2016 — President Trump’s Priorities: That Was Then…This is Now. (Part 1 of 2)

 

It is always intriging to look back in time to see what America faced four years ago.The original date of this essay — November 2016. Mr. Trump was President-Elect and Americans had ‘ campaign promises’ of his priorities. Here is a look back and my grades on his performance: October 27, 2020.

The Updated Top Ten Issues Facing President-elect Trump in 10 Days and Counting…

In a matter of weeks, President-elect Trump will be a reality; he will need to address all of these issues. This is the most popular blog I have written with over 400 page views, and I felt it needed an update…so here goes… by the way, immigration still does not make my top ten although prison reform is number 11.)

10.Decreasing the deficit by decreasing the Military Industrial Complex: President Eisenhower warned the nation before he left office. He wasn’t talking about decreasing support for troops or vets; he was talking about building weapons and selling them for profit to other nations…like Saudi Arabia! (It’s happening now and also sales to Israel, too — 35 billion dollars worth…) F — the deficit has ballooned because of the tax cut to the rich and spending has kept up. Growth never came close to making up the difference as his experts claimed.

9.Income Inequality: Corporations and its CEO’s are not going to start selling off their yachts. However, Union’s must support higher wages and a living wage needs to be addressed. Above all, American workers need to be willing and able to become educated in the new ‘workplace’. It should be noted that unemployment isn’t caused my immigration primarily, but by automation! F — it’s gotten worse and Covid-19 has made any gains vanish. BTW — jobs promised vanished anyway. The Carrier plant was the example most cited. The truth is that eventually they shipped the vast majority of jobs to Mexico — but kept the money that came as ‘tax relief.’

8.Putin: America needs to keep our collective eyes on a dictator who kills his competition, jails journalists, and wants to expand his domain to get to the “Old USSR”. Um, here Mr. Trump is either gullible (not) or has a business interest he needs to divulge (including his taxes). F — One word ‘Helsinki.’

They exchanged ‘Love Letters’ and then they set off more missles.

7.North Korea: See above. Add Nuclear weapons on missiles. China is the key to leveraging them, so it’s not a good idea to make an enemy out of a reforming, but polluted China, Mr. Trump. D— They exchanged ‘Love Letters’ and then they set off more missles.

6.Polarization in Politics = Gridlock: America needs a Republican Party that is center right and the Democratic Party needs to be center left. Both need to learn to compromise. Good luck (with that). F — no effort here at all.

5.Discrimination: ‘Black Lives Do Matter’ so do all minorities — all people of different creeds and sexual identities matter. America no longer has black and white water fountains, but it takes much longer to change hearts and minds. Arming everyone is not the answer. Inclusion and education is. F — He sent in ‘guys’ and tear gassed folks to get to a church he does not attend to hold a Bible.

4.ISIS: President Obama has made great strides in dealing with the Taliban and its off-shoots. He was the president who made Osama bin Laden history. However, young men who feel economically impotent and religiously inspired will have to be inspired by another force — optimism that their lives are worth something — so they don’t believe death is the better option. ISIS is crumbling…slowly but surely. C — He continued Obama’s lead, but his efforts to pull all troops out of Afganistan is viewed with horror by his generals and the Afgan government.

The Middle East will very soon see heat levels at 135 degrees.

3.Syria: Putin has helped Assad destroy city after city. History will show that this mass murder and migration is a war crime. Eventually Assad will pay — unless Putin continues his support. President Obama could not find a way to deal with a murdering scoundrel (and his Russian ally) without putting boots on the ground in a futile effort (with the possibility of war with the Soviets). It was a lost cause — the poor people of Syria are central to this tragedy. NA — Not sure any president could affect change there.

2.Public Schools: Teachers need to be paid better, the length required for tenure needs to be the trade off. Governments (Federal and State) need to equally invest much more in the schools — not the administration of these schools. We can do better. We must do better or else we will expand even further the two class system of education we have in the primary and secondary schools. This is a blog in itself…F — Betsy DeVos is intent on privatizing schools. Her efforts made it such that little progress was made on equalizing opportunity for low income schools.

