The Washington Post reveals a majority of Americans feel that Trump is dishonest, a poor leader, and is unstable.
Note the partisan split. Note that Republicans in this poll have answered diametrically opposite to Independents and Democrats. Given the Trump administration lies and deceit, what does that say about Republican tendencies? If Americans are this conflicted about Trump, can you imagine what the rest of the world feels? Trump is not the man to lead, to inspire, to bring the nation together, and you can completely forget about building bridges to other nations and making the world a better place. Trump is about division, chaos and hate. He's about making himself look better by trying to make everyone else around him look worse. I've written to my congress critters. In a response from a Republican congressman, they claimed a "mandate from the people for a government of common sense". As much as I applaud your sentiment, Mr. Congressman, I have to observe: I don't think 'common sense' means what you think it means.
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Republicans have come out with a replacement for the ACA.
As I've recently told my friend who rejects the ACA, it cannot simply be repealed. Millions of Americans who have coverage will lose it. Can it be fixed in the form the Republicans believe? Many books have been written about American healthcare, some saying what that author felt was wrong, some even providing suggestions on what to do to fix things. I wonder if those people who are going to lose medical coverage because of short-sighted policies at governmental level would agree with the Republicans that we simply have to "repeal ACA". I guarantee, whatever is put in its place will cost more, and provide less than ACA. We won't actually help things, we'll just be seen to be "Doing Something". As is normal, the folks that will be hit hardest are the poor, the unfortunate, and the weak. I so love Trump's rallying cry "I'll fight for you..." Then what he delivers is so much less. A friend recently suggested I should "Stop griping."
Her stance was that she didn't complain to me when Obama was in office, and she really didn't like him...therefore, it's her turn. I should be quiet, and not gripe about the fact that Trump won. Bless her...what I think she really meant is that a little guy like me sounds a bit lame, complaining incessantly about Trump's winning the Election. He's rich, important (hateful, but she wanted me to overlook that as he'll "shake things up"). I think she was trying to sugar coat it a bit and just call it 'griping'. In Trump's first 45 days in office we've had one, two...maybe even three constitutional crises (Trump attacking the judiciary, Trump attacking freedom of speech in the media, Trump claiming without evidence that the previously sitting President ordered a wiretap on a candidate of the opposition). You've had a Republican congress that simply refuses to consider that there's anything out of place, because for the first time we've got a President that won't interfere with them, and both Senate and Congress that have Republican majorities, so they get exactly what they want. At such a time, we really have no choice but to shout, to rail, and make sure our voices are heard. So thanks for the concern, darlin', but I think you've missed the point of this whole thing called 'Democracy'. We all get to have our say. The internet gives us all an amplified voice, and an audience to hear it. Especially the muppets we've all elected, time and again, to public office. Yes, I'm talking about the President, but I'm also talking about all the others, vice this, speaker of that, federal, state, county, city, judge, sheriff, etc. In a very real way, we make our government. Why would we ever be quiet? Our elected officials need to hear us, and our concerns and our needs so that, hopefully, the most good possible can be done for the most citizens. But there are two other things we must do: THINK, and REMEMBER. The best way to guess future behaviour of a person is to look at past behaviour. Whether that's a President who specialises in lying, cheating, stealing, and then dodging, or a Senator who won't do the right thing as he or she feels it will bring them more power, or a Congressman so scared of having to face his constituents that he won't even face them. The only real tool we have in Democracy is a blunt instrument: the vote. Let's use it, but use it well! Don't vote Republican OR Democrat simply because that's what you voted last time, or because someone told you to vote that way. WATCH these tricky people, learn what they do in their job, and see if you'd really want to work next to them. See if you'd want to do business with them. See if, in your heart of hearts, you think they're really trying to protect you and your family, or rather if they're just out to get a little more power or make a quick buck. And if they aren't living up to your expectations, then vote them the hell out! Think, and Remember. As I told her, once you've thought about a given situations, gathered evidence, and made a decision based on the evidence then contact your representatives and let your feelings be known: For the House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ For the Senate: https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/ Make sure your voice is heard. You *pay* these people, so they work for you...tell them what they should be doing. This last weekend, Trump truly has outdone himself.
He heard something on talk radio, took it as gospel, and tweeted a constitutional crisis into being in a matter of hours. Is there cause for concern about the rights of American citizens? There is *always* cause for concern. That's why there are three branches of government, so that when one goes off the deep end the other two can rein that branch in. Personally, I find the whole concept of the FISA court and it's hidden agenda and gag orders offensive to right thinking Americans everywhere. Considering I've been clamouring for investigations of Trump and his Russian connections you bet I'm pleased that an investigation will be held. By all means, investigate everything, just so long as you don't forget to investigate Trump and his cabinet. However. It's one thing to feel that way about governmental overreach, and a whole other thing entirely to throw a big temper tantrum, and kick off a constitutional crisis on the basis of a shock-jock's radio show. No, a man who's that fragile, childish, arrogant, and who believes innately in his own rightness (no matter what reality looks like) needs professional help. A man with access to over 1/3 of the world's supply of nuclear weapons needs to be rational, calm, and not have late-night knee-jerk reactions to things he hears coming from the radio in the other room. What's next? When someone really shows they're evil, when Trump gets bad press from Texas, or Michigan, will he nuke them? I offer to you a prime example.
