Trump in Saudi Arabia

  There is so much news about Frump everyday that by the time I get around to sending an email there are multiple new stories to write about.  So this is a two day old email that has been bouncing around my cranium.

       I took anti nausea medication and listened to most of Frump's speech.  I thought his speech  was as good as he could do.  This is, however, a very low bar.  He was not bombastic.  He stayed on script, reading as best he could  from his teleprompter.  He actually mentioned Netanyahu as well as the State Of Israel.  

      My praise of Frump ends there.  His entire speech was almost entirely about fear mongering.  Basically all he spoke about was terrorism.  He could not have been more effusive in his praise for Saudi Arabia.  He said he was not going to lecture about how the Saudis should act.  This was a code  for not addressing human rights.  For that reason I have attached an article about women's rights in Saudi Arabia. It is chilling. In addition to denying women basic human rights, Saudi Arabia does not have anything resembling democracy,  It has nothing resembling a decent legal system.  In fact it practices an extreme form of Sharia law.  It jails dissidents.  It does not allow freedom of speech and assembly.  It still blames women who are victims of rape.  Its death penalty rate is sky high.  And we can never forget that the roots of 911 are in Saudi Arabia. I could go on.

      For me the worst part of Frump's speech was his hateful demonization of Iran.  I recognize that Iran does bad things.  Iran, however, has a system which is much closer to being a democracy than Saudi Arabia.  Look at the results of its last election. Its women  have much higher levels of education than in Saudi Arabia.  Its women are actually allowed to drive. Irani  women are not required to have a male guardian from the time they are born to the time they die, as in Saudi Arabia. Its young  people have shown time and again that they want better relations with the United States. There is clearly a second revolution taking place in Iran. President Obama was brilliant in trying to bring Iran into the  the world order rather than radicalizing the country.  If that continues we can have a more peaceful planet.   Frump continues the lie that the Iran nuclear deal was a disaster.  Frump bragged at an AIPAC convention that he knows more about the nuclear deal than anyone.  Many of the delegates could barely contain their laughter.   I wish I could bet right now that Frump could not name the countries which were signatories to the Iran Nuclear deal, let alone recite any of its provisions.  Fortunately, up to this point, Frump has not carried through his threat to rip up the Iran deal.  Hopefully,  it will be one more example of his disingenuousness.   

       Frump's speech did nothing to assuage my fear of what the future holds under this crazy man.  The news between the Saudi speech and today, however, suggest that his time in office may be short lived.  Let's hope.  Take care.

                                                                                    Richard

Women's rights in Saudi Arabia  

                                         

My two cents - Comey and Trump

Hi all,

      I am at a disadvantage when commenting on Comey's firing.  I get my TV information from MSNBC and CNN.  I don't get the Fox News perspective. In any event, here's my take.

      Comey may be competent, but he is deeply flawed regarding his public statements.  Everything Rosenstein wrote in his letter to Sessions is true.  Nevertheless, the firing is nothing more than a blatant attempt at covering up all investigations into Trump.  The Russian connection stinks.  So does Trump's enrichment of himself and his family by reason of his presidency.  I have said for a long time that investigations into Trump look very much like Watergate.  I said about Watergate that it was like peeling an onion.  It takes time, but eventually you get to the stinking core.

      To recap a little history,  Rod Rosenstein was recently confirmed by the Senate as assistant attorney general after Sally Yates was fired.  In his position, Rosenstein is in charge of investigations into Trump Russian connections. Mr. Rosenstein had broad bipartisan  support.  He promised to run an independent investigation.  Now he has sent a letter to Sessions which led to Trump firing Comey.  How is it that Rosenstein came to investigate Comey? He certainly had lots of other things on his plate  (e.g. the Trump investigations).  There can be only one answer.  He was tasked to do it by Sessions.  Why would Sessions want Comey to do this?  There can be only  one answer, Trump wanted him gone.  Why did Trump want him gone?  We know that answer.  The firing did not start with Rosenstein.  It started with Trump.

