Tag: government

Understanding Trump’s Choices: Why Gaetz and Hegseth?

November 19th, 2024
Had an interesting online chat with a good friend from years ago. We both worked at Farmland Industries back in the eighties through much of the nineties. He voted for Trump. He is aghast at his choice of Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. To a lesser extent Trump’s choice of Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary. He can’t understand how Trump is willing to go “all in” to push both men to be affirmed. With both have extraordinary baggage in their backgrounds – let alone their qualifications.

I had to apologize to him. I sent several of my avatar’s showing my astonishment, my laughter, and yes – apologetically – my ridicule and disdain towards his sentiment about all of this.

My comment back to him is “What the hell did you expect?” For years he has telegraphed exactly how he feels about women. Through his adulterous actions through three marriages, his infamous “locker room” tape on ET where he said the below:

“I moved on her actually. You know she was down on Palm Beach. I moved on her, and I failed. I’ll admit it. I did try and fuck her, she was married.”
“No, no, Nancy. I moved on her very heavily, in fact I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture. I said I’ll show you where they have some nice furniture. I moved on her like a bitch. I couldn’t get there, and she was married. Then all-of-a-sudden I see her; she’s now got the big phony tits and everything. She’s totally changed her look.”

“Yeah that’s her with the gold. I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful… I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything.”

“Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”

And then later under sworn testimony in the civil sexual assault trial (where he was found guilty) when asked if he believed his statements that rich and powerful men can do anything they like to women because “women let them” he doubled down and said “Yes, it has been that way for millions of years.”

Or his numerous adulterous affairs where he kept the women whom he had affairs with from talking by paying them off and having them sign NDAs (think porn actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, and there are others).

So why would my friend be surprised? Both Matt Gaetz and Pete Hegseth have taken pages directly out of Trump’s personal playbook. Pay to have sex with women? Use your fame, use your money, use your power to get women? Do want you will to women? Then pay them off, sign NDAs, escape being accused of sexual assault?

Of course, Trump believes these two men have DONE NO WRONG. Because in Donald Trump’s unethical, immoral viewpoint they have DONE NO WRONG. So, absolutely he will double down in his defense of HIS nominations of them. Because another point I made to my friend, Donald J. Trump never believes that he has ever done anything wrong, never.
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The Role of Moderation: Key to Democratic Success in the 2024 Elections

August 29th, 2024
For many months, well over a year I have had discussions with friends that either party – Republican or Democrat – that would replace their expected nominee (either Biden or Trump) with another candidate – younger – they would quickly assume an ascendency in the run for the President’s office. The Democratic party was forced into this by Biden’s catastrophic debate. And give credit to Joe Biden putting his ego aside, his personal desires and competitiveness aside, for the good of his party….and country.

I have also talked about for years – that as both parties moved to their extremities (the Democrats to the extreme left and the Republicans to the extreme right) they became entrenched in their positions. The analogy that comes to mind is like the Allies and Axis in World War I who entrenched in their positions held that in between existed “no man’s land”. Politically, that “no man’s land” today is where many moderates of both parties exist and more importantly independent voters – which comprises the largest voting bloc, 43% of American voters consider themselves independent.

Between the two parties – only the Democrats have the ability to move to a more moderate position to attract the moderate voters of both parties and the independent voters. The Republican party, wrapped so tightly around Donald J. Trump’s axle and his support so tied to resolute support of single “litmus” tests (anti-abortion, undocumented immigrants, etc.) they seem incapable of moving in any way to the center of the political spectrum.

If the Democratic ticket, up and down the ballot, is successful in moving to a more moderate stance, moving more to the center of our divided political spectrum – this could turn into a landslide in November. Whether they can do that, highly questionable, but it is in play.

If the Democratic party can accomplish this, it may even be good for the Republican party. If kicked rudely, heavily to the curb in November, the party will return to its conservative roots – unwind itself from Donald Trump’s axle, engage with the electorate on issues that moves the entire country forward instead of following narrow issues important to only special groups.
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The Character of Our Nation: Donald J. Trump’s Impact on American Principles

August 27th, 2024
For many, including myself, this election is as much about the character of an individual – Donald J. Trump and his morality, his ethics, his lack of positive character attributes – as it is about policy.

