Letter, a projection of the government I want

This letter appeared in the latest “Inlander:” Titled Conservative Insult. “Mr. Reuter is politely insulting conservatives in his recent assertion (“Progressive Conservatism” 3/17/16) that, in doing what’s best for society, they ‘think the costs would be too expensive’ and ‘are abandoning the most challenging, immediate problems of our time.’

He rather well demonstrates the ease of tipping one’s hat to a straw man with his respectful tone, but his argument betrays the fact that he has never bothered to substantially digest any of the significant quotes by the great conservatives such as Milton Friedman or Margaret Thatcher. With any effort to truly understand the opposing view, he would see that conservatives do not believe that it is merely too hard for the government to solve society’s ills, but that when government seeks to do so by expanding its own power, even from the purest of intentions, it inevitably brings about more evil than good.

As soon as government gets involved, it is picking winners and losers. Lady Justice deliberately lifts the corner of her blindfold and tilts the proverbial scales. Multitudes of the able-bodied lay down their shovels at the offer of free bread, while the one who truly needs compassion slips through the cracks, and gets only a cold shoulder and an apology note from the computerized bureaucracy.

Is it really so crazy to believe that charity and welfare should be the domain of living, breathing affectionate, morally-convicted individuals, rather than the impersonal, perfunctory, often corrupt government? That is what conservatism is. If my taxes were not going to fund frivolous art projects around town, my tithe would be all the greater to go forth in support of my less fortunate neighbors,who I have been taught to love directly, and not through government ‘welfare.’

J. Crow
Cheney, Wash.”

Actually J. Crow, your arguments are that of left wing anarchism, not of anything remotely having to do with “conservatism.” But I guess you figure the only way you can justify them at all, is by slapping an oxymoronic label on them. So I shall duly inform you of a few facts: first of all, government does not expand by itself. And second, it doesn’t become inherently corrupt by its own devices.

Republicans or GOP, but not “conservatives.” Republicans such as Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, senior and Junior, all saw an expansion of government during their time in office. The winners and losers in each case,majority “rights” versus that of minorities, in order to systematically gut various civil rights laws. Republican governors in a number of states seeking to gut through the U.S. Supreme Court, voting rights acts. Further, to push religious intolerance against women’s rights, non-Christians, and those of the LGBT. the NRA as lobbyists over and above people desiring reasonable gun laws. Or for that matter, a pro-business agenda versus, the employed work force and the customers. Money as speech that furthers the corruption of government, through the “Citizen’s United” decision (Lady Justice deliberately lifting her blindfold, and tilting the scales). And how does it come to this? Because human beings who run the government, are more than happy to be less than morally-convicted, when money from lobbyists are waved under their noses. Government will expand at all levels, regardless of whether taxes are paid or not, because of assorted interest groups wanting to push their agendas through government. In short, the various factions we all know to exist, are not interested in solving society’s ills on their own. Instead, that is what they want government to do.

I can think of no greater insult to anyone than Crow’s declaring how “multitudes will lay down their shovels” because of an offer of free bread. No one is going to offer free bread, if the able-bodied are gainfully employed. But that’s the rub, isn’t it? People are not gainfully employed, and that is why they must depend upon “free bread.” Crow further asserts, that if his taxes did not have to go toward funding frivolous art projects… Then I shall also gather that he is too poor (from taxes) to tithe his church. A church incidentally, that ought to be extending charitable acts toward the less fortunate. Instead of using that money to build bigger and glitzier churches. Or putting the pastor in a private Lear Jet. Or providing the pastor with a fleet of limousines. Or building him a multi-million dollar mansion. Or using that money to fuel various GOP candidacies. So excuse me, J. Crow; one could write a book on every fallacy brought out by your argument. But this blogged sample will have to do, for now.

Time to settle your differences

In the “Inlander,” the latest “Slowpoke” by Jen Sorenseon caught my eye. The two sides of the Democratic party are engaging in name-calling, derogatory comments about each other’s candidates, etc. And this continues until Ted Cruz becomes the new President with a “TEA Party” Congress. Then the Democrats point fingers and blame each other.

The reason why this parody was right on point, Facebook and the political sides just the Democrats have taken,have made it particularly obvious. So, with reference to the above title: Democrats, if you want to vote for Clinton or Sanders during the caucuses and primaries, then do so. Then once your party has decided who will be the nominee, then vote in force for that Presidential candidate. After all, the GOP are only making a repeated mess of everything. The GOP are only pushing a special interest agenda, through governments at what ever level. You, their constituents are not being served by greed, corruption, dogmatic demands from religious extremists,or an obstructive climate in which the GOP even go so far as to "snub" the President. Time to focus more on why you have this anger, and then push for the candidate who can best deal with it. Quite frankly, I don't care who they pick, even if it proved to be Joe Blow down the street from where I live. Especially if "Joe Blow" proves to have what it takes in policies,both foreign and domestic.

