The horrible side of the High Tech Industry FAR outweighs the good side

Below is my reply - edited quite a bit - to an email which suggested the term "Tech Whiz Kids" (which I often use in writing & speech) is somewhat inaccurate because many of those people now are much older.

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I have no problem with you or anyone substituting some other term for "kids" in "Tech Whiz Kids" (TWK).  But for me, they're all TWK, regardless of age.  "Kids" is not meant to be taken literally.  For me, it denotes an attitude.  In general, they are "playing with fire" when they develop things which atomize our society, & they don't even think about the unintended consequences.  By "atomize our society", I mean: depriving us of meaningful relationships with others (which, admittedly, usually is done by higher-ups in the Corporatocracy re things like labor unions) via luring us away from those relationships, or damaging them with gizmos designed to make each of us an island unto ourselves.  So, only one of many examples: some younger people think their 7,000 "friends" on some "social" medium actually are significant.  Why go out into the world & meet with real friends when I have my gizmo right here in the house with 7,000 "friends" on it?  

[Kids sometimes play with fire.]  

The adult TWK act irresponsibly also when they build-in obsolescence into their products.  It takes 500 lbs of raw materials to make one cell phone.  I don't know how many pounds it takes to make some of their larger crap which also has a short lifespan.  [Kids sometimes/often act irresponsibly.]

Their companies, usually run by TWK who moved up the corporate ladder, are often deceitful beyond belief.  One example:  I think it's Apple who claims to be 100% "Green".  In fact, they farm out the manufacture of products to other companies located in places with few to no environmental regulations.  Those other companies generally have egregious practices when it comes to pollution, etc.  But Apple technically can claim to be "Green".  [Kids often are deceitful.]

Bottom line:  I believe the High Tech Industry - despite the good & useful things it has done - has pretty much ruined our society, both physically/materially, spiritually (in a generic sense), and culturally.  It has atomized us, stolen our privacy, polluted the ecosphere, gobbled up natural resources, enabled dictatorial governments & oligarchs (with undemocratic, egregious surveillance programs/gizmos), enabled wars being fought with no soldiers (except drone operators, making illegal wars more numerous), promulgated infinite growth on a finite planet, & more.  I believe High Tech is in the top 5 worst industries in the history of our species.  As far as I can tell, the majority of TWK act just like spoiled, irresponsible, destructive kids.  They've contributed greatly to the ruination of our kids, our society, and our planet.  It seems their primary goal is to get rich...at almost any cost.

Just my opinion, & it won't change.  I think the "bad" side of High Tech far outweighs the "good" side.  Congress could change things for the better, but probably won't.  Except for a very few, most of our elected officials in the Fed Gov't favor the corporatists, not Main Street.  [Corporatism is not Adam Smith capitalism; essentially, it's fascism - the marriage of the power of the State to the power of Mega Biz.]  The good things about High Tech should be supported; the bad things should be boycotted.  Only consumers can significantly put High Tech on a better path.  The Fed Gov't has shown over & over it will do little to such effect.

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Not only my opinion, & Everyone Be Well

FINALLY---Someone in Congress Asks the Right Question

U.S. Congressional Representative, Ted Lieu of California, asked a Trump Admin official (in a Hearing) the following:  "Under the Constitution, does the President have the authority to declare war?".  The Trump guy hemmed, hawed, beat around the bush, and never answered the query.  Then Rep. Lieu said he would make it easy:  "The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, right?".  More hemming & hawing from the U.S. Envoy to Iran.  Kudos to Representative Lieu.

Those who rely on the War Powers Resolution (often called the War Powers Act), or any other "resolution", to declare war are violating the Constitution and their Oath of Office.  In our system of government, it isn't up to the President to decide when to go to war.  The Founders believed that could be subject to abuse, and so they made certain that only Congress had that power.  At least then, We the People supposedly would be represented in the decision.  Plus, Congress was not given the authority to transfer that power to the Executive.  The President only has power to manage a war...once Congress has declared war.  Finally, no Law supercedes the U.S. Constitution.

According to recent News reports, Trump & Crew are considering using the 2001 Resolution as authority to go to war with Iran.  That's ludicrous.  Not only is it ludicrous (and illegal) because of the paragraph immediately above, but also because that Resolution had absolutely nothing to do with Iran.  Nothing at all.

The last time Congress declared war was in December, 1941.  Over the decades since then, members of our Gov't have ignored the war clause of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States.  That means each of them has violated his/her Oath of Office.  Very few people seem to care.

The case for war with Iran is so flimsy that it really doesn't exist.  The Warmongers' efforts to make the case have a strong stink about them. More importantly, the President does not have the Constitutional authority to declare war on any nation.  Once any part of our bedrock Supreme Law of the Land is by-passed, then the same can happen to any other part.  Hello.  This whole scenario reeks of "The Grand Chessboard:  American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives".  Empire on steroids.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Biggest Flaw in the Constitution -OR- Here's How They Do It

In the last four years, I've posted this piece twice before the posting below.  It has been edited just a tiny bit .  I believe this essay is crucial in understanding how the Constitutional Republic of the USA essentially has been overthrown.  It all started as far back as Alexander Hamilton...and it's not any kind of "conspiracy".  It was (and still is) an in-plain-sight battle between those who believe in genuine democracy and those who believe in Rule by Oligarchs and Plutocrats.  The latter (who are not constrained by political Parties or labels) always have referred to the rest of us as "the little people".

"They" (in the title above) are the Neoliberals, NeoConservatives, and other Oligarchs who over decades and by sheer, disorganized, dumb luck have brought about a coup in our Government.  For years I wondered how so many unconstitutional laws could come into being in this Land with barely a peep of protest from anyone.  I think perhaps finally I've figured it out.  Over the years, now and again, I heard this-or-that politician mention the "necessary and proper" clause of the Constitution; but I never paid much attention to it until recently.

