Trump Friend Arrested On Sex Trafficking Charges

Trump Associate Arrested

By D. S. Mitchell

Big News

The big news Saturday July 6th, 2019 was all about the Jeff Epstein arrest in New York. Epstein, a hedge fund billionaire, and registered sex offender has been the center of scandal and corruption for decades.

Head Banging

Donald Trump, our current president, has been a long-time Epstein friend and associate. I wonder if Trump has spent this week-end banging his head against the wall? Whether he is head-banging or hair-pulling, I bet Trump is throwing a mindless fit.

High Flyers

Trump told New York magazine in 2002 that Epstein was “a lot of fun to be with.” Epstein was known to entertain his high-flying friends on his private Caribbean island or at the Gatsby-like parties he threw at his luxury homes in Manhattan, New Mexico and Palm Beach, Florida.

Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew, younger brother of Prince Charles was reportedly close with Epstein. Andrew was forced to step down from his prominent position as special UK representative for trade in 2011, after it was reported that Epstein had once arranged a sexual encounter for the prince with a 17-year-old girl — one of a number of under-aged girls Epstein allegedly groomed to entertain his powerful male friends.

Princes And Presidents

Andrew wasn’t the only prominent man who was caught up in the Epstein sex scandal.  It is well known that at one point, Epstein also hung out with both Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, the Washington Post reported. 

In The Old Days

Trump commented in a 2002 interview that Epstein, “likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” Trump has had at least 22 women make allegations of sexual assault against him. Furthermore, there is a very dark story about Trump at an Epstein party many years ago. The oft repeated tale, alleged by a then 13-year-old girl, is that Trump raped her. Epstein was given a very sweet deal in Florida, let’s see if his money and powerful friends will be coming to his aid in this now very public case in New York.

 

Books About Donald J. Trump and Other Literary Legacies

BOOKS ABOUT DONALD J. TRUMP 

“A biography, is a detailed description of a person’s life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person’s experience of these life events,” Wikipedia

By Trevor K. McNeil

Write It All Down

Trump rarely reads and has been writing his memoir on his Twitter feed.

Trump rarely reads and is writing his memoir on his Twitter feed, 240 characters at a time

We live in an age of documentation. The word “biography” did not enter the English lexicon until relatively recently. We now have the ability to create personalized literature 240 characters at a time.  I’m sure a book about Donald Trump will someday be written based on his Twitter feed.  Before this age of technology however, a person had to be somewhat well-known  before anyone would think to write, or read, a book about them. One group that has almost always been in this category are U.S. presidents.

Once In The Ground

For much of American history, a president could count on being at least out of office before the ink began to fly. Some of the former leaders with the most pages dedicated to them being those who are long dead. Once in the ground, presidents become easy targets for writers and historians to delve into every aspect of their life and career from multiple angles. It’s always easier once someone is dead to dig about in their personal correspondence and investigate rumor and innuendo, and talk to people who shared time with the president.

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EDITORIAL: Final Shutdown

FINAL SHUTDOWN

By Trevor K. McNeil

Promises, Promises

Always keep your promises. This is what we teach our children from when they are very young. One pitfall to this maxim most adults don’t take into account when socializing with the little ones is that kids for the most part have an extremely literal world view.

No Matter How Cock-eyed

Yes, it is generally good to try and keep the promises one makes, particularly if one wants to cultivate a reputation for honesty and trust worthiness. It is not, however, needed that one stick entirely to the literal content of a promise no matter how blinkered, mad or cock-eyed it might be; or what unforeseen havoc it might wreak. This is why there is so often a distinction made between a threat and a promise, though in some ways, a promise can be far more frightening.

Political Promises

A relaxed attitude towards political promises is something that politicians know instinctively. In fact it is  as much a part of our system of government as gerrymandering or the Bill of Rights; something most politicians understand implicitly and are able to do as easily and unconsciously as they walk or breath. You will notice that I said “most.”

One of A Kind Is Not Always A Good Thing

There are many ways in which Donald John Trump is not like other politicians (or indeed other humans). Many of these have been commented on before and are obvious to those with the most cursory understanding of the American political system. It is not, for example, usual for a President to openly Tweet about government business, or use an unsecured cell phone, or invite Russian officials into the Oval Office. My head is still spinning.

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“Democracy Is Unquestionably The Worst Form Of Government”

Winston Churchill Questions The Value Of Democracy

More Than T-Shirt Philosophy

“Democracy is, unquestionably, the worst form of government” (ever conceived in the mind of man), “except for every other kind that has ever been tried,” Unknown (re-quoted by Churchill in House of Commons, 1947).)

Absolute Power 

Critics of democracy and its often accompanying capitalism, have a sad tendency to overlook what has happened historically when other forms replace it. Fascist Italy and Spain are but two glaring examples. Both of which reverted back to flawed but greatly preferable democratic systems at the first opportunity. While single party, and even single ruler, states might have some attraction, particularly in terms of efficiency; for any form of governance to work, given human nature if nothing else, there needs to be enforceable controls on power. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” is far more than a catchy tee-shirt slogan.

Democracy Needs A Population Of The Faithful

Democracy is an ideal. Liberty of thought and action, one person, one vote. We have representative democracy in the United States. The “ideal” is always a goal. As always, real democracy is obstructed by the partisan and the powerful, but even they give the ideal endless lip service. Democracy is more about faith. Faith, and attitude of mind that personal liberty is sacrosanct and that although the majority rules, there is a respect for the minority and their rights established by law.