I just picked up “The Inlander” this morning, 12 February 2016. Of course, George Nethercutt appeared as a guest columnist. I haven’t read his column, yet; I am uncertain right now, if I am even going to. But his change we can believe in, as of two decades ago? President Bill Clinton was in office in the year 1996. The GOP were looking for as many little scandals as they could find, to push the President out of office. They were not looking for a change they could believe in,because the GOP only happened to be sore losers. How interesting that Nethercutt would have to look to a Democrat, who could make the kind of changes “people could get behind,” but not give President Obama credit where it is due. Which is why the Democrats need to get behind one candidate and stick with him, or her. No one is going to get Mr. or Mrs. Perfection. What does need to be looked at, is how the GOP could produce a worst case situation for this country. Flint, Michigan, we all know about that. The Bundy militants who decided to occupy that wildlife sanctuary in Oregon. Governor Kasich is so concerned about the “well being of the fetus,” that he would sign into law a defunding of Planned Parenthood, how about the well-being of the children in his state? Or the well-being of his female constituents? That is one thing you don’t hear about. So, I don’t know what change Nethercutt could surely believe in, or that the people ought to get behind a Republican candidate. Especially when the GOP have documented, the people are not who they believe in.

“Conservative?” That’s a laugh

It has certainly been more than a month since I last visited this blog. I suspect for one reason, not enough inspiration of late and further, I have been working on my vampire novel: “Black Unicorn.” And no, that is not a misleading title, this is a fantasy story where the vampire is given the very strange power to transform into a winged creature, much resembling a unicorn. So, now onto what inspired me to post my latest commentary to blog. George Nethercutt is at it again. On the eve of the primaries circa 2016, Nethercutt is suddenly pushing his fantasy version of “establishment.” Suddenly, government is a very good thing after all, now that we face all these post Cold War crises known as terrorism. Oh and better yet, a government run by “establishment” Republicans would be perfect. I don’t know about you, but with this latest puff piece, Nethercutt’s credibility hit new lows.

Obviously the local Reagan Republicans around Kootenai County, Idaho, aren’t the only ones making a myth of Ronald Reagan. A brief summary of the actual Reagan in office: besides the fact that he actually did raise taxes a number of times, his “supply-side economics” put him at odds with the family farmers, unions, and foreign competition (Something you actually need to truly call it a “free market.”). There was his unquestionable floundering over Iran-Contra. Plus, the S&Ls that went bust with the taxpayers picking up the tab, soon after the first George Bush entered office. Being an actor, and a guy who did numerous TV commercials before he ran for Governor of California, did not make Reagan a “private success story.” Leave it to Nethercutt to literally re-write the Reagan he would rather have.

George Nethercutt ran for office, defeating Washington’s Tom Foley while he was about it, as an anti-establishment Republican. Notice that I am not going to state that being “anti-establishment” is in any way the same as “conservative.” Being anti-establishment in Nethercutt’s world view of the time, was to unilaterally oppose every thing the establishment Democrats were doing! George, George, George, some of us do hold long memories; even if you have a problem with keeping your own memories accurate. Many Republicans were anti-establishment, and for that reason tended to run the government into the ground. Remember ant-taxer Grover Norquist? Through massive reductions in taxes, we can shrink the size of government to the point where it can be drowned in the bath tub. Never mind how such a simplistic ideology, ultimately makes this nation a debtor state in hock to China. Norquist’s real anti-establishment argument, is one based on pure greed and not on actual reality. Congress, the Judicial system, the Executive branch, federal employees, bureaucracies, and programs all need money on which to operate. Just in case Norquist forgot, it is a capitalist system; you have to pay for everything. Taxes then, are an extension of capitalism.

When President Bill Clinton assumed office, the GOP seemed less interested in actually governing, than trying to punish the voters for putting a Democrat into office. Then, George Bush 2 spent all of his time running against Bill Clinton. And I suppose that he was so opposed to everything Clinton/Gore, that upon the eve of 9/11/2001, Bush still couldn’t be persuaded that this nation was at risk from terrorism. The day of 9/11/2001, he was reading “My Pet Goat” to some school children. But, but, but, he was a Texas Governor! He surely had the skills, knowledge, general wherewithal to pull this nation out of a crisis and overall tragedy! Actually, Bush 2 almost bankrupted the nation by the time he left office. That is the definition of “conservative” Nethercutt pushes today: create all these problems for society because you believe in corporate welfare. The only government you want is the one that acts on the behalf of well-heeled special interests. Never mind that your constituents are also everyone else and not just your radical “base;” keep on pandering to the hate-filled, the rabidly religious, and demonstrate pure ignorance while you are about it. Obviously, a not very representative government, one that makes life difficult for our American society. But Nethercutt thinks this brand of “conservatism” is the answer we all need? Sorry George, but Bush did not make this country “proud.” Nor did Reagan make this country “strong enough,” to face without fear the many challenges we would face, in the decades since his time in office. The GOP in Congress spent more time nit picking about non-essentials, than actually proving their ability to govern. They still do.

