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?v=swVjCFqL6-s

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?v=kvJ4XS9_h_0&list=WL&index=69 ]

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.

Watch the Jeffrey Sachs interview (the first link in this essay).  It's quite an eye-opener.

..................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Robert Reich: Why the CONSTITUTION prevents Trump from running for high office in 2024, and much more

 This might be arguable, but it makes perfect sense to me; and for any new readers here, I'm not a Republican or a Democrat.  I must admit, though, I believe Trump is not only incompetent for high office, but dangerous as well.  In my opinion, he's the worst President we've had in my lifetime, and I'm eighty years old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5ffe7MYSo8

Of course, we must keep in mind that about half the time our elected officials in the Fed Gov't ignore the Constitution, and do whatever is expedient in various situations.  If you don't think so, consider the following.  A few Laws passed by Congress clearly violate the Fourth Amendment.  FISA and the FISA Court violate the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.  The PATRIOT Act violates the Fourth Amendment.  In addition, the NSA - created by President Harry Truman, but not revealed to the Public until 1975 - absolutely violates the Fourth Amendment.  Many legal scholars agree with all the above.  So does the ACLU.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBbELqqSyek

How can this be in the "Land of the Free"?  How are these violations permitted by We the People?  I think it's due to poor education, Establishment propaganda, and distractions via the Rat Race and "bread & circuses".  We the People have lost our vigilance because we're under-educated, over-propagandized, and too busy to notice the erosion of our freedom.  AND/OR - we've become apathetic because we don't believe anything can be done about the decades-long coup by the Corporatocracy.

Surely it's not that last item above.  People are waking up.  Worldviews are changing.  Peaceful change is underway in many areas.  Not much is coming from the Top down, so communities are making changes from the grassroots up.  Those changes are in agriculture, in employment, in consumption, in politics, in resilience, in ethics, and in lifestyles.  Because of all that, Oligarchs/Plutocrats seem to be a little more worried lately.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbbgfnpJN9w

....................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Trump Outdoes His Former Ignorant Statements

As reported on Democracy Now (today)---

"And then I see the disinfectant... knocks it [the virus] out in a minute...is there some way we can do that... by injection... inside [the body]... almost a cleaning."  ~ DJT

The above statement was toward the end of Trump's announcement about new research to be done on covid-19 by Homeland Security.  Perhaps it was more of his gaslighting, meant to confuse people.  Or, perhaps it was simply another measure of his utter ignorance regarding human biology in particular, and Science in general.  In any case, these kinds of outrageous announcements might encourage uneducated people who may be feeling desperate to try it on their own.  Hopefully, that will never happen.

In all my years of following American politics, I've never heard anything more stupid than this bit by DJT.  Absolutely unbelievable.  This is the man who has access to the nuclear war trigger.  Think about that.  Not only that, he's the man who asked, "Why can't we use them [nuclear weapons]?".

Shortly after The Don's imbecilic remark, Lysol issued the following warning:
"...under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion, or any other route)."

Even a four-legged donkey (or a puppet for the Financial Sector) should be able to beat Trump in the next election... that is, if there's any common sense at all left in the American people.

Not only my opinion.  Stay Well

Disturbing Responses to COVID-19

1.  Trump has put Pence in charge of the battle against the virus in the U.S.  Other than Trump, himself, Pence probably is the most anti-science person in the entire current Administration.  There are so many competing for the anti-science King title, though, that naming Pence as the winner is a tough call.  :)

2.  All statements about covid-19 now have to be approved by Pence before being released to the public.  That includes all informational statements from the CDC, medical researchers, and all medical professionals in the Gov't.  Does anyone besides me see a problem here?  This approval requirement basically is a modified Gag Order, and approval for release will be doled out by a guy who essentially knows jack-squat about Science.

I'm guessing the probability is high that sooner or later crucial info may be kept from us because its release would have a damaging effect on the economy.  The false perception of a "great" economy is crucial to Trump's re-election.

3.  The pundit, Rush Limbaugh, has stated that covid-19 is nothing but a "common cold".  This is often what happens when people with little to no science background delve into a scientific topic.  I imagine he read somewhere that one type of common cold is caused by a corona virus (which is true).  I further imagine he concluded that means covid-19 is a common cold.  Apparently, it never entered his mind that several different types of corona viruses exist, with different degrees of virulence.  SARS is caused by a corona virus, too, but it's far from being a common cold.  Arguably, covid-19 is worse than SARS, especially in regard to how fast it spreads.

