The Rule is The Rule.

       What happens when the Trump Administration decides not to follow a ruling of the Supreme Court? What consequences are there for the Administration? Suppose the Supreme Court decided in an 8 - 1 decision that a notice of a hearing  that does not include the time, date and place of the hearing is not a hearing at all. Now suppose the Administration ignored that decision and continued to hold such hearings for the purpose of deportations.     
        Just what can or should the Supreme Court do in order to have its decision obeyed? Who told the Administration that it could ignore the United States Supreme Court? Would you consider this to be a crisis? One of the co-equal branches of our government ignoring the rulings of another branch? When a President of the United States ignores a ruling of the Supreme Court of America is there any way to force him to acquiesce? If it means that the Congress is required to act on this problem, and refuses to do so, what then?
       Just remember that our Congress is in no way strong enough to flex its muscles and show it believes in the Constitution. What then? People, we are approaching a point in our history when a President becomes a dictator. If he can ignore the Supreme Court and if the Congress is too weak to force him to adhere to the SCOTUS's ruling then we are no longer a democracy.
       The Department of Homeland Security has been ignoring that exact ruling in its hearings on deportation, according to an article in the National Memo, by Sarah Okeson. Can it be that our Congress will ignore this transgression? Might the Supreme Court just shrug it's shoulders and go on to the next case? Emperor Trump will make America (not) Grateful Again.

Sleight of Brain.

        What's this sleight of mind have to do with draining of the swamp? Well as near as I can determine our President, having promised to drain the Washington swamp has, instead, used his skill at sleight of mind instead of sleight of hand. Instead of eliminating corruption in Washington, he has changed it to adding corruption in the White house, and his many haunts.
       Now normally to increase corruption that much would bring too much attention. However by cleverly bringing his skill at sleight of mind into play he can keep everyone confused all the time. As soon as questions of behavior come up, he quickly brings up another subject that seems even more important than the last. By the time you begin to realize how this headline holds other implications, his sleight of mind has drawn us to yet another potential tragedy.
       In fairness he has drained the swamp some small amount. He goes through good people turned swamp monsters, by telling them they're fired. Or having some new 'swamp monster to be' to do the firing. Now we all understand that political appointments to White House leadership positions is a temporary employment situation at best. But under our present President it is no more than a call from a temp service. With one exception. The person relieved of duty will almost always have his or her reputation savaged. This too is part of the sleight of mind order.
       Even an investigation into collusion with Russia offers opportunities for sleight of mind. To fire Mueller or not to fire that is the question. Anyone who is called to testify before Mueller will surely be fired, but Mueller, himself. has yet to get the ax. Aha, but as long as our President can use him as an object to be pointed at as an enemy of his leadership and as a sleight of mind, Mueller will remain.

What Happened?

       Ya know how you can tell that America is a democracy? Easy, America is a democracy because we allow peaceful dissent. Not only do we allow peaceful dissent, but we appreciate it. We invite it. We consider it and if we agree, we act on it. But if we don't agree with it, we still accept it. That's what you do in a democracy. Sometimes you wish that peaceful dissent would go away, but we never attack it, and never viciously.
       Take, for instance, the idea that a president would think to belittle someone publically just because he, or she, might disagree. No Congressman would dare consider turning his, or her back on an investigation simply because the one being investigated was of the same political party as the Congressman. And nobody would threaten any other person just because of that person's views on any subject. The rule of law would be respected in a democracy.
       These are some of the reasons you can tell that America is a democracy. No wait, that's not what's happening in America. Peaceful dissent often devolves into violent confrontation. We refuse to consider the suggestions of the other side. The left is so far from the right and the right so far from the left that agreement can never take place on too many subjects. Belittling and lying about an opponent is the norm.
       This is not the way we used to be. We're damaging our democracy. We're allowing our leaders to become lying, cheating criminals and we show our admiration for them. We need to stop it. We need to change the way we treat each other. We need to get back to being a democracy again.

Unspeakable Decision.

