Why is it even close?

 We've had time for the presidential race to define itself and the final form that will be what we have for an election is now set.  It will be Kamala Harris and Tim Walz against the Idiot and his weird v.p. choice, Shady Vance.  There has been a great deal of yammering on both sides about where it will all end up.  Trump is acting weirder and weirder every day.  He's stuck in his mode of endlessly telling his audiences that the United States is a failed nation, that the rest of the world is laughing at us and, if he isn't re-elected that it will be the end of life as we know it. 

Sometimes Crazy is right there for all to see.

He gets that 'accordian' thing going with his hands--which Michael Cohen says is a sure sign that he's lying his ass off--and he takes flight over all the dark possibilities, all of it amounting to 'the end times' if we're so stupid as to refuse to let him become king...or emperor, or maybe just a good ol' dictator.  I am guessing that Hitler is the idiot's star despot, particularly because he had the special title of Fuhrer.  It just means 'Leader', but in ol' Adolf's case it meant a kind of God-king with unlimited power over his subjects.  

"Der Fuhrer befiehlt und Wir folgen."....is a German slogan that was visible as painted graffiti on the bombed out ruins of Berlin.  It means "The Leader orders and We follow."  And, even as the Russians were bearing down on Berlin and the Twilight of the Gods was drawing near..... bleagured Beliners were still willing to follow the man that brought all of the death and destruction down on their heads. The idiot has wet-dreams (okay, that's an image I don't want to entertain) from just the thought of being in that position.

A steady stream of elite professionals--the people who are not just educated as psychiatrists and psychologists, but who TEACH them at places like Harvard and Johns Hopkins--have come forward.  Initially it was only thirty-seven such individuals, and they took a raft of crap from the American Psychiatric Association for violating the 'Goldwater rule' which stipulates that it is unethical to diagnose any patient you are not seeing in your practice.  But, now over 200 such individuals are all saying that the 'duty to warn'  overrides that limitation....because there is an obvious and serious danger posed by this individual, to people and to society at large. They see so clearly that the Idiot does pose a dire threat that they cannot remain silent.

Okay, so my question is this: why is the presidential race even close? How is it possible for any person with a functioning brain to think it would be acceptable to have this moron back in the Oval Office?  By now, most people are at least aware of "Project 2025" and have some idea of the plans that the Idiot has in mind if he weasels his way back into power.  It is a nightmare, a plan to actually destroy the American democracy as we have known it for the last 248 years.  Don't take my word for it; look into it but please DO NOT make the mistake of trusting Fox or any of the propaganda bureaus of the right.  They lie all the time, perhaps inspired by the Idiot's ability to spew his steady stream of bullshit.

Is it really possible, I ask myself, that some Americans want...as in WANT...to live in a dictatorship?  Do they think that is how the country needs to be in order to save them from....the 'Brown Wave, the Queers, the Trans, the "...millions of rapists, drug dealers, criminals and mental patients" that the Idiot says are coming into the country all the time? Do some Americans really think that the Orange Idiot is leading us toward a peaceful and harmonious society?  Eeeeeegads!!!

So, for the majority of Americans, those of us who realize how dangerous the Idiot really is, the answer is very straight-forward:  Do absolutely whatever you can to convince, persuade and cajole anybody who will lend an ear...that this is America's big step-up moment, Either we make sure Kamala is elected or we face the looming darkness that Donald John Trump is determined to inflict on the world.  

He's fucking insane, folks.  Hear me now and believe me later.  

America is on the Doorstep of History.....

The Democratic National Convention is starting today in Chicago.  Barring unforeseen events, it will be a week in which America makes history by nominating not just a woman, but a black one, to be president of the country.  For these two reasons alone, history will be made. 

 But, that is not really what is so critically important about this turn of events.  Kamala Harris is the person whom many--and more all the time--Democrats have identified as the person who can stop the Big Orange Idiot from ending democracy in America.  There is almost no way to over-state how significant that is.

She is not just another politician. She's a leader for this time in history

If things follow the trend that they have been for the last almost a month--since Joe Biden stepped aside and nominated Kamala as his best possible successor--Kamala will win. She might even win in an historic landslide. She is campaigning on the premise that joy is more important than all the negativity that the Idiot brings with him.  His campaign speeches are devolving from one to the next.  He slurs, and he meanders to non-sensical stories and idiotic ancedotes that leave his audience wondering what the hell he is talking about.

Meanwhile Donny-boy thinks he is wowing them with his great sense of cynical humor and his littany of deprecations and insults.  Most MAGAs, of course, are far from being 'intellectuals', quite the opposite.  If you believe the great stinking mounds of bullshit that the Idiot spews, you are probably not working for NASA.  That much seems certain, eh.

So, here we are, at a crossroad in our nation's history.  If we take the path to the right, we will find ourselves living in an autocratic, mean-spirited society, one that honors lying, hatred of 'other' and is willing to inflict pain on the less fortunate if it will insure we stay a white Christian society, one which is going to get downright horrible as more doors open for the dominance of the "Me society". 

Every time the Idiot stands at a podium and goes into his routine, he spews a steady stream of invective.  He denigrates the U.S. as a failed country that the rest of the world is laughing at.  He demands his audience climb on the 'hate train' and get ready to fix it all by being selfish and nasty....to anybody who resists the MAGA vision.  

To be fair, this is a pseudo-philosophy that is gaining traction in various parts of the planet. The far-right is growing in some scary ways in order to resist and ultimately block and destroy the growing flow of immigrants who are streaming toward the countries that are seen by them as at least offering a chance to survive....if not thrive.  They are leaving regions where life is rapidly becoming unsustainable.  Without rain and conditions conducive to subsistence farming people can stay where they are, but they will eventually come to a situation that they must either flee or die.  

And, the rest of the planet is terrified that this diaspora will overwhelm their own ability to survive.  So, they are turning towards autocratic leaders who offer solutions that may cause terrible suffering and dying.....but, of others, not themselves.