Hey, Mr. Limbaugh (& all his fans), covid-19 causes illness MAGNITUDES worse than a common cold.  In your dogmatic pontifications, perhaps you should stick with what you know.  I'm not sure what that is, but am fairly certain it involves nothing scientific.

Finally, the 1918 Spanish flu infected about 500 million people and killed an estimated 50 million...including 675,000 in the USA.  Pandemics never should be taken lightly.
.................................
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Racial Term "White" is Propaganda

Preface---
Below is a somewhat edited email I sent to a few family members and friends during the recent Senate trial of the impeached Trump.  The overwhelming bulk of the essay is not about the trial.  Rather, it's about immigration, Race, so-called "white" culture, propaganda, ethnicity, and our Fed Government.
.........................

The Repubs have pulled out all the stops in terms of distraction from Trump's criminality.  It's obvious to the point of being comical, but their immigrant-hating, minority "base" supporters will buy it.  I don't think the majority of them are really "racist".  What they fear is that some other culture will become dominant here in the USA.  The same is true for some "white" people in other Western World countries.

According to Pew Research, "non-whites" were the majority in 293 Counties in the USA in 2018, mostly in the Southwest & Northeast, but not totally.  Given the birth rates of different ethnic groups (not "racial" groups, which is a different category), it's a given that so-called "white" culture will not be dominant in the future, and that's only counting the influence of immigrants who are here legally.  So, folks worked up about "illegals" need to get over it.  Besides, a culture doesn't have to be dominant in order to survive.  Look at the early immigrant Germans, Italians, Irish, Jews, Chinese, other Asians, etc.---all different cultures, all hated by some people at different times, & all still here... both the ethnic groups and their different cultures.

In addition, White Supremacists should wake up to the fact that Mexican-Americans belong to the same "Race" as they do.  In a 1950 Supreme Court Case (Hernandez v. Texas), the decision affirmed that although such Hispanics biologically are members of the "white" race they also are an ethnic "class" apart, & as such, should be represented on juries. [There were no Chicanos (Mexican-Americans) on the jury in the trial of Hernandez.]

I've maintained for years that the so-called "white" race isn't white at all.  The proper term is Caucasian.  Caucasians are from Europe (including Spain), the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Asia, & Central Asia.  [Russia and Turkey are in both Europe and Asia.]  By any reasonable measure, our skin color (& skin color basically means nothing significant) is not "white".  Slap a piece of computer paper on your arm, hand, or face.  It's plain that we are not "white".  That racial term came about because "white" is associated with purity, goodness, and the opposite of "evil" darkness.  [Muhammad Ali pointed that out in one of his college speeches, and he was correct.]  To me, the use of it is subtle racism.  Our Gov't & the Establishment in general once used the correct term, Caucasian; they all now use the term "white".  Shabby, false propaganda.

Sorry, but as a painter who uses many different colors every day, it bothers me that "white" is used--- especially by the Government--- to refer to a particular biological Race.  It also bothers me that too many people appear to be ignorant of the difference between "Race" and "Ethnicity".  Different ethnic groups (with very different cultures) often belong to the same Race.  There is no single "white" culture.  That's a myth, and egregious propaganda.

Wake up, "white" America.  

......................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Pitiful Case of Donald John Trump

Preface
Everything I'm about to say in this essay, other than my opinions, is public knowledge.  One may have to dig just a little to find some of the information, but it's all available to anyone who looks.
..............................
1.  The Don was a millionaire by the time he was eight years old.  Thank you, Daddy.

2.  He likes to tout the fact that his father gave him a "small loan" of a million dollars (when he was a young adult), and from that he built a billion dollar business...supposedly.  Indeed, Fred did give his son that loan...and then, over the following years, he did it again, and again, and again, etc.  The total wound up being sixty million dollars.  Thank you, Daddy.

3.  When his business was on the verge of utter and complete bankruptcy in the 1980's, various banks bailed him out and put him on a generous monthly allowance.  The financiers figured his name on a viable business was worth more than what they'd get out of his bankruptcy.

4.  So much for Trump's narrative that except for a "small loan" from his father, he essentially built a business from nothing.  It's one of an infinite number of outright lies.

5.  The Don learned how to lie, smear his opponents, and psychologically gaslight from the former Mob lawyer (and former Chief Counsel for Senator Joe McCarthy), Roy M. Cohn.  Cohn was his personal lawyer for a time.

6.  During his years in both real estate and the casino business, several times he shafted employees out of both jobs and wages.  At the same time, some independent contractors were shafted out of duly earned fees.  If they sued, he would countersue.  Cases would drag on until the aggrieved parties quit trying to recoup their losses.