Political Parties In A Democracy

One of the great advantages to democracy is the, at least ostensible, ability to limit the power of leaders particularly in terms of civil crackdowns and war, as well as the ability to get rid of leaders that prove too dangerous or criminally corrupt to keep in office. At every stage of an American presidential election from the primaries to inauguration, there are particular safeguards, mostly left to the political party brass, to keep the unfit and potentially dangerous from even seeking election.

Nixon Is The Only U.S. President To Ever Resign From Office

Is Impeachment A Possibility?

When a lunatic or warmonger does happen to slip through (*cough* Nixon *cough*), there is always the possibility of impeachment. Except, really there isn’t. I do not want to  rain on anybody’s protest movement but the chance of Trump being removed from office by impeachment is inthe negative numbers.

Laws Are Fallible 

You are probably thinking, something like, “but that is what impeachments are for!”  You are correct; that is what the impeachment process was created to do. Unfortunately, rules and processes only work when applied correctly and as written. Sadly, rules are as fallible as the  mortals who create and enforce them. As such, no sitting American president has ever been successfully removed from office as the direct result of impeachment.

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Sexual Assault Is On Everyone’s Mind

Sexual Assault Is On Everyone’s Mind

D. S. Mitchell

How do we explain the last half of 2017? It is as if a huge segment of America’s women stood up in unison and screamed, “enough,” drawing a line in the sand. Sexual harassment will no longer be endured silently. No longer will abusers operate unrestrained.

There seems to be a recent rejection of men dominating the decision making centers of business and government. Have we come to a time and place in our history where the accuser’s story will be believed and the accuser will not be re-victimized by people who pick through their lives like hyena’s in search of red meat.

In the United States the accused remains innocent until proven guilty. With that in mind, the onus seems to be shifting to those who have been accused of heinous acts, by people with nothing to gain but to bring some sense of personal retribution and public justice.

The court of public opinion has been convened. Beware of moral flattening, where years of predatory behavior requires the same punishment as a poor choice of words, or a thoroughly vetted news article is given the same weight as a Twitter comment.

The hand of public opinion is severing the heads of many people we admire for their art, athletic prowess, government policy, and leadership. But recent events are showing that rich and famous people can no longer hide their bad behavior. They are going to be made accountable.

The toppling of Harvey Weinstein has become a watershed moment in this movement toward equality. Harvey’s fall brought out a tsunami of charges against a series of powerful men including, Kevin Spacey, John Conyers, Al Franken, Louis CK, Charlie Rose, Mark Halerin, former presidents George H.W.Bush and Bill Clinton. And just this morning, Matt Lauer was fired after sexual harassment charges made against him were made public.

Politics does seem to be at work, as we have all arrived simultaneously at the crossroads in our evolution as a society. Trump’s victory, despite his deeply problematic relationships with women, and the released ‘Access Hollywood’ tapes where the future president of the United States brags about sexual assault seems to have fed a slow burning fire. Charlotte Alter writing for Time magazine described the Trump victory this way, “the 2016 election was a referendum on what women could achieve and what men could get away with.”

But before Trump’s election, for the last couple years, beginning in the television and movie industry there has emerged a trend toward demanding recourse from powerful men. The first big show business name that comes to my mind is Bill Cosby, who’s criminal behavior began coming to light in 2014. Following Cosby came Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly, both at Fox News. Fox News is currently under federal investigation for encouraging a “culture” of sexual harassment.

A majority of Americans will no longer stand by the results of that national election, and want immediate action to remedy the situation. On January 21, 2017 2.6 million concerned citizens took to the streets with the Women’s March. A new pressure, a mounting pushback seemed to be coalescing around Trump’s election.

The movement isn’t just about sexual harassment and assault. It is about a fair society in which all viewpoints are weighed and considered, and women are not held down when they resist sexual advances by bosses and clients of power.

Our houses of congress are obvious bastions of male dominance. That truth is witnessed every night on our television screens as the old white men trudge into focus. There is little semblance of equality. Women are organizing, speaking up and demanding that sexual harassment come to a halt, now.

It is important that women seize this moment and demand access to the seats of power. Women must run for office. The gender break down of the current US congress is 19% women 81% men. This poor representation in Washington, DC comes at a great cost, policy wise. Women if they want equality, must take a larger role in government. Women’s issues will not be seriously addressed until women take their rightful and equal place in our government. Women should represent their gender needs in government at the same proportion as on Main Street.

Run baby, run.

Let’s make 2018 the Year of Women. Vote Blue. Stand up for your mom, your sister, your niece, your wife, your friend. Women know women’s issues. Let’s stop the abuse, let’s make our voices heard.

Calamity Politics is a progressive on-line political news magazine bringing the action of our government into your living room. Join the Resistance.

Dar

Trade In The Era Of Trump

Trade In The Era Of Trump

D. S. Mitchell

As an epic economic and diplomatic tour, empty-handed. His tactics of insult and bullying did not play well.

Here in the United States there is white knuckle fear that NAFTA will once again become central in Trump’s great trade experiment. Of course, there are valid points made by the administration. There is trade imbalance, but most US industries are looking for a few tweaks, not abolishment of a treaty that has produced many benefits for US industry and farmers.

NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, is a 1994 pact between Canada, US and Mexico. I’m from NW Oregon and many Mexican markets were opened to Northwest wheat growers. In fact, exports increased by 400%. At the same time many of these farmers have complaints about Canadian wheat pricing. You can’t make everybody happy, but that does not mean these folks want to tear up the historic treaty.

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