September 2019 - Calamity Politics

What Flag is Flying Over the White House?

By Darlene Mitchell September 29, 2019 May 18, 2020 Donald J. Trump, President, Rudy Giuliani, Scandals, Voting

By D. S. Mitchell

A Long Relished Impeachment

I went to bed, watching MSNBC’s The 11th Hour w/Brian Williams. I don’t know when I fell asleep. The station played while I slept fitfully, visions of impeachment dancing in my head. The thoughts of the long relished impeachment of Donald J. Trump seemed to be sharing stage with another vision. Red, white, and blue, spun polyester twisted weirdly on a brisk breeze. Even in my confused sleep, I knew something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

What Flag Flies?

I couldn’t make sense of it. What the fuck? Confused, I twisted my head back and forth trying to clear the distorted image. Why does the flag look so strange? The stars; where are the stars? OMG. The stripes aren’t the stripes of My flag, and My country. The flag flying over this nightmare White House is strange to me. Suddenly, in my restless dream I identified the tri-stripe red, white, and blue of Russia.

Ukrainian Special Envoy Resigns

My eyes flew open. Joe and Mika were talking with the usual crowd at the “Morning Joe” conference table. The topic centered around Ukrainian Special Envoy, Kurt Volker’s sudden and unexpected resignation. I shook my head. The rest of the commentary centered on Trump officials and outliers like Rudy Colludy making a sweating fool of himself on numerous cable channels over the week-end.

Rudy Colludy

“Since when does the personal attorney for a president become an arm of the U.S. State Department?” I found myself asking. It seems Rudy has mixed several roles in his Ukrainian campaign. Official, unofficial, who the hell cares, he says. I think a whole bunch of us care, Rudy. Since when does the personal attorney to a sitting president change hats from hour to hour. Rudy’s conflict of interest is blinding. The intent to interfere in an American election is screaming for attention. Rudy has gone from an admired former mayor of New York City to a social pariah. He has cemented his legacy as a treacherous colluder. I am curious; just who is paying him? I doubt it is Donald Trump.

Nightmares

I know there is a lot of political wrangling going on in the Congress. The Trump coalition is claiming another “witch-hunt”. The Dems are claiming treachery, obstruction of justice, bribery, and election tampering, for starters. Impeachment is becoming a reality. Personally, from what I can see, Trump went on national television and admitted that in his “perfect” conversations with the Ukrainian president Zelensky he tried to blackmail and coerce a foreign official to dig up dirt on a political opponent. What are the Republicans claiming? That Trump didn’t say it? Please. After a criminal admits his guilt his attorney cannot deny culpability; as long as the criminal is deemed to be sane.

Putin The Beneficiary

The conversation seems focused on Trump’s conversations with Ukrainian officials. Yes, the Ukraine is a major player, but certainly not the single most important participant in this scandal. Behind the curtain is the true manipulator of our foreign policy, Vladimir Putin. Trump has spoken to him via telephone no less than 12 times. He has met personally with the Russian president at least twice. I want to see those conversations. When we do, I’m sure we will find Putin behind Trump’s activities. Impeachment is unavoidable. Trump won’t permit anything else. He cannot be constrained by the Constitution, so it is up to the Congress to bridle this out of control dictator, while we can still claim a government.

RESIST, CONFRONT and VOTE.

D. S. Mitchell

30 Things To Smile About; Despite Trump

By Darlene Mitchell September 22, 2019 May 18, 2020 Distractions, Donald J. Trump, President, Ruminations, Scandals

30 Things To Smile About

By D. S. Mitchell

I Underestimated His Evil

I have to admit, I underestimated The Donald. I had predicted a disastrous presidency if Trump won the 2016 election, but I had no idea how totally incompetent and evil his presidency would quickly become. Every day newspaper headlines blast his criminality, his race baiting, his sexism, his xenophobia, his mob-style behavior, yet the Jester of Crime continues to break the law and his supporters do nothing but deflect and promote his lies.

Six Blog Posts A Day

I am finding that there is enough scandal, dirt, and disgust to give enough fodder for at least half a dozen blog posts every day. It is more and more obvious that the scurrilous and scandalous actions of Trump and his corrupt and sycophant cabinet and his prostituted DOJ needs to end. Sooner, than later. But I thought, before I start today’s rant on the collapse of American law, dignity and civility, I should deliver something positive and uplifting.