7.  He's an autocrat wannabe, but appears to be a shallow, weak person who admires most of the dictators on the world stage.  That alone makes his Presidency an embarrassment to all decent people in this country. 

8.  Thanks to the mistakes, misdeeds, and sheer nonsense of the Establishment Oligarchy, The Don pretty much fell into the Oval Office.  Shenanigans by the Republican Party operatives prior to and during the 2016 election certainly helped, but mostly it was because most people were fed up with same ol', same ol' crap from politicians.  They thought The Don would change things to their benefit.  They were about 99.9% wrong about that.

9.  Since getting into office, he has been crass, boorish, a serial liar, foolish, ignorant, unstable, alienating, and dangerous.  I believe he's the most dangerous President in my lifetime...and I was born in 1942.

10.  The Don should not be hated...hate engenders more of the same.  Instead, he should be pitied... and booted out of office.  Maybe then, we can return politics to some degree of sanity here.  Maybe then, 80% of the world's adults will stop believing that our Gov't is the greatest threat to stability and peace on Earth.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well
p.s.  Again, for any new readers, I'm not a Republican or a Democrat.

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

Assange, the Feds, Russia, Tom Drake, Politics, Elections, and Hypocrisy

Below is an email I sent to a few of my family & a few friends, and my response to a friend's reply...edited a bit.  In particular, the last full paragraph of this Post was not in my email response at all.
........................

The War on Whistleblowers---

After saying during his first Pres campaign for election that they should be protected, Obama prosecuted more of them than anyone in our history.  Imagine what Trump's Crew will do to Assange.  While the Right & Left squabble, Plutocrats/Oligarchs win again.  Their war crimes will continue to go unpunished...all in the name of "safety".  Meanwhile, those who expose violations of the Constitution and outright crimes by the Gov't will be persecuted and prosecuted.  

Do a Search for: Tom Drake whistleblower.  Bush, Obama & Holder destroyed the career & much of the life of this American hero, a Vet, and an honorable Gov't servant who spent months trying to expose NSA wrongdoing by doing so "within the system".  The Powers-That-Be ignored & denigrated him, so he finally went outside the system to expose Gov't crimes.  They essentially kneecapped him.  Later, Hillary had the gall to state that Manning should have worked within the system, thus gaining the protection of whistleblower status.  What a tragic joke.  In her youth, Hillary was a Populist, but for some time now, she's been nothing but a multi-millionaire Plutocrat.  [Hopefully, she's washed up in politics.]

...............................................
A friend responded with a somewhat biting critique of Assange... especially relative to the last few years.  My reply is below.
........................................

No one's perfect.  Despite his flaws, I think Assange is a hero.  After being cooped up in a building for 7 years, and denied safe passage to a hospital for needed medical diagnosis & treatment, who knows what anyone might do after realizing you're going to be arrested... and most likely extradited to the USA's totally broken Fed Justice System.

As to Russia, their misdeeds re the election merely are payback for all the crap our Gov't heaps on them... we've interfered in their affairs (including elections) for decades.  Sanctions, elections, Ukraine, NATO encroachment right up to their border (after it was agreed not to do that), & who knows what else.  As to the Dem email leaks, GOOD.  I think those were in the public interest--- exposure of the two-faced Hillary, and the manipulation of Primaries by the Dem Upper Crust.  The truth was exposed; too bad that the truth did not favor Democrats.  That's the fault of Dems, not Russians.

I really am sick & tired of hearing Dems whine about Russians "interfering in our elections".  What hypocrisy...and they're still complaining.  They should focus on the fact that two Plutocrats were running for President...correct that.  The Dems are just as bad as the Repubs when it comes to being self-righteous in terms of election behavior.  But the Dems gerrymander, too; the Dems manipulate Primaries, too.  Just because the Repubs are worse about it does not excuse Dem behavior... including their self-righteousness.

The article you sent implied that the charge against Assange was not really much...& not related to publishing.  Please.  He could get 45 years in prison according to a previous lawyer of his.  Plus, I don't see how aiding a whistleblower in getting info is not related to publishing that info.

As to Assange (an Australian) favoring Russia, maybe so; but unfortunately, our Gov't is a much bigger threat to the world than the Ruskies ever could be.  Not just militarily, but all across the board.  There's no doubt whatsoever about that.  I don't at all believe their Gov't Plutocrats are the "good guys"; but our Gov't Plutocrats (at the highest levels) are a gazillion times worse, and a monstrous threat to this planet...militarily, economically, financially, environmentally, politically (even though our NeoFeudalism is more subtle than Russia's), & in every other way I can imagine.

