Have Americans Forgotten How To Hold Elections?

Anyone who has had but a smidgen of interest in daily events in the U.S. recently is aware that Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has gone all out to convince Americans they cannot trust their own ability to hold a fair election.  The Damage Report is confronting the issue head on with its reporting.  The Ring of Fire also adds some needed information.

To top it off he, Trump, is actively making plans to make of no effect the People's right to vote by sabotaging the ability of the USPS to deliver the mail used for voting during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The President is behaving in a way intelligence analysts recognize as the way dictators go about setting up shop. Link to MSNBC report on the danger of the Trump Administration's dictatorial tendencies.

To get right to the point.  The People can employ measures to counteract the intention of the President to deny them their march toward self-determination.

Something simple can be done like not using the mail for anything not essential for as long as necessary leading up to and during the election period.  Don't expect the government to orchestrate this. You'll be old and a veteran laborer in the salt mines if you wait for the government to see to it the election is on the up and up.

So I got to thinking we might save ourselves if we can convince THE PEOPLE, the same people whose future depends on being free in a just society, to make the effort to see to it that the work load of post offices will be reduced to a bare minimum. If that were done it would be difficult or impossible for Trump to make excuses for non-delivery of ballots without raising a lot of suspicion. 

Here's where the corporations that use the mail can be of a great help.  They can switch to another carrier until the votes have been all delivered and counted. It would be like was done during the previous world wars where the corporations were put to work for the public good. Remember, the situation is dire, the last un-elected President, G.W. Bush, in 2000 started a war that is still going on in one way or another and is not expected to end until world domination is complete.  I found an article on how corporations use the USPS.  The article can be read here.  

The article is obviously written from a pro corporate perspective. The point I wish to make is that the corporations who use this service now could and should find another way to deliver their packages during the election period. Another thing consumers can do is reduce all kinds of purchases that involve the USPS until the ballots have been delivered and counted. Do you really need that trinket as much as you think you do?  

Given the animosity of the Trump Administration directed toward the voting class the corporations could play a big part in defending democracy. (CNN report.) If they were to bite the bullet a little and cease to use the USPS during the critical election period for American voters it would relieve the system and remove the ability of the Trump Administration to argue effectively that the post office had failed to deliver the ballots.

The Trump Administration is arguing that since 2016 Americans have become unable to hold elections.  The President is arguing that letting people vote off the digital grid on paper mail in ballots will harm America and it's future.  

The President just might be lying again like he was lying about kids getting sick. (CNN report at link) Only this time he's lying about our democratic republic.  Lies, by the way, which if acted on will destroy the democratic processes that insure liberty and justice for all.  That's how serious the situation is folks!

Mr. President, kids can get sick and die and we THE PEOPLE do know how to hold an election.  It is you are the problem, not WE THE PEOPLE.

Now it is time for WE THE REAL PEOPLE to join with or coerce with boycotts the Corporate People to find a way not to use the Post Office until the votes are cast and counted.  Our democratic republic should be worth more than express overnight delivery. 

Obviously the President doesn't think it is and that is the evidence why this is the most serious time in the history of our nation.  Let it sink in.  We have a President so dead set against the People voting that he is willing to sabotage the means of THE PEOPLE to choose their own leaders. When that is accomplished what are you left with?

The President and the Republican Party have given the signals that their special interests trump the right of the people to direct their own fate. 

This is what we are witnessing now and if WE THE PEOPLE sit idly by watching the sideshow, laughing at the absurdity, instead of taking this seriously we will lose every right implied by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  

Now is the time to convince everyone, yes you corporate People too, to stop using the mail during this most important period.  By reducing the work load we can give the Postal Employees every opportunity to deliver our ballots and defend the democratic process. 

Trump and the Republicans most likely will still attempt to defraud THE PEOPLE of their right to self determination. THE PEOPLE can counteract his attempts by drastically reducing the use of the mail during the critical time of the voting process.  If we do that we might be able to demonstrate that the President is wrong about Americans not being smart enough to hold an election anymore.