The GOP continued to prove how unwilling they were to govern under the Obama administration. The “TEA Party/[anti-] Freedom Caucus” have proven with former House Speaker John Boehner, how quickly they are prepared to eat their own. That isn’t a recipe for government should a Republican win in November 2016. —You really can not have a “smaller government” on the home front, without substantially hurting people who face natural disasters. A massive windstorm that caused a lot of destruction throughout Washington state, and parts of North Idaho as well;as just one example.— A “smaller government” can not exist, not when it is being called on to act promptly on the behalf of special pleaders. A “smaller government” can not exist, if it is expected to do what Donald Trump wants it to do, become like a police state as a threat to people who have the wrong kind of religion. On the international level, it still takes a hefty amount of cash to project strength abroad. A strange dichotomy I do believe. It is born out of the non-desire to face reality. No “small government” has the wherewithal to solve an international crises such as ISIS, nor correct any lingering domestic problems. So with that being said, the definition of “conservative” has now mutated into insanity. George Nethercutt’s latest contribution to the “Inlander,” is the face of that insanity.

Finally, I don’t know of any “moderate” Republicans in Congress. They are either by degrees out to lunch, or living it large in outer space somewhere, a place that no credible sci-fi author would ever venture upon. Given the stupid and really irrational things they have said, especially on the campaign hustings? The GOP clown car seriously applies to all candidates for the oval office. Sorry Nethercutt, the American society needs to be better served than this, in the coming years ahead.

Happy early Hallowe’en

Remember when the Republicans opposed the whole Iran nuclear deal? Seems that the real reason involved, is not whether Iran would get the bomb. Instead, the sudden collapse in oil prices, once sanctions were lifted from Iranian oil trades. As a matter of fact, oil prices have collapsed. The real GOP argument was on the behalf of oil companies, and not the bomb. Courtesy of “The Week.”

George Nethercutt was in the latest “Inlander,” and blamed House Speaker Boehner’s sudden resignation in part on President Obama. Unfortunately, Boehner was among those Republicans who never did work with our POTUS, and further insisted on some intransigence of his own. Nethercutt’s commentary on Boehner began to sound much like an eulogy: 1/4 facts topped with 3/4 bs.

Watching the Facebook news feeds, I see a lot of negative commentary about Ben Carson. If what he says is in any way, shape, or form to be true; our retired brain surgeon has wandered off down the road into Nutsville. And the American citizens are supposed to choose between him, or Trump, Bush, or some other loudmouth crazy? “The end of the world,” according to Carson. Or according to Trump and the guy he’d pick for the NIH? Autistic kids are just brats and ought to quit acting out. Seriously? Bet some of these pug uglies never once met a disabled child. Booo!

And finally, the school shooting in Roseburg, Oregon. Besides the family members who live there… A few days after that attack, a group of anti-choicers lined up on Highway 95 here in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Well, I am on my way home from hunting aluminum cans, and I swing by for long enough, to duly inform these people of the school shooting in Oregon. That’s right, you don’t just defend the “unborn” and stand silently by while the born children get gunned down. Somebody get a clue.

On writers

I am going to begin this blog post with a short story:

A walk in the woods

The bus had had just now come to a stop in the large parking lot, at the entrance to a vast national park. Obviously,other motor vehicles had already preceded the bus, to this same parking lot, and were currently unoccupied. Which meant that the redwoods national forest was certain to be full of visitors. Consisting of families on vacation, a scheduled tour which the bus had most certainly brought to this place, or people simply looking for a place to hike and camp for a while.

The tour bus doors hissed abruptly and swung open, disgorging over fifty passengers in total. Some of those passengers were in their teens, others were of college age, and other members of the tour group,who were certainly in their forties to fifties. Among the general group, were three aspiring artists. Timothy Verner was an author, Angela Walker was a painter, and Daniel Blake was a poet. Each of these artists chose to take this tour, because they sought inspiration from nature itself.

Angela being among the first to get off the bus, looked around and sighed with pleasure. “It is going to be a perfect day,” she said. “The sun is bright and there is not a cloud in the sky.”