Conclusion:  all this braying about Russia is, to me, blatant HYPOCRISY... and way overblown... and finally,  a distraction from much more important things.  As to Assange, our Government's wrongdoings need to be exposed.  History shows that the State almost always tries to cover up its crimes by criminalizing those who expose them.

I love this Land; but we need to wake up to the fact that our Fed Gov't is led by a bunch of screwed-up, dangerous, plutocratic oligarchs...and that's no matter whether Republicans or Democrats hold majority power.  Another option is to keep drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid, bury our heads in the sand, and hope everything turns out okay.  Another option is to continue to believe (as the True Believers do) that only the Republicans or the Democrats have the right solution to our problems... in other words, to continue to believe the Propaganda coming from one or the other of those two camps.

.............................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Companies Claim to Have Gizmos With Artificial Intelligence

IBM (and a few other companies) claim to have created AI.  That's unadulterated hogwash.  AI does not presently exist...unless it has been created secretly (probably by the Fed Gov't, perhaps DARPA) and is known only to a select few.  To be an AI creation, a gizmo would have to be aware of itself as a separate being.  In other words, it would have to be a sentient being.  A machine that can memorize data is not an AI being...not even close.

Those false claims by IBM and others are illustrations or examples of how Orwellian our society has become.  Cognitive dissonance often stresses us because of the way in which words are used today.  Newspeak, oldspeak, doublethink, crimestop, thoughtcrime, facecrime, etc.---or similar ideas--- seem to be fast becoming accepted concepts.  Lies, propaganda, and with Trump, gaslighting, all have become commonplace with many politicians and many people in Big Biz.

Whether purposely or inadvertently, the State-Military-Corporate Complex makes use of Orwellian methods to manipulate the public.  Those methods, plus Bread & Circuses, enable the Plutocrats to confuse and distract those of us on Main Street.  For our own good, we need to recognize such things and whenever possible, shun the perpetrators.  We are many; they are few.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Genuine Democracy Does Not Exist in the USA

I love this Land and, in general, its people.  Because someone loves their country does not mean that they have to love the rulers in their government.  Our rulers not only are plutocratic, they are fast becoming autocratic and despotic.  All one has to do is listen to and watch the current Occupier of the Oval Office for proof of that.

This never was a democracy; not only that, but our 

"democratic republic" is long gone.  The majority of our 

Founders described democracy as "mob rule", or "two 

wolves & one sheep deciding what's for lunch", or 

"despicable", or "tyranny of the majority", or "the devil's 

own gov't", or "the most violent of despotisms", or 

"violating the concept that whoever owns the country 

should rule it", etc.  [All quotes by various Founders.]

Schools left all that out of American Gov't 101.  

................................

Our democratic republic is long gone because---

1.  The Constitution is violated almost equally by Dems 

& Repubs...and often.  That has been going on for decades; some of them even admit it.

2.  The proper use of the Executive Order is violated 

almost equally by Dems & Repubs.  [The Constitution 

allows only two Executive Orders in Article II, Section 2.  

Dems & Repubs claim that those two imply an unlimited 

& unspecified number of others.]

By violating this provision of Article II, Section 2, Presidents have been able to create "laws" without Congress.  For decades, past Presidents each have done this literally hundreds of times.  That makes them autocrats.  Presidents represent the State, not the People; that's why only Congress is authorized to create Laws.  Members of Congress supposedly represent We the People.

3.  In general, the majority of both elected Dems & 

elected Repubs are warmongers & corporatists.  With 

rigged Primaries, rigged elections, gerrymandering, 

voter suppression, black box voting, etc., that's not going 

to change.  Never mind the unrelenting propaganda.

4.  Both Parties believe in Mega Corps being too big to 

fail and too big to jail.  That applies not only to Mega 

Banks, but to Mega Insurance Corps & others as well.

5.  Probably over 99% of national candidates are 

selected, groomed, & financed by Super-Rich Plutocrats.

6.  Both Parties gerrymander House districts.

7.  Both Parties rig Primaries.

8.  Both Parties support corporatist globalization.

9.  According to a Princeton study, national politicians 

ignore the expressed will of the People 70% of the time.

10.  If voting really & permanently changed anything of 

significance, the Powers-That-Be would make voting 

illegal.

11.  Despite any small victories won by the People, 

Corporatism ultimately winds up ruling.

