Merciful Trump?

I was puzzled by Trump's seeming change of heart regarding the prosecution of Hillary Clinton for emails. He said he didn't want to hurt Hillary anymore, that she had suffered enough. He struck a kind, fatherly, merciful figure, and that set my head a-spinning.

I figured things out today. The new king hesitates to establish a precedent of prosecuting another king.

For the day may come when Trump, too, fears prosecution. He is likely to do all the things Hillary did or is alleged to have done and far more.

* - I italicized the word "precedent" because our president-elect proved to the world that he did not know how to spell the word. He called the Chinese seizure of our underwater drone "unpresidented" when he meant "unprecedented." The Republicans have a terrible time with grammar, history, and science. Why is that? I will tell you, a lot of people, and not just Democrats, arrive at the obvious conclusion.

Win at All Costs

Win at all costs dismantles all the rules. It is easy to win a game with no rules. Just grab the prize and walk off. Done. Trump is win at all costs. He is going to break a lot of rules. Bull in a china shop ain't in it. I predict a war somewhere along the lines, probably with China, and probably of the trade-war variety, with some hot-fire traded on the high seas. He has stocked his administration with generals for a reason. There is going to be a lot of nail-biting and a lot of losers, too, among those heavily dependent upon imports from China. They probably deserve to suffer, seeing as how they sold out American workers. I hope Trump does do a trade war with China. That would be just the thing to jump-start the manufacturing base here in the U.S. Let the big boys sweat a bit, but make them bring back those jobs. I wonder whether Trump can pull that off. Sometimes the Fool is possessed by Divine Light. He blunders and farts around, and is really a Fool, but actually wins in the end.

What Do I Believe in Politics?

I read about what Trump, the Republicans, and right-wingers in general think about what "the left" thinks. I consider myself a part of "the left," but I am not really sure what "the left" is, and I don't think anyone else knows, either.

I can't speak about "the left." All I know is that I like what I read in The Guardian (UK), most of the time, if not all of the time.

I believe government should let individuals alone for the most part, save when they may interfere with the rights of other individuals. A man's home is his castle, pure and simple.

I believe that racism is nonsense. To see a man as part of a group only, based on skin color, is really stupid. People vary. They are individuals. They are not all the same. One must keep an open mind, informed by love, compassion, and kindness. To harden one's heart against an entire group, particularly based upon something like skin color, is folly and nonsense. We are commanded to love. It is our duty.

I believe that homophobia is nonsense. Gays have been with us from the beginning. Many will deny it, but gays have founded religions. In this veil, we do see as through a glass darkly. Some things are hidden in plain sight. Kindness is all that is required. Be kind to one another. Perhaps being different from all the others teaches one the importance of being kind.

I believe that bullies are evil. It is easy to harm the weak. We should look out for one another and attempt to create a kinder, gentler society not only for ourselves, but for future generations. Enlightenment is the goal. Liberate this human race from petty squabbles, from desperation, from despair. That is the liberal agenda. Perhaps it is unfeasible, sometimes. One must be pragmatic. But it is the long-term goal.

Sometimes, but not always, organized religion can be a bully. Other times, big corporations. Sometimes entire nations. I believe the world is a better place because the United States sacrificed an entire generation. We bled profusely and paid vast sums of treasure in order to stop Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. If we had taken the easy way out, the way of Trump, then we would have reached an accommodation with fascism. We would have struck a deal. Trump is a deal-maker. That is sometimes helpful, but there are moral imperatives. If one does not believe in good and evil, then there are no boundaries at all. I believe there is absolute good and absolute evil. I say that the world is a better place by far without the ideas of Hitler holding sway. Mankind can be reduced to insects, and if we are, we are doomed. The earth will be rid of us. Is that what you want? I would prefer that we improve ourselves. There is much to be improved, let us be candid with ourselves. Let us ameliorate. All that is required is patience, love and intelligence. We must use the higher faculties, while keeping the lower ones in check.

