Prime Minister Theresa May is O.K.

How come the U.S. can't have Theresa May as President? She is well-spoken. Instead we get saddled with that ignoramus, Trump, the "businessman" who can't pitch deals, can't turn a profit, can't manage, can't lead, and does not understand the economy. One thing he can do is bankruptcy, and that's probably what we are looking at not too far down the road.

Trump Would Rather Be Bombing A-rabs

Trump would rather be bombing A-rabs than paying for any medical care for the poor. Billions more for bombs, on top of and above the billions we already spend, but "Let 'em die!" seems to be the Republican motto when it comes to low-income citizens. Now, instead of Obamacare, the poor will discover that Trump-Doesn't-Care. I saw this one coming a mile away. What's interesting is that a lot of people that voted for Trump will be losing their health insurance. Contrary to Reason, I think Trump supporters will be O.K. with suffering and dying due to Trump, because he is a white man, and better yet of their own tribe. All they want is a white man of proper pedigree to call the shots, even if they and all their loved ones suffer and die. They will vote Republican in the next election as well, and this time they want to lose Social Security and everything else and hopefully get a world war out of the bargain. I recognize that Thanatos is a profound human need; people crave death, suffering, and resent those that want to forestall the inevitable. "Gxx-Damn Liberals" is what we are, communists, traitors, what-have-you. Thanatos indeed is the overriding impulse in some people. Human history is outlined by wars for a reason. Humans procreate and at the same time, find ways that they and all their kin might be annihilated; so the circle achieves completion. Reason ain't in it, only spiritual mumbo-jumbo that is hard to fathom.

As for Trump's increase of defense spending, although that sounds good in principle--we all want to be safe--the ugly truth about defense spending is that a huge amount goes to waste, up in smoke due to pure negligence, corruption, schmoozing, parties, kickbacks, gifts, you name it. Generals retire to become salesmen for the very firms they used to purchase from. In any case, this is the real reason that Trump wants to increase defense spending--to enrich his cronies the easy way. They don't have to work hard or think at all. They just collect checks from the government. Welfare for the rich.

To Be Old in America

Did I ever imagine, in my wildest dreams, that a United States President, a right-wing, conservative Republican at that, would play the Manchurian Candidate? No... not even while under the influence of cannabis. In their totality and simplicity, the signs are damning, to anyone that watches and listens, to anyone that is not blinded by partisan fervor. No matter the outcome, there will remain a stench of corruption around Trump's dealings with Russia. It may well fall upon patriotic conservative Republicans, of which there are many, to impeach a conservative Republican President, only for the good of the country. If his whole Administration has to go, as indeed it may, the rot extending from the roof to the floor, including Pence and all the others, then perhaps we will have Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) as President.

One thing is sure. These United States cannot ally with Putin. Then we would be evil and so much worse for this poor old world.

Hypocrisy

Now that the Republicans are in power in Washington, D.C., it is plain as day they are total hypocrites. All the little things they criticized the Democrats for, they have already done. Republicans are just hypocrites that want to get their way any which way they can. "The ends justify the means"--except in this case they really don't. The Republicans are going to pile up additional debt increasing an already over-sized military and giving tax breaks to corporations, while at the same time depriving people of health care and ignoring the environment. The reason they want to expand the military is simple and clear--they want a war with Iran.

Trump the Grump

The trouble with Trump is he is an intellectual lightweight. He surrounds himself with sycophants because he is insecure. Such a narcissistic man as Trump has a fragile ego, always harassed by enemies, real or perceived. His ideology may even have some good points, but flawed execution dooms his Presidency, like his raid in Yemen based upon "inadequate intelligence" (such an apt phrase). I am not sure how much damage Trump will do to the U.S. economy. It all depends on whether he starts a war and with whom. His Republican predecessors all waged war, so I suppose he feels obliged to follow through to "Stand Tall" and "Show Strength" ([C]opyright G.O.P.) If he picks Iran, there is going to be a strong feeling of deja vu in this country. If he picks China, then I suspect the U.S. will be in for a rude awakening on many fronts.

The U.S. needs about ten years to recover from its addiction to crack cocaine outsourcing. All those jobs and factories left the U.S. for China, and now China really has more manufacturing capacity. My bets are on China winning any kind of war in the long run, although the U.S. would likely score some short-term victories. Trump needs to stop talking and get to work. He spends all his time criticizing the media, and that is not going to produce any results.

Probably Trump is going to wage war in Yemen, because that would please Saudi Arabia, an old Republican ally, and seems a safe bet and a way to get back at Iran.

I am parking money in a money market fund, because although inflation is cranking back up as I expected, Trump seems unfocused, unprepared and unprofessional, and he has hatched some major goofballs. Amateur hour all around with Trump in office. He is still campaigning. I don't think he ever stopped being a candidate. He does not know how to be President. I keep wondering when he is going to shut up and start thinking things through before he acts.

