Lies (poetry inspired by the news)

 So I wrote this poem after learning that not only have the President and Congress been lying to us but the military as well is lying to us. Many of us were already suspicious of the President and Congress. But now we know the military is lying to us as well.

Under these circumstances democracy with a small 'd' cannot function as intended. This is true because The People are given falsehoods in place of accurate information on which to make their decisions. This will inevitably lead them to make choices they had not intended to make. On the basis of false information provided by liars The People are deceived and make choices they think are the right choices that will be good for them. But in the end they discover they've been fooled again.

So the question arises. If the U.S. does not have a society functioning as a democratic republic, (which it claims to be) what kind of government do the American People find themselves with? Another question arises. Are the American People going to do anything about it?

Those are some of the thoughts that inspired the poem.  What do you think? The American People were lied into Vietnam, lied into Kuwait and lied into Iraq. What do you think, are you still being lied to now?

So here's the poem.

The Reason Americans Need A Third Political Party: among other things

 

America is sick and the entire world knows it. A quick look around at the events happening on a daily basis confirm this assessment. Social dysfunction is normative. 

A partial list of social ills follows. Mass shootings, road rage, the 'Karen' phenomenon, gangs of robbers operating with impunity.  If that isn't bad enough the corporate Donor Class has promoted public corruption from top to bottom. 

Obviously all is far from being well in the U.S. and it seems right that The People tell the Republicans and Democrats to take a hike while 'we the People' fix America up the way we want it. Why don't we do that?

That being said, to criticize Biden (Democratic Party) or to criticize Trump (Republican Party) and vote accordingly is what the American electorate is expected to do. Unfortunately, as it turns out, the Republicans and the Democrats are in large part the cause of the utter chaos American society finds itself in RIGHT NOW. 

The history of Americans allowing themselves to be polarized by the Republican and Democratic Parties is manifested in this one brutal statistic. This statistic reveals the actual status of democracy in the U.S. and unfortunately the information exposes the great difference between what American Government says and what it actually does. Most didn't need to be told that something ain't right. Every American should be alarmed at that report.

Are Americans just stuck in a rut? All they have been able to think of is having either the Republicans or the Democrats address the social problems. No one seems to remember at election time that it was Republicans and Democrats that ran America into the ground in the first place.

 Republicans and Democrats broke it and, so far, they have demonstrated they are incapable of producing a remedy. The tragic part of this is that they might not even know what it was they did that broke America. 

Don't you think it's time to get wise to their inability to manage the economy? If we want to improve the lot of wage earning and other low income or otherwise socially disenfranchised Americans radical changes must be envisioned and carried out by the electorate. 

Only Republicans and Democrats had a hand in creating the present situation and they spend their time blaming one another for the current status of society. This results in the voting Citizen suffering the consequences of the Republican and Democrat loyalty to the corporate non-citizen, non-voting Donor Class.

Replacing Republican and Democratic lawmakers with socially responsible lawmakers is the only sensible option. This would require a third Party with completely different characteristics than possessed by either Republicans or Democrats.

Lo and behold there is such a Party! It's name is The People's Party. The People's Party would be the only real alternative to a future of more of the same failures which Republicans and Democrats have produced since the days of Harry Truman.

This dismal moment in American life and the arduous path to this moment portend a future no one wants to face. The majority of inequity in American society is the result of the relationship between our lawmakers and the non-citizen, non-voting corporate Donor Class.  Neither the Republicans or the Democrats will stop taking money from these sources and that is why Republicans and Democrats can only be a thorn in the side of those who desire a representative democracy. 

An elected representative cannot serve the non-citizen, non-voting corporate Donor Class and the Citizen Voter faithfully at the same time. The State religion, Christianity agrees. It simply cannot be done. The representative will favor one over the other meaning one (corporate donor or voting Citizen) will have an advantage over the other. In America the way it works out is that the non-citizen, non-voting corporate Donor Class is first in line and  gets the lion's share of government handouts. That practice is the root of societies biggest injustice.

