Part V: Behind The Curtain

Part V: Behind The Curtain

D. S. Mitchell

At the end of Part IV: Behind The Curtain, David Cay Johnston told the reading audience that he had never seen evidence that Donald Trump was now a billionaire, or ever has been a billionaire.   I have no idea, and actually I really could care less if Trump is a billionaire or just a multimillionaire. That shit’s all in his head, not mine. Kinda like the guy who buys the biggest most gaudy truck he can find, to make up for some secret deficiency.

What I do care about is the obvious, and quite serious conflict of interest issues.  Trump has provided no tax returns, he has not established a blind trust, or divested himself of his businesses.  There are many questions about his deals with Russian oligarchs and his ongoing effort during the 2016 campaign to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, working behind the scenes with his long time attorney, Michael Cohen.

One of the character flaws noted by personal friends of Trump and discussed earlier in this series, is Trump’s poor judgment when choosing partners and associates. I can’t help adding my opinion on this matter.  I think, in addition to poor judgment, Trump just does not give a damn, that’s right, I don’t think he cares. The president’s  choice of Jared Kushner to be his Senior Advisor is a perfect example.

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Part IV: Behind The Curtain

Part IV: Behind The Curtain

D. S. Mitchell

As we have already seen, Russians have floated in the Trump swamp for decades. The President’s first contacts with Russians came in the late 1980’s when Trump was wooed by the Russian government to look at the prospect of building hotels in Moscow and Kiev.

Trump has had many Russian tenants in the Trump Tower.  One very memorable Russian tenant was alleged Russian mob boss Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov.  An apartment at Trump Tower rented to Tokhtakhounov was the subject of a raid in April 2013 by federal agents as part of an investigation in to two separate gambling rings. Interestingly, Ali Tokhakhounov was, despite being under indictment in the United States for various gambling and corruption charges, made an appearance at Trump’s Miss Universe Pageant held in Moscow that same year.

In addition to Russian tenants, Trump has had several Russian partners, most notably the boys from Bayrock. The Trump Organization has sold an endless stream of condo’s and private residences to Russians. His children have traveled extensively throughout Russia.  In fact, according to recent news stories the Trump Organization was actively negotiating with Russian officials to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 Presidential election.

In January of 2017 Trump tweeted, “I have nothing to do with Russia–NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING.” We now know that was a blatant lie. In separate interviews about that same time Trump said in weird rambling denials that neither he or his campaign had any connection to Russians.  Trump’s praise of Putin, and his refusal to ever criticize the Russian strong man has brought those assertions into serious question, causing many to speculate that Trump has been compromised.

Going back to that 2013 Miss Universe Pageant, prior to the event Trump issued a very strange tweet, “Do you think Putin will be going to The Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow–if so, will he be become my new best friend?”

The answer to that very strange Twitter inquiry is unknown. Putin did not go to the event, but he did send an expensive lacquered Russian box to Trump. The event venue was the Crocus City Mall.  The Crocus City Mall is owned by Aras Agalarov a Russian oligarch with known ties to Vladimir Putin.  It is common knowledge that Agalarov and Trump discussed the construction of twin adjacent Trump towers in downtown Moscow during that 2013 visit.

Trump bizarrely equating business deals with diplomacy; answered as follows when a FoxNews commentator confronted him on his lack of foreign policy experience. “I know Russia well.  I had a major event in Russia two or three years ago, which was a big, big incredible event,” referring to the Miss Universe Pageant.

Really? Please explain to me, and the 70% of Americans who do not equate running a beauty pageant with running a country, how that answer and that experience would in any way qualify him as knowledgeable of foreign policy. Trump, I believe, is slowly beginning to realize what many of us already knew, that the two are in no way similar, or interchangeable.  In fact, many of the tactics used in business are inappropriate as national political strategy or policy.

