Thursday, July 30, 2015

THE PARTY OF FAMILY VALUES

It is intersting to note that, at least at this writing, the leader, in the polls, for the nominee of the Republican Party, the self-proclaimed party for family values, is one Donald Trunp, who is in his third marriage.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

OPPOSITION TO DETENTE WITH IRAN

There are ads on TV, from right wing organizations, proclaiming that Iran is the No. 1 sponsor of  terrorism, in the world.  They forget that there has been no case of a single Irani being involved in an attack on U.S soil, as is the case with Saudis.  Iran is an arch enemy of ISIL and every effort on our part to weaken Iran aids the the rise of Wahhabism, the Saudi sect that spawned ISIL.  The Iranis have not decapitated Christians and Jews, but ISIL has.  If any one group will march anyone to the oven door, it will be the latter, who are aided and abetted by opposition to detente with Iran. 

Monday, July 27, 2015

"FIXING THE FACTS AROUND THE IDEOLOGY"

The famous (some would call it "infamous") Downing Street memo from the British Foreign Minister to Tony Blair, wherein he described the Bush Administration's campaign to start a war with Iraq, as "fixing the facts around the policy", can be used to describe the mind set of the, so-called, Conservatives by altering the word "policy" to "ideology".

The last 3 Republican Administrations exploded the deficit?  The last one allowed the greatest loss of life owing to a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, the greatest recession in the history of the U.S., a socislistic indemification of the gambling debts of a private business, and what are the reacions?  Certainly not any look into modifying the ideology, but altering the facts so that:

1. The last Administration was RINO. It was Liberal.  Under St. Ronald Reagan there was no deficit, no increase in taxation and   241 marines were not killed in Beirut, and certainly something like Benghazi would never have happened on his watch.

2. If real Conservatives were elected these things would never have happened.

3."I'm not really a Republican, anyway. I'm a Libertarian, Tea Party Independent, all at the same time."

4. "Since I can't answer your question, can't you realize that I am just joking and trying to get a reaction from you?"

  


""SO THAT IT CAN FIT IN A BATH TUB"

It is ironic that people, like Grover Norquist, who openly say they want to "shrink the size of the (Federal) Government so that it can fit in a bath tub so it can be drowned", cite the financial problems of Greece as a cautionary tale, when the very fact that the crises with the Euro actually stems from the fact that the E.E.C. lacks a Federal system. Before the European countries accepted a single currency, their individual currencies could fluctuate against one another and allow for poorer countries to sell goods at a lower price to enable them to compete with their more efficient neighbors.  In the U.S. the mechanism used was the taxing power of the Federal Government which could shift revenue to the poorer states to enable the stability of a single currency throughout the country. Absent a Federal Government, we would undoubtedely find ourselves with the same problem as Greece.  with States like Mississippi and Alabama needing bailouts, just like Greece.  It is more than passsing strange that our poorest states are more prone to accepting the thesis of reducing the size of the Federal Government even though they are the greatest beneficiaries of the Federal System.  Perhaps there is a direct connection between their condition and their philosophy.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

NO GREATER ESTEEM

No greater esteem, respect and downright awe can be demonstrated, as that of Miami Cuban-American Republicans, for Barack Obama.  For more than 50 years, under 10 other Prrsidents, Democrat and Republican alike. the U.S. has held to a policy of not talking to the Cuban Government until they acceded to our demands, to no avail.  Miami Cuban-American Republicans, looking at what Obama has accomplished, despite obstruction, are sure that Obama is capable of getting what has eluded 10 of his predecessors, if only he wanted to.  Accordingly they have promised to block any nomination for an Ambassador to Cuba, which, of course, will also block any discussion, with the Cuban Government, of the very items that  they want resolved as a prior requirement for any discussion, even if it means another 50 years of estrangement.

Monday, July 20, 2015

"SWIFTBOATING" MCCAIN

While some Republicans have deplored the "swiftboating" of John McCain, by Donald Trump, it must be remembered how effective Swiftboating was against Kerry.  Trump has devasted any chance that McCain had in the 2016 elections, so there!