However, it is more than that. It is also about the character of our country.

The following is a direct quote from an article by Robert Reich and represents many of my same thoughts.

“The values a president enunciates and demonstrates ricochet through society, strengthening or undermining the common good.

George Washington biographer Douglas Southall Freeman noted that by June 1775, when Congress appointed him to command the nation’s army, Washington had already “become a moral rallying post.”

In the 2016 presidential campaign, 240 years later, candidate Donald Trump’s moral squalor was on full display. When accused of failing to pay, he responded, “That makes me smart.”

He thereby signaled to millions of Americans that paying taxes in full is not an obligation of citizenship.

Trump also boasted about giving money to politicians so they would do whatever he wanted. “When they call, I give. And you know what, when I need something from them two years later, three years later, I call them. They are there for me.”

In other words, it’s perfectly okay for business leaders to pay off politicians, regardless of the effect on our democracy.

After Trump launched an attack on NFL players who kneeled during the national anthem, Steve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors, explained that the players were trying to protect a core American value. “They’re protesting excessive police violence and racial inequality,” said Kerr. “Those are really good things to fight against. And they’re doing it in a nonviolent way. Which is everything that Martin Luther King preached, right?”

Before Trump, the peaceful transfer of power was assumed to be a central feature of American democracy.

As Harvard political scientist Archon Fung has noted, when losing candidates congratulate winners and deliver gracious concession speeches, they demonstrate their commitment to the democratic system over the result they fought to achieve — an important means of reaffirming the common good.

Think of Al Gore’s gracious concession speech to George W. Bush in 2000, after five weeks of a bitterly contested election and just one day after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Bush:

“I say to President-elect Bush that what remains of partisan rancor must now be put aside, and may God bless his stewardship of this country …. Let there be no doubt, while I strongly disagree with the court’s decision, I accept it …. And tonight, for the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession.”

Consider what might have occurred had Gore bitterly accused Bush of winning fraudulently and blamed the five Republican appointees on the Supreme Court for siding with Bush for partisan reasons. Or if, during his campaign, Bush had promised to put Gore in jail for various alleged improprieties, and then, after he won, accused Gore of spying on him during the campaign and trying to use the

These statements — close to ones Trump actually made — might have imperiled the political stability of the nation.

Instead, Gore made the same moral choice his predecessors made at the end of every previous American presidential election, and for the same reason: He understood that the peaceful transition of power confirmed the nation’s commitment to the Constitution, which was far more important than his own loss.

Trump has had no such qualms. When he lost, he embarked on a coup against the United States and instigated an assault on the U.S. Capitol, resulting in five deaths.

At this moment, Trump and his lackeys are installing loyalists in state and county election offices to deny certification to the Harris-Walz ticket and other Democrats down the ballot.

The essence of Trump’s failure as president — and the fundamental reason he doesn’t merit a second term — is not that he has behaved in childish and vindictive ways or is “weird.”

It is that he sacrificed — and continues to sacrifice — the processes and institutions that undergird America to achieve his own selfish aims.

He abused the trust we place in a president to preserve and protect the nation’s capacity for self-government.

Trump is a traitor.

He and the Republican Party — now a personality cult based on Trump’s Big Lie — violate everything America stands for.

We cannot and must not forget his treachery and the GOP’s complicity. It is a despicable blot on America.”

I do not agree with everything Robert Reich says and writes, but in this case, he is spot on. This election is not just about the character of one man, it is about the character of our nation. Our nation is a nation build on character – selflessness, equal treatment under the law (no man is above the law), personal responsibility, respect for others, in times of trouble coming together and reaching across fences. Donald J. Trump does not represent any of these, he is not deserving of our votes come November.
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Time Magazine interview with Donald J. Trump and why voters need to educate themselves on the issues discussed

August 24th, 2024
Not long-ago, April 2024, Time Magazine interviewed Donald J. Trump. Donald has a fixation on Time Magazine, even creating fake covers of the magazine showing him winning their “Person of the Year” award and hanging copies of that in his golf resorts before being named “Person of the Year” in 2016. What was discussed, the positions Donald J. Trump holds on issues and policies are what every voter should be aware of and educate themselves on. Here is my takeaways from that interview.

