politics

You Are an Idiot if…..

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I should use a different word than “idiot”. Idiots get defensive hearing the word and all hope of explaining why they are an idiot is lost. Let’s say “unsmart’. You are unsmart if…

  1. You use the word “libtard”. Basically, you’re unsmart if you don’t use your own words and thoughts in civil discourse. What’s unsmart about libtard is it shuts down the flow of conversation, much like idiot does. See? An extensive—but not complete—search of online comments has not found, yet, a liberal version of libtard, though many writers have tried, proving liberals can be unsmart, too, just not as creatively as conservatives.
  • You get your news from one source. While conservative sources are unabashedly biased and untruthful, it takes a more discerning mind to see where liberal news sources fail us. Look for snarky, unneeded adjectives and adverbs. (You are definitely NOT unsmart if you recognize those two words.) Liberal news will soon be as bad as conservative news as griping and complaining about everything is a proven ratings getter. Liberals are about a decade behind, but gaining fast, inspired by our 47th President.
  • You think you understand ANY of what’s currently happening in politics. Americans have always been, um…lazy in their election choices. Until their person loses. And the American Billionaires are constantly searching for new ways to divide us and raise profits. Google “Model Pricing” and see how companies are using it to make more profit per sale and reward the CEO’s better. Musk?
  • If you think you understand our economy. Federal Debt, Deficits, Expenditures, Outlays, etc. DOGGIE (sic) is currently trumpeting “the finding of billions of dollars of waste and fraud” when all they are really doing is stopping spending. Of note, every single dollar of that spending had been “approved” by at least one level of government so go after your elected reps, whoever they are, for the ones responsible. Look for long-term reps like Pelosi and McConnell. Google Pork, too. Rather, Pork Barrel.
  • You think fraud and waste are being discovered and prevented. They kind of are by virtue of NOT spending approved money, but what about the money already spent? I’ve talked with a number of business friends, and we all agree fraud is very rare in business, but waste is rampant. See, fraud is illegal if you get caught, but waste just makes you look stupid, if caught. One you go to jail, the other, you retire, buy a boat and Sail the Gulf of Trump. A smart, capitalist “entrepreneur” will choose waste, anytime, and it’s easy enough to do, just pay yourself more. Again, see Elon, he knows.
  • You think anything our government has done in the last eight years was to help you. If you benefited it was the “trickle down effect”, the leftovers the billionaires didn’t want. FYI: the preceding years were no bonanza, either, but how many remember?
  • You believe in SPECIFIC conspiracies. There are conspiracies out there but by their very nature we will never know about them. (Unless…you’re part of it?) So, if we do “know” about them…hmmm…wonder if some unsmart citizens are being manipulated? PizzaGate? Q-Anon? Eating cats and dogs in Ohio? The Kennedy assassination? Look away from those and try to find the real ones right under your nose. You won’t but at least you won’t be manipulated like sheep, either. Ignorance is bliss but it is easier to ignore something you don’t know about than worry about something you shouldn’t.

The whole deal is to KNOW you are not as smart as you think you are. Soooo many people today know everything about everything they stop learning, paying attention. And they don’t care if they are proved wrong. See: The Big Lie.

I guarantee if you think you are just smart enough, you’ll find a way to navigate normal life. And if you really, truly are smart, none of this matters, anyway, does it.

Is it Really what we’re told it is?

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Trump and DOGGIE(sic) seem inordinately concerned with staging events, showing off fraud and waste. Wonder why?

A recent event was Musk Trumpeting the Social Security Administration (SSA) has over 18,000 listed citizens over 110 years old. Several over 150 years old.

“Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting social security,” he joked, reports the New York Post and Fox News.

Huh. Must be a real, true fraud if Fox is repeating it, right?

