Hope After All

I ceased writing in my political blog in November 2016. I was done for, and depressed. I simply did not have the heart to go on with writing about politics. The election of Trump saw to that. It was as if his incredulous existence as commander-in-chief smashed all hope for the future.

Now that we are to be rid of the bombastic imbecile come January 2021, I feel moved to begin blogging again. While the damage Trump caused might take a long time to fix, just knowing he will soon be off the world stage (for all intents and purposes) is a great relief. The fact that he refuses to concede the election is no surprise. His lack of character predicted the behavior, frankly, as did his pre-election set-up of the results (the words "rigged" and "fake" come to mind).

However, some of the damage Trump caused during his presidency will not be reversible. There will be no recovery of life for those lost to the corona virus pandemic  because of Trump's incompetence and/or lack of insight or concern to inform the public sooner about its existence. There will be no recovery from the high stress over loss of income because of the pandemic. No job, no food, no roof over one's head, let alone health insurance to get help if sickness occurs. 

Meanwhile, our so-called leader emphasized the lack of need to wear a mask to protect others - going as far as to recommend consuming bleach to fight the virus instead - and ginning-up those with a violent propensity to continue on, to never give up the "game" even if it costs more American lives. 

The jubilation felt by me and millions of others when Joe Biden won the election was beyond describable. And, despite Trump's crass denials and refusal to concede, I think it's safe to say our long, horrible nightmare is just about over. 

His refusal to concede with grace and dignity as those have done before him merely reiterates my first impression of Trump. He is an incompetent fool who is determined to make a spectacle of himself right to the very end.

Off the Rails

Stephen King's 3am tweet sums up how I feel at the moment.

I can't even bear to watch the news, therefore my television is off and will remain so. I can't stand the sight or sound of the clown that is the new president-elect. He deserves as much respect as republicans gave President Obama these past eight years.

Now I fully understand why Europe and the rest of the world think Americans are stupid. I can't recall ever being in such a foul mood as I am now.

 

I can usually find the humor in any situation, but not this time.

DNC Speechifying

My favorite line from last night's Democratic National Convention:

"I'm a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one."

- Michael Bloomberg when referring to Donald Trump.

And of course President Obama's speech was eloquent, and spot-on.

"Ronald Reagan called America 'a shining city on a hill.' Donald Trump calls it 'a divided crime scene' that only he can fix. It doesn't matter to him that illegal immigration and the crime rate are as low as they've been in decades, because he's not offering any real solutions to those issues. He's just offering slogans, and he's offering fear. He's betting that if he scares enough people, he might score just enough votes to win this election. That is another bet that Donald Trump will lose. Because he's selling the American people short. We are not a fragile or frightful people. Our power doesn't come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order." Click here to read the speech in full.

Listening to and watching President Obama last night made me realize how much I'm going to miss him when he leaves office. His steady hand and rational focus are qualities mislaid long ago by those on the right side of the aisle.

RNC Heave Ho

I haven't been moved to make a blog entry in quite some time, obviously. Since my last post in 2014, both my parents passed away and I've also made a major move to a new home.

But after the conclusion of tonight's Republican National Convention, I was forced to express my opinion. How could I not after such a ridiculous debacle?

Every presidential election cycle, I listen to and/or watch both the Democrat and Republican conventions. I want to hear both sides. However, this year's RNC can be summed headlined in one sentence: "2016 Gag-Almighty Puke-Fest."

Trump is the biggest phony I've ever had to endure listening to, and his audience is comprised of what can only be described for the most part as rabid dogs who, while claiming to be Christians, chanted "lock her up" when Hillary Clinton was referenced even though she has never been convicted of any crimes. The alleged "crimes" have been perpetuated by right wing nuts for so long that their body-snatcher followers actually believe their merits despite the failure of multiple congressional inquiries - and millions of taxpayer dollars - to prove otherwise.

The time between now and the November election is going to seem like an eternity.

