The Ultimate Hypocrisy …

Posted on January 18, 2019 by jilldennison under education, Racism & Bigotry, religion, Social commentary

Did you ever wonder what Mike Pence’s wife, Karen, does for a living? Well … ‘for a living’ is likely a misnomer, for I’m fairly certain that Mikey brings home enough to pay the bills … but Karen is, indeed, gainfully employed. She is a teacher. An art teacher. At a school. A school that bars LGBT students … and teachers.

The school is Immanuel Christian School in Springfield, Virginia, where Ms. Pence previously taught from 2001 to 2013. The school does not allow gay students and requires employees to affirm that marriage should only be between a man and a woman, despite the 2015 Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v Hodges. The school’s employment application equires candidates to describe their faith in Jesus Christ, affirm that they are a born-again Christian and vow to adhere to specific standards in their personal and professional lives. Welcome to 1692, the year the Salem witch trials began. Welcome to the Dark Ages! Is it not the ultimate hypocrisy that the wife of a man who has sworn to uphold the Constitution is so blatantly in defiance of the values espoused in that document?

Item #8 on the employment application requires that an applicant initial the following statement:

“I understand that the term ‘marriage’ has only one meaning; the uniting of one man and one woman,” it reads, adding that certain “moral misconduct” would be disqualifying, such as “heterosexual activity outside of marriage (e.g., premarital sex, cohabitation, extramarital sex), homosexual or lesbian sexual activity, polygamy, transgender identity, any other violation of the unique roles of male and female.”

Karen Pence signed her initials, agreeing to the above statement. Karen Pence, the wife of the man who is likely to, through order of succession, become the next President of the United States. Think about that one for a minute.

Unlike public schools, private schools can require students and employees to follow specific religious beliefs and adhere to certain behavior in their private lives. They are not restricted from teaching from religious texts in class and are not subject to employment discrimination laws.

As I have stated on numerous occasions, I am not against any religion per se, although I do not ascribe to any religion myself. I believe in the doctrine of “live and let live”, and as long as people do not attempt to enforce their own beliefs on others, I do not care what religion people choose to follow. But this … is an abomination. If parents wish to send their children to a parochial school, as long as they are willing to fully fund their child’s education with no assistance from taxpayer money, I have no problem with that. However … when said religious schools are exempt from federal employment discrimination laws, then yes, I have a problem … a BIG problem. When they exclude children who do not fit into the narrow confines of their own moral views, then yes … I have a problem.

For those who might not understand my objection, let’s turn the tables just a bit. Let’s say I want to start up a school for African-American LGBT students and I refuse to hire any white Christians, simply on the basis that a) they are Caucasian, and b) they are Christian. How long do you think before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) shuts my school down? Yep … less than a day after the first complaint. Discrimination, whether it is in employment, education or housing is wrong. Discrimination against a specific race, age, disability, national origin, religion, gender, or gender identity is wrong. Such discrimination is against the law. Period. And here’s a really terrifying thought …

“It is a place that partners with families, always looking far into the future, preparing a generation of young people who will someday take our place as parents, teachers and leaders.”

Mike Pence, Karen Pence and the Immanuel Christian School need to get over their feelings of superiority and come into the real world where people are different, yet can live together in a world of peace, mutual respect, compassion, and love. Isn’t that, after all, part of the Christian dogma? Or has it changed?

A side note: Mike Pence’s daughter, Charlotte, wrote a book about a bunny … or more specifically, a day in the life of the Vice President as seen through the eyes of her bunny, Marlon Bundo. Last spring, late-night comedian John Oliver re-wrote the book just a bit, making old Bundo gay, hooking him up with another boy bunny, and sending the two on a quest to get hitched.

Oliver’s book was an instant success, and even Charlotte Pence bought a copy, saying …

“I have bought his book. It doesn’t have to be divisive. I think that everybody can come together over Marlon.”