       This stinks on so many levels.  I won't bore you with my endless analysis.  Let me make just two points that jump out at me.  First, Jeff Sessions.  As Mark Twain said,"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything."  Sessions has a problem with the truth.  He testified under oath that he would recuse himself from anything touching an investigation into the Russian connection.  Firing Comey was all about Russia.  Don't take my word.  In his letter to Comey, Trump explicitly referred to the Russian investigation.  The irony of the firing is that the Rosenstein letter said he should be fired because Comey treated Hillary unfairly.

        The second thing that smacks me in the face is the difference between the handling of Flynn and the handling of Comey.  Trump was told that Flynn was a danger to our country.  Trump  did nothing about that and perhaps never would have, if the Washington Post had not written that Flynn had lied to Pence.  And the lie had little to do with Sally Yates' warning.  Nevertheless, it took 17 days after the warning to fire Flynn.  In the Comey case, There was a letter recommending firing on one day and he was fired within 24 hours.  This despite the fact that there was already an ongoing investigation into Comey by the inspector general of the justice department.  There was only one reason for the abrupt action taken by Trump and Sessions, they wanted to end all investigations into Trump.  I remain confident that more layers of the onion will be peeled back.  Unless Trump somehow becomes a dictator of our democracy, his day of reckoning is coming. There is a hint that some Republicans are jumping ship.  It's not a question of if, only when.

        One more thing:  Trump is a chickenshit bully.  He didn't have the guts to call Comey personally to tell him about the decision. He called others, but not Comey. Instead he sent his personal bodyguard (thug) to deliver the letter to Comey.  The thug is currently being sued for assaulting a protester at a Trump rally.  Trump's letter to Comey  could not have been more ugly.  Not a surprise considering the source.

         Thanks for listening.

--

                                                                               Richard 

                                                       

Land’s highest office requires better action

Dear President Trump,

You should rethink your slander of other officials that preceded you

without presenting facts that back them. You are unfair and mean spirited. The people who you trash unfairly have family just as you. You were upset because a store didn’t want to carry your daughter’s merchandise. President Obama has not spoken out against the proven false lies that you launched against him. He has family that you may be upsetting because of the lies. You become angry when truthful statements you don’t like are made about you. I don’t understand your actions. You are in an honorable position

and yet your behavior is that of a junior high bully! The office you

hold should inspire you to respect others’ personal rights. You should not make false statements. Have you ever heard of “the Golden Rule?”

Jean Fox, Boynton Beach.  Letter to editor Sun Sentinel April 09 2017

Trump is actually making America great again

I can't believe I'm saying this, but it looks like there are many ways Trump is actually making America great again. Just look at the progress made since the election:

1. Unprecedented levels of ongoing civic engagement.
2. Millions of Americans now know who their state and federal representatives are without having to google.
3. Millions of Americans are exercising more. They're holding signs and marching every week.
4. Alec Baldwin is great again. Everyone's forgotten he's kind of a jerk.
5. The Postal Service is enjoying the influx cash due to stamps purchased by millions of people for letter and postcard campaigns.
6. Likewise, the pharmaceutical industry is enjoying record growth in sales of anti-depressants.
7. Millions of Americans now know how to call their elected officials and know exactly what to say to be effective.
8. Footage of town hall meetings is now entertaining.
9. Tens of millions of people are now correctly spelling words like emoluments, narcissist, fascist, misogynist, holocaust and cognitive dissonance.
10. Everyone knows more about the rise of Hitler than they did last year.
11. Everyone knows more about legislation, branches of power and how checks and balances work.
12. Marginalized groups are experiencing a surge in white allies.
13. White people in record numbers have just learned that racism is not dead. (See #6)
14. White people in record numbers also finally understand that Obamacare IS the Affordable Care Act.
15. Stephen Colbert's "Late Night" finally gained the elusive #1 spot in late night talk shows, and Seth Meyers is finding his footing as today's Jon Stewart.
16. "Mike Pence" has donated millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood since Nov. 9th.
17. Melissa FREAKING McCarthy.
18. Travel ban protesters put $24 million into ACLU coffers in just 48 hours, enabling them to hire 200 more attorneys. Lawyers are now heroes.
19. As people seek veracity in their news sources, respected news outlets are happily reporting a substantial increase in subscriptions, a boon to a struggling industry vital to our democracy.
20. Live streaming court cases and congressional sessions are now as popular as the Kardashians.
21. Massive cleanup of facebook friend lists.
22. People are reading classic literature again. Sales of George Orwell's "1984" increased by 10,000% after the inauguration. (Yes, that is true. 10,000%. 9th grade Lit teachers all over the country are now rock stars.)
23. More than ever before, Americans are aware that education is important. Like, super important.
24. Now, more than anytime in history, everyone believes that anyone can be President. Seriously, anyone.