The voting Citizen is now obligated to live in a society that is self destructing as I type and you read. That is not the way it should be, it's not the way we want it to be.  It is an example of Republicans and Democrats governing.

Heads up. A worthwhile government promotes the general welfare. But Republicans and Democrats are not onboard with that agenda, neither can they be. The reason is that it would require the corporate Donor Class to pay taxes in lieu of donating to elected representatives of the American People.

The Republican and Democratic Parties on behalf of the corporate Donor Class have tag teamed the U.S. electorate for as long as I've been alive. In that time society has been in continual decline as a result.  The New Deal was a good deal as long as it lasted. 

But the rejuvenating effects lasted at most from it's beginning in the Great Depression until the 70's.  In the early 70's the oil producing nations joined together to hold the U.S. hostage by refusing to deliver oil on demand. 

For one reason or another the U.S. governed by Republicans and Democrats agreed and caved in to them. Today price for gasoline is as high as $4 a gallon in the U.S. instead of .36 cents a gallon. The oil embargo ruined our economy and the Republicans and the Democrats cooperated and let them get away with it without so much as sending a fleet of ships with a message.

The bottom line is Republicans and Democrats are not able to do more than make things worse.  That's about all they've done so far! The present moment in the U.S. is the result of all their labors on behalf of the American People. 

Don't you think it is time to say "Thanks, but no thanks" and check out what The People's Party has in mind? I bet if 'we the People put our heads together we could come up with some much needed improvements right away. 

How does a living wage that allows you to enjoy society sound to you? How about paid healthcare? How does free higher education and affordable comfortable housing as a mainstay of a political platform sound? 

Is such a platform worth supporting? How many Republicans and Democrats are promoting those programs?  Why would you support a political Party that is indebted to the non-voting, non-citizen corporate Donor Class instead of you? 

According to the rules of democratic movements 'we the people' can make the kind of society we choose for ourselves.  Take a look around, is this what you hope to achieve? Probably not, but it is the result of electing Republicans and Democrats to do a job they are ideologically unable to perform. I bet 'we the People' can do a lot better than Republicans and Democrats have managed so far.

(Editor's note.  I am not associated with The People's Party other than finding their agenda to be 'just what the doctor ordered' for what ails American society today. I mention them only as an alternative I myself would choose if I were attempting to set American society on the right path.)

If America Is A Christian Nation (poetry)

 If America Is A Christian Nation

If America is a Christian nation 

when will it open it's doors to strangers in need?

If America is a Christian nation

when will it heal the sick

and give it's wealth to the poor?

If America is a Christian nation

why is there so much anger?

If America is a Christian nation

when will the world see our love for one another?

If America is a Christian nation

when will it cease to do evil and learn to do good?

-----------------------------------------------------------

I wrote the poem while considering the oft repeated claim that the U.S. is a Christian Nation.  The highlighted links refer to the documents that reveal the Christian faith and the principles of the Kingdom of God Jesus spent his life promoting. The principles are recorded in Bible verses which you can read when you click on the link. After reading the verses you can judge for yourself how the U.S. measures up to the standards of the Christian faith and decide whether or not it is a Christian Nation.

The Oatmeal Budget Diet: poetry and social commentary with a sense of humor

The Oatmeal Budget Diet

household budget management tips for life in 21st century America

I'm on a diet,

I eat only oatmeal now.

It's working well, 

here's the secret, I wait

until the thought of oatmeal is appealing before I eat.

I've been dieting only four weeks

and I've lost a lot of weight already.

But I'm beginning to hate the very thought of oatmeal

and now I need to buy new jeans,

the ones I have don't fit anymore!

Thanks to the diet I've saved enough,

and I'll donate the old ones, 

they're practically new and

someone will get good use from them

unless they go on an oatmeal diet.

Sometimes it seems you just can't win

and now as it turns out I've discovered 

I don't really like oatmeal all that much so

I've decided when I save enough money I'll buy

a hamburger, fries and shake.

Jesus Went Down To Georgia... And Met The Devil There

 

Jesus Went Down To Georgia...