I’ve had a bit of a problem with positivity these days, but here goes;

“30 Things To Make You Smile; Despite Trump”

(1.) Building sand castles, (2.) Coming in 1st, (3.) Kids in sunglasses, (4.) Puppies & kittens, (5.) Kite flying, (6.) A freshly painted room, (7.) “Fish On!”, (8.) Blowing the wrapper off the straw, (9.) Pumpkin pie, (10.) Farmer’s Markets, (11.) Bar-hopping, (12.) Old jeans that fit just right, (13.) My mother’s brilliant smile, (14.) The clatter of skis being loaded, (15.) The aroma of bacon cooking, (16.) The sound of rain on the metal roof, (17.) The imagination of a six-year-old, (18.) Margaritas at midnight, (19.) Finishing the Sunday crossword (without cheating), (20.) Those really BIG M & M cookies, (21.) A shiny, new car, (22.) Roller Derby antics, ( 23.) A job well-done, (24.) A good book, (25.) Daddy’s quiet wisdom, (26) Another, “Fish On!”, (27.) Day hikes, (28.) A good Twitter fight, (29.) Watching Elizabeth Warren work a rally crowd, (30.) A day at the lake.

How about a few more?

I could probably come up with a few more. How about ? (31.) Autumn leaves, (32) Michelle Obama (33.) Popcorn and a movie, (34.) Family reunions, (35.) Protesting, (36.) Playing toe Tango, with you know who, (37.) Having the right answer, the first time, (38.) Old time rock-n-roll, (39.) Time alone, (40.) Quiet times, (41.) Teddy bears, (42.) Documentary films. Ok, enough, enough.

A Sunday Morning

Just a minor distraction for a rainy Sunday morning, but it did take my mind off the continuing chaos and treachery of the Trump administration. If you got a couple of minutes respite, that’s a good thing. Have a gem of a day-D.S. Mitchell

Get Involved

Be sure to get involved politically. Start by registering to vote. Make a promise that you will never miss an election. Every single election will have a very real effect. We can’t save the country from the Don of Crime if we don’t support anti-corruption laws. We must back our investigators in the House, men like Adam Schiff, who are leading the investigation into the underbelly of Republican operatives and dark money contributions.

JOIN THE RESISTANCE. VOTE BLUE.

How Boris Tried To Hijack Parliament

By Darlene Mitchell September 20, 2019 May 18, 2020 Boris Johnson, Brexit

Trevor K. McNeil and D.S. Mitchell

Mr. Johnson

Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A name resonating as strangely in British ears as President Rupert Murdoch would to Americans. While his may seem a particularly lofty and unexpected feat, it did not come out of nowhere. To really get a handle on what happened and how the former London mayor got where he is now, it is important to keep in mind his earlier career as a journalist.

Laying the Groundwork

Lord Acton once said that absolute power corrupts absolutely. An adage from which came the idea that the people who are best suited to govern are those who do not want to. Something that assisted Johnson no end as he slowly built up a name in the political arena long before entering it. Particularly as the Brussels Correspondent for the Spectator Newspaper where he wrote about the goings-on at the European Union. A platform which he used to gain influence in the growing Euro-skeptic community.

Renounces U.S. Citizenship

Apparently, trying to counteract the Acton effect. Everything Boris Johnson has done since his early 30’s has indirectly assisted, or was intended to serve his ambition to be Prime Minister. From his journalism career and two term stint as Mayor of London, both used to bolster his profile and popularity. In 2016 he dropped his American citizenship. He was born in New York. He has spent a unrewarded amount of time in efforts to keep his middle name, the vaguely French-sounding de Pfeffel, from becoming public knowledge.

A Small But Vocal Minority

The Euro-skeptics are a quadrant of the European Right Wing that would blow up in later years leading to the small but influential UK Independence Party which engineered the Brexit vote. France’s far-right Front Nationanale (National Front) which came in second in the last French national election are a segment of such philosophy. Johnson got in on the ground floor of the movement in the mid-1990’s and worked it so that by the time he first ran for parliament in 2001 he was already a well-known and popular figure in conservative circles.

Last Chance To Save Amazon Rain Forest

By Darlene Mitchell September 16, 2019 June 26, 2020 Amazon Rain Forest, Climate Change, Ecology, Social Issues

EDITORIAL:

By Trevor McNeil

Fashionable Worries

The American journalist and satirist P.J. O’Rourke long ago identified what he termed, ‘fashionable worries.’ Ones which he laid out in detail in his 1994 book, All The Trouble In the World. It is doubtful that O’Rourke really meant to dismiss the listed issues as not being issues. I liken it to how people will take on new styles in clothing because they think they should. He seems a rather reasonable sort; and among his list of ‘fashionable worries’ is over population, and other such crises, that not even a Republican – which O’Rourke really isn’t – would argue are not really issues.

On Balance

What is far more likely, on balance of evidence, is that O’Rourke was being honest when he explained himself and why he wrote the book. He emphasized he was not making fun of the issues, but rather those who adopt them with no real idea of what those issues are really about, or any of the other major issues going on, for that matter. One of those identified was the depletion of the Amazon rain forest. An eco-system few understand; in a part of the world few Americans have ever visited.