What we do in response to this seeming 'damed if you do or don't' situation will determine if we are worthy of the term 'Human'.  If we commit to sadistic bastards like Trump and divorce ourselves from the huge problems that portend a dark future for billions of people, then that is who we will become: selfish people who are willing to kill and/or let life kill anybody who needs help and compassion.  

In Trump's world, 'survival of the fittest' means that a people need to harden themselves and bend to the task of killing--actively or by neglect--the millions who are in deep trouble.  The denial of climate disaster by the Idiot is just one cog on the gear that will power this path to dominance.  

The light at the end of the tunnel will not be an arc-angel coming to rescue us from our own stupidity; it will be a great big ol' fast freight....and you know what's going to happen when it gets here.

Right?

Why is the Big Orange Cheeto losing it?

 Unless you only watch conservative news outlets, i.e, Fox, Newsmax etc, you have likely seen a proliferation of pieces by liberal pundits, and even a few not so liberal ones, who  point to the Idiot's rapid descent into 'crazy town'.  Every presser that he does now has degenerated into a non-sensical rant.  The latest one, at Mar-a-Lago, was enough to cause my wife and I to look at each other and raise our eyebrows with the unspoken question: "Is he around the bend?"

Well, allow me to offer you some conjecture on what is happening inside his small and shrinking world.  Because of my long background as a competitive shooter in various marksmanship disciplines, I have been in a position to hear high-powered rifle bullets as they go by.  Thank God they weren't fired by someone with hostile intent, like a Vietcong soldier, but I sat on a bench as bullets went by, passing through paper targets above my head. I was there as a young recruit to pull targets for regional matches at Fort Dix NJ.  

The sound barrier is approximately 1100 ft./sec at sea level. When a jet fighter pushes through into Mach 1 plus territory, there is an attendent 'BOOM', capable of shattering windows and pinning observers' ears back.  Likewise, when a rifle bullet travels beyond the sound-barrier it makes a sound not unlike a bullwhip being cracked.  It's not subtle, in fact, it's intimidating and conveys the lethality of it's source very effectively.

So, when a 5.56 mm bullet from an assassin's AR style rifle passed within just a few milimeters of the Idiot's head, he would have heard the sound of his own death...almost. It's a sound one doesn't easily forget.  And, when you  hear it, it means that the bullet is not hitting you--this time--because you are hearing it 'go by'. 

The absence of rallys, press conferences and other activities one would expect of a candidate in a contest for the highest office has been notable. His appearance in front of the Black Journalists Association was an unmitigated disaster.  Now, it appears he's really  hunkered down in his 'safe' place.  And, I have a theory, just an opinion based on my own life experience.  

Donald Trump is terrified.  He now knows what it is like to be standing at a podium with a large-ish crowd of people...some of whom may not harbor kindly sentiments toward you.  This shooter was one more lone-wolf wild card.  Luckily for the Idiot, he couldn't shoot straight.  But, the damage he did was much more than just a 'nick' of the top of Trump's right ear.  

Right after the shadow of death passed over...

Now, every time he stands up there to spew his hatred and lies, he also knows that it's entirely possible that there is someone in the audience, or at least the environs of the gathering, who wishes him dead...and is quite possibly capable of acting on that impulse. This is not something that will leave him alone...ever. It's now an indelible part of his life experience and I am guessing that this kind of background knowledge is corrosive and eats away at your consciousness with inexorable persistence.  If a person is already exhibiting signs of paranoia, this is like pouring gas on the fire.

He has just been accused, by several conservative pundits, of doing something they're referring to as: 'quiet quitting' his campaign.  By declining to appear out on the campaign trail, he is lowering the odds that another assassin is out there, just waiting for him.  When you are up there on the stage, not only are you dominating the entire gathering, but you are also a fine target.  And, in the dim recesses of his tiny brain, the Idiot knows this. 

So, he's staying home.

Over the next few weeks, we will see if Kamala and Walz can maintain the amazing energy that currently has engulfed their campaign.  My bet is that they WILL.  We will also see how the Big Cheeto manages his fears and concern for his own safety.  We've known forever that 'Captain Bone-spurs' is a cowardly bugger.  His version of being at war was fighting to find women who wouldn't give him the clap...or worse. 

Well, now, he's in a situation where a vast amount of anger, hatred and malevolence has become his trademark, And, apparently, more than a few Americans are sick of him. His constant barrage of insults, deprecation, and lies has worn thin...even for some of the Kool-Aids who have been among his most sychophantic MAGA followers.  Yes, there are still plenty of them who would follow him like lemmings off a cliff.  But, the stark contrast provided by the ebullience and sheer JOY of the Kamala-Tim campaign is not lost on a growing percentage of us.

So, we'll see if he can put himself back in the line of fire...literally.  Frankly, I don't think he's got the guts.  

He can still hear that bullet...and, that won't change.

What a Difference a week makes, eh......

In the aftermath of the now notorious debate, I admit I was feeling hopeless.  Joe was saying that only a visit from God would change his mind about leaving the race for the Oval Office.  The overwhelming feeling across the land was that Trump was now in the driver seat and his re-election was almost inevitable.  Having seen Joe's blank stare and gaping mouth, this did not seem far-fetched at all.

But, then something happened.  Whether Joe had a late night visitation from on high, or whatever, we may never know.  But, he changed his mind and, as he stepped back, he simultaneously named Kamala Harris as his choice to succeed him. I doubt seriously if any pundit or political analyst could have predicted how immediate and wildly enthusiastic the reaction across the country was.

In so many divers ways it suddenly made sense that A) it's high time for a woman president, and B) her being a woman of color was a perfect response to the racist and misogynist crap that oozes throughout MAGA-land.  So, a vast number of women were ready to throw themselves into getting Kamala elected and so were most of the other Americans who have long felt disenfranchised, including the LGBTQ+ community, the Latino population, and too many more segments of our society to list here.  Anybody who was fearful of what would happen if the Great Cheeto managed to steal his way back to the Oval, suddenly saw someone who had their interests at heart, and who has the goods, i.e. intelligence, experience, integrity and the multiple qualities that are so glaringly missing from the Big Orange Idiot.  