She was briefly interrupted by Mr. James Talon, the tour guide, briefly reminding the group of sun screen, mosquito repellent, and having their denim jeans tucked into sturdy boots. “After this point,folks,” he gently reminded everyone. “The trails ahead are certain to be rough.”

“Come on everyone!” Daniel excitedly exclaimed, “Let’s make a day of it!” And so the three artistic friends, joined the rest of their tour group.

The trail leading out of the parking lot, was fairly smooth at first. And then as it continued to meander past huge stands of ancient redwoods,the trail began to briefly dip down into hollows before climbing back up and out of them. A pathway sometimes strewn with rocks, fallen branches, and pine cones. Timothy suddenly wondered aloud, who was even here last to maintain this deplorable trail.

What was supposed to have begun as a gorgeous excursion, went from bad to worse after that. Daniel commenced to complain about that particularly ugly moss, growing along the sides of the huge redwood trunks. Timothy grumbled about the dead limbs mixed in with a few scraggly living ones, found among some of the trees. As for Daniel, he was hoping to see flowers, or at least verdant bushes in bloom or possessing ripening fruit. Neither of these types of flora, seemed anywhere about, on the trail the tour group was currently taking. Perhaps, somewhere else?

But the tour guide Mr. Talon, insisted on keeping his charges, on the trail most commonly used. Just as he kept pointing out, quite excitedly in fact,the huge girth of some of the oldest trees. But at every step, the author, poet, and painter found more and more things to complain about.

Signs of rot and decay, where ever the eye could perceive it. The apparently ill-kept trail, seemed too difficult to navigate. It was too hot, why were they wearing long sleeved shirts tucked into denim jeans? The huge redwood trees cast too much shadow in all the wrong places, to ever be suitable for a painterly eye. Finally Angela spotted a single and beautiful butterfly flitting along the trail up ahead of them. She was prepared to excitedly point out the butterfly to her artistic friends, when a sparrow swooped down and claimed the butterfly for a meal.

“That horrid bird!” Angela angrily shouted, “I would have loved to have painted that butterfly; it was so pretty!Now it’s gone.” She very much felt like crying.

Eventually the tour of the redwood forest came to an end, and the entire tour group returned to the waiting tour bus. The three artistic friends agreed between themselves, that this national park so-called, wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. Nothing would ever persuade them to return to the park again.

That was when an older woman quietly but firmly announced, “What ever are the three of you complaining about, anyway? This was a wonderful and beautiful excursion. The best I had been on in years.”>

Which is exactly how I feel about certain people, who purport to claim they are authors. While they see a need to constantly nit pick and complain about any work that is not their own; I have to wonder if they even bothered reading anything, just for the pure joy of doing so. If they can take no pleasure in what they see around them, neither can they transcribe that pleasure into their writing. Give me a Charles Dickens or a Henry David Thoreau any day, over people who are stuffed full of pure conceit.

White pride?

I recently saw this “meme” that effectively attacked racial and religious pride as long as it wasn’t “white.” After that, the self-inflicting wound of “white pride” being regarded as racist. I don’t care to argue with the people, who put this kind of thing up on their Facebook timelines. Suffice it to say, that the human race has a violent history. Yes, as a matter of fact, the human race is known for tyranny, slavery, human rights violations, and etc. But trying to justify “your racism,” by pointing out the flaws of your fellow human beings; I don’t think that cuts it.

Yes, any human culture, society, and religious persuasion has engaged in slavery. You will find instances of it in the bible. Indeed, you will find justifications for slavery, throughout all of history. There is no one people at any time, who has never engaged in such a human rights abuse. Which means, this being part of human history, of what can we be proud?

Thus, if you are going to fault the history of say, the pirates of the Barbary Coast? This is with the declaration of, “We got over it and therefore, so should they.” Question, did “we” actually get over it? Quite frankly, I don’t think “we” did. Or I wouldn’t be seeing this kind of meme, on a “friend’s” Facebook timeline. So, knowing that all of the human race, has done some particularly horrible things throughout history. All of the human race has done so. Then it is useless to attack others while pretending to be a “victim.”

It might surprise anyone to know that the majority of American history is written for and by white Americans. This country has always known “white history,” by the year, every year since its founding. And even further, it is a “white history” with an over all Christian basis. Which means that anyone else as a minority, becomes literary footnotes. Under the circumstances, I can understand the why behind “Hispanic pride,” “Muslim pride,” “Black pride,” etc. It is extremely difficult to “get over the fact,” that a majority people holds you in the deepest possible contempt, for being different. Unfortunately, that is also true anywhere with any human culture. As long as you know this to be true, how about just “getting over yourself” and learning to let go of the past. Instead of using the past to lash out at everyone else.