Remembering 9/11-Eighteen Years Later

By Darlene Mitchell September 12, 2019 May 18, 2020 Foreign Policy, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, War and Conflict

9/11-Eighteen Years Later

By D. S. Mitchell

World Trade Center Memorial

The 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attack was commemorated by victims relatives, survivors, rescuers and officials today. The attacks were masterminded by al Qaeda and it’s founder Osama Bin Laden. At least 2, 977 people died in the attack. It was the worst attack on American soil in U.S. history. Even the Pearl Harbor attack on Hawaii (then a U.S. territory) could not equal the death count at the World Trade Center.

High Jacked Commercial Airliners

On that beautiful Fall day, now nearly two decades ago, al Qaeda terrorists high jacked 4 commercial airliners. Two of the planes were subsequently crashed into the Twin Towers of The World Trade Center, New York City, N.Y. A third plane was directed at the Pentagon causing significant damage. The fourth and last commandeered plane was crashed into a rural field in Pennsylvania when passengers and crew fought back against the terrorists for control of the plane. Remembering 9/11 is important. Not just for the lives lost that day, but remembering the mistakes of our response is just as important as the attack.

Senseless Killing: Trophy Hunting

By Darlene Mitchell September 8, 2019 June 26, 2020 Animal Rights, Ecology, Ethics, Social Issues, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife

SENSELESS KILLING

By Anna Hessel

The Senseless Death of One Lion

In the summer of 2015, Minnesota dentist Dr. Walter Palmer, having reportedly paid $50,000 in US dollars to hunter-guide Theo Bronkhorst as the price for an innocent lion’s head, shot and killed a majestic creature named Cecil. Palmer first shot Cecil with bow and arrow, then tracked the wounded king of the jungle for about a 40-hour period, finally killing him with a rifle on July 1^st near Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.

A Song Too Late

Public outrage at this prompted many celebrities and politicians, among others, to publicly condemn the murder of this animal. Musicians composed songs of tribute in Cecil’s honor, while artists worldwide such as Aaron Blaise, a former animator for Disney, created works to celebrate his life and mourn his death.

HEROISM

By Darlene Mitchell September 8, 2019 May 18, 2020 Relationships

HEROISM:

It’s Not Just About Your Cape

By D. S. Mitchell

Heroism: Sometimes being a hero is as simple as:

Showing up for your child’s school program when it isn’t convenient.
Speaking up when you see a person being teased or bullied.
Visiting a dying friend, or family member no matter how hard.
Donating money to a political candidate who has heart and passion.
Adopting a homeless pet, (only to find that adoption, saved your life).
Sending a pre-paid phone card to a deployed soldier.
Never forget to say, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. It builds bridges.
Stopping to give a hug when you are running late.
Recycling and reusing.
Donating time for a favorite charity.
Putting flowers on the grave of a soldier that you never met.
Never being too proud to say you are sorry.
Giving up your seat to someone who needs it more than you do.
Being forever grateful.

Being a daily hero doesn’t require mammoth effort, but it does need ‘consistent and persistent effort”. I don’t remember who said that, but I think it is true. Consistency and persistence overcomes most obstacles. If you want to be a political hero I suggest you believe in your ability and power to effect change. I challenge you to effect your corner of the world and show your heroism.

“Every Heartbeat Hurts”

By Darlene Mitchell September 5, 2019 May 18, 2020 Donald J. Trump, President, ICE, Immigration, SW Border Concentration Camps

“Every Heartbeat Hurts”

By D. S. Mitchell

“Imagine a child trying to describe how trauma physically feels and saying to you, “Every heartbeat hurts.” Our government is tearing children apart and using their pain for political purposes”. Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley (Twitter 9/5/2019).

If you are ignoring the plight of the immigrant children at our border, shame on you. The manipulation of their immigration tragedy for Trump’s political base is both alarming and disgusting. There are many days between now and the 2020 presidential election. These kids can’t wait. Call your Senator and demand that these children be released to family members in the United States, or other suitable foster care.

I called. So should you.

KOCH BROS: Corruption & Hypocrisy

By Darlene Mitchell September 3, 2019 May 18, 2020 Charles Koch, Conservatism, Domestic Policy, Ethics, Politics, Social Issues

By Trevor McNeil & D.S. Mitchell

Kernel of Truth

The old adage that “only the good die young” was confirmed with the death of David Koch at the age of 79. David Koch, and brother Charles, formed the two-headed demon that led one of the most unethical and unprincipled companies in modern memory. Which is saying something with the likes of Enron as competition. Though, to be fair, like them or hate them, no one at Enron, as far as is known, used their vast fortune to fund and push for extreme hard right libertarian political ideology of small government and anti-regulation to transform U.S. government policy.

The Company We Keep

A group of hard Right, hyper-“patriotic”, pseudo-Christians emerged with the Obama election. These folks identified themselves as the “Tea Party”. They were a cranky group of hustlers and howlers who seem to think the parable goes “turn the other cheek; and then pull a Glock”. A bit of a turn on the standard evangelical prayer group.