Kamala is not only qualified in terms of career experience, but more to the point, she's a decent and dedicated human being who has striven to serve the broad spectrum of people that make  up America.  When I see her on the screen, big or small, my instant reaction is that she can be trusted to be the Warrior Queen who can destroy the Idiot.  She is feisty and smart, and will suffer no B.S. from him or his pathetic minions.

I think it's just amazing and wonderful that the fact that Kamala readily laughs...drives the MAGA idiots absolutely nuts.  Eeeeeeha.

She is the absolute antithesis of the Idiot...thank God.

So, here we are, at an inestimably critical 'Y' in the road of American history.  We will either manage to defeat the anti-democracy movement led by the Idiot, or we will  be plunged into perhaps the darkest period of American history since slavery, and our very own Native American holocaust.

Not only can we do it.............we MUST.

The alternative is too horrible to even contemplate.    

A Pivot Point in American History is Upon Us.....

 When the announcement came that Joe had decided to end his candidacy, I was overtaken by mixed emotions.  On the one hand, I like Joe; he's done a noble job and has proven himself to be one of the most capable and effective presidents in modern history.  His record is unimpeachable, despite the Idiot's constant drivel about Biden being the worst president the world has ever seen.  I wonder if any part of his feverish brain is capable of understanding how 'projection' works.  As he blathers on and on about how bad Joe is, it becomes stunningly apparent that he's really talking about himself and the dark legacy he'll be leaving in his methane infused wake.

The news from Joe had hardly time to settle in before the world turned its bright lights on Kamala Harris. It's a mountain to climb, but she is a strong and capable person who has the necessary qualities to make it to the summit.  Small donors have already broken the 24 hour record for donations....but, they did it in just a few hours, not 24.  I am going to take that as a sign that many Americans, of every gender, recognize the arrival of Hope in her.

So, please let your enthusiasm come to a boil, and open your purse to donate, in addition to urging anybody who'll listen to plan to VOTE this November. If we, as a broad based co-oalition of different goals, will look for the places we overlap and know that only by working together can we defeat the most serious menace since World War II.

We can do it.

We MUST do it.....

Just a glimpse of a very sick man...

 

On the Brink.....

 The attempted assassination of the Orange Prophet was announced just as the evening news was being aired in our area.  At first, it was difficult to understand what had happened, but as they explained the circumstances in greater detail it became clear that Trump had come within a few millimeters of being killed.  The rifle was an AR-15 (style), as is now becoming common in these mass shootings across the country.  The caliber...although they have not said so specifically...was almost certainly 5.56mm NATO....the standard caliber for most ARs. 

This is not funny; it is a threat to Democracy

This round is remarkable for it's devastating impact, due to high velocity and a light bullet that often disintegrates or tumbles on impact.  If the shooter had not missed by mere millimeters and had instead hit his head, it would have been a horrendous, gory nightmare on national t-v  

I have a feeling of great dread that MAGA world would have reached for their own ARs en masse and we would be a nation in chaos right now.  So, I give thanks that this 20 y.o. shooter was at least marginally incompetent.  In fact, it has been discovered as the media dig into the shooter's history, that Crooks could not make his high school rifle team...not even the JUNIOR varsity.  So, we have been spared a national nightmare because this kid couldn't shoot straight.

Let me be clear.  Nobody wants Donald J. Trump to disappear from the national stage more than I do.  He's a disgusting excuse for a human being and he intends nothing but the worst for America if he manages to steal his way back to the Oval.  Experts on authoritarianism have uniformly tried to warn us that we should listen to threats from people like him, that they are not merely projection and wishful thinking, but something they absolutely intend to carry out...if given the opportunity to do so. 

It's time for the Dems to settle in and vigorously support the 'one who brought them to the dance', Joe.

Enough of the dithering and casting about because Joe had a lousy debate.  Yes, he's old.  So, am I and I recognize the traits of an elderly mind in him.  But, he is still here and doing an excellent job as president.  He is NOT senile...and it's becoming clear that Trump IS SENILE. The more he blathers on at his rallies, the less sense he is making. Does anybody actually think that his rambling on about--for instance--an electric boat and a shark, or his inane rambling about Hannibal Lecter being a 'nice guy'; is really a 'joke'? If it is, the joke is on us, because our refusal to take his evil intentions seriously will become a whole lot less funny in November.

Trump's cognitive dysfunction is getting worse rapidly and you don't have to be a psychiatrist to see it.  No more putting lip-stick on the porker.  He's insane and has every intention of inflicting his nightmare vision on this society.

Eeeeeegads people!!!!  Wake the f**k up!!!! 

Teetering on the Brink of Diaster...

 As I am writing this President Biden is giving a press conference. Pundits are speculating that it....just this one event....could determine the future of his candidacy for a second term.  I doubt that is really the case, but, then, the pundits are speculating wildly about the entire presidential debacle.  And, it's getting old...very old.  

For starters, they seem to think that their opinions should be accepted as being more informed and even 'wise'....but, for the most part, they are just opinions.  I have a short-list of pundits whose judgement I respect, i.e. Maggie Habermann, Lisa Rubin, Ben Meiselas and most of the presenters on the MeidasTouch channel on YouTube.  These few, along with a handful of others are worth listening to, but that doesn't mean they are more valid or wise than many others. The bottom-line is this: everybody has an opinion and in almost all cases it is the result of personal observations and feelings.  There is not a single soul out there who is wiser and more informed than the rest of the thundering herd.

Joe Biden is struggling. That much is obvious.  He claims that he's decided to stay in the race and nothing short of a personal visitation from God him/herself will dissuade him from doing so. Okay, as some have noted, why should he be eliminated based on the single event that was the disastrous debate?  It was a terrible sight to see his blank-faced stare, mouth agape, and a sinking feeling that he was just out of it.  In the aftermath, of course, we have been given various excuses for how this happened.  He was exhausted, over-prepared, etc, etc.  