- Susan Keller

Al's Blog - Putin, the Chess Master

I believe that there is ample evidence that Vladimir Putin is destroying all the countries that have held Russia at bay in its quest to gain world domination.  Please consider one point, and I'll share more.

Putin has promised to make Russia great again.  1. He has reformed and greatly empowered the KGB to include foreign agents, 2. A string of right wing parties have been successful in elections across Europe, now including France, and possibly the Brexit election all of the focus is on Muslims and ISIS and ignores any mention of the Russian threat.   3. After you look into his European moves, consider his courting of Donald Trump and Mike Flynn.  Once he called Trump a genius (according to Trump), he had a friend for life - and we don't know what financial advantages he has dangled before him. Nor do we know how he may have used Assange in our election (but I'm sure that he did). Once Trump takes office and Putin moves against the Baltic States, will Trump risk a war with Russia?  Will anybody ever trust the USA again?

4.  Look at General Mike Flynn once a hero in Afghanistan and a key leader in our military intelligence who was suddenly "allowed" to resign. 

Has his anger weakened his patriotism? Could General Flynn allow his family's record of service to be forever linked to Benedict Arnold?

Why is he a darling of the Russian military?  I don't suspect him of giving away or selling military secrets, but I suspect that he is being prepared to see Russia as a great friend and ally - but Putin has no allies or friends, only puppets or enemies.  Is Flynn the one who will identify which generals to keep and which to "let retire?" 5.  What will Russia's ascendance in Europe and the Middle East do to America's world leadership?  Many European Right wing parties are looking at Russia for leadership, not the United States! This is only one piece of our foreign policy.  But since Putin has local right wing parties as his foot soldiers elsewhere, has he supported our own right wing?

Read more about this topic:

http://www.vox.com/world/2016/ 11/1/13487322/donald-trump-rus sia-agent-hack

Al

"The federal week in review: January 10, 2017

Following was written by friend who invited her friends to copy and paste. Read it and weep: 
"The federal week in review: 
1. Trump fires all Ambassadors and Special Envoys, ordering them out by inauguration day. 
2. House brings back the Holman rule allowing them to reduce an individual civil service, SES positions, or political appointee's salary to $1, effectively firing them by amendment to any piece of legislation. We now know why they wanted names and positions of people in Energy and State. 
3. Senate schedules 6 simultaneous hearings on cabinet nominees and triple-books those hearings with Trump's first press conference in months and an ACA budget vote, effectively preventing any concentrated coverage or protest. 
4. House GOP expressly forbids the Congressional Budget Office from reporting or tracking ANY costs related to the repeal of the ACA. 
5. Trump continues to throw the intelligence community under the bus to protect Putin, despite the growing mountain of evidence that the Russians deliberately interfered in our election. 
6. Trump breaks a central campaign promise to make Mexico pay for the wall by asking Congress (in other words, us, the taxpayers) to pay for it. 
7. Trump threatens Toyota over a new plant that was never coming to the US nor will take jobs out of the US. 
8. House passes the REINS act, giving them veto power over any rules enacted by any federal agency or department--for example, FDA or EPA bans a drug or pesticide, Congress can overrule based on lobbyists not science. Don't like that endangered species designation, Congress kills it. 
We - progressive, liberal, libertarian and conservative - need to all wake up to what is actually happening to our beloved country. 
#UnitedWeStand

HOW THE TRUMP STOLE AMERICA

In a land where the states are united, they claim,
in a sky-scraping tower adorned with his name,
lived a horrible, terrible, devious chump,
the bright orange miscreant known as the Trump.

This Trump he was mean, such a mean little man,
with the tiniest heart and two tinier hands,
and a thin set of lips etched in permanent curl,
and a sneer and a scowl and contempt for the world.