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The Columbia Gorge is Burning

The Columbia Gorge Is Burning

D. S. Mitchell

I live on the North Oregon coast, that’s about 60 miles west of Portland, Oregon. The sun for the last couple of days has appeared as a bizarre red neon ball through the smoke that is now plaguing most of the state. The source of the smoke is a raging 32,000 acre blaze destroying one of Oregon’s most scenic areas, the Columbia Gorge.

The gorge was chiseled through rock by the Columbia River over a span of nearly 20 million years as it cut its way to the Pacific Ocean.  I am heart-broken watching the pictures come in. I don’t know if I can truly express the loss I am feeling. There is a beautiful piece in The Oregonian, written by Jaimie Hale. (*Please go to the left side bar of this blog site and scroll down until you see the picture of a burning forest fire and click on her article. It is well worth reading.)

When I lived in Lake Oswego, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, I would ski at Mt Hood, party with friends in Hood River and always stop at Multnomah Falls to enjoy its iconic beauty.  The Columbia River Gorge is a national treasure and the loss is monumental.

Join the Resistance

Dar

I will be back with Part IV:Behind The Curtain tomorrow. Please join us as we slice and dice the current administration.

Part III: Behind The Curtain

Part III: Behind The Curtain

D. S. Mitchell

One thing we have learned over the years is that Donald Trump is very aware of perception, most notably, the size of his fortune. In a 2006 lawsuit Trump sued Timothy L. O’Brien, author of TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald, for $5 million in damages because O’Brien asserted that Trump was actually “worth somewhere between $150 million and $250 million.” This was after Trump had stated in the book that he was worth $6 billion.

Trump claimed that “low ball estimates of his wealth came from guys who have four hundred pound wives and were jealous of his success.” ***(“four hundred pound wives’ sounds eerily familiar. Remember that imaginary “four hundred pound hacker siting on his bed” Trump described during the debates? So, my first twisted thought is that if I hear the “400 pound” line come out of his mouth I will assume it is an outright lie.)

So, what is Trump really worth? We are now entering murky waters. In the O’Brien lawsuit Trump claimed that an unfavorable news story, article, comment, or book in this case, could “psychologically hurt me. I am a billionaire, not a perceived billionaire.”

Court records from that case, based on a Trump Organization financial statement placed his net worth at $3.5 billion, far less than the $6 billion Trump claimed to O’Brien during interviews for TrumpNation. That same year there were many other efforts to assess the size of Trump’s fortune.  North Fork Bank, now Capital One Bank, estimated his total worth to be $1.2 billion, while Deutsche Bank put the estimate at closer to $788 million in 2005.

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Gorka Joins Bannon Back At Breitbart

Gorka Joins Bannon Back At Breitbart

D. S. Mitchell

Sebastian Gorka, one of the most bizarre choices, for a presidential advisor in memory, has been cut loose, a week after his mentor, Steve Bannon resigned. Gorka came with Steve Bannon from Breitbart News and according to reports will be rejoining the alt-right puppet master back at his former job.

Gorka and the White House tell different stories about the events surrounding his departure as Counter-Terrorism Advisor.  Gorka submitted his resignation letter via the Federalist and that outlet published the document.  Furthermore, Gorka issued a statement complaining about Trump’s Afghanistan speech on Monday. Most particularly irritating to Gorka was the omission by Trump of the term “radical Islamic terrorism.”

The phrase, used constantly by Trump, during the 2016 presidential campaign, has been condemned by military and religious scholars and policy makers.  This omission is a very big deal with Gorka and Bannon. Gorka promotes the belief that there are no social or economic factors encouraging radicalization, but is rather a “flaw” in the religion that allows it to be manipulated and directed against the west.  Essentially, Gorka believes “Islamic terrorism is essentially ideologically motivated and rooted in a totalitarian religious mindset, where violence is an integral part of the Islamic faith.”

In Gorka’s formal statement, about his resignation he cited “the forces that do not support ‘Make America Great Again’ are ascendant in the White House.  The forces in the Administration have been internally countered, systematically countered, systematically removed or undermined in recent months.”

