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.