Language - We all use it, but not well.

This is one of my favorite scenes from Blazing Saddles.  To me, it is one of the best anti-racist films ever made.  And that's because of Brooks' use of language.  Could you imagine the impact of this scene if it were limited to politically correct language?  Try this comparison:

"One move, or the black fellow gets it!"

or

"One move, or the n----r gets it!"

Which is more funny in the context of this film?  Given how dumb the racist whites in the film are being shown to be, I feel the latter line used by Brooks has a greater impact in more ways than one.

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What a person says, how it is said, and the context in which something is said gives much meaning to an utterance.  This is why Germany has strict rules regarding the display of Nazi symbols to this era.  I find it sad that America has greater freedom in the use of Nazi symbols, and with it, a larger neo-Nazi movement.  Sadly, symbols can carry meaning more effectively than words. And during the Trump era, we've seen more Swastikas and Confederate Battle Flags on display than I'd ever have dreamed would be socially acceptable in any part of America.

I was sickened when our former president said "there were good people on both sides" when referring the the Charlottetown protests.  Are Nazi sympathizers good?  How so?  Does this mean that black rights are bad?  I still remember them chanting "Jews will not replace us."  How can they do that, given how few there are in this country?  Maybe, it's because these people don't want want to invest in the education needed to get the jobs of the future?  Maybe, it's because these people don't want to move to where the jobs are?  Maybe, it's because they don't value people who are not as bigoted as they are, and employers reject them because they want a healthy workplace?

Over time, we saw how bad a person our 45th president was. Recently, Business Insider posted an article noting how the Russians have been cultivating this man as an asset for years. The article links to another in the Guardian, that references a new book on the KGB's development of assets in America. Given what is now known about our 45th president, it's easy to see how a foreign power could manipulate a person's use of words to harm a nation while plausible deniability is spread all around.

It's hard for me to say this, but maybe we need guardrails on the 1st amendment.  Germany strictly regulates the use of Nazi symbols.  But it does allow them to be used.  How many of us know that in a country that generally prohibits the use of the Swastika, that Mel Brooks was allowed to use it in a theater where "The Producers" was being performed?  Yet, Germany prohibited the use of the image outside the theater. So, a pretzel flag was used instead. Even Germany realizes that a symbol of hate has to be exposed to the contempt it deserves.  

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Sometimes, freedom of religion conflicts with other people's property rights.  Several years ago, a bunch of ultra orthodox Jews sued to allow their Eruv to be extended from Rockland County, NY into neighboring areas of New Jersey.  What couldn't be openly discussed in the courts is that the neighboring New York religious community had a much higher rate of poverty (50%-60% on public assistance) than in the community on the New Jersey side of the border. The folk in New Jersey wanted to keep their parks for their own community, and not be crowded out by outsiders.  They wanted to make sure that their properties would not be bought out, then turned into illegal multi family homes.  The 1st amendment actually got in the way of free and responsible speech in this case.

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All of our freedoms come with responsibility.  Sometimes they come into conflict with each other.  When I contrast our 45th president's encouragement of a mob storming the capitol on January 6th with the court battle regarding the Eruv, I see evil (as evidenced by the 1/06/21 mob) vs. good (both sides of the Eruv dispute).  In the former case, people had no respect for the law, and would use any and all tools to get what they want.  In the latter case, the court system was responsibly used.  Although the settlement was not perfect, it is being adhered to, and has had a peaceful outcome.  

Language when used effectively is powerful. But without law, it can also be dangerous.  My question is: Do we need explicit limits on 1st amendment freedoms?

Snake Oil for Sale

I find it amazing that so many people have been conned by this two-bit snake oil salesman who occupies the office of the President.  They have given their allegiance to someone who has no loyalty to any principles, shows loyalty only to family, and exhibits a strong affinity to authoritarian regimes, only because they wish to follow a bully from his demonic pulpit. 

Most politicians have to sell some "Snake Oil" in order to get elected. Pledging allegiance to a man with few (if any) principles wouldn't be too bad if he understood how power should be used, and that he was truly making America great again.   Instead, Trump is destroying the very things that helped keep America great in the economic world we shaped after World War 2.  

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In their effort to extract more wealth from the populace, our nation's elites have abandoned the most vulnerable in our society. Structural unemployment is damaging both rural and urban areas in America, as it is doing in the rest of the developed world.  And the populist insurrection that brought Trump to the White House is playing all over the world with "Yellow Vest" protests in Paris, Brexit in Britain, and the shift towards autocratic rule in Eastern Europe.  Trump is acting exactly as I'd want him to do if I were Vladimir Putin.  Every action Trump takes is geared to destabilize American political institutions, American social institutions, and American economic institutions.  It only makes sense for Trump to have done what he did, if he were a puppet of the Russians.

Sadly, in its leaders' lust for power, the GOP has lost its soul.  The base no longer cares about principles.  It is mostly a populist mob led by people who will deliver meager rations of bread and entertain them with meaningless political stump speeches geared to promote tribal identity.  The base has allowed its leaders to become irresponsible, enacting a so-called tax cut which is adding more billions to the budget deficit than if they left the tax code alone.  Even more important than this is their tolerance of a leader who shows them no loyalty as long as he is willing to pursue a retrograde social agenda.

