive businesses, not Mega, monopolistic Biz. He never used the term "capitalism"; instead, he referred to "commercial society". Most importantly, he believed that economics was only one aspect of the human condition, and not the be-all and end-all of Life. The full title of his famous book is An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. He was a Scotsman, and he changed the world.
Let's consider even more briefly the countries which adhere to democratic socialism, such as Norway***. While they primarily may be socialistic in nature, from all I've read and heard about their economics, it seems to me they do embrace capitalism to a significant degree. In other words, they each have a Mixed Economy. I doubt many of their Powers-That-Be would deny it.
***Norway is the richest country in the world...not in aggregate financial wealth, but in the more accurate and comprehensive measurement of per capita income. It beats the USA in that regard.
Usually, in any "free world" country it's the Far Right and the Far Left folks who ignore the reality of their Mixed Economy. They can't wrap their minds around such a concept maybe because it seems to contradict their ideology. They are "True Believers", and nothing will do except pure capitalism or pure socialism. Perhaps with age they'll realize that most things in Life are gray, not black or white.
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews, the Meta-Crisis, Trump, and More REDUX
NOTE: This essay was first published about six months ago. With Trump's re-election, it's even more crucial now.
Kirkus has been around for decades, is number 2*** in the USA for quality book reviews, and is known for being tough on authors. They have reviewed my second book,
CHOICES & CHANGE ON THE PATH TO A SUSTAINABLE EXISTENCE -
BEST CHOICES FOR NAVIGATING THROUGH A MONUMENTAL CRISIS.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Here's precisely why & how the American Empire is ending, and Trump has a very minor role
Jeffrey Sachs is a respected international economist, a notable Professor, and an experienced consultant to governments in the arena of international negotiations. In this relatively short and recent interview, he gives a no-holds-barred view of why and how the unipolar world is changing to a multipolar one. The days of the Government of the USA being the Big Kahuna are coming to an end. In most respects, such is not a bad thing. On the international stage, our Fed Gov't over decades has become arrogant and bullying, and that has been in play long before Trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Trump became somewhat popular largely because of his TV Reality Show. Here's the only thing you need to remember about that show: it was scripted FICTION. In the real world, DJT primarily was a failure in business. If you don't believe it, look closely into his various businesses from the 1980's to the present. You'll find numerous bankruptcies, the shafting of contractors, the shafting of employees, court cases against him, fines, etc. He once claimed he got his start with "a small loan of a million dollars" from his father.
David Cay Johnston, the investigative journalist and Pulitzer Prize winning author, has written a number of best-selling books about economics, Big Business, and Trump. In one of the Trump books, he states that Fred Trump "loaned" Donald a total of sixty million dollars over the years. So much for DJT's "small loan".
It wouldn't surprise me at all if, when Trump says he'll "make America great again", he imagines a hundred-year (or maybe a thousand-year:) State-Corporate Complex with his descendants at the helm. Based on his history of the last forty years, though, what's highly likely to occur is this: he will self-destruct. In the next two to four years, his management and policies will destroy the popularity he has now with the 28% (of all American adults) who elected him. Example: watch what happens when he implements his much-touted Tariff increases. [See this 12-minute clip, previously posted on this blog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
BOTTOM LINE: Trump will not be able to stop what Prof. Sachs says is coming to the world extremely soon. DJT's so-called strongman image is a complete charade. Most of his supporters soon will see he's nothing more than a serial liar who is somewhat clever.
Thursday, November 7, 2024
27.8% of ALL Adult Americans Voted Trump into Office in 2024 = not much of a mandate
While his victory was impressive, let's put Trump's win into GENUINE perspective, as follows.
1. In 2023, there were 262,083,034 ADULT Americans in the USA. That number includes all voters plus all those who don't vote.
2. In the election, 72,895,705 people voted for Trump.
3. Conclusion: it took only 27.8% of ALL adult Americans to elect our President. [Historically, it usually took only a tad over 25% to win the Presidency.]
The "mandate" being touted by the Trumpican Party is a mandate from about 28% of American adults. Even if we consider only those who voted in the election, Trump secured only a fraction over 50% of the vote. It was barely a majority.
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Mea Culpa, and Brief Notes on What the Trumpican Party Victory Reveals
First, as evidenced by the previous Post on this blog, I misjudged the thinking of the majority of the people here in my beloved Land. I've always known WHY that majority is fed up with The Establishment and its Plutocracy. On the socio-economic scale, the lower 80% of people here have been shafted for decades. My mistake was in thinking: by now surely ALL people would see clearly that Trump is a) not the one to save them; and b), he's a con-man who actually is in favor of the ruling Plutocracy. I was wrong; they don't see it.
Here are just a few of the things the Trumpican Party victory reveals (in no particular order) ---
1. Apparently, too many of us have been dumbed-down to the point where we no longer are capable of critical thinking. In general, I blame our education system for that. Mainstream Media also are at fault. Have you noticed, for example, for many years young folks have been encouraged to skip a university education in favor of a vocational/trade school. Such schools certainly serve a valuable function; however, their limitations need to be considered. Generally, they don't provide a well-rounded education. Yes, it's true you don't need a university education to get a good job; but such a higher education provides most students with a lot more than a job. It broadens your worldview, and gives you skills in understanding what's important in life. It does more, but I need to keep this essay relatively short.