He's a good soul....but, can he outrun age?

But, the simple truth is: having seen Joe in that situation, one is unable to un-see him.  He should never have been allowed to participate if he was so exhausted.  So, now we have this ongoing crisis of confidence: can he beat Trump?  He claims he's the only one who can.  Meanwhile, others are positive that he can't and even that it would lead to a Trump landslide, which for those of us who clearly see who the Orange Idiot really is could possibly be the ultimate political and social nightmare for America.  Another term in the Oval Office would almost certainly lead....to the destruction of American Democracy. Please look up a synopsis of Plan 2025 if you want to see the scope of Trump's plan to subjugate us.  Yes, that is precisely what I mean; he intends to dominate America in the same manner as all the despots he so admires. Putin's at the top of his 'most admired' list.

It would be so easy to just dismiss that notion as hyperbole.  But, the Idiot has spent endless hours at podiums and on his social medium, Truth Social, telling us in very clear language that he would indeed be the dictator that people fear he might become.  By now, it's not a mystery--except to his MAGA sycophants--that Donny Boy is mentally ill, and deeply dysfunctional.  He proves it every time he performs at one of his rallies.  If one paid attention to his stream of insults, lies and non-sensical bullshit in the debate, they would have noticed that he was spewing the exact same lies...even using the same verbiage in some places...he spews at his rallies.  He refused to answer any of the moderators' questions, instead choosing to do his verbal assault...on not just Biden, but, hell, everything.

By now, enough professionals in the psychiatric and psychological realm have come forward to try and explain the breadth and depth of Trump's mental illness. Some of these folks are at the top of their fields and all of them have felt it was their duty to warn us that this man is very sick...and, dangerous.  His illness is not an excuse, but it is one of the primary driving factors that make him so dangerous.  Along with a wide assortment of aberrant traits, is a healthy dose of sadism.  He doesn't even try to hide the fact that he intends to seek retribution on those he perceives as his enemies. And, in his perverted mind, that means he can use the newly validated and nearly unlimited powers bestowed on him by a corrupt Supreme Court to have them arrested and executed for treason.

In a sicko dictator's mind, anybody who resists their will is both an enemy and a traitor...so, hell yes, let's shoot, hang or whatever them.  Almost all dictators confuse their identities with the state.  I.e., they think they ARE the state, and the state is an extension of their will. This has led to our centuries long history of people attacking and killing other people according to the will of a 'strong man' dictator.  

So, here's the deal.  If Joe decides it is more important for him to stay in the presidential race than it is to drop out....he is gambling that he can beat The Idiot. As tired and slow as he was at the debate, and with more and more people and Democratic politicians coming to the conclusion that this is NOT a gamble that would be prudent or wise...he's determined to do it anyway.  

DON'T DO IT JOE.  The price if you can't pull it off is WAY TOO HIGH.

A Defeatist Attitude is.....uh, well, Self Defeating

 I am beginning to notice a trend among the people I see, day in day out and from time to time: they have resigned themselves to the idea that Trump is going to win/steal back the Oval Office.  They saw Joe Biden's horrible lapses in the debate last Thursday, and their hopes seem to have been dashed on the rocks. 

Growing up, I played competitive sports as much as I could.  I was on varsity soccer, hockey and junior varsity baseball.  I have also been a very competitive shooter since pre-adolescence.  I have won multiple state championships in a variety of disciplines, and I am still shooting clay targets as I creep up on eighty. 

What I can tell you about competition is that as much of it is in your head and your attitude as is in your body's strength and coordination.  You can practice the finer points of technique and train so hard you are in danger of over-doing it, but, it won't be enough to make you a 'winner', unless you have a winning attitude to go with the physical strength and skills.

Once upon a time, I was competing in a sport known as international handgun metallic silhouette, i.e. IHMSA, and the game is to hit little cut-out steel animals.  This done with, .22 caliber handguns at 25 to 100 yards, and from 50 to 200 yards with larger, center-fire handguns.  It is very challenging when you consider that the 'chickens' at 25 yards are about the size of one of those 'Peeps' marshmallow Easter candies.  

So, the weekend of the New Hampshire State Championship arrived, and my shooting buddy, Elwin, came to pick me up and head to the range. When he got to my house I met him at the door and told him that I felt really lousy and probably should stay home.  He smiled and said that we could go and if I still didn't feel well enough to shoot, we would just turn around. So, off we went with me feeling like I was coming down with the flu.

I did decide to go ahead and shoot after we got to the match, but I had zero expectations that I could hit anything.  As we settled in on the firing line, I was feeling very detached and just wanted to get it over with.  But, as it so happens in competitive shooting, feeling relaxed and unattached to any particular outcome is good medicine.  I shot my ass off and hit damn-near every target.  Yes, I WON, never mind any sickness or self-doubt.  Because I was so relaxed about being in the run for the championship, had pretty much let go of that possibility, I was able to concentrate and truly be present to the sights and the targets.  

To this day, that event has served me as a reminder that getting worked-up and worried about the future just makes it all the more likely that you will push away the very thing you desire.  

By now, you can pretty well guess where I am headed with this.  We need to stop gnashing our teeth, wringing our hands and wailing our death chant.  We need to set aside the result we so badly  need, i.e. Trump loses and self-combusts.  We need to get practical and do every-damn-thing we can to turn out the vote, to make certain that the GOPs are  unable to steal the election by all the various means that they so hypocritically accuse the Dems of  using.  

We need to fight the good fight, And, we need to NOT GIVE UP ON OURSELVES BEFORE THE BATTLE HAS EVEN BEGUN.

We need to believe that whatever the outcome, we'll deal with it.  We are Americans, yes, the same ones who stormed ashore on Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Normandy, Anzio...and so many more.  These invasions were, no exaggeration, "death machines".  If you were there, in a landing craft approaching the beach, you knew you had a very good chance of dying....and, yet, thousands of American, British, Canadian, Free-French soldiers stormed out of the boats onto the beaches that were being cross-stitched by machine guns and shell-fire.