That's all Folks!  Have a nice day!

Ancient Chinese Wisdom

One of my favorite things to do is to read the Tao Te Ching.  I've been pleasantly surprised to see how compatible the notion of the Eternal Tao and the notion of Logos used in the New Testament are with each other. Translators, some of them anyhow, agree that the meaning of the 'Way' in the Tao has the same meaning of the 'Way' as used to apply to Christ by the writers of the New Testament.

I was asked once why the Tao Te Ching which provides instructions for those who govern would be considered a 'Spiritual' text.  I didn't have an answer then.  I had not made the connection that erased the divide between  'Spirituality' and 'Humanity' making the two inseparable.

I returned, after years, to read the New Testament with fresh eyes. This time with 'eyes' washed clean of the traditional explanations given by the traditional Christian institutions. I simply began reading and thinking about the concepts in the Parables of Jesus of Nazareth as well as his teaching.  

I made note of the way it is told that he related to all he met and how a picture began to come to view of Jesus being like one of the Wise Masters referred to by Lao Tzu.  Verse 15 in the link provided below will give an idea. Jesus surely met those standards.


What I understood linked the Mighty Tao, referred to by Lao Tzu and the directions derived from it, with the same purposes of the Christian Kingdom of Heaven (or God) which the parables, deportment and teaching of Jesus reveal. 

Jesus who came some 500 years after both Lao Tzu and Buddha was applying, whether he knew it or not, the fundamental spiritual lessons of both previous traditions with regard to the concept of the Kingdom of Heaven he was promoting in the first century.

By his application of the ultimate 'Truth' to the temporal existential circumstances of human society Jesus, The Son of Man', melded 'Humanity' with 'Spirituality'.  His plain everyday examples and maxims in the Sermon On The Mount radically reinforce the demands and legitimacy of the voices of the people. His response comes in the form of a prescription for governing that will bring an end to social injustices within society. The Kingdom of Heaven Jesus envisioned would be revealed by a society that responded to and provided what those in that society needed.  Jesus lays it out right here in the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Lao Tzu is the bearer of ancient Chinese Wisdom to Americans today.

He who stands on his tiptoes does not stand firm; he who stretcheshis legs does not walk (easily).  (So), he who displays himself doesnot shine; he who asserts his own views is not distinguished; he whovaunts himself does not find his merit acknowledged; he who isself-conceited has no superiority allowed to him.  Such conditions,viewed from the standpoint of the Tao, are like remnants of food, or atumour on the body, which all dislike.  Hence those who pursue (thecourse) of the Tao do not adopt and allow them.

The other morning as I sat in the yard reading the Tao and listening to the chatter of a variety of birds at the feeders I read the passage above, 24, from the Tao Te Ching and was inspired by events in the U.S. today to make the poster about those governing society and thought how nice it would be if governments operated the way Jesus, Buddha and Lao Tzu all said they could and should be.  What a revolutionary thought!

Read the Tao Te Ching and think about the 'Spiritual' principles of governing that come to mind when the benefit of 'Humanity' is placed as the first in the order of societies priorities. Each of the three 'Spiritual' traditions when practiced will produce the benefit society needs.  Societies that do not measure up to these standards will, by virtue of the human spirit, eventually cease to exist.

The churches have taught the people to refer to Jesus as the Son of God and treat him as if he were other worldly. Jesus however spent his life living with 'Humanity' with the intention to serve the needs of the outcasts of society and put on notice those in authority. There is a lot to say on this topic that cannot be said today.  But I suggest stopping and taking another look at Jesus before we do it.  

I encountered the essay "The Scandal Of Joshua Ben Adam" by Robert Brinsmead in 2004 and was stunned by it.  I don't agree with all of it but it opened the door to a larger understanding of the Christ Event and the positive impact the principles of the teaching of Jesus would have in rectifying the results and conditions of the current social paradigm.

Have a nice day.

