On a positive note, Russia continues to get a very good return on its investment, e.g. the United States continues to be screwed by its own president. So that's a good thing, right?
  
Do I think Donald Trump is a commie? Nope. Not near smart enough, for one thing and too, any decent communist will have a coherent philosophy. Trump bounces from one way of thinking about something to the next based on which way the wind is blowing. His "beliefs" flipping 180 degrees depending what direction will get him the most twitter followers. On the other hand, Trump is very definitely Putin's puppet. Vladi pulls the strings and Donald dutifully mucks it up for the USA. A perfect setup, really. If your Putin. Meanwhile the rest of the world looks on in confusion and horror, shaking their heads at the downfall of democracy.

Questions for the day:
How can anyone who believes in democracy support Trump? He seems to make it a personal goal to desecrate the United States flag every time he opens his mouth, uses the Constitution as toilet paper and delights in your willingness to let him take away your freedoms. Freedom of speech freedom of religion freedom of the press freedom of you fill in the blank. Running the country with a seemingly endless line of almost remarkably unqualified clowns otherwise known as his family and friends. A level of nepotism typically reserved for backwards, inbred banana republics not meant to last.
And of course next time you say anything in public pray you remember to first consult the (growing) list of banned words and phrases lest you slip up and say something illegal. Something Donald doesn't approve of. You better hope you talk the right way think the right way look the right way pray the right way.........do everything the "right" effing way cause if you don't Donald will build a wall around you or otherwise make you even more miserable than he makes you anyway.

Anyone who enjoys the outdoors........hiking, hunting, fishing just being outside enjoying our beautiful lands held in common by all of us - how can you possibly justify support of this bozo? He is giving away our public lands at a pace that will dispose of all of it before he is out. Two million acres and counting. Your legacy, my children's legacy being sold to the highest bidder so it can be exploited by his rich cronies at the expense of the rest of us.
 
For that matter how can you support any country (in this case the ONLY country) that removes itself from the global effort at protecting the planet? How can you support your president for thinking he knows more than nearly every scientist alive? The United States of Trump is the only country on Earth that has inside information different from anyone else, regarding the health of our home.
  
How can ANY woman support trump? Pointless to go into detail here as none of the female trumpites would be reading this. Instead I assume you all must be off somewhere smiling and moaning as some aging pervert "grabs your pussy."
What is it like to so completely sell-out your entire gender? Seriously. What is that like? Please explain it too me cause I don't have a hope of figuring this out on my own.
 
How can any veteran support Trump? Your Commander in Chief, a FIVE TIME DRAFT DODGER who slams those who have given so, so much in service of this country (e.g. John McCain.) Any veteran who supports Trump - there can be no valid explanation. None. If you are a veteran and support trump you dishonor everyone who has ever worn a uniform for this country.

How can any parent support Trump? A president who has made it clear he plans to trash the public education system in favor of pay as you go private schools so his cronies can make even more money. The same president who does everything he can to ensure a pedophile is elected. Just so he can use the sick little perv's vote to further his hate-filled agenda.

Those of you pretending to want peace in this world yet still find a way to be a donald fan, how does that happen? What it is like to turn your back on your values and watch as he brings the entire planet closer to war? Every day a little closer to blowing up the whole place. Making adversaries out of allies just because he can acting like a 2-yr old having temper tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants and in so many ways alienating, isolating us from the rest of the world. Openly threatening to use nuclear weapons, putting the lives of millions in the balance.
What gives you the right to do this to my children? What gives you the right to do this to YOUR children? What gives you the right to put us on the brink of disaster?
The questions are rhetorical - NOTHING gives you the right to do these things.

A narcissistic sociopath, his reality bares no relationship to yours or mine. He does not know who you are or what you want, and more importantly - he does not care. Donald cares about Donald. Nothing more. He is incapable of empathy (find any shrink out there who disagrees with any of these statements and I will withdraw all of them.) There is no "too low" for him to stoop. He does not have ethical boundaries same as you and me. Trump is the ultimate drama queen and you have given him the ultimate stage on which to play the role.
He does not care about the USA. Donald is too busy seeking Facebook likes to have time to care about this country.