And Met The Devil There

The State of Georgia may have made a serious blunder if Jesus turns out to be real. You may have heard, Georgia forbids helping hungry and thirsty people eat and drink on certain days of the year.  A new law has been made in Georgia to penalize persons who give water and food to those who need to eat and drink on the days helping hungry and thirsty people is disallowed.

Now the problem for Georgia is that Jesus expressly condemns the behavior the State of Georgia has made into law.  He does not mince his words. The punishment Jesus will mete out to those who engage in that behavior would make General Sherman or even George Bush blush.  What did Jesus say would be the fate of those who do such things to those in need of food and water?

We don't have to wonder because it's in the Bible, in fact it is one of the Bible's central teachings.  Jesus had already addressed, in the 1st century, what the lawmakers in Georgia in the 21st century decided to do. At that time Jesus prescribed the consequences of their decision revealing what the outcome would be.  Matthew 25: 31- 46 is where Jesus lays down the law and the consequences for breaking His Law. 

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal

I'm surprised the lawmakers in Georgia are not up to respecting the opinion of Jesus on this matter.  Do they doubt the words or the intent of Jesus? Times have changed and I guess I shouldn't be surprised. But I am. Those lawmakers in Georgia must feel as if they can take Jesus on and win. 

A decade or two ago Georgia was in the Bible Belt where Jesus and the Bible were revered. But times have changed and the Georgia lawmakers are proving that they are not going to be buffaloed by old superstitions the way their forbears were. They've told Jesus what they think of His Law and now it's up to Jesus to keep his word.  

The Georgia courts are very likely going to have to put Jesus in jail when he begins feeding the hungry and giving water to the thirsty on those days when it is illegal to do so. I understand he's used to being mistreated by secular governments and that he, like Henry Thoreau, never let that get in his way of doing the right thing.  You might have imagined the State of Georgia would have thought twice about taking on Jesus, but that's just what the lawmakers there have done. Obviously Jesus and his teaching never entered into their considerations when they made their special law forbidding the feeding of the hungry and the thirsty. Have a nice day! And the next time someone says the U.S. is a Christian nation tell them about Georgia.  

Dancing In The Streets (Anticipating Trump's 2nd Impeachment)

 

The last sentence of the four year dialogue Donald Trump has had with America came to an end with the words "Stop The Steal".  Immediately afterward there was an assault on the Capitol with the intent of overturning the election by mob coercion. 

If you're an American you may be thinking: 'No way, that can't be true. Not in the United States'.  But it is! Under Trump's guiding hand it surely is true. I have to believe Donald Trump regards the constitution with complete contempt.

From the beginning of it's tenure the Trump Administration's dialogue was racist, and anti-environment.  He was opposed to having non-white people from what he termed 'shithole' countries find refuge in America.  His words gave his followers the liberty to allow their racist feelings to be given expression. His words made the entire world look at America and ask: "WTF"?

Donald Trump's response to the COVID pandemic labels him as callous and uncaring as we see the loss of life and economic devastation resulting from his failure to respond in a meaningful way and the bodies piling up. 

Even so he is still admired by his supporters, while others hate him more with every passing day.  His juvenile resistance to face masks, science and common sense has made him a danger to every person living within the borders of the U.S.  From my point of view, 2000 plus Americans are now dying daily as a direct result of Donald Trump's response at the advent of the COVID outbreak. I'm not the only American that feels this way. That's one of the reasons Donald Trump is being impeached yet again today, January 13, 2021.

I'd like to contrast Trump's way of relating to the American public during times of great national stress with the way Franklin Roosevelt did during the Great Depression and WW2. 

It's too soon to have forgotten Trump's obvious attempts to radicalize his followers and divide the nation.  He has used race-baiting to cause division. He has used the COVID outbreak to divide the nation into mask-less Trump supporters who deny there is a threat from the pandemic from those who believe the science and fear for their safety. Donald Trump's Presidency will be remembered for all those things.