       Do you realize that 528 children are still being held in detention centers because their parents tried to cross the border into America, no matter what the reason? 528! That's as of August 20. The court required they be reunited with their parents on July 28th as a deadline. the administration said the "ACLU should be the one to use its resources to handle the reunification. Problem is it was the Administration that separated them. Maybe the Administration should quit fooling around and get the job done.
       If I were to take your kids away from you and then tell you that if you want your kids to be able to stay in America, but told it to you in a language you don't understand, you would have to turn them over to me, the whole world and the whole country would come down on me, and rightfully so. Well, how come the government, the administration doesn't seem able to move its carcass on this problem? Are you telling me our government can't do this? Why? Because its not in its budget?
       I'm sure it will most likely be a difficult tack, but our government should be up to that task. If not, then they should be incarcerated until they find a way to return those children to their rightful parents and no games about that parents turning them over. That's just sloppy workmanship for not doing the job. Here's a solution. Every parent of one of these children, along with the children, be given permanent residence  with a green card in America.  I'll bet they'd find every parent in about two days.
       The problem is simple. The administration just doesn't care about these children or their parents. They don't care because the parents brought the children illegally here. Even though it was a new policy that suddenly was enacted. These parents, in all likelihood, didn't know it was going to happen. Shame on this administration.

Vote Your Pocket.

       If there was any doubt about how I will vote this November, let me clearly state that I plan to vote Democrat for all candidates for national office. And I highly suggest that every senior citizen do the same. Representative Steve Stivers, Chair of the GOP Congressional Committee, in other words, the guy in charge of defeating the Democrats in Congress this November admitted to a CNBC reporter they would be forced to cut spending for social programs including Social Security and Medicare.
       Let's face it, you can't have these huge tax cuts for the wealthy and still pay for Social security and Medicare. It's all too much spending. So the obvious solution is to slash Social Security and Medicare. After all, who's more important: the elderly or the wealthy?  Old people can easily be swayed and the wealthy have the money to give to campaigns to try to sway those old voters.
       I also suggest that folks who aren't yet old enough for Social Security and Medicare, strongly consider voting Democrat. Because they will someday be old enough and may need that support. It'd be a shame to finally retire only to find out the money you paid into Social Security, which the government faithlessly spent on other things over the decades, no longer exists. And so you're out of luck.
       Makes more sense to vote for the people you know will fight to keep the social programs and if necessary tax the rich instead. I suppose most if not all Republicans will tell you they want to keep the social programs, but the party rules. So if they continue to rule Congress, they'll get their way, not yours. The Democrats have always fought for the social programs. Here endeth my voting plans.

Wind And Rain.

       Alas it appears the wall along the Mexican border seems less and less likely to be built. But there is a wall that has been proposed to be built and it's far more likely to happen. A sixty mile "spine" of concrete and steel along the Texas Gulf Coast. What for, you may ask? As protection from larger fiercer storms. You know, like the ones caused by global warming. This "spine' would protect lands from the Louisiana border to south of Houston including "most of Texas' thirty oil refineries."
       Does anyone see the most interesting part of this wall? It's going to protect nearly thirty oil refineries. The very refineries that are a major cause of global warming causing these storms to be more fierce. After all, we can't have oil refineries getting shut down again by the storms they are responsible for. Didn't this happen once before? Hurricane Harvey shut down about a quarter of those refineries causing gasoline prices to go up about 28 cents a gallon.
       I'm surprised the oil companies aren't cheering for another hurricane to hit and knock out even more refineries. They could then raise the prices up, oh, maybe 50 cents a gallon and then ask for federal help to rebuild the refineries. This could become an annual price slam as long as the Hurricanes cooperate.
       And guess what, friends? The price tag for this wall along the gulf coast would only cost taxpayers a measly twelve billion. They've already approved 3.9 billion for three separate barriers for the refineries. Does anyone understand the costs of global warming yet? What's a little wind and rain.
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Truth Or Consequences