The United States of America is being dragged down into the mud by a 71-yr old grade-school playground bully. In less than 12 months we have gone from being the greatest country on earth to the biggest joke in the world.
A very big, very dangerous joke.

Welcome to 1984. Brothers and sisters.
Where two plus two equals three.
Orwell had it right.
And Hitler would be so very pleased with you for what you've done.


I've been here ranting about this before, realizing I am either singing to the choir or singing to myself. I feel need to keep doing it, however.
In my 59 years I have seen many, many administrations come and go. I watched as Nixon embarrassed us. The Clinton boo-boos. I even remember when there were nukes, loaded in missiles and pointed at us, within 78 miles of our shores. I have been witness to much political skeeziness and concern. But it's different now, really it is. This one isn't simply criminal, or stupid. He is a combination of those along with being frighteningly unpredictable, divisive and so incredibly self-centered.
This one is truly dangerous.

A few recent quotes from the news:
"If you want to preserve -- I'm very serious now -- if you want to preserve democracy as we know it, you have to have a free and many times adversarial press." "Without it, I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. That's how dictators get started." - John McCain, (conservative) Republican when asked about Trump's obsession with "fake news" and the negative impacts on freedoms he is having not just in this country but worldwide.
 
"Trump undermines democracy with media attacks", David Cameron

"(Trump's) U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted along party lines Thursday to repeal landmark 2015 rules aimed at ensuring a free and open internet, setting up a court fight over a move that could recast the digital landscape." Rather than protecting Net Neutrality Trump is "...handing over the keys of the Internet to a “handful of multi-billion dollar corporations. Trumps cronies will decide what information we have access to.”

Which of course fits in nicely with: "The Trump administration is prohibiting officials at the nation's top public health agency from using a list of seven words or phrases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now forbidden from using, in any form, the words: "vulnerable," "entitlement," "diversity." "fetus," "transgender." "evidence based," and "science based."

A quote from a little further back, courtesy of Thomas Jefferson: "Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost." "Our first objective should therefore be, to leave open to them all the avenues to truth. The most effectual hitherto found, is the freedom of the press. It is, therefore, the first shut up by those who fear the investigation of their actions."

Then one for you Trump supporters: "Rather than suppress the news we shall instead seek to tightly control its flow and interpretation and to deny access to alternative sources of news."
- Adolph Hitler

Those of you managing to talk yourself into continued support of this train wreck may want to consult a dictionary. Definition of "democracy."
Then look yourself in the mirror and see who it is destroying ours.

Freedom of the press, freedom of speech is the foundation of our way of life. Your president swore an oath to protect that freedom. He is not only failing that oath but is in fact actively working against it while you stand by nodding and smiling like so many bobbly head dolls. Disrespecting the sacrifices of my father and his father and his father and his father and his father as veterans who fought and suffered for your freedom. Just so you can close-your-eyes-cover-your-ears and hum real loud as you let a draft-dodging coward who is afraid of the truth take those freedoms away.
   
To be clear: I do not think Donald Trump is some evil monster out to do us all in. He isn't near smart enough, for one of many things. Rather, I see him for what he is - a narcissistic sociopath, desperately seeking the approval of others (everyone), not particularly bright, who is personally responsible for almost none of the successes in his life. Even now - he is president in SPITE of all that is Donald. Without Stevie Bannon and his merry band of haters (not to mention a significant assist from Vladimir Putin) Trump would not have been elected. He was, and is, being used. Used by an unhappy, angry bunch of people who are desperately trying to fill the empty that is them. Anyone who's ever opened a Psych 101 textbook will know Freud would have a field day with these broken individuals. These are the grown up versions of the kids always picked last for basketball in gym class. Aside from misdirected rage they are mostly empty inside.

And they are running the place. Trump and his relatives and cronies and reality show contestants with stripper names being tackled in the bushes by the Secret Service. A constantly changing cast of clowns, nearly none of whom are qualified for the jobs your nepotistic president gives them - are running the country.

Donald Trump is an increasingly dangerous train wreck. A dangerous train wreck who is capable, and possibly willing, to bring the whole thing down.