Did the swamp get drained?  No, that was only a useful political slogan.  And yet, the base ignores the lack of progress in this area. I think this illustrates a greater social problem in our society. America has divided itself into haves and have-nots. It has also divided itself into well educated people and poorly educated people.  More importantly, it is divided into compassionate people and non-compassionate people. I feel sorry for those government employees not getting paid because of a pissing match between the House and Trump.  My Dad, however, has no compassion for them - he lived a hardscrabble life, and only has enough room in his soul to care only about himself and his immediate family.  Many of Trump's supporters are very much like my Dad - life has not allowed them the luxury of caring for others who are not doing well. 

Sadly, we have only ourselves to blame if this traitor is allowed to hold the office of the President much longer.  It is no longer a luxury to be well educated or compassionate.  The world has changed from a "Win-Lose" world into a "Win-Win / Lose-Lose" world, where education, communication, and compassion will be needed for future prosperity.  That means we have a choice: Continuing to let this traitor lead us astray, or to go in the opposite direction - where we can all work together to pursue common interests, making things better to pursue our individual interests as a result....

Regarding the possibility that Trump and the GOP Hierarchy are Traitors.

Regarding the possibility that Trump and the GOP Hierarchy are Traitors.


US Constitution: Article 3, Section  3 -

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.

Note: This is the only crime mentioned in the constitution which requires the testimony of two witnesses for a conviction.  It is likely that Trump will be charged as a Conspirator if indicted.

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Conspiracy -

In criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime at some time in the future.

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Aid and Abetting in Law -

Aiding and abetting is a legal doctrine related to the guilt of someone who aids or abets in the commission of a crime. It exists in a number of different countries and generally allows a court to pronounce someone guilty for aiding and abetting in a crime even if they are not the principal offender.

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Let's assume that the heads of all of the US intelligence agencies are correct in the assumption that Russia has been interfering with American elections, and that they are trying to sabotage the Western Alliance. How could we determine that Trump was committing acts of treason, even if we could not convict him for treason under the law?  In the case of Conspiring with Russia to harm the United States, I think we could make a good case of it.

First, let's take a look at some of Russia's goals:

1. The destruction of the Western Democracies' belief in both the rule of law and the elections which seat their leaders in positions of power.
2. The destruction of the Western Alliance, freeing Russia from checks and balances that limit its use of economic power.
3. The destruction of global/regional free trade policies and regulations, so that Russia's economic competition can be divided and conquered.
4. The destruction of the United States' economy, eliminating the one power which could check and balance Russia's military power.
5. The destruction of treaties and agreements geared to remedy the effects of climate change, thus allowing Russia to develop its frozen territory in Siberia.

You'll notice that each of Russia's goals involves destroying something of value to the rest of the world.

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Russia has been using both money and propaganda to influence people in the Western Democracies to support extremist leaders. They do not care if leftists or rightists win. They only care that our societies are divided and our leaders are corrupted and beholden to Russia.  

Russia has taken advantage of Structural Unemployment in the West to sow dissent, and cause people who have been left behind because of the incompetence of mainstream political leadership to become more agitated and violent in their protests. Look at the people who voted for Le Pen in France, for Brexit in the UK, and for Trump in the USA, and you'll see quite a few people who have lost out because of globalization.  Many of these people are what we'd call racists in America, as all too many of them would not have the skills to survive in a multi cultural workplace, and would place the blame for their failures at the feet of "the others" and not consider that their value systems could be the cause for their failures.

Quite often, it is the under/unemployed who are fired up by bombastic leaders, and this is true around the world.  In Germany, they understandably complain about Muslim immigration from Syria, as there is a limit to how many refugees any country can safely assimilate. In France, it is the Algerians.  And in many cities in Europe, the governments ignore the "no-go" zones where the unassimilated migrants now live.  In America, these same people point at anyone with dark skin, especially if they speak Spanish, and look down on them - as if they are all illegal aliens and must be deported.  Strangely enough, there is a net outflow of Mexicans back to Mexico these days, and that most illegals are coming in by air and over staying their visas, working in the cash economy.  No wonder why people don't trust their own governments - they do not do their jobs.

Trump has taken advantage of this undercurrent, and claimed that millions of illegals have voted in our elections.  I'll cede the word "Thousands" to him for sake of argument, but this does not explain why Trump lost the popular vote.  Yet, he makes this claim, and all too many people are ready to believe him - as this explanation is simple enough for them to understand.  Until Trump came along, I never heard of a "Sore Winner".  But the chip on his shoulder indicates that he is uncomfortable with anyone knowing that he does not have the support of the majority of the American public. And this attitude only helps to reinforce the doubt his followers have in both the rule of law and that of honest elections.

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Next we must consider what Trump has done to the Western military alliance.Our president has sowed doubt with our Western partners.  For example, he has said that NATO is obsolete - even after Russia annexed Crimea.  Of course, Trump has rarely said a bad thing against Russia and its leaders. He has claimed that America is paying the bulk of the price for European defense, America's contribution to NATO expenses is under 30%.  He does not acknowledge the underlying reasons for NATO's existence:

1. Keep America in Western Europe
2. Keep the Germans from needing a strong military and threatening its neighbors.
3. Keep the Russians out of Western Europe.

