TRUMP AND HIS SUPPORTERS EXPLAINED, AT LAST

 Don't get me wrong here; Donald Trump is a very, very dangerous man. He is the head of a three-generation New York crime family, and somehow he was elected to the office of President of the United States. He is a fascist, and a wanna-be dictator. He has a base of millions of ardent supporters, and he has somehow kept congressional Republicans under his thumb. How has he done this? How can this be explained?

One easy answer is this: Donald Trump is a buffoon, and people love a buffoon. 

I'm not just calling names here. But seriously, gird your loins and watch some video clips from his campaign rallies (yes, the COVID-19 super-spreader rallies). There is The Donald, in his element, acting the buffoon to a crowd of thousands of MAGA hat-wearing, cheering buffoon-lovers. He does his stand-up comedy schtick, making funny faces, cracking one-liners (usually something mean about someone, and always lies), doing that weird gesture with his hands (palms facing out, jerking out and back at waist level). His fans eat it up; they laugh, they hoot, they shout "lock her up - lock her up" at the mention of any Democratic woman politician, they hold up their stupid signs like "Women for Trump" and "Make America Great Again, Again" and "Trump-Pence 2020" and other bullshirt. 

And they are all crowded together, and very, very few of them are wearing masks (except the ones behind him who are on-camera, and have been told to wear masks to give a false impression), and they are in violation of every rule about the pandemic, and Trump doesn't give a rats ass about that or them, and when he leaves there is a COVID surge left behind. 

Sometimes he has a warm-up comedy act, his robotic wife, Melania. She has some extremely funny one-liners about how Donald is protecting shildren, and has stopped the pandemic, and is fighting bullies, and other stuff that is oh so hilarious in its irony. 

If the Trump family was not such a dangerous cabal of fascist grifters, if we could back away and look at them as if we were observers from another galaxy, well, we would certainly be laughing out loud at their antics and their ironic humor (if we had mouths to laugh through). I'm thinking Charlie Chaplin as The Great Dictator. 

We will get rid of this dangerous buffoon soon enough. Then we need to figure out how to live with his buffoon supporters.* Ugh.

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* Yeah, I know, we need to talk to people, and heal the divide, and find common ground, and all that. But seriously...

CORONAVIRUS, HUMANS, AND THE NATURAL WORLD

 You can't fool Mother Nature. (anonymous)

Nature is a Hanging Judge. (Professor Scott Morris)

The numbers are not good: 

• total cases, in the world and in the USA: at least 44,300,000 and 8,817,000
• total deaths, in the world and in the USA: at least 1,170,000 and 227,000
• average (7-day running) daily number of new reported cases, in the world and the USA: 450,000 and 77,000 (highest to date)
• in the past week in the USA,
• the daily number of new cases has increased by 20%
• the number of deaths has increased by 5.4%
• the number of hospitalizations has increased by 9.5%

Yes, I'm talking about the SARS-CoV-19 virus that causes COVID-19. In just seven months, this virus has been responsible for the numbers presented above, and the end is nowhere in sight. 

We humans should all feel humbled and afraid. The virus, something that is not considered a living organism (see my earlier post), a tiny packet of genetic material (about 700 of them laid side-by-side would equal the thickness of one human hair), has basically brought humanity to our knees. In the 21st century, a time of advanced knowledge and technology in medicine and science in general, a microscopic, replicating chemical particle is winning its attack on, and invasion of, human beings. And so far there is nothing we can do to stop the virus in its tracks and eliminate it from the planet.

The interesting, and very sad fact is that we humans know how to slow the spread of the virus, and it is not through technology. Behavior is, so far, the only thing that works. Wear a mask. Keep a distance of at least 6 feet between yourself and other people. Do not go into crowds of people. Simple, and proven effective behaviors. And yet...

And yet human hubris enables the virus. The simple virus-slowing behaviors have been politicized instead of accepted as fact. Some political leaders claimed that the virus was a hoax, the scientists and medical experts were wrong, and that political opponents were using the virus as a way to bring down the fearless leader. The truth is a simple equation: science denied = people died. 