And the DRUM ROLL, Please…

1.Global Warming: This ‘trumps’ all because the world is already facing food production shortages and fresh water is the reason why mass migrations are occurring in Africa (and their governments are collapsing.) America will see Miami’s disappearing as sea levels rise. We will see climate swings, floods, record heat, tornadoes, — you name it. The Middle East will very soon see heat levels at 135 degrees. I could go on and on…but we can’t. The problem is the new President-Elect seems to ignore this fact. (Perhaps I should tweet it.) He thinks the Paris Accords aren’t his ‘thing.’ Let’s hope he receives sage advice…except many of his advisers are not on board yet. Rex Tillerson seems to be the exception — even though he spent 50+ years at Exxon Mobil. So keep an eye on the ice because the tide is rising. F — the worst grade of all. Trump went from calling global warming a “hoax” to pushing for more fossil fuel, including coal. Tillerson left office convinced that Trump is ‘a moron.’

America’s 2020 Excuse: X Being X = Y

 

Brandi Ibrao@brandialxndra

I could have titled this essay ‘Trump Being Trump,’ but that would imply that the my theme is limited to one phony reality television show acting as carnival barker, utterly unqualified and far too ignorant to have plausibly be considered for the position of the most powerful leader in America. Actually, I hope to never have to write another essay about him. Instead I decide to use the generic X (and a play on letters with Y being ‘why.’ First, let’s consider this tragic year.

Irony is the buzzword of 2020. So much has happened in this topsy-turvy year that it boggles the mind. The once Obama buoyed economy is now in the tank (except for the rich who hold their breath that the Stock Market does not explode). Unemployment was close to full employment, but now is a train wreck that has hit the poorest workers who are least likely to have a buffer of savings.

The new normal is abnormal.

Once thriving restaurants are trying to survive in parking lots until the winter frost makes for a no-win decision: close or face the specter of another Covid spike (happening in Europe now). The once saintly Dr. Anthony Fauci (and his family) has been viciously threatened for having the audacity to demand people wear masks. Science being scoffed (unless the Big Pharma can get a vaccine pronto). Sports without fans in the stands. Broadway gone permanently dark. Few heading to the office. Movie theaters empty. Okay, I’ll stop there. The new normal is abnormal.

However, the phrase used to excuse so much foolishness has become the excuse de jour: ‘Someone is just being himself or herself.’ Whoever has acted the fool should normally be embarrassment, but this year is now reduced to meh. (What’s the big deal?) We use it for a president ignoring science while he stuffs his own coffers, celebrities suffering because they are isolated in their opulent homes, athletes complaining they do not receive enough respect, husbands and wives cheating because, well, things are “so hard.” (Anyone who has to endure physical or mental abuse should leave the relationship.)

Rather than look to this behavior as abhorrently self-centered and unabashedly selfish, the ‘take’ on this behavior is a shrug of the shoulders. It is a rarity of epic proportions to have someone fess up to their errors. The most notable in this latest cycle of irony is the Republican Party’s nomination and insistence to confirm, before the election results, a new Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

How could it be more hypocritical? McConnell and Co. stopped President Obama’s nominee Merritt Garland because it was ‘an election year’ (over 250 days from the election). As of this writing Judge Barrett will be confirmed so close to Election Day that votes have been already cast for the next president. Why is it okay? McConnell is just being McConnell. Translation: I don’t need to be fair minded or consistent; I just get what I want. And America’s reaction — meh.

Meanwhile every agency of the Federal Government involved in investigation foreign interference has gone on record proclaiming that Putin and the Russians are already influencing this American election. The reaction from the current administration: it’s just Putin being Putin. Meh. Besides, they argue Iran and China are doing the same thing so it’s all fair in election …and cold war.

“The buck stops here.”

Harry Truman made no excuses. “The buck stops here.” Americans were told the reasons for an action. Responsibility was taken for those decisions. They could be debated, but we knew there were no such things as ‘alternative facts’ and no reputable news organization denying the fact that we dropped an atomic bomb…twice. Truman and Co. argued that thousands upon thousands of lives were saved if the Allied forces has boots in the ground in Tokyo.

America’s finest heroes are people who admit their mistakes and own up to it. They try to make reparations. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not. But the era of excuses and explaining failure by merely remarking that X Being X is no longer acceptable. Democracy depends on responsible governance — honest to a fault. The American people can accept when mistakes happen — even the tragic fire that engulfed Apollo 1 and killed its crew.

What Americans can no longer endure is a statement made on March 13th, 2020: “I don’t take responsibility at all.” — Donald J. Trump.

That is inexcusable.