1. Deportation of Immigrants: He would conduct a deportation operation designed to remove between 11 to 15 million people from the country. To accomplish this, he would build detention (concentration) camps and deploy the US military within our country’s borders. To rip out that many – up to 4.5% of our country’s workforce – would immediately affect multiple industries. Retail service, restaurant, building, agriculture industries would all be severely impacted due to labor shortages. In some areas agriculture activities would grind to a halt – they are that dependent on migrant workers – many of whom are “illegal” migrants. Economists across the board say this proposal would increase inflation, break supply chains in critical industries, and overall have a significant negative effect on the economy.

2. Monitoring of Women’s Pregnancies: Trump would support “red” states to “monitor” women’s pregnancies, allowing the state governments to be able to open and review women’s personal health records. He would support prosecution of women who violate state abortion bans, even if the women leave their home states to have the procedure done.

3. Withholding of Allocated Funds: Using his own discretion (and infallible wisdom) he would withhold funds appropriated by Congress, this according to top advisers. Keep in mind it is Congress (through a House and Senate jointly approved budget) who approve the authorization to spend money, not the President.

4. Firing U.S. Attorneys: And here is one that is even more troubling. He would be willing to fire a U.S. Attorney who does not conduct his order to prosecute someone. From this country’s founding we have had independent law enforcement – to ensure that political, religious, and even social pressures do not corrupt the enforcement of our laws. This tradition is already being broken in some states – look at Florida.

5. Pardons for January 6th Rioters: Donald J. Trump in this interview and since the interview has reiterated, he would pardon for every one of his supporters accused of attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. It was a violent attack on our democratic processes to ensure the transfer of power. More than eight hundred of his supporters have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a jury.

6. Abandoning Ally Commitments: He stated, as he did during his presidency, that he might not come to the aid of an attacked ally in Europe or Asia if he felt that country was not paying enough for its own defense. He fractured our NATO alliance while in office and many opinions hold that Putin determined after the election of 2020 that he had a window of opportunity to invade Ukraine because of these fractures and the window of time could be used for the invasion before the USA under a new President Biden could heal the fractures. Putin miscalculated as Biden and our NATO allies quickly came together to aid Ukraine.

7. Loyalty Tests for Federal Employees: He plans to “gut” U.S. civil service, employing methods to ensure only individuals “loyal” to him would be in leadership roles and would require every civil service employee to pledge to an oath of loyalty. Think about that! Nazi Germany put that exact process into place for their nation civil service in 1932!!!

8. Federalize the National Guard: He would deploy the National Guard to American cities as he sees fit. Currently it is the role of Governors to activate their state’s National Guard. Trump would have to “federalize” National Guard units to circumvent the authority of the state Governors.

9. Abandon Pandemic Planning: He would close the White House pandemic-preparedness office – which he did in the first year of his administration – 2017. In hindsight that severely hamstrung the initial Federal response to the COVID pandemic in our country – that decision cost thousands of American lives.

10. Only “Loyalist” May Serve: He learned a lesson from his first administration. Do not hire experienced administrators, they will push back on his often-ill-thought impulses or illegal proposals. Should he be elected, he will staff his Administration with acolytes who give him total loyalty and a blank check to do as he pleases.

Voters – educate yourself, dig into what a second Trump administration would mean to this country.
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Conservatism and the Republican Party under Donald Trump

July 9th, 2024
I am a conservative by nature, by intellect, and by desire. I believe in the four foundations of the conservative movement which I believe most Americans would agree with, fundamentally. Those four cornerstones are: Liberty, Tradition and Order, Rule of Law, and Moral Government. How are these under threat given today’s Republican Party and Donald J. Trump? I believe they are under dire threat.