First, the database Musk was displaying as proof of fraud, is a list of all SSA numbers ever given out. It is NOT a list of everyone receiving SSA benefits. And numbers are only removed when SSA gets a certified death certificate. SSA knew about missing death certificates in 2015, by the way, and still has not cleaned the data base after Obama, Trump, and Biden presidencies. See? Republican tax cuts and attempts to hinder SSA activities worked!

Second, Musk used the standard “no-news” trick of not actually SAYING they were receiving benefits, but “suggesting” and then joking about it. Neat, right? Great Public relations trick.

But why do they need to do it?

Insecurity is the driving force in the MAGA movement. They are worried about EVERYTHING and lies help them cope. Since there are so many lies from the Insecure-In-Chief, it has to be made apparent to the rest of us that the lies are not lies. (See The Big Election Lie and how hard MAGA worked to support it. Specifically, Google “2000 Mules” and its legal history for an education in how far you need to bend over to support a Big Lie.) Oval Office events, with pomp and a captive press corps, are the best ways to look truthful when you lie, so we’ll see more of them.

But, again, why? The 77 million who voted for Trump are 22% of the American Population. That means Conservatives are a minority of Americans. The 75 million who voted for Harris are 21% of the population, another minority. My long-stated belief is that America is 30% Conservative, 30% Liberal, and 40% Independent. Both of our political parties represent a minority of the population. Independents have historically skewed to a liberal bias in presidential elections, however. That bias led to conservative crying and hand-wringing after Obama won a second term conservatives were sure he would lose decisively. The conservative lack of message and backbone was noticed by Trump and he seized the opening to become the Messiah of The Right.

But conservative insecurity still existed and they saw conspiracy everywhere, cranking up Q-anon, and building the Modern Republican Party Grievance Machine (MRPGM).

Trump and the MRPGM leaned into the heavy message of insecurity, and its partner, mistrust. Both Trump and MRPGM realized a message filled with anger and resentment has a greater impact than truth. Fox News got on board and the rest is history.

But conservatives are still insecure. Why does every employee in American government who does not kiss Trump’s large buttocks have to be fired? Even kitchen table psychiatrists know why. Same with MAGA. Their talk is about A Great America, but building it involves destruction, chaos, and pain. A true American Carnage, as Trump called it in his First Term Inauguration speech. Why?

The old, white American Male is threatened. I have never understood why males are so frantically against homosexuality, for example. One can guess.

And same sex marriage hurts who? And transgender life? You’d think those people were carrying monkeypox. So much was made of NCAA sports, when the truth is 40, 40, athletes out of 500,000, 500,000 were “estimated” to be trans athletes. 0.008 percent. But what a story for MRPGM, Trump, and Fox. And Nancy Mace. Wonder if there are any transgender MAGAns? If there are 77 million MAGA voters, times 0.008 equals 616,000 transgender Republicans.

Few American presidents worked well with the opposition party. But most American presidents have done the best they could for ALL Americans, while staying as true as they could to their own party ideals.

Except Number 47. Chaos and uncertainty for all!

The rush to action is another bow to insecurity. MAGA needs to get a lot done before the midterms when people (may) come to their senses. If Trump was so sure of 2026 Republican re-elections, he and Musk would take things slower, thinks things out, and install their new regime in phases instead of firing people willy-nilly. (Google “willy-nilly” for a laugh.)

2025 is proof insecurity does not lead to good decisions. AI says: “Insecurity and fear are the culprits behind five of the most common workplace missteps and missed opportunities.”

That AI is so smart. Must have been the Chinese one.

Good Governing Advice

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I knew about Democrats and Republicans from a young age. Kennedy, Nixon, Eisenhower, et.al.

It was college, however, when I learned about progressives and conservatives. It was 1970-71 and there were people in my university dressed way better than me with cars costing more than a year’s tuition. In the all-night, dorm-hall debates inspired by the one Freshman Year Course we all had to take, “Philosophy, Religion, and Drama”, not only were a lot of the well-dressed people (not all) Republicans, but Conservatives, as well. And some Democrats (not all) called themselves Progressives. What the hell? How many more subsets are there?