Of which almost a majority somehow decided - Hey, here's an idea! Let's make him the fucking president of the United States of America! Let's see how quickly he can destroy the greatest political experiment in history! That'll be fun!

In an unnecessary and antagonistic move, your president just upended decades of international effort and made great strides towards his apparent goal of creating has much destruction as possible.  This as payment for some of the votes he bought, in this case support from what is now the SECOND most dangerous terrorist in the world (Israeli government - recently bumped from the top position by your president.)  His international policies specifically those guided by his pathological hatred of a particular religion have resulted in so many deaths already.  Now your president has absolutely positively guaranteed more will die. Many, many more.  And this isn't just a bus bomb in some backwater town in Egypt.  Nope, your president is intent on not only putting in danger Americans abroad, but also in bringing the bloodshed home.  With today's announcement about Jerusalum, congratulations - your children are less safe.  With your continued support of Trump YOU have decided to put your children in danger.  Worldwide, including here.  You are less safe.  Combined with letting an unstable North Korean with nukes (not to mention his BFF Vladimir) pull his strings like a pathetic marionette, the president you support continues to ensure you and me live in a more dangerous world.    

Interfere with the judiciary.  Silence the press.  Threaten to take your ball and go home if you don't get what you want, threaten to shut down the government.  Oppress entire cultures because of their beliefs.  Put up fences both real and metaphorical.  Oppress minorities oppress women oppress anyone not like you.  Turn your back on allies, isolate yourself.  Live in a world of your own creation.  A world the rest of us can only wonder about, what with most of us not being clinically narcissistic sociopaths (who apparently also support child abuse, child molestation.  That's a nice new touch.)    

"Make the lie big, make it simple.  Keep saying it and eventually they will believe it."    

"Tell people a lie three times, they will believe anything.  Tell people what they want to hear, play to their fantasies."  

Two separate quotes.  One from Donald Trump.  The other, Adolph Hitler.  I would ask if you can guess which is which but, considering they are saying the same thing and apparently come from the same mindset I guess it doesn't matter.

Achtung, baby.    

If you are not against him you are for him.    

For anyone who claims to care about Mother Earth yet still finds a way to support Trump:  what are you doing to rationalize your support of the fact the U.S.A. is the ONLY country on the planet to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord? 195 other countries stayed in.  While I am willing to consider that gifted genius otherwise knows as Dr. Donald has top secret information nobody else, anywhere, has, I'm afraid I am going to need to see it before I change my mind.  You know, what with nearly every scientist in this part of the universe thinking different than Trump.

For all the veterans out there who voted for this coward or otherwise are not opposing him - how do you reconcile the fact he is a chickenshit draft dodger?  What possible argument can you present yourself to make it O.K. that your Commander in Chief's daddy was able to pay for him to stay home safe while 58,223 American soldiers came home from Vietnam in boxes and hundreds of thousands more were permanently damaged?.  Cause their daddies didn't know the right people and grease the right pockets.  All while Donnie was warm and safe at home.  Partying and screwing around with his rich privileged friends.  Five times he received deferments.  How are you O.K with that?  I'm honestly curious.  Probably the same way you can justify him slamming John McCain for being a POW.    I don't even much care for McCain's politics but how much of a skeaze does someone have to be to make fun of him being a prisoner of war?   That's who you voted for (same thing if you are not actively opposing him.)  You are supporting the Coward (Commander) in Chief dissing someone who went to a very bad place in defense of his country.  McCain is a patriot Trump a low-life coward.  Simple as that.  The McCains of this Country are the only reason a disease like Trump is allowed to spread his infection.  And Trump uses some of that freedom to make jokes about POWs.  While you all just keep smiling and nodding like stupid bobbly head dolls.    Why do you do that?   Probably the same way you support his childish, self-serving and truly dangerous aggressiveness regarding such places as the Korean Peninsula.  Hundreds of thousands, millions of lives in the balance.   But none of the potential casualties are Trumps (cowardice appears to be a family trait.)  So that's O.K. right?

For all the women out there who voted for him, or are otherwise not opposing him - what's that like?  As you spread your legs so this 72 year old pervert misogynist can reach in there and grab your pussy (maybe he'll think of you while he's with is half-his-age fresh-off-the-boat immigrant trophy bimbo.)  For you women - what exactly do you have to say to yourself to sell out so completely?  You helped elect a man who thinks of women as objects.  YOU, did that. Do not complain to ME about it.