Liberty means political liberty being able to freely speak your mind on matters of public interest. Liberty means religious liberty to worship as you believe or to not worship at all. Liberty means economic liberty in the pursuit of your own property and participation in a free market society. And Liberty most importantly means freedom from government oppression and arbitrary use of force. However, this also means, as the Founders of our Nation understood, for the common good individuals give some of their “rights” to their government.

Tradition and Order, simply means Conservatives believe society has evolved values over history that have led to an orderly society. These values have been based on human nature, belief that societies have been built that respect human rights and that can repel attacks on these rights. Conservatives’ believe that society changes through evolution over time, not revolutionary actions.

The Rule of Law provides a means to preserve life, liberty, and property. The Rule of Law also evolves over time but provides society with an ordered approach in how to support Liberty, Tradition and Order, and a Moral government. The Rule of Law puts no one above the law, no group, and no individual.

Moral government means for a government to exist it must – to be just, to be valid – the government must be based on a moral foundation. These morals are not unique to any religion but are part of human nature and reflected by cultures around the world. Our Founders spoke of “natural laws”, not religion and certainly not a specific religion. These morals provide guidance in the actions of government – whether that is in the form of legislatures, courts, or executive offices.

Today, the Republican party in many ways fundamentally does not reflect these foundations of Conservatism.

Take each of these cornerstones of modern Conservative thought.

Liberty – today’s Republican party has, and is, censuring any Republican who speaks freely, who speaks truth to power. It is no longer the party of freedom of thought, freedom of speech. Look at the lengthy list of current and former Republicans who have been driven out of the party and out of their roles because they had the temerity to speak their minds. And the one singular thread of being driven out? Their right, their duty to speak their minds on Donald J. Trump and present their critical thoughts on his actions, his words, and his policies. Think of Liz Cheney, one of the most conservative Representatives in the House, number 3 leadership role within the Republican House caucus – driven out of her leadership role and censured from the Republican Party. Think of Adam Kinzinger – a rising star within the Republican Party, Lt. Colonel in the Air Force Reserve – driven out of the Republican party due to his opposition of Trump’s role contributing to the attack January 6 on our Capitol and his participation in the House committee investigation of January 6th. Think of the ten Republican Representatives that voted to impeach Trump after January 6 – Reps. Liz Cheney, David G. Valadao, Adam Kinzinger, Anthony Gonzalez, Peter Meijer, Reps. John Katko, Dan Newhouse, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Fred Upton, Tom Rice. Eight of the ten left their offices, either by losing their primaries, or retiring from office. Only two remain in the House. And look with concern, perhaps more rightfully fear with what is being proposed in Project 2025, and being supported by the just now released 2024 Republican Platform – civil servants must pass a “loyalty” test, pledging their loyalty, essentially to a empowered President, who under the proposals within Project 2025 will take direct control of all of the Civil Service and Federal agencies. Fear that Liberty going forward will not mean “freedom from government oppression and arbitrary use of force.” Under Project 2025, the President’s role rises supreme over the other branches of the government with complete autonomy. Think Liberty is under threat? Yes, the November election represents a threat to Liberty should Donald J. Trump be elected.

Tradition and Order – the foundation is the respect for human rights, that society has evolved over time to support human rights. Yet, within Project 2025 – echoed again by the Republican 2024 Platform – are plans to dismantle civil rights laws and protections. These are focused on removing protections for women and minorities. Title VII protects against discrimination and harassment
based on race, color, national origin, and religion, as well
as sex, while Title IX becomes more specific in prohibiting discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities. Think this concern is overblown? Know that Donald J. Trump has lost many civil suits concerning racial discrimination. That Donald J. Trump to this day still does not condemn, let alone even criticize, white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups. Just this week a march was conducted in Nashville by a group -Patriot Front – who Trump in 2016 called “good people” – shouting “Sieg Heil” (Hail Victory) used by the Nazi’s in Nazi Germany. If Trump is elected society will de-evolve, through extremist, reactionary actions stripping away civil rights that have evolved over decades or longer within our country.