I honestly believed it was normal, almost required to switch from one to the other, and not just because of the sex appeal of the opponent, but on the issues, as well. Bright, intelligent young people could think both ways, right? Even multiple ways, threesomes, maybe?

Sadly, life revealed you had to pick one or the other, or half one and half the other, or just move to an isolated cabin in the woods. So, I picked one and got on with life, ignorant of what I’d done, but unable to be monogamous in my choice. The other choice often looked better.

I eventually learned an easy way to understand the problem. A debating poster on the web site “Quora” described it this way: “America is like a car with Progressives being the gas pedal and Conservatives being the brakes.” Wow. AI found this for me when I asked it (Him? Her? Them? It?) to tell me what significant legislation was ever passed by the Republican Party. Every Republican Bill AI located seemed to be negative, about reversing something our keeping something from happening. Or lowering taxes. There was no Great Society Program, No Civil Rights Act, Social Security Act, No Affordable Care Act. No Apollo Program. So what is the deal, Republicans?

The definition of conservative: “averse to change or innovation and holding traditional values.” (Oxford)

Progressive: “happening or developing gradually, or in stages, proceeding step by step.” (Oxford)

These two “base” adjectives grew into political nouns that ideologically oppose each other.  When we look at legislative history, it is Progressives (represented by Democrats), taking 2 steps forward, and then Conservatives (represented by Republicans) taking as many steps back as they can. If that sounds bad, it is not. It is the perfect government formula. Progressive step on the gas, Conservatives hit the brakes. Have you EVER driven a car without using both pedals? Might be interesting, but apply the same principle to governing. Progressives fight for same sex marriage, and conservatives try to pass laws to restrict it. What happens next?

I have always thought of Conservatives as “stick in the mud, hold us back, rigid, get in the way” ideologues. I still believe that but now view Conservatives as an equal, important part of the “good governance formula”. Imagine if we pressed the gas pedal all the time? Of course, we won’t get anywhere if we don’t get off the brakes. Perfect, yes?

Sadly, our new administration is not just pumping the brakes but trying to throw us into reverse and drive us to the scrapyard. It is awfully hard to see the future when you’re driving in reverse. Please, don’t try it.

Maybe that IS what we need to do, now, drive as fast as possible in reverse. We don’t need no stinking brakes, do we.

Why MAGA gets a bad rap

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It’s hard for non-MAGA citizens to understand how MAGA citizens think. Here are some reasons why.

The new MAGA government bans Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, and strives for a “merit based” approach to hiring and promotions. So, Donald Trump’s daughter in-law becomes head of the Republican Party. Trump’s largest donor becomes Co-President Musk. A Fox News Host becomes Secretary Of Defense. All government departments and agencies are ordered to find and remove any employees who will not be favorable to Trump. And Trump fires anyone who did their jobs and investigated him. Who will be the replacements for these employees? Merit, my ass.

Trump was a Democrat until he realized his style was better suited to the whiny Republican Party. All establishment Republicans naturally took offense and whined about Trump as inexperienced, and ill-suited for the Presidency. Until he won. Then they got on the gravy train.

Trump felt he was going to lose in 2016, so he pre-emptively campaigned about election integrity as an excuse for losing. When he won with the electoral the college trick, he had no choice but to continue the election lie and set up a commission, The Presidential Advisory Committee on Election Integrity. It met for 11 months and disbanded with no report or findings. In 2020, Trump ran again, and resumed his claims of voter fraud, amplified to crescendo when he actually lost. In over 60 court cases looking for voter fraud, brought to court by Trump’s legal team, the courts found none. But it had now become “The Big Lie”, and its repetition led to the insurrection of January 6, 2021. In 2024, however, MAGA supporters brought Trump back for another election and Trump won. With very few reports or claims of election fraud. It’s a miracle, right? Must be they found all that invisible voter fraud. Oh, and no insurrection.