For ANYyone out there who voted for him or is otherwise not opposing him - how are you able to stand for, to support the Terrorist in Chief as he continues to foment a climate of divisiveness, anger?  And then offend us as you pretend to be surprised the number and impact of hate crimes are skyrocketing.  How much longer will you bother to pretend you do not see the haters peeking out from behind their pretty white hoods and capes?   Congratulations to all of you.   Your day is finally here.  Cause this is a very good time to be a white supremacist.  Nazi, whatever.  This is your time to gather together your .00001 molecule of combined courage and come out of hiding.  To show yourselves in the light of day for a change.  Big, brave cowards.  To come out of hiding click your heels together and pledge your undying allegiance to Aldoph.  Excuse me - Donald. 

Don't mind me.  Just ranting to myself again.  Suppose I should be careful - I think this may be one of those things mom told me I could go blind doing.   Mmm.  On the upside, turns out Russia did not meddle in the U.S. presidential election.  Trump got the news direct from his BFF Vladimir. 

Whew, glad that's cleared up.  

Senator Jeff Flake, Republican (and conservative) from Arizona: “We must never regard as normal the regular and casual undermining of our democratic norms and ideals,” Flake said. “We must never meekly accept the daily sundering of our country — the personal attacks; the threats against principles, freedoms and institutions; the flagrant disregard for truth and decency.”

Trump is "dangerous to our democracy."

“We must stop pretending that the degradation of our politics ...and the conduct of some in our executive branch are normal. They are not normal. Reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior has become excused and countenanced as ‘telling it like it is’ when it is actually just reckless, outrageous and undignified.”

"It is time for our complicity and our accommodation of the unacceptable to end.” “Politics can make us silent when we should speak, and silence can equal complicity.”

Or, and as paraphrased by yours truly: you stupid effing rednecks put a mean-spirited sociopathic mentally unbalanced childish racist misogynistic terrorist loving Putin puppet dictator wanna-be in the White House. Well, you and your communist Russian friends did. Yes comrades, you have accomplished the near impossible - you somehow managed to drag down into the sewer the greatest country ever to exist and in so doing have made me, and yourselves, the biggest joke in history.
The most dangerous terrorist on the planet and you gave him the nuclear codes. What's more, and in a disappointing display of predictably masochistic human behavior, you continue to support this nut-job. Unwilling to let yourselves accept the simple fact, you fucked up.  Even if you DO see the error in your ways, standing by quietly and doing nothing (being complicit) makes you part of the problem.
Excellent work. :)

This is basic human behavior on full display. Pathetic yet evolutionarily necessary herd mentality. Works fine so long as you don't have a dangerous loony tune pulling the strings. A dangerous loony tune who happens to be able to feed off the energy of people's anger, and hate. Trump is a parasite with lucky timing.  The same type of person has showed up many times throughout history. 
Every time, it ends in disaster.  And never, do we learn from the mistakes.  

I am officially dropping the microphone and leaving the building. This is hopeless.

Trump held a press conference on Monday during which he claimed that many past presidents have not made phone calls to the families of military members killed in action.  Whether he was just being astoundingly ignorant or was telling a massive lie, the comments made San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich—an Air Force veteran—irate. Unsolicited, he call journalist Dave Zirin of The Nations to vent:

This man in the Oval Office is a soulless coward who thinks he can only become large by belittling others. This has of course been a common practice of his, but to do it in this manner—and to lie about how previous Presidents responded to the deaths of soldiers—is as low as it gets. We have a pathological liar in the White House: unfit intellectually, emotionally, and psychologically to hold this office and the whole world knows it, especially those around him every day. The people who work with this President should be ashamed because they know it better than anyone just how unfit he is, and yet they choose to do nothing about it. This is their shame most of all.

Well said, coach.

Prey on the public's anger, confusion.  Use it to fuel your hate filled agenda.
Preach divisiveness, prejudice.  They are different from us they must be evil.
Isolate the country.  Separate from, make enemies of those who were allies.
Attack the judiciary.  How dare they uphold the rule of law.
Silence the media.  Anything bad written about me must be wrong.  