Rule of Law – simply to protect us all, equal under the law with no group or individual above the law. Yet look no further than the Supreme Court ruling on Presidential immunity separating immunity under “official acts” versus no immunity for “private” acts. Immediately, Trump and his attorney-initiated pleas that all his actions from 2016 through early 2021 fell under the definition of “official acts”. His attempt to hide his “hush money” payment to a porn star, his actions on January 6th, his attempts to overthrow the election results with the fake electors across numerous states, and his refusal to return government property in the documents case – are now all being plead as “official acts”. Given the Presidential authority and autonomy should Project 2025 proposals be acted on – the President virtually and in reality becomes above the law. The role would have the authority to claim every and any action taken by a President would be “official acts”, not “private acts”. Even assassinating a political opponent could be justified as an “official” act under the Constitution, with the President protecting the country in his role as the head of the military – being Commander in Chief. Think this is farfetched? Think again!

Moral government – the tenant is simple……for a government to be legitimate it must be moral, morals that are grounded across societies and across religions. Not specific to any one religion. How can a government be moral if an immoral, amoral individual is leading it? An individual who is a non-repentant sinner, an individual who believes he has done no wrong. Yet is proven to be a serial adulterer, a serial liar, a philanderer, and womanizer, even found guilty in civil court of sexual abuse (just short of rape), a convicted felon of thirty-four cases of business fraud. I believe given the autonomy and authority under Project 2025 proposals, Donald J. Trump would have the ability to corrupt our Federal government into his own image a government bent on revenge and retribution, a government focused on benefitting only those loyal to Donald J. Trump.

The Republican party, this current version – is no longer a conservative party – it is extremist and reactionary and being corrupted by an individual who would see himself be “king” – who has proven over his lifetime to be immoral and corrupt. Come November, this country has a choice, a clear choice to continue to strive to be as Ronald Reagan said “that shining city on the hill” or do we slide into an critically divided society unable to work for the common good as dreamed by our country’s Founders, driven there by an individual who only seeks to profit himself and his brand, and those pledging total loyalty to him.
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Where is the political courage when this country needs it?

March 16th, 2024
Years ago, during my high school years, I read John F. Kennedy’s book “Profiles in Courage”. The book was about eight US Senators who in US history, chronicling instances where they defied the pressures of various forces – their party, their state legislature, their President, but above all their constituents the American people – in a moment of national crisis, enduring insults from all sides.

Senator Kennedy wrote the book in the mid 1950’s while on convalescent leave from back surgery due to injuries during WWII. He had a interest in political courage from his days in college where his senior thesis was on Great Britain’s lack of political courage to rearm and confront the overt efforts of Germany under Adolf Hitler in rebuilding their military.

Why is this book relevant today? In today’s political environment of hyper partisanship the lack of political courage in not just concerning, but frightening. This lack of political courage exists on both sides of the isle, but is glaringly apparent on the right within the Republican Party.

Rather than courage, they express their fear. Kennedy described this as being, in parentheses I add my thoughts:

– pressure to be liked (fear of being disliked)

– pressure to be re-elected (fear of not being re-elected), and

– pressure of the constituency and interest groups (fear of their voters, fear of special interest groups, fear of Political Action Committees).

This fear that permeates the Republican Party today is grounded in their banner bearer, their nominee for President – Donald J. Trump. Men and women within the Republican Party that condemned Trump’s actions after the November election leading up to the January 6th attack on our Capitol and our democracy have succumbed to their fears, abandoned their principles, and violated their oaths to protect and preserve our Constitution and our Republic. And those that did not, they have been driven out of the Republican Party.

Kennedy also wrote about this in his book. He wrote, “In a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, ‘holds office’; every one of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.”

This fall, the American people will have a choice. From that choice our people will get, as Kennedy said, the government they deserve. And it is not the choice between two bad alternatives, two aged candidates, two political parties.

The choice is about what this country chooses to be as it moves forward. It will be a choice of a vision of a country moving forward, seeking a path forward for all its people, of a country that will seek solutions to the issues it faces, of a country that chooses to continue to be a leader of the free world. Or it will be a choice of a vision of a country that seeks to benefit only those loyal to a single individual, benefiting primarily only those that already sit in a positions of wealth and power, of a country where government will extend its reach into the most private aspects of personal freedoms, of retreating from positions and policies that have secured the nation’s position leading the free world, that have built the world’s strongest economy and kept the world from entering disastrous world wide conflicts for the past eighty years.