12.  Except for some indigenous societies (mostly in the 

Past), throughout history---& right through to today--- 

Plutocrats always have ruled.  C'est la vie. 

13.  What we've had ruling our country for decades now is a Plutocratic, CRONY Capitalist, State-Corporate Complex.  It reigns supreme, and it's not a "conspiracy"; it's right out in plain sight.

.................................

Under present conditions, voting won't change any of 

the above.  Meaningful change only will come from 

outside the whole corrupt system, a system that should 

be shunned...and that change should be peaceful.

Not only my opinion.

Be Well

Reasons Why USA's Fed Government = World's Biggest Bully

In this essay, I'm not claiming these reasons are the only ones or necessarily the most egregious ones.  Nor are they equal in magnitude.  Nevertheless, taken together they do show a pattern of self-righteous bullying, and sometimes outright illegality.  The items in the list below are not in any order of importance.
....................................
1.  Not long ago and undoubtedly at the direction of the White House, Nikki Haley (no relation to me) threatened countries with consequences if they didn't go along with the policies of the current anti-Science Administration.  Thank heaven she'll be resigning her post, but I imagine she'll be replaced by someone else who, like Trump, thinks the USA is King of the World.  Threatening allies and others is bullying; doing it in public is egregious, political claptrap.

2.  At the same time that the White House and Congress are braying about Russia, and now China, interfering in our elections, John Bolton is talking about overthrowing the government of Iran.  Is not overthrowing a gov't the ultimate example of interference?  Not only bullying, but the word "hypocrisy" comes to mind...big-time.  [Then there's the fact that the USA's & Britain's governments, back in the 1950's, participated in the coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected gov't.  Why?  Because the new leader wanted Iran's oil to be for Iran... what audacity.  Then, too, there's the fact that the USA's gov't engineered coups in other countries, such as Guatemala and Chili.  More bullying and hypocrisy.]

3.  Starting with Obama and continuing with Trump, the Executive Branch is developing so-called tactical (low-yield) nuclear weapons.  Some of the Fed policy makers apparently believe that the use of such weapons will not have any serious, long-term, detrimental effects on life on Earth.  In other words, they seem to think that nuclear weapons can be used without much harm to the planet and its ecosystems.

No one knows any such thing.  That use would be a most dangerous experiment.  So far, evidence regarding radiation indicates any such use would be a disaster.  The point here is that development of these weapons is bald-faced bullying.  Do what we say, or we'll nuke you.

4.  The idea of "Preemptive War" probably didn't start with the Dubya Bush Administration, but that Admin claimed that the execution of the concept was legal...hence, the disastrous Iraq War.  In the simplest terms, Preemptive War means:  we are going to attack you because you might be planning to attack us.  Furthermore, we're so special that we're positive you are planning that.  We can predict the future.

Preemptive War is not only unconstitutional, it's also immoral, unethical, and in defiance of common sense.  It bespeaks a gross distortion and subversion of "American Exceptionalism".  As far as I can determine, every fairly recent Administration at the Fed level has believed in it.  There's no doubt at all that Trump embraces it.  This is bullying to the max.

5.  Regarding recent Fed treatment of Native Americans/American Indians---
when it comes to oil pipelines (such as DAPL), the Executive Branch seems to be saying:  we don't care about the risk to your water, or the desecration of your burial grounds, or the desecration of other holy sites.  We are issuing the permit for this, no matter what you say or do.

Furthermore, we are going to bypass the Fed Law requirement for an Environmental Impact Statement on this project.  We can do that because we claim that each section of the pipeline is like a "spur line", which has no such requirement.  Plus, we now have an autocrat-wannabe President who thinks he's above the Law.  Finally, oil is "National Security".  When it comes to that, we can ignore any Law we choose.  More bullying.

6.  Since the Supreme Court's Kelo v. City of New London decision, Fed Eminent Domain applies to taking land for economic development.  That means your land can be (after just compensation) seized and then sold or given to a company for private development.  That's now considered "Public Use"... because of the taxes generated.  This Court decision was/is outrageous.

Our Fed Gov't doesn't bully only other countries and American Indians.  It does so to all of us.

7.  The tactics of the IRS sometimes are Gestapo-like.  I've experienced something like that personally.  They don't mind being bullies at all.
[SIDE NOTE:  By the way, the first permanent Income Tax (1913) applied only to about the top 2% of the population, and did not include taxation of wages.  Only passive income was taxed under that Law.]