Your president is playing from a previously written script. 
Think Germany in the mid to late 1930s.

Lets everybody slap our heels together hard and push one hand way up.
Heil Donald.

"Rosa Parks was not protesting the bus. Ghandi not protesting the food. Players are not protesting the anthem, stupid. Its about the injustice, instead."

I have seen the quote floating about lately. What I get from it is - it doesn't matter why anyone protests anything. Not these days. The reasons, no matter how seemingly valid, simply don't count like they used to. What Rosa Parks did by not giving up that seat no longer matters. Ghandi, and others starving themselves to make a point, big deal. Certainly some overpaid crybaby ballplayers disrespecting the flag doesn't amount to much. All of the protests and sacrifices and loss this country has endured the past 241 years, becoming less important with each passing day. Unraveling at the hands of a truly unwell dictator wannabe and a pack of gut-less bunnies otherwise known as Congress.
It's coming apart. 

Because we live in the United States of America. The land of intolerance divisiveness and hatred. The USA, where we build walls and set quotas and deny entry based solely on your religion or ethnicity. Whether or not you get in dependent on what you look like or how you pray. United effing states of whatever led by a petulant playground bully trying to make us appear tough instead showing us to be the weak, unstable country he is causing us to become.

The not very united states of anything. Where we flush our country down the drain 140 characters at a time using our Constitution as toilet paper.
A big, really dangerous joke.

I am sad. There is just too much wrong here, too much anger, and hate. More and more I am thinking it may be too late to fix this. That we may be remembered as the people who destroyed the greatest human experiment ever attempted. The greatest country on Earth.

Sorry, Rosa. Turns out in the end your bravery didn't count for shit

Your president is unwell. Unfit for office. He proves it anew nearly every time he opens his mouth. Now publicly threatening to murder millions of innocent civilians, including hundreds of thousands of Americans - while in essentially the same breath pouting about how a particular basketball player is no longer invited to come play with him at the White House. His constant, exhausting use of drama to distract from what actually matters is just that - exhausting.

The United States has become a scary, and increasingly dangerous country. Not because we are strong but because we are weak, due to the inconsistent incoherent schizophrenic character/actions of your president.

Lacking even the slightest hint of dignity, honor, the Putin puppet who with Russian help slipped in on an inconsistency in our electoral process seems bent on destroying all that is good about the USA. Maybe the only thing protecting us at this point is his stupendously high level of political impotence. Regardless, the only apparent winner in this mess is Putin. Vladi must be giggling like a two-year old girl these days.

By making Comrade Trump your president you have ensured Russia is now the leader of the world - while the USA continues its fall off the cliff you pushed it over.

Who woulda thought I ever would be quoting Kobe.........

"A #POTUS whose name alone creates division and anger. Whose words inspire dissension and hatred can't possibly "Make America Great Again"."

"a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims."

- from Webster's; definition of "terrorist."  

The President of the United States is publicly threatening to unlawfully murder 25 million people, mostly civilians (this not counting the millions more killed or maimed in defensive strikes from North Korea including hundreds of thousands of American citizens unless the whole thing unravels which given the stupidity involved here is entirely possible in which case pretty much everyone is toast) in the pursuit of political aims, in this case in still another failed attempt to hide his utter political impotence.    

Your so-called "president" represents a clear and present danger not just to this country but to humanity at large.  Living in a self-serving fantasy land, he is truly "a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims." 
And what makes this one truly dangerous is that he is also both mentally unbalanced, and not particularly bright.    