John McWhorter @ CNN

I really liked McWhorter's piece on Trump and Chicago crime. It may be a good thing for Trump to send the Feds in to Chicago. Stop the gang violence, by martial law if necessary. Ordinary citizens have a right to live their lives without the threat of crime and violence.

I feel the same way McWhorter does about Trump: "Even a stopped clock is right twice a day." Trump spouts so many words that a man is bound to agree with some. He is like a shotgun. Yeah, a couple pellets are going to hit the mark.

Trump talks too much, for one thing, and engages his mouth more than his brain. He is not the ideal leader. He is going to make a lot of horrible and costly blunders with that angry mouth and hot head of his. The best that I hope for is that he corrects at least some of the blunders of his predecessors, and that his blunders prove to be correctable by his successor.

Due to Trump, Putin, and Xi, I do not have any hope that humanity will do anything to reverse climate change. Anyone living on the coast anywhere in the world is in for a rude shock, and those in the interior are also in for neat experiments like desertification, violent storms, flooding and violent and hungry refugees from the coast. Trump can be wrong, but ninety-nine per cent of world scientists can't be wrong.

On the other hand, is it right that the U.S. and Europe make all the sacrifices in an effort to reverse global warming, while India, China and Russia pump out maximum carbon emissions? If climate change is really inevitable anyway, and it probably is, given the geopolitical reality, then the U.S. might as well do whatever is expedient, because Russia and China represent evil in our world, and must not be permitted any advantages. Putin and Xi are evil incarnate and will never do anything that is good. If the U.S. committed suicide en masse, resulting in the elimination of all man-made carbon emissions, then China and Russia would continue with business as usual, and colonize our space and replace the lost carbon emissions with their own. Therefore, global warming is truly inevitable. It is impossible that China and Russia should cooperate with the U.S. They prefer global catastrophe and large-scale reduction of the world population to cooperation. Perhaps a reduction in global population is the real solution to global warming. There is not as much need for people nowadays, with automation in so many facets of business. The world could get by quite well with a million, let alone the seven billion currently in existence. This is the sobering reality foreseen by the elite, such as Trump, Putin, and Xi. It is my grim prediction for the future. I do not see a future with populous countries, but a future of war and strife, nuclear exchanges, massive pollution (including radioactive), dictatorships, and overall a long-term reduction in the global population. A "Mad Max" future.

Zero Sympathy for Google, Microsoft

Microsoft and Google appear uncomfortable with Trump's order restricting immigration from the terrorist-producing regions of the world. Seems they feel that their foreign eggheads will be impacted by the order.

My view is, tough titty. They can hire a bright young fellow from Iowa, train him, and keep their workforce 100% American. There is nothing a foreigner can do that an American can't do ten times better. We have a country with 300 million people, a well-educated workforce with a high number of college students, and these tech companies say they can't find enough eggheads? Hogwash!

Personally, I hope that treacherous Microsoft and Google lose a couple billion for depriving Americans of jobs. If they don't employ Americans, they are better off going bankrupt. Executives need to learn that what comes around, goes around. They enjoy the safety and comfort of living in America, yet transfer most of the jobs overseas. Is it a big surprise that American workers are not sympathetic?

The Feds' Sense of Humor

With Obama departing the White House, Snowden remains "snowed-in" in Russia.

I'm a Stakeholder

If I weren't a stakeholder in the U.S. and in the world, I'd be politically ambivalent, above it all. There is great amusement in the spectacle of Trump and the Republicans. One thing I like is how Trump has played all the Republicans like a violin. He even got his former Republican critics to lavish praise upon him, making them look like lap-dogs while he sits drinking his tea and smiling like a fox, his expression so easy to read. He has exposed many prominent Republicans for what they are. All their talk of principles take a backseat to Power. I could laugh, but then Trump makes mean, petty remarks that reflect poorly upon him--and upon us. The sobering thought arises, oh damn, this is my country we're talking about, and bad things may happen, like war. Trump seems a child in many ways. His ideology is of less concern to me than his temperament. We can certainly endure a conservative Republican administration like Bush, Bush Jr., or Reagan. This has been proven to my satisfaction. Those administrations were costly, adding to our national debt, but at least they kept things together. Will Trump keep things together? What sort of blunders, gaffes, and indiscretions must we expect?

Poor World

The billionaire boys club runs the world: Trump, Xi, and Putin. How those bozos are going to deal with global climate change, I don't know.

