1970: The Story Around This Picture

That's me with the painted face (the stripes under my eyes are red, in between white stripes, my forehead is blue, with a white peace sign) in May of 1970, demonstrating against the Vietnam War.  I was nineteen years old, in my second year at Michigan State University.

I want to let you know what bookended that picture.  There was about 5,000 people marching about five miles from the MSU campus to the state capitol down Grand River Avenue.  During that march, a white guy drove his car up to the people marching down one side of the street. My friend was a marshall, and was at the point where he drove his car up. He came around the front of the car, and was going to ask the guy what he was doing when the guy floored his car into the marchers.  No one was killed, but a girl got a broken leg. When his car came to a stop, about a half dozen state police, who had been policing the march, ran, grabbed the guy and literally dragged him across the street to a squad car. In the meantime, we did a dance on his car. So, by the time we got to the capitol building, we were not in the best of moods.

When we got to the capitol, the doors were locked and a number of state police were inside dressed in full riot gear to keep us out.  The governor, Republicon William Milliken, came out and said how much he welcomed dissent, to which the crowd chanted "Bull-shit, bull-shit!"

Later that night, some activists attacked the ROTC building on campus and set some curtains on fire, that drew some state police onto campus. A lot of tear gas was fired around to disperse the crowd. 

TBH, a friend and I dropped acid that night and decided to stay away from the action. By the end of the night, I grokked that the revolution was over. It wasn't going to happen. All I could do was write the lyrics to "For What It's Worth" on the blackboard of a class that would commence ay 8:00 that morning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bl-vbBnJ3I

It's Been a While. A Lot Has Happened.

Day after day after day, we are constantly bombarded by some outrage created by our President, Donald Trump. While a sizable portion of our countrymen are enamored with the reality TV star, the majority of our country looks on in horror. While we get focused on Trump's latest shiny thing, his cabinet and his congress go about looting our nation and its people. Distracted by his nonsense we don't notice the worst policies ever visited of the government upon it's people are being perpetrated, with most people being totally oblivious to that fact. 

Those of us who have been watching this develop over the last thirty or forty years have a hard time not saying, "We've been trying to tell you!" But now, the past is the past and it cannot be changed. What we have is the present, and it's up to us here and now. Seriously, dear reader, after living so long and watching how things went, these are pivotal times. Under the crassness and vulgarity that is the Trump brand, there's a real darkness of those that enabled the man to become president. 

The only opposition that can be made to this madman is though the ballot box. For the sake of the republic, we must vote Democratic this fall. The Republican Party is totally in thrall to the American oligarchs. If we participate in primaries, we can determine what kind of Democrat we get. Then, we must always vote for all Democratic candidates to even think of electorally deposing this caste. 

Activate, organize, work, canvas, phone bank, drive voters to the polls come November. First you vote, and then get every other voter you can. Make it a game. How many can you get to the polls to have a Democratic victory against the oligarchs, the real elite? That's the mission. That's our purpose for the next four months. How about you? Can you give a few hours of your time over the next four months to have a chance of fighting back?

I'm trying to appeal to our higher angels. If we want a miracle we have to do our part to bring it about. If we want the miracle of a Democratic wave and victory, then we have to do everything in our ability to bring it about. Let me suggest first hooking up with your local county Democratic Party. If there isn't one in your county, try organizing one. Contact the nearest county party and I'm sure they'd be more than willing to help you out, or even get help from the state party. Start with whatever you have and work to build from there. It can be done, but it does take work. 

I see this as our civic duty. As privileged participants in our society and government, we have an obligation to pay attention and participate in the democratic process of democratic-republic that is our form of government. We probably should be doing a better job of instilling in our young people this responsibility of civic obligation, to pay attention politically, and prepare to be a full citizen to participate in our self-rule. 

So that's what I have tonight. It's been a while since I was here. This was my best outlet tonight, and I hope on the days to come. Here, you'll get the real me. An old white guy, recipient of Social Security and Medicare, but still have to work a part time job, because that's all they'll give me, and it's to only way I've been able to make $15-20/hr since I moved here near twenty years ago, and I need to make ends meet on a monthly basis. If you'd like, I could lay out for you how the middle class got hollowed out by the 1%. Economic war was waged on the middle class by the ultra rich, and the rich have decimated the middle class. Want to see what economic warfare looks like? Look at Detroit, my hometown.

Does Trump Deserve Impeachment?