Considering the Implications Of The Trump Administration

To begin our consideration of the Trump Administration start by listening to the song at the link and watching the music video: "Pepper" by the Butthole Surfers.  You'll see the connection right away.

Now having listened to the song and having watched the video you can see why it seems to be a description of the motivations of Trump and the Republicans.  

The Presidency of Donald Trump is following the plan revealed by Woodrow Wilson when he made the above confession.  Trump has escalated the animosity of the State by attacking the right of THE PEOPLE to vote.  We, as a nation, have known how to hold elections all the way up until the Trump Administration.  Now according to Trump and the Republicans we don't know how to do it anymore.  When it is in the interest of the State to keep voters from voting the social situation is not serious, it is critical approaching dire.  Stop for a moment and think what it means for the State to make voting difficult for those eligible to vote.

What would be the right thing for Americans to do when confronted with information to that effect?

How about, since we are hosting an ever growing deadly PANDEMIC we have a nationwide teachers strike out of an abundance of caution?  Such an act would lessen the probability of a nationwide outbreak just before the election which could be used to halt the election Trump and the Republicans are already attempting to interfere with.  It is hard to imagine either Trump or the Republicans care whether we live or die.  If it looks like they don't care, it is incumbent on ourselves to care.

How many teachers is Trump willing to have get sick while at work and possibly die in order to save the economy?  Maybe a better question to ask is how many teachers are there who are willing to get sick and die for the benefit of the economy and Donald Trump, his Republican enablers and corporate donors?  It seems like the teachers should be the ones making decisions like that, doesn't it? 

Something amounting to a terrible wrong has been apparent in the U.S. since Trump took center stage.  It's like an aneurysm  at the heart of our nation. It remains to be seen if the condition is treatable or if it has progressed too far.   The special interests Woodrow Wilson spoke of are still present in the mind of the resident of the Oval Office and the offices of Wall Street today. The people in those offices are demanding, from their gilded chambers, that the workplaces down at street level be staffed no matter what the cost to human life. 

So what should Americans do?  How about a nationwide teachers strike to kick things off and reset the mood of the people?  Truly this is a do or die moment and such a justified rebellion will wake up the populace to the danger society is in. It is time to encourage and support the teachers in a nationwide strike if they choose to do so. I for one hope the teachers walk out on strike, masks on and determined.

So we started with "Pepper". For inspiration I'll leave you with "Banks Of Marble".

Way Down Yonder In The "Cotton" Patch

"Officially" black lives have mattered in the U.S. since the mid 1960's. However Senator Tom Cotton has revealed something recently so hideous that his statement qualifies everything Americans have been told about race relations in their past

I learned for the first time today that our lawmakers believe it is okay for Capitalists to deny civil liberties to an entire class of people for the good of the country.  A Senator from Arkansas, Tom Cotton, referred to slavery as an "evil" that was necessary for the U.S. to employ in order to make America into what it is today.

Let that sink in. Do any questions arise?  How does that sentiment inform the struggle for civil liberties throughout history and at this moment in America?  Does Capital still have the ability to convince lawmakers to enslave entire classes for the good of the nation?  What answer did you get?

Senator Cotton is a champion of the idea. If there are more like him making "official" decisions today Americans have yet another worry to add to the life threatening COVID-19 pandemic, and employment worries, and general fear of what the Republicans, Democrats and Donald Trump have been able to do and are still capable of doing when left to their own uninterrupted plans. "Up shits creek" is an apt description of the situation the government has provided for us to live and move and have our being in July of 2020.

Legally since 1964 the U.S. "officially" and reluctantly agreed to grant Black People civil liberties. That's the "official" position.  Day to day reality has shown a much different picture right up to the present day. The murder of George Floyd while in police custody has been determined by YouTube to be too terrible to watch unless you are forewarned and agree to being horrified by what you see.  You can watch it here  (click )if you want to see it but you must click on their disclaimer..

