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.