A Teachable Moment: Racism, Sympathy and Empathy

 

With schools beginning and teachers planning as best they can, it’s again time for me to try my best to help the students understand something that may not appear in a textbook, but this ‘invisible lesson’ is of the utmost importance. So here goes:

Let’s get something straight. For two weeks I have been hearing people speak of empathy. A white announcer turns to a black baseball player and says, “I can empathize with you.” Sorry, pal. Your feelings are legitimate, but you need a dictionary — and with it — an acknowledgment that you have in baseball parlance: made an error.

Far too many folks who are not ‘of color’ claim to have empathy for black and brown Americans.

Face it. I am a white writer and former English teacher. I cannot relate to a black teacher walking into a classroom, or striding to a 7/11, or pining for a beer at a bar, or just minding his/ her own business taking a jog around the neighborhood. My skin is never going to cause a stir. It will not prompt anyone to look over their shoulder and wonder what I am doing here, there or anywhere. I get a free pass. I am presumed innocent. Full stop.

However, what causes me to shake my head in frustration is when someone pretends to (often with no malice) relate to another when clearly they have no business stepping into that batter’s box. So here goes: Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone — thus, you mail them a sympathy card. Empathy requires an understanding of that person’s troubles because of the likelihood of fairly similar experiences — sometimes, quite similar, but by ‘definition’ not exactly the same.

Joe Biden empathizes with another parent who has lost a child. Kamala Harris empathizes with the challenges present for people of color. They have been there. They get it. I can only sympathize…and try my best to educate myself.

On the contrary, many in this country simply do not understand, do not want to, and have no tolerance for folks who have been dehumanized, discriminated, or disadvantaged by the pigment of their skin. Instead, far too many see protesters as agitators, looters, and a threat to their life and liberty. Ironically, those same protesters are out on the streets because, in fact, life and liberty have been taken from them over and over again.

So why am I troubled with the semantic misrepresentation of these words? Because far too many folks who are not ‘of color’ claim to have empathy for black and brown Americans. It is politically correct to claim so. It makes them seem so ‘woke.’ But the truth be told, like myself, it is easy to say “Oh, I understand” — far far more difficult to live those beliefs.

Here’s a little test you can take (sorry the teacher in me). Credit for this test goes to Michael Landon of Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza fame. What would be your answer to the question: Would you rather live 50 years as a white person or 100 years as a black person? This was the question a black child asked Landon’s character on his show. Landon’s face told the young man all he needed to know. Landon’s character was ashamed because they both knew the answer.

Of course, you may say, “Well, that was life 100 years ago. It was the Old West.” Right. That was then and this is now. And the ‘now’ I live in, especially these last three plus years, is far more embarrassing. Fear is what fires up some of the voting public. Fear of immigrants, blacks, liberals, socialists, women, LGBTQ activists — there are many to choose. The reality is that black men and women in particular are the ones who should be afraid. They are the victims of systemic racism. They are the ancestors of slavery: the 1619 Project. They are the ones presumed guilty and told to get out of the car — they are the ones shot in the back.

When I was teaching To Kill a Mockingbird, I told my students about the great Bill Russell. I showed them his picture on a Wheaties box. Of course, I asked them who the best basketball player ever was — the GOAT. They piped up “Jordan, Koby, LeBron.” I smiled. “How do we know? Let’s ask ourselves who led their team to more championships — after all, it’s a team game, right?” That’s when I showed them the picture on the back of the cereal box of Russell’s two hands that held 13 rings. No one comes close.

So you would think he is the most recognizable man in America, right? Well, earlier in his career, after winning yet another title and the MVP award, he took a ride in his Maserati to see his family that lived in the Deep South. Then I asked the kids what happened next. From out of the mouths of babes they responded, “He got pulled over by the police.”

They knew. They were 14 year old freshmen in high school, but they already knew. Fancy, fast car. Black man. Rebel flag.

“And then what?” I asked.

“He got …something bad happened…arrested…shot….” The students were on the edge of their seats.

“No,” I said. “Bill Russell stood up and waved his arms — he is 6’10” and someone then recognized him and told the policeman, who was asking him how he got that car, ‘Hey, Officer, don’t you know who that is? It’s Bill Russell, the basketball player with the Boston Celtics!”

I looked at the students and asked one last question to them — “What do you think the officer did next?”

They knew the answer…he asked for Russell’s autograph.

Soyou see, as Harper Lee poignantly wrote, “You can’t know a person until you’ve stepped in his shoes and walked around in them.”

Now that’s empathy for you. Class dismissed. Go out and make a friend and judge them by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Oh, wait. Kids already know that…it’s when they grow up that worries me.