Watching George Floyd have his life taken from him by Minneapolis Police Officers in full view of numerous citizens actively photographing them reveals several things.  The first that comes to mind is that the officers involved didn't care that they were being photographed during the killing process. Second is that in reality not much has changed on Main Street regarding race relations in the U.S. since 1955 when Emmett Till was murdered.  The third thing that dawned on me is that Donald Trump has been the most race baiting President in recent memory. 

The effects of the  COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. are Donald Trumps own making.  He could have behaved responsibly. Instead he wanted to protect the stock market from suffering harm. As a result his plans involved placing the welfare of Americans at risk.  So far almost 150k Americans have died from COVID-19. Under the guiding hand of the very stable genius Donald Trump: Georgia, Texas and Florida are seeing the disease destroy the economies of those states and laying waste to their populations.

The irony is that what the President has done is to singlehandedly tank the economy and produce the conditions for social revolt all at the same time.

While it is interesting to note the irony of him screwing things up just opposite of what he wanted to accomplish, the Capitalist class is trying to force Americans back into dangerous workplaces using the cudgel of starvation, hardship and homelessness to make going back to work something the people would be willing to risk their lives to avoid. The lawmakers appear to be right on board.  

So, back to Senator Cottons sentiments about embracing evil.  His argument was that the U.S. needed slavery and profit more than the slaves needed liberty and justice.  My question is this.  Is the State still guided by those priorities?  Can we expect a class of people to have their rights taken away so the wealthy class can prosper as was done in the past by the founding fathers?  

Can we expect help from the Trump Administration? Will Americans be forced by extremity to take on dangerous employment and end up losing their lives for the sake of the economy? That appears to be the model at work in the "cotton patch" of Senator Cotton's mind. We should know what to expect from him and where his loyalties lie.

The government could easily help WE THE PEOPLE. But so far the welfare of The People has not been one of the Trump Administration's primary concerns, to state the obvious.  In the past Americans have thought that losing your liberty is worse than losing your life.  I don't know if they still feel that way anymore.

I watched this documentary on the life of Ghandi last night.  Click the previous sentence. Did you watch it?  What do you think?

Is "Of the people, by the people, for the people" a good idea?

Of the people, by the people and for the people.  Americans have traditionally liked to think they have just such a government.  They are taught that such a government is the kind of government the U.S. has. They are taught it is a good form of government.  Some say the best. The concept of a government that exists to benefit the people is referred to in the nation's historical documents as being centrally important to the reason for having a government. The absence of such a government was given as the reason for having a revolution. Which is what happened and why Americans like to say the U.S. is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people today.

Today, as the entire world knows, America is a mess. Our Interstate highway systems are crumbling as we drive over them.  Social discord due to the lack of economic opportunity fills the streets of major cities.  The mishandling of the COVID-19 Pandemic from the get go by Donald Trump himself has lead to over 140K dead Americans.  The fears generated by the failure of our supply chains for goods and services coupled with the threat of dying and the knowledge that our leadership has no idea how or what to do has made Americans 'edgy'.  More disconcerting it also makes some Americans dangerous.  Combine those failures with the fact that the lack of healthcare, the lack of employment and housing are all handing society their bills at once. In other words the chickens have come home to roost.

Major cities like Portland, Oregon   (highlighted link to The Humanist Report a Portland based forward thinking news outlet.) and Seattle, Washington have produced conditions so intolerable the residents of those cities have finally risen up demanding an end to the horror show life on American streets has become. America is definitely not the home of a contented, happy populace.  America is seething with anger and angst.  
The state of American society is testimony to the effect the Presidency of Donald Trump has had. Would it have been worse if he had weighted us with chains and dropped us in the river?  

Since his Presidency began the spirit of  the American People has been sabotaged by, among other things, the President's divisive rhetoric and outrageous support for Confederate traitors from the past and present day hate movements generally held in low esteem, at least in theory.  But since the advent of the Trump Presidency that theory is disregarded and Confederate traitors are praised and hate movements have been spoken warmly of on center stage by Donald Trump.  