If we cower before the plans and intentions of Donald J. Trump....we will get exactly what we deserve.  A transformed America that previous generations would just look at and shake their heads.  

GET OUT THE VOTE!!!   STOP BEING SO GOD-DAMNED NEGATIVE.  

WE CAN DO THIS!!!   AND IT NEEDS TO BE DONE. 

They paid the Ultimate Price....we owe it to them to uphold what they died for.

Time to Wake-up and Smell the Coffee....

He's sure he's going to be Emperor. He needs to be stopped.

I have been away, on a desert island where I laid in the sun and watched young people chase each other around in the timeless breeding ritual that the Beach Boys celebrated in their ear-worm song: Kokomo.  

Uh, just kidding.  I took time away from this blog because I have maxed-out on the public discourse and all the negativity surrounding the race for the White House.  The terrible debate performance was a 'last straw' for me.  We are now staring down the barrel of a political debacle that could very likely leave us living in a Trumpian dystopia. Okay, it's his wet-dream, but for us, non-MAGA, people who both understand the critical importance of our democratic form of government, and what it would mean to have a mentally-ill sadistic s.o.b. of a criminal running every damn thing with the powers of a king bestowed on him by the Supreme Court....the term 'nightmare' seems apt.

 Donald the Idiot is gloating and probably is feeling much more certain about winning back the Oval in November.  He's justified in feeling this way because the long-running discussion of whether or not Joe is mentally capable and physically vigorous enough to be president for another four years seemed to come to a convincing culmination in this disaster of a debate.  Seeing Joe all blank-faced, mouth agape was a shock; he seemed almost transfixed.   Increasing numbers of Americans, are convinced, after seeing this performance last Thursday, that he is NOT capable.  The numbers who feel this way seems to be growing daily and it would not be surprising if enough Dems finally will agree that keeping Joe on the presidential ticket is a form of political suicide.

Could he serve another term and stay healthy and sharp enough to accomplish all the tasks that he would face?  I don't know, and neither does anybody else, especially those who claim to know. But, what I can tell you is that it almost doesn't matter if we all insist on pushing to have it our own way.  Ben Franklin was the Founding Father who said: "We must all hang together, or most assuredly, we will all hang separately."  He is purported to have said this at the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Old Ben knew whereof he spoke.  

It sounds trite but this truly is our national 'Come to Jesus' moment.  If we don't figure out how to pull together as a united front against MAGA and their despotic leader....we will lose and the cost will reverberate for generations.  It's not a stretch to speculate that America might never recover from this man.

Take one example of how dire another Trump administration would be: climate change. The Orange Idiot doesn't think it's real.  He's said lots of times that it's a farce put up by his favorite scapegoats, the Chinese.  One might be tempted to think that surely, by this stage, the general population would have noticed how much stronger hurricanes, tornadoes, wild-fires, and floods have become.  It's right in our faces now and anybody who is still denying that is just too dumb to bother with. 

But, if we have a Dear Leader who is a denier and pushes back against any meaningful measures to try and slow it or soften it, it will continue accelerating and become cataclysmic.  It may do so anyway, because we're coming to the party very late. Don't take my word for it; tens of thousands of scientists, planet-wide, have recognized that not only is Climate Disaster real, and upon us, but that it may well be the ultimate issue that wipes out humanity.  It's not a secret that the planet is becoming unlivable, more so each year.  We don't often hear the term 'diaspora' but it is happening; huge numbers of people are fleeing parts of the planet that are rapidly becoming un-survivable. 

So, hear me and the countless others like me.....now.  If we manage to fail at creating a united front against this monster, we will reap the whirlwind.

Whatever it takes, set aside personal issues and desires.  Do not dare to think that you can walk away because you 'don't like' Joe, or whomever is going to replace him.  If you say to yourself, "Well, they both suck....so, I'm not voting at all".  Then you are a traitor to the planet and the human race, not to mention the countless species we are destroying as we go down from our own stupidity.

Stop Trump!!!   Or be prepared to live with the consequences and explain it to your kids and grandkids.

The Terrible Price we could pay for our Selfishness....

 As I have read various articles, or watched offerings on t-v, a theme has started to emerge.  The essence of it is that younger, but not exclusively, potential voters are making their decisions about whom to support according to how they believe any particular candidate will meet their own needs.  Of course, this is only to be expected; certainly it  seems an outgrowth of 'human nature'.  

But, we are not living in times that even come close to being 'normal'.  We  have a mentally-ill narcissist with fascist ambitions who is positioned to become president for the second time. This has never before occurred in the history of our country, but, now it is a simple reality. If voters continue to decide who to vote for according to how it might serve their personal needs, ambitions, and goals, it is very possible that this very sick man could re-gain the Oval Office.

In his inauguration speech, JFK offered the following guidance: "And, so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." This one sentence has taken on almost mythical status, is easily among the greatest utterances of American presidents. The reason for this is simple: it's a fundamental truth about what it takes to have a functional democracy, replete with fairness, equal opportunity, and even the compassion that is needed to care for the least fortunate with whom we share this society.

It is extremely troubling that the so-called 'mainstream media', the primary means of keeping Americans up to speed on the news, has decided that they will minimize the obvious danger and endless problems that are posed by the Orange Idiot becoming president again.  They are failing in their responsibility to keep us informed of the pitfalls and crises that this dire possibility carries with it.

Perhaps we are witnessing the result of a society that has become more about the 'self' and acquiring what one desires, than maintaining harmony and fairness....not to mention compassion. A fair and thorough reporting of the clear intentions of the Idiot might make these companies seem 'unfair or unbalanced'....and that is also perhaps what the truly BIG money behind them wants.  

If you have seen it in the last few days, there are reports that Trump has made a despicable and lethal deal with 'Big Oil'.  In return for a billion dollars, he will eliminate any and all climate regulations that impinge on their ability to continue making trillions, despite the destructive, even cataclysmic effect that will have on the climate. It has been evident that these 'captains of industry' that we have so exalted for so many generations....are willing to DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT  if it means their profits continue to proliferate. 