“A Presidential Farce” — a one act term

I do not take Trump, the person, seriously. That’s not to say the nation should not take the threat that his presidency has created as a serious matter — 200,000 and climbing serious.

Merriam Webster explains that in the theater a farce is “an empty or patently ridiculous act, proceeding, or situation.” These four years of the Trump Troupe has elevated foolishness to an art. Trump is the lead actor in this theater of the absurd. He does not care about anything but his ego, terrified at the prospect of being a ‘loser’ or the parlance of the Broadway boards — a flop. His vanity knows no bounds, and if the audience begins to sense the show is a bust, Trump will blame every other actor, director or writer for the collapse.

But don’t fret. He only plays to an audience who simply adores him. He is so off-off-off Broadway that he is only at home in Mar-a-logo, where they pay a King’s ransom to rub elbows with the porn star lover, twice divorced, casino bankrupt Chairman of the Bored.

His endless list of (former) co-stars has been reduced to his loyal minions — namely, his children. These actors have absolutely no experience on the Big Stage, or for that matter running any government office. They never have shown any dedication to the craft of statesmanship, government service heretofore was ‘beneath them. Their lives were consumed with the illusion of the rich and famous.

Specifically, his son-in-law who was in charge of everything his father could think of from the Middle East to the Russian ‘fake news’ could not even pass a security clearance to top secret information. That is how much the intelligence directors trusted him. The Whistleblower testified to the House Oversight Committee that Jared Kushner too many “significant disqualifying factors” to receive a clearance.1

His ‘prized’ daughter seems to think that her line of costume design (made in sweat shops) qualifies her to be the heir to his presidential throne. NBC News reported in2017 that the Chinese workers worked 60 hours a week and made $60 for their effort.2

The New York Times reported that as of this writing, 60 of the Trump’s top administrators, who make up the 21 highest ranking posts serving this president, have resigned or been forced out. This is unfavorably compared to the previous four presidents dating back to 1994 to 2016 only had a total of 5 top advisors leave office. “’The disruption is highly consequential,’ Max Stier, the president and chief executive of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit organization that specializes in federal government management issues. ‘When you lose a leader, it has a cascade effect throughout the organization.’” 3

Let’s not forget the carousel of chiefs of staff who sometimes try to bring order to the chaos only to eventually get the boot by the boss. Trump has fired the first three since they were not fawning over him. He is on number four. Job security is not a high priority of a president who demands loyalty. 4

And the hooting Greek chorus of Fox News commentators, not to be confused with journalists, who give a nightly rendition of Bravo! — have applauded the farce with the latest unoriginal Nixonian cry of ‘Four More Years!’ (I exclude Chris Wallace, who reports serious news, only to be chastised by the President whenever he gets out of line. The Hill reported, “President Trump lashed out at Fox News anchor Chris Wallace on Sunday, calling the ‘Fox News Sunday’ host a ‘Mike Wallace wannabe,’ a reference to Chris Wallace’s late father.” Trump doesn’t know the characters in the play — Mike Wallace is the hero of our play.5

The latest scenes are so farcical that one has to stop yelling at the television and remember that it is “Theater of the Absurd.” Take for instance the “I down-played the virus”…until the next day “I up-played the virus.” 6

Follow that up with the smug and callous remark to the scientists in California who tried to explain to the Lead Actor that just raking the leaves isn’t the answer. It’s the climate, Stupid.” Trump’s response, “It will get cooler…I don’t think the science knows.” 7

He does not understand the difference between climate and weather? Don’t bother trying to understand his magical thinking that the virus will “one day just go away”…”disappear.”

He wants his audience to believe what will make him ‘a winner.” It’s so simple — when you don’t think about it. And that’s the key. Don’t think. Don’t question. Don’t listen to anyone other than the man who knows more than “the generals.”

If you do, and you protest, his attorney general may just have you arrested for “sedation.” (That’s the headline of September 16th, 2020.)

There will be a replacement for Obamacare and it will be “fabulous.” Just like “The Wall.” Just like a new immigration plan that “we will be rolling out soon” Trump claimed on the ABC Town Hall. Oh. Don’t forget, “Mexico will pay for the wall.” Sure they will.

This presidential farce keeps playing to ‘sold out’ arenas…until November 3rd. Then the curtain closes and the theater goes dark. And all the actors go back where they came from — to their cloistered, rich palaces with debts “no honest man can pay’ to quote Bruce Springsteen.