Sunday, July 19, 2015

THE ART OF THE IMPOSSIBLE?

Sanctions on Iran, to halt production of weapons grade uranium, would have failed without the cooperation of both Russia and China.  There was no way that either  Russia or China would have moved the goal posts to include stopping aid to Assad of Syria (a declared ally of Russia) or to freeing U.S. citizens from foreign jails (both Russia and China have incarcerated our citizens).

I don't recall, ever, that any other American President was excoriated for what was not accomplished by a treaty without any praise for what was accomplished.  Nixon reached detente with Red China without reforming the political system of that nation or eliciting a pledge to stop supporting rogue states like North Korea? No calls were issued to go back to the cold war.  Reagan reached nuclear treaties with the Soviet Union without extraneous demands?  No criticism was leveled that the treaty should not be signed because what was accomplished in arms reductions didn't go far enough or that political prisoners were not released from the Gulag.

While other Presidents have been judged by ability to achieve what was possible, our current President earns praise only if he does the impossible.


Tuesday, July 14, 2015

THE TIMES ARE a-CHANGIN

Republican ideology notwithstanding, Wal-Mart, the largest employer in the U.S. is raising its minimum wage to a point well beyond that blocked by Congress.  Bernie Sanders, a Democratic Socialist is drawing croweds unheard of since the 1930s.  The Confederate Flag comes down from the South Carolina State Capitol grounds at the insistence of local busineses. Private enterprise is baling on Donald Trump for ultra Conservative views.
The country appears to have taken a turn to the left.  

I suspect that donations from business to the candidates may show a similar shift, during the coming election cycle.  If they do will the Republican Party switch their views on Citizens United?

BANNING OVERACHIEVING PRESIDENTS!

Republicans are dizzy from Obama achievements coming at a rate faster than they can demonize them.  Just as they were able to pass an amendment, to the Constitution, limiting the term of the Presidency to a maximum of 2, after a Democrat achieved an unheard of 4 consecutive terms, they will look to see how Presidential accomplishments can, in a like manner, be limited through the amendment process.  In the meantime, they hope that there is a nostalgia for the underachievement of the Bush Presidencies, that will carry Jeb to victory in 2016.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

NOT INSPIRATIONAL BUT CAUSATIVE

We are taught that the American Revolution inspired the French Revolution but in actuality the French Revolution was probably caused, in part, by the American Revolution.  The costs, incurred by France, in sending an entire fleet to the Americas, to assist in the defeat of the British, was formidable.  Since neither the nobility nor the Church, the wealthiest Estates, paid taxes, the burden of paying fell on the peasantry and the rising middle class.   This, in turn, sparked a  overturn of the previous social system in France. Any similarity between our present situation, in the U.S., where wealthy segments of the country, who pay an ever decreasing share of taxes, neverthless, push for more military involvement abroad, is not coincidental.

GOODDBYE DEMOCRACY, HELLO OLIGARCHY

Although the U.S. has fought two (2) World Wars in the name of democracy, only one of its Constitutional institutions, the House of Representatives, was designed to be , and entitles us to call ourselves a democracy.  The President is elected indirectly through an Electoral College and, as sometimes happens, can be elected without receiving a majority of the popular vote.  The Senate allows each State 2 Senators regardless of population.  The Supreme Court allows one undemocratic institution to nominate judges and another undemocratic institution, the Senate, to confirm them.  Now that Republican gerrymandering allows for a majority, in the House, to represent a minority of the voters while the minority party represents a majority of the people, we can no longer call ourselves a democracy.  I wonder if, from now on, we will fight our wars in the name of an oligarchy.  

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

BUSH VINDICATED

As the American people become more aware of the full extent and breadth of the accomplishments of the Obama Administration, George W. Bush is hopeful that the public will think more kindly of his own.  After all, without having had a Bush Administration, to precede him. Obama may not have been able to even win the Presidency!