Unless you have been living in a cave for a long time now, it should be absolutely obvious that the climate has entered a new and terrifying phase of its culmination.  Climate change is not only here, it is getting worse all the time.  Have you seen the calamitous damage from hundreds of tornadoes in mostly the mid-west?  Whole towns are being rendered piles of debris. Drone footage looks like a scene from Mariupol, or name your Ukrainian city that the Russians have destroyed.  This is not even including the effects of the wild-fires, drought and flooding.  

Climate disaster is upon us.  It is here and it's going to get worse, much worse.  And big business seems quite aloof from taking any responsibility for their central role in bringing it to this point in history. 

So, deciding to elect this insane idiot again....would be a form of suicide for our society.  Look at the facts.  Don't think the big news channels are telling you the way things really are.  They are not.  And, the oligarchs who own them are fine with that, in fact, insist on it.

Perhaps too many of the people who think Trump is a plausible alternative to Joe Biden, just don't realize what Fascism is and what it would be like to live in a Fascist society. Because I have been fascinated by history, particularly of  the modern era, i.e. the period since the dawn of the 20th century, I haven't stopped to realize how little most people know about, "....whence we came" to the present times.  It's only when I have seen people...mostly younger college age kids....interviewed on the street that I have been aware of this failing in our education system.

One young woman, was asked about what vehicle was very important in winning the Second World War.....well, she was pretty sure it was the Ford F-150. They showed her a brief video of a Jeep climbing the steps of the Capitol...a  publicity stunt put on by Willys.  But, the Jeep and it's central role in the Allied forces mobility wasn't on her radar. Understandable I suppose, but many of the queries of sidewalk innocents have been more rudimentary, like: "Who fought in the Civil War?"  Now, there's a stumper, eh.

So, perhaps it's asking too much for these young folks to really understand what is at stake in the coming election.  But, it will be their lives that are impacted, and in ways they have not imagined.

They were just visiting, taking the tour.....

Pay Attention America......if you don't want to live in hell.

Well....I had to do something to get your attention, because we are in the gravest danger our republic has been in since the Civil War. This is not hyperbole; it's simply TRUE. And, that's a big part of the problem, right out of the gate: people are getting lied to and manipulated by the media....to the point that they really don't know who or what to trust. 

 

So, now what?  First, let's take a brief overview look at what we're facing.  For starters, I acknowledge that I have a strong 'liberal' bias.  If you want ' both-sidesism' you've come to the wrong place.  Both sides in the political arena are struggling to come out of this election year with majority political power.  But, if we take a look at what they each want, it's like night and day...almost literally.

Is this really the Second Jesus.....are you shitting me?

Let's remind ourselves of something that has been proven, again and again: Donald J. Trump is a 'deeply flawed' human-being. He's done so much over the last decades that proves this, that it's a wonder that the MAGAs can't see how evil the man really is.  He wants.  That sums him up precisely;  he just WANTS....all of it.  He feels he should be a world-class power leader--read 'dictator'--like Putin or Xi, Or any of the lesser 'pocket' dictators who have their knees on the necks of various countries.  Just the idea that you can rule by fiat is like apple-blossoms to bees.  You can...like dear old Vlad...order your opponents killed with zero consequences.  You can dominate a country with your desire to become even more powerful.  It's like magic....sort of....just a little bloodier, because people like Putin and Xi have the rarely challenged--never successfully--ability to destroy anybody who opposes them, and not have to answer for it.  Trump would just love to be in this kind of situation. Apparently a large number of MAGAs already think he has been sent by God to save us (from what isn't exactly clear)...from ourselves perhaps?

The Orange Idiot has already announced what he intends to do.  I recently mentioned his plans, i.e. Project 2025, 47, and others.  Steve Bannon is hopefully headed to jail after his latest delaying tactic failed.  But, he is just one of Trump's evil cabal who plan to destroy democracy, methodically and completely.  They plan to create a Christian White Supremacist society and fairness, rights and all that....don't even enter into the equation.  It won't be about the people having a thing to say about it; it WILL be about either falling into line and doing what you're told....or suffering whatever consequences the dominators wish for you.  Could be concentration camps (yes, just like the ones we built for Japanese Americans in 1942) or it could be un-named 'Gitmo's, camps where what goes on is no longer subject to any kind of scrutiny, justice or even a smidgen of human kindness.  No!  Gone!

You needn't believe me. You can easily do your own research in this age of information.  But, you need to cultivate the ability to spot bullshit when you see/smell it.  One of the side-effects of living in this time is the loss of any firm moral compass. True, some can hold onto theirs with a white-knuckle death grip....but, for most Americans, the 'truth' has become elusive and when it is potentially identified, it's no longer the bed-rock we once believed we could fall back on for a sense of stability and harmony.  Now, it's necessary for people to put energy into 'discernment'.  Say wha?   That is the ability to see a situation from an overview and to also analyze it's component parts....and come away with a sense of what the source of this 'truth' is really trying to do.  What do they want, really?

Well, if you stop and look closely at the political right, especially including the 'far' right, you will see that what they really do desire...in their wee coal-black hearts....is to be in power and to force anybody beneath their boot-heels to comply with their directives and to cower before them. This is not speculation on my part, or on the part of commentators....like Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Nicolle Wallace, Jen Psaki, Katie Phang...and so many more, who are devoting their energy to trying to make those who haven't already swallowed the Kool-Aid, realize how precarious, downright nightmarish, our situation really is.

This isn't the moment to go further into just what a second Trump term would look like.  We'll do that in the near future in another piece.

But, what I pray you will come to understand is that this is Freedom's Last Stand.  If we lay down in front of the tanks that are coming....and, yes, I mean that metaphorically....they won't even try to avoid rolling right over us.  All the rumblings about a second Civil War, will become actual armed confrontations and it will be a deeply tragic day for America.