By inserting us as a Western European peacemaker, America got to control the degree of how militarized Western Europe would get. Preventing a war between the Western European countries has allowed everyone to prosper by preventing a third European war which would destroy all of their economies, as happened in the Second World War.

Russia gains from Western European instability.  In the past, it has controlled Eastern Europe.  Several of the former Warsaw Pact countries are now part of NATO, and that threatens Russia.  Any doubt it can sow in the minds of the leaders of the Baltic Republics (Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania), Poland, or other former Warsaw Pact nations in regard to US commitments to NATO is an asset to Russia, as these nations are more likely to capitulate to Russia's demands instead of supporting Western interests.

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Trump keeps looking to cut trade deals with individual nations, instead of working with existing trade blocs.  He is against NAFTA, claiming we could have gotten better deals by negotiating separate deals with Canada and Mexico.  He wants to cut separate trade deals with European nations, even though Europe negotiates trade deals as a bloc. He has scuttled the TPP deal, a framework of rules and regulations geared to give America a greater say than China will have in Trans-Pacific Trade.  In short, he is out to dismantle many of the economic structures which have given America and its trading partners greater prosperity through fair trade.

Sadly, Trump lives in a world that sees Trade as a win-lose proposition.  To him, America can win only if someone else loses. However, the best statement to refute Trump's position comes from John Oliver (Last Week Tonight) who said in a recent show:

“The overwhelming consensus among economists is that trade between countries, generally speaking, can create jobs, lower costs, and be a net benefit to both nations. That makes it a lot like sex. If you’re doing it right, it can be good for both partners, though the odds of that happening plummet as soon as Donald Trump gets involved.”

But we have to ask: Who gains from Trump's position?  And the answer still is: RUSSIA!  An economically weakened America and a weakened set of trading partners are less likely willing to stand up against Russia's interests. 

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Now we get to the destruction of the United States economy. And this is where Trump has done the most long term damage. Most businesses object to the tariffs Trump has imposed on imported items. Certain tariffs, such as those on Aluminum and Steel, are in violation of certain treaties - NAFTA is one of those treaties. We are seeing businesses such as Harley-Davidson relocate production outside of the United States, in order to sell product at an affordable price in countries Trump has targeted with his tariffs.  Other businesses, such as one last American factory producing nails has had to shutter a newly built plant, as its products are no longer competitive because of Trump's tariffs.

Trump has scuttled (or has attempted to scuttle) deals such as the Hudson River Gateway project, where new tunnels were to be built to augment two 100+ year old tunnels carrying passenger rail traffic between New York and New Jersey.  These tunnels are at the end of their useful life, and need to be shut down, so that they can be renewed/overhauled for long term use. What would happen if these tunnels had to be shut down without replacements being available?  What would happen to the nation's economy if millions of people could not make it to work in the New York City area?  If one was looking to cripple America, this would be an easy target.  Trump did this shortly after taking office, and I'll bet that Putin is quietly chuckling at how soon America will be crippled by one of its own.

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Next, we must ask what Trump's cronies have been doing to the Departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Education.  Each person in charge of these agencies is dismantling the associated department, and making it impossible for the department to accomplish its purposes. For example, the Energy department has called for a stop in the retirement of unprofitable Coal fired electric plants, something that upsets environmentalists, energy companies, and consumer groups.  Why should unprofitable plants be kept open?  It certainly doesn't add to the bottom line of energy companies.  It certainly doesn't improve the environment left for future generations. And it certainly doesn't benefit the average consumer.  The additional pollution caused by keeping these plants open will be in the thousands. Yet, Trump prefers to pander to a small number of loyal, but gullible voters instead of America's long term interests.  We could look at HUD,and we would find that the department is de-emphasizing  one of its main functions - to insure that marginalized groups have reasonable access to housing. And when we get to Education, we see the dismantling of protections for the LGBT communities. But what may be worse, is this department may be considering shifting some funds to arming teachers in the classroom.

Trump's policies are widening the gap between a corrupt GOP elite and the average American.  And this does not bode well for our economy, our environment, or to the long term health of our country.  Again, only one nation gains from hurting America in the way that Trump's cronies want to do, and that's RUSSIA! 

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At the time I started this entry, Michael Cohen had pleaded guilty to 8 felonies, 2 of them directly involve the 2016 Trump presidential campaign. Assuming Cohen is telling the truth, Trump has violated Federal Election Laws.  It has been stated that Cohen was also in the room when Trump jr., and Russian Operatives discussed how to deliver dirt on the Hillary Clinton campaign that would be made public by Trump.  It was also claimed that Cohen had first hand knowledge that Trump knew about this meeting, making him guilty of another felony.

Paul Manafort was convicted of 8 felony charges at the same time Cohen was "singing his song" in New York.  Only one holdout jury member kept the jury from convicting him on all 18 counts.  Why is Manafort so important?  Well, he was a Russian operative who got paid to help a Russian Supported candidate win in a Ukraine election.  The Ukrainian was corrupt and was a puppet of Vladimir Putin.  It's very suspicious to see Manafort come to work on Trump's campaign (for free) just before the 2016 elections.  Where was he getting his money?  What was being delivered to Trump?

Of course, we must note the Alfa Bank connection in Trump Tower.  Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner, was trying to establish a back channel to Russia, and it's amazing to see one of Alfa's servers in use to facilitate communication between Russia and Trump. Alfa bank has been sanctioned in the past for its nefarious doings, and the location of this server probably isn't coincidental in nature.