 Today Americans still say their government is a government of the people by the people and for the people.  However if one were to step back and look at the state of society which their so called government of the people, by the people and for the people has produced one would conclude that the theory can only be correct if Americans hate themselves and are using their government to punish themselves.  

American social conditions are projections of the conditions produced in society by the donations from the corporate donor class to Republican and Democratic lawmakers.  The vast majority of legislation is legislation to favor the small non-voting bloc of the corporate donor class.  A very small amount of concern is evident to produce legislation to benefit the voting class of human beings and the things important to them.  If this is a government of the people, by the people and for the people why are we doing this to ourselves?  If this is NOT a government of the people, by the people and for the people what course of action should the people take?



The result of the intolerable conditions facing Americans is that finally The People around the United States have begun speaking out in a public manner and President Trump doesn't like it.   To some observers it appears the President is preparing to take away the civil liberties of all Americans in order to shut them up. His disgust for Democratically administered cities has been repeated until you get sick hearing him say it.  I'm hard pressed to think of one honorable thing the man has done since becoming leader of the Free World.

Americans need all your prayers and more than that, we need a miracle.  The Trump Administration has been like a sucker punch to the electorate. His messing with the justice system should have set the alarm bells off a long time ago.  But the donor class was cashing in and nothing gets in their way of having a good time if Trump can help it. He's been their faithful lackey. He and his Party as well as the Democrats show every indication that if we the people get in their way we're gonna suffer for it.

Have a nice day!

I Love Summer (poems)

Summer is the oasis of the year and people like to let their hair down. This year, however, with COVID-19 summer is more like a polluted oasis here in the United States where we are COVID chart busters or gonna be soon.  We have a serious problem with our politicians here and that has made the problem much more severe and dangerous to the citizens. The citizens have been influenced by the politicians to behave recklessly which is what has occurred.  As a result Americans as an entire nation are in great suffering both health-wise and economically.  On the other hand the already filthy rich are doing even better.

But it is summer and being unable to enjoy summer as usual, the summer this year is like not having a vacation.  Eating out has become as dangerous as having group sex was in the 70's as far as getting sick goes.  COVID-19 is obviously a socially transmitted disease. In this situation the difference between body fluids and breathing someone's deadly breath is moot and brings risks best avoided.   

However, flowers and summer are a reassurance from the universe that despite the hungry ghosts among us, who are the cause of the status quos present failure in the United States, there's something more and better than can be produced by technology.  

I smile back at flowers.  Do you?

I Love Summer

Lazy summer days,
hazy summer ways,
freshly cut grass smells sweet
as it lays drying,
summer breezes 
massage leaves and blossoms 
stopping suddenly 
and beginning again, 
teasing like a lover...
I love summer.  



Another summer poem written a long time ago.

Summertime

Summertime 
and the grass is growing,
summertime 
and the lawn needs mowing,
summertime 
and I keep thinking,
I'll sit right here
and keep on drinking.

Enjoy your summer and stay healthy.

The U.S. Needs A New God

First of all what 'God' means must be defined. I am defining 'God' in this way.  'God', any 'God', is the object of ones ultimate concern.  Our ultimate concern focuses us and directs our decision making. Our ultimate concern directs our destiny. 

Capitalism is, at the present time, America's God and it's Temples are on Wall Street. The headlines proclaim the numbers that are the litany in the Temple. The success of the stock market is the object of greatest concern to those who worship America's 'God'.  But this 'God' named Capitalism has displayed it's 'Achilles heel' and America has fallen on it's face and Capitalism is the reason America and Americans are having a hard time getting back on their feet.  (Biblical Parallel at the highlighted link.)

So why am I saying this? It's the Covid-19 Pandemic stupid!  This painful experience has shown the world in the worst of possible ways just how inadequate the current liturgy of Capitalism in America is when that 'God' is appealed to for help in time of need.  The People are crying and their 'God' has turned a deaf ear on them.  No help is coming because Capitalism has been caught with it's pants down and is not prepared to offer help.

