Month: June 2019

The Democrats debate. And Trump Tweets.

Two nights. Two debates. 20 candidates. The Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate.

Once you get past the talking heads and media hype and the spectacle it was you are left with 20 good men and women who are trying to unseat Donald J. Trump as President of the United States. Any of these 20 individuals would be a major improvement over Trump. Any of them. From the most liberal/progressive to the most conservative.

Trump’s populist approach of Tweeting ‘every day man’ type comments – surely intended to fire up his base by demonstrating he is just a regular guy – is so tired. These 20 good folks have legitimate, developed, rational policy positions on issues from health care to war. Trump has simplistic anecdotal symbolic ideas that are simply not fleshed out, thought through, or – God forbid! – analyzed. Build the wall! Institute tariffs! Ask citizenship question in the Census!… and such.

(The Democrats are not without their populist traps. Medicare for all! It’s her body! No war!… These are shallow, simplistic bumper stickers slogans that do not withstand scrutiny.)

Yet, comparing the Democratic candidate to Trump is like comparing a tomato on the vine to a rotting tomato. One has so much potential; the other is washed up, proven worthless, with no redeeming value – except maybe to mix with manure as compost.

Any one of the Democrats will do.

I just hope that when s/he accepts the nomination, s/he will ask all candidates that ran to come up to the stage and be recognized as future cabinet members and department heads… What a symbolic gesture that would be! What better way to enlist the energy for each and every one of the candidates than to honor their efforts – and the efforts of their volunteers – by inviting them to the leadership table… Then maybe – just maybe – all those long hours of door knocking, campaigning, and fundraising will prove to be beneficial for the common good even if their nominee did not win. … Wouldn’t that be something? It would be quite something indeed to see  each candidate willingly put himself/herself at the service of the winners, offering them their infrastructure (i.e.: mailing lists, list of donors, etc.) and promising to authentically and enthusiastically campaign for, excite others, and support the nominee.

If the Democrats hold together they will defeat Trump.

Now, whether Trump accepts the results of the elections is another matter… It would not surprise me if Team Trump is already concocting shenanigans to circumvent the election results if he were to lose. Will he declare a national emergency? Will he claim the election was flawed? It would not surprise me one iota it Trump simply refuses to accept a loss and takes dramatic steps to stay in power… Clearly this man has no limit – he has no filter – to what he would do to gain and stay in power.

#RESIST

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Somebody please get this man some help.

You don’t have to be a psychiatrist, you don’t have to be a social worker, you don’t have to be a professional to notice that our President is simply not well.

Mind you, I know we are all dysfunctional in some ways and we all suffer from some level of abnormality.

But, this guy is off the rocket.

Those around him need to stop enabling him.

Those that see him as a useful idiot need to stop praising him with endless accolades.

Anecdotes abound. But one that typifies his more than uncommon behavior and propensity to lie is when he recently publicly praised the crowds on the streets of London. He praised them, claiming they were there happy to see him.

No. These folks were protesting him. Did he not know that?!? Really?!?

I don’t know what the worst interpretation is.

If those around him did not specify to him that the crowds were protesting and instead told him they were cheering him – and he believed them – it is proof that he is being totally manipulated.

If he simply lied and said the crowds were cheering him while fully knowing they were protesting him, it simply proves he is – as many have said – a pathological liar, hoping that if he says something enough his supporters will disregard the obvious, undeniable truth.

Either way, there is something very wrong here.

There seems to be a substantial part of America that simply chooses to have a single source of ‘news’. They are simply not interested in any other channels. They don’t want to be bothered. It is real to them only if it appears on Fox News and only if the President affirms it.

Add to this the fact that the vast majority of Senators and Republican governors will adhere to Trump’s unorthodoxy – whatever that might be – and you get the reality in which we live: A functional dictatorship.

Unless Trump is resoundly defeated in the 2020 elections and his authoritarian course is reversed, the U.S.A. will fall prey to continuing a functional dictatorship. Couple this with the increasing complexity of society; the many people that feel overwhelmed; the backlash to science, diversity, and pluralism; and you get a very bad situation… A situation that might just be irreversible. A situation where the masses will gladly accept being spoon fed as long as they can practice their consumerism religion, be lulled by increasingly bad entertainment, and intoxicated by corrupt sports… Think Roman Empire before its fall. (Are we there yet?)

Inaction is being complicit in the creation of this new Orwellian Trump World.

Assuming others will do their civic duty while you enjoy your frills is being derelict of your civic duties.

Making excuses, claiming to be too busy, and throwing up our arms in disgust equals joining the Trump Team.

Don’t despair. We can do this. Keep talking to his supporters. But, more importantly, talk to your laid back friends – the ones that will listen to you. Share with them your concern, your passion. Ask them – beg them if you must – to take this situation seriously.

This man needs help. We can help him. Tough love is in order.

But first we must get him out of our house – the White House.

#RESIST #VOTEVOTEVOTE

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