Do you remember Wikileaks?  I do.  And I wanted to see dirt on Hillary Clinton.  However, it never materialized.  Julian Assange and Wikileaks may be pawns of Russia, as Wikileaks rarely distributes any dirt on Russia.  Instead, it seems to get dirt from Russia to be redistributed when Putin's crew gives the word.

Recently, Trump scuttled a bi-partisan bill meant to fight election hacking by foreign operators. When both Democrats and Republicans support a bill, it's needed.  Yet, this White House wants to scuttle the bill for spurious reasons.  Why?  It's obvious that he wants to keep allowing Russia to have enough access to rig future American elections.  Again, this points to treason, but is it willing or coerced? The most important "tell" is that Trump rarely has anything bad to say about Russia.  Given that Russia likely has Kompromat on him (most of the Steele Dossier has been confirmed, save the "pee pee tape") since his Miss Universe and "Trump Tower, Moscow" days, it makes sense that Russia could groomed this man to do its bidding. And now that he is in office, he is reluctant to enforce even the most trivial of sanctions or other actions against Russian interests.

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Years ago, the GOP hierarchy ended up helping to force Richard Nixon out of power.  Today's GOP has seen much worse from Trump, but has done little to check and balance Trump.  The big question is why not?  Well, the answer is as simple as a desire to stay in office.

Trump has maintained a 40% approval rating since he took office.  Among Republicans, he has the highest approval ratings of any modern president. Among Democrats and Independents, no one approves of Trump.  Given that one can generally count on a 35% approval rate, no matter how bad you are, Trump isn't doing that well by normal standards. But these are not normal times.  America is extremely polarized, and the GOP has absorbed the racists who used to be Democrats due to a "Southern Strategy" introduced by Nixon in the late 1960's.

Leaders in the GOP are afraid of getting "primaried" off their tickets if they stray too far from supporting Trump and his crimes.  So they look the other way as Trump commits his crimes and do nothing to stop him.  The longer he stays in office, the more he harms this country. Yet, they do nothing.  They aid and abet by looking the other way.  They have an adequate Vice President (who I'd hate to see in office), but won't tell Trump to cut out all of his shit. When curious to find out why this happens, one only has to follow the money.

How many of you remember the name of Maria Butina.  She claimed to be a Russian Gun Rights advocate.  And much of the GOP elite were very friendly with this woman.  Russian money has been flowing through the NRA to GOP candidates, and any action to force Trump to behave might end up shutting off the spigot which funds many downstream candidates' campaigns.  This looks awfully suspicious....

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So we get back to the definition of Treason.  Do we have multiple witnesses? Probably. Has Trump aided an enemy of the US? Probably, given his actions. And when I factor in his refusal to acknowledge Russia's interference in our election, something that all of our intelligence agencies state as fact, I feel he is a traitor who will continue to betray this country while in office.

Next is conspiracy.  Do we have evidence of this?  Probably.  The Trump Tower meeting seems to tie this all together.  Throw in Manafort's involvement in the campaign, Trump's signaling to Russia to help expose Hillary's supposed misdeeds, and it is likely that the whole Trump family is involved.  (I'm not including Melania or Barron here.)

And then we get to aiding and abetting.  This is where things get very interesting.  Why is it that Devin Nunes has been trying to throw roadblocks into Mueller's work?  Why is it that Paul Ryan has not supported Mueller?  What about Mitch McConnell? Why hasn't he told the Senate committees to do an honest job in investigating Russian involvement in the election?  Again, when one is addicted to power, one does his best NOT to do the things that could get him voted out of office, or to land a good lobbyist job upon leaving office. Inaction in the case of the GOP held House and Senate may be properly described as aiding and abetting a crime. But I'll let lawyers discuss that in another forum.

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There are so many loose ends I've not bothered with in this thought piece. Could I have mentioned Carter Page?  Yes.  But his place in all of this seems immaterial right now. Could I mention the firing of James Comey?  Yes.  But he seems like the tip of the iceberg, and little needs to be said about him, save that his firing catalyzed the mobilization of a special prosecutor.

Johnathan Chait, in a New York magazine Daily Intelligencer article notes:

The only way to restrain Nunes’s anti-Mueller crusade, or to look at Trump’s tax return and see who was paid off by whom, is to replace the Republican majority with a Democratic majority, which will hold oversight hearings and use its subpoena power to probe the overflowing sewage spill of misconduct and lawbreaking surrounding Trump.

Chait's right about that.  The GOP has acted, almost in unison, to protect Trump while he continues to destroy the American polity for future generations. By aiding and abetting in Trump's continuing crimes, they no longer deserve the right to participate in the governing of this country.

I believe that Trump may survive until the 2020 election. But his presence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will continue to mobilize the Democratic Base and hurt the GOP for at least a generation.  The GOP by its inaction may please its base. But it poisons the GOP brand for future Americans. And the longer the GOP stays in power, the greater the damage will be. For America's sake, I hope they are voted out of power soon.


PS: You might be interested in this interview with Craig Unger that posits that Trump has been owned by the Russian Mob for 3 decades.

PPS: John McCain snubbed Trump when planning for his funeral.  Both Bush #43 and Obama were invited to speak.  Trump was deliberately excluded.  