"The Congress shall have Power ... To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof."  [All emphasis added.]
~ Article I, Section 8, Clause 18, United States Constitution

The Powers mentioned in that clause, "...the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers...", are those delegated by We the People to our Federal Government.  They are the Enumerated Powers that we have given to the Congress, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch.  The Government has only those Powers.  Unfortunately, going all the way back to our Founding Fathers, some have claimed that Article I Section 8 Clause 18 gives other, implied Powers to the Government.  Hamilton and Jefferson debated that very point.

Alexander Hamilton was the Founder who proposed that our Gov't should be that of a Monarchy; he wanted a King as our leader.  Luckily, that idea quickly was scrapped.  Nonetheless, Hamilton kept fighting for a central government bordering on dictatorial.  He wanted a central bank, and he claimed that Article I Section 8 Clause 18 gave the Gov't implied Powers.  Hamilton argued that the "sovereign" duties of a government implied the right to use means adequate to its ends, regardless of specific Enumerated Powers.  Jefferson opposed him at every turn until Hamilton was killed by Aaron Burr in a duel, July, 1804.  Nevertheless, the seed had been planted.  Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall and others promoted the idea that the Government had implied powers.  At times, the "necessary and proper" clause was referred to as the "elastic clause".

The idea eventually lost favor in the late 1800's up until the 1930's.  With the Roosevelt Administration, the "elastic clause" was back in favor... and as the Fed Gov't expanded, the idea became more and more the flavor of the day.  As that happened, "Legislative Absolutism" took hold more and more.  In 1901, Supreme Court Justice Harlan coined that term, warning of a time when unconstitutional laws would be passed as a matter of course.  He was right.

Any examination of the "necessary and proper" clause with a view toward common sense tells us that no additional Powers are implied by it.  Furthermore, it makes ZERO sense that so-called "implied" powers would be able to result in a law which would essentially nullify any specific written clause in the Supreme Law of the Land.  Finally, the use of "implied" powers apparently is virtually without limits.  It's whatever an indoctrinated, propagandized public will tolerate.

EXAMPLE---  The so-called PATRIOT Act essentially nullifies the Fourth Amendment.  Gathering of bulk data is permitted... without the people being intruded upon having to be suspects of any kind.  In addition, FBI Agents can write their own Search Warrants (called "National Security Letters")... the Fourth Amendment makes it clear that judges must issue those.  Finally, other portions of the Act violate the Due Process Clause of the Constitution.  [So do portions of the National Defense Authorization Act, the NDAA.]

All the "necessary and proper" clause is saying is this:  Congress can pass Laws in order to implement the specific Enumerated Powers that were delegated to them by We the People.  Nowhere does it say or imply that Laws contravening the Constitution also may be passed.  Only an attorney with no common sense would infer such a thing from that clause.  Both Hamilton and Marshall were attorneys.  [My admittedly limited experience with attorneys tells me that very few of them have any common sense whatsoever.  They appear to live in a very esoteric world; as with everything, I'm sure there are exceptions.]

In the "necessary and proper" clause, the "foregoing Powers" refers to the Enumerated Powers in clauses 1-17 of Article I Section 8.  "All other Powers" refers to Enumerated Powers in other parts of the Constitution...or, as the 18th clause puts it, "...vested by this Constitution...".  Nothing in this clause implies Powers that are not Enumerated.  That was Jefferson's position, and he was right on the mark.  The Monarchy-loving Hamilton thought otherwise.

So, here's the biggest flaw in our Constitution---
The following, or something similar, should have been added at the tail end of the "necessary and proper" clause and both the "commerce" and "general welfare" clauses:  "Nothing in this section should be construed to mean that the federal government has any powers other than those enumerated in the Constitution.".

My conclusion is that certain people in our political history wanted a way around the constraints of the Constitution.  It appears they desired a central government so strong that it bordered on dictatorial.  To achieve that objective, they inferred from primarily the "necessary and proper" clause, but also from the "commerce" and "general welfare" clauses, so-called implied powers.  I see that as pure BS.  I sincerely doubt that it was the intention of almost all our Founders to give the Government unknown, virtually unlimited Powers that could, in fact, contravene any of the listed or Enumerated Powers delegated by We the People.  That makes no sense... and more importantly, it makes the Constitution worthless.  The primary purpose of the Constitution is to restrain/constrain government; that's not possible if we accept the concept of "implied powers"... which can be almost anything.  

Unfortunately, "implied powers" has been the flavor of the day for decades & decades.  As well as some other people, Trump loves that flavor.  Most Presidents do.  Most people in both Houses of Congress do, too.  That's why we have so many unconstitutional Laws.  The Powers-That-Be have convinced themselves (and most Americans, it seems) that the bedrock of our Gov't, the Constitution of the United States of America, contains unknown, virtually unlimited, implied Powers.  There's no common sense in that view.

None of this bodes well for what is supposed to be a Free Society.  We are marching voluntarily straight into George Orwell's dystopian world.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

What the Next USA President Should Do

Use the Office and/or its Bully Pulpit for---

1.  promoting laws to break up the Mega Banks & Mega Tech Companies (clearly they are monopolies);

2.  the cessation of all Trade Wars;

3.  the withdrawal of combat troops from the Middle East & Central Asia, as well as cutting the number of our military bases on foreign soil by half---that number is now about 800-900 or so---and the military budget by half (currently that budget is more than the next seven largest military budgets in the world combined);

4.  the reinstatement of Nuke Treaties;

5.  ending of our Central Bank, as JFK started to do (we don't need a Middle Man to produce Gov't currency... especially one who charges interest);

6.  a return to some version of the Gold Standard (the amount of gold in the world doesn't prohibit that...only the artificially depressed price of gold does);

7.  the end of blanket surveillance by the NSA, CIA, FBI, and any other Agency;

8.  a return to the Constitutional requirement of Congress having to declare war before troops are sent to war;

9.  a repeal of the "Real ID Act";

10.  a reinstatement of EPA Rules trashed by Trump & Crew;

11.  policies/laws addressing the threat of Climate Change;

12.  promoting the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Banking Act;

13.  the reinstatement of "Net Neutrality";

14.  promoting the establishment of Banking as a Public Utility;

15.  the establishment of the Internet as a Public Utility;