Now, I know very well that some will read all this and think liberals are all heart and no brain. That is what I hear all the time. But I am pragmatic. I want things to work. Fundamentally, things have to work. It is not possible to be good without intelligence, without correcting imbalances, imperfections. I write code. Sometimes the code has bugs. Am I perfect? No, I am flawed, and I create buggy code sometimes. I realize that mistakes must be corrected. The division between good and evil is like the serpentine dance of the dragon. It is not easy. Sometimes, with good intentions, we do wrong. That is acknowledged. Therefore, intelligence is required. We must learn from previous mistakes and listen to the other side, including the right-wing, which sometimes is going to be right. The right-wing also is composed of Americans who love their country. I acknowledge that and hope and trust that they, too, acknowledge my own loyalty. We are all on the same side and probably want the same things and are only divided by semantics, the power of words that are woven by politicians. If peace, prosperity, preparedness, longevity, and happiness are the goals, then we want the same things.

Federal Bankruptcy?

Trump presided over bankruptcies in the past, and I see no reason to assume he will change colors overnight. Trump plans to do the classical Republican shenanigans: cut taxes while at the same time increasing spending. It is just like if I decided to quit working and just live off my credit card, while dining out every night and buying a couple new cars. That is the easy way to spur economic growth. Trump loves easy fixes. Who cares about the future? Enjoy today. That is the Republican way. Reagan did it first, then Bush, and now Trump. All of them getting high at the wheel as the ship gets progressively loaded down with debt. What is it now, over twenty trillion? Remember, Trump wants to spend more on defense, not less. That means more new planes, tanks, and ships, all of which we apparently need in order to keep China in check.

Meanwhile, Trump antagonizes our chief debt holder, China. For better or worse, China holds our national debt. If tensions rise between the two nations, as we have every reason to expect they will, the United States may default on its national debt for the first time in modern history. Now, Trump has defaulted many a time before, and this would be in character. What will happen is that no one will want to buy U.S. bonds, and anyone holding them is going to be holding Monopoly money. That would include retirees, dear old grandma and the like. There will be a lot of collateral damage, and suddenly the U.S. will have no way to meet obligations such as Social Security and so forth. There will be unhappy people gathering in the streets.

Trump may be cunning, but he is not half as smart as he thinks he is, and he is going to find that global politics is a lot tougher than it seemed at first. There is a reason that Putin backed Trump, and that reason is not to help America or the American people.

Predictions: the federal minimum wage stays the same or is abolished altogether. 2017 inflation rate of 3.5%, 2018 inflation rate of 7%, 2019 inflation rate of 11%, and 2020 inflation rate of 14%. Bonds look like a poor investment right now. Pollution gets worse. The capital spending that Trump envisions will not actually improve anything in the country. He is going to build a wall and spend more on military gadgets for overseas adventures. Spending on scientific research will stagnate, with the one exception of weapons research. The infrastructure will remain as it is, although prison building will expand and become increasingly privatized. Marijuana will become illegal again nationwide, if Trump's Attorney General has his way. Trump is going to put a lot more people in prison as part of the traditional Republican "tough on crime" thing. Most of the new people in prison will be for non-violent offenses like marijuana. The largest per capita prison population in the world is just going to get larger and may even double. The Trump Presidency will be all about culture wars, stocking the Supreme Court with right-wingers, and expanding the military and doing a lot of bombing missions against third world nations to show everybody that Trump stands tall. There probably is going to be some hot fire traded between China and the U.S. in the South China Sea as well, and then an unexpected peace mission resulting in symbolic, empty "concessions" from China that make Trump look good while changing nothing. Trump is all about appearances. All he wants is to look good in the moment. If a world leader understands that, as Putin does, then it is easy to deal with Trump. Give America nothing but a kick in the teeth, but lie and agree with Trump and say the things that make him look good. That is all you have to do with Trump.

"Dems?" Rats!