ARTICLE I, SECTION 9, CLAUSE 8 of the United States Constitution says

“No Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”  

This has always been held to apply to the President of the United States. It means that the President cannot accept any money, or other things of value, from a foreign power. That means if the President is found to be profiting off foreign relationships, he is in violation of this clause in the Constitution of the United States, and is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors deserving to be impeached.

If it can be shown that Donald Trump is profiting from foreign sources, he is guilty of violation of the US Constitution and deserves and should be impeached. He cannot be allowed to flout the Constitution for his own personal monetary profit. On March 8, 2017, the Chinese Communist government granted Trump 38 trademarks for China, including one for an escort service. This is how he makes a lot of his money, licensing his name. After constantly, throughout his presidential campaign declaring China a currency manipulator, and after getting these trademarks, and a visit by the Chinese president, Trump now declares that China is not a currency manipulator. His daughter, Ivanka, had a few trademarks thrown in for herself after dining with the Chinese president during the visit.

Call me old fashioned, but I resent the high office of the Presidency of the United States being reduced to a business deal like this, and I believe it to be illegal and worthy of impeachment under the emoluments clause of the United States Constitution.

Healthcare "Debate" 2017 March

You have no idea how much this healthcare "debate" is bothering me. It's probably because I've had some experience over the last ten years with my own healthcare.

I will admit, I did not think much about my healthcare over the first five decades of my life, beyond trying to live a healthy lifestyle, watching what I ate, taking vitamins and supplements, and getting some exercise. Thank God, I was pretty healthy. What I didn't have was health insurance to take care when anything went wrong.

The big problem came in 2008, when I was diagnosed with colon cancer and had to face it without insurance. I didn't have it because I couldn't afford the crummy insurance my company was offering me, but truth be known, their policy wouldn't have paid for it anyway. Thank God, I came through it, and became a cancer survivor. However, the financial burden I incurred has seriously affected my life over the nine years since.

Between 2008 and now, I have been uninsured, had crummy company insurance, had Obamacare, had Obamacare-comparable company insurance, and have finally made it to Medicare, the very best of all. My crummy company insurance wouldn't pay for my cancer checkups at Perlman. or vein work in my legs giving me a good chance of a clot forming and travelling to my heart. Obamacare paid the hospital portion of my colonoscopy with no copay, but my doctor wasn't part of the network, and I'm still paying him off. Going back to company insurance because they had good dental insurance rolled into it, they were not going to pick up a CT scan I needed to get, deductible, you know, and I was on the hook for over $3500 out of pocket. I don't have that kind of money. I make less than $20,000 a year. (At this point, I would like to say that over the last nine years, I payed thousands of dollars on my health care bills. A significant portion of my year income.)

I finally made it to Medicare, and I am needing it. I have been diagnosed with cancer again, and need to have surgery again to root it out. My portion will be a reasonable and manageable part of my income. This is what healthcare should be in America, and why I advocate Medicare For All.

Il Douche and Jim Acosta, 01.11.17

I saw PEOTUS's news conference Wednesday, and was appalled by the arrogant jerk's utter disrespect for the CNN reporter. He was annoyed about the CNN Network's reporting and took his wrath out on the reporter, as if he were the one responsible. Then he accused the reporter nof being rude. No he was rude! What a boorish, classless, and utterly vulgar display of prideful arrogance! He is NOT emperor or king that all others are to kneel and bow down and do obeisance, he is merely the President of the United States (by some fluke of our Constitution, at that). He is our representative and public servant, not our ruler or master. He is a man like you or me. He is not better, nor above us. We give our respect until he loses it. He has with me.

Then, even more horrifying was, the rest of the reporters went on like nothing had happened! They got totally cowed by him making an example of Jim Acosta. As a body they should have stood up and said, No, you don't get to treat us like that, and walked out, and reported just what happened to the American people. They are the fourth estate, but it looks like like they're lapdogs of the first. (h/t Driftglass and Blue Gal)

Steve Bannon Named Trump's Chief Strategist For Trump

Well here it is. One of the most bigoted men in America, has been named Trump's "chief strategist."  He'll be at Trump's right hand. The major media has been trying to sell us on the idea that Trump would dial back his rhetoric and become more mainstream, more "presidential." Nope. Steve Bannon is nothing less than a white supremacist. He turned Breitbart.com, a far right website into the voice of what is euphemistically called the "alt-right," and more accurately termed neo-nazi, militia oriented, white supremacists. While the majority of Trumpers may not be as far out as these people, I've seen nothing to give me any hope that they would act as a brake on these people. Yet, here Bannon will be, daily having the ear of the President of the United States.