Co-President Musk and his DOGGIE (sic) unilaterally tear apart departments funding medical research. The Republican Senator from Alabama, a staunch Trump supporter, complains: her state is losing funding and now whines the cuts should be more discriminatory. The Co-President and President don’t respond. Or did they?

In the last 20 years, and more so in the last 12, MAGA and Trump attacked the “liberal bias” of Main/Lame Stream Media. Meanwhile, the media specifically set up to spread CONSERVATIVE bias is never mentioned. One bias is better than another? In fact, being a member of Faux News appears to be a sure-fire way to get a job in the new MAGA government. Merit?

Last, my most often repeated bugaboo: The Mandate. Trump brought it up in 2016 when he lost the general election. He loves to repeat it. America’s population was 341 million people as of December 30, 2024. 77 million of those citizens voted for Trump. Mandate? Another Big Lie. Less than one quarter (22%) of the population voted for Trump/MAGA. And nearly as many (75 million) voted AGAINST it. The message? Screw everyone but MAGA.

Last one: Why do MAGA and The Modern Republican Party complain so much? Trump has never made a positive, uplifting speech about ALL of America. It’s always doom, gloom, and Biden/Obama’s fault. Who wants to live with a man constantly complaining about others? MAGA does.

And don’t forget the “grab ‘em by the pussy” remark from 2016. It’s mentioned because it is exactly what Trump is doing to America.

America Great, Again? No. America Gone.

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In 2024, 77 million people voted for Trump. 75 million voted for Harris. 90 million did not vote. 2024 might have been the last chance for those 90 million to vote in a presidential election.

The long game of Trump and the Modern Republican Party (MRP) is to turn America into Russia, with Trump the New Putin and MRP members lining up–and butt kissing– to be Trump’s/Putin’s successor.

From the early 1800’s on, America’s Federal Government—our government–has been designed and built to protect the American Citizen. The normal, AVERAGE American citizen. It’s easy to see this defense in terms of war: The United States, for example saved the world during a war fought an foreign ground in the 1940s.

But the biggest government “wars” have been fought against American Businesses. Once America settled on Capitalism as our new religion, innovative intelligent entrepreneurs began to find ways to make money. Lots of money. Slavery was an important part of many entrepreneurs business plans. The “free” and “low-priced” labor of slaves, immigrants, and poor whites made many an American Businessman rich.

And the lack of regulation or rules benefited new American companies, as well. The leather industry, for example, dumped used tanning chemicals into the nearest river since there was no cost and the free water carried the chemicals away, to be someone else’s problem. The Acid rain of the 1970’s is a perfect example of unregulated pollution from a specific industry. (Young people, you’ll have to research that since I’ve little space, here.)

It became apparent to intelligent people unregulated commerce and industry was not beneficial for America—or it’s citizen–in the long run. The newly forming financial institutions needed to be monitored, as well, as most Americans were completely ignorant of loans, mortgages, and banking “stuff”. Think Henry Potter in “It’s A Wonderful Life.” (Again, google it.)

At the prodding of angry citizens, the Government of the United States proceeded to design and implement regulatory systems to protect the citizens from capitalist profit seeking. Regulations eventually banned slavery, 7-day work weeks, 20 hour work days, and other unfair labor practices. In addition, regulations enforced pollution controls to stop, for instance, a chemical plant from disposing of its waste in the clean rivers, lakes, and streams of America.

And the Government funded the armies, navies, and air forces to defend America.

It’s easy to see why the Capitalist Businesses of America began to see government as a “problem”, while the “Government” began to see Businesses as problem creators. A natural adversarial relationship developed and a “balance” blossomed, a symbiotic relationship between Government and Business lasting for hundreds of years. I’m not sure what “Make America Great Again” means but modern actions by Trump indicate MAGA wants to go back to the era of NO REGULATION. Republicans have historically been anti-government/probusiness in the last two centuries, so the sentiment is not new. Democrats assumed the roll of pro-government, understanding government regulations mainly benefitted the poor, average, and middle class sections of America as citizens needed a powerful entity to protect them against the rich, powerful businesses. The relationship has never been perfect, but it worked.

