Saturday, January 31, 2015

A STRATEGIC ERROR

ISIL fighters have withdrawn from Kobane, the hotly contested town on the Syrian border with Turkey.  The fighters have cited  the air campaign as the reason for their withdrawa,l which should be no surprise since,.  during the First Gulf War, under the George H.W. Bush Administration, the protracted bombing, prior to the land offensive resulted in Iraqi soldiers surrendering even to newsmen, with under 150  fatalities among U.S. troops.

When a Republican spokesman was asked why Obama's taciics have come under so much criticism, from the G.O.P., who have not even given Obama the legal right to fight ISIL, the spokesman has reportedly replied: "We have no criticism of his tactics.  It is his strategy that we deplore.  By not putting boots on the ground, in Syria, he has squandered a golden opportunity to transfer another $1Trillion to the military-industrial complex, and until he does, we want no part of this war."

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

OIL PRICE RISE SPARKS NEW AD CAMPAIGN

An increase in the average price of gasoline, in the U.S. prompted the RNC to start laying the ground work for a campaign blaming President Obama, for the increase.  While the increase, from $2.03 per gallon to $2.04, is small,  the impact on consumers could be large.  Republicans state that after all the hard work they put in to get to a low price, they can not sit idly by while Obama raises the price.

EVEN MORE BENGHAZI HEARINGS

Republican Congressional leaders have confirmed that they will continue to hold hearings, on Benghazi, until facts are altered to conform to their theories.  Democrats are being roundly criticized, by Republicans, for the additional costs, incurred by the taxpayers, for the continued hearings.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

HEAD COOK

The Koch family has announced that, they, alone, will contribute the better part of $1 billion to the next General Election.

If, by so doing, they are successful, and their candidates gain control of the U.S. Government, the Koch family may be able to use their influence  to use the U.S. Government's resources to help increase and perpetuate their own power over the government.

It has happened before.  A single family has gained complete power over an empire.  Indeed, the German word for Emperor, Kaiser, is a phontic spelling of Caesar, one such family.  I think it might be a little unseemly for the Koch family to use the title Emperor, but perhaps they could use the English translation of Koch, and take the title "Head Cook"

COOPTING CLASS WARFARE

In way of rectifying the Bush tax cuts, in time of war, which put more money into the hands of the military industrial complex, at the expense of other tax payers, and the trillion dollar bailout of the financial industry, one of the greatest single transfers of wealth from one class to another, which  again indemnified the wealthy at the expense of the taxpayer, both of which excerbated the problem of wealth inequality , Republicans have come up with a perfect solution to the problem: Blame Obama!

Republicans are busy switching from classifying any complaint about the growing gap between rich and poor as "Class Warfare", to using the gap as an example of the poor stewardship of Obama.  Forgotten are the record number of filibusters which obstructed any attempts to make the tax code more equitable or  address past inequity.  As Republicans are not offering any plan to address the ever growing income and wealth gap, and have signaled their intentions to maintain the status quo during the next 2 years of Obama's term, they are confident that their new slogan should suffice for the American people.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

THE OCTOGENARIANS

My oldest friend, a classmate from elementary school, Claude Thomas, has started a blog, along with associates, called The Octogenarians, proof  enough that it ain;t over until it's over.  I reccommend it to all.   http://theoctogenarians.com

Thursday, January 22, 2015

BEING SHREWD IS NOT BEING WISE

By agreeing to speak before Congress without the express approval of the President, Netanyahu has made a very shrewd move.  By interfering into American  partisan politics, he has made  perhaps the unwisest move ever made by any Israeli politician.  Democratic voters still outnumber Republicans, in General Elections, and if there is a backlash, at any time, it is not to Israel's interest to  be labeled  as a Republican party.  If it turns out that Obama could have had detente with Iran but for the intervention, into American politics, by the Israelis, the long term consequences could be devastating.   

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF ASSISTANCE TO THE POOR

Republicans have an easy solution to the problem of welfare reform
for the poor.  They can offer a one time subsidy to all poor families so  that they can form a family corporation.  As long as welfare payments are made to a corporation, Republicans will have no objection.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

DOING SAME THING, GETTING DIFFERENT RESULTS

When Clinton ended his term, with high ratings for what his administration had accomplished, because the Republican sound machine belabored Clinton's morals, Al Gore ran away from him in his election campaign and lost.

When Democrats ran away from Obama in 2014, despite a list of accomplishments rarely seen in any Presidency, because the Republicans came up with scare after evanescent scare, they lost by a rout.

We are sure that Republicans will ramp up  their attacks on Obama, once more, and because of past experience, there is danger that Democrats will, once again, demonstrate their timidity and once again will lose.  

Sunday, January 18, 2015

GOVERNMENT "FOR THE PEOPLE"

Given that, as a Republican candidate so famously put it, "corporations, my friend, are people, too", no one can say that ours is not a "Government of the people, for the people'.  The fact that a corporation can be conceived and reared to maturity at a greater speed than humans should not be a impediment to full Democracy.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

WHAT FURTHER USE ARE THEY?