For those who are humour-impaired, it's satire. False, fake and made up. ...but...the part that makes it so damned funny is that I could so see President Obama and Michelle saying exactly these sorts of things behind closed doors. I was born in Dallas. I have an irrational love for the Cowboys. I remember all the non-pc things that seemed just that little bit wrong in childhood that now seem *wildly* inappropriate...
But...I never thought that a congressman would be such a coward. Especially when the person who's he's claiming is the reason to hide is calling him a coward too. I don't understand how the Republicans in general would spout such hard and corrosive things as repealing all Obamacare (without a replacement, imperilling the healthcare of millions), stopping abortions globally, or closing partisan ranks and refusing to investigate the whole Russian mess...and yet be personally so cowardly. Republican voters: are you getting what you voted for? I think you're being shortchanged when your elected official no longer wants to talk to you. They need to remember that election time comes for all members of congress. This election cycle especially will judge these people very harshly indeed. Then again, I wonder, with all that's going on with Russia's interference...will there ever be another real election again? Maybe there won't be another election, and they don't have anything to worry about at all...(which gives *me* something to worry about). I don't imagine, even for an instant, that Trump would ever, in any circumstance, admit at there's anything ever that he's done worth taking away his shiny new toy of the presidency.
I personally don't have any proof of his guilt. (If I did, I'd be getting it to...well...someone and not be sitting here typing.) Here's an interesting proposal. You know those guys have been there. They've walked more than a mile in those particular shoes. We may or may not see eye to eye on a lot of issues...but I've never before felt, not once, that American Democracy was in such jeopardy, or that we'd gotten such a bad deal in the election. Innocence before being proven guilty. Don't want to look guilty? Allow...no...encourage a speedy, impartial, non-partisan, objective review. When every other word has been falsehood, there's absolutely no way anyone could possibly take Trump at his word. He's proven himself untrustworthy. Not in itself an impeachable offence, but one that makes his comments very suspect indeed. Trump, don't be like this. Play nice. Let the grown ups have their investigation. If they don't find anything, and you seem to keep saying they won't, then no harm done. You can get back to playing with your nice shiny toy, and I'll stop blogging about you. I promise. No ruse here. Really. My fingers are not crossed and my nose is not growing. Trump, please pay attention to the people who would most benefit from your ego-stroking budget shift of $54Billion: the military.
They know that they're going to be called upon to back up whatever hair-brained and commercially short-sighted plan you come up with. What do you say, let's *not* make our military go and fight needless, pointless and wasteful wars simply because you want to let your billionaire buddies rape the ecosystem. m'Kay? Please, Oh please, tell me that this possibility is fading.
Already, we're seeing changes in the way America operates. Friends and family of mine are feeling persecuted already. Allies of decades are pulling away. Trade wars are beginning. The media is being weakened. The Judiciary threatened. Is this "winning"? One of the blessings of the US political system is that, no matter how bad a president is, no matter the misery he inflicts...he's only got 4 years. 8 years at the outside...but there's a hard and fast limit. America is in a place I *never* thought to see in my lifetime. A place that, potentially, could tip over into Authoritarianism...even fascism. Trump clearly and obviously believes that The President has full control over the country and the planet, extending to control over reality itself. Any story he doesn't like gets squashed. He can make threats, extort countries and companies, and enrich himself while he does it. During the campaign he enraged and outraged the "alt-right" to the point where that's an oxymoron. They're not "alt" any more. By any definition, they are a mainstream movement. They're also not "right" any more. Their actions will harm innumerable people in America and beyond. (The people who voted for Trump just don't realise it yet). Watch Trump's actions, not his words. He's repealed laws stopping coal mining from dumping pollution into rivers. He's weakening and trying to remove emissions standards for cars. He's repealed laws that protect little folks from big business. He's proposing a 1/3 tax reduction for the super wealthy. He's proposed gutting many of the programs that little people depend upon for their food and shelter to pay for more weapons (when America has the second largest nuclear armory, and spends more than the next 12 countries combined on their militaries). This is clearly not a president who's concerned about little people, despite his spittle-decorated speeches to the contrary. He's directly concerned with making as much money and as much ego as he can get away with. If, at the end of this term of office, he's decided that he doesn't really want to leave yet, who's going to make him? Why does Trump continue to rail and attack the media?
Given his predilection to lie (multiple times, daily, and on significant and insignificant details), it's truly hard to take anything Trump says at face value. He's mostly now just declared war on reality in total. He claims that people shouldn't be able to make a story without giving named sources. Hypocrisy? But what does he hope to accomplish? He's already the US President. He got the top job, and has nuclear weapons in his pocket (God help us all). Why the continued and unabating torrent coming from him? With Putin's Russia taking steps to pull the power around the world away from "the West", we need to be awake, aware, and not squabbling amongst ourselves. We need to be watching for the enemy at the gates. Let's get Trump (and his long-suffering staff) out of the White House and into a facility where he(they) can get the mental help he(they) so clearly deserves. At the same time, we must get adults back into the White House...adults who are watching out for the American People, and the world in general. |
AuthorEngineer, Dad, Concerned Citizen. Watching the America I love fading and eroding before my eyes. Archives
November 2018
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