Humans, the species Homo sapiens, are not above nature, we are part of it. No matter how strenuously we deny it, we are part of the natural world, and we ignore nature at our own peril. We have carelessly and foolishly significantly changed the chemistry, physics and biology of the planet as a result of our actions in modern times. Climate change is no longer a question to be debated; it is a proven process and our chickens have come home to roost! Drought, violent storms, massive wildfires, altered ocean chemistry, and many more processes of the planet systems are altered from what used to be normal. It is already too late to ask "what if" and instead, ask "what now?" 

My point, if you have not gotten it by now, is that as part of the natural world, we humans are impacted by whatever happens in natural systems. A tiny virus, part of nature, can do tremendous damage to our societies. The systems of nature, such as the atmosphere, that we so wantonly and carelessly abuse will change in ways that negatively impact us. We cannot fool nature; nature will win in the end.

I am not one who says that the planet is in danger, and we need to save the planet. Planet Earth will be fine no matter what we do; it will just be different. The reality is that humans are in great peril, and our social structures, always tenuous constructs, are breaking down at a fast rate. The virus and the changing climate - just those two factors alone - are drastically changing our economies, our demographics, our geographic distribution on the planet, our behaviors, and much more. We humans have the capability, at this moment, to destroy ourselves. We could do it quickly, through nuclear war; we could do it slowly, by continuing business as usual. Perhaps our species will survive and continue to evolve; however, we must keep in mind that other great civilizations of humans once prevailed on Earth and are now long gone. 

Perhaps intelligence is a fatal flaw in evolution. Or perhaps intelligence is the key to successful evolution. Humans are intelligent enough to understand that our own behaviors and actions are destroying the natural system of which we are a part and that keeps us alive. Perhaps natural evolution can only go so far, and once intelligence is reached, the species has to self-evolve behaviorally. In addition to having the capacity to destroy ourselves, we humans have the capacity to change ourselves in ways that will enable survival: acceptance instead of rejection, cooperation instead of conflict, building a world community instead of separate enclaves, loving instead of hating. Technology has a role in this, but it alone will not save us. 

Human. Nature. 

---

IMMORAL, OR JUST POLITICS AS USUAL?

Gleeful hypocrisy is one way to describe the Congressional Republicans as they celebrate the addition of Judge Barrett to the Supreme Court. Another description might use the term "immoral" because of all the lies and breaking of long-held processes and "gentleman" agreements. One side celebrates their tawdry victory while the other licks their wounds and vacillates between thoughts of revenge and how to regain power. 

I personally think the actions of the Congressional Republicans are immoral - "not conforming to the patterns of conduct usually accepted or established as consistent with principles of personal and social ethics." But, on the other hand, we're talking about politics. 

The politics of governance has always been a push and pull between different views and philosophies. In the United States, politics has always been rough and tumble, and perhaps what we are experiencing today is not very different from other periods in our history. So while we might conclude that this is simply politics as usual, that doesn't make it right. 

Should politics operate on moral principles? If yes, whose morals? Should we have rules that politicians must always take the high road? In the present case of Supreme Court nominations, should the Republicans have stayed with their previous position - the one they invented in 2016 - that nominations to the Supreme Court should not be made in an election year? If we say yes, then they would have had to give up a rare opportunity to create a solid conservative majority on the court. 

What would the Democrats do in the same situation? I'm certain they would do the same thing the Republicans just did, and find ways to justify it. It's politics.

And what about the moral obligation of the nominee? Should Amy Coney Barrett have declined the nomination to the court based on moral grounds? She is, after all, a very devout, and supposedly moral person of faith. How does a nominee justify participation in a process that is so obviously cynical, hypocritical and tainted? This should be a tough decision between the once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity and the willing participation in a corrupt political game. The fact that we saw absolutely no hesitation by Barrett should truly give us pause about her character. 