That anyone anywhere thinks otherwise flies in the face of intelligence decency dignity morality and just simple effing common sense.  

worth posting again:

"Trump has not been cunning but credulous; not an authoritarian but a pushover.
Ultimately, Trump is failing because he has little knowledge of the world and no guiding star of moral principle. The best of our leaders — think Abraham Lincoln — have been sure about the truth and uncertain about themselves. Trump is the opposite. His mind is uncluttered by creeds. He knows what he wants at any given moment, but it can bear little relation to the moment following. Who really believes that he would be sleepless if the wall were not built or if NAFTA ultimately survived? Who believes he would not be sleepless because of a nasty joke at his expense during a dinner party?
Without deep and thoughtful beliefs, persuasion is impossible. It is public reasoning that allows others to follow a leader’s footsteps in the snow. What has Trump done to rationally and respectfully persuade his critics?
During his campaign, Trump looked down on the weak; now it is revealed HE, is weak." 
*Michael Gerson, WP

Donald J. Trump and Kim Jong Un. Two of a kind.
Each a pathetic little boy desperately seeking approval. Bullies, so saddled with entitlement issues they are unable to see reality. Both where they are because of their fathers rather than for anything they themselves have accomplished. Nothing more than low-life con men with bad haircuts staying in power through use of misdirection and fear. Even their specific words sounding more and more alike.
Playing a pissing game with nuclear consequences.
Cool.
Maybe the only significant difference between the two is that the North Koreans weren't stupid enough to actually CHOOSE their 'lil kimmie.
Comrade Donald.
The best president Putin could buy.
My little sister sent around a group message. Cartoon. Trump and Kimmie comparing male parts. A bit sexist, and in fact I would be willing to bet the artist who drew it is female. I say that because, as I guy - I know its wrong. Pretty much opposite the truth, as a matter of fact. Trump and crazy Korean guy are not walking around with camel dicks. No, they are little boys with tiny little packages. In part because of that they are each clinically, and dangerously insecure. Do not doubt the validity of that. And both are using the threat of nuclear annihilation to distract from the jokes, the tragedies that are their "leadership." Two "leaders", openly threatening to destroy the other's country with nuclear weapons. For those of you keeping score - that has never before happened. Threatening nuclear attack. Even in the darkest days of the cold war when we were about half a sneeze away from blowing the whole place up - there was enough concern, restraint, class, and just simple fucking common sense to not act like children pouting over who said what. That is no longer the case. Your president has decided to make an unwell, angry - nobody, relevant on the world stage. He is doing this for the specific purpose of distracting you from the fact he is an utter fuckup as President of the United States. 'lil Kimmie wins by doing nothing at all. Because that's exactly what it takes to draw the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES into a childish tirade. Two unpredictable egomaniacal dictators desperately seeking attention. At this point about the only thing we have going for us is one of them is smart enough to NOT do anything.
I am pretty sure Kim Jong Un is our BFF right now. I honestly believe he is smart enough to not play his only card. Your president is betting your children's lives on it so lets hope were right.   Betting your children's lives for ratings.
On the upside it increases tension thereby taking away focus from that whole big bunch of stinking ugly otherwise knowns as the Trump administration - and satisfies the egos of a couple of dangerous little boys pathetically desperate for you to notice them.
Your president is a traitor to this country. Enemy of the State. And, increasingly, so are those who continue to support him.
It is because of that support we are increasingly unsafe. Every day less safe. My children have been put in increased danger because of your continued support of Trump. I don't like knowing that - cause I care about my children. YOUR children are in more danger. Which of course begs the question: what mindset does a person have to get to so as to want to put their own children in danger? As a parent I do not understand. Particularly when this is happening for the single reason to keep your focus off all the other problems this bozo is creating. It is smoke and mirrors. Cheap circus tricks. And you keep falling for it. He is making you jump from one drama to the next so you won't notice the nagging little fact that nothing, absolutely nothing of any benefit is being accomplished.
He is sinking this country, and trying to take the rest of the world down with us.
It is becoming very difficult for me to forgive those of you continuing to support him.

Because I think it may be too late to fix this.