Refusing to question authority is tantamount to treason!

"I was only following orders...."  We've heard that line before. And we're in danger of the same thing that happened to the Germans. People refused to stand up and question authority out of peer pressure, and later out of fear. And as the Nuremberg trials showed, this was inexcusable and was a betrayal of a great nation.

We now have a corrupt leader in Washington, DC who is not being openly challenged by his own political party.  They are only interested in being in power, and not the purpose of being in power - to govern.  Gradually, we're seeing the state houses pass laws which are meant to restrict the right to peaceably assembly and protest wrongful actions by government.

The most egregious offenses may yet come from the Federal Government.  We're seeing provisions meant to protect whistle blowers being repealed by executive order. We're seeing an attack on a health care plan, that in spite of its many flaws, has succeeded in bringing health care to millions who were not able to afford health care before. We're seeing an attack on Women's rights by extremists who want to limit a woman's access to birth control AND prohibit her from having the choice of having an abortion if that birth control method fails. We're seeing attacks on the LGBT community, by attempts to ignore the community's existence AND remove protections established by both the courts and executive orders. We're seeing a rollback of environmental safeguards, as well as ceasing to collect data which helps to prove that global warming is real.

Yet, what offends me most is not what one might expect from a "far right" shift in government. Instead, it is that "far right" government has been enabling a president to betray his country. Our president is tainted by his direct and indirect connections to the Russian oligarchy. The GOP fears betraying the man who would betray us all. They still act as if he is a leader who should be respected - even though he shows no loyalty to those below him. 

Several times over the past couple of years, my friends and I have discussed the alarming signs that America is about to have a Fascist government. Most of these friends are on the left, and never would have voted for a Republican candidate. However, today I had a similar discussion with a friend who never likes anything coming from the left - and even she is seeing the signs of Fascism coming from the right. If this doesn't make a person think, I don't know what does....

Hopefully, I am wrong. And I hope that the midterm elections make it possible for the left to check and balance the current unchecked power of the right. Only time will tell....

How deep is the Russia Connection?

As I write this, a TV reporter was discussing with a guest asserting that there was a FISA court warrant on two data servers connected to Russian Banks at Trump Tower.  I have not yet been able to find evidence of this in internet searches, but things have gotten "Curiouser and Curiouser".

A while back, I was concerned when I read that there was a data connection between Trump's campaign and Russia.  We now know that Wikileaks has been feeding one sided information in sync with Trump's campaign, bolstering him when his campaign was flagging. Now, we're finding out that many in Trump's staff have strong ties to Russia - more than I ever thought when I started paying attention to this connection.

Could Trump's now silence on the issue of being bugged be related to violating the law in relation to a FISA court warrant by making things public?  Who knows?  Only time will tell.

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Strangely enough, even though I do not consider Russia to be a friendly country, I do believe that we can have a rapprochement with them. But this is not because of Donald Trump. Instead it is because I see a way to profitably knit them together with the West, in spite of the regime now in power.

Russia has a more sophisticated set spy masters than we have.  America has shifted away from "Boots on the Ground" in many areas, including spying.  We have gotten caught up in electronic surveillance, and have forgotten the art of culturing people who will eventually betray their countries' interests.  Potentially, with the Trump crew, Russia has scored the ultimate success.  Again, only honest news reporting will show this to be true or not.

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I am far from happy with this administration.  Virtually all of its civilian department heads are there to preside over the dismantling of those departments.  Executive orders are being used to strip away protections given to individuals, and shift protections to the corporate state. Even if we ignore the alarms being sounded by the left, radical change in big government is dangerous. There are good reasons that change in big government come slowly - it gives people and businesses time to adjust to the new reality.  The changes being proposed by this administration do not allow for this adjustment, and could turn out to be a great disaster.

Another report that I've read says that Russia's interest is to disrupt developing nations' interest in Western models of democracy and economic development. By making the West (as a Whole) look bad, Russia can look good by comparison.  Could Trump's victory be the ultimate victory for Russia?  I have no idea, but it's an interesting idea to pursue.

I'm not sure about to write about this week

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The "Gray Lady", as the New York Times is often called, had a lot to report on the day I wrote this post.  And I was unsure about what was the most important thing out there.  Was it the resignation of Michael Flynn, after less than a month into Trump's regime? Was it Trump's statement that Israel need not pursue a "two state" solution with the Palestinians? Was it the revelation that senior Trump assistants were in constant contact with Russia during his campaign?  Was if the assassination of Kim Jong Un's half brother in Malaysia? Was it the revelation that Russia broke one of the nuclear anti-proliferation treaties, by testing a new type of missile? Or, was it the revelation that the American intelligence agencies no longer trust Trump or his staff to keep America's secrets secret, and are now withholding information from the president?  Any one of these things could be major news items in their own right.  But all of these things happening at once has gotten me worried.

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Our current president is as inept as he is corrupt.  Couple this with a GOP that is ethically bankrupt, and wants power over doing things for the public at large, and we are in serious trouble. One Republican that I once respected, Rand Paul, has just lost any support I might have given him.  He would prefer to dismantle the ACA (Obamacare) than to determine how close a relationship the Trump Campaign had with the Russians.  Paul believes that no Republican should be investigating other Republicans.  Paul Krugman notes that the GOP would rather choose treason to give tax cuts to the wealthy, as corruption is endemic to the GOP. Whether I'd go this far, I don't know.  But it seems as if the GOP wants power for power's sake, and not to exercise it wisely.