8.  Regarding treatment of asylum seekers and other immigrants, separation of 6,000 family members, caging kids, misleading parents, etc.---
This current Administration has acted horribly, immorally, and in an unchristian manner.  It's truly incredible, and all just to make a political point.  Shabby bullying for political gain.  Inexcusable.
............................
Why We the People enable politicians such as these to "represent" us is beyond my comprehension.  As I've said before, massive boycotting could correct the situation and bring down the whole House of Cards.  Unfortunately, that probably never will happen.  Oligarchs/Plutocrats will continue to rule.  The root blame for that is Edward Bernays style Propaganda.  C'est la vie.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

While Gaslighting, The Don and His Crew Dismantle Protections and Ignore Laws

In general, the Corporate Media should be both embarrassed and ashamed.  With rare exceptions when it comes to Trump, all they focus on are his bizarre actions, statements, and contradictions... in other words, his psychological gaslighting.  At the cost of serious, in-depth reporting, the Media appear to be pursuing nothing but ratings and advertising revenue.  They enable The Don by catering to his purposeful, distracting, contradictory behavior.

Little, if any, attention has been given to the dismantling of protections provided by the EPA, or the Interior Department, or NOAA, or various consumer protection agencies.  Little to no attention has been given to violations of the Constitution, or violation of Laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  See my essay here: http://individualsovereignty.blogspot.com/2017/07/trumps-violation-of-nepa-sepa-laws-rules.html
Little to no attention has been given to the anti-Science thrust of Trump and His Crew.

Worst of all, there's almost no discussion of the fact that Trump is merely a symptom of our problems, not the cause.  He's a by-product of conditions (social, economic, political, & philosophical) that go back for decades.  For a brilliant discussion of that issue, see Glenn Greenwald's piece here:
https://theintercept.com/2018/09/21/michael-moores-fahrenheit-119-aims-not-at-trump-but-at-those-who-created-the-conditions-that-led-to-his-rise/

The underlying problems in this great Land are the Plutocracy and accompanying Corporatism or Crony Capitalism.  Until we address those, we will be subject to more of the Trump types... autocrat wannabes, plutocrats, and frauds.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Kudos to Trump, Plus the Repub v Dem Squabble

Kudos to Trump must be said.  Perhaps he finally recognized that our Gov't, whether for good reasons or sometimes bad reasons, has been threatening, sanctioning, and intimidating North Korea for many decades.  No wonder they pursued nuclear ICBMs.  Then, too, he probably also recognized the value of the Summit to the Repubs in the upcoming Mid-Term elections.  Lastly, I imagine he considered the value of it to his mythical reputation as a deal-maker.  While praising him, though, let's not disregard the crucial contribution of the South Korean President, Moon Jae-in.  He constructed the basis for the whole thing.

Except for Bernie Sanders, Keith Ellison, Elizabeth Warren, & a very few others (all of whom have been marginalized by the DNC), the Corporatist Dems at the top of the heap---who falsely claim to be "Progressives" or "Moderates"---should all be praising Trump for the outcome of the Summit.  As a Congressional guest (Rep. Ro Khanna) on Democracy Now said today:  if the Summit had happened under Obama, the Democrats would be cheering.  [I'll bet little of that takes place.  Here's why.]---

The Corporatists in charge of the upper echelon of the Democratic Party must do everything they can to promote the illusion of a battle between the two major Parties.  That's been the game ever since Neoliberals and NeoConservatives have taken over both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party.  Those Parties now (& for some time) merely are branches of the only major Party in the USA, the Corporatist Party.  I'm not coining a term here; call it the Oligarch Party, or the Plutocrats, or the Shadow Gov't, or whatever.  The name doesn't matter, because after all, it doesn't officially exist.  It's highly likely that especially the young people of today think that the major Parties are the norm, that they've always been the way they are now.  That's simply not true.

The NeoCons and the NeoLibs both began their ascent in the 1970's... mostly on a theoretical level; in other words, they developed their philosophical underpinnings.  The differences between them are almost nil, and center around a few social Hot-Button issues (such as gun control).  They gained speed in the 1980's and really exploded onto the scene in the 1990's.  They are essentially the same on the crucial issues of the economy, finance, war, corporatism, and corporatist globalization.  They now control the Fed Gov't, and have for at least 25 years.

Trump hasn't changed that at all.  He's a faux "rebel", and nothing more than their puppet.  Perhaps he's unwitting in all this, but I doubt it.  Surely at least he knows that he owes the Mega Bankers big-time.  They bailed him out in the 1980's when his arrogance, incompetence, and ignorance relative to Big Business brought his "empire" to the brink of total collapse.  His recent banking deregulation gift to them is partial payback.