Two-Faced Fast Food

Back in 2012, I wrote a post about various reactions to President Obama's reelection: Distasteful Citizenry (11/09/12).

Included in the post was mention of certain fast food chains that became involved in the negative mix. In particular, the super-rich Papa John's founder who tried to blame the onset of Obamacare as the reason he could only insure one in three workers.

However, pizza man is now selling one of his Utah condos for $17.9 million.

• Papa John's founder lists ski home for $17.99 million making it the most expensive condo ever listed in Utah

Am I the only one to see the hypocrisy? I don't think so. Some of the comments following the Daily Mail article read as follows:

• His pizza is a degradation to pizza. This is the guy who cut employees hours so he wouldn't have to provide healthcare. Typical right winger. A GREEDY JOKE! (Orlando, Florida).
• I hear he has to sell so he can afford the ACA mandate for his subordinates. People, don't buy pizza from the chains. Support your mom and pops or make it yourself. Pizza doesn't cost $20!!!! (Albuquerque, NM).
• My guess is he doesn't eat his own pizza if his properties look like that... (California).
• Bottom line is this: he doesn't make a single dollar without all the workers slaving away for min wage and tips in his Pizzerias and driving to make deliveries 24/7. I am all for making good money, but this is just gross American mega consumption at its worst. They should all go on strike. (Boston).
• You know what's funny - their pizza SUCKS! Who buys that garbage? (Boston).

I quite agree…

More of the Same

I know it's been months since I've posted a blog entry, but I haven't been moved to do so in all that time. Although I'm abreast of the news on a daily basis (listening to MSNBC in the background as I work), I've had zero interest in the typical gamut of news stories which relate to "politics as usual."

Is it any wonder I'm disgusted with the American political arena? The nuts just keep talking:

• Congressman: The Wife Is To Voluntarily Submit To Her Husband
• Mike Huckabee: Democrats Want Women To Believe They Cannot Control Their Libido
• Republicans believe rich people just work harder. So how do they explain these statistics?
• Republicans to the Poor: "You Built That!"

I have to admit following the unfolding scandals(s) in New Jersey as I watch Rachel Maddow nearly every night. Widespread corruption seems to follow those who think they are above the rest, which is another reason I'm disgusted with the governing body in Washington D.C. and politicians in general.

Thumbs & Whine

Watching the news these days is an utter bore. I'm fed up with the ongoing right-wing whine about Obamacare and their fruitless efforts to squelch it. In short, our lawmakers are sitting around with their thumbs up their asses and not doing the jobs we elected them to do. If I hear one more belligerent republican state "the majority of American people don't want Obamacare" I'm going to reach into the television and strangle them. They do not speak for me, or millions of other Americans who are in dire need of decent healthcare.

To that end, I read the following bit this morning:

• A Small Business Response to Obamacare

To quote some of the article as it was displayed in Shelf Awareness:

On his blog, Jarek Steele, co-owner of Left Bank Books, St. Louis, Missouri offered a "small business response to Obamacare" noting that the indie bookstore "pays 100% of our full-time employees' health insurance premium. I'll also let you in on another secret - by the end of this year, my bookstore will have paid $270,550 over the past five years for health insurance. Our group is (obviously) small; an average of 12 people are enrolled. Each bookseller's premium averages out to about $415 per month. We each have a $5,000 deductible.

"The message being blasted from the rooftops of opponents of Obamacare this week is that those figures I just gave you are precisely why Obamacare is unfair, that it will put a burden on individuals and small businesses like mine and force us to increase what we spend on healthcare. They don't want you to know that many small businesses like mine actually think that having health insurance is an important aspect of having a functional, happier, healthier, more productive employee. This small business in the reddest of all red states - count me in."

As for the daily news, every time I hear mention of healthcare on CNN or MSNBC the television goes mute or the channel is quickly changed. I'm simply disgusted by our lawmakers and their inability to do an honest day's work, and I'm tired of hearing about it.