And the real kicker … the Trevor Project—a nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth, which split the proceeds from Oliver’s book with an AIDS nonprofit—announced that it had shipped 100 copies of the thing to Immanuel Christian School! Along with the books, they included a note …

“Policies and rhetoric that exclude or reject LGBTQ youth can lead to increased risk for suicide and depression, and it’s our organization’s mission to end suicide among LGBTQ young people. With your help, we hope you will change your school’s student and employee policies to accept LGBTQ students and employees.”

Filosofa’s State of the Union Address

Posted on January 17, 2019 by jilldennison under education, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry

Yesterday, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, sent a letter to Donald Trump strongly urging that he either reschedule the State of the Union Address or deliver it in writing, in the wake of the ongoing government shutdown, which entered its 26th day on Wednesday, and which has affected nearly 800,000 federal workers. Pelosi cited critical government agencies in charge of overseeing the event — namely U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security — that have been hobbled by the shutdown.

Under the circumstances, it is highly unlikely that Trump will, in fact, deliver a State of the Union address in person on Friday, 29 January. So, it seemed prudent, just in case I am asked to deliver it in his stead, to go ahead and write my own speech … Good evening Ms. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans.

Ms. Pelosi graciously invited me to fill in for Mr. Trump in giving the State of the Union Address tonight, for with the government shutdown in its 39^th day, the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security are stretched far too thin to provide adequate security to attend this address to Congress. It was determined that far fewer people want to bump me off than Mr. Trump, so my safety seems not to be at risk and thus I am here to deliver the speech to Congress and the Nation tonight. Mr. Trump’s speechwriters worked very hard to provide me with a written speech, however, I seem to have left it back at the hotel, so luckily I have written my own.

This is called the State of the Union address because the purpose is to inform the American people how the country is doing, and where we are going, what we plan to accomplish in the coming year. Let me start with how we are doing.

America is more divided today than at any time since the end of the Civil War years. We have problems, folks – serious problems. As I mentioned today marks the 39^th day of the partial government shutdown that is affecting everyone in one way or another. You, the people of this once-great nation are losing confidence, and understandably so, in your government. Investors are losing confidence and it is being reflected in the dropping stock market and also in the job market. Consumer prices are on the rise. The food you buy to feed your families costs more than it did a month ago and there is a very real danger that meat and produce may be contaminated, since the U.S. Department of Agriculture hasn’t sufficient staff to continue food safety inspections.

Apart from the government shutdown, we have a plethora of other problems that we seem unable or unwilling to address. Perhaps the most critical one is that of the environment. Since the rollback of past environmental regulations that were intended to cut back on carbon emissions, it was reported earlier this week that carbon emissions in the U.S. have increased by 3.4%, not decreased as they needed to. This is a problem, not only for the United States, but for our neighbors, Mexico and Canada, as well as the rest of the globe.

The other critical problem facing the nation is that we have lost the trust and respect of our allies, which leaves us in an extremely vulnerable position. We abandoned our allies when we announced our intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord, when we exited the Iran nuclear agreement, and more recently when we announced that we would pull all U.S. troops out of Syria, leaving our allies holding the bag. In addition, our threats to pull out of NATO, our unwarranted criticism of our allies, high import tariffs, and seeming attentiveness toward our adversaries further have our allies wondering whether they could depend on us in case of an emergency. This is a dangerous situation.

Here at home, we face other problems.

Last year we saw a number of mass shootings in the United States. 113 people were either killed or injured in school shootings alone, and young people are asking us why we don’t do something, why we don’t pass laws to keep guns out of the hands of people with mental problems, of people who are known domestic abusers, why we don’t have stronger gun laws in this country.

The nation is torn apart by the debate about immigration and a wall on the border between the United States and Mexico. Border states are particularly torn, for such a wall would limit, if not eliminate trade and tourism between our two countries and would almost certainly cause further political and economic unrest.

Our education system is failing our young people. They are not receiving the education they need in order to succeed, to become the next generation of leaders, of scientists, of historians or great inventors. Instead, we are training them only for specific jobs, thereby severely limiting their options.