Unless the audiences are fooled. That’s what they are counting on. It’s the only way the “show will go on.”

__________________________________________________________________

1 Tom Hamburger, Rachael Bade and Ashley Parker. Washington Post April 3, 2019.

2 Erik Ortiz, April 26, 2017.

3 Denise Lu and Karen Yourish. Updated April 10, 2020.

4 IBID.

5 John Bowden.April 12 2020.

6 NY Times. September 16.2020.

7 CNBC. Kevin Breuniger. September 14, 2020.

In Defense of Joe Biden (or "How I cannot put up with Democrats who attack the Obama/Biden Administration)

 First. I’m 64. So I have seen a thing or two. (This is a reaction to another Baby Boomer who thinks I am some 30 something who knows nothing. Truth is that those young folks know quite a bit!)

So I want to say that President Obama and VP Joe Biden were part of the finest administration I have seen in my lifetime.

Second. President Obama had only two years (effectively) to accomplish major programs because of the McConnell/ Republican opposition to anything he tried to do ( this included even Supreme Court nominations!). Despite all that, his ACA insured 20–40 million previously uninsured people, and he was the only president to accomplish this medical miracle of coverage that Ted Kennedy worked for decades to accomplish. And whom do you think lobbied, cajoled and arm twisted Congress to get this legislation passed? Biden. He and Nancy Pelosi accomplished the medical miracle.(He would have created under a public option if he could have gotten through the Senate. That was not to be.)

After the first two years, it became a slog and that was rooted in the right wing / Republican/ Fox attacks that are the source of why Washington can’t get much done and the root of polarization and the rise of the most inept, corrupt president the United States has had to endure. (“He who shall not be named.”)

In addition, the Obama/ Biden administration was responsible for the end of Osama Bin Laden; something the Bush Administration could not manage to accomplish despite their ill advised Middle Eastern invasion. (Critics: look at the famous picture of the attack.)

Obama inherited that mess. Biden stood side by side and fought with the president to accomplish so much when the opposition was so obstinate.

Writers who are disappointed with President Obama and then rag on VP Joe Biden do so in a sad attempt at reminding their readers of how much better things would be if Bernie Sanders could be the nominee…pleeeeease just stop!

These writers claim the only real ‘crime’ President Obama is guilty of was the drone attacks which killed innocent civilians. It is that collateral damage that is the result of war and we have had this issue to contend with since Truman dropped two bombs on Japanese islands. The sad reality is we do not and cannot know how many terrorist attacks have been thwarted from this action. We do know that fewer American troops have died as a result of drones. Perhaps I need to study the effectiveness of these preemptive attacks. Perhaps Mr. Obama has sleepless nights thinking of those attacks. Perhaps it was those attacks that ultimately dismantled forces intent on attacking America.

I should note that Obama’s 8 years brought America zero attacks from these terrorists on our homeland.

Finally, you (critics) conveniently omit President Obama’s achievement of pulling America out of the economic nosedive that was the Great Recession.

So to conclude, Obama had so much to fix, so little Senate support, so many enemies on the (far) right and blowhards like Limbaugh and Hannity and the No-Spin O’Rielly, that it is remarkable what their thoroughly competent administration could achieve.

Remember this — President Obama remains incredibly popular (70%) and the most admired man in America for the last six years. That, Friends and Critics, tells you the intangible greatness of the man. His Vice President — Joe Biden will carry on the mission Obama began. It may be one term — but the nation needs to reset its course and experience and building a team of rivals is part of the Biden plan.

(Author’s Note: This was my reaction to a response about how Biden was a poor choice by the Democrats this year and will be ineffective, and President Obama was also ineffective; his drone attacks proved he was a disappointing failure, too!)

American Togetherness Undone: When 'WE' Became 'ME'

 

Tim Marshall@timmarshall

Historians often remind us (because we clearly need reminding) that once there was ‘A Greatest Generation.’ The men and woman of all races and creeds took to the South Pacific Seas, the Normandy Beaches and the White Cliffs of Dover to dismantle murderous regimes.

But there was so much more to fix here at home and abroad. From FDR to JFK to Nixon and Reagan and Obama, there has been a ceaseless march to form a ‘more perfect union.’ The presidents had a code they all followed — work to build on their predecessor’s accomplishments, improving the state of our world.