       The one thing I never knew but now have learned? The truth is not the truth. By golly that could be useful in a lot of situations and to a lot of people. Just think, if you get caught speeding and at your trial the police prove that you were speeding, you can always say "Yes your honor, that's the truth, but the truth is not the truth." You just might be acquitted. After all, if its good enough for the council to the president, it should be good enough for you.
       There are often two sides to every argument. Your side and the other side. When your wife accuses you of being out drinking last night with your friends, you can accept that as the truth but the actual truth might be that you were also playing poker. It would be the truth but it could get you in even more trouble.
So which truth do you ascribe to? Drinking or gambling? Or could you say, you were merely attending a rally on the dangers of not telling the truth. But what happens if she says you were not there because she didn't see you. The truth is not always the truth. She was out playing bingo all night.
       Think about how many times or how often the truth is not the truth you want to adhere to. What about your college graduate daughter who you believe to be too young to be dating. The truth is, you've been neglecting the truth that she is an adult now. Ya see? The truth is not the truth.
       So when a politician tells you the truth about his or her accomplishments while in office, that truth is definitely not the truth, and when that same politician tells you its the other guy's fault, well you guessed it, that's not the truth either.

What? No Regulations?

      Now there's an idea worth exploring. According to an article in the New York Times, President Trump is planning on overhauling  the nation's climate change regulations. His idea is to allow states to set their own regulations or even not have any regulations. It certainly makes sense if you happen to have lots of coal and lots of coal burning plants. Just think, West Virginia could allow manufacturing within their state to pollute the air with no emissions regulations.
       And if the wind is just right, which it mostly is, all that pollution would move east over Virginia and other states in it's path. Even better would be more industrialized states deciding to do the same. That way the medical profession could prosper much more in states east of those unregulated states. I'll bet that if we wanted we could create smog at levels never seen before.
       Look, it took decades for us to eliminate or at least cut back on the kind of pollution that kills people. It's the kind of pollution that also is killing our planet. You may not believe in Climate Change, but that doesn't mean it's isn't happening, whether you believe it or not. It doesn't mean that emissions regulations aren't saving untold numbers of lives, just because you don't think so.
       Now I hope I'm preaching to the choir, and I think that most of my friends and relatives would be against this brainstorm Trump is having on emissions, but I also know that some few of you just don't get it. Those folks will probably go to an early grave still thinking that coal dust is good for the veggies.
      

The Enemy.

      Just who is the enemy of Americans? Is it really the news media? Is your local newspaper your enemy? How about the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times or the Washington Post? How about MSNBC or FOX News? If you don't like what these news outlets have to say, does that really make them enemies of America?
       You need to understand that news outlets were what helped our nation become an independent democracy. They kept us informed about our successes and failures in wartime and in peacetime. They told us of how Nixon had done wrong and how Lincoln had done right. They told us why some wars were just and others were not.
       Without news media to keep an eye on government, a criminal element could easily take command. We may not like the views of the opposing parties, but its the only way to learn the truth. Because both the right and the left are right part of the time and both are wrong part of the time. It's the media that tells us when both are wrong at the same time.
       To suggest that all news media or even a very few are our enemy is dangerous to our democracy. The very first amendment to the Constitution gives them the right to warn us of government overstepping its authority. To make us aware of disasters and even good news from time to time. We are informed by the news media whether we like it or not. And we need it whether we like it or not. The real enemy is the one who tries to get us to believe that the media is the enemy.

Climate Ain't Just Your Weather.