We have fallen far behind other Western nations in the development of renewable energy sources, have become far too dependent on fossil fuels which are causing more damage and destruction to the environment every day.

Bigotry in all its forms is at an all time high in our nation today. Racial tensions are the highest they have been since the 1960s when people died to gain Civil Rights for African-Americans, for all people. Rights are being taken away from the LGBT community. Women’s rights are being trampled. Muslims are discriminated against openly in public.

Our elections are no longer fair, for almost every state has gerrymandered districts, newly imposed voter identification laws that discriminate against the poor and minorities. Polling places in poor districts are closed, or in some cases the hours dramatically reduced, making it impossible for a working person in one of those neighborhoods to vote. Foreign entities have interfered in our elections, often skewing results. Both domestic and foreign lobbyist firms have influenced elections and now have some of the people sitting in this room tonight in their pockets. All of this has led to voter disenfranchisement and apathy.

And healthcare … drug prices are obscenely inflated in the United States, as are insurance costs. The ACA has been chipped at to the extent that many can no longer afford their health insurance. People are sick and dying for lack of money.

I wish I had better news to report, but frankly, ladies and gentlemen, our nation is in a sorry state today. I cannot speak for Mr. Trump as to any plans for the coming year, but I have given you a rundown, in brief, of the State of the Nation. And on that note, I thank you for your time this evening.

It Can’t Happen Here …

Posted on January 15, 2019 by jilldennison under Election 2018, Free Press Issues, Global Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

A few days ago, Robert Vella commented on one of my posts that those who think I am over-dramatizing my take on Trump & Co., might be well-advised to read Sinclair Lewis’ It Can’t Happen Here. Why hadn’t I thought of that comparison? It has been around 50 years since I read the book, although I do remember the general premise. Still, I went to Wikipedia for a brief synopsis, and I thought it apropos to share with you what I found:

“It Can’t Happen Here is a semi-satirical 1935 political novel by American author Sinclair Lewis, and a 1936 play adapted from the novel by Lewis and John C. Moffitt. Published during the rise of fascism in Europe, the novel describes the rise of Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip, a demagogue who is elected President of the United States, after fomenting fear and promising drastic economic and social reforms while promoting a return to patriotism and “traditional” values.”

Anything in that paragraph sound familiar?

“In 1936 Senator Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip, a charismatic and power-hungry politician, wins the election as President of the United States on a populist platform, promising to restore the country to prosperity and greatness …”

Power-hungry … populist platform … promising prosperity … greatness …

“Though having previously foreshadowed some authoritarian measures in order to reorganize the United States government, Windrip rapidly outlaws dissent, incarcerates political enemies in concentration camps, and trains and arms a paramilitary force called the Minute Men, who terrorize citizens and enforce the policies of Windrip and his “corporatist” regime. One of his first acts as president is to eliminate the influence of the United States Congress, which draws the ire of many citizens as well as the legislators themselves. The Minute Men respond to protests against Windrip’s decisions harshly, attacking demonstrators with bayonets. In addition to these actions, Windrip’s administration, known as the “Corpo” government, curtails women’s and minority rights, and eliminates individual states by subdividing the country into administrative sectors. The government of these sectors is managed by “Corpo” authorities, usually prominent businessmen or Minute Men officers.”

Want to know more? Read the book. But here’s my thought. All of us have at least one or two friends who are still supporting Trump, whether because they truly believe in his lies, honestly think something he’s doing is right, or are just too ashamed to admit they were wrong about him. The book isn’t expensive, so I say we should each buy one in paperback to give to each of our wayward friends or family members. And if you really need a lot of copies, you can download it for free from the Project Gutenberg, or you can download the .pdf file, also free, then email it to your friends and relatives.

I just wish I had come up with this idea a week or two before Christmas, and we could have given a copy to those ‘in need’ of reading it for Christmas!