Since Fox News calls Democrats "Dems," it is only fair to call Republicans by another monosyllabic word. The problem is that "Reps" doesn't really have a firm association with "Republicans," because it could mean "Representatives." At a loss for an alternative, I suppose we will have to settle upon "Rats."

No One to Blame

The best thing about the 2016 election is that now, the Republicans have no one to blame but themselves. They may find that to be an awkward position, given they don't know what they are doing.

A Nice Picture of Hillary Clinton

I like her in purple.

There is a certain nobility about her, in defeat. Her spirit is potent and should not be underestimated. Of course, the forces of evil have been at work for a very long time against her. Today they celebrate their dark victory, based upon lies, innuendo and half-truths. In the end, she just wasn't the very best saleswoman, and that is really all there was to the 2016 election. She was pitted against the ultimate salesman, Trump, who was willing to lie, cheat, and steal any which way, with the notable assistance of Russia, organized crime, and white racists.

I am not Bothered

Ignorance once more wears the crown in these uneasily united States. I aim to be stoic, like lovable Hillary Clinton, about Trump's rump dump because:

1. For every step backward, there are two steps forward. The good are not only right, but are wise, and because of their wisdom, they prepare for the darkness.
2. The power of evil is finite. If evil is triumphant and if all is lost, then everything begins again. Nothing can destroy what is good. It will come again.
3. Even in the darkness, the so-called absolute void, there is light. To understand this is more than a philosophy. It is a liberation.

If Trump were to bring jobs back to the U.S., as he promised, and out-do the Democrats on that score, I would support that 100%. My view of him would then transform.

I believe, however, that he will do nothing of the sort, because he does not care for anyone but himself. He takes shortcuts. The easy route is his perpetual choice. He seeks personal power, enrichment, glory, narcissistic pleasures, and popular approval. He will not trouble himself to fix any problems that are difficult. He is not any kind of fixer. He is not a charitable person. He is not a hard worker. He will continue the trajectory of his life-path. He will not suddenly change his colors, as some of his supporters assume, to their pending disappointment. They are fools--they do not see the man for what he is, they would sell their souls for pennies.

Evil Triumphant

The liar and crook, Trump, cares for no one but himself and has no respect for our system of government. The system was rigged--until he won. He won the same way he cheated and swindled his way to fortune. People will just believe any old thing if it is repeated enough times. He lied with a straight face, using a measured voice, and sold angry white people, his sole constituency, a bill of goods. Now we have a narcissist at the top. He will say anything to get what he wants, and all he ever wants is power.

Trump is Not Right

Trump may appear right-wing--at this particular juncture, because it seems expedient to him. But he is not right. That is why he will lose. The gut-check. In their hearts, those who are aligned with goodness must know he is not right. Only evil will favor Trump. He lies too much. The liar betrays himself with his words. It is important to be careful when speaking. To be caught in the lie, again and again, is to be known for evil.

It is not easy to tell the truth. Work is required. Perhaps Trump wants to be truthful, but he is lazy. He has never worked a day in his life. All of his success came from taking short-cuts, from swindling, cheating, and lying, and first and foremost, from Daddy's gifts and Daddy's business associates. Without a silver spoon in his mouth, Trump would be a used-car salesman in a podunk town in Nowheresville.

I Like Hillary Clinton

After watching her for a half hour in the third debate, Hillary Clinton has won me over. She's smart, hard-working, and dedicated to her profession of statecraft. She prepares, thinks, and when necessary, delivers. She may prove to be among the better Presidents we have had in our history. I think the market will have a great year in 2017, because all the smart money is going to be on Hillary. She will bring stability, efficiency and intelligence to the executive branch. She's not a "wild card" like Trump, but will measure her words and actions for the best of the country. Experience matters, and Hillary has a lengthy career behind her.