This fall it will be up to the American electorate to determine what type of government we chose to have. A government that governs for the common good, or a government that governs only for those that pledge their fealty, their faith and loyalty, to a single individual.

In this time, in this place we need our elected officials to stand to the test of Kennedy’s “Profiles in Courage”. As he wrote, “The true democracy, living and growing and inspiring, puts its faith in the people – faith that the people will not simply elect men who will represent their views ably and faithfully, but also elect men who will exercise their conscientious judgment – faith that the people will not condemn those whose devotion to principle leads them to unpopular courses, but will reward courage, respect honor and ultimately recognize right.”

Today, now, we need our elected officials to put their principles and their country, ahead of their party, ahead of their party’s leader, even ahead of their constituency. They need to govern their actions on what is right, and let the chips fall how they may afterwards.
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Why give Trump a “pass” on his statements?

February 11th, 2024
It is far past time Trump supporters do not give Trump a pass on his outrageous statements. Their excuse for him is that he makes these statements “just to get attention”, that he really “does not mean” what he says, that he is just a “promoter”. As a President, as a nominee for President, his words carry weight, they have consequences.

Here are two examples of where his supporters should not give him a pass.

First, within the last 48 hours Trump taunted Nikki Haley for her time as his ambassador to the UN. He castigated her performance and said the only reason he wanted her as his UN rep was to allow the then Lt governor to be made governor. But where he really crossed the line and should be held accountable was when he said, “Where is her husband? Where is he? He’s gone!” Nikki Haley’s husband is honorably serving this country in the National Guard and is on his second overseas deployment in Africa. He is serving this country and our security. This harkens to General Kelly – Trump’s chief of staff in the White House for over 18 months – stating on record that Trump when talking about soldiers and sailors that died in service or were maimed said, “What was in it for them? They were just suckers and losers.” Think about that statement – men and women who gave their lives and their bodies to secure our nation and our freedoms – just “suckers and losers”. How can anyone think this man would deserve a second term in the White House.

Second, within the last 24 hours Trump has made the following statement at one of his South Carolina rallies, “he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to any NATO member country that doesn’t meet spending guidelines on defense in a stunning admission he would not abide by the collective-defense clause at the heart of the alliance if reelected. Why is this so egregious? There have been several writings on how Donald Trump in his four years as President fractured the NATO alliance. His bruising meeting in Brussels at a NATO meeting, to published reports he wanted to remove the USA from the alliance. There have also been analyses on how Putin factored Trump’s impact on NATO and how Putin believed he had been given a “window of opportunity”, even a wink/wink from Trump for Putin to act in Ukraine. This was heightened by Joe Biden’s election where Putin believed he had to act before Biden could heal those factures. Bottom line, Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was impacted by Trump’s Presidency. It might also be good to understand why NATO was formed in 1949 – there were three reasons. First, to deter Soviet Union expansionism. Second, to eliminate militarism from growing again in Europe which had led to two disastrous world wars in the previous 35 years. And third, to create conditions leading to a more politically integrated and unified Europe. For 75 years NATO has been successful in those three. The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, militarism within Europe ceased to exist, and within Europe arose a desire to integrate not just politically, but economically with the formation of the European Union. Trump’s statements on NATO, given Putin’s propensity to use military power to recreate the Soviet Union and its hegemony over eastern Europe (with a goal to dominate all of Europe) is dangerous. Extremely dangerous to the USA and our security. It might also be good to understand, given Trump’s outrageous statements on member nations military spending, since the fall of the Soviet Union every, EVERY, member nations military spending to GDP has fallen. Our own military spending has fallen since 1991 from 5.3% of GDP to 3.4%, a fall of over 39%. Germany’s has fallen from an average above 5% from 1960 to 1991 to about 1.5%. England’s from above 5% in that same time to just above 2%. Trump’s undermining of the NATO alliance has factored into Putin’s equations and view on reinvigorating Russia. Trump’s statements are dangerous…and have an impact. Again, how can anyone think Donald J. Trump is deserving of another term in the White House?