The Top 50 Trumpaus From The Atlantic

Posted on January 15, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2018, Free Press Issues, Global Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary, Trump's Staff Picks

The Atlantic has done a series that I found to be both comprehensive and interesting. What they did was … well, I’ll let Jeff Goldberg, Editor in Chief tell you …

In an October 2016 editorial, The Atlantic wrote of Donald Trump: “He is a demagogue, a xenophobe, a sexist, a know-nothing, and a liar.” We argued that Trump “expresses admiration for authoritarian rulers, and evinces authoritarian tendencies himself.” Trump, we also noted, “is easily goaded, a poor quality for someone seeking control of America’s nuclear arsenal. He is an enemy of fact-based discourse; he is ignorant of, and indifferent to, the Constitution; he appears not to read.”

In retrospect, we may be guilty of understatement.

There was a hope, in the bewildering days following the 2016 election, that the office would temper the man—that Trump, in short, would change.

He has not changed.

This week marks the midway point of Trump’s term. Like many Americans, we sometimes find the velocity of chaos unmanageable. We find it hard to believe, for example, that we are engaged in a serious debate about whether the president of the United States is a Russian-intelligence asset. So we decided to pause for a moment and analyze 50 of the most improbable, norm-bending, and destructive incidents of this presidency to date.

Our 2016 editorial was a repudiation of Donald Trump’s character as much as it was an endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president. It was not meant to be partisan. The Atlantic’s founders promised their readers that we would be “of no party or clique.” This remains a core governing principle of the magazine today. What follows is a catalog of incidents, ranked—highly subjectively!—according to both their outlandishness and their importance. In most any previous presidency, Democratic or Republican, each moment on this list would have been unthinkable.

There are 50 articles in the series, and while I have not read them all, the ones I have read are spot-on. I list them here, with links, so you can decide which, if any, you would like to read. Click on any title to go directly to it … all links will open in a separate tab:

Only Slightly Snarky Snippets …

Posted on January 14, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Global Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

As I sit here, looking out at the cold snow, watching Oliver watch the birdies outside the window, wishing for a sign that spring is near, and pondering the meaning of life, I decided today was a snippet sort of day. I considered building a nice fire to ward off the chill, but the management here doesn’t allow it … just because we don’t have fireplaces. Silly, I know, but there you have it. So, wrapped up in a blankie with a purring creature in my lap, it’s either fall asleep or write.

No, Mr. Watson, you are NOT correct!

James Dewey Watson, age 90, is a nasty little man. In 1962, he won the Nobel Prize for outlining the double-helix structure of DNA. Okay, an achievement that has provided useful information for medical science. Sorry, James, but that doesn’t exonerate you from being a racist.

In 2007 Watson, a molecular biologist, geneticist and zoologist, claimed that black people were less intelligent than white people and the idea that “equal powers of reason” were shared across racial groups was a delusion. In response, he was suspended from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory where he had served as the laboratory’s director and president for about 35 years, and later he assumed the role of chancellor and then Chancellor Emeritus.

It wasn’t only people of African lineage that he disparaged, however. He had little respect for women or obese people. A couple of quotes …

“Whenever you interview fat people, you feel bad, because you know you’re not going to hire them.”

“If you are really stupid, I would call that a disease. The lower 10 per cent who really have difficulty, even in elementary school, what’s the cause of it? A lot of people would like to say, ‘Well, poverty, things like that.’ It probably isn’t. So, I’d like to get rid of that, to help the lower 10 per cent.”

And then, two weeks ago, he iced the cake. Appearing on a PBS Documentary “American Masters: Decoding Watson”, he revealed that his scientifically unsupported views on race and genetics have not changed “at all” since 2007. To their credit, the Cold Spring Harbor Lab has revoked his honorary titles.

“Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) unequivocally rejects the unsubstantiated and reckless personal opinions Dr. James D. Watson expressed on the subject of ethnicity and genetics during the PBS documentary ‘American Masters: Decoding Watson’ that aired January 2, 2019.”