The White House declared that Gorka had been fired.  The truth is probably somewhere between to two separate claims. Whichever story is true about his leaving his White House job, it is known that Gorka will be back at Breitbart on Monday.

Gorka was born in the UK in 1970 to Hungarian immigrant parents.  He has a long list of “credentials” and “degrees” many of which are considered circumspect by colleagues and scholars.  Gorka is widely disdained my most of his counterparts.  He has been described as a “fringe” character.  His views have been roundly criticized.

Gorka’s views on Islam and radicalization–as well as his identifying with the Order of Vitrez, or supporting the European Union banned anti-Roma, and anti-Semitic Hungarian Guard have caused most of the controversy. The drumbeat for dismissal came almost immediately after Gorka wore the Order of Vitrez medal to the Trump inauguration.

The sight of that medal sent the anti-fascist and most liberals into attack mode.  The Medal, may, or may not represent Nazi sympathies. Sebastian Gorka has been accused of ties to Nazi sympathizing organizations, in the United States and Europe. I have seen no proof of that, however that seems to be one of the major reason for the mounting hatred on the Progressive side of the controversy against Gorka.

Gorka has authored several books, including, ‘Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War.”

Well, I certainly won’t miss this controversial character and I don’t think the average American, neither knows he was there or cares that he is gone. Most progressives are jumping up and down and cheering at the news.  I don’t know much about the man, but his alignment with the alt-right is enough for me to support his removal.

On Sunday, August 27, 2017, Sebastian Gorka threatened the “left” with a “big surprise.” I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I say, “Bring it on.”

I presume that Gorka was not taking on the large community of the Progressive left, but was rather taking on the “leftist influence” in the White House, specifically John Kelly, Gary Cohn and Dina Powell.

“Hasta la vista, baby,” is my final comment on Sebastian Gorka.

Topics of Calamity Politics analysis and commentary focuses primarily on U.S. political scene. So, please join me as I look at the good, the bad, the planned and the unplanned, daily.  It’s just my opinion, but I hope my thoughts and feelings connect with a segment of readers.

Join the Resistance

Dar

Trump Policies Threaten National Park System

Trump Policies Threaten National Park System

D. S. Mitchell

The National Park Service just entered its second century of existence.  The National Park system “features over 400 stunning landscapes, iconic historic sites, battlefields, and cultural treasures that define our country, its evolving story and the enduring legacy we are called upon to uphold,” a recent National Park Foundation informational declared.  I have chosen a dozen National Park sites to highlight, today. Places that must be protected for future generations.

We have been entrusted with so much natural beauty and we cannot shrug our responsibility to future generations.  We must protect these treasured locations and prevent Trump & Associates from raping the environment.  Please join the National Park Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, Sierra Club and dozens more organizations that are hitting all the alarm bells and filing lawsuits against the Trump Administration to stop these fossil fuel profiteers before they can start drilling, logging, and fracking on these precious lands. Join the Resistance against the environmental attack. Stop the Trump wrecking crew before the damage becomes irreversible.

Over the last several weeks I have hit the dangers to the environment button pretty hard. I promise this is my last post on the environment and, or, climate change for a while. Please, please, please give to any of the organizations fighting to save our threatened wild places. There is so much flim-flam, and “keep your eye on the pea” that I am worried that what is happening behind closed doors will decimate our park system before the public even finds out that it has happened.

So, with the beauty of our country at stake due to Trump’s Administration intention to dig, plow, pump, drill, log and frack every corner of the planet, starting on our public lands. Because of the danger,  I thought it might be a nice reminder of our nation’s beauty by taking a short tour of 12 of our most remarkable National Parks.

Badlands National Park, South Dakota:  Established on Jan. 29th, 1939 the Badlands National Park protects 242, 796 acres of southwestern South Dakota.  The park terrain is dramatic with sprawling grasslands, deep canyons and towering rock spires.. The park is habitat for Bighorn Sheep, American Bison and small rodents such as the prairie dog. Inside the park at Fossil Exhibit Trail fossils recovered within the park are on display for visitors.