Until the last 20-30 years. When Republicans get political power, they dismantle regulations as fast as they can. Why? To increase business profits. And once a regulation is gone, it takes a convoluted process to get it back. The Reagan and both Bush Presidents were regulatory purge-fests, orchestrated and instituted within the framework of a constitutional government…mostly..

But now we have Trump. And two other problems.

  1. Fox News. In their zeal to be Number 1 in cable news in the 1990s, they broadcast their version of the truth. We now have two generations raised on Fox News.
  2. The Internet. In the days before the internet, a crazy conspiracy or nut-job character, were isolated to their region or community. Now, a flat earther in Iowa (no Offense) can connect with a flat earther in China. (again, no offense.)

If we mix in Trump’s ego, we end up with the volatile mix threatening our nation. Trump was born into money and has no concept of anything remotely “normal” about America. He is a billionaire with the usual hunger for more billions and regulations get in his way. His response is Shakespearean: “Out, out damn regulations.”

In our modern world millionaires grow on trees, and all the millionaires want to BE billionaires, so there is a large segment of American Business caring about nothing but profits.

Trump now sees the opportunity to dismantle the “regulatory state” and guarantee unfettered profit-seeking for all millionaires, billionaires, and soon to be trillionaires. Screw the environment. And screw the people.

Even worse, Trump is following the Putin Model (google it) for tearing down a democracy and setting himself up, Trump, to be America’s Putin. He is purging the remaining parts of the government of anyone who doesn’t support him, and if we let it happen, 2022 may be the last time we ever have free and fair elections.

America will finally be great, again?

PS Trump wants to dismantle the Education Department? A statement attributed to Thomas Jefferson explains why: “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.”

Trump? Maduro? Putin? Conspiracy?

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A recent news article has prompted and entire shift in my view of the Trump world. And it is not a good view.

Trump sent a personal envoy to Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, a man hanging on to power by force, simply saying he did not lose in the last Venezuelan election. Besides the obvious similarities to January 6, 2021, Maduro adds to the Big Lie by actually controlling the mechanism of the elections in Venezuela. Maduro can prove he “won”, unlike 2020 Trump.

Maduro released 6 American hostages after “several hours” talking with Richard Grennell. (Google him for some interesting reading.) Why did Maduro release the hostages? What was he offered in return? Trump says he is cracking down on Venezuelan immigrants but–revealing a tell–Trump does not insult Maduro or have a pet nickname for him. What is going on? And how is returning American hostages a benefit to Venezuelan illegal immigration policy?

Trump in one month has taken over the government. He has directed any one who investigated him, in any department, to be fired. Musk has been busy, too, taking over the payroll operations of the entire government. Musk may now control the paying of all his own government contracts. And a billionaire supporter of RFK/Trump has warned Republican Politicians to toe the Trump line, or she will personally bankroll primary action against Republicans.

In 2020 Trump denied the election results, but there was too much proof he was not only wrong, but purposefully wrong. He lied, and he lied profusely and publicly even when the courts of the United States rebuffed his claims over 60 times. How was this man allowed to become president, again? The answer adds fuel to the conspiracy fire.

So. Trump sends Grennell to Venezuela to learn how Maduro kept control through force? Trump’s man praises and flatters Maduro, offers Maduro “something”, the hostages get released? Remember when Trump blamed “Venezuelan Communists” for his 2020 loss? More fuel. If you can’t beat them, join them.

Trump is taking over the entire government and will never relinquish it. It is not even a secret, anymore, since so many people blindly support Trump. In 2028 there will be no need to vote as Trump and his election denier cronies, with Elon Musk and the billionaires’ help, will have control of the entire election process and systems. Lessons learned from Maduro? Trump will not need the Constitutional Amendment proposed by the Honorable Representative from Tennessee.