I repeat … James Watson, brilliant though his work may have been, is a nasty little man.

Let the courts decide …

Section One of the thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution reads …

“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

Last week a group of federal employees working without pay during the partial government shutdown filed a lawsuit accusing Trump and their bosses of violating the 13th Amendment. The lawsuit is one of several that have been filed by groups of federal employees who are being forced to work without pay as Trump continues his childish temper tantrum that has kept parts of the government shut down for nearly a month now. But this one differs in that it is the first such lawsuit to invoke the 13^th Amendment.

The group’s lawyer, Michael Kator, said …

“If this is not resolved soon, affected employees may find that beginning February 1 they will no longer have health insurance. And, if this lasts ‘months or even years’ as [Trump] has suggested, there will be defaults, foreclosures and even bankruptcies. A promise to pay back pay will not forestall those consequences.”

Sadly, legal minds aren’t offering much hope that the lawsuit will succeed, but my hat is off to the group for trying. It is, I think, unconscionable to expect people to keep working for no pay, especially given that there are a couple of very simple solutions to this problem: Trump could come down off his high horse and sign the damn spending bill, or the Senate could find their cojones and pass a veto-proof bill.

If the approximately 420,000 federal workers who are expected to work with naught but a ‘promise’ of back pay decide to walk off the job, this nation will be plunged into chaos … planes will not fly, trade between the U.S. and Mexico will cease, Secret Service protection to the current and former presidents will cease, U.S. embassies will close, food inspections will be halted, weather forecasts will cease, and more.

Trump claims that the wall is “essential” for national security, but this shutdown is putting national security at risk in ways that immigrants never have, never could.

Canadians have heart …

Let’s finish this post on a positive note, shall we? A Canadian friend sent me this on Facebook this morning …Air traffic controllers from Atlantic Canada directed a fleet of special arrivals into the New York Air Traffic Control Center on Friday night, as a gesture of solidarity and respect.

And each was covered in a layer of gooey melted cheese.

The Canadian Air Traffic Control Association units in Gander, N.L., and Moncton, N.B., ordered pizzas for all of their colleagues at the control center on Long Island, who have been working without pay since the partial U.S. government shutdown began on Dec. 22.According to Doug Church, deputy director of public affairs with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) in the U.S., there are currently 14,000 controllers working without pay.

And they’re thrilled about the pizzas.

“It’s just a really good shot in the arm of positive energy and positive emotion to know that, ‘Hey they’ve got our back,’ On behalf of the entire NATCA and air traffic control around this country, we extend our thanks and our gratitude.”

Your Weekly Dose Of … Laughter???

Posted on January 13, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Humour, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Just as I like to start the work week with a bit of fun, a dash of humour, I like to end it with the same, so for your viewing pleasure, I give you …

Have a nice, relaxing weekend, my friends! Let’s hope Tubby the Tuba in the Oval Office goes off for a nice game of golf somewhere and leaves his tweeting machine behind so that we can find some air to breathe for a change. Hugs to you all …

Be Afraid … Be Very Afraid

Posted on January 13, 2019 by jilldennison under Global Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

I just wanted to share with you some pictures of the people that we need a wall on the southern border to protect us from, the people who constitute a ‘national emergency’ …

Scary, aren’t they? Personally, I find this one scarier …

America In The Eyes Of The World — A Guest Post By Colette

Posted on January 10, 2019 by jilldennison under Coexist, Global Issues, guest posts, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry

Today I have another guest post in response to my plea for readers around the globe to share with us their views of the U.S. in today’s world. Colette has generously taken the time to write a thoughtful analysis of how the U.S. fits … or doesn’t fit … with the rest of the world today, and how our policies and leadership have affected the rest of the world. Thank you so much, Colette, for this excellent and sobering analysis!

How did America Lose its Way in the World?

The USA, for many decades, maintained leadership in the world of economics, politics and living standards.

