Republicans & Democrats - Time to Cowboy-Up

Preface---
Trump is not the problem; he's merely a symptom of the problem.  More accurately, he's a symptom of a plethora of problems, most of which revolve around Corporatism and Propaganda.  Below I suggest only a couple of things that the highest levels of the Repubs and Dems can do toward making our country a better place, and our standing in the world more favorable.
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Democrats---
This is a no-brainer:  stop harping on Trump's foibles and misdeeds.  They are obvious to almost everyone.  Instead, give us a vision of your program for improvement...a comprehensive vision, rather than a one-or-two-issue vision.  You've managed to essentially kill the "Green New Deal", I've seen little to no efforts/plans on your part to get Corporate money out of politics, or break up the egregious Mega Banks, or put a stop to gerrymandering of House Districts, or stop antagonizing the world with military adventurism, or any significant plan to fix our crumbling public infrastructure, or any plan to encourage manufacturing in this great land, and on & on.  Mostly what I see are high level politicos bellying up to the public trough and private wealth.  I also see that over the years you've managed to pretty much marginalize any person in your Party who favors the "common people".  You give a lot of lip service to genuine Populism, but little else.  Most of you now seem to believe in Neoliberalism, not Liberalism.  It's time for a sea change.

Republicans---
You're just as bad as the Dems.  Over many years, and especially lately, you have squandered and ruined the reputation of a once ethical Party.  In the distant past, your Party stood for:  honor, ethics, We the People, and small business (which employed 80% of American workers).  Now you support what is basically a cabal of super-rich, monopolistic, anti-democracy NeoFascists.  You favor Mega Biz over Small Biz.  You favor Crony Capitalism over genuine Capitalism.  In the past you recognized the folly and danger of policing the world; now you jump at every chance to get into another war.  You once knew the difference between patriotism and nationalism; now you don't seem to have a clue.  In the past, one sect of your Party was Conservative; that's now gone.  Instead, NeoConservatives now dominate a pathetic excuse for what's called the Republican Party.  Even worse, most of you now kowtow to a man who has little to no ethics, morality, or even mental stability.  Shame on you.

Given all that, here's another no-brainer:  stop backing Trump.  History will not treat him well.  He's not even a Republican...and certainly not a Conservative.  In addition, divest yourselves of NeoConservatism.  Re-discover the roots of your Party.  Our country will be better off for it.
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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

Dear President Tweety Bird---

Preface
I really don't like to mock people with name-calling, but the words and actions of your almost constant gaslighting essentially beg for it.  Being far from perfect, I gave in.  Mea culpa.
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Perhaps you would do us all a favor and consider the following points.

1.  It's good that you appear to be withdrawing military troops from Syria.  That's especially true because our involvement in that civil war is unconstitutional.  I'm wondering, though, does the withdrawal include aircraft that do bombing and/or missile attacks?  How about JSOC teams (Special Ops)?

2.  When making your withdrawal announcement, you also claimed (paraphrased here) that we defeated ISIS in Syria.  I think you said, "We won...".  Mr. President, I seriously doubt that even you believe that.  History has shown over and over that war never defeats that type of enemy.  Despite the progress made there (and not just because of our military), ISIS in Syria is far from being defeated.  They merely have faded back into the woodwork for awhile.

3.  Because you tend to lie about half the time, I'm also wondering if you would make public the detailed official Order to withdraw sent to your Commanders in Syria.  You, of course, can redact any sensitive info contained therein.  I mean, surely you don't believe that your Tweety Bird message was any kind of official Order, eh?

4.  How are the seventeen investigations of you and/or your Admin and/or your private companies coming along?  Any info you might share about those?  This is not counting any private investigations that might be going on involving the sixteen women who have accused you of inappropriate sexual behavior or harassment.

5.  How are your gaslighting distractions aimed at We the People doing regarding number 4 above?  Are those distractions working to any significant degree?

6.  Have you read the U.S. Constitution since the 8th or 9th Grade?  Given some of your actions, that seems unlikely.  How about just the 1st, 4th, 5th, & 6th Amendments?  They're really fairly short.  You could easily squeeze them in between golf games.

7.  If you really believe that Mexico is going to wind up paying for your ineffective Border Wall (which should be named, "The Sieve") by you levying tariffs on their goods, has it dawned on you yet who ultimately pays for those tariffs?  It dawned on us (the consumers) quite awhile ago.

8.  Are you aware that 42% of the USA's electorate are Independents, 31% are Democrats, and 25% are Republicans?  I mention that because at times you seem to imply in a braying manner that you have some sort of mandate from We the People.  That's absolutely hilarious.  I'm fairly sure you're not stupid, so most likely your implication is nothing but propaganda.  That's especially likely because 58% of us didn't want you or Hillary to get elected.

9.  Are you aware that, on average, about 50% of eligible voters don't vote in national elections?  It's not because we're lazy; it's because we're fed up with politicians...including you.

10.  With all the Court rulings against your Administration, how is your UNCHRISTIAN immigration policy coming along?

11.  Is there any Head of State in the entire world that you haven't alienated?  At the moment, I can't think of even one.

12.  Most of the people on Earth recognize that we are facing a global, economic/financial Crash.  It's time that you did, too.  The same is true of the worldwide Climate catastrophe.  Start telling the truth.

