Given the vortex of Hell this country is currently caught in...CA burning; Puerto Rico is dying, Americans are being stripped of healthcare, the President is dragging us to war...Where the hell is the DNC? All I am hearing from DNC leadership is freakin' crickets. We need a strong, clear voice of principled opposition to the lunatic in the Oval Office and the Republicans enabling him. And...I'm...Not...Hearing...It...from the DNC. All I've heard from the DNC is a really bad slogan, "A Better Deal", and given the shit sandwich we're all munching on right now, that's a pretty low damn bar. Either Democratic leadership steps up their game or just forfeit the game and get out of the way for someone who will.
Friday, October 13, 2017
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Trump's Season of Treason
Trumpbots, have, since the inception of Trump’s campaign accused
those who were less than enthusiastic or outright opposed to the septuagenarian
degenerate and his candidacy were somehow…”unAmerican”. Since his “selection”
by the Electoral College, those accusations have risen to the level of treason.
This is, in large part due to their fundamental misunderstanding of the
definition of treason. Treason is defined by Article III, Section 3 of the
United States Constitution as follows:
Treason against the United
States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid
and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the
Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open
Court.
This is the definition of treason. It is not opposition to the
candidacy of the most eminently unsuitable candidate for President this nation
has ever seen…unless, of course, you count Ben Carson. Treason is not
principled opposition to the presidency of a man seemingly bent on using that
office to enrich himself, his family and his cronies.The man selected as POTUS,
however, is flirting with treason.
As evidence of Russian interference in this election, interference
which benefitted Donnie, he dismisses the evidence “as a ‘ridiculous’ political
attack on the legitimacy of his election as president” (Shattuck, 2016), a legitimacy
that will always be in question. With the release of the FBI/DHS report on
Russian hacking and its influence on US politics, Donnie blandly replies “It’s
time to move on to bigger and better things” (Wagner & Demirjian, 2016),
as Putin chides the majority of Americans who voted for Clinton to “lose with
dignity” (Filipov, 2016). Like
the GOP lost with dignity in 2008 and 2012?
The real question here, to the Trumpbots who think opposition to
Trump’s presidency, and the kleptocracy he is creating, is treason should be “Which
lies closer to treason? Principled opposition to an unfit POTUS? Or, that
POTUS, his cronies and sycophants siding with a foreign power…Russia…in its
meddling in the US elections?” The next question the Trumbots need to ask is of
themselves, and these people are willing to believe the crazy shit about “Pizzagate”
but not the assessment of America’s intelligence community, “How much meddling
in US politics by Russia are you going to say is OK?” The Trumpbots need to
answer these questions before they start throwing charges of “treason” and “anti-Americanism”
and opponents of the coming train-wreck that will be the Trump administration.
References
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
The Betrayal of America
On Monday, December 19th, America embarked on a new, dark page of
its history. On that day, the Electoral College cast its ballots, selecting
Donald Trump as the next President of the United States. In doing so, the
Electors betrayed the purpose of the College as outlined by Alexander Hamilton
in the Federalist #68. He stated “sense of the people should operate in the
choice” of whom they cast their ballots for. In this case the Electors failed,
utterly, in this regard as Donald Trump lost the popular vote by more than 2.8
million votes. Secondly, according to Hamilton, the Electoral College existed
to prevent those whose “Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of
popularity” would place this nation in jeopardy. Again, Electors failed utterly
in this regard. The faithless electors were those who threw their lot in with
Trump. In casting their ballots for Donald Trump, they betrayed this nation
into the hands of a man, and the circle of racists, misogynists, homophobes,
religious extremists, plutocrats surrounding him, that will use the office of
President of the United States to loot the treasury while Americans die for
lack of healthcare...our schools crumble...our environment turns into and open
sewer...our infrastructure turns to dust. And the same people who created the
financial crash of 2008 are given free reign o do whatever the hell they want
while everyone who works for a living is reduced to serfdom.
During his campaign, the GOP leadership flapped their hands in
dismay at his hate mongering and outrageous behavior, but those at the top of
the GOP food chain refused to denounce Trump for the dangerous demagogue that
he is. And now, they obstruct efforts to a deeper investigation into the ties
between Trump’s campaign and Russian hacking which benefited his campaign. As for
Trump’s multiple conflicts of interest in his refusal to divest himself of his
business holdings; as his children hold seats at his side in clear violation of
anti-nepotism laws; as his sons sell access, through the Trump “foundation”,
for millions of dollars…congressional GOP leadership will turn a blind eye. In their
desperate desire to hold onto their political power the leaders of the
Republican party at all levels will, if not participate, in the sacking of America,
will do nothing to impede the efforts of Trump and his plutocrat butt-buddies
as they pillage the Treasury at the expense of every person who works for a
living. They are complicit int this betrayal.