Trump does have to hurry so he can get control in time for the 2026 midterms. A blue wave would be a disaster for his plans and midterm election corrections are the norm.

In the meantime we will all have to do what Trump wants…no matter what it is. It won’t be lower egg prices. Thanks, voters. A Great America is almost here. Wonder if we’ll still call it America.

Maybe the “whiny” Democrats are right…

Interesting Things I’ve heard, lately

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There are so many sporting events these days, there is a dearth of announcing talent. In a recent game I heard an announcer say this with all the confidence of a man who knows everything: “You can bet (this player) won’t miss this foul shot. He’s a great free throw shooter. Made 52 percent of his shots so far this year.” For non-sports people 52% is NOT a good number and the shooter did miss the shot. In the same game: “You have to be impressed by their fight the first ten minutes of this second half. They’ve clawed their way back to within 8 points after being down by 8 at the end of the first half.” Most modern announcers not only speak to fill time, but also work hard to make you see how smart they are. Like this former football coach turned announcer: “If it were me, I’d never pass the (football) again. The (other team) is ready for it.” The “other team” wasn’t, probably thinking the same as the old coach? The first team passed and scored a long touchdown.

Its okay, but no one ever acknowledges being wrong. Or gets fired. Or turns down the check. Modern American values, these days.

Speaking of American Values, for some really interesting answers ask any MAGA/Trump supporter when was the last time America Was Great. If they answer, that is. Most babble and bash Biden. Or Obama.

Here’s an easy one. I’m looking at my wall of windows and all I see is white. I look at my weather app and see sunshine. No snow in the next ten days. Yes, I did double check to make sure the app was set to the right location. By the way, if I hadn’t and learned I hadn’t, an apology would be here, trust me. Truthfully, I would have just deleted this paragraph. No need for you to know how stupid I might be, is there?

Back to politics, and apologies for picking on Republicans, but they are the most egregious when it comes to memory loss, forcing them to give interesting answers. Dems do it too, but…so many Republicans have learned to not say a bad word about Trump they have lost all recollection of the January 6, 2021 riots…especially the ones who were actually there. When asked about The Pardons, the usual response has been: “I don’t know anything about that. But Biden was wrong.”

A recent politician brought up a Republican named Trey Gowdy. If you don’t remember him, he was mainly responsible for the $8 million spent on 52 congressional hearings into The Benghazi/Hilary Clinton fiasco. Mr. Gowdy was the usual lead attack dog during the hearings and now works for Fox, criticizing Democrats for wasting time and money on things like impeachment. He said this sometime in the past, probably during a Democratic President’s term: “Process matters. We are not a country where the ends justifies the means.” The Modern Republican Party thinks otherwise. J6 is the perfect, interesting example. Hope this subject appears on Fox News, soon.

Aw, I spent so much time researching Mr. Gowdy I’ve lost my interest in writing. The real lesson learned from Mr. Gowdy and others like him is “The Squeaky Wheel Gets Greased”. MSNBC and Fox, and others are now populated with “talky” politicians who never really did much but talk.

So be it, football is on. Hope I get good announcers….

Some Funny things from 2025. Too soon?

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Trump wants to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Cool, but why is he ignoring the state of New Mexico?

He also wants to rename Mt. Denali, and–you have to think– any other name he doesn’t like. Real important stuff is it, for you Trump supporters?

Jordan Klepper of The Daily Show accidentally cost Trump one supporter. Klepper was asking MAGA patriots if they believed in the pardons and they all said yes. One MAGA man said “They didn’t do anything wrong.” Klepper showed the man photos from J6 day. Guess what? The man had never seen them, and didn’t know there had been that kind of activity. Where did he get his news from? “Conservative sources”, the man said. That’s not funny.