I find it interesting that the media and the Republicans complain about Hillary's relatively minor mistakes over her 30-year career, whereas Trump has a list stretching from sea to shining sea of cheating workers, customers and contractors; not paying taxes and boasting about it; bankruptcies; sexual assault; outright lies and race-baiting; cozying up to the Russians--of all countries, the most toxic for a Presidential candidate; encouraging Russian interference in the U.S. election; attacking the integrity of our elections; alarming U.S. allies--and the list goes on without end. I don't see how any thinking person can vote for Trump. That he even made it this far points to the weakness of the other Republican candidates. I just don't think the Republicans have anyone that can step up to the job.

Of Course

Of course, our government offers poor management of the nation. The two candidates for President are inadequate to the challenge. They seek the office out of personal ambition, which is improper, even base. The same could likely be said for many other candidates for many other offices throughout our Republic and for many positions, whether political, military or corporate.

Are either Trump or Clinton ready for the unique scientific and political challenges of the present? Global warming, financial uncertainty, unemployment, terrorism, Russia, China, North Korea and Iran (the Axis of Evil)? I doubt it. Do they bring new ideas to the table? No, they are orthodoxy.

Many intelligent people do not believe global warming will be resolved by human beings. They view the approaching apocalypse as inevitable. I count myself among them. I do not think that human beings are capable of dealing with the threat of global warming. We are too selfish, short-sighted, suspicious of others. Thus, disaster looms. The federal government foolishly, mindlessly subsidizes development in coastal regions doomed to be devoured by the oceans. Meanwhile, we squash bugs in Syria, Iraq, Aghanistan. Funny thing about bugs. They just keep reproducing. Meanwhile, the treasury is drained on a continual basis, and we become more indebted to China.

I know intelligent people who will not vote for Hillary Clinton or Trump because they see their faults and do not excuse them and see no value in pragmatism. Pragmatism is not sexy, but is boring and depressing. Our system is flawed. Winner-takes-all is a real problem. People will vote for the Greens, for Libertarians, for protest candidates. The system is not capable of processing their intentions.

Our Founding Fathers had good intentions, but ultimately failed us. Their deeds are regarded by the masses as carved in granite, never to be altered, and yet they failed. The system they designed cannot endure. It is being tested. It is doomed.

Global warming occurs, and our national debt increases with no end in sight, and many people are either unemployed or under-employed. Where are the jobs? Again and again, where are the jobs?

It is difficult to be optimistic about the future in the long-term.

Russia Not Cooperating with SETI

Russia isn't cooperating with SETI. Instead of informing the world community about findings, the scientists over in Russia inform the dictator first, then after a year or so, if the information is not deemed useful or conclusive by the Kremlin, they inform the rest of the world. Typical.

The Best Way to Help the Police

The best way that the world can help the respective police forces of every nation is to abandon the notion that human beings are suited to drive motor vehicles. We are not. Millions of accidents confirm this. Driverless vehicles are the way to go. There will be no need for law enforcement to squander time and resources on monitoring speeds or adherence to any other traffic laws if cars are computerized, networked (communicating with each other) and monitored by a central server. We need to stop driving cars yesterday. Humans are lousy drivers, because they want to drink, do drugs, play on their smart phones, change the radio station, talk with friends, brood over things at work, and argue with their spouses or children when they should be paying attention to the road.

Afghanistan

Think upon the trillion dollars poured into Afghanistan. Was that a good use of taxpayer funds? Would it have been better spent here in the U.S.A.? Is a cure for cancer completely without value? Is there nothing to be gained from defeating AIDS?

Afghanistan is an unholy mess, the product of the stupidity of our leaders. Their leaders are even more corrupt than ours, and their entire purpose in life is to steal the maximum amount of money from the American taxpayer. They even steal the bullets we give them to defend them against the Taliban. I say let the Taliban take over. We should exact reparations from the land, mining valuable materials from the mountains, while napalming the populated Taliban-infested areas whenever they pose a threat to the transportation of material out of that blighted region. The Taliban is like roaches, they can be sprayed on a periodic basis to keep them in check. Who cares who governs the rest of that country? Abandon the untrustworthy people, and take back from the mountains all the money that was poured into that cesspool. At least that way, the American taxpayer will receive a certain percentage of his hard-earned money back. A check should be sent to each and every American taxpayer, once per year, for the next hundred years, to distribute the profits made by selling Afghan stones and minerals.