16.  the complete revision of the IRS, or maybe, the elimination of it;

17.  promoting laws that require Congress to read legislative bills before voting on them, and to vote only on one subject/bill at a time (instead of attaching unpopular bills as riders to bills that are guaranteed to pass);

18.  making pot completely legal, and codeine an OTC drug (as it was earlier in my life);

19.  reducing our nuclear arsenal;

20.  promoting laws that prohibit Usury (laws we once had);

21.  prohibiting Gov't interference in foreign elections, prohibiting coups, & prohibiting assassinations by the Executive Branch (according to the Constitution, only Congress legally can order assassinations);

22.  promoting laws that establish Term Limits for all elected officials in the Fed Gov't;

23.  promoting laws that prohibit electronic, black box voting... use paper ballots only;

24.  limiting Executive Orders by Presidents to only the two described in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution:  the Pres can require written reports by his Dept Heads, and can grant pardons to those convicted of Fed crimes (those are the only two described in the Constitution);

25.  policies which abide by International Law, and in particular, recognize the authority of the International Criminal Court (we didn't mind doing that when we set up the Nuremberg Trials).

Those are only some of the things the next President should do, but they would be a great start toward returning this country to sanity.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Which Branch Appropriates Funds for Government Spending?

Even someone who flunked American Government in the ninth grade of school surely must know that only Congress is allowed to do that.  The U.S. Constitution is clear:  Congress is the ultimate authority on Government spending.  That's because it's Congress who represents the People, not the other two Branches.

The White House is being petulant in its attempts to blackmail Congress, and the result is:  hundreds of thousands of workers are suffering.  Never mind the rest of us who deserve and require certain Gov't services.  The Executive Branch is manufacturing "emergencies" out of thin air in order to force the Legislative Branch to kowtow.  It appears that the President still does not accept the fact that ours is a government of three co-equal Branches.

Like Dubya Bush before him, and to a lesser extent both Bill Clinton and Obama, our current Oval Office Occupier believes in the Unitary Executive Theory.  Essentially, that means the President can be an Autocrat.  Hidden away in one part of the theory is the idea that neither Congress or the Courts have any say at all in matters of "national security".  That's hogwash.  Not only is it hogwash, it's an extremely dangerous concept.  It lays the groundwork for a completely undemocratic, even totalitarian government.

As the White House lies continue to build, let's all hope that Congress and the Courts don't fold.  Over the last few decades, the Executive Branch has claimed (and garnered) more & more unwarranted power for itself.  That's a long way from what supposedly is a democratic government.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

More Bald-Faced LIES From Trump & Crew

1.  Regarding separating little kids from their parents at the border, and then shipping the kids all across the country---

The Don claims it's all the fault of the Democrats because:  a) they passed a Law requiring that be done; and b) they are obstructing a new, proposed Law to correct the situation.  Usually Pence is in the background nodding his head in agreement. 

Let's see, first of all, there is no such requirement in any immigration Law passed by the Dems.  The requirement was for separation of children from smugglers, not PARENTS.  There is only Trump & Crew's screwy interpretation of the Law.  This is similar to John Yoo's screwy interpretations of Law during the Dubya Admin.  Yoo claimed the Geneva Conventions of treatment of war prisoners did not apply to Afghanistan or Iraq.  He also claimed that despite the Fourth Amendment, warrantless wiretapping of citizens was legal.

As to obstructionism by the Dems regarding a new Law on immigration, exactly how does that happen when Repubs hold majorities in both Houses of Congress?  Seems to me it can happen only if some Repubs join the Dems in opposition to whatever The Don & Crew are proposing.

The fact is:  this cruel practice (in a supposedly Christian nation) is totally the creation of Trump and Sessions.  It's their policy, and no one else's.  Even many/most high-level Repubs abhor it.  Finally, it's State-sponsored child abuse.

2.  Regarding claims that "the economy is doing great"---

Lately, Trump & Crew are claiming exactly that on an almost regular basis.  Let's see, we have a Stock Market Bubble that's worse than the one just prior to the 2008 Crash.  The same is true of the current Housing Market Bubble.  The Derivatives Bubble is alive and rolling on.  The Bond Market Bubble is starting to collapse.  The National Debt is nothing short of astonishing.  All that begs an answer to this question:  are Trump & Crew so ignorant that they believe none of the above are Bubbles?

Answer:  Of course not.  They all know they're Bubbles, and that those Bubbles will burst relatively soon..."They" being the ones who are deceitfully selling: the "good economic times are here".  Shades of 1929, 1973-'75, 1981-'82, 1986-'87, '97-2001, & 2007-'09.

Add to the above the fact that the rising price inflation rate has almost totally wiped out any wage increases of late.  Add to that:  Trump's Trade War will harm both consumers and businesses.  Then add this:  the Fed Government's Jobs Report and Unemployment numbers are almost always wrong.  Unemployment is at least double the number given by the Feds.  Finally, add this:  for the first time in our history, the Middle Class comprises less than 50% of our population.

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Conclusion:  Mr. President, you are flat-out lying about both numbers 1. & 2. above.  Either that, or you are the most ignorant Oval Office Occupier we've ever had.

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Suggestion to everyone:  don't take on more debt, pay down what you can, and hang on to every hard asset possible.  The next Crash is overdue.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Beware: The U.S. "Debt Ceiling" is an Utter Joke

It was instituted by Law in 1917.  In the 20th century, our Government's Debt Ceiling was raised 90 times.  From 2001 through 2016, it has been raised 14 times; and it was supposed to be raised again last Fall.  Through some sort of machinations, Congress conjured up "emergency spending funds" and postponed the problem until mid-March of this year.

Doublespeak---

March 2018 has come and gone, so what happened?  Congress SUSPENDED the Debt Ceiling until March 2019.  In other words, there is no Debt Ceiling presently.  It was suspended once during Obama's Administration as well.  Considering the history of it, arguably there never has been a Debt Ceiling.   The whole thing appears to be Orwellian Doublethink and Doublespeak.