I was born during the Truman Administration so I don't remember FDR's radio talks to the nation. But my parents were married during the roaring 20's and before a decade had passed saw all hope vanish overnight.  There was a long slog through the Great Depression and then came the second world war in their lifetime.  From the beginning of the Great Depression Americans were hung out to dry by the Republican Hoover Administration. Nothing has changed in that regard. Republicans ARE NOT the friends of Main Street America.

President Hoover was a true conservative Republican, so naturally he did absolutely nothing as the nation collapsed into a despairing hopeless condition. He just sat there in classic Republican fashion and looked on and did nothing. Roosevelt had the answer and that solution worked. 

Not only did his solution work but his words had an inspiring, unifying effect that gave the nation hope. My mother and father both told me of the positive, unifying, comforting, uplifting effect of Roosevelt's radio speeches to the nation. No one can say that with a straight face about the conversation Donald Trump has been having with the nation over the past few years.

"Stop The Steal" is Donald Trump's confession of his regard for the constitution of the United States. As a result he is being impeached again. Maybe it will mean something this time.

Did you listen to Roosevelt's talks to the nation? Do you see the difference between faithful leadership and a callous, uncaring mutiny by the head of state when you compare Roosevelt with Trump? That difference is the reason Americans will be Dancing In The Streets when Donald Trump is no longer President.

Have A Nice Day

Coup With A Whiff of BULLSH*T (commentary on Donald Trump's failed coup)

I've never been as surprised as I am now. All the kings horses and all the kings minions can't put Trumpty Dumpty together again.  After this moment in American History anything that resembles Trumpty Dumpty will be considered anti American. It's been a wild 5 years from start to finish. We began with MAGA, 'Make America Great Again'. It's ending with LUDT, 'Lock Up Donald Trump'. The 'Tide of Democracy' has changed.

In case you've been recently awakened from a coma you KNOW the President took an unprecedented stand against the idea of democracy. He did this by encouraging crowds of angry, revolutionary-minded (for the most part) white people by instigating them to overthrow the decision of Congress to officiate in recognizing Joe Biden as the President Elect.

 Those angry white people trashed the legislative center of the nation  in support of Donald Trump's plan to make America Great again. They paraded through the nerve center of American freedom like Sherman through Georgia but they carried the Confederate Flag. 

You don't need a news commentator to explain what that symbolism means and the kind of America Trump wants for us all.

Senator Romney was surprised to witness the President's most recent behavior as well myself and a good number of others. He shared his thoughts with his fellow Americans on the President's attempt to overthrow the  legally elected government of the United States. There's video of him doing this provided by the Global News YouTube channel. 

Major American news media are telling the President in one way or another that it's time to get his fat ass and bullshit out of the White House.  

Americans have seen a failed attempted coup by Donald Trump and his revolutionary guard.  His would be revolutionaries must feel as if he has made chumps of them all when he encouraged them to break Federal Laws. 

Now they have to pay for what they ended up doing. He convinced them to commit acts of sedition and insurrection which they willingly and gleefully engaged in. Who's sorry now? "If the President said to do it, that makes it legal." That's the law in Trumplandia.

Some have compared this attempt at overthrowing the Government of the United States to the events of "9 / 11".  I think they were referring to a renewed sense of patriotism which is expected at times like this.

When I witnessed the lack of response by the police charged with protecting democracy at its source (the Capitol) I was also reminded of 9 / 11 and the response of those we trusted in at that time.  

On both instances there was a similar lack of response from those charged with protecting WE THE PEOPLE. On both occasions when WE THE PEOPLE needed it most we were let down by those we trusted most. Why do those we trust fail us when we need them most?  We had better find an answer to that question if we know what's good for us.

This has been a coup attempt with a 'whiff of bullshit'.  It looks as if Trump's Folly might have failed... for the time being. Let us pray that we will immediately recognize when the Trump Philosophy raises it's ugly head again in some other format so we can nip it in the bud instead of letting it grow and bear fruit as we have done.  Trump and the Republican Party had 4 years to make America great. How would you rate the job they did?

Something to spend part of the day thinking about. 

Have a nice day.