The betrayal of America will be complete with this dangerous axis of a White House occupied by an unstable President and his equally unstable inner circle; a Congress in the hands of willing participants in the destruction of the nation and, soon, a Supreme Court in the hands of right wing ideologues. In the face of this tide of corruption, moral bankruptcy and right wing ideology, the Constitution will soon be nothing but a fond memory.
The betrayal of America will be complete with this dangerous axis of a White House occupied by an unstable President and his equally unstable inner circle; a Congress in the hands of willing participants in the destruction of the nation and, soon, a Supreme Court in the hands of right wing ideologues. In the face of this tide of corruption, moral bankruptcy and right wing ideology, the Constitution will soon be nothing but a fond memory.
America has been betrayed.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Donald Trump's Kleptocratic Kakistocracy
Kleptocracy: government
by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the
governed
Kakistocracy: a state or country run by the worst, least qualified,
or most unscrupulous citizens
As
I write, this on the eve of the Electoral Colleges vote…a vote that will likely
confirm the election of Donald Trump to the Presidency of the United States, we
see the septuagenarian degenerate creating a cabinet of people eminently
unqualified for the positions he is appointing or nominating them to. His inner
circle is occupied by racists, homophobes, misogynists, anti-Semites,
Islamophobes, religious extremists and amoral plutocrats. Let’s take a look,
shall we?
·
Secretary
of State: Rex W. Tillerson: President and CEO of
Exxon-Mobile, with extensive ties to Russia and Vladimir Putin. It is worth
noting that Exxon-Mobile had to put the brakes on exploration and development
of oilfields in the Russian Artic Circle in 2014. This as a result of US sanctions against Russia for its incursions
into Ukraine. This exploration and development could resume with “improved”
relations with Russia, and represents a HUGE conflict of interest for the
Nominee for Secretary of State.
· Interior Secretary: Ryan Zinke: Representing Montana’s
at-large congressional district for one term, Rep. Zinke has a 3% voting score
with the League of Conservation Voters. Also of note, Oasis Petroleum was Zinke’s
largest campaign contributor, and also has a stake in the Dakota Access Pipe Line.
· Energy Secretary: Rick
Perry: Ricky, in his 2011 presidential bid, couldn’t remember which three
government departments he wanted to scrap, has been tapped to head one of those
departments. Perry will be replacing nuclear physicist, Ernest Moniz. Ricky’s
only real qualification for the position are his ties to the fossil fuel
industry. His bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M was in “animal science”.
· Treasury Secretary:
Steven Mnuchin: A former Goldman-Sachs broker, Mnuchin is a cipher, having no previous public,
political or organizational experience to speak of. His most recent accomplishments
include buying Indy Mac from the FDIC, changing the name to “One West” and
selling for a huge profit in 2015. He has also provided financial backing to
the movie industry. He will likely support policies which will net billions of
dollars in profits for hedge fund managers, like Trump supporter John Paulson.
· Education Secretary: Betsy DeVos: Ms. DeVos is a Michigan
billionaire and conservative activist who has spent millions in lobbying efforts
directed at expanding school voucher plans which siphon tax dollars form public
schools into the pockets of private education companies, all in the name of “school
choice”. Ms. DeVos has no educational credentials or experience to speak of. In
addition, there is the issue of “$5.3 million in fines imposed on
her political action committee for campaign finance violations in Ohio
eight years ago”, fines that have yet to be paid. Her only apparent qualification
for the position appears to be the nearly $1.8 million Ms. DeVos and her family
contributed to the Trump campaign.
·
Housing and
Urban Development: Ben Carson: Does
anything else really need to be said? Hell, even Carson admitted he’s not
qualified for the job.
I could go on, but if you
don’t get the point by now, you won’t. Trump is packing his cabinet and inner
circle with a growing list of plutocrats, lobbyists, hate-mongers, extremists
and the morally and ethically bankrupt. And I didn’t include the list of big
money campaign contributors who are getting plum posts.
No, Trump is setting the
stage for government corruption on a never before seen scale with the conflicts
of interest surrounding his own financial empire and those of the future members of his administration.
They will loot the treasury and leave everyone who actually works for a living
holding the bag, and reduced to serfdom. Trump’s kleptocratic kakistocracy,
soon to be squatting in the White House.
References