The Nixon Shock---

Why is any of this important?  Why should we care at all?  It started with the "Nixon Shock" in 1971.  That's when the Executive Branch issued a "temporary suspension" of the convertibility of the U.S. Dollar into gold.  We went completely off the "Gold Standard".  Essentially, our Gov't defaulted on its Debt.  Shortly thereafter, the Dollar lost 25% of its value.  Our long, "temporary" excursion into fiat currency began.  Instead of being backed by gold, our "money" became backed by "the full faith and credit of the United States".  That means virtually nothing at all if our Gov't borrows, and borrows, and borrows into oblivion... and the rest of the world knows that.

The Largest Debtor Nation---

This great Land has gone from being a creditor nation to being the world's largest debtor nation.  To whom is the "money" owed?  Primarily, it's owed to foreign Central Banks, other Mega Banks (including domestic ones), and other Mega Corporations.  The kicker is this:  that Debt is now mathematically impossible to repay in full.  So why do those outfits keep loaning us funds?  For the same reason a Bank doesn't want you to ever repay the full amount on your credit card:  the perpetual interest payments; they will never end.  And from where does the Gov't get the funds to make those multi-billion dollar interest payments to Banks & Corporations...from personal income taxes, of course.

In the spirit of Orwellian Doublespeak, the Fed Reserve calls borrowing the "selling of Debt, or Bonds".  When other entities cut back on "buying Debt" (loaning us funds), the Fed Reserve (which is made up of privately owned banks) "buys" U.S. Bonds.  That essentially means a supposed part of our Gov't loans funds to our Gov't.  All this borrowing serves to devalue the fiat Dollar.

The Bottom Line---

Why should we care?  If for no other reason, because we are saddling our children and grandchildren not only with a continually devalued Dollar, but also with a Debt that will have interest payments in perpetuity.  Then there's the extremely high probability that our economy will collapse because of the Financial shocks brought on by the Fed's insane amount of borrowing.

When it comes to borrowing, the Trump Administration is following right in the footsteps of the Administrations of Obama, Dubya Bush, and others:  increasing the National Debt by multiple times.  And why all this borrowing?  For the most part, it's to maintain U.S. Hegemony throughout the world.  And why is that?  Because the availability of several key natural resources is peaking or shrinking, and without control of those resources, the USA cannot dominate the world and further enrich itself.  Naturally, the Establishment denies any such thing...hardly a big surprise.  The Plutocrats claim the whole shebang is to protect the world, spread democracy, and preserve freedom.  Right.  Edward Bernays would be proud of such claims.
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SIDE NOTE---
Price Inflation is not the result of the cost of production going up; rather, it's the result of the value of the Dollar going down.  When the value of the dollar decreases, it takes more dollars to buy the same amount of goods or services as before the decrease.
..........................................................
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Here's How They Do It -OR- The Biggest Flaw in the Constitution

I posted this piece almost three years ago; below is a significant edit of it.  I believe this essay is crucial in understanding how the Constitutional Republic of the USA essentially has been overthrown.  It all started as far back as Alexander Hamilton...and it's not any kind of "conspiracy".  It was (and still is) an in-plain-sight battle between those who believe in genuine democracy and those who believe in Rule by Oligarchs and Plutocrats.  The latter (who are not constrained by political Parties or labels) always have referred to the rest of us as "the little people".

"They" (in the title above) are the Neoliberals, NeoConservatives, and other Oligarchs who over decades and by sheer, disorganized, dumb luck have brought about a coup in our Government.  For years I wondered how so many unconstitutional laws could come into being in this Land with barely a peep of protest from anyone.  I think perhaps finally I've figured it out.  Over the years, now and again, I heard this-or-that politician mention the "necessary and proper" clause of the Constitution; but I never paid much attention to it until recently.

"The Congress shall have Power ... To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof."
~ Article I, Section 8, Clause 18, United States Constitution

The Powers mentioned in that clause, "...the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers...", are those delegated by We the People to our Federal Government.  They are the Enumerated Powers that we have given to the Congress, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch.  The Government has only those Powers.  Unfortunately, going all the way back to our Founding Fathers, some have claimed that Article I Section 8 Clause 18 gives other, implied Powers to the Government.  Hamilton and Jefferson debated that very point.

Alexander Hamilton was the Founder who proposed that our Gov't should be that of a Monarchy; he wanted a King as our leader.  Luckily, that idea quickly was scrapped.  Nonetheless, Hamilton kept fighting for a central government bordering on dictatorial.  He wanted a central bank, and he claimed that Article I Section 8 Clause 18 gave the Gov't implied Powers.  Hamilton argued that the "sovereign" duties of a government implied the right to use means adequate to its ends, regardless of specific Enumerated Powers.  Jefferson opposed him at every turn until Hamilton was killed by Aaron Burr in a duel, July, 1804.  Nevertheless, the seed had been planted.  Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall and others promoted the idea that the Government had implied powers.  At times, the "necessary and proper" clause was referred to as the "elastic clause".

The idea eventually lost favor in the late 1800's up until the 1930's.  With the Roosevelt Administration, the "elastic clause" was back in favor... and as the Fed Gov't expanded, the idea became more and more the flavor of the day.  As that happened, "Legislative Absolutism" took hold more and more.  In 1901, Supreme Court Justice Harlan coined that term, warning of a time when unconstitutional laws would be passed as a matter of course.  He was right.

Any examination of the "necessary and proper" clause with a view toward common sense tells us that no additional Powers are implied by it. Furthermore, it makes ZERO sense that so-called "implied" powers would be able to result in a law which would essentially nullify any specific written clause in the Supreme Law of the Land.  Finally, the use of "implied" powers apparently is virtually without limits.  It's whatever an indoctrinated, propagandized public will tolerate.

EXAMPLE---  The so-called PATRIOT Act essentially nullifies the Fourth Amendment.  Gathering of bulk data is permitted... without the people being intruded upon having to be suspects of any kind.  In addition, FBI Agents can write their own Search Warrants (called "National Security Letters")... the Fourth Amendment makes it clear that judges must issue those.  Finally, other portions of the Act violate the Due Process Clause of the Constitution.  [So do portions of the National Defense Authorization Act, the NDAA.]