Naturally, there were mistakes made by all of these men (note: not women, yet). Racism has not abated as significantly as hoped. The climate is still overheating. Wars are still being fought — either cold shouldered or hot messes in other continents. Poverty still plagues our nation and the world around us. If one were to study data from Hans Rostling’s work Factfulness, one would understand that no matter how grim things seem today, the world is solving some of the toughest problems.

The government existence is the essence of his oath of office — “to preserve and protect the Constitution of the United States.”

But all that changed course dramatically in November of 2016. The United States, the “Beacon of the Free World,’ elected a president who simply did not understand the gravity of his office. His arrogance and ignorance became a toxic mixture, and he ironically termed his inauguration speech “American Carnage.” As I write these words, 160,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and 5 million have been infected. Those numbers are expected to come close to doubling by the year’s end.

The economy has cratered and the hole is deeper than that of the Great Depression. The Congress cannot seem to agree on what is the best course of action. Republicans are afraid of raising the ire of their president; Democrats cannot move unilaterally because the Senate’s control is in the hands of one man who has no intention of agreeing to anything that smells of a Democratic victory. The President signs ‘proclamations’ that are either unconstitutional or unworkable (and potentially disastrous when a disaster of the natural order hits).

Our allies see American leadership and shake their heads — embarrassed by a president who shows more loyalty to our adversaries and their ruthless leaders. Many of these same allies have been able to get a handle on the COVID spread with science and preparedness: Australia, South Korea, Norway are prime examples.

Meanwhile, our President scorned masks, claimed the ‘China’ flu will just disappear and encouraged Americans to go out and have a good time because the economy comes first (and naturally he demands schools open with students in the classrooms).

And why has the president’s behavior been unchecked? Why has he simply not understood the lesson that one must build on the work of each preceding president? Why? Because he detests Mr. Obama. Because he is not a student of American government (perhaps not a student at all). He believes that the ‘Deep State’ is the source of evil — unaware that the government is the source of strength and stability. The government existence is the essence of his oath of office — “to preserve and protect the Constitution of the United States.”

Instead, his misguide selfish behavior has reinforced beliefs that have long been tamped down, never fully rooted out. He has justified white nationalism as “fine people,” and had embraced the flag of the Confederacy as “part of free speech.” (I wonder what he would think of the Nazi swastika?) He has ignored his scientists’ warnings, criticized them, and tossed around medical advice that has no effect on COVID.

He ignores the Emoluments Clause of our Constitution, profits on his office, lies about releasing his taxes ‘once the audit is complete’(among thousands of other lies), and allows his minions to shill for products (ethics be damned).

He tears up the Paris Climate Accords, the Iran Nuclear Deal and a myriad of other international obligations that previous administrations worked hard to hammer out. He replaces nothing. He even lessens the standards for automakers emissions (which not even those industries want — but does it because Obama had acted on it). Oh, and “the Wall” — guess who’s paying for it (or what small part of what has been constructed)? The American taxpayer.

Perhaps the most chilling legacy he will leave is what he has done to the national psyche. He has legitimized the idea that liberty is all about ME. His motto is ‘do what YOU want and the others be damned’. Interviews with people refusing to ‘mask up’ are turned into angry shouts that translate into “Don’t tell me what to do. I don’t care about what makes YOU feel better (despite the fact that wearing a mask makes the USER safer).

So, I encourage everyone to put their egos and self-interest aside for the next few years.

The anger does not stop at the inconvenience of wearing a mask. The President ridicules experts and then his mean spirited minions take to the airwaves. Evidence: Dr. Anthony Fauci’s recent exclamation that he and his family — his daughters! — are receiving death threats. What have we become when the president’s own careless or vengeful tweets turn our citizens into vigilantes? This isn’t the first time this president’s words bring out security teams to protect the innocent. Michelle Obama’s memoir “Becoming” reveals her anger at the danger this president caused for her family by his tweets and appalling accusations that Mr. Obama was not born in the USA.

As for the Me/We issue, remember that if you are someone in the President’s good graces (or someone who has something to hold over him), you receive commutations, pardons ala Roger Stone, Mike Flynn and likely others, soon.

There is little weight given to the ‘greater good’ today; the American people are encouraged by this President to ‘look out for yourself’ — togetherness is naïve. Teamwork? How can one have a team when this administration’s closest aides have been turned over so many times that knowing the exact number is as impossible as guessing the number of jelly beans President Reagan’s celebrated desk jar.

So, I encourage everyone to put their egos and self-interest aside for the next few years. True, Joe Biden is quite old. True, the Democrats can be sometimes nasty as the current administration. True, we will have to raise taxes (on those who can afford it) and cut spending (one those who don’t need quite as much…ahem, military weapons).