In 2008, that all changed when a poor economy, during the end of the Bush administration, triggered job losses and foreclosures on newly purchased real estate. The Prime Rate Mortgage scheme unravelled spectacularly, as people walked away from their homes. Financial Institutions holding the debt load across the world, fell like dominoes, crippling the world economy. The Bush administration had allowed for a scandalous mortgage scheme to exist. Outrageously, Senator John McCain exonerated Republicans by falsely pinning the blame for the financial fallout on the Democrats. Trust was lost in America.

Then, the rise of Chinese, Russian, Brazilian, and Indian (BRIC) economies created the global financial growth once enjoyed by the USA. They, and the fifth member, South Africa, have developed enormously. These nations are forming stronger inter-development alliances with interested parties and no longer depend on the EU and the US economies for survival.

America, despite the best efforts of Barack Obama to rebuild confidence, has lost the respect of other nations. With the loss of trust in America, came the loss of safety for political allies. America was no longer a major player in the World. Barack Obama was unable to adequately rebuild those fractured relationships. There were no viable Democrats waiting in the ‘wings’ who had a definitive strategy for bringing back jobs and rebuilding the economic status that the American public wanted. A political void existed.

I don’t like Donald Trump. I read his ‘Art of the Deal’ when it was first published in 1987. It didn’t take me long to realise that the man could use spin to sell any abhorrent idea to anyone. I also noticed how he manipulated officials to win planning permission for constructing his ostentatious buildings.

I thought Donald Trump to be the perfect TV host of the American version of ‘The Apprentice.’ His bullying, bellow of ‘You’re Fired!’ to contestants was an accurate personification of his real self. Donald Trump is not the perfect man for the position of President of the United States.

Trump, fresh from his instant TV stardom, rode in like a cowboy with guns blazing. Mowing down friends and foes alike, he boasted to his TV audience, “We’re gonna Make America Great Again!” It was a terrible ‘John Wayne’ imitation, but it was enough to mobilise poor-town Americans into lifting their heads up from dusty bars across the Nation. They recognised Trump from his appearances on their living room screens as someone who knew business and how to make money. As a collective, they put their fists in the air and said, “Yeah, we’re gonna make America great again! They were not seemingly aware of the debts that Trump had incurred in his own dealings, nor of his use of tax avoidance and double dealing tactics.

My husband, a financial man for much of his working life, saw a visionary Donald Trump providing hope for a better economy. His view, was to give the man a chance! He tells me that Donald Trump, whether you like him or not, has made progress on his pre-election promises.

I don’t really think my husband knows Trump’s full history, nor do I think that he cares, so that may also be true of Trump’s many supporters.

Unfortunately, Donald Trump is full of old ideas, old philosophies, and old tricks. And he believes that he, ‘The Donald,’ is above the law, above the Constitution, and above any need to be diplomatic with other nations. He plays the Presidency as he did his own empire. He believes that his only hindrances are the Democrats and a few million Hispanics on his southern border. He does not personally like or feel any compassion for economic migrants because he is a covert racist and doesn’t want them in ‘his’ America.

The lack of trust in America has extended into the very real issue of world climate change. There is hesitation on global action as America, under Donald Trump’s instruction, has now left the bargaining ‘table.’ Other nations mumble verbal commitments, but their trust in American leadership has been abused yet again. Suspicion and hostility about how the Paris Agreement might work without US involvement has ground proceedings to a halt.

I watched a May 2018 interview with ‘Stephen Fry,’ a British actor. How did he see America today? He dropped his head saying, “Oh it’s terribly unfortunate! ” He also went on to say that Donald Trump used gangster and criminal tactics to force his agenda. He says Trump’s popularity is driven by ‘clickbait’ issues posted on social media, that is then reiterated over and over again, in televised news.

Stephen Fry also predicts that Donald Trump will run a second term, and so does my husband. Why? Because Donald Trump commands attention. He keeps his fingers working on his Twitter account so that he makes world news every day! A certain percentage of Americans see Donald Trump’s constant barrage of media blustering as ‘the real thing.’ They are fooled into believing that ‘America IS Great Again! ” So, they will vote him in again because Trump’s fake news fiasco is working!