All the "necessary and proper" clause is saying is this:  Congress can pass Laws in order to implement the specific Enumerated Powers that were delegated to them by We the People.  Nowhere does it say or imply that Laws contravening the Constitution also may be passed.  Only an attorney with no common sense would infer such a thing from that clause.  Both Hamilton and Marshall were attorneys.  [My admittedly limited experience with attorneys tells me that very few of them have any common sense whatsoever.  They appear to live in a very esoteric world; as with everything, I'm sure there are exceptions.]

In the "necessary and proper" clause, the "foregoing Powers" refers to the Enumerated Powers in clauses 1-17 of Article I Section 8.  "All other Powers" refers to Enumerated Powers in other parts of the Constitution...or, as the 18th clause puts it, "...vested by this Constitution...".  Nothing in this clause implies Powers that are not Enumerated.  That was Jefferson's position, and he was right on the mark.  The Monarchy-loving Hamilton thought otherwise.

So, here's the biggest flaw in our Constitution---
The following, or something similar, should have been added at the tail end of the "necessary and proper" clause and both the "commerce" and "general welfare" clauses:  "Nothing in this section should be construed to mean that the federal government has any powers other than those enumerated in the Constitution.".

My conclusion is that certain people in our political history wanted a way around the constraints of the Constitution.  It appears they desired a central government so strong that it bordered on dictatorial.  To achieve that objective, they inferred from primarily the "necessary and proper" clause, but also from the "commerce" and "general welfare" clauses, so-called implied powers.  I see that as pure BS.  I sincerely doubt that it was the intention of almost all our Founders to give the Government unknown, virtually unlimited Powers that could, in fact, contravene any of the listed or Enumerated Powers delegated by We the People.  That makes no sense... and more importantly, it makes the Constitution worthless.  The primary purpose of the Constitution is to restrain/constrain government; that's not possible if we accept the concept of "implied powers"... which can be almost anything.  

Unfortunately, "implied powers" has been the flavor of the day for decades & decades.  As well as some other people, Trump loves that flavor.  Most Presidents do.  Most people in both Houses of Congress do, too.  That's why we have so many unconstitutional Laws.  The Powers-That-Be have convinced themselves (and most Americans, it seems) that the bedrock of our Gov't, the Constitution of the United States of America, contains unknown, virtually unlimited, implied Powers.  There's no common sense in that view.

None of this bodes well for what is supposed to be a Free Society.  We are marching voluntarily straight into George Orwell's dystopian world.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Clever, Ignorant Madman Strikes

The clever, deceitful, ignorant, gaslighting, lying Trump ups the ante in Syria.  Here are the problems with that--

1.  There's no legal authority at all for the USA to attack Syria.

2.  There's no legal authority at all for us even to be in Syria.

3.  Trump & His Crew want a major war in the worst way.

4.  It's all about economics & finance...nothing else.

5.  A significant part of the world is waging an economic/financial war on the USA, the purpose of which is to end Dollar Hegemony.

6.  The Fed Reserve is out of ammo (so to speak), so war is now the response by our Gov't...unless Russia & Iran act responsibly by not being goaded into a major conflict.

7.  Once again, Trump has ignored/violated the Constitution.

8.  Once again, Congress has abrogated its Constitutional duty relative to war.

9.  The War Powers Act does not supercede the Constitution.  Neither do Presidential orders.

10.  Only Congress can initiate hostilities;  The Commander-in-Chief then manages the war after Congress declares war.

That's how it works IF the Constitution is followed.

11.  Republicans and Democrats have changed the Constitution without legally amending it.  They've done that by passing unconstitutional laws, laws that contradict the Constitution.  No one person or group has challenged those laws...either because they don't want to, or they don't have the time, effort, & money to take it all the way to the Supreme Court.  A Justice Harlan warned about all this in 1901.  He called it "Legislative Absolutism".

12.  Finally, Republicans and Democrats have changed the common sense definition of War via Edward Bernays style Propaganda.  The whole thing is Orwellian to the max.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Impeach the Fake President

Below is a copy of the bulk of an email I sent to my New Mexico Congressman, Representative Lujan.

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Whenever possible & appropriate, I hope you will share the following with your colleagues.

1.  I'm not a Democrat or a Republican, but I've been keenly observing American politics since 1956 (1956 is not a typo)... for about 15 years now as an Independent.

2.  Trump has violated the Constitution at least twice... emoluments, and bombing without approval from Congress... not only the Syrian airfield, but elsewhere as well.  [The fact that other Presidents have taken similar actions does not mean that Trump's actions are legal.  The War Powers Act does not supercede the Constitution.]

3.  He has violated NEPA (Nat'l Environmental Policy Act) at least once.  [Environmental regulatory compliance is one of my areas of expertise.] The DAPL Project requires an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement); there's no question at all about that.  Immediately prior to Trump taking office, the Army had filed an NOI (Notice of Intent) to complete the EIS ; in February, they cancelled that NOI, and later, Trump bragged about closing his eyes & just signing it (the authorization for DAPL).  He did so without a NEPA-required EIS in place.  In short, he violated the Law.

4.  He has made us a laughingstock throughout the world.

5.  His conflicts of interest are beyond belief.

6.  Republicans in Congress are starting to desert him.

7.  It's time to get serious about the Articles of Impeachment that already have been introduced.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Deceitful, Stumblebum Democrats & Republicans in DC, the Corporate Media, and the Russians

Below is my Reply to an email from an organic farmer friend.  He stated in his email that the Repubs were only three States away [Democracy Now claims they're six States away] from being able to call an Article V Constitutional Convention, and that they would do so in order to push through Amendments making the USA even more of a Corporate State.  He thought the time was ripe for them to make such a move.  I've edited my response a tiny bit for this venue.

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I doubt there ever will be another Constitutional Convention.  That would open up a can of worms with which Repubs don't want to deal...because then they would have to be on the record regarding being against a bunch of common sense things, such as Term Limits.