Now is a good time to point out all the Modern Republican Party Grievance Machine’s (MRPGM) pious complaints about “bias” in the liberal media being hypocritical. Fox News–and others–were set up to specifically to give the news a conservative bias. And then they used their tag line: “Fair and Balanced” If you read this and have any brain, you see the only way Fox News consumers would get “Fair and Balanced” news is if they watched both Fox News and then the liberal biased Lame Street news organizations. Watching Fox alone is watching a “biased” News Organizations. Any conservatives, besides the man Klepper interviewed, ready to admit their bias? No? Ha, see, that’s funny. PS same goes for liberals, too. Not so funny, now, is it, Karen? You must watch at least one hour of Fox for “balance”.

Trump has a chance in this second term to do remarkable things. To even become the Greatest President Ever. Seriously. But he has reverted to the lapse of logic which failed him the first time and led to Joe Biden setting a record for Presidential votes in 2020. Trump doesn’t know math. In 2016 Trump ballyhooed his skinny Electoral College win into a “Mandate”, even though he lost the popular vote by over 3 million votes. “Mandate” in Trump World means “do what I want. It’s what the American people want.” Kellyanne was so good about reminding us all of “The Mandate.” Only in MAGA world do you get a mandate from a minority.

In 2024, now, Trump won only 49.7% of the votes cast. Nearly 70 million votes were cast for his opponent, and nearly 90 million “Voter Eligible Voters” never even voted. Mandate? Only if you don’t understand math. Or need to make yourself feel better. A mandate is determined by the voters, but not just who voted for the president, unless someone needs to justify some actions that the 170 million who did NOT vote for him might not like. In MAGA world who cares about the losers? We’ll see. Might be hilarious 2026 midterms.

In all presidential elections there have always been large groups of “Voter Eligible Voters” who do not participate. Some do register and do not vote, while some never even register. Why? My guess is a lot of voters who do vote are not casting votes FOR one candidate, but voting AGAINST another, but others just don’t want to waste their time. Funny, right?

The two party system is too blame and it might be time for a more “Parliamentary” type of election. Modern America has no place, anymore, for decent human beings who want to do what’s best for the country. The style of the day is do what you’re told. It’s why the Majority and Minority Leaders in the House and Senate, have helpers called “Whips.” That is really funny if you think about it.

There is no place for Independents. Imagine, if you will, that Biden or Trump or Obama or Bush wins the Presidency with 30% of the vote, forcing the new President to accept another party(s) in to the new government.

Might be funny. We’ll never know.

Christmas. Bah, humbug?

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The time of year, the day of the year, when we are supposed to love and care for someone other than ourselves has passed. A Facebook post (yes, I’m there once a week) says this is the time of year to not be wanting more, but be grateful for what we have.

Scrooge that.

A sad side effect of the Trump Era (oh, God, not him, again) is people have lost the ability to be grateful. As Mr. Trump points out almost every day, the modern world is a mess, America is a cesspool of crime and liberal degenerates, and almost any issue at any level of government or humanity, is worth his time and nuanced criticisms. Please, it is NOT Trump’s fault he is this way. It is his supporters who encourage him, making it so hard to enjoy even the most universally respected time of the year.

Letters to the editor (at least in my hometown) are being submitted by the tubful from writers of all stripes but it’s easy to identify MAGA authors: everything is wrong and we need to “FIGHT” for change. One of the key MAGA points, as headlined by the Modern Republican Party Grievance Machine (MRPGM), is the “flight”, the “exodus”, the abandonment of liberal cities and states. Rather than accept as fact this whine, I googled (US Census Bureau) population levels for each decade all the way back to 1970. Please google it to see for yourself, but population “transfer” has not only been cyclical, but racial. The entire Northeast Region has lost about 2 million residents per decade since 2000. But so has the Midwest Region. The South Region has gained the most, 26 million (Florida 6 million alone, with 4.5 million new residents identified as Latino). What do these figures mean?