Donald Trump tosses out outrageous propaganda which the media just gobbles up and feeds to us wholesale. Stephen Fry said that if nobody listened, and nobody clicked on the social media links, all the propaganda would disappear, and so would Donald Trump’s success.

Brits in general, feel that they hear far too much about American politics, especially during elections. And in truth, not many ordinary people on this side of the pond care what Donald Trump does, but those same people lap up the articles written about Trump because they reinforce some parallel issues that arise with Brexit.

Trump’s firings of his staff, the withdrawal of troops, the detention and degradation of migrants, the threat to keep the government in lock down, and his never-ending tirade about the ‘wall,’ all invoke fear. Trump hopes to trigger a state of emergency in a paralysed nation fearful of attack. These are the ‘plays’ of a man desperate to have the rest of the world take notice of America and see her power. Trump wants to build the economy using the steel industry to build the ‘wall’ and to create an arsenal of new weapons (in the event of a war that he will likely instigate). It is so unfortunate for the American people who must endure the consequences of the lies churned out by Trump. They may see the economy build, but it is not building for them.

The sinister side to all of this, is that Trump may eventually use his bullying tactics one too many times with China. It could backfire spectacularly in 2019 as a China/Russia alliance becomes a mega joint strategy against the perceived US threats. Donald Trump is playing with fire. His military commanders know it, and so do his allies. Other countries are quickly backing away from Trump’s influence as he drags the good citizens of America down a very dark black hole whilst chasing his own empire.

‘Trust’ and ‘Safety’ no longer exist in my vocabulary for describing Donald J. Trump’s America. And the consequences of Donald Trump’s flawed plans could herald a change of leadership on the political world stage. If so, it will not be the United States of America in that lead role.

More Snarky Snippets …

Posted on January 7, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2020, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

I have an overload of sarcasm built up in me today, so … it must be time for some snarky snippets, don’t you think? But first, I want to begin with something positive for a change!

Thumbs up to the new Governor of Maine …

Maine has a new Governor, Janet Mills, who replaced the bigoted Paul LePage. As I wrote a while back, the people of Maine had approved Medicaid expansion by a ballot initiative more than a year ago, but former Governor Paul LePage had blocked it from taking effect. Janet Mills promised during her campaign that she would ensure the initiative moved forward, and thankfully for the people of Maine, she keeps her promises.On Thursday, in her first executive order on her first day in office, Mills ordered Maine to move forward with Medicaid expansion, which is likely to provide health insurance for an additional 70,000 Maine residents. LePage had been fighting tooth and nail to prevent Medicaid expansion in the state for years, vetoing no less than five different bills. Then, when the issue was passed as a separate ballot issue in 2017, he blocked it … went directly against the will of the people. Is it any wonder he lost his bid for re-election? Ms. Mills has certainly started on the right foot.

In order to protect Trump …

What if you’re a republican who does not support Donald Trump? Yes, there are actually some of them out there, although we are told only about 20% of republicans do not support him. Well, if you are hoping for a better option on the republican ticket for 2020, you may just be out of luck, especially if you live in South Carolina.

The Republican Party in South Carolina is giving serious consideration to cancelling the primary in their state in order to “protect Donald Trump from potential challengers”. Say WHAT??? They can do that? Yes, they can do that and in fact did do that in 1984 when Reagan was running for re-election and again in 2004 when George W. Bush was running.

Drew McKissick, the chairman of the South Carolina GOP, had this to say …

“We have complete autonomy and flexibility in either direction. Considering the fact that the entire party supports the president, we’ll end up doing what’s in the president’s best interest.”

My question is … if they are so damn sure that Trump has the support of all republicans, then why is there a need to “protect” him? What are they afraid of? Other potential candidates who are considering a run on the GOP ticket include former Senators Jeff Flake and Bob Corker, and Ohio Governor John Kasich. Personally, I think any of those three would make a much better president than Trump!