I am concerned about giving Netanyahu options NOT to pursue a two state solution in Israel/Palestine. This region is dangerous enough now.  Why give extremists any more fuel to add to the fire?  Our previous Secretary of State noted that Israel could be either a Democracy or a Jewish State. But it could not be both if a two state solution is not pursued. If we support Netanyahu's actions, we may just light the fire of the next Middle Eastern war without realizing it.

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Often, what North Korea does is an interesting side show to the world.  They tend to make bellicose statements, but can't do much to cause trouble elsewhere.  Yes, they have forged $100 bills so perfect that the Federal Reserve told US banks to honor the "funny money" until they had a reliable way to detect the bogus bills. Yes, they have hacked into many computer systems, and caused organizations such as Sony Pictures much grief. But now, they have started to assassinate people outside their borders.  Can this be tolerated? Yes, the fellow who was poisoned was the half brother of the "supreme leader". But who might be killed next?

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Russia has tested a new cruise missile that the US says violates previously signed treaties. Would this have taken place had Hillary Clinton been in office?  I doubt it.  With Trump in office, Putin can do no wrong. Now that US intelligence agencies no longer trust the president to keep secrets, I wonder what comes next.  

These are scary times, and I don't trust our leaders to do the right things, nor do I trust the system of checks and balances to work in the presence of this much corruption in the system.  I could be wrong.  But when Joe Scarborough started worrying about the White House and its lack of respect for the Judiciary, we should see this as the canary in the coal mine alerting us to big problems ahead.  No president should have unchecked powers, and Joe makes this clear after reviewing Steven Miller's comments on the power of POTUS.

By now it has happened

Obamacare.  The GOP promises that we'll have something bigger and better.  With all the rhetoric that has been spewed to the party loyalists, I doubt that they can deliver anything that is half as good as what they pledge to destroy, if only because they never have worked to design something that can replace Obama's signature accomplishment.  It saddens me that the only thing unifying the GOP has been a pledge to destroy healthcare for millions. Yet, it could be much worse.  We don't know what the "new normal" will be in the near future.  

Recently Meryl Streep came out and protested the president elect's style in a recent speech at the Golden Globe award show. She didn't even have to mention him by name.  Was she justified?  She decried the bullying that passes for strength nowadays, and attacked a subculture that wants power for its own sake, and not to do something good with it.  What is wrong with that?

There is a rush to undo the gains made in society over the past 8 years.  We have a president who is likely owned by the Russian government.  He is already breaking some of his many promises, pledging to build a wall along our Southern border with our money, then convincing Mexico to pay for it.  Does anyone really believe that they will do so?  I doubt it very much.  Strangely enough, some of his nominees have more class than Trump has, including Jeff Sessions.  Sessions is willing to say that Waterboarding is torture, something that Trump can't bring himself to say.  Why is that?  Could it be that many Trump supporters only care about their rights, and not the rights of humanity?  Could it be that they have no empathy for others, and like Trump, are on a narcissistic ego trip?  

It is troubling how extreme how today's GOP seems for a centrist.  Abortion should have been a question settled 40 years ago, and it is still in play because of cultural politics. White supremacists have cleaned up their message, and use phrases such as "Southern Heritage" when they fly the Confederate Battle Flag.  (Heck, most of these people don't know that the "Stars and Bars" referred to a different flag, the flag the South wanted to use for its national standard.)  Centrists fear a government led by people who would shut down polling places heavily used by poor people.  Centrists fear a government who would take rights away from the GLBT community because it angers a small religious minority. Centrists fear a government run by people who can not compromise in any way.  And now, we will get to see what a "Right Wing" government will do.

There is a big problem in America, and it is the Urban/Rural divide.  Maybe it is about time that we think of dividing this nation into three separate nations: (1) States along the Pacific Coast, (2) States along the East Coast, and (3) The "Heartland" states.  Each would inherit the US Constitution, but would make its own laws following the dissolution of the America we once knew.  Only then would we be able to see which nation's laws makes the most sense.  But until then, we have this social conflict that can not be resolved, and can result in a second civil war. Hopefully, we will not see that happen....

Thoughts on the coming change in control.

Like it, hate it, but Obamacare (or, the Affordable Care Act) has been a political hot point for the last 6+ years.  If it had been enacted by a Republican administration, the Democrats would be looking to dismantle it.  But it was enacted by Democrats, and the GOP will soon be in charge of that den of iniquity called Washington, DC.

This year's group of Republicans is worse than most one-party governments.  They have already set their sights on dismantling programs designed to help the poor and needy. And they have decided to eliminate a non-partisan ethics office that helped keep politicians in check. There are very few GOP politicians willing to check and balance the incoming president and his tangled web of conflicted interests. And there are even fewer in congress who want the Office of Congressional Ethics keeping an eye on their affairs. What is surprising to me is that the President Elect has chastised congress for not having its priorities in order - they should be focused on things like healthcare instead of the Ethics Bureau.