Why is the U.S. determined to be the perennial loser in every foreign conflict? Why is our tax money destined to be poured down the toilet and flushed away?

Trump

The grinning crocodile, Trump, made a none-too-subtle remark recently that gun owners might assassinate Hillary Clinton, merely because she favors modest and sensible additional controls over firearm sales, such as banning assault rifles and so on. The gun control lobby in the U.S. is completely insane. There is no need to explain. Just research for about half an hour, and it should be obvious.

Let us examine Trump's thinly veiled threat against Hillary in cold blood. Let us say Hillary is gone. Her replacement would also beat Trump and might actually prove a stronger candidate. That is why Hillary is perfectly safe. I do not fear any assassination attempt against her. The ones to fear for are the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., who gave a better speech than any human being in living history. The evil-doers knew he was irreplaceable. That is why they murdered him. They will not touch a hair on Hillary's head, because she is replaceable, and what is more, the replacement might be better.

U.S. Foreign Policy

The Syrian War is the result of Assad being the dictator. If he had been willing to negotiate and make concessions, then much death and destruction could have been avoided. He is the big loser, as is Syria, because that area will remain devastated for quite some time to come, unless the Western powers foolishly donate billions of taxpayer dollars to rebuild it.

Our leaders are misguided anytime they donate money to foreign powers. Such a decision should be left to the voters in a special referendum. I do not consent for $1 of my tax money to be used on Syria, either on bombs or on reconstruction, and certainly not on both. Why not spend that money on improving our country, if indeed money must be spent at all?

The U.S. seems a foolish country, because we fund both sides in foreign war that does not involve us. We fund both the bombing and the reconstruction and get taken advantage of throughout the entire process by corruption. Trillions of dollars are flushed down the toilet.

The anger I feel over this probably explains the popular support for Trump. But Trump is disingenuous. He would do and say whatever to benefit himself. I do not think he has much concern for either the country or for humanity at large. I have never trusted Trump. His record speaks for itself. There is no need to listen to Trump's opponents. Listen to Trump and look at his history. Hillary's history is certainly better than Trump's. She is a worker, she is dedicated, and she works for what she believes to be the good of the country. She does not cheat and she does not steal. The greatest criticism of her is that she was around when hard decisions had to be made, and she made hard decisions in difficult times. What has Trump done, other than line his own pockets? That is why, despite my disapproval of U.S. foreign policy, I will vote for Hillary.

Iran

I think the Obama Administration needs to send a letter to every citizen in the United States to let them know how much of their tax money has been sent to Iran. I can't imagine a more boneheaded enterprise than sending money to a nation that supports terrorism against American citizens and kidnaps American citizens. Now the kidnapping game is on in earnest, since everybody knows the U.S. will cough up $100 million for a single military person.

Opposing Change

Conservatives oppose change because their personality dictates it. They don't like to think about things much. They fear the unknown. They don't want to bother with studying anything, because that involves work. In short, they have a case of the La Zee Bonez, a disease that is rampant throughout the human race. Those who oppose change get awfully upset at the very idea that things might change, because then, they would have to exert a few seconds, maybe even a minute, of actual thinking. That is a huge thing to ask of them, when normally they do not think about anything at all.

Corruption and Waste

Corruption is rife in the world. In general, people do not listen to what is right, but what is best for them. Morality appears to be a new innovation in the human ape.

Government service is sometimes viewed as an opportunity to be idle and, sometimes, to steal.

Perhaps it is true that people get the government they deserve. If bad leaders are voted into office, then the people do actually get what they voted for, after all. Those regions that elect good people get better government out of the bargain. I wonder whether the U.S. deserves Trump? I certainly hope not.