The Priceless Gift....continued.

 As we watch the political show unfold towards the November election, it's clear to me that this will not be just another election. In fact, it will be the most pivotal and critical presidential election in modern times, rivaling any that has ever taken place. The reason for this, of course, is because there has never in our history been a mentally aberrant and dangerous candidate on the level of Donald J. Trump.  He's not merely exceptional; he's potentially the man who could destroy American democracy.  And, that is NOT hyperbole.  In recent days he has become increasingly specific about what he intends to do when he is back in the White House, and the list is beyond...way beyond....merely alarming.  It's downright horrifying.

For a deeper understanding of what I am referring to, treat yourself to reading about Project 2025, a plan that has been hatched by largely Steve Bannon and Stephen Millar, two individuals who make my skin crawl as they spew their oh so creepy visions for our future.  Bannon looks like somebody dragged out of an Irish pub at closing time and Miller, no kidding, is uncannily evocative of a man Germans referred to during WWII as 'the Evil Dwarf":  Joseph Goebbles, the Nazi propaganda minister, and the man who, along with Adolf Hitler, codified the rules for succeeding with The Big Lie...rules seemingly followed rather precisely by Orange Jesus as he has insisted, and still insists, that the 2020 election was stolen. He's like some fun house automaton that keeps popping out of a dark corner to repeat his lie, convinced that if you say a lie enough times it magically becomes true. It's horrifying how many Americans have already fallen for this.  I have puzzled over how it's possible for any person with a functional brain to accept this lie...despite the mountains of evidence and over 60 court cases that prove otherwise beyond any doubt.

So, let's be clear: the men, and women, who went out across the globe to fight WWII were fighting for the survival of FREEDOM.  They knew this intellectually when they put on their uniforms, and went through training.  But, for many I have known, it didn't really become crystal clear how stark and critical the battle was until it also became evident how astonishingly evil the Axis powers were.  For many GIs in the European theater of operations this came home with heart-rending clarity when the first concentration camps were discovered.  Sure people had heard about them, well, sort of, but seeing the piles of bodies and the starving shadows of human beings who had barely survived really drove it home.  Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander in Europe, insisted that as many people as possible and especially the officers in his headquarters go and visit camps.  Ike visited a camp called Ordruf and I believe he was affected deeply by that day for the rest of his life. Many GIs who experienced a concentration camp visit, said something afterward like: "Now I know what we've been fighting for."

                                        

Eisenhower at Ohrdruf

The loss of freedom is not something most Americans have grown up thinking, imagining was even possible. If the Idiot has his way and does somehow ooze back into power, he's going to replace most of the entire government with unqualified sycophants whose only qualifications for running the government will be their un-flinching loyalty to his monstrous ego.  They will do exactly as he instructs and the result will be an America that those of us who have been here for many decades will not even recognize.  Right below is a link to a site that does a reasonably good job of explaining the chilling reality of what these people plan to inflict on the rest of us.

https://globalextremism.org/project-2025-the-far-right-playbook-for-american-authoritarianism/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7-SvBhB6EiwAwYdCAVVF-9bNvIEuP5quA_17FFCdGQC6tWJMqW6JBSW0NEEpURouu6_ClRoCgqAQAvD_BwE 

If this link doesn't work for you, just go to:  www.globalextremism.org  

Most younger Americans, based on what I have seen in the last few decades, are quite unaware of how much their lives would change for the worse if something like the Idiot's plans came to full fruition. My profound hope is that we don't have to go through the hell that my parents' generation did before we realize that Trump and his minions NEED TO BE STOPPED.

And, because we 'libs' are not much inclined to resort to solving our problems with violence, that means we need to rely on getting out the vote. It will not be enough to just go and vote yourself.  We need to convince those around us how critical it is in this moment, how much it will determine what life is like for our kids and grand-kids. 

The Priceless Gift they died for....

There is a series of nine episodes on Apple TV called "Masters of the Air".  It tells the story of the Eighth Air Force bombing campaign in Europe during WWII.  It's not at all academic, but it is based on factual events and experience.  If you are not aware of what the bomber crews endured, it's my humble opinion that you should be.  The Eighth Air Force had the highest casualty rate of any American military unit in the war.  A flyer had to complete twenty-five mission, (later raised to 35) before they could rotate home. But the missions themselves were a nightmare and the odds of finishing 25 were daunting. 

Early in the campaign, starting in mid '43, the leadership assumed that a B-17, or a B-24 formation could fly across occupied territory and Germany itself and fight off the Luftwaffe fighters....because these four-engined bombers literally bristled with .50 cal. heavy machineguns.  There were 13 on each plane and the strategy was to fly in closely arranged formations, referred to as, "the combat box".  The leadership horribly underestimated what the combination  of German flak (anti-aircraft cannons on the ground) and the fighters of the Luftwaffe was capable of doing.  The Brits had already recognized that flying into this lethal combination created a level of bomber losses that was unsustainable.  But the American leadership thought they knew better and that the heavily armed formations could fight all the way to a target and back.  

The lessons learned during this period were painful.  The Brits switched to bombing at night, still a dire undertaking, but better than attempting it in daylight. The American leaders were wrong, and the losses sustained made that painfully clear.  One famous raid on Regensburg and Schweinfurt sustained about 10% losses, i.e. 60 bombers and their 600 crewmen.  No military can take such punishment indefinitely, and the answer was clear: the bomber formations needed fighter escorts.  But, the fighters available at that point were the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, a great beast of a fighter with 8 .50 caliber machine guns in the wings.  And, the 'Jug', as it was affectionately referred to did not have the range to go all the way to targets deep in Germany.  They modified it to carry 'drop tanks', but it was still inadequate. It was not until the P-51 Mustang arrived in late '43 that the bombers had an escort with the range, armament and flying characteristics, that could take on the Luftwaffe's Bf-109s, and FW 190s, all the way to the target and back. It's no exaggeration to say that the Mustang was a total game-changer.