You are no longer residents of the greatest country on Earth. Instead with each passing day the U.S. becomes a bigger joke. A very big, very dangerous joke. Instead of leading anything, this wonderful political experiment that survived so many attacks and required literally millions of lives to protect over the past 241 years is being unraveled by a bunch of low-life used car salesmen in slick suits. And I say that with deepest apologies to used car salesmen the world over.
The world is less safe. You and your family, less safe. Your children your brother your mother your sister your father, all of them, less safe. Because you decided it would be so. Because you decided to put a truly unwell looney tune in the White House. The best president any terrorist could hope for. The best little buddy Putin could buy. Vladi is making him dance like a helpless marionette and Comrade Trump obliges every pull of the string. Putin's puppy pushing us further into isolation from the rest of the world, further up the list of targets for terrorism.
He is guaranteeing our school children will continue to lag behind those from most anywhere else.
The misogynist that he is, I can easily imagine him going after women's rights. You're not good for much more than pussy anyway, right? (middle-aged college educated white women did more to elect this bozo than any other demographic. Can anyone even begin to explain that to me?)
He is doing everything in his power to put us back in the dark ages as far as environmental protection, too. On a more practical standpoint for most of us - in just six short months you are worth less monetarily. That trend will both continue and speed up significantly. By separating us from the rest of the planet it appears he is trying to plunge us into economic ruin. All while expecting you to spend a trillion dollars on a fence we don't need and that wouldn't work even if we did and of course hastening the demise of this, our only planet. Our home.
A hater, so blinded by his twisted sense of reality he can't even see the wall he is running this country in to at full tilt. With endless drama, managing to accomplish nothing helpful. Distracting us with side-show acts like "Tony the Mooch." Tony the effing Mooch running the White House (for all of ten days). Sounds like some particularly low level gangster. A short, fat little bully who steals lunch money from young children. In charge of the White House. If he didn't fit in so well with the rest of the circus Trump brought to town it might be a little funny, in a sad way. As it is it's only sad. The leader of the free world lacking even a single molecule of class, dignity.
And I doubt any of this is making any sense. I think I can be reasonably eloquent when I put a little thought into things. But I am so upset by all the carnage around me I can't seem to think straight.
From a guy who never once before in his 58 years felt particularly strong, politically, about anything much.
This country is collapsing 140 characters at a time. Death by twitter twaddle.
And you did it. Those of you who voted for and otherwise support Trump. You did it.

In the news today:
"AP:   Man tries to remove bees with fireworks, burns down garage."
Don't bother, I already checked - his name is not Trump. On the other hand and assuming that trainwreck otherwise known as the Donald doesn't destroy the planet in the next three and a half years or so - we may have already found his replacement.

What are the chances of discovering two people so equally qualified to run the country.....

"In tweet storm, Trump attacks MSNBC over ‘Morning Joe’ and ‘Greta,’ calls CNN ‘garbage journalism’ "
"Trump defends social media use as ‘modern day presidential' "
""President Trump Tweet Video of Him Punching CNN in the Face"
"Fox News host confronts Conway on Trump getting ‘crazy with Twitter’ "
"More Dems sign onto bill to impeach Trump"...

Just a few headlines from today's news. I could add more, probably many more of the same type. Just one day. Meanwhile nothing, absolutely nothing is getting done in Washington.
Welcome to the United States of an effing Joke. The laughing stock of planet earth. You, those of you who put him in office made us the biggest gag in the known universe. We went from leader of the free world to a pathetic loser in an instant.

The only winners at this point are Vladimir Putin, ISIS, and a variety of other terrorists organizations, you know, individuals and groups who thrive on anger and hate and negative energy generally.
Courtesy of you deciding it would be a good idea to elect a petulant pouty misogynistic dangerously neurotic 71-year old child who exhibits enough textbook psychotic behavior to warrant being committed, as your president.
Good work.

On the upside he will continue acting "presidential" which as we all learned in school means making up law as he goes parsing out rights based on his judgment of your religion or gender or color, destroying generations of international diplomacy, raping the planet censoring your news supporting terrorism grabbing your pussy giving us World War III deporting all the immigrants or anyone related to such which in the case of the US means EVERYBODY (except of course his fresh-off-the-boat trophy wife), and - reducing to absolute zero the value of effort and sacrifice of those who came before us and gave so much including their lives, for this country. Millions of people with millions of stories. Poof. Gone. Meant nothing.

And the best part is he's doing it all in 140 characters or less.
Because that's Presidential.