Enough States have called for a Convention numerous times...Congress always has just ignored it (thus violating the Constitution), even when Repubs were in Power.

See:  http://foavc.org  (Friends of the Article V Convention).

You may be right, but it's highly doubtful.  The GOP is way behind on its promised blitz of legislation, investigations are going on, some of the Repubs are hiring private lawyers, and over 200 SENIOR Staff positions in the Administration still are unfilled...100 of them are in the State Dept.  Plus, there's a good deal of dissension in their ranks.  There's just too much on their plate now, and it's going to get worse for them.  For one thing, the spending bill extension (or whatever it's called) runs out before Fall; then they have to deal with raising the Debt Ceiling. 

Trump's Administration already is failing.  I don't think the guy could organize a successful Bake Sale.   He's too arrogant & egotistical to do anything in which he's not the dictator of the whole scene.

The last Constitutional Convention was in 1787.  They don't have the time or the focus to launch another in the near future.  Finally, it's possible that by the time they get those three [or six] States, the Mid-Terms will be here & many/most of them will be out of office.  Of course, that depends on the Democrats, who (like the Repubs) seem to have no clue as to how to run a railroad...or anything else.  

The major political Parties are an utter failure.  They just stumble around, and every so often look out the window of their Ivory Tower while wiping the excess gravy from the Congressional Gravy Train off their lips...trying to figure out what We the People on the ground want from our politicians, or how to further deceive us.  Then, puzzled by trying to understand folks outside the DC Beltway, they go back to bellying up to the Public Trough & slurping their way through the rest of their Term.  They are a disaster, & gave rise to the likes of The Don & his Crew of Corporatist mobsters.  What a tragic joke politics is in America.  Any good politicians are either marginalized or assassinated.

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The following was not included in my Reply---

Trump's recent, childish, "wrestling" Tweet/video clip speaks for itself.  Even the most die-hard of his supporters should be embarrassed for our country.  His behavior (e.g., the recent video clip, his shoving of a Leader to the side onstage at an International Conference, his ridiculous handshake in which he sometimes jerks the other person toward him, his silence when asked a question by Angela Merkel at a Press Conference, etc.), his outright lies, and his ignorance of domestic & world affairs all demonstrate that he isn't even close to being Presidential material.  What he's doing is "gaslighting".  [Google:  What is gaslighting?]  Trump may be ignorant, but he's not stupid.  He's a serial liar, and a dangerous, deceitful person.

As to the Corporatist Democrats, they continue harping on this narrative:  the Russians are coming, the Russians are coming.  [That's the title of a 1966 movie, a comedy-drama.]  Anything to distract from their own failure and corruption.  Anything to distract from their rigging of the Dem Primaries in the last election.  The Corporate Media aid & abet them in the hysteria over Russia "interfering in our election".  Their caterwauling about it is the height of hypocrisy.  Back when, our Gov't made certain that Boris Yeltsin was elected to Office in Russia.  Never mind the dozens of times the Feds interfered with elections in other countries all around the world...including complete overthrows of gov'ts.  Where is the discussion of the content of Podesta's hacked emails???  The Corporate Media briefly skimmed the surface of that, and then buried it.  Instead, it's Russia, Russia, and more Russia.  Russia doesn't want a war with us; it's our Elites who keep provoking things.

Both the Repubs and Dems are bound and determined to demonize Russia and deepen the New Cold War...and New Arms Race.  [The USA is the largest Arms DEALER in the world.]  Anything to distract from the total failure of our two major Parties.  It's no wonder that an idiot such as Trump got into Office.  It's past time to peacefully rectify a situation which threatens not only us, but the entire world as well.  The Corporatists (including Trump) must be kicked out of politics in this great Land.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Afghanistan, Several Sane Politicians, & Perpetual War

Years ago, Elites (public and private) co-opted the Congressional powers to start a war, issue assassination orders, & make rules concerning captured enemies... and gave them to the Executive Branch.  The Powers-That-Be then announced that the entire world is a battlefield, and that the people we're fighting are neither soldiers or criminals.  Instead, they are "enemy combatants".  In this new Orwellian world, that means---according to most politicians---those enemies have no rights of any kind.  Furthermore, those people even suspected of being such an enemy also have no rights.  They can be kidnapped, rendered to allies with no ethics, tortured, held incommunicado, and even imprisoned indefinitely.  This is not only unethical, immoral, & unconstitutional, it's insane as well.

All of the above has resulted in Perpetual War...which is both Machiavellian and Orwellian.  It's also a very good thing for Mega Bankers and the War Industry...commonly referred to as the Defense Industry.

For ten years, I've been pointing out here on this blog that the Constitution is crystal clear on this whole issue.  Only Congress has the delegated power to start a war.  [Article I, Section 8]  The Executive Branch, with the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces [Article II, Section 2],  manages the war after it has been started by Congress.  The Supreme Law of the Land is so clear on this matter that one doesn't even have to be an attorney, much less a Supreme Court Justice, to understand it.  The Constitution also assigns Congress the power and duty to "...make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water".  [Article I, Section 8]  The CIA and the Military (i.e., Executive Branch) are not given that power.  Finally, only Congress has the power to issue "Letters of Marque and Reprisal" (assassination orders).  [Article I, Section 8]  The President does not have that power.

Imagine my joy when finally I heard on the News last night these words from Representative John Garamendi of California:  "Congress has the only power to declare war.  It's in the Constitution.  And yet, in all the seven and a half years I've been in Congress, we have never taken up the issue of war.".  He's one of ten Congress people who are co-sponsoring a legislative bill to de-fund the Afghan War... a war that's been ongoing for over sixteen years, and has no end in sight.  Three of the co-sponsors of the bill are Republicans and seven are Democrats.  At least it's a start.  From what I've heard so far, it doesn't return the powers (described above) stolen from Congress, but it's a start.