Masters of the Air was made under the direction of Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg and they made every effort to not give in to any temptation to dramatize, feeling, of course, that viewers in the present day need to see what these men endured.  And, what they arrived at is a very accurate portrayal of what it was like to spend several hours over Nazi Germany in 1943-44.  By 1945 the Mighty Eighth had the ability to send huge formations, ultimately up to 2500 bombers, fully escorted and capable of devastating any city sad enough to be under them.  The fighters, once having accomplished protecting the bombers were turned loose to get down to low levels and strafe targets of opportunity.  Not a truck or a train escaped their attention. These mega-raids were called off before the Allied victory on May 8th because as one general said (I believe it might have been Ira Eaker),..."We're just bouncing the rubble."

                                                    

It may look heavenly....but it was living Hell

So, there is now another documentary that is focused on interviews of members of the "Bloody 100th" bomb  group. Many of these men were interviewed years ago and have now passed, but I could not watch and listen without a deepened sense of the fact that they got out of their cots in the pre-dawn, went to a briefing and then climbed into a bomber and went to face the Luftwaffe flak and fighters....again and again. The odds of actually completing the requisite 25 missions were low.  But, they knew this and did what was asked of them anyway.  \

One of these incredibly brave men was Harry Crosby, and, amazingly (to me at least) I met him three times at his home in Lovell Maine. He was one of those interviewed, but passed in July 2010. Harry was the lead navigator of the 'Bloody 100th" bomb group, flew 32 missions and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, multiple Bronze Stars, the Croix de Guerre, and a fist-full of other medals, and you would never in a million years guess that the white-haired, cheerful and kind man sitting across from you was a war hero of this stature.

This is likely enough for this installment, but the next one will be about what these astonishingly brave men bequeathed to us....and why we need to honor it by doing absolutely everything in our power to prevent a wannabe fascist dictator from stealing the freedom that so many fought and died for.  That would be tragic beyond any measure.

My money is on dementia...

 Any American who is not sleepwalking through this world must know by now that we are on the precipice of a very dangerous cliff.  If we fail to engage or simply fall back on apathy for any number of reasons--all of them hard to justify on any level--we will wake up in November and find that we have a wannabe dictator for a president.  But, at that point, he'll no longer be simply an aspiring despot; he'll be starkly FUCKING REAL. And, this time, he'll be very different than he was during his first term.  If we thought he did some real damage to the country then--there is a long laundry list, topped by Jan6--we'll be horrified by what he can do in his second term, especially if SCOTUS arms him with any meaningful immunity.  And, they're dangerous too.....

Donald J. Trump has made little effort to conceal what his plans are if he regains the oval office.  He will go after all of the many people whom he feels attacked him, especially those in the media who have been pointing to him and trying to warn us that he's not merely mentally ill, but he's increasingly demented and losing control of much of his life.  HE IS DANGEROUS.....very much so, and anybody who doesn't see that is just playing with fire. 

I have previously mentioned a story-- both a novel, and then a movie--that dates from the early seventies. "In the Garden of the Finzi-Continis" is the story of a Jewish family who live in northern Italy in the early thirties.  They meet on Sundays at the family's villa in the garden and the story is what they talk about.  With one exception, none of them is able to conceive of what is coming.  They just cannot imagine that Hitler...and Mussolini, of course...are as utterly evil and potentially vicious as they eventually prove to be. They are about to be swept away by the tidal wave of fascism that is coming their way....and, they just are unable to accept that it is. 

Aside: In 2004, when a tsunami hit Banda Ache it swept away tens of thousands of people, Only the animals, especially the elephants, realized it was coming.  And, those elephants ignored their handlers, (mahouts), and fled to higher ground.  Over 61000 people just in Banda Ache, and as many as 220,000 in the greater area affected by it, died that day.  I have seen the videos of its approach, and it's as if most of the people simply cannot or refuse to see it as it mounds up offshore. 

If we act as if nothing is seriously wrong at this moment in our history, as a nation and as a planet....we will effectively be among those on the beach as the great wave bears down on us.

The State of the Union address last night was a relief for my wife and me.  It proved beyond any doubt that Joe Biden is not senile or incapable of doing the job he wants to finish.  He may be in his early 80s, but he is still fully present and highly capable...far more so than the rapidly declining Orange Idiot.  

More and more experts, the most respected members of the political punditry and the psychiatric communities are stepping forward to offer their opinions that Trump is not just slightly impaired but that he's mid-stream in a downward spiral into full-blown dementia. Many of these experts have mentioned that they would remain silent  under normal circumstances, and they have been chastised by the American Psychiatric Association for speaking about the condition of someone they don't know as a patient.  But, all of them have said the situation we face is too dangerous and dire to remain silent.

At this point, every rally speech the Idiot gives is being examined to see how many times he exhibits symptoms of this onrushing dementia.  It seems to be accelerating and is already mid-process.  The specific mistakes he makes are the telltale signs of brain damage and not just mild damage either.

So, here we are and this diseased and dangerous man wants nothing more than to be in charge of, hell, everything. His speeches are increasingly full of not at all subtle references to killing people.  He wants to execute drug dealers, and maybe addicts as well.  Perhaps he's taking a page out of Philippine dictator Duterte's handbook.  

His most recent speeches have been long meandering rants about how dark, and about to be much darker, America's future is.  He paints dire pictures of everything falling apart and society collapsing in a Twilight of the Gods type funeral pyre.  And, he reminds his fawning audience constantly that he is the ONLY ONE who can fix it all.  This is not just idle speculation; it's a mirror reflection of what is in his rapidly devolving brain.  He leans on the podium and speaks in this sleazy, lazy style--spinning lie upon lie--that anybody but true MAGAs would find disturbing....and alarming....as he rants on. Much of what he says is difficult to understand because he's also losing the ability to form words and thoughts.

He is visibly and undeniably acutely impaired.

And, if we, as individuals who see what is happening don't do everything we can think of to antidote his steady stream of poison..............then we will deserve what we get.  

But, the elephants will be long gone.