2. There also seems to be a serious problem with too many universities. It appears to me that too many of them are more concerned with not offending some group or another rather than exploring ways to develop open minds and critical thinking.
3. The mainstream, corporate faction of the Democratic Party is not paying enough attention to Main Street. Worse, they are marginalizing the Progressives in their Party, the ones who are tuned-in to Main Street.
4. The mainstream Dems who now rule their Party need to stop enabling Netanyahu's genocidal wars. They should do so not only for obvious ethical/moral reasons, but also because they won't get Arab-American votes until they do. [That's about 1.5 million votes. ]
5. Trump realized a long time ago that if you repeat a lie enough times, then people will come to believe it. He repeatedly lies/lied about immigrants, the economy, Democrats, any Republicans who oppose him, election integrity, crime stats, covid, the Media, etc., and all those lies have served him well.
6. The Upper Crust of the Dem Party has failed miserably at showing people the urgency of addressing the existential threat of ecological overshoot, and the fact that Trump policies will increase the threat & the urgency by orders of magnitude. Educational institutions, the Mainstream Media and others also have failed in that regard. Perhaps they all have failed because they don't fully understand the Crisis, or they still may believe we humans have until 2050 to address the problem. In any case, within ten years politics will not be uppermost in anyone's mind; but trying to find a degree of physical, mental, and economic comfort will be.
Monday, November 4, 2024
IF Americans have any common sense left after enduring decades of continual neoliberalism, then the 2024 election...
will play out like this---
1. Due largely to young voters, women, people of color, Independents (41% of adult Americans are Purple, not Red or Blue), and the wisdom of many senior citizens, Harris will win the race. Why? Following are only some of the reasons.
2. A majority of people are now wary of Trump's blatant lies, never-ending personal attacks on those who oppose him, total lack of statesmanship, ignorance of economic principles, espousal of violence, and his general negative and toxic demeanor.
3. A majority of voters realize it's utter nonsense to blame a President or Vice President for overall INFLATION. They know that the policies of the Fed Reserve Honchos affect the inflation rate more than any one person. Interest rates are not determined by the President or VP. The amount of "helicopter money" (basically created out of thin air by the Fed) dropped on all of us is not determined by the Pres. or VP. Voters also know the Fed Reserve does not kowtow to the Oval Office. [Remember how Trump once (while he was Pres.) denigrated the Fed Chairman for his actions?]
4. A majority is aware of the rock-solid data showing that immigrants here have a LOWER rate of violent crime than those of us born and raised here. Thus, Trump's constant claim of rampant criminality by immigrants is just another of his many delusions.
5. A majority of people now see that Trump, if elected, will be consumed by revenge against his "demonic enemies" (his words), and such would not contribute to working toward unifying the country. People are sick & tired of his divisiveness.
6. Bottom Line: IF (& it's a BIG IF) there's any common sense left in this country, then Trump will be defeated. HOWEVER, here's one way he could steal the election (he calls it his "little secret")---
https://www.democracynow.org/
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Trumpican (or perhaps, Trumpzi) Party completely replaces the once honorable Republican Party of long ago
https://www.democracynow.org/
Thursday, October 24, 2024
The High Tech danger you know little-to-nothing about, & Trump is a pawn in the whole scenario
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
I'll bet a lot of people have forgotten this aspect of carbon dioxide
Including even elementary school students, by now we all know that CO2 is a "greenhouse gas". There's another reason to be concerned about excess carbon dioxide in our atmosphere---
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Damage to both the ecosphere & democracy already being done by A.I. & the billionaires promoting it
Friday, September 13, 2024
Muted, but STILL another shabby debate performance by a toxic narcissist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Saturday, September 7, 2024
An MD explains why the USA has the least effective healthcare system among the wealthy countries in the world
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Why Big Biz Backs Trump, and why Sustainability is feared by them all
Robert Reich explains it in a clip under three minutes long---
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
One might guess it's about tax cuts and tax avoidance. Yes, but it's also about blocking the path to Sustainability. Many years ago, the Titans of Mega Biz realized they had to start talking-the-talk in regard to renewable energy, but walking-the-walk largely could be avoided IF they spent big bucks on politicians friendly to the economic status quo. A bit later, they recognized that Sustainability involved a lot more than just transitioning to renewables. It also meant reducing our energy use, being accountable for pollution, treating workers and consumers fairly, eliminating corporate welfare, increasing the social safety net, and more.
In the view of Mega Biz, the economic status quo was being threatened as never before. So, both individually and collectively, the Titans decided to essentially buy more and more political influence. They selected, groomed, and financed the majority of national political candidates. Their degree of success in getting candidates friendly to their view varied, but almost always was at least somewhat on the mark...even with Democrats.
"Don't Believe Him"
The Nazis in the 1930's and 1940's used exactly the same propaganda tactic as is used by Trump: repeat a lie over & over, and m...
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Kirkus has been around for decades, is number 2 *** in the USA for quality book reviews, and is known for being tough on authors. They h...
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PBS Frontline has an online video that is a preview of a full piece airing later this month , Obama's War . The preview is gritty, wit...
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A fellow by the name of Vance was held in a U.S. secret military prison, in solitary, for 97 days. He was allowed no attorney, no contact wi...