On inventing a crisis …

First, let me say this: THERE IS NO NATIONAL SECURITY CRISIS!!!

Well, actually there is a national security crisis, and it has a name: Donald Trump.And then he plans to travel to the southern border on Thursday, according to Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Now why would he feel a need to ‘address the nation’ on live television at this time? It isn’t as if we don’t have his opinions, his hateful rhetoric, shoved in our faces 24/7 by the media and on Twitter. But to interrupt prime-time television programming … presidents typically only do that when they have a major announcement, such as when Obama interrupted programming on May 2^nd, 2011, to inform the nation that 9/11 master planner Osama bin Laden had been captured and killed.

Given Trump’s recent threats, I can’t help wondering if his ‘announcement’ will be that he is declaring a state of national emergency in order to attempt to circumvent democratic processes to get his wall. I hope I am wrong, for if he does that, it will throw this nation into chaos and create the biggest constitutional crisis this nation has seen in our lifetime. In the end, I do not believe that Trump will be successful in this endeavor, for the legality is highly questionable, given that there is no crisis. Still, Congress and the Courts will be the ones to deal with that, meaning there will be little else accomplished. The cost will be high and it will further divide an already unstable nation. Meanwhile, the U.S. government is still in shut down mode, 800,000+ federal employees are going without pay, including many who are critical to the safety of this nation.

One man is to blame …

The entire Trump administration is to blame for the ongoing shutdown, for they have enabled Trump and forsaken the nation in so doing. Donald Trump is responsible for his horrifying behaviour and failure to uphold his duty to the nation. But that said, there is one man who I hold more accountable than the rest (except Trump himself, that is) and that man is Senate Majority Leader Mitchell McConnell.McConnell refused to allow a vote on the spending bill that was passed by the House of Representatives, saying …

“Any viable compromise will need to carry the endorsement of the president before it receives a vote in either House of Congress. Under these conditions … the package presented by the House’s new Democratic leaders yesterday can only be seen as a time-wasting act of political posturing.”

But that may not be true. There are a number of republican senators who have expressed a willingness to at least consider the bill passed by the House, and it may well be that, if put to a vote, the bill would pass the Senate with a veto-proof majority. It might not, but we’ll never know if McConnell doesn’t stop pandering to Trump and let the Senate vote on the bloomin’ bill!!!

Apparently, Mitch McConnell has no more conscience than does Donald Trump. They are both in the process of destroying this nation and killing its people. Great job, guys!

Th-th-that’s all for now folks!

A New Project!

Posted on January 6, 2019 by jilldennison under Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Hello friends!

I have been thinking (yes, yes, I know that’s a dangerous thing and trust me, I keep the fire extinguisher close at hand) and I have an idea for a little project that I’d like to run by you.

We know the damage, at least some of it, that Trump and his irresponsible foreign ‘policies’ have done to our reputation, our image abroad from the view of foreign news media and statements by leaders of nations. But I would like to call on some of my blogging buddies from other nations to kick in their two cents worth as citizens of those nations.

I have blogging friends in Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, India, Ghana, and Kenya, and I would really like their take on the United States now, with the government shut-down and the looming threat of a national ‘state of emergency’ that will give Trump autocratic powers.

So I’m calling on my friends outside the U.S. — would you be interested in writing a short guest post to be featured here, giving us your own view of the United States as it stands today, with an eye toward our immigration issues, environmental issues (the Paris Accord), the government shutdown, the recent 2018 elections, and any other issues you might like to mention or address? The more the merrier … I am genuinely interested in your take on this, and also how you think our recent behaviour has affected your own corner of the world.

I will be asking a few of you with whom I regularly correspond via email, but I want anyone and everyone who is interested to participate! C’mon guys, it’ll be fun! I only ask that you keep it relatively clean 😄 and preferably to no more than 1,200 words.

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Cogito Ergo Sum

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