Those politicians in DC who believe that Laws passed by Congress and/or Executive Orders can over-ride the U.S. Constitution by transferring Congressional powers to the Executive Branch are violating their oath of office to "preserve, protect, and defend" that document.  The same is true of those who believe because the President is Commander-in-Chief, he/she has the power to decide when a war begins, who is to be assassinated, and which rules apply to captured enemies.  Being Commander-in-Chief does not mean one is allowed to ignore or bypass other parts of the Constitution.  Those powers have been seized by the Executive in an unconstitutional manner.  The President never had those powers, and still doesn't...at least, not legally.

Critics in office say the Supreme Law of the Land is out-of-date.  So...change it.  There are ways to do that...legally.  Critics then say, it's too difficult.  Yes, and purposely so, but it's not impossible.  It has been done over two dozen times.  Instead of violating your oath of office, get off your lazy butts and try to change it.  I suspect the reason none of you do is because then you also would have to deal with an Amendment for Term Limits...which would be the best change for this country in a good long while.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Lessons From the Tragic/Comic Ryan-Trump Reality Show

Lessons The Don should have learned---
1.  He's not the big, bad, tough deal maker he thinks he is.
2.  Talking about riding a bronc and doing it are two different things.
3.  Like everyone else, sometimes he's a failure at executing a task.
4.  Many people don't respond well to bullying and/or ultimatums.
5.  Politics can be complicated.
6.  He's not the Boss of the Congress.
7.  It takes time to craft a decent piece of legislation.
8.  Running the Executive Branch is not the same as running a corporation.
9.  He has no popular mandate.
10.  He doesn't know as much as he says he does.

Lessons We the People (especially Trump supporters) should have learned---
1.  All ten points above, plus...
2.  The Don is in over his head.
3.  For the most part, he's full of hot air.
4.  He's not an effective politician, not even an effective rebel politician.
5.  His style & manner do not command respect.
6.  He displays either ignorance or naivete regarding crucial subjects/topics.
7.  When he says things such as, "Nobody knew that healthcare is so complicated...", that suggests he's not fit to be President.
8.  He makes promises he can't keep...and he knows that.
9.  He'll be a disaster on the international stage.
10.  He's not a genuine Populist.
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With The Don & his Crew in office, we're all in deep trouble...nearly everyone in the entire world.  In fact, the most recent election cycle has demonstrated that the so-called Two-Party System in USA politics (which is NOT mandated in the U.S. Constitution or anywhere else) is working against common people and fostering Elitism.  In other words, this problem is way beyond just Trump.  Until that System is peacefully changed, our country will continue to experience SSDD... in politics, economics, finance, and almost all social matters.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Deep State Will Marginalize Trump...Maybe Completely

A couple of years ago, Moyers & Company had as a guest Mike Lofgren, who had been a Congressional Staffer for 28 years.  During his long stint in Congress, he became aware of the Deep State (Shadow Gov't)...which is a conglomeration of like-minded public & private individuals.  If you're not familiar with that group, simply Google/Bing the term.

As Lofgren pointed out, the Deep State doesn't care whether Repubs or Dems are in power at the national level... those labels are meaningless to the true Powers-That-Be.  Genuine Repubs and genuine Dems don't exist anymore at the very top echelon of the Fed Gov't.  Mostly Neoliberals exist there.  That's Lofgren's conclusion after working 28 years in Congress.

Jump forward to today.

Trump will be squashed and/or completely marginalized by the Deep State, mostly because he has no ideology.  He's nothing but an opportunist, and they won't abide that.  Either that will happen, or he'll simply self-destruct.​

One would think that the Deep State might favor a guy like Corporatist Trump.  They favored Corporatist Clinton instead because she represented the status quo.  Although Trump adheres to Corporatism, he also appears to be:  against Globalization; too unreliable; too volatile; anti-status-quo; too thin-skinned; and too egotistical.  None of that (if true) would bode well for Neoliberalism and Corporatist Globalization... the darlings of the Deep State.

Don't get me wrong---Trump will not be good for Main Street or the USA in general.  He's not a Populist.  He's a dangerous opportunist who says anything he thinks his audience wants to hear.  He's a billionaire Corporatist, a Crony Capitalist, and an ego-maniacal flip-flopper.  [I just watched a clip of his speech at the CIA.  Despite all his previous denigrations (often vicious) of the intelligence community, he says he's their biggest fan.  Typical Trump--- he says whatever his current audience wants to hear.  In this case, I doubt that the audience believed him.]

Apparently, Trump has little to no idea what he's up against.  The main point here is this:  the Deep State runs this country.  Elected puppets have very little to do with it.  They primarily are figureheads.  They give the illusion of a democracy.  In addition, Trump now has an approval rating of 32%.  Not only that, but he lost the popular vote by about three million.  He has no "mandate".  Finally, never mind the entire Fed Gov't, even only the Executive Branch is so huge that it's essentially unmanageable.  It's nowhere near a monolithic institution overseen by one person.  Half the time (I'm guessing), the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing.  Getting around bombastic Trump won't be especially difficult.

I'll give Trump this much--- he did get us out of the TPP.  That's significant... and it's one of the reasons that the Deep State will utterly marginalize the guy.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

p.s.  For those who may not know:  the Deep State is NOT a "conspiracy theory"; it's a well-accepted concept.  Plus, for the most part, it's in plain sight and operates right out in the open.  [Example:  shortly after Trump issued memos suggesting that the DAPL (pipeline) and the Keystone XL Pipeline both should be restarted, an Administrator at the Badlands National Park tweeted scientific facts supporting the concept of Climate Change.]

Here's Something That Trumps Trump...and Hillary, et. al.

The Don's latest utterances, which were largely critical of (or demeaning to) the Muslim parents of a U.S. Army Captain who was killed serving in Iraq, were truly beyond the pale.  All Trump supporters should be thoroughly embarrassed.  The father, Mr. Kahn, rightly had suggested that Trump should read a copy of the U.S. Constitution.

In particular, Mr. Trump, it would serve you well to study the First, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments.

Hillary, as well, would be served by reading especially Article I, Section 8.  I suggest, Ms. Clinton, you concentrate on the clauses regarding war, captures on land & sea, and assassinations (Letters of Marque and Reprisal).  Please have your buddy, the President, re-read those parts, too.  Our Leader, the Constitutional Scholar, apparently has no common sense when it comes to those clauses.