      Climate change isn't the daily weather, but the daily weather makes or breaks climate change. It takes years, decades of years to make our climate change from what it was to what it is and what it will be. Can you make or break climate change? No. It's bigger than you or me, its about what all of us do that can change what will happen to our climate. But one thing's for sure. If we don't change, then the climate will continue to change, for better or for worse.
       So, I live in the Northeast. We're accustomed to fairly cold, hard winters. It might be nice to have milder winters in the future. Except it'll mean more bugs in the longer, hotter summers. And life in the south will become very unpleasant in the summers. But what about droughts and too much rain? Are we ready for those kinds of changes? Storms that keep getting worse and worse, and hot dry lands and wildfires more dangerous each of the passing days.
       The thing is, we can guess and try to understand what climate change will mean to our children and grandchildren, but we can't know for sure. So which is the wiser course; just shrug and go on as usual as if nothing bad will happen or fight the change by cutting pollution and doing without a very few non-essentials. Do you really need that huge, fuel hog SUV as your second car? Why not a somewhat smaller size? Let's all drive a little slower.
       It's either that or invest in much more powerful air-conditioners. And think about giving up those SUVs all together in favor of ark style boats.

No Trust.

       Ya know, our forefathers were not a trusting lot. They didn't trust presidents to act in the best interest of the people. They had had a king and didn't like it. That's why we have a Congress. In theory the Congress would put a hold on the President. And if that wasn't enough, they put a judiciary in place to keep them all honest. They didn't envision a single party in charge of them all. Congress was supposed to be politely against what the President wanted to do. And the judiciary was supposed to tell them all if they weren't following the constitution.
       The thing is, our founding fathers just didn't trust presidents to do the right thing. They trusted Washington because they knew he didn't want the job. They would have loved Lincoln and FDR and Ike might have been a favorite. JFK certainly would have been in their hearts. Even Reagan and Obama would have met with their approval, but some would have proven to them that they had been wise in having three separate but equal divisions of government.
       Our founding fathers are rolling over in their graves to see those separations becoming one. When a Congress becomes an apologist for the President and a judiciary becoming the yes men we're in trouble. The only thing that can save our democracy is an election. This November that election comes about. The reigning party must be committed to a minority status if we are to have a strong democracy again. If you don't believe me, ask one of our founding fathers by reading about him.

557 And Counting.

       Hey, need a number to bet on? Try 557. Its the number of migrant children still being held while their parents are out of the country or otherwise not available. Out of the country? What exactly does that mean? Did they go on a cruise or are they visiting royalty in Denmark? Most likely they were deported out of America to their homeland, which they just recently fled. Meanwhile the American government still wants to punish them by keeping their children.
       But what about those children? Are they still keeping them in summer camp for fun and games? Or are they keeping them in cages like unwanted pets at the Humane Society? Ya know we have to show the world we're serious about protecting our border. So criminals and terrorists and babies are being held in prison. That'll teach the world not to mess with us. Just use a different border.
       I'm just not sure about the babies. How are they a threat to America? Do they plan to undo our constitutional right to freedom of speech? Or is it the Second Amendment? Maybe some other amendment is in jeopardy from these children. Surely we're not punishing children for the crimes of their parents, real or imagined. And I can't bring myself to imagine we are punishing them because they are not like us. Of course that's true.
       These children and their missing parents are not like us, are they? After all they came from a central American country. They didn't come from any European country. There you have it. What better reason does our government need than that they're not just like us.

Bless Them.

       Good Lord please forgive the evangelicals for forgiving all the sins of their favorite President. He's working on the Ten Commandments. He's got over half committed. He's closing in on three quarters. But the evangelicals are still in his corner. How come you may ask? It's because of the most important promise he's keeping. Most important to evangelicals, that is. He's appointing hard right conservative judges which the U.S. Congress is rubber stamping like the good little puppies they are.
       Now why would a Congress full of supposedly intelligent representatives of the entire country jump at the chance to do the President's bidding. Of course the Republicans do hold majorities in both houses, but that's not the main reason. The main reason is that if they don't do as they are told, evangelicals might not vote for them.
       Now you can't say the same thing for the Catholics of Methodists or any other denomination. These denominations don't march in lock-step like the evangelicals. Your not supposed to think for yourself apparently, if you're gonna be an evangelical. I'm told, they're told how to vote by their church. To me that seems to fly in the face of separation of church and state, but if you've got the ear of the President, well, you know.
       We should start a new church. One that requires every member to vote their own heart and mind. Let's call it America. You can belong to any church you wish, but the church can't tell you how to vote. Only that you should vote in every election and that you should take the time to understand who and what you're voting for. Come to think of it, that church already exists. We call it America. Problem is, too many folks don't try to understand who or what they're voting for. There should be a law against voting a straight party. Because no party fields all the best candidates. Just look at the President.