Bottom line:  good for Trump relative to Korea; nevertheless, he's still a Corporatist, not a Populist.  He still serves the Plutocrats.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

"In the Year 2525"

In 1969, a song came out by the duo Zager & Evans under the title "In the Year 2525".  All these years later, I see humanity going pretty much right where the song predicted.  We humans just can't seem to live and let live; plus, we're being sucked into the abyss of technology at a breath-taking pace.  It's de-humanizing all of us.  

Now it's almost nothing for a President to talk about nuking 25 million people...as if they're ants.  I find it not only sad & tragic, but also puzzling...and in a devastating way, comical.  As a species, our ignorance truly is beyond the pale.  Unfortunately, and despite popular opinion here to the contrary, I believe Americans are the worst of the bunch.  Our hubris on the world stage is absolutely astounding...no matter which political Party is in power.  We are so "holier-than-thou" that it boggles the mind.  It's no wonder to me that 80% of the world's people think that the greatest threat to Peace is our Fed Gov't.  That poll was taken a few years ago; now the number is probably up to 90% or more.  My main solace in all that's going on today is that in 10,000 years none of it will matter one whit.

Nevertheless, Life really is fascinating in these weird times.  

Long ago, a Zen Master said, "Once you understand the true nature of Reality, the only thing left to do is to have a good belly-laugh.".  I suspect that he was right.

p.s.  "I feel much better now that I've given up hope."   ~Woody Allen  [That's funny!]

Bottom line:  enjoy Life; it's short.  We all know that, but on a daily basis I think we tend to forget it.

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 Appalling Gall of the U.S. Government

From beyond the grave, George Orwell must be having a belly-busting laugh.  I wonder if he knew that his writings were so prophetic.

On the News tonight (Sunday, April 22), there was a piece titled "Accidental Americans".  It was about a few folks who had been born decades ago in the USA, and then shortly thereafter, they and their families went back home to (in these cases) France.  By "shortly thereafter", I mean days or a couple of weeks.

Enter the Fed Government's IRS...that's the part of our Gov't to which I'm referring in the title above.  The IRS has decided that income taxes should be levied against not only residents, but anyone born here as well...even if they left as babies, never to reside here again.  So now these adults in France (and probably some other countries) are faced with US Income Taxes on their French incomes.  That makes no sense whatsoever.  I challenge anyone to explain sensibly how that action is justifiable.

The US IRS has a long history of exhibiting very little common sense.  This is another example of that; additionally, the agency too often adopts Gestapo-like tactics in "enforcement" actions.  It also glaringly shows how the Fed Gov't often displays zero respect for an individual's sovereignty.

I suspect that some people, perhaps many, fail to grasp the concept of "sovereignty".  It seems that too many people believe only The State has sovereignty, and that the concept does not apply to individuals.  In an ethical world/society, The State only REPRESENTS the sovereignty of We the People.  It's individuals who possess sovereignty, not governments.  That's why Plutocracies and Oligarchies around the globe constantly are propagandizing their citizens to believe that they live in a "democracy".  The USA is a prime example:  we don't live in a democracy; instead, it's a Plutocracy through and through.  It always has been.  The few politicians in our history who tried to change that were either marginalized or eliminated.

Wake up, Americans--- the Rich & Super-Rich rule us...to their benefit, and our detriment.  Now they're trying to do the same to people who don't even live here, and never have worked here.  Kudos to the lady in France who stated in the News interview:  "I'm not going to pay it [the U.S.-imposed income taxes].".  Why should she?  She never worked here in her whole life!  The gall of the IRS is beyond the pale.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Trump Corporatist Fiasco Continues

1.  In the past year, our National Debt has increased by one trillion dollars; it now stands at just a smidgen away from $21 trillion.  I imagine that's one of the factors which caused the IMF to launch a ten-year program to replace the Dollar as the world's reserve currency.  I recall creating and later sending a petition of concern to selected members of Congress in late 2003 or early 2004.  It was about our National Debt; at the time, the Debt was $6.8 trillion.

2.  We're now closer to nuclear war than at any time since the end of the old Cold War.  The Powers-That-Be now even believe that the use of "tactical" nukes is possible without any significant, long-term, negative effects on Life.  Today's nuclear nations (especially Trump's USA) continue to promote the idea that nuke weapons should not exist in any country...except theirs.  It's long past the time when no nation should have nuclear weapons.