Yosemite National Park, California: Yosemite was first protected in 1864. Yosemite is famous for its waterfalls and steep peaks. Within 1,200 square miles there are deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoia, and a vast wilderness area.  Yosemite is a World Heritage Site and entertains 5 million tourists annually.

National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C.:     A centerpiece of the Mall is the Lincoln Memorial, an enduring symbol of freedom.  The memorial was designed after an ancient Greek temple.  The 36 outer fluted columns represent the number of states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death.  The “park/mall” is in downtown Washington, D.C. Unofficially it is the area between the Lincoln Memorial on the West and East to the U.S. Capitol grounds.  The mall contains the Smithsonian, art galleries, cultural institutions and many memorials, sculptures and statues. Some of the greatest assemblage of humanity in giant protests have occurred on the National Mall.

Glacier National Park, Montana: Glacier National Park was established May 11, 1910. The park covers 1,583 square miles of wilderness in Montana’s Rocky Mountains.  Glacier carved peaks and valleys run all the way to the Canadian border.  There are more than 700 miles of hiking trails. Diverse wildlife include Grizzly bears and Mountain goats. The park is known as the “Crown of the Continent.” Glacier is the headwaters for streams that flow to the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and to Hudson Bay.  What happens at Glacier affects waters in a huge section of North America.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park cover 816 square miles straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennessee.  Lush forests where wildflowers bloom year round is a delightful park that offers camping and hiking among rivers, creeks and waterfalls.  The Great Smoky Mountains National Park entertains more than 11 million visitors annually. Rainfall rushes down the mountainsides of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, creating an abundance of waterfalls . Visitors will find cascades and waterfalls on nearly every stream or river in the park.

Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania: The park protects and interprets the landscape of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg.   The park commemorates the largest battle fought during the American Civil War. It was after the tragedy at Gettysburg where so many died on both sides that Abraham Lincoln came to give one of the most famous and memorable speeches of all time, forever known as the “Gettysburg Address.” The park is about 9.5 square acres.  The park welcomes over a million visitors annually.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon: Crater Lake is 1950 ft deep. The lake was formed when Mount Mazama erupted nearly 8,000 years ago and then collapsed, forming the lake.  The park is the only National Park in the state of Oregon and entertains over 800,000 visitors each year.  The lake is fed only by rain and snowfall and is a photographer’s dream blue. The park was established by Teddy Roosevelt in May 1902 and encompasses over 183,000 sq acres.

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida: The Dry Tortugas is a small archipelago of coral islands which are the most western and most isolated of the Florida Keys.  The park is 99% water and is located 68 miles west of Key West, Florida.  The area is home to sea turtles, and multiple sea birds.  The seven small islands in the Gulf of Mexico offers picturesque blue waters, superlative coral reefs and marine life, and the historic Fort Jefferson and is skin divers paradise.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona: The canyon is one mile deep and 277 miles long.  The Grand Canyon was formed during six million years of geological and erosion activity. Teddy Roosevelt famously said, it is “the one great sight which every American should see.” The park was established in February 1919, and covers over 1900 square miles. Layered bands of red rock frame the Colorado River at the bottom of a mile deep canyon.  The Grand Canyon is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the United States accommodating more than 6 million visitors annually.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming:
Located in NW Wyoming the Grand Teton National Park encompasses 310,000 acres.  The park was established in 1929 and entertains 3.5 million annual tourists.  The park includes the 4,ooo meter Grand Teton Peak and the valley known as Jackson Hole.  Grand Teton Park is linked to the nearby Yellowstone National Park by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.  Rugged mountain peaks rising above a rich landscape with extraordinary wildlife, pristine lakes, and alpine terrain are the Grand Tetons.  The park provides 200 miles of trails for hiking, fishing and back country camping. Exploring the Snake River and experiencing the serenity of the region is memory making.