So much for the concept of 'God'.  We all know what an 'ultimate concern' is. So, back to the day to day where ultimate concerns are easily defined with words like free at point of service Universal Healthcare, Education free of cost, Employment able to support life comfortably and Housing are a few of the ultimate concerns that make up the day to day for most Americans.  It should be easy to see, the People on Main Street need a new 'God' if they are to get out of the mess the present 'God' has stuck them with.

The Pandemic had barely begun terrorizing the general public when the Capitalist supply chain broke down. This 'God'  liked to brag about how supply and demand was the best way to make Profit.  Almost immediately when the Pandemic hit 'God' stopped delivering needed cleaning supplies to stores like the Wal-Mart where I shop.

Virtually overnight in April, possibly earlier, cleaning and disinfecting products like Clorox-Clean-Up and rubbing alcohol stopped being offered for sale to the general public. The experts are urging cleanliness and the Capitalist supply chain is not up to the task of providing commonly needed and simple products to complete the task.  If that does not represent a lie in the supply and demand liturgy by which Capitalism is worshipped what does it represent?

Why has the litany of supply and demand turned out to be a fairy tale?  Why don't the Capitalists want the Profit from making and selling products that are in universal demand? Whatever reason given is evidence that the mantra of supply and demand is a lie and evidence that Capitalism is not worthy of worship.

The failure of Capitalism to produce enough goods to sell at a time of high demand is indicative of a failed 'God' and a failed 'religion' constructed around that 'God'.  The stockholders of those companies should be demanding answers as to why this ability to increase profit for their 'God' is being ignored at the expense of the public health.

The failure of Capitalism in the U.S. to provide the needs of supply and demand impeaches the litany of supply and demand.  The failure to meet this simple objective is an indictment the Capitalist 'God' cannot successfully refute.  The litany of supply and demand lies like a dead letter at Uncle Sam's feet to match the lies proceeding from His lips.

In conclusion America needs a 'God' that can provide in time of need as well as in times when the need is not so great.  If Americans do not change their 'God', the 'boom' 'bust' nature of the Capitalist 'God' is likely to blow them up for good.  

The failure of the Capitalist system to provide such simple and universally required objectives speaks to the weaknesses the Capitalist 'God' is imbued with.  Many of those who hear the Capitalist 'God' speaking are ready to choose a new 'God' that is more in tune with their Ultimate Concerns.

4th Of July Backyard Fireworks

It's is traditional in Marijuana legal states to plant a marijuana seed or transplant a clone on Independence Day. Thank God for the 10th Amendment. 

Independence Day is a time to reflect on liberty and freedom, have a good time and party on down while wearing a mask and granting 6 feet of social distancing respect to all you encounter.  

Carry on! People are no longer criminalized by the criminal justice system and ostracized by society if you follow the rules in marijuana sane states.  The legalization of marijuana has had the overall societal effect of providing a means of soothing over the rough spots that must be dealt with in the day to day, but which can endured with a little help.  The few for whom marijuana legalization has not had this effect are universally found to be  those who were opposed to legalization and have never used the plant and never will.

After the traditional planting ceremonies have been conducted the entire days activities are now able to be focused on. Some like to fly the stars and stripes as part of their personal ceremony.  Some don't.  Either way the evenings activities are the focal point of the day.

Getting there requires several hours of going from store to store and bucking the traffic and dodging impetuous drivers all going after the same BBQ meats, chips, crackers, cheese, dips, beer, wine, corn on the cob and of course Pot.  They all have picnics to supply and they're all in a hurry to get home.

After getting back home the cooking and ice cream making begin. The BBQ cook get's hot and cranky and the ice-cream maker gets tired and sore from cranking.  But when the work is done it's worth it.  It was peppermint ice-cream.   To top it off the hamburger was $2.99 an lb.  A revolutionary price!  

Well enjoy the fireworks.  It looks pretty nice on a big screen.

Is Trump Blackmailing Barr?