I actually regard such memes to be infantile in nature. A child on a school playground will talk like that, but adults should know better. No, being adult about something, doesn’t make you a liberal. What it means is that you have learned something, that basically changes the way you ultimately view the world. The failure to learn some necessary lessons in life, doesn’t make you a conservative. The real argument is, you prefer to be ignorant. Thus, facts can’t get in the way of your paranoia and conspiracy theories. All in all, I have to shake my head at this kind of thinking. This is the 21^st century, time to grow up.

What to find in a candidate

George Nethercutt’s latest “Inlander” editorial, “Presidential Litmus Test” would be all right; if you don’t care to look too closely at the lack of good old fashioned virtues, among most of the candidates running for POTUS. In particular, Republican Presidential candidates. What Nethercutt enthused on and offered synopses to: Humility, authenticity, compassion, honor, hope, patience, faith, and wisdom; was actually embodied in the very person of President Barack Hussein Obama. But of course, being that he is of mixed race African-American. Plus the fact that he ran as a Democrat and was successfully elected twice to the office of POTUS. All of that can be discounted and was, by no less than Mr. Nethercutt. So whom does Mr. Nethercutt think would be the Republican version of President Obama? To put it bluntly, that man or woman has made no such announcement. Given the current corruption within the GOP ranks, I highly doubt that such a man or woman would ever care to announce his or her candidacy.

In the news that spread the length and breadth of social media: Amtrak derails in Philadelphia and the GOP run Congress wants to cut funding. Compassion: “deeply caring for people and their circumstances means a candidate has keen insights into their problems and would work for effective policy solutions.” — from Nethercutt’s editorial. My take, such a presidential candidate has to become an “old fashioned liberal.” So much hated in this day and age; and who would have to promote a highly activist government. On the other hand, if such a candidate were a Republican, who was expected to fulfill even one of Nethercutt’s qualifications; he or she would be working at odds with the Congressional GOP; who obviously do not operate from a “compassionate” point of view. As I put it bluntly these days: #GOPnotprolife.

Patience: “true leadership in a political setting demands patience. Few leaders accomplish their policy objectives immediately. Work and patience eventually persuade other leaders to follow a preferred public policy course.” If people were to take a candid look at Senator Ted Cruz, or Senator Rand Paul; would they see such a qualification in either man? How about the public venality of Governors Chris Christi and Scott Walker? Honor: “one who lives an honorable life, free of deception, possesses a trait that marks a good leader for greatness, for only when leaders are fully trustworthy can they fully expect broad support.” True for President Obama given the fact that he was re-elected to the office of POTUS in 2012. But not so true of the named governors in particular, who are vying to replace him.

Humility: “a life style of service without self-exaltation is rare in candidates, but the combination is a necessary trait for which to strive in this next election.” Jon Huntsman would have embodied such a trait and he was immediately laughed off the stage. On the other hand, what goes for Presidential candidates in Nethercutt’s mind, should equally apply to all persons legislative. Do you as a voter see a Mr. Smith going to Washington, among the current crop of elected officials? Neither do I. In short, this isn’t a movie Mr. Nethercutt. Authenticity: “getting what we see in major candidates is a modern political necessity.” Which obviously leaves out Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, and yes Mike Huckabee.

Hope: “leaders must inspire hope in those they lead and encourage others to greatness.” Well, the putative GOP POTUS would have to deal with the bitter dregs of endless Benghazi Investigations. A GOP leadership in Congress, so willing to sit on their hands during an entire Obama administration; would they even be able to offer the necessary support structure, that inspires hope? I highly doubt it. And finally, Faith: “belief in community, in unity, in people — and their goodness — is essential.” Not when you have pot stirrers like Western Journalism (Facebook), or Newsmax (internet), or Fox News (broadcast media outlet), and not the least to be mentioned here, Rush Limbaugh (radio talk show host). Any belief in a community’s inherent goodness or even the welfare of the nation, must be immediately riven apart by wedge issues of division — especially in politics: Health care, wages, religion, abortion services, etc.

My summation has to read as follows: George Nethercutt had no use for President Obama at any time during the course of his Presidential terms in office. I should not doubt that bigotry was a factor. Partisan anger that a Republican had not won against a Democrat, twice, must come into play here as well. But what Nethercutt would prefer to discount in a Democratic President; he is not likely to find in the GOP announcers for office. Senator Ted Cruz does not inspire me. He in particular is pandering to an extremely limited base, that is better known for their hatred and all out bigotry, their lust for material power and grandiose mega churches, than any desire to demonstrate some concern for the least of these among us. A limited base of “voters,” who by their very actions are driving a greater number of people away from any association with Christianity [polls to include Huffpost]. Ultimately, “nice theory” Mr. Nethercutt, until you put people in charge of it. Currently, no Republican running for office can meet Nethercutt’s “virtues” challenge. End of story.