Trump is Refreshing

I actually find some of Trump's tweets refreshing, and I hope he is not just full of BS. The American people have been let down so many times. I like when he calls out companies for screwing the American worker by building plants overseas. I like when he calls out U.S. companies for screwing the government, which they do far too often. I wish he would keep focused on that, and especially target waste and corruption in Washington, D.C. If he did those things, then that would forgive an awful lot of bad karma he has generated with his less virtuous remarks. He needs to keep the peace, focus on jobs, and strive to be compassionate to minorities. The Angels will record his good works on the same ledger as his bad, and if he does enough good, then it might just possibly cancel out the bad. But he had better keep busy, night and day, and keep an eye affixed on some of his less than savory associates.

Here is hoping that Trump is really a Heart. A blind hope, at this point in time, but nonetheless. Why does a billionaire want to be President? Does he really, is he really so insanely driven that he wants more money through corruption, or is he, could he be... genuine, in some shape or form? Let us all hope Trump is a Heart, for the sake of the country.

Republicans Say, "Make it Rain!"

The House Republicans decided they need free reign to indulge in an extended four-year orgy of cheating, sexual harassment and stealing, so they gutted the ethics oversight watchdog, which they considered a damned nuisance. Now that crooked Trump is in, let the good times roll! Forty-eight per cent of the electorate can't be wrong. Stealing is in! I expect trillions of dollars to get diverted to corruption on a massive scale never seen before.

It's always amusing when people vote against their own interests. The low-income folks that voted for the Republicans or did not vote at all or sent in a stupid protest vote or voted for the Green Party nitwit need to to learn how to deal with untreated disease. Take some Bufferin to ease your sufferin. There certainly is not going to be any Obamacare to help you in this world. Got cancer? Take Bufferin. Heart disease? Bufferin. Mental illness? Bufferin. Remember to say "Thank you!" to the Republicans for denying you medical care.

The reason the poor won't have medical care is Republicans need to steal all that money to get richer. Instead of being millionaires, they need to become billionaires. The Republicans say, "Make it rain!"

The Daily Stormer

The ugly troll behind the Daily Stormer, a Trump cheerleader, imagines he has a monopoly on ultra-violence, hate and psychological warfare. The truth is, everyone keeps the full enchilada in reserve. The only thing keeping the masses from indulging their base instincts is a noble aspiration for a higher state of existence. We do not wish to live as base animals. It is commendable aspiration and was difficult to achieve. He argues we should revert to insects. To see the world in terms of skin color is stupid. He thinks his words are impressive because they are extreme. The reality is, the majority of mankind could say and do all the horrid things he thinks he has the sole rights to. The majority could do far worse than him. Want to be like ISIL, worse than dogs? Want to be worse than ISIL? If he were on the receiving end of what he advocates, he would change his tune in a few seconds, reverting back to the Noam Chomsky-reading liberal he said he used to be. All his hatemongering blather is just a smokescreen for his insecurities. Not impressed.

Back in the day, there were similar creatures in Europe. Some committed suicide, while others were shot or hung, after the war. There is meticulous documentation about their activities. He is parroting them. The forces he draws upon are not congenial for human beings. It is in their nature to betray the summoner.

Stocks are the Only Investment Vehicle with Wheels

I just don't see any future in bonds right now. I doubt whether they will even outpace inflation. Not with Trump. Stocks, maybe, and money market or, just maybe, an ultra-short term bond fund. There are going to be gyrations in the stock market with Trump. He drops clunkers all the time. Just doesn't sit down and think about things long or deeply. I'm not really sure he will keep us out of war, either. He seems pretty gung-ho about racking up another ten to twenty trillion in national debt. Basically that's what our overseas adventures are, another way to transfer wealth from the U.S. to China. We should have gotten free oil for a century from Iraq, but instead all we get is gimme more, gimme more, gimme more, and blame, derision and disrespect all around. War sucks as foreign policy. I hope somebody on Trump's team secretly understands that, because from the way they talk, seems like they hit a lot of trees in the Stupid Forest.

Merkel Embraces Thanatos

The Christmas market bombing in Berlin brings to mind the foolishness of Europe's stance on immigration. Germany's Merkel invites death and destruction upon the Germans. I think she should be impeached through whatever parliamentary process is available to the Germans.

There is no acceptable level of terrorism. Stop the so-called refugees at the door and tell them to go fix the problems in their own land before bringing their problems to our door. Why are these folk not fighting for their own land? All they want is a free ride in a rich nation. They shirk their duty and then want the West to fix all their problems for them. Europe does not need a bunch of fanatic know-nothings who do not even speak the language of their host country. They care nothing about the culture of Germany. They will ruin Europe and turn it into the same hell-hole they came from. They want sharia law, the rape of women, beheadings and public floggings. That is all they know for a hundred generations.

If the refugees belong anywhere besides their own land, then it would be in neighboring countries, not in Western Europe. The people of Europe are awakening to this truth, and it will not be long before the foolish politicians are cast out in elections.

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."