It will be difficult to dispute that the Administration of Donald Trump is worse than anyone might have imagined it could become.  The social dystopia and obvious collusion in the context of orders from Donald Trump and the behavior of the Attorney General is making me wonder if Trump has some dirt on Barr and is blackmailing him.  Has that thought crossed anyone elses mind?

Lyndon Johnson knew how that worked.  His way of vetting people went like this. This maxim was what made Johnson confident in his choices: "I never trust a man unless I have his pecker in my pocket."  Could such a thing be at work in the inexplicable and apparently inappropriate behavior by Barr?  I hope someone looks into that pretty soon.  It's getting scary here in the U.S.  Darkness at noon, that kind of thing.

The rule of law is for all constitutional purposes  absent in this Administration.  It's as if justice has been replaced by arbitrariness. 

From the beginning the gold baboon from hell has set about messing with the future of Americans and the entire world. From determining to destroy the eco-system, to upsetting the world military and economic order that previous Administrations had worked to make secure, this President has fucked everything up and he's proud of what he is up to.

His response to his plans being interrupted by COVID-19 has made him the enemy of all Americans who need to work and pay their bills because he has done nothing right when it needed to be done and that is why America is on the ropes economically, constitutionally and existentially.  Of course he could not have done this without the Republican Party backing him all the way.

In retrospect Americans put a man into office and all he has done is known around the globe. He is a bold faced liar.  (proof at the highlighted link.) This man is generally regarded as unacceptable by the majority of other heads of state as the leader of anything let alone the 'Free World'.  His domestic policies appear to have the intent of destroying the future of those who live in America as well as the foundation on which America exists.  

When you let a man who got wealthy through bankruptcy run a nation what kind of outcome can one expect?  The fact that this man is President is an apt commentary on the idea of so called American Exceptionalism.  (LOL)  By electing Trump Americans have demonstrated they are easily fooled by gold baboons making promises.  Let's hope, for the good of the world and life itself, that Americans wise up before November.

Have a nice day.!

The Desecration Of Historical Monuments In The U. S.

The desecration of historical monuments in the U. S. has become a phenomenon in the last few years after a resurgence in white supremacism.  The desecration of monuments to Civil War criminals and members of the political and military elite in the U.S. has become a means of protest.  Democracy Now has a report on the topic at the highlighted link.

President Trump ,as expected, enthusiastically  embraces the resurgent white supremacy as a sign of support for himself.  He has suggested imprisoning those who would desecrate monuments honoring the evil doers who once existed among us. 

Going to prison in order to counteract the ill effects of honoring criminals and traitors just isn't worth it.  There is a better way and it may very well result in the communities themselves voluntarily removing these disturbing monuments.

How about approaching the removal of these monuments to inhumanity in a 1st Amendment kind of way?  How would one do that?  One would set up an information booth alongside the monument to injustice.  In the information booth the People Speaking would provide information detailing the crimes of the individual honored by the monument.  

Such behavior would be legal and it has the possibility of winning hearts and minds as well as alienating some hearts and minds.  So be it, monuments to monsters are still monuments to monsters and how one responds reveals the inner monster in those who support what the honored monsters stood for.

Just as the pen can be a more effective weapon than a weapon of violence, information has the power to enable people to change their minds.   You get to have fun, stay out of jail and change things for the better.  Will they change the name of Fort Benning to Fort Sherman?  It seems as if any victor would if they believed their victory was honorable,  

Have a nice day!

After posting, this video appeared on the Damage Report. It goes right along with the entirety of the post.

Soon To Be A Lame Duck (Poem and commentary)

I was vacuuming the rug listening to a news commentary on the TV and when my back said to stop I sat down.  What was on the screen now was a half empty hall of people amassed and milling in front of a podium.  An old tune by the Rolling Stones "She's A Rainbow" was playing.  The song was from the 1967 album, "Their Satanic Majesties Request".  I couldn't help but pause and think about that irony after realizing this was the President's rally in Tulsa.  After smoking my pipe a few moments I sat and watched waiting for my back to feel good enough to finish the rug.

