The Making Of The Rich.

       Donald Trump is a multibillionaire, that's a fact. Just imagine how someone becomes a multibillionaire. It can't be easy. Its gotta take hard work. I can just imagine young Donnie starting out in life packing his overnite bag and trudging off into the cold cruel world with nothing but the million dollars Daddy gave him as a starter gift. But how does one parley a paltry million into several billion?
       Well, our government helped somewhat. It invented a process called bankruptcy. Oh, how to explain. Let me give you an example. Suppose you were to call your bookie, Fat Willie, and tell him to put $5000 on the first horse in the first race tomorrow to win. But the horse loses the race. Fat Willie calls and wants to know where his $5000 is. You tell him you don't have $5000 so you're gonna declare bankruptcy. So Fat Willie sends Freddy Fingers and Big Luther over to break your legs. Hmm, I guess that's not a good example.
       Let's try this one. You take out a loan for four million to buy a building for two million and spend the rest to renovate the building, but when you're finished the building is only worth one and a half million because there are structural problems. So you declare bankruptcy. Now the workers and suppliers and contractors and the bank get stuck with nothing. Then you sell the building for the one and a half million, which is all clear profit.
       Nobody comes around to break your legs and Fat Willie invites you over for steak and lobster tail. Now do that a few times and the pennies start to add up after a while. Then build a casino or two that go out of business and declare a tax loss throwing thousands of good people out of work and the pennies keep on piling up. Send jobs overseas to save on production costs and the pennies are hip deep. It all makes good busyness sense, but how would that prepare you for being President? Think you can declare bankruptcy for America? How does sending citizenship overseas save on costs?

E-mails Aren't All The Same.

      
       Exactly what's the connection (s) between Trump, Putin, DNC e-mails and Clinton? Let's work backwards. Clinton had nothing to do with  any of this so forget that angle. The DNC e-mails showed a preference for Hillary by the staff of the Democratic National Committee. They were hacked open and then given to Wikileaks by official Russian computer spies. Putin fears Clinton, and favors Trump for President. Trump has been trying for decades to do business in Russia and has shown unusual admiration for Putin of late and that admiration seems to be mirrored by Putin.
       Now its one thing for a foreign official to have preferences in our elections but its quite another thing to get involved to the extent of this releasing of pirated e-mails in order to sway voters without them knowing that the e-mails were being released by Russia, our sworn enemy by the way.
       Now, no one is suggesting that Trump had anything to do with either the spying or the release of the e-mails, but it does play into Putin's plans. And certainly it has the effect of helping Trump, although nobody knows how much. My guess is that some Bernie supporters could decide to sit home come November. A sad state of affairs.
       The bad guys here are the DNC staff and Putin. We should expect this kind of action from Russia and Wasserman-Shultz lost her chair of the Democratic party over it, but the rest of the DNC staff had best learn from their stupid mistake. I'd also suggest the RNC staff take note of the problem and clean up their act because we both know they were doing the same thing as the DNC.
       So what's the outtake for us in all of this? Politicians and the folks who work for them can't really be trusted all that much. And Russia can't be trusted at all, but then we already knew that. Too bad we can't find a better way to govern without politicians or dictators. Maybe a computer, but then somebody would hack it.
      
      

"Gloom And Doom" AKA Chiken Little.

       Well after last week I almost did believe the sky was falling. But no, Donald, the sky isn't falling. It was simply twilight. It happens every day, but don't worry, it'll rise again in the morning. I promise. And then what about America? Has it fallen so far that it'll take a dictator-like leader to make it great again? Is there no hope that a free America can make it on its own? Or is America already great? Is it true that the Great Recession is all over? Are we truly well on the road to greatness without you?
       That Kenyan who was elected President twice has helped lead us out from under the frightening weight of the Great Recession and with the help of The Hated, Hillary, we've once again become a nation our allies can have confidence in and our enemies disrespect us only to find their path forward blocked in many ways. Its a far better way than war. We're no longer starting wars because our V.P. wants some country's oil for his company, we're just not starting them.
       And while I'm at it, Pres. Putin is not someone to admire. Better to keep a close eye on him, but not out of respect. You seem to place admiration of political strongmen who are in fact brutal dictators, high on your list of folks to emulate. Please prove to us that I'm wrong. And hey, a huge wall between us and Mexico? You don't seem to understand how much that kind of structure would cost. Even if Mexico wanted to pay for it, they couldn't afford it and neither could we.
       And did you know that violent crime has been decreasing over the last decade or more? No we haven't eliminated crime, but it's not as dark a picture as you paint. Nor is our economy so bleak as you claim. Only income and opportunity inequality are holding us back. Jobs are beginning to return, yes even from China.
       So stop running around and shouting at the top of your lungs, the end is near. The end hasn't been written for us as yet. Unless you're talking about your chances.

BOO!!!! Did I Scare Ya?