You know, I can not help but add this comment. “Where is Melania? Where is she? She’s gone!” Melania has made no public appearances with Donald Trump at any of his campaign events. Melania has made no appearances with Donald Trump at any of his depositions or court appearances. In fact, in the last year she has only been known to have dinner in public with Donald Trump one time, last November, in Mar-A-Lago. Vanity Affairs has reported that Melania is refusing to appear in public with Donald Trump as she is infuriated with him about his affairs (only one of which involves Stormy Daniels, the porn “star”). Perhaps Melania knows better than any of us about the character and the qualifications of Donald Trump to serve another four years in the White House?
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Donald J. Trump and the Disaster Ahead for the Republican Party

February 6th, 2024
Four criminal cases, ninety-one felony counts, four judicial districts, over 120 jurists found cause for criminal charges in four grand juries. More civil lawsuits are being pursued than you can count on the fingers of your two hands. One of which may cause the Trump Organization to be greatly dissolved and unable to do business in the state of New York, the center of their operations. They all lie at the feet of the leading candidate for the Republican party, Donald J. Trump.

A serial womanizer, a serial adulterer, a serial liar, found to have sexually assaulted a woman by trial, found liable in defamation of that woman after trial and fined over $83 million dollars. Accused by another eighteen women who have gone public claimed he sexually assaulted them (sexual assault is defined as sexual contact without consent). Having sex with a porn star – currently under criminal trial due to alleged use of campaign funds as “hush money” paid to Stormy Daniels.

In the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape where Trump exclaimed “And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.”

And he confirmed this attitude and belief in a deposition where he responded to an attorney’s question:

Carroll’s attorneys quoted the video to Trump then asked, “That’s what you said, correct?”

“Well, historically, that’s true with stars,” Trump replied.

“It’s true with stars that they can grab women by the p—-?” Trump was asked.

“Well, if you look over the last million years, I guess that’s been largely true,” Trump said. “Not always, but largely true. Unfortunately, or fortunately.”

“And you consider yourself to be a star?” Trump was asked.

“I think you can say that, yeah,” he said.

In his own words, he confirmed that he believes he can do whatever he wants with women – and that lends considerable credence to the 18 women who claim he sexually contacted them without their consent…..sexual assault.

And now, two cases going before the Supreme Court as caused by the behavior and actions of a man who believes he is above the law. One case on his disqualification to run for office due to the Fourteenth Amendment. The other (on an expected appeal to the Supreme Court) due to a judicial court and now an appellate court ruling that as President Donald J. Trump was not above the law, and that he is not immune from prosecution. And likely more court cases yet to be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Donald J. Trump has been a disaster for this country – history will not be kind to him. Donald J. Trump has been a disaster for the Republican Party. Loser of the 2018 election, loser of the 2020 election, loser of the 2022 election. Donald will be taking the “Grand Ole” party over the cliff with him in November. Mark my words. A disaster from which the Republican party may need to happen for the party to recover and become what it once was…. the party of liberty, the party of law and order, the party of moral government, the party of fiscal responsibility.
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Virtue, yesterday and today

January 18th, 2024
I have picked up a couple of books to read, about the founding of our nation, our republic. One book, “First Principles – What America’s Founders learned from the Greeks and Romans and How that shaped our Country” tries to provide the reader with insight into how our first four presidents were impacted by their upbringing, their education and how this shaped our Constitution and our government.

Within just the first few pages something leaped out at me, and struck me with the context of a single word and it’s meaning from the late 1700’s versus how that word is used today.

That word is “virtue”.

Today’s definition often centers around morality, for example the “virtue of tolerance” or the “virtue of charity”. Or it may mean a trait of excellence including those of moral, social, or intellectual traits.