Commentary

“The Week” decided to send me a free preview issue. Undoubtedly they hope I’ll take them up on the offer of becoming a subscriber. Oh, I don’t mind; “The Week” is going to offer up fresh fodder for the blog. Take for example: I was wondering why Verizon was suddenly declaring a “they had received no payment” back in March. The same month that I had to go into the local Phones Plus to get a new $10.00 phone. The battery suddenly died in my old phone, that was why. So, abruptly the lady at the counter decides to (without recognizing that “no” means “no”) deduct a $7.99 “insurance plan” from my bank account, which she says will reduce my phone bill to $25.00. Problem is, the next bill that shows up? Verizon is billing me an approximate $145.00. No explanation for all of that is provided. They do declare that “no payment was received” on the April statement, even though my bank account shows that they had received the requested payment. So, a declaration of $88.00 in approximate dollars is due between two payments. But why am I being billed an extra $57.00? No answer. Well, with my next payment, I send off a copy of the bank declaration, and a forty some odd payment for the month of April. By the end of April, I receive a “confirmation” of two payments received, and a demand for a seventy-four odd dollar payment. I put a forty-four odd dollar payment in with the bill, and a note to read in part: If Verizon can not offer an explanation for this insistence of over-billing myself as a customer; then they can shut off the phone services and I’ll seek out a different provider. Well, here in this free issue of “The Week,” Verizon is among many telecom companies who wants to overturn “Net Neutrality.” Uh, by first gouging their customers in preparation for doing so, I take it. Considering what I had already described on my two recent phone bills; Verizon that wants to price gouge their customers wireless accounts; then they would also have price gouged net using customers and businesses. Thanks, “The Week.” Sarcasm fully intended, because I think some of these guys in the news media business, simply do not have a clue. Incidentally, nothing actually stops any telecom company from competing and investing in new technology. They already have a wide customer base now, to make that a guarantee. Let’s just call it what it is, pure and simple greed.

Next up is a highlight on the “presidential up and comer,” Senator Marco Rubio. You really want to know something, if you pay close attention to the backdrop behind Rubio’s candidacy, you would not find anything “charismatic” about this “golden haired” Senator. One commentary given about him, is his decision to pander toward a specifically religious crowd. He will, so the “charismatic” Senator intones, “Protect all life.” Seriously? No government intervention can prevent a miscarriage, still birth, premature delivery that leads to an infant’s death, severe to fatal birth defects. The latter by the way, is also defined by the dictionary as, an abortion. We are not so medically advanced as a society, that the government can replace “God” in a womb to grave preservation of life. — reference Isaiah. Then you have this particular argument that recently came out on Facebook via various news feeds. The anti-aborticidists who argue that “children conceived in rape” have the right to life. More accurately, rape is a perversion and by extension, a hatred of God. The Ten Commandments includes: For I the Lord Your God, am an impassioned God. Visiting the sins of the fathers unto the children, even unto the third, and unto the fourth generation, of those who hate Me. But I will bless unto the thousandth generation, those who love Me and keep My commandments. There are plenty of instances throughout the bible, in which “the sins of the fathers” are duly visited upon the next generation. That should tell you quite readily, someone hasn’t bothered reading their bibles more thoroughly. It also tells you quite bluntly, that Senator Rubio’s “promise” would in one sense, go against God’s edicts.

Then there is the next problem of state to state, which “The Week” did take pains to notice, how the Republican controlled state legislatures like to directly target the poor. Which pits Senator Rubio against God’s edicts in another sense: you can hardly “protect all life,” if you are hard at work screwing over the disabled, the poor, and the elderly. Clearly, #GOPnotprolife. There is that commandment (clearly explained in the bible) about making no false promises before the Lord Your God. If Kansas can tell poor people, that they should never waste their money on spas (spendy!), or shell fish (?), or on cruise line travel (wow!); I don’t guess someone bothered informing the GOP how the poor people aren’t likely to go there with that, anyway. But it doesn’t help Senator Rubio, in his pandering to specifically religious crowds, how he will protect all life. That doesn’t look like a clear “protection of anyone’s life,” from here. So it should come as no surprise, that he doesn’t have a very high poll number, in competition with Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