Yes, we need to be much nicer, much more willing to compromise. People in political office, not willing to see that compromise is the path to a more selfless, stronger America, need to be voted out. The current regime needs to be swept out in a landslide so that one of the most important duties of each president occurs without rancor: “the smooth transition of one administration to the next.” That is what separates this great nation from all the dictatorial nations of the world.

If we fail, historians will write our obituary: our own selfishness crushed the American Dream..

Portland: Will it Take Another ‘Four Dead in Ohio’?

CBS News reports after days of unrest over America’s….”

I wonder what people who were born after the 1970’s think when they read that sentence. I wonder what those same people think when they read the title of this essay. I wonder what 50 years has taught Americans about what happens when intolerance and fear strike with deadly force against our own citizens?

I don’t need to wonder. I saw it. Kent State. May of 1970. Students protesting the invasion of Cambodia. Protesting a conflict that will kill 58,000 soldiers. 300,000 wounded. President Nixon wanted law and order. The Ohio National Guard was called to the Kent State campus. No one gave the order to shoot, but shoot they did. It was inevitable. Four students lay dying. Another gravely wounded would soon succumb to the bullet.

And for the first time, “the war had come home” Newsweek proclaimed. We were killing our young. Historians say that day turned public sentiment against Nixon and the Vietnam Conflict. The “great silent majority” had turned away from the bloodshed in the heartland saying, “How could it come to this?”

And here we are exactly 50 years later. Racial injustice and the murder of George Floyd have finally brought out the masses — people of all creed and color. Mothers. Soldiers. Young and old. It’s not just in happening in Portland (although that is where the cameras are most ubiquitous), but BLACK LIVES MATTER protests are pounding the pavement in cities across the land.

The inevitable ‘twitching finger’ is already scripted unless someone stops a president determined to repeat history. The president is provoking the violence much like the National Guard’s presence provoked the students at Kent State. The Guard back in 1970 was made up of mostly just young adults, close to the same age of the protesters. They were just doing what they were told. Tear gas was thrown at students who in turn threw the gas canisters back at the Guard, who were hit with rocks and bottles. They cracked. It happens. It is terrible for all. Hearts break.

The generations that followed may not be aware that this nation has been here before.

Those not around in the turbulent 60’s have no memory of Vietnam protests and civil rights demonstrations, of riots following assassinations, of police and protesters clashing in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention, of police being called ‘pigs’, of young people being called ‘long haired freaks,’ of Jim Crow, of Vietnam Veterans coming home hearing that they were ‘baby killers’. The generations that followed may not be aware that this nation has been here before. The question becomes obvious to some: have we learned anything in 50 years.

Nixon knew when the dirty tricks had cost him the presidency. Republican senators told him so in 1974. It took time. However, this president has enablers (foreign and domestic) and unchecked (and unconfirmed by Congress) accomplishes ready to act on the whim of a president with total disregard to the Constitution to do everything to keep power and vilify all who cross their path. This president operates on the premise ‘divide and conquer.’ He relishes a house divided and has a television network at his disposal. Nixon never came close to that authority because there were people of integrity standing in his way.

The next 100 days can bring Americans together, but I fear that it will be darkest before the dawn. What will it take to move even the most hardened supporters of this current regime to realize that the incompetence, the cruelty, and the unabashed ignorance of this president and his minions has stained this nation so badly that our great democracy is threatened? Will it be another four dead in Ohio, or Portland, or Minneapolis, or Los Angeles, or Brooklyn?

If you want change, then vote for it.

And what should the protesters do? Both sides seem to be unable or unwilling to back down for fear that they will be ‘giving in’ to either the racial injustice or the unending nightly protests. At what point is all this becoming counter-productive?

Frankly, I must say that the criminal element taking advantage of the peaceful protests is unfortunately making the case for intervention, despite the fact that looting and damage to buildings is the exception to the rule. Perhaps the point has been made and underlined twice; police reform must be acknowledged and codified into law. Systemic injustice must be rooted out. Those who violate these reforms must be terminated, not just in one state but nationally.

True legislative reforms may only happen if Joe Biden and a his administration takes control of the Department of Justice. That should be the real focus in Portland and other cities. If you want change, then vote for it.

After Kent State, the great American writer James Michener tried to explain what happened there and why so future generations could take heed. His final sentence is a warning and a clarion call: “Tolerance. God how we needed it then.”