It wasn't long before the President entered to applause from the half filled arena. I wondered how those in the overflow arena were doing. For some reason he made me think of a turd in the shape of a man with orange skin and a face with moving lips on one end. I had never thought of such a description until he entered the arena. On the other hand the few in attendance reacted as if the God they worshipped had entered the room.

The President felt compelled to give a long involved explanation to clear the air as to why he walked funny and had to hold his glass with two hands while he was at West Point. Some have suggested Parkinson's disease as the reason.  He explained that on the day at West Point he had worn shoes with "leather souls". He was right on his game in Tulsa. He dressed for the Tulsa event with rubber souls on his shoes even though it was an indoor venue and hadn't rained the entire day. He gave an illustration of his walking skills that reminded me of a poor imitation of Chuck Berry without a guitar. 

He also demonstrated his ability to drink water without spilling any on his nice red tie. He explained to the thrill of the audience, which now was enraptured by his every word, how on that day at West Point he had been exhausted from sitting and being obligated to wave 600 times and then having to stand upright and speak. It's a reminder to me I'm as old as he is and all I had to do was vacuum the rug before my back gave out.  When you get up in years those things bother you. Donald is surely feeling his years. 

But he was in his glory in Tulsa; smiling, acting proud and invincible; cocky some might say. The crowd loved it and was transported to ecstasy by his every word as he bragged about all he had done and what he stood for and how a future under his leadership would be better than anyone could imagine. He made no mention of finishing the wall project which is, he said, supposed to protect us. This might be a good time to remember that it is a difficult task to point to a promise the President has kept. Furthermore every great thing he has accomplished is in the future which never arrives but is always just around the corner.

Some of the things he talked about were that he was now in favor of all religions.  It is not difficult to remember how he once, a short while ago, felt about Islam.  Now, apparently, all that has changed. The crowd seemed to love it because he had said it.  Whether they remembered what he had said before is anyone's guess. 

To applause from the small crowd he reminded them of the great number of extremist right wing judges he had appointed and that he had spent 2 trillion dollars upgrading the military with stuff made entirely in the U.S.  He went on to mention the 2nd amendment and some other things important to the Tulsa audience.  

I do not remember him speaking in favor of freedom of the press. He did, however, take time to speak against the protected speech of flag burning. Perhaps that is why he mentioned only half of the 1st amendment.  

If he isn't fully in favor of all the 1st amendment and what the Supreme Court says is completely okay speech can the President be trusted to protect and defend the constitution if he feel's that way about it?

At this point I noticed that the part in his hair was wider than I had previously noticed exposing his bare scalp much more than previously. I had noticed that bald spot for the first time on the day he suggested the use of disinfectants for COVID-19. 

Tonight he jumped from one topic to another like an orange monkey in the tree tops swinging from one branch to another.  At some point he was blaming China for some supposed harm.  The crowd loved the China bashing. One of the funniest things he said was that if AOC were in charge of energy the results would make the COVID-19 pandemic look like "child's play".  That made me laugh and fill my pipe again when he said that. 

He blamed Democrats, Radicals, Anarchists, Joe Biden and his son and a number of others for everything that's wrong now. He complained about the experiment in democracy going on in Seattle and mentioned Radical Maniacs, who would understand immediately why it would not be good to nuke a hurricane but were Radical Maniacs just the same.

He lamented that he had saved hundreds of thousands of lives and had not gotten the credit due him from the fake news. He wants to be sure your kids are side by side in school again very soon claiming only a very few young kids die from COVID-19.  That should reassure all parents with gambling habits. At one point he bragged about his immense wealth in contrast to the experience of most Americans.

I wrote a poem after experiencing the event.

Soon To Be A Lame Duck

He's soon to be a lame duck,
already he's a dumb fuck
always finding ways to make a buck
now looking for a new scam 
to play on those that trust a man 
who promises concrete
but delivers only sand.