The dice are cast, the Supreme Court is now solidly right-wing, and Americans will live with the consequences for generations. This is not the first time the court has been this conservative, and it won't be the last. Meanwhile, there is an election a week from today, and there is already fighting in the streets of America between the Trumpsters and the anti-Trumpsters. America is at another major crossroad in our history where ideologies clash, social issues motivate mass civic unrest and action, and violence erupts across the country. Our future is uncertain, and there is no easy resolution of the issues that divide us. We don't seem to be the "united" states at this point, and our elected representatives seem incapable, or unwilling, to find a peaceful path forward. 

Can politics be moral? The answer seems to be no. 

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COVID CREEP

 As The Donald gets closer to the election that looks more and more like he will lose, he gets whackier and whackier. He has held large political rallies, indoors and out, with thousands of packed-in, unmasked supporters. He has had events at the White House where people were not distanced and mostly not wearing masks. There is an outbreak in the White House, with numerous staff testing positive for COVID-19, as well as Donald, his wife and son.  He was hospitalized with COVID-19, came out after a few days, and went out on the campaign trail claiming that the "Chinese virus" is like the flu (he told us that long ago), that it is not a killer, and that everyone should get it so we will all be immune. 

Meanwhile, back in reality....

...the number of new COVID-19 reported cases per day continues to increase...

...the number of COVID-19 cases reported per day in the United States continues to increase...

...the number of reported COVID-19 cases in our State of Oregon is increasing...

...and the number of deaths reported per day related to COVID-19 in the world, USA and Oregon (below) seems to be steady or declining slightly. (All graphics from the Washington Post.)

The medical experts tell us that things are trending in the wrong direction and will get worse as winter approaches. Trump tells us that the "China virus" is going away and everything will be just fine very soon. I know who I believe; how about you? 

I am working hard and hopeful that President Donald J. Trump will be citizen (and inmate) Donald J. Trump as of January 20, 2021. We ned a president who is serious about dealing with a killer pandemic and provides the resources and leadership to get it under control. We need a leader, not a miracle.

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THE DONALD AT WALTER REED

 

I DON'T WISH YOU WELL, DONALD

I don't wish you well, Donald.
I don't wish you a speedy recovery.
No hopes and prayers from me, Donald.
None of that baloney.

In my heart, I say

"Die, motherfucker!"

But don't die, Donald,

not just yet, anyway.

I want you to suffer, Donald.

Like the people who suffered

and those two hundred thousand plus

who died

because of you.

I want you to suffer, Donald.

Like the children torn from their parents

who were seeking freedom

in the shining city on the hill

and you jailed them

and sent them back to their suffering.

I want you to experience pain, Donald.

Like the pain of poverty and hunger.

Like the suffering of black and brown bodies

under the choking knee of your

America made great (white), again, and again.

My greatest hope for you, Donald

is that, in the moment before

they shove the ventilator tube

down your throat

you have the terrifying realization

that every person trying to save

your miserable life

is Black or Brown or an immigrant,

and that truth shreds your tiny brain

while you are in a life support stasis. 

Am I being cruel, Donald?

Am I being too mean, Donald?

No, not when it's you

as the subject of my wrath.

You see, Donald, I do want

you to live, at least for awhile.

I want you to experience 

a few more things in life,

such as:

the humiliation of losing

in a great landslide of votes;

(which you will undoubtedly spin

as the greatest, largest, best, most beautiful 

election defeat in history!);

the ordeal of being indicted

and arrested by the State of New York

- in public -

for a long list of financial crimes

(oh, how I wish the ICC would indict you

for crimes against humanity);

the embarrassment of having

your head shaved

as you enter prison

and everyone sees you

for what you are -

an old, broken-down narcissist

con man;

the shame of exposure

as the head of a three-generation

crime family that has

conned its way through life

at the expense and suffering of others;

and the repudiation of everything

you and your Republican

sycophants and enablers,

and your supremacist goons,

and your ultra-rich masters

tried to make our country,

and the fixing of everything

you and yours broke

that turned America away from

our path and towards being

a "shithole country;"

I want you to live, Donald.

I want you to see all of that, Donald.