But, the word’s meaning in the late 1700’s through the early 1800’s had a different meaning, a different context. Virtue comes from the Latin term “virtus”. It is associated with character, valor, excellence, courage, and worth. Traits associated (rightfully or wrongly) with Roman emperors and leaders. For the people of the late 18th century “virtue” was essential to public life. It meant putting “the common good before one’s own interests”. It was the “lynchpin” of public life at that time.

Why is this important? “Virtue” runs constantly through the recorded words, the public statements of the Founders of our republic. It was repeatedly, in their written documents. As the book states “The word virtue appears over 6,000 times in the collected correspondence of the Founders and other writings of the Revolution’s generation, as compiled in the US National database – Founder’s Online – which includes over 120,000 documents.” The word “virtue” is found more often than the word “freedom”. The practice of “virtue”- of putting the public good ahead of self-interest was paramount in public life then and may explain why George Washington appeared so large in the post-revolutionary era. He was a man of “virtue”.

I could not help but think of how that word was essential to public life during the formation of our country and how that word today would ill fit our “leadership” today. Rather than virtue (either that of the late 1700’s or of today’s understanding of the word) far too many in Washington DC misconstrue notoriety with virtue, with social media presence with character, with how they might benefit themselves rather than how they might benefit “the common good”. How have we gone from a society where our candidates asked us to pledge allegiance to our country to pledge allegiance to themselves, where candidates pledged themselves to bring the country together to solve the nations issues, to candidates who say, “Only I can solve these nations problems.”
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Loose Lips Sink Ships……national security and Donald Trump

January 1st, 2024
I have said this many times, that history is a great teacher and those that fail to learn from history are apt to repeat it. Here is something to think about as it pertains to factual past US history and factual recent history concerning Donald Trump.

In 1943 in the heart of the USA’s war against Japan our nation’s submarine fleet was having great success against the Japanese merchant fleets. The Navy had determined that our latest subs, the GATO class, were able to submerge to a depth of just over four hundred feet which was one hundred feet deeper than the Japanese believed they could dive. Therefore, the Japanese set their depth charges to a maximum depth of three hundred feet. This diminished the damage they could do to our country’s subs. In that year, 1943, US Congressman Andrew May toured our Pacific fleet headquarters in Pearl Harbor Hawaii and was provided the information on the depth our subs could dive and how that benefited them when attacked by the Japanese. Representative Andrew May served as Chairman of the House Committee on Military Affairs in 1943. Afterwards Representative May held a press conference where he told the gathered press the Japanese were setting their depth charges to shallow.

Soon after this American sub losses increased in the Pacific. Vice Admiral Lockwood, commander of the U.S. submarine fleet in the Pacific, estimated that May’s security breach cost the United States Navy as many as ten submarines and eight hundred crew members killed in action. Loose lips sink ships, as the saying goes. Representative May was voted out of office in the next election.

How does this relate to current events?

In April of 2021, shortly after leaving office, Donald Trump shared classified information about US nuclear submarines with a billionaire Australian businessman at his Florida private members club, Mar-a-Lago. This has been reported by not just US news media (including Fox News), but also international news media.

The Australian businessman has been identified as Anthony Pratt, who heads one of the world’s largest packaging companies. It has been reported that Pratt later shared sensitive details about the US submarines with “scores of others, including more than a dozen foreign officials, several of his own employees, and a handful of journalists”.

American defense and intelligence authorities say this will endanger the country’s most critical defense resources, our nuclear submarine fleet, and endanger the country’s national security.

Federal prosecutors have now interviewed Pratt twice and he will likely be called by prosecutors to testify against Trump in Trump’s classified documents trial, which is due to start in May.

It is reported Trump revealed at least two critical pieces of information about the tactical capacities of US submarines, including “how many nuclear warheads the vessels carried and how close they could get to their Russian counterparts without being detected”.

For all of this…..Donald Trump swore in his oath of office to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”. With his grandstanding for Pratt, Donald Trump has put our country’s security and that of our navy and our sailors at risk.

He is not worthy of another term in the White House where he can further harm our country, our citizens, our institutions, our agencies, our armed forces, and our allies. The saying “four and no more” was true in 2020 and even more true in 2024.
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Tag: government

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