Recent surveys seems to indicate those who supported Trump at election time still support him. Now, I understand we are human and prone to mistake. Part of who we are. Another feature of being members of this particular species is that, we tend to be reluctant to own up to our mistakes. We all make 'em we all try to pretend we don't. I get that. Even still, at some point don't we need to ask some questions, like - at what point do you pull your head out of the sand and look around you? How much destruction is required before you finally open your eyes?
I am sad, I am embarrassed for all of us.
I am definitely worried for you and me both.
Your president is doing everything in his power to ensure we - you me and planet earth, are not safe.
And the Republican members of congress are following him around like a flock of brainless, frightened puppies, looking as if they will all step over the cliff together.

Preying on your fear, your anger your frustration to advance is personal goals.  

Seizing on tragedy in support of his personal, hate-filled agenda.

Trivializing the suffering of those involved while at the same time fomenting conditions ensuring further carnage.  

He will push and spout and hate and tweet until a major terrorist attack happens in the U.S.  

At which point he will rub his bloody little hands together and with a sleazy smile announce, "see, told ya so :)"  

This country, this planet........you, me and everyone else is increasingly in danger because of your president.

Killer Shrews. 1959. This following The Wasp Woman, circa 1958. Monster month on the TCM. B-Grade SyFy, aka my fav movie type. But on to the news:

Our president represents a clear and present danger to the USA. He is an enemy of the state. Left to his own devices he will continue to purposefully and willingly cause us harm. The only question remaining is the magnitude of the pending disaster.

It can't be easy stepping in and instantly becoming the worst president in the history of ever. We've had some bad 'uns. Yet Comrade Trump is already making Richard Nixon look like a patriot. In fact when you think about it, there must be a lot of past presidents and other politicians out there somewhere, smiling and thinking, "See, told you I wasn't so bad :)"

Donald Trump does not have a whisper, not even a molecule of that difficult to define quality known as "class." Yet somehow you came to the conclusion this was someone who should lead the country.

Cool.

I realize he represents a textbook example of uber-neurotic personality and very much enjoys listening to himself talk (AKA sounding like an idiot,) but it is my suggestion (along with that of countless others) that at the very least he should absolutely cease and desist speaking in an impromptu manner. Your president is a walking talking testament to the fact you can spend millions on private education and still come out sounding like a dipshit. The nature vs. nurture argument on full display.

He does not play well with others seems intent on angering those he needs as allies clearly thinks the law does not apply to him and his cronies, and lately proves he can make even tragedy seem tacky (Manchester.) Nope, anything he says now, and I mean ANYthing, needs to come originally from others. And preferably that someone will have something beyond a second grade diploma. You know, so maybe we can at least limit the embarrassment Trump is causing this country and everyone who cares about it. So he can sound like something other than what he is.

That way he will be free to focus on more pressing matters such as attacking human rights, promoting terrorism, selling out our children, trashing the environment, destroying the economy, starting World War III..........that kind of thing.

Anyway, nothing to see here. Nothing new. Just me being sad for my country. I realize I am changing nothing. Singing to the choir for those who agree, and watching people who voted for Trump continue to support him. Unwilling to admit, unwilling to even allow themselves to see their mistake.

Smiling and waving as the boat sinks all the way to the bottom.

Human nature sucks.

Have a nice day.

At the risk of offending morons - I truly believe Donald Trump is a moron. Watching his presidency, at first I thought he was only a.....hate mongering, clinically paranoid, misogynistic, insecure, spoiled, racist, dictator wanna-be playground bully so far removed from the real world he can't even see us common folk. An embarrassment to our country?  Most definitely. Dangerous? Absolutely.  But its only now beginning to dawn on me that he also may simply be, stupid. I don't know how else to explain his actions. Lurching from one drama to the next, getting absolutely nothing done beyond putting a smile on Putin's face - and making sure you me and everyone else who cares about this country looks like an idiot. 

The USA is the biggest joke going. A big, stupid really really dangerous joke. Because you elected Comrade Donald. 

Nothing new to report.  I'm too amazed with how bad this is going to be able to focus enough to write about it.

"Trump invites Philippines' Duterte to Washington, White House says"
Which of course brings up the obvious wardrobe question:
What does someone wear when dining with a mass-murderer?
I'm honestly asking.  Do you go full-on tux, or just a simple suit and tie?  Your favorite Charles Manson jumpsuit?  Bit of Kevlar, sure.  I'm thinking a flak jacket might be in order.
Tag-a-log