The President Elect has been amazingly friendly to Russia, given that both the CIA and FBI have stated that the Russians have hacked the computers of the DNC.  I'd bet that Putin is calling Trump a "Useful Idiot" in private circles. Unlike many loyal Americans, I am not angry at Putin. He is acting in the best interests of Russia as he sees it.  Instead, I am angry at many in the GOP who refuse to stand up and tell the President Elect that he must take the hacking allegations seriously.  

Right now, the entire GOP appears to be like a kid in a candy store.  They can have anything they want, and as much of it as they want.  The big question is: Will they over do it?  Given current behavior, the answer appears to be "Yes".  Only time will tell.

Is she fit to serve?

I have never been a fan of Hillary Clinton.  She is and always will be a Machiavel, but this is not a bad characteristic for someone running for the office of president.  Instead, it is a potential risk if she wins the election, because one can't be sure of what will guide her when in office - save for self interest.

Strong leaders tend to be Machiavels to some degree or another. One has to be enough of a psychopath (no moral judgement here) to sacrifice one group of supporters for a "greater good" - and Hillary has proven herself capable of doing that. But she has a habit of snatching defeat out of the claws of victory, by underrating the power of her opposition. When her husband was president, she couldn't get healthcare reform done.  Like her husband, she was a lightning rod for the opposition's political lightning strikes.  And in the 2008 election cycle, she underrated Barack Obama - to her regret.

She is a very intelligent lady, and is very pragmatic.  Yet, she put her foot in her mouth by agitating for a "no fly zone" in Syria.  ISIS has no air force.  So who does this affect? Russia! Can we afford to antagonize the Russians when we have a common enemy?  Why shouldn't we let the Russians look like the bad guys - even if it means that we sacrifice our rebel friends to keep the Syrian government nominally in power?

Much noise has been made by the GOP about her use of private email servers. But government officials from the GOP have done the same thing.  Given the data security breaches in Federal Government computer systems, it is likely that her private server may have been more secure than the government servers she was expected to use. (It is also possible that her private servers may have been "Honey Pots" designed to feed false information to people spying on her.)  Bernie Sanders is likely right - this is a non issue.

There is something not generally reported in the press - she has a soft, human side that people don't often see on the political trail.  She likely hides it because of the double standard imposed on women - if she is soft, she is weak.  And if she is hard, she still can't be as imposing as a male.  In short, she is not allowed to be herself - no matter how qualified she is for office.

So the big question is:  Is Hillary Clinton qualified to be president?  She hasn't done anything important enough to disqualify herself.  But has she developed enough skills to steer this country?  Or, is she the only logical choice left, given the non-logic coming from the opposition?  Only time will tell....

It's not just what you know, but how and when you use that knowledge.

Not many people have seen an Enigma machine close up - but I have. It's an amazing piece of engineering, but not as amazing as the fact that we cracked the code AND knew enough not to use all the knowledge we had, lest we clue the enemy in to the fact that their codes were broken.

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During WW2, one of the biggest clandestine goals of British intelligence was to break the German Enigma codes. Every day, the Germans would change the rotors and give the Enigmas new settings to code and decode messages. The Allied forces could not break these codes until Alan Turing figured out the weaknesses of what the Germans were doing. 

After the codes were broken, what next? One had a good idea of what the enemy knew, but could they prevent disasters? Often, NO! Unless there was a plausible way to explain why a troop movement was changed, why a convoy was rerouted, why some action was not taken, the Allies had to accept the known attack to come.

Today, we are in a similar war - but against many powers. Ars Technica describes what one division of the NSA is likely to have done in infecting systems around the world, so that America has a technical edge which might be used militarily.  

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In the past, America has tapped Soviet (now Russian) cables connecting the mainland to Vladivostok to keep tabs on the fleet stationed there. But the Soviets were able to plant a bug in the American Embassy in Moscow - inside the Great Seal given to us as a gift. And the Chinese are known to have their electronic spies as well. All the major nations are playing this game, and they have likely evolved a form of "rules of engagement" for use when dealing with each other. But this doesn't apply to nations that aren't top tier powers. Nor does this apply to non-national powers, such as Palestine (not yet a nation) or ISIS.

As civilians, none of us (for all practical purposes) have any clue to what is going on behind the scenes. We do not know for sure how successful the STUXNET virus was in attacking Iran's Uranium enrichment program, but it likely set Iran back by a year or two. Even more interesting is North Korea's military programs - could they have been compromised by malware hidden in the hard drives they bought from outside the country? (I'd bet that China may playing a role here, as they have gotten weary of keeping this dysfunctional regime afloat.)

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Much of the time, information like this never makes it to the history books. Alan Turing's accomplishments were kept Top Secret by the British for a couple of generations. Once classified as Top Secret, few governments ever bother to reclassify information which no longer needs to be kept secret. Yet, some secrets are kept by hiding them in plain sight. Leon Theremin was reportedly kidnapped from the United States in the 1930's (there is information that says he left for tax reasons), and after a stint in the gulag, then working for the KGB, ended up at the Moscow Conservatory of music (building Theremins and other musical instruments) before becoming a professor of Physics at Moscow State University.