Finally, to all the above and all high-level politicians in D.C., it's way past time for you to review this simple fact, and apply it to your work:  no law---not the PATRIOT Act, not the War Powers Act, not the National Defense Authorization Act, not even any Act (or Executive Order) proposed by Trump---over-rides the Constitution.  The Supreme Law of the Land cannot be negated simply because certain propagandists ram a 342-page Bill through Congress that no one has had time to read...and only two copies were available to members of the House (who were in session all night)...and that was written long before 9-11.  [I refer to the infamous, unconstitutional PATRIOT Act, officially known as the USA PATRIOT Act, which stands for:  "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001".]

Again--- no law (or Exec. Order) trumps the U.S. Constitution, not even laws that Trump says he'll get through Congress...such as a law requiring all Muslims to be "registered" (which clearly would be unconstitutional...and un-American).

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

REDUX: "Hoaxes and/or Lies by the Oligarchs"

[The original post has been edited a tiny bit.]

Here are just a few crucial ones---

1.  The Income Tax

Disregarding earlier, temporary income taxes in the 1860's (to fund the Civil War), the Big Kahuna was the Revenue Act of 1913.  It passed into Law shortly after the 16th Amendment to the Constitution was adopted.  [I won't get into arguments about whether or not the 16th was legitimately ratified.  That's a can of worms and could be argued until the End of Time...and is a waste of time.]  The purpose of the 16th Amendment apparently was to correct a glitch having to do with direct taxes and income from property & interest in the 1909 CORPORATE Income Tax law.

In passing the 1913 Revenue Act, the intent of Congress was to levy an income tax only on the very richest Americans.  [I forget the income threshold, but it was high.]   Only the top 2% of households were required to pay the tax; everyone else was exempt.  Furthermore, the tax was on income from property, rents, and interest, not wages.  [The top 2% had no wages.]  That was the original Income Tax Law.  Obviously, successive Congresses changed it...23 times if I recall correctly.  I sincerely doubt that We the People wanted all those changes...to the point where the IRS does what it does today.

The point is this:  I'm fairly certain that most Americans are largely unaware of the information above.  We've been sold a Bill of Goods relative to the history of the Income Tax Law.  The original intent of it never was to tax the wages of average Americans.  That was rammed through by the Oligarchy later.

According to Reagan's Grace Commission, 100% of your income tax dollars is used to pay the interest on the National Debt.  [97% of all money in circulation in the USA is debt.]  Gov't services are paid for by other taxes, fees, and more borrowing.

2.  The Cold War (1945-1989) Resulted in a Victory of Capitalism over Socialism

Not true, and here's why.  First of all, we had then and still have a Mixed Economy.  At best, it's Crony Capitalism, not Free Market Capitalism.  The only Capitalists in the Western World are SMALL business people.  Western societies, including the USA, have both a weak Welfare State AND strong socialism for the super-rich.  Corporate welfare abounds.  The State-Corporate Complex rules the day.  That is not Free Market Capitalism.  Secondly, when Lenin and his Gang seized power in Russia, socialistic institutions created during the 1917-1918 Revolution were eliminated.  Bolshevism morphed into Communism...which is a political system, not an economic system...and it's totalitarian.  Socialism is not a political system.  The Cold War resulted in the triumph of Democracy (of a sort) over Communism.

The point is this:  the Oligarchs in the Western World today continually claim that they are Free Market Capitalists and that the only other alternative is Socialism...which they claim was defeated by the Cold War.  None of that is a true picture of reality.  Crony Capitalists are not Free Market Capitalists; instead, they are married to the State.  Soviet Russia had a super-elite Class which practiced Totalitarianism...that's what was defeated by Democracy (of a sort) and a Mixed Economy.

Mega, transnational corporations and their propagandists falsely claim that they are Capitalists opposing Socialism.  What they really are (in general) is Fascists opposing the rest of us.  Both FDR and Mussolini defined Fascism as:  the marriage of the power of the State to the power of BIG Business.  That's pretty much what we have in almost the entire Western World today.  Even China now is more Fascist than Communist.  I don't remember any Communist countries ever having billionaire real estate moguls.  China does.

Don't buy into the Propaganda.  Despite their claims, the super-rich are not Free Market Capitalists and they're not opposing Socialism.  They are Neofascists and are opposing the rest of us.

3.  The Scam of Neoliberalism

In the USA, it dates back to at least the 1970's.  The overthrow (essentially by Nixon & Kissinger) of Allende and the installation of Pinochet in Chile on 9-11-73 (the other 9-11) was to be the first practical test of a portion of Neoliberalism.  What a disaster.  The implementation of this political and economic philosophy continues, but Oligarchs here have managed to keep it mostly in the shadows... until recently.  None of that is a conspiracy; to them, it's simply good business practice.  In general, most all Oligarchs today are Neoliberals.  Those at the highest levels are Democrats, or Republicans, or Liberals, or Conservatives in name only.  They don't care at all about those obsolete categories... except to use them as divisive propaganda.

Neoliberalism exploded in growth during the reigns of Reagan and Thatcher.  It continues today.  The goal is nothing short of domination of the worldwide economy and finance by super-rich elites and mega transnational corporations.  Its adherents agree with David Rockefeller, who stated publicly in 1991, "Surely it is preferable to have the world run by unelected elites than by the corrupt politicians of today.".  At least he got the "corrupt politicians" part correct.  He also thanked the Mainstream Press for keeping the Elites' work under wraps "for the past 40 years".  [You couldn't make this stuff up if you tried.]

The irony of this is that it seems some, perhaps many, of these Elites actually are altruists.  I'm convinced that some of them really believe that the world would be better off if it were run by the unelected super-rich.
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If all this seems convoluted, that's because it is.  It's so Orwellian that I'm afraid most people don't believe it.  Or, if they do believe it, they either don't grasp how it affects them directly or they think nothing can be done about it, or both.  And so it goes.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well