       Have you personally been attacked by a jihadi terrorist? Any family member been attacked by one? Has anyone you know personally been attacked by a jihadi terrorist? How many of the over 350 million American citizens do you know of who've been attacked by those terrorists? Yes there have been radicalized terrorists and yes some have killed some Americans. But if you want to be worried about something scary, think about drunk drivers. They kill a lot more Americans than terrorists do.
       Do you think crime has gotten completely out of hand? Then how come violent crime has continually dropped annually over the last decade or more? It can't be both ways. Either statistics are wrong or a political scare tactic is wrong.
       Is our military completely depleted? Is it unfit to protect us from any enemy? How can that be if we have the most expensive military with the best and newest, and most hi-tech equipment in the world. More fighting ships then any other navy or group of navies in the world. The best planes and best pilots in the world? And do we have the best prepared military in the world? It can't be both ways.
       Is our economy in free fall? Are we having uncontrollable inflation? Are we experiencing expanding unemployment? Are wages tumbling towards zero? No, the exact opposite is happening. The scare tactics being used to scare voters doesn't expect people to stop and think for a moment. And realize that, HEY, we're not in as bad a shape as these clowns are suggesting.
       That's not to say there isn't room for improvement. There's still inequality. Inequality of educational opportunity and healthcare opportunity and employment opportunity. And there's the opportunity to be represented by people who are more interested in what's good for our country and our people and not what's best for themselves.
       The idea that scaring our citizens into voting for some loudmouth isn't in our best interests. That approach is one that most often leads to a dictatorship. What we need is someone who can lead us toward a free society. Its true, we don't have the best choices this time around, but one will surely harm us while the other will be unlikely to harm us.

Where are We Toto?

       In this extremely heightened political season we find that there is gross misinformation coming from every corner of the spectrum That's why I get such a laugh out of a fairly new commercial on TV. It's about a young man on the rings in gymnastics competition. It shows him doing several flips and then lowers himself into the Iron Cross position where his two arms are outstretched using his body and arms to form as perfect a cross as possible. 
       It requires unbelievable strength, but then he removes his one hand from its ring without moving an inch in order to answer his phone. Of course it would be completely impossible for any human to perform such a feat. That's what makes it so funny. No one could remain so perfectly upright. The laws of physics wouldn't allow it.
       That's exactly what politicians are asking us to believe though. In speech after speech candidates make claim after claim which couldn't possibly be fulfilled. Always besting their opponent's  promises. If one candidate promises free college, the next promises free college and a brand new car or breakfast at Tiffany's They click their bright shinny red heels and you're off to Kansas, like it or not. We need to remember that promises are cheap, its the doing that's hard. 
       Nobody can fix what ain't broken and most things that are broken can't easily be fixed with a few magical words. You can't turn your back on allies and expect them to help you and its a lot easier to claim to build a wall than to actually build it. Let's stop blaming others for our own faults, in fact let's stop blaming all together and try working together instead. If you stop promising, I'll stop pointing out the impossibility of you promises. Ah, probably not.

It Takes Real Genius To Do It Right.

       Ever heard of the Zika virus? There's an article about it in today's issue of the Washington Post opinions. The article suggests only America is equipped, financially and with the expertize to quickly solve this problem. Fortunately we have a Congress that has taken this threat to so many people so seriously that it felt it was necessary to take a month and a half off for vacation without funding any research into solving the Zika threat to thousands of families. Well done U.S. Congress.
       Of course we have to remember that this is Convention season. Both political parties are either enjoying the season in picturesque Cleveland or will do so in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. So they won't be in their home districts and states, except for a very very few. But they will be congregated in just two small spaces. Well except for one of the parties. That party will have more than a few missing from the gala celebration. No word on the other as yet.
       The point is they'll all be celebrating with little to celebrate. But what they won't be doing until after Labor Day is doing anything to fight the outbreak of the Zika virus until nearly the end of the mosquito season. Now this is a great idea that Congress has come up with. Ya see, when the mosquito season is over, there'll be no imagined reason to rush, until next year's season, and then we'll be on to more of the same. At least that's the case unless the electorate actually decides to un-elect the current crop of legislators.
       Not to worry though, the upper class, the one percent, is furiously working to see that all the legislators worthy of their largess will have ample funding for their individual reelection campaigns. Now, as for those few legislators who are in receipt of the one percent's ire, well, they'll be forced to dip into their meager slush funds to fund their own campaigns.
       Meanwhile, Zika will continue to advance but hopefully will not morph into something even more dangerous. If that should happen two things will undoubtedly take place. First, Congress will investigate the CDC and secondly, they will blame it on whomever gets elected to the White House. Well done U.S. Congress, well done.

What's Afloat?

       Have you been reading about the South China Sea? Well, here's a bit of information for you to consider. China considers almost all the waters up to the beaches of the various countries bordering the SCS. Actually they only claim up to a mile or two of these countries. It includes islands close to them and that these countries consider their own. No matter, China calls them their own. China is even building islands on reefs in these disputed waters.
       So The Philippines, as one of the border countries, through the U.N. took their case to The Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. The Court decided that China's claims are not correct and that China has no right to claim the whole thing for itself.
       To wit, China said the court is not recognized and it's findings hold no effect and therefore is not binding on China. China is also threatening to militarize the SCS, something it had already begun. They have now claimed to be setting up an Air Defense Zone for their protection. And have stated they hoped that "all countries would work with China to protect the peace and stability of the South china Sea and not let the SCS become the origin of a war." This according to the BBC.
       The SCS is an important trade route for commerce and has been for a very long time, with shipping using that route to reach countries around the world. Of course none of the countries bordering the SCS are large enough to confront China which is why they went to court in the first place. The thing is though, most of these countries have a treaty with us promising to support and defend them from aggressors. So, as usual, we're confronted with the idea of war if somebody doesn't back down.  Most of the neighboring countries depend on these waters for their economic health.
       The odd part is that China barely borders the South China Sea. It simply and flatly states that it's historic dominance in the region gives them the right to make their claims. So the next time you hear someone talking about the South China Sea, you will know enough to pray he or she isn't talking about war with China.