3.  Our Bubble economy continues.  Despite propaganda to the contrary, it's getting worse under Trump's Corporatist, Government-Sachs Administration.

4.  Environmental/Health/Safety regulations are being rolled back by the anti-Science Trumpistas on an unprecedented scale.  They live in an artificial world, apparently have had little to no education in the natural sciences, so it's no wonder they seemingly can't grasp the interconnectedness of living things and their habitats...including those of humans.  The same thing is happening with regulations in the Financial Sector.  The foxes now are guarding the hen house, the hen house being We the People.  The transfer of wealth to the Upper Crust is being made easier.  The Middle Class continues to shrink; it's now less than 50% of our population.

5.  With the firing of Tillerson, the only person in the whole Trump Crew who had a bit of statesmanship in him, the Don's White House most likely has surpassed all others for Staff turnover in the first fourteen months or so.  Not a stable situation.  The only thing consistent about the Trump Outfit is that they're all scientifically illiterate, and they're Corporatists, Warmongers, supporters of torture, supporters of failed economic & fiscal policy, & Super-Rich.  Never mind that they're violators of their Oath of Office..."...preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States...".  The really bad news is that Trump's choice for a replacement each time there's a Staff turnover is even worse in terms of Corporatism, Warmongering, etc.  They're like a bunch of spoiled, ignorant children.

6.  Though a bit less, probably so because of the approaching Mid-Term elections, Trump's gaslighting & lying continue.  He comes out with outrageous claims and bald-faced lies...most likely to distract people from his many troubles.
....................................
It's mind-boggling that Trump ever got into the highest political office in this Land in the first place, and that he hasn't yet been kicked out.  That's the truly amazing part of it all.  Welcome to the Evil of Two Lessers.  In the USA, Propaganda reigns supreme...again.

Though there are obvious differences, the entire political scenario in the USA today is eerily similar to that of Germany in 1933.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well
p.s.  For any new readers here, no, I'm not a Democrat...or a Republican.

A Warning About So-Called Crypto-CURRENCY

First, let me state clearly that I'm in favor of alternative currency.  It should be obvious that the U.S. fiat Dollar is crashing...and it's not the only one doing so.  Nevertheless, it's important to note the misrepresentations and falsehoods regarding all crypto-currencies...as follows.

1.  The implication coming from crypto people is that Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc. can be used legally in "money" transactions, and that the crypto-"coins" are not regulated (or barely so) by the Feds.  False.  The first law that applies to them is the Legal Tender Law, Section 5103 of Title 31 (U.S. Code/USC), which delineates exactly what is acceptable as currency.  Guess what?  All the listed items are issued by some portion of the Gov't or the Fed Reserve.  Crypto-"currency" is not Legal Tender.  The Cryptos also fall under several regulations having to do with commodities...because that's what the Feds have designated them as---commodities, not currencies.

2.  Another implication is that because of "blockchain" technology, crypto people will be able to be anonymous, have their own "banks", and avoid the IRS.  All I can say to that is don't be naive.  DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (founded in 1958), created the High Tech world.  If they can't master "blockchain", all they have to do is offer $500,000 (or a million) to some independent contractor or two to do it.  The line of applicants will be a mile long.

3.  Finally, there's a strong implication (sometimes an outright claim) from crypto promoters that not only is the Crypto-World anonymous, but it's also safe.  False.  There is a War on Crypto-Currencies being waged by the Feds and others.  Currently, it's a quiet war.  If need be, though, it will get loud and nasty.  Don't think for one minute that the Powers-That-Be simply will roll over and watch their fiat Dollar be replaced by some private alternative.  [Japan appears to be an exception to that.]  If push comes to shove, they will designate all crypto people "financial terrorists" and a threat to national security.  With current laws already in place, you then will be subject to arrest without a proper warrant, being held incommunicado, and being held indefinitely without a trial.

The Elites already are emphasizing the "criminal money-laundering" aspect of Cryptos.  In addition, it's becoming more & more difficult even to access crypto websites.  None of this is a coincidence.  The war is on, and if you're attempting to use Cryptos as CURRENCY, you are a target.  Lastly, anyone who believes that he/she can do any type of electronic transaction deemed by the Feds to be undesirable, and do it anonymously, is behind on the learning curve relative to what the NSA & other Fed agencies are doing.

The only way Cryptos ever will be Legal Tender in the USA is if only the Fed Reserve produces and distributes them.  The Elites won't allow anything else...and they will fight tooth & nail to make certain the Dollar (or its official replacement) remains King.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well