Facts are no longer the currency in social conversation. Pronouncements are. I hate to pick on Trump but he makes it so easy. In a mid-December 2024 interview about his new presidency, Trump promised to “drill, baby, drill” for more oil and energy independence. He must not know America is already the leading supplier of crude oil to the world and the Oil People do not WANT to drill, baby drill, but keep supply–and profit/pricing–right where it is. In fact, Big Oils are merging with each other to take advantage of “super” profits. So who is “drill, baby, drill” meant for?

Trump is not the first (or only) politician (or news organization) to lead voters around by the nose, but his public and strident mis-truths have nurtured a whole generation of American Citizens who believe what the MRPGM says, without thinking or reasoning. I seldom meet a Trump supporter who, in debate, offers facts. They parrot the MRPGM.

The facts are ignored not only because they are so complex, but because segments of the American population now want to believe, want to trust, want to live with out question. Just tell me what to think.

The sad, complex, nuanced fact is all modern politicians are bad for us, bad for the average citizen. Politicians (rare exceptions who prove the rule excluded) are out for themselves. How else to explain a proposed pay raise for Congress in the latest “Government Shutdown Crisis” negotiations?

I’ve said many times, it isn’t that Trump or any politician is bad. We have to elect someone and we almost always have to choose the “least worst” candidate. But that doesn’t mean we should adore him or her, and believe every word out of their mouths.

The blind adoration for a politician was always a danger but it has reached new heights with Trump. Much like the McCarthy Era.

Let’s hope Trump doesn’t grab our country by the you-know-what (REf: Access Hollywood Tape), because that’s exactly what it looks like he’s intending to do.

Let’s start a third party, The Collectively Skeptical, and see what happens.

Last T@#$% Column, promise

ness23456 Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I can’t resist talking about how happy billionaires are over the Trump presidency. They are all giddy with excitement. Jubilant.

Why? To the rest of us, the “game” of making money is nice and distracting, but most of us “work” to get money. We make things. We fix things. We help others make things and fix things. We might even talk about how others make and fix things.

Not so in the Game of Money (GOM). In GOM the idea is to make as much money FROM other people as possible, and it’s even better if you don’t have to do any work. The Stock market, for example. Even those of us who work for our money, know you can make big bucks by betting correctly in the Stock Market. But we are careful to bet because we know we can lose, and when a worker loses money, it hurts.

But in GOM, a billionaire can bet one of his millions on a stock and if the stock comes in, the billionaire makes more millions. If the stock loses, the billionaire lost .001% of his worth. No pain. Imagine how it warps GOM for un-rich players.

Trump intends to skew GOM so billionaires can make more money, more millions, more billions. Lower taxes for me mean about $100 extra a month in income. Lower taxes in the GOM world, mean millions of dollars in new income for the billionaires.

Wonder what they’ll do with all that money? I’ll tell you. Most re-invest in GOM and make more.

Anyone of us can enter the GOM but how many of us see value in work? In helping others? In getting things done? In getting things fixed and running? I’ll bet most of the Trump voters are hard-working people who want that extra $100 a month. Sadly, the cost of that bonus is going to be steep.

Will Rogers labeled it “Trickle Down Economics” in response to then-president Hoover’s policies. Ronald Reagan picked it up in the 1980’s. “Trickle Down Economics” pretty much means that when the billionaires have taken as much as they want, some of the rest might trickle down…

What’s different this time is we have a new class of billionaires who don’t even care about “The Trickle”. Trump and Musk and their ilk just want more. And now it’s not just money but power, too. They talk of buying up entire companies and industries so they can shut them down. Entire existing Departments of Government, too, Shut them down.

It’s important to remember history. In the history of Capitalist America, the only thing standing between billionaire wanna-be-kings, (Carnegie, Mellon, et. al.) are laws, regulations, and enforcement by a centralized, powerful government.

Can you see why the billionaires now want to control the government, too? I can.

God help us non-billionaires, even the Trump voters.