Presto, Chango.

       Hmm. My last post, I suggested Mr. Trump was like a magician. But I've given it more thought and have decided that calling Trump a magician is unfair to all magicians around the world who work hard at their calling in order to better perform their mysterious acts of magic. Magicians work hard and that's the difference between them and President Trump who doesn't seem to have any interest in becoming knowledgeable on any subject except making his personal wealth grow.
       A far better representation of him is a wizard, as in the Wizard of Oz. He stands or sits behind a curtain and shows a grand personage. One of remarkable ability. But behind the curtain is a small handed, small minded individual trying desperately to appear great. But true greatness eludes this person with a fake hairdo.
       From his largest ever inaugural crowd to his fair and friendly zero tolerance order he exaggerates. While in actuality his was among the smallest of modern day inaugural crowds and his zero tolerance program has proven to be a disaster where we steal children from their parents and then deport the parents to their homeland without the children. Meanwhile what do we do with the children?
       This was and is an embarrassment to America. The Wizard of the White House is an embarrassment to America. He needs to be on a leash and collar and only a change in Congress can provide that restraint. Because the current Republican controlled Congress ain't getting the job done.

Now You See It, Now You Don't.

       Every great magician needs to be able to distract your attention in order to pull off his or her stunt. He needs to keep talking about and pointing to another subject so that he can take your wallet from you and then surprise you by giving it back. That is unless he's something of a criminal and his intention is not to give it back at all.
       Some politicians are adept at such magic. They enact legislation in opposition to the best interests of his constituents by constantly pointing to and talking about something that is far more unpleasant, or some imagined enemy trying to do far more harm to you or himself. In the politician's mind, he has convinced himself that he's doing you a kind service by taking your rights away from you in order to better protect you from dangerous alien invaders from the south.
       At the same time he's causing foreign allies to find dealing with him to be nearly impossible while long-time enemies are befriended. Then again in order to distract you once more, he names news media to be the enemy because of the fake news they point out, such as the deeds and promises he has previously done and given. Any other magician, or politician who does not pledge allegiance to him will find that he's a mean spirited foe. He can get almost any politician who is not for him fired for being against him.
       Such a person lives only in our imagination. He does not exist. No such person could rise to such a lofty position as to be able to cause such disruption. Such a person would have to be a superb actor, filled with greed and self adoration. Such a character would be named Donald Trump.

Walls, Walls, Walls.

       Remember that Mexican wall along the border with America? You remember, the wall that Mexico swore they could get America to pay for? Oh, no,wait, it was the American wall along the Mexican border that Mr. Trump swore he could get Mexico the pay for. Why haven't we heard any more about Mexico paying for it? Could it be that Mexico convinced Trump that they definitely would not pay for it?
       But if Mexico isn't going to pay for it, who will pay for it? Oh, that's right, Trump has threatened to shut down the government unless Congress agrees to pay for it. So what does that mean exactly? Well for starters, if Congress agrees to pay to have the wall built, you and I are gonna have to pick up that tab. That's because Congress can't pay for anything. All they can do is borrow the money which means our taxes would go up. Either that or just go ahead and raise our taxes to pay for the wall.
       The thing is though, Trump is talking about another tax cut. Must be that the wealthy folks are in need of some new cars and vacation spas. But if he gives out tax cuts again and still wants Congress to pay for a wall to be built, where's all this money gonna come from? Maybe we could place some tariffs on the builders of the wall. Of course my guess is that its in their contract that no tariffs can be levied against them.
       Let's hope the government finds some gold veins in some of our most treasured national parks. A whole lot of gold veins and maybe some diamond fields too. On the other hand if Congress refuses to fund his wall and he shuts down the government, who's gonna pay for that? And then what about our credit rating? It was reduced once before. Then it'll cost more for us to borrow the money to run the government and even more to pay for that damn wall.