What I had to wryly note about the editorials surrounding the Rubio candidacy, how quickly the people offering an opinion, kept slip-sliding away from a too close examination of potential Rubio failures. Or active GOP hostility toward the bulk of their constituents. The added baggage of active GOP alienation of the very people, they should be courting for votes instead. nationalreview.com Wants to see Marco Rubio as the charismatic individual likely to change the minds of millennials. Uh, Senator Rubio like the vast bulk of extremist GOP, is already out of touch with the average American. Just as he is also out of touch, with any concrete understanding of the U.S. Constitution. Including: What “The Week” hasn’t mentioned so far, but very recently appeared under a “Citizens United for a Separation of Church and State” page feed: The Church of Satan is going against Missouri’s anti-aborticide laws. Regarding the unconstitutionality of such laws. Just as they have gone head to head with Hobby Lobby, concerning that business’ “right” to declare a religious argument, in how the corporate HQ deals with its employee’s health interests. It just might be, that it is highly embarrassing topic to mention for a media outlet, that presumably wants to stay credible. Incidentally, I sent “The Week” a note informing them of my blog url, and my two e-books now on amazon. Unlike paid journalists at oh, nationalreview.com; I am not going to mince words or take political sides.

Vote crazy by 2016

I will kid you not that Robert Herold of “The Inlander,” did an excellent job of disclosing election year politics in a nutshell. What he did not disclose — and it would take reams of editorial content more to discuss this — is why the Republican party is so obsessed with whining about the Democrats: The Clintons or President Obama. Because quite frankly, the Republicans have done nothing but run a string of losers for POTUS, this election cycle. I am sure they know it, too.

“Joe McCarthy Redux” is probably an easy call to make; since the years of “Tail Gunner Joe’s” Army/McCarthy hearings, that ultimately embarrassed Senator McCarthy and thoroughly discredited him. The question regarding a lack of moral decency, that completely undermined McCarthy’s “elimination of the Soviet influence” in this nation. At that time, McCarthy was a “lone wolf,” who could easily capitalize on this country’s paranoia with reference to assorted reds. Unquestionably, the more radicalized of them, especially the anarchists, had been proven to be violent. Such people had been behind the tragic loss of life and property through decades of bombing attacks. But of course, “the reds” while a convenient scapegoat, weren’t responsible for all the criminal violence this nation has ever known. They just made themselves an easy target. Never mind the fact that the American Revolution, had definitely spawned some radical progeny. So while “tail gunner Joe” is capitalizing on “fears of a Soviet subversion” of this country, and in turn striving to create his own version of the totalitarian state, a fellow Senator steps up to the plate and challenges McCarthy on his lack of moral decency. That was the end of McCarthy’s dangerous ambitions.

It hasn’t prevented the GOP in the post McCarthy years, from running up on the flag pole all sorts of immoral behavior. Facebook as an example, a “friend” condemns anyone who would “stomp on a flag” and shows everyone the pic of a flag draped coffin. Look who you really stomp on, when you disrespect the flag so much. Well now, considering this meme comes from a Karl Rove inspired website. Exactly what have the “Karl Rove inspired GOP” done for living, but sick and disabled veterans, who were also casualties of our latest war? And what is this that I hear of “Jade Helm,” a multi-state military exercise. According to “Western Journalism” [LOL!], is proof of President Obama’s growing tyranny over this nation. Interestingly enough, as an Army Veteran serving under such Presidents as Carter, Reagan, and Bush 1; no one was claiming that any military exercises I engaged in, was proof of growing Presidential tyranny. But come the 21^st century, President Obama ascends to the highest office of this country, and “we” must go off the deep end in “our” pathetically whining terror of the man. Irony much? And isn’t such a “fear” in its own way, a complete repudiation of the flag and all it stands for? Remarkably enough, no one has censored “Western Journalism’s” constant stirring of the pot. No one has shut down the highly radicalized, Fox News. But you only get the Democratic version of political events, on the web. Their commentary has to show up on Youtube, and only afterwards does it go viral. I think that I am being quite fair about it all.