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There are people who want our president to go to war against ISIS, putting boots on the ground.  Are we ready to have our children come back from the war in body bags (or worse)? I doubt it. Years ago, President Kennedy contacted the pilots flying spy planes over Cuba and gave them orders (with explanations) to NOT report any hostile fire from the ground while flying their missions. Many planes came back perforated - and the pilots claimed they hit birds and other things. This gave the president the room he needed to talk peace. But it was not only an American who prevented the Third World War - there was a Soviet Officer, Vasili Arkhipov, who kept his submarine from launching nuclear missiles while the submarine he was on was being attacked by American depth charges. Hard Liners in both countries wanted war - thankfully, that war never happened. Are we ready for yet another "Forever War", because we're seeing extreme inhumanity from an enemy? Or, are there other things we can do (or are being done) that can limit the scope of the war?

Right now, we do not have all the facts, and we are being manipulated by the media. We have to watch out how the media is being manipulated - when the Jordanian pilot was burned to death, none of America's Left and Centrist media provided links to see this murder. Only the Right wing media provided links to view the murder, as it is trying to stir up the will for Americans to endure yet another war. In fact, politicians are already saying we should resort to nukes, and kill ruthlessly. Wouldn't it make more sense to get more information before another rush to war?

Even Eric Cartman couldn't cause this much trouble

I'm disgusted!  An all but acknowledgement of state sponsored terrorism, and no way to deal with the criminals behind it. (And if there is a plan, our government is not talking about it.)

We have just seen our 1st amendment trumped by a terrorist threat to bomb movie theaters that show "The Interview" - a film about two people being recruited to assassinate the leader of North Korea. Sony's computers have been hacked, theater chains refuse to show the picture, and the public denied the right to see a movie previously scheduled to open on Christmas day. Even worse, when theaters decided to show "Team America, World Police" instead, Sony shot down their chances of showing this film as well.

I never thought we'd see our freedoms at risk this way - Americans are running scared because of a threat from some unnamed hackers. North Korea is a basket case of a country, and one that will eventually collapse if both China and the West stop bailing it out. Sadly, there are problems with this. The South Koreans can't afford to rescue the North, the Chinese don't want a reunification that puts a strong American ally on its borders, Russia has a veto in every possible situation, and the Americans have every reason to wait things out. So North Korea continues to exist, blackmailing the major players in the region for what the dictatorship needs to survive.

But what would happen if we looked at this situation as an opportunity?

There is an old saying: "They shoot horses, don't they?" And maybe this is how the Americans, Chinese and Russians should think about North Korea.  What would happen if all possible opposition were neutralized in the North, and the three major powers were to create a consortium for the extraction of rare earth minerals - raping the land (something already being done) for their profit, instead of that of the Kim regime?

Yes, I am talking about the destruction of a nation for profit. But I doubt that anything could save the North Korean people - at least not at the prices that any of the stake holders are willing to pay. But please remember that I pose this "modest proposal" only as a thought experiment, and one meant to change how people are thinking of the problem posed by North Korea.  There are millions of lives at stake. And eventually, someone will have to address their needs when North Korea self destructs....

A long needed thaw - something I never thought I'd see....

This is what most Caribbean nations dependent on tourism feared - the United States and Cuba gradually warming up to each other. There are so many things which should be binding the two nations together, but for bad politics (on both sides) and an assassinated American President that got in the way of common sense.

One person told me that addiction is similar to having to choose between opening two doors. The first door will allow you to exit the room. The second door will have you beaten up by a gorilla. The addicted person keeps repeatedly choosing the second door, while the non-addict will quickly choose the first door and leave the room. When the addict is asked why he keeps choosing the same door, the addict will respond with something to the effect - well, it can eventually change, can't it?

Our policy towards Cuba has been very much like that of the person who keeps opening up the wrong door - the Castro regime has not been ousted, and it has become even more entrenched over the years. Many people want to punish Cuba for its actions of 53 years ago, but most people alive today weren't alive when the embargo was put in place. What good does punishing a country do when the people being punished are not responsible for the problem. This punishment seems to be a misguided approach to keeping the first generation of Cuban exiles happy and voting according to their current patterns.

Most people don't know that it is perfectly legal for Americans to visit North Korea, a country more troublesome to American interests, and spend money there. Yet, in a country that has not been shown to sponsor terrorism (save, in the figments of collective Washington, DC political imagination), it is effectively illegal for Americans to be there. Something is very wrong - and it likely has to do with American political paralysis.

There are issues that will need to be negotiated before a full thaw has occurred. And they have nothing to do with promoting democracy in Cuba. Instead, they will have to do with trademarks and the exports of certain goods. For example, Bacardi Rum got its start in Cuba. The family took the brand along with them when they left Cuba, and established it in Puerto Rico. Do you think they can afford to have the Cubans sell rum under the Bacardi name after the embargo is lifted? Another example is Cohiba cigars. The brand available in the USA is made in the Dominican Republic, while the brand available in most of the world is made in Cuba. How will this get resolved?

If anyone brings up the idea that Cuba stole property from its rightful owners, it should be noted that Russia and China have done the same thing, and that the United States has relationships with these countries. In fact, one might find the history of Smirnoff Vodka interesting, as the trademark left Russia - and when Russians resurrected it in their own right, a "peaceful" settlement was reached. This makes me comfortable with the idea that both the United States and Cuba will resolve issues like this to their mutual satisfaction.

Obama, like him or hate him, is a person who plays the long game. The game with Cuba will play out long after Obama is out of the game. It will take time to negotiate and resolve the issues that have arisen over the 53+ years that we have had an embargo. And the negotiations have only just begun....