Trump Policies

       President Trump tells us he "gets along great with Vladimir Putin." Putin loves Trump. You would too if he did everything you wanted him to do and say. Trump likes Kim Jung-un too and Kim loves him, for pretty much the same reasons. Hey, even Rouhani of Iran is offered the friendship of the President.
       Its easy for these guys to like Trump and to express that likening. After all, Trump seems to go along with just about anything they say. Putin tells Trump, why no, we didn't interfere in your 2016 elections. Trump thinks 'well good enough for me'. Kim says we're done with nuclear, even though they're working on bigger and better models, but Trump says 'mission accomplished'.
       Then he tells Iran's Rouhani, hey if you want to get together for lunch, I'll buy. All these bad guys, who would sell us down the river in a heartbeat, are Trump's friends. But our allies, the folks who have sworn to help protect us as we have sworn to protect them, well, hey, this NATO and this EU? I'm hitting them with tariffs, the losers.
       And then there's all those criminals trying to get into our country to work at jobs that Americans don't want. Trump's idea of punishing these people is to take away their children and then quick deport them back to their home country. Now as to the whereabouts of their kid? Who knows, check the cages. It may be a low point for his daughter but for Donald Trump, its just another promise kept.

Didja Know?

       Here are a few "Didja knows." Didja know that Trump has averaged 7.5 lies or misrepresentations per day since his inauguration? Didja know that he has escalated his scorn for the news media the closer Mueller's investigation gets to him? Didja know that Russia really did try to manipulate our elections in 2016 to favor Trump? And may have succeeded.
       Didja know that Trump not only punished parents who tried to enter America and were caught, but he also punished their children for being brought here? Some as young as infants? Didja know that Trump's 4% economic growth was matched four times during Obama's presidency? Didja know that only the wealthy are enjoying this economic growth? Didja know that income for the vast majority of Americans is not growing?
       That's just a few didjas, just a few of the very many. If you're already wealthy, you're likely to get even richer under Trump's lack of leadership. But if you're not already wealthy you're not likely going to have a chance to become wealthy under Trump's time in office.
       You're not likely to get healthy under Trump either. He has broken with so many rules to help all Americans be safer and healthier that, given his way, we'll all be breathing coal dust and smog, even in the countryside. Environment seems to be a nasty word in his mind and environmental safety seems to mean firing coalminers. We're not firing coalminers, the lack of demand for coal is doing that. And we'll be drinking water unfit for human consumption. Those are just some of his goals.

Inflation My Foot.

       Now why would you suppose President Trump and his minions feel it's important to make the very, very rich even richer? There's a plan afoot to tax capital gains only after inflation. Now that sounds perfectly harmless, doesn't it. But in fact all it really does is make the rich even richer. How can I say that with a straight face? Easy, because it's the truth.
       The way it's currently taxed and has been since the late 1920s is you buy for one price and sell at a higher price, the difference is taxable. But the plan is to allow for inflation. So if you buy some stock for $8,000 and sell it later for $16,000 then you deduct for inflation at let's say $4,000 then only $4,000 is taxable.
       It wouldn't make anyone wealthy on that one deal, but for the very wealthy, such a deal would be small chump change. See, in order for this to amount to anything like a windfall, you'd have to be trading in the millions. And that's exactly what the super-wealthy do. So what you say? So it means that much less is being paid in taxes overall. Which means the government has to cut out programs. That's something the government hates to do. They prefer to expand programs. The only way to accomplish that would be to raise our taxes.
       I hate to say it, but this is exactly the kind of deal a super-wealthy real estate developer dreams of. Someone like Donald Trump. But certainly not people like you and me. The last time he cut taxes the wealthy made out like bandits while the rest of us saw very little. If he pulls this off, he should get an award. The screwdriver award. But he'll get a whopper of a deal for himself.