He looked down from his perch and he grinned ear to ear,
and he thought, “I could steal the election this year!
It’d be rather simple, so easily won,
I’ll just make them believe that their best days are done!
Yes, I’ll make them believe that it’s all gone to Hell,
I’ll be Jerk Messiah -- their souls they will sell.

And I’ll use lots of words disconnected from truth,
but I’ll say them with style so they won’t ask for proof.
I’ll toss random platitudes, phrases, and such,
They’re so raised on fake news that it won’t matter much!
They won’t question the how to, the what, why, or when,
”I will make their America great once again!”

The Trump told them “Fear! Here they come,” he would say,
“They’ve all come for your jobs, they will take them away.
You should fear every Muslim and Mexican too,
every brown, black, and tan one, everyone who votes blue.”

And he fooled all the Christians, he fooled them indeed,
He just trotted out Jesus -- all Jesus folk need.
And celebrity preachers, they crowned him as king,
Tripping over themselves just to kiss the Trump’s ring.

And he spoke those old lies just as if they were true,
Until they believed his new lies were true too.
He repeated and Tweeted and blustered and spit,
And he misled and fibbed—and he just made up sh*t.

And the media laughed but they printed each line,
thinking “He’ll never win, in the end we’ll be fine.”
So they chased every headline, bold-typed every claim,
‘Till the fake news and real news they looked just the same.

And the scared folk who listened devoured each word,
Yes, they ate it all up -- every word that they heard,
petrified that their freedom was under attack,
trusting Donald to take their America back.
From the gays and from ISIS, he’d take it all back,
Take it back from the Democrats, fat cats, and blacks.
And so hook, line, and sinker they all took the bait,
thinking “We’re making America great.”

Now the Pant-suited One she was smart and prepared,
she was brilliant and steady but none of them cared,
no they cared not to see all the work that she’d done,
or the fact that the Trump had not yet done Thing One.
They could only shout “Emails!”, yes “Emails!” they’d shout,
‘cause Fox News had told them—and Fox News had clout.
And the Pant-suited One she was slandered no end,
as a lie became truth she could never defend.
And the Trump watched it all go according to plan—
a woman eclipsed by an insecure man.

And November the 8th arrived, finally it came,
like a slow-moving storm but it came just the same.
And Tuesday was Doomsday before it was through,
And when night turned to morning the nightmare’d come true,
With millions of non-voters still in their beds,
The Donald had done it, just like he had said.

And the Trumpers they trumped, how they trumped when he won,
All the racists and bigots; deplorable ones,
they crawled out from the woodwork, came out to raise Hell,
came out to be hateful and hurtful as well.
With slurs and with road signs, with spray paint and Tweets,
with death threats to neighbors and taunts on the street.
And the grossest of grossness they hurled on their peers,
while the Trump he said zilch—for the first time in years.

But he Tweeted at Hamilton, Tweeted the Times,
And he trolled Alec Baldwin a few hundred times,
and he pouted a pout like a petulant kid,
thinking that was what Presidents actually did,
thinking he could still be a perpetual jerk,
scared to learn he’d have to actually work
for every American, not just a few,
not just for the white ones—there was much more to do.
He now worked for the Muslims and Mexicans too,
for the brown, black, and tan ones, and those who vote blue.
They were all now his bosses, now all had a say,
and those nasty pant-suited ones were here to stay.
And the Donald soon realized he didn’t win,
He had gotten the thing—and the thing now had him.

And it turned out the Trump was a little too late,
for America was already quite great,
not because of the sameness -- the opposite’s true,
It’s greatness far more than just red, white, and blue,
It’s straight, gay, and female—it’s Gentile and Jew,
It’s Transgender, Christian, and Atheist too.
It’s Asians, Caucasians of every kind,
Disabled and abled, the deaf and the blind,
It’s immigrants, Muslims, and brave refugees,
It’s Liberals with bleeding hearts fixed to their sleeves.

And we are all staying, we’re staying right here,
we’ll be the great bane of the Trump for four years.
And we’ll be twice as loud as the loudness of hate,
be the greatness that makes our America great.
And the Trump’s loudest boasts they won’t ever obscure,
Almost three million more of us—voted for her.

By John Pavlovitz