Because it will enrage you

and bring out the best of

your worst little boy tantrums.

Live long and suffer, Donald.

I don't wish you well, Donald.

I wish you hell, Donald. 

---

pfishman

october 3, 2020

 

DISPATCH FROM A LEFT COAST ANARCHIST JURISDICTION

I’ve always said that anarchy is better than no government at all. I now find myself living in what the President of the United States declares to be an “anarchist jurisdiction,” Portland, Oregon. Yeah, that’s what it is, anarchy, it must be. That’s how to explain why I found myself driving the wrong way on a one-way street a few days ago. And I crossed against a “do not walk” signal recently. Someone left their dog’s shit where it was deposited; they didn’t pick it up with a plastic bag. Bicyclists running stop signs and ignoring other rules of the road. Dogs and cats sleeping together! Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.

Portland —- the City of Roses, the River City, the place where young people go to retire — has a long history of racism, and a more recent history of progressive liberalism. Portlanders, for some reason, love to protest and demonstrate and march in the streets. Right-wingers, white supremacists, and other creepy types also love Portland as a place where they can demonstrate and get into street brawls. We also have antifa, anti-fascists, who show up to do battle with alt-right and white supremacists. It’s a great mix. 

And so Portland has been at the top of the news for a few months since the killing of George Floyd, as daily, and nightly, demonstrations have gone so long it seems that we are chasing some Guinness Book record. But I need to be clear here; the daily rallies for Black Lives Matter and the end of systemic racism have been well organized and peaceful. Portland police generally don’t even show up at the daily, peaceful gatherings, and offer any assistance needed by the organizers. 

The nightly demonstrations are a different story. These are gatherings of up to a few hundred people, some of whom come dressed in body armor and helmets, carrying large plywood shields, and armed with a variety of weapons and things to throw at the cops, including frozen bottles of water, cans of soup, rocks and chunks of concrete, steel ball bearings shot by wrist-rocket slingshots, laser pointers (t shine into the eyes of cops) commercial grade fireworks, and even Molotov cocktails. (Police have also siezed knives, loaded guns, and other weapons.) They have attacked police buildings, including the police union building, trying to set them on fire, break windows and doors, and various other criminal activities. The cops ask them to be peaceful, then, upon being bombarded with projectiles, declare an unlawful assembly and order them to disperse, sometimes declare the situation a riot (a legal term), often respond with crowd control ordinance or physical force, and arrest people (sometimes dozens every night), until folks get tired and go home, typically at around 1 or 2 in the morning. 

Many Portland liberals I know are down on the police, claiming that the cops are violent and the protestors are not. To be fair, I have only attended one daytime rally (pandemic caution for this elder) and have stayed away from the nighttime brawls. There have certainly been instances of police using excessive or inappropriate force. What I have not heard from my liberal friends is what the police should do in these situations, instead of what they are doing. 

Donald Trump, however, the very stable genius, knows what to do. If we would only let him send in federal troops, he would end the violence quickly. Violence to fix violence? Well, some feds did come to Portland, under the guise of Department of Homeland Security, to protect the federal building that houses federal courtrooms and offices. These guys (we assume they were all guys) were violent and seemingly out of control, and they operated by their own rules. People were hurt, some very badly. People were grabbed and whisked away in unmarked rented vans to be interrogated. These goons (yes, a good term for them) made a bad situation worse. They finally pulled back after the Oregon Governor talked to the Vice-President and worked out a deal using Oregon State Police to protect the federal property. 

If you don’t live in one of Trump’s “anarchist jurisdictions” you might have a false sense about Portland. We are mostly nice people in a beautiful city with great restaurants, live theater, sports teams, museums, great outdoors activities, and many interesting neighborhoods. We are not a very diverse city, which is an issue. We have a commission form of government, something that has its own set of issues. But Portland is a great place to live and visit, anarchy and all. 

I come full circle to my opening statement: anarchy is better than no government at all. If Portland is anarchy, then Trump’s administration is no government at all. I’ll take anarchy. 

—-