So many leaders, in the G.O.P., such as Paul Ryan, Ben Carson and Josh Miller have reaped so many benefits from the Government programs, that form our social safety net,  yet are vociferous in attacking those same programs.  It's as if they were saying, "Now that I've been helped, what further use are they?" 

STOP THE BADGERING

If Romney runs for President,  neither his opponents,nor the public should be badgering him about his tax returns.  The Fifth Amendment provides ample protection in the matter 

Friday, January 16, 2015

BAN THE TWO "B" s

Huckabee may have a valid point in telling Michelle Obama to ban Beyonce's lyrics, but, to be fair she must absolutely forbid even so much as the opening of  the Bible, filled as it is, with rape, murder, incest  and adultery, in the presence of her minor children. 

Thursday, January 15, 2015

FOREIGN POLICY PANACEA: "ISLAMIC TERRORISM"

This evening I heard right wing pundits, including Bill O'Reilly excoriate Obama because he will not use the phrase "Islamic terrorists".  Near as I can tell, they assure us that if he would only use that phrase everything would be different.  All Islam would shake in their boots; ISIS would immediately drop their weapons and leave the battlefield white with fear; Al Quaeda would abandon their posts while the Taliban would instantly dissolve.  Faced with such reasonableness, one can only wonder why Obama would not says these words instead of sending drones.  Is it  any wonder hat they dislike him so?  

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

FRENCH PUBLIC OPINION

French polls of Public Opinion reveal much dissatisfaction with Muslim immigrants because they do not respect French institutions and launch terror attacks on French soil.  The same polls also indicate even more dissatisfaction with their Jewish citizens for doing the opposite.

ETCH-A-SKETCH TO START

Mitt Romney says that if he runs, for President, again he will try to do something for the "Poor", i.e. Etch-A-Sketch right from the get go.   How will he win a Republican primary then? Why he'll hold the General Election before the Primary, of course. 

Monday, January 12, 2015

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

What are the odds that, if the Democrats start pushing  for a middle class tax break, paid for by closing a tax loophole for hedge fund operators, Republicans will brush off the "Class Warfare"  slogan?
I suspect we will begin to hear that hoary meme, ad nauseum, very
shortly.

DAMNED IF HE DON'T DO, DAMNED IF HE DO DO

Who has ever heard of a politician that turns down a great photo op unless he has been asked not to attend?  Anyone who thinks that Obama would have willingly turned down an opportunity to get out of Washington  may have lost it.  Even Republicans, in off the record conversations, would admit that they had criticisms ready whether Obama went to Paris or not.  If  he had gone, they would have leveled serious charges of failing to consider security concerns by attending recent demonstrations.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

TALK ABOUT PITCHING IN THE WRY.

A recent visitor, from Maryland, told me: "Abraham Lincoln may be our worst President, ever.  He should have let the South secede"

Considering that most of the old Confederacy receives more revenue from the Federal government than it sends, the case may be made.  With the present downturn in oil prices, it may turn out that all of the old confederacy, except Florida, will need Federal assistance.  If the issue of secession ever arises again, let us not be so hasty in saying no.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

BLAME THE MESSENGER

A police office, with a previous bad record, kills an unarmed black teenager.  The District Attorney allows an known perjurer to to testify to the Grand Jury to exonerate the officer of any wrong doing.  Black riot.

A 12 year old boy, with a toy gun, is executed within less than 2 seconds of the arrival of a police officer.  The police officer has a problematic record.  Blacks demonstrate.

A black man is killed with an illegal choke hold, by a police officer
who has a record of abuse.  Blacks demonstrate when Grand Jury does not indict.

White civic leaders try to placate angry black demonstrators.  Black man with mental problems kills 2 police officers in ambush.  Police union blames white civic leaders of inciting bad behavior in blacks.

It should be obvious to all of us that the solution to resolving the matter of bad cops killing unarmed civilians is to punish civic leaders trying to maintain order.





  

Friday, January 2, 2015

BIG GOVERNMENT VS. BIG CORPORATIONS

Most of those who want to see a smaller government seem to have no problem with the size of corporations, even though, while they may have a say in government, they will have, for all intents and purposes, absolutely no say in corporations.   If a big corporation makes money on a high risk gamble, the corporation keeps the profit; if a big corporation takes a huge hit, the taxpayers foot the bill, and since big corporations frequently pay little or nothing in the way of taxes, they don't even contribute to the funds which cover their losses.  

It seems, to me, that protests might better be directed at the increasing size and power of corporations, that allows them to suborn  the Government, anyway, than to the size of that government.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

SLIM CHANCES

Electing Republicans to Congress, in the way of protesting the inequality in income, under the Obama Administration, is similar to hiring pyromaniacs to safeguard our forests from fire.  Chances for a positive outcome are slim, indeed.