And now.

Who Knew COVID Would Happen? Hans Rosling — That’s a FACT!

The first thing you are wondering is ‘who is this Hans Rosling fellow? Well, I have good news for you — and sad news, as well. First, the good news. If you are a TED Talker or if you have had the pleasure of being invited to one of the many conferences on global health in which he has been the keynote speaker, then you already know whom this imminent Swedish scientist is.

Others know him because of his book Factfulness, in which he (along with his collaborators Ola and Anna Rosling) exclaimed this subtitle: 10 Reasons Why We’re Wrong About the World — and Why Things Are Better Than We Think.If you have not read the 2017 work of Hans and Co., don’t feel too bad. I hadn’t heard of it either, that is until one of my close scientist pals Hal Dorr brought it to my attention.

Here’s the Big “Five Global Risks We Should Be Worried About… global pandemic, financial collapse, world war, climate change, and extreme poverty.”

Now to answer the question of who knew THIS would happen, we turn to page 237 in Hans’ book in which he tells his readers (after explaining that the world is in much better shape than we think) the five things he is really worried about because the DATA has driven his decision (it drives almost all of his conclusions).

Here’s the Big “Five Global Risks We Should Be Worried About… global pandemic, financial collapse, world war, climate change, and extreme poverty.” Why? “Because they are the most likely to happen. The first three have already happened and the other two are happening now.” Hans explains that each has the potential to cause human suffering either directly or indirectly by pausing human progress for may years or decades.”

So Hans knew it was just a matter of time for COVID 19 to hit and hit hard. Why didn’t “we” listen? Well, many enlightened and informed leaders did listen and guess what? In countries with leaders who read and believe in science, the COVID issue is diminishing. However, in the United States of America led by the most ignorant person to ever inhabit the Oval Office, the nation’s citizens were encouraged to ignore the pandemic, treat it as a “sniffle” because it “would just disappear.”

What does the data say? The only thing disappearing are 140,000 lives (and that number climbs daily). So what can we take from all this? I posit these conclusions:

First: Americans are learning in the most tragic details just how important it is to have a government lead by the best and the brightest. Never in her history have so many been duped by so few. Trump has sold the idea that ‘trusting your gut’ is what matters most in decision making. Simple slogans rule his day. Everything he doesn’t like is “a hoax” and anyone questioning him is “not loyal” and leads “a witch hunt.” This is not the kind of person to be trusted. The data was clear BEFORE he won office. Numerous bankruptcies and fraudulent “deals” compounded with no experience in public office or in foreign affairs (except a Miss Universe contest).

Second: Government really matters. When the inevitable disaster occurs, it is government that needs to step in with the resources, the clear vision and the unvarnished message about what to do. That message is formed by facts, it has nothing to do with someone’s gut. For example, how could people possibly vote for an administration that believes that global warming “is a hoax’ perpetrated by “the Chinese”? One of the few questions that Hans Rosling finds 81% of USA citizens surveyed got right was “Is the earth warming.” (I know — how could 19% miss that one.) During the pandemic, the government on the federal level has done most everything wrong. It is almost as if they were trying to do things badly so people would say, “See, government sucks!” The truth lies in the data. New York did everything right, and still their death toll was awful. It could have been lessened had the federal government acted sooner and with force instead of saying “It’s a state issue.”

Finally, there is time to turn the tide because we have learned from the mistakes of the last three and a half years. November 3rd looms large. Mr. Biden needs to lead a ‘team of rivals’ who use facts and the power of the government to steady a ship that is in dangerous waters. I am encouraged by so many Republicans (with the exception of Senator Mitt Romney) who are outside of government for realizing that the enemy is ignorance and blatant dishonesty running the party they once held in high regard. It is smart to be fiscally prudent. It is smart to be focused in government. It is smart to acknowledge that the enemies of democracy are motivated to shake America down because it is in their autocratic interest. It is smart to begin the sharp turn away from the fuels that erode the Polar Ice Caps. It is smart to realize (as Hans Rosling explains) that the world is in better shape because of science and the facts that drive decisions.

So, you ask, what was the sad news? Hans Rosling died shortly after his work was published. He did not have to face the pandemic and the unemployment and homelessness that it will cause. But he knew it was coming. One last thing — he said there was a sixth thing he worried about “the unknown risk.” We know what that is now. Donald Trump and his enablers.

Now that’s a disaster we can do something about.