Finally, don't think for a moment that you have the majority of us fooled.  You aren't any kind of Populist.  While crasser than your predecessors, you're still nothing but a dyed-in-the-wool Plutocrat, an Oligarch.  That's so obvious it's both painful and hilarious.

p.s.  I'm not a Republican or a Democrat, but I think it's highly likely that you won't last through your first term in office...you'll resign or get kicked out.  Given that, perhaps the best course for serious people in the real world (meaning outside the DC Beltway) is to ignore you from this point forward.  You know, just as most of our allies are doing.  You're no longer worth anyone's time or effort...that is, except for investigators.  Your creation of distractions via your childish gaslighting has become boring.
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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.  

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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.

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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

Election = a Mixed Bag - Plus, World Corporate Empire

In what should have been a resounding, slam-dunk rejection of the corporatist, plutocratic, serial-lying, ignorant but clever, law-breaking Trump Admin (and any candidate supported by The Don), the election turned out to be a mixed bag.  There are many reasons for that, but in this essay I'll focus on a chief reason.

[Technically, all the election results have not yet been tabulated.  This is being written just before midnight on Tuesday, Mountain Standard Time.  Nevertheless, I feel comfortable with the "mixed bag" characterization.  Of course, both sides undoubtedly will claim victory on Wednesday.  Once again, and for any new readers here, I'm not a Republican or a Democrat.]

Just as during the Bill Clinton Era, today's Democratic Party (at the highest levels) is run by plutocratic corporatists...or their puppets.  After Clinton left office, the DNC re-took power from the Clintonite DLC (Dem Leadership Council, which heavily leaned toward Corporatism).  Unfortunately for genuine Populists, the DNC quietly adopted most of the policies of the outgoing, corporatist DLC.

So, today (& for a number of years), the only difference between so-called Democrats and so-called Republicans is on most social Hot-Button issues---such as gun control, abortion, gay rights, etc.---and maybe one or two non-Hot-Button, domestic issues.  When it comes to the economy, finance, war, empire, monetary policy, fiscal policy, corporatism, and foreign policy, the two Parties (again, at the highest levels) are pretty much the same.

All of the above means that the Dems in control of their Party don't want to rock the Corporate Boat.  That's why, in the lead-up to the election, we heard little to nothing about the following---

1.  About 50% of working families in the USA are either in poverty, or so close to the brink of it that the difference doesn't matter.  They are in the "Precariat Class", a term coined by the economist & professor, Guy Standing.  People in this Class are insecure relative to their material & psychological existence.  Their lives, through little to no fault of their own, have become extremely precarious.

2.  Of the remaining 50%, about 35% of them are doing okay, but they still are in the Precariat Class...at least in terms of economic and financial stability.  Their jobs and lifestyle are no longer secure.  They could lose it all virtually in a few weeks, or at most, a few months.

3.  The economy is "booming" only for about the top 15% of income earners.  Despite any piddly wage increases of late, wages/salaries still essentially are stagnant (after adjustment for price inflation).  That's been true for about thirty years.  In the same period, the Upper Crust has increased its income by 700%.

4.  Our crushing National Debt (which has the potential of further ruining our economy) is not primarily due to social spending; rather, the main cause is massive Corporate Welfare (including military spending).  Corporate welfare DWARFS all social spending combined.  The "Nanny State" in the USA is for corporations, not people.

5.  Our foreign policy kowtows to Mega Corporations...especially those in the Financial Sector.  Our Fed Gov't is belligerent on the world stage because that ultimately benefits the Big Boys in Biz.  [See the book, War is a Racket, by General Smedley Butler, a Marine for 33 years.]  Our foreign policy is further bankrupting our country.  Do you really believe that we need 900 military bases around the world?  Do you really believe that we still need to be in Afghanistan...after 17 years?  Do you really believe that sanctions on a country are not an act of war?  Do you really believe that we need more expensive nukes?  Our military budget already is larger than those of the next top seven countries combined...and that includes China & Russia.

6.  The goal of Mega Corps is to privatize everything...worldwide.  At the highest levels in DC, politicians are helping them do that...or, at the very least, not opposing them.  The monopolists of Mega Biz are moving us all toward NeoFeudalism, and the pace rapidly is increasing.  In the not-too-distant future, the Middle Class no longer will exist.

7.  Finally, our foreign policy is crucial mainly because it drives domestic policy.  Surveillance, War, Trade Wars, Sanctions, Empire...it all drains economic security from We the People.  It all enriches the Upper Crust at our expense.  It serves to funnel spending away from any safety net for the most vulnerable, and increasingly, from any economic security for everyone who isn't in the top tier of income earners.
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The Big Boys & Girls at the DNC ignore most of the above.  Even the small Progressive Wing of the Democratic Party often appears to not get the significance of foreign policy vis-a-vis the World Corporate Empire.  The Democratic hierarchy is basically the same as the Republicans when it comes to foreign policy, sanctions, war, and Empire.

It all comes down to more wealth for the already wealthy...and the top Democrats don't want to rock the boat.  So they mostly ignore Corporatism, and instead, concentrate on immigration or Russian "interference".  No wonder they can't slam-dunk the rejection of Trump & Crew...and if anything needs slam-dunking, it's that.

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.
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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.
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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