Arcadia National Park, Maine:
The Arcadia National Park consists of 49,000 + acre Atlantic coast recreation area, primarily on Maine’s rugged coast including Mount Desert Island.  The landscape is woodland, rocky beaches and glacier scoured granite peaks such as Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the Atlantic coast of the United States.  Visitors come to bike historic carriage roads, fish the waterways and enjoy the abundant wildlife, including moose, bear, whales and sea birds.The park was established in 1919.

Arches National Park, Utah: Described as a “red rock wonderland,” Arches National Park is a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures. The park has more than 2,000 natural stone arches, as well as hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins, and giant balanced rocks.” The Arches National Park is north of Moab, Utah. The 119.8 square miles park is bordered by the Colorado river in the southeast. The park entertains over 1.5 million visitors annually. Park was established in 1929.

Calamity  Politics is a progressive political blog.  We post mostly everyday.  Our focus is on the U.S. political scene. Our intent is to present relevant and engaging analysis and commentary on the headline news of the day. Please leave a comment.  We enjoy reading what our readers have to say.

Join the Resistance

Dar

Racism At The White House

Racism At The White House

D. S. Mitchell

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Those words were put to paper 240 plus years ago when the founding fathers joined together to form the United States of America, a democratic nation.

Several days ago, in Charlottesville, VA, torch carrying, chanting protesters identified variously as Neo-Nazi’s, KKK, skin heads or white supremacists, carrying AK47’s and baseball bats threatened the peacefulness of one of America’s most charming cities.

Twelve separate white supremacists groups from around the country gathered together in Charlottesville, VA last week in a stated effort to start a race war.  The particular event drawing them together last week end was the advertised removal of a commemorative statute sitting on public property celebrating Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

The Confederacy consisted of eleven Southern states which seceded from the United States in 1860 in a failed effort to protect and sustain the disgusting custom of slavery.  The south an agrarian society was “perfectly” suited to slave ownership.

The remaining states, known as the Union rejected the secession effort and a four and a half year long war tore the country apart. Affects of the social schism, war atrocities and the failed reconstruction have left an ugly scar on the face of this nation.

As severe reaction to the Confederate loss of the Civil War, a practice of “separate but equal” was instituted throughout the south, effectively separating the races in all aspects of life, whether it was using the a public bathroom, eating at a lunch counter, drinking from a water fountain, or riding a city bus.

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100 Things To Make You Smile

100 Things To Make You Smile

D. S. Mitchell

Sunday afternoon on the fabulous Oregon coast.  The sun is shining,  and Lilly the dog, is sprawled out on the back patio while I restlessly flip through the morning cable news shows. I am a regular Sunday viewer of Meet The Press, Fareed Zakaria’s GPS and AM Joy.  I wanted a nice peaceful weekend, a morning with coffee cup and the N.Y. Times, a game of golf in the afternoon, a movie with a friend to finish the day.

But, hell no. Not with Trump in office.  He is like a spoiled child demanding every moment of his mother’s attention. I do not intend to go off on a rant. I promise.  In fact I want to get your mind, and my mine, off the American Tragedy playing out in front of our eyes.  So, my favorite distraction of the week, my Sunday version of a day-off, is imaging simple things in life that will bring a quiet smile to the corners of your mouth.