Some of the most out there wackos are being floated for becoming part of Trump's Cabinet. Some examples:

Secretary of State:             John Bolton, Newt Gingrich
Attorney General:              Rudy Giulianni, Trey Gowdy, Chris Christie
Secretary of the Treasury: Steve Mnuchin, Carl Icahn
Secretary of Defense:        Jeff Sessions, Gen. Flynt
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Ben Carson, Bobby Jindal
Secretary of Energy:          Sarah Palin, Harold Hamm

There's more and worse.  In other words, Trump promised us he'd pick the best people to surround himself with. These people are the worst you could imagine. Hell, his vice president is a religious nut (and a heretic in my Christian opinion), who has promised to roll back LGBTQ protections, and overturn Roe v. Wade. Trump has already said he will turn a lot of power over to his VP, because he really doesn't want to take the time to govern properly. It's Pence that is leading his transition team.

Folks, we're in for a world of hurt. Personally, I think he's going to make us look back nostalgically for the Bush years, as rulers who had some semblance of being sane. Believe me, it gives me absolutely no pleasure to say this. I love my country, but we've really screwed the pooch with this election.

Election 2016

So it's between the Democrat, Hillary Clinton, the first woman nominated for President by a major political party, and Donald J. Trump, His Orangeness, and reality TV "star." I was a Bernie Sanders fan, but I will be voting for Hillary for a number of reasons. She may not have been my original choice, but she is so far superior to His Orangeness that it's pathetic.

His Orangeness has demonstrated time after time again that he is ignorant of basic facts about the U.S.  and the world. He has shown an affinity for dictators throughout the world, and has shown sympathy for Russia and Putin. He's sexist, racist, and a damned bullshit artist. No one can predict what he will do, but his narcissistic personality and actions show he is only out for himself.  The Republicans, except for a few, are supporting him as Team Red.

HRC is far from perfect, but at least is a conventional politician. Bernie made her tack to more liberal and progressive rhetoric, and forced the Democratic Party to enact the most progressive platform ever. I voted for Barak Obama (twice), and although he didn't so what I wanted, he sure beat the alternatives. Then again, Republicans, from the very first day he took office decided to deliberately
block whatever he was for, even if it was a Republican policy, such as the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare. It especially impacted Obama's government spending in jump starting the economy when it was in free fall when he took office, losing jobs at the rate of 750,000 a month. The Republicans successfully cut what was needed in half, a third of which was tax cuts. Things probably would have been much better if that had not happened.

This all goes to illustrate how bad the Republican philosophy is. The last time we had a Republican administration, they turned a budget surplus, which was going to pay off the national debt by 2010, into trillion dollar deficits, started two wars on the government's credit card, and then because of their kockamamie economic policy, crashed the economy on the way out the door that Democrats had to pick up the pieces.

The media is absolutely no help in informing the American people. It is only interested in making money, and a horse race is the way they go. Both siderism, that is, both sides are responsible for the mess we are in, is the mantra of the dominant media. Where I live, the dominant media is totally conservative. There is no liberal media that competes with conservative media. It's one reason I go ballistic when I hear ostensibly liberal, progressive people repeating conservative memes.

Bottom line, progressive people, of which I am one, need to realize this is an election between Democrats and Republicans. Third party candidates like, Jill Stein or Gary Johnson have absolutely no chance of winning. That's why I consider a vote not for Hillary Clinton is a vote for His Orangeness. It may make one feel righteous, but it will have the effect of electing the very worst person ever to the presidency, and I lived through the Nixon, Reagan, and George W. Bush administrations.

I watched in 2000 when "people of conscience" in Florida cast enough votes for third party candidate, Ralph Nader, to make the election close enough to trigger a recount under Florida state law. Then, because of justices elevated to the Supreme Court by Bush 41, voted to halt the recount, and give the election to Bush 43, which was called by W's brother Jeb, and his minion, Secretary of State, Katherine Harris. I do not want to see any replay of that atrocity. When the media finally got around to recounting the vote, Gore would have taken Florida and the election.

You may not like Hillary. She's not my favorite. But the only way to prevent the worst alternative possible, is to hold your nose and cast your vote for her. Then we can live to fight another day. We must continue to fight for our progressive principles up and down the ballot. If you don't like the choices get out and work for better. Not just vote, but work to get others to vote for our principles. If you were a Bernie supporter, like me, then continue working for the revolution. Don't just sink back into your apathetic holes, but work to bring about the change you want, and not expect others to do the work for you.

To my friends in Georgia. Georgia is in play in this election. Let's not give Georgia's electoral votes to him by not voting for her.