I’ll agree with Mr. Herold that voter suppression won’t do the GOP any favors. Namely because the Democrats can easily make political hay, out of the more crazy utterances of some insignificant (?) GOP on say, the state level. Who cares what Southern or Midwestern state the GOP state Senator comes from? Out of his mouth comes this particularly psychotic view, that a woman needs to carry a deceased fetus for an entire nine months. Uh, she is carrying a decaying body in her womb. That can’t be a very healthy situation for the woman. The fetus has died of natural causes, and it isn’t going to be “miraculously resurrected.” Social media is going to expose such insane utterances for all the world to see. Trying to apply “McCarthyism redux” to Hillary Clinton, isn’t going to bury the fact that a GOP dude is far removed from reality. After all it is what such a member of Congress or any state legislature says; that reminds people of why, they should never have voted for such a guy in the first place. Then you have Women Concerned Against (while making political hay over birth control here in) America. Although my understanding of such a group, wasn’t that they were strictly opposed to legal abortion practices. Their arguments as women were against feminism in general! Yes, I deliberately screwed their name up. They forgot that only because of feminism, can their voices be heard and respected. Because of feminism, they can found organizations and vote. Or for that matter, even run for office. I will also add here, that the people who now don’t want to see any disrespect shown to the flag; either were of the generation of radicals, who spit on our Vietnam vets and called them baby killers besides. Or they are the children of these radicals. And this generation of radicals circa the 70s, or their children — I regard it as laughable really. But such people want to express utter hatred of this country (if a Democrat is in charge of it), the government (if a Democrat is in charge of it), and meanwhile wrapping a flag around the whole mess. — Incidentally, the flag represents everything they hate about this country. It is worse than ignorance. The GOP have purely and simply gone cuckoo.

The GOP blatantly indulge in corruption: Governor Chris Christie. Paranoia is the rabid stump speech: Senator Ted Cruz. Regardless of what Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution says, I prefer to wear my brand of religion on my sleeve: Senator Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. I prefer to hide behind Hillary Clinton and her cash cow antics, vis a vis the Clinton Foundation. But I have my own cash cow problems, that I don’t particularly care to own up to: Jeb Bush. Then there is the infamous Carlyle Group with ties to the equally infamous bin Laden family. Oh yeah, the family of the Al Qaeda founder, Osama bin Laden. That’s a lot of forbidden baggage, eh Governor Bush? As for Governor Scott Walker. Well now it is my understanding that this particular governor made a real hash out of his own state. Do “we” really wish to vote for a guy, who’d bankrupt a nation after bankrupting Wisconsin? Yes voters, you do have a problem. As a Republican, these guys are my problem. And I do think that Ms. Clinton could use some able competition in her race for the White House. The Democrats will need to address that problem, themselves.

Book review

City of Scoundrels

Over a month ago I picked up “City of Scoundrels” as a sale book from the Daedalus catalog. Prior to my sitting down to finally read this book, I finished “Love and Capital” by Mary Gabrielle, Cassandra Clare’s “City of Heavenly Fire,” a book for young adults. And in short order, I had read through Gary Krist’s very excellent book. Make that in about two days time, and I had read through a book involving an: 1. exploding blimp, 2. missing child that is finally found murdered, 3. race riots, 4. further confirmation that in the early post World War 1 American century, AG Palmer was quite the Bolshevik hunter. He was responsible for a number of arrests in Chicago by 1919&mdash1920. But what this book also detailed was the machine politics known to exist among both Democrats and Republicans. Just as the book details, the inevitable corruption that went with it.

But mostly this book details the life and times of Mayor William Hale Thompson, a Republican; during what can be called “The Progressive Era” of American politics. To put it bluntly, “The Progressive Era” was not necessarily all that it was cracked up to be. Prohibition was thoroughly discussed in this book, as part of “reformist era” politics. Mr. Krist took pains to point out, just how this war on drugs made possible the criminal gangs of their day. Corruption in high places, made cops, and the sort of gang violence as the consequence of bootlegging rum, that would equal anything in the illegal drug trade today. Especially of this reformist movement that was supposed eliminate public drunkenness, they always say that the “road to hell is paved with good intentions.” So back to Mayor Thompson and the uses he put to machine politics.

This is a story about Chicago, Illinois and its long history of corruption. For anyone who wished to point certain scandalous fingers in the direction of President Obama; scandals preceded this President by many decades, and affected both parties equally. Would you like to know that Republican pacifism and isolationism was a political fact during the first World War? Mayor Thompson was such a pacifist and isolationist, who even declared [treasonous] how Chicago was a “German” city. Literally, this was a Republican who identified with this nation’s enemies. If you are a Mayor of a major metropolitan city especially during wartime, you’d have to be nutcase on a political level, to identify with the enemy. It should also have crippled Mayor Thompson’s chances for re-election. But with corruption and machine politics, yeah actually, Mayor Thompson continued to maintain the status of mayor. Even more than this, Mayor Thompson worked with “poor Swede” Lundin to put loyalists into all positions of power. That’s all positions of power, inclusive of the Governor’s office. Thus my argument is that it takes reading factual history like this; to come to grips with the fact, that there is not much of the human condition that has changed over the years. Just as it would have to take an enormous ego for a mere mayor, to control who gets to become Governor of the state of Illinois. Me thinks that the Bolsheviks such as they were to this country, were less of a problem to the nation at large, than what we Americans could simply do to ourselves at anytime. A short blog post today, but I do recommend “City of Scoundrels.”