1.) A Hummingbird at the garden feeder 2.)A day with no chores to do 3.) Left over spaghetti or cold pizza for breakfast  4.) A chocolate “fix”  5.) The Nite Owl, Helena, MT  6.) A bedroom with a window seat  7.) A scarecrow dressed in Daddy’s old coveralls and straw hat  8.) short lines  9.) Drive-in theaters  10.) Face painting 11.) Film Noir  12.) Watching young swallows learn the art of flight  13.) Painting the front door a vivid color  14.) Working a potter’s wheel  15.) Spontaneous hugs  16.) Forgetting the punch line of a joke  17.)  Libraries  18.) Using the dog to do left over clean up 19.) Fireworks  20.) Running boards on tall trucks  21.) The soft sound of a paddle cutting the water  22.) The patter of children’s feet  23.) Crater Lake, Oregon  24.) Clean as you go  25.) Gingerbread loaded with melted butter  26.) Forming a Foundation to help fund a cause  27.) Talking with intelligence instead of just blowing smoke  28.) River barges  29.) crisp apples  30.) Doing a good job  31.) Rich, delicate French pastry  32.) Floating lilies  33.) Listening to the sounds of the night  34.) A secret crush  35.) Spontaneous kisses  36.) Writing  37.) Homemade lemonade 39.) The aroma of Honeysuckle and Daphne  40.) Cloth napkins with napkin rings  41.) The American flag  42.) Lettuce fresh from the garden  43.) A new mattress  44.) Fessing up to an eff ‘up  45.) Honey Baked Ham  46.) A great painting found at a Thrift Store.  47.) Refreshing an old dresser with a coat of paint  48.) First ski run of the day  49.) Old English Sheepdogs  50.) Koala bears  51.) Rearranging the furniture for a party  52.) A banana split for two  53.) Travel magazines  54.) Swim meets  55.) Swans on Black Lake, Ilwaco, WA  56.) Wind across a field of wheat  57.) Twinkies  58.) My Time  59.) Echoes  60.) The Olympics  61.) Mt. Vernon  62.) Cheetahs in the wild 63.) Warm dry socks  64.) Mutts  65.) Sundance catalogues  66.) Buy one and get one free  67.) Making lists  68.)  Pinto ponies   69.) Sneakers without socks  70.) Unicorns and rainbows  71.) Picnic tables  72.) Owning and island  73.) Walking the railroad tracks  74.) Habitat For Humanity  75.) A team of horses  76.) Weeping Willow trees  77.) 3-D movies  78.) Political comics  79.) Lawn parties  80.) Laughing babies  81.) Getting a makeover  82.) Up with the dawn  83.) Weathered shutters on shingled beach cottages  84.) Hopscotch  85.) Night snowmobiling  86.) Hit that high note  87.) Frisbee with the dog  88.) Blanket tents in the backyard  89.) Club sandwiches  90.) Being on time  91.) Woodstock  92.) Snoopy  93.) Earth Day  94.) Catching a man’s eye  95.) Dream catchers  96.) Dog carriages  97.) Revolving doors  98.) Retirement  99.) Winning a race  100.) Puget Island, WA.

Keep smiling.

Join the Resistance

Dar

Heated Words Intensify North Korea Situation

Heated Words Intensify North Korea Situation

D. S. Mitchell

At his Bedminster N.J. golf club, on a scheduled “working vacation” Trump was questioned by reporters. Trump seemed willing to talk and answered questions freely in an unscheduled “press conference.”  Trump’s first and last solo press conference was on February 16, 2017.

Facing growing nuclear threat from North Korea the president was quick to warn the Kim Jong-Un regime against any further provocations, “North Korea best not make any more threats to the U.S.  They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen before.”

His inflammatory words rattled the international community.   Trump’s words came after the Washington Post released a story detailing the assertion of at least one U.S. intelligence agency that North Korea has successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead that can be attached to missiles, expanding the range and power of the North Korean military.

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Making Memories On The Oregon Coast

Making Memories On The Oregon Coast

D. S. Mitchell

The Pacific coast of the United States is magical. Massive  rock formations,  dramatic vistas, magnificent bridges, miles of expansive beaches are the hallmarks of Oregon’s coastal beauty.  I was born in this “Pacific Wonderland” and every once in a while I like to tell my friends around the world about this amazing place I call home.

A recent article on my beloved coast in Oregon’s largest newspaper, the Portland Oregonian reminded me that I haven’t talked about Oregon’s iconic  landmarks for a while, and never on the Calamity Politics website.  If you have ever been fortunate enough to explore the Pacific coast of the United States I’m sure that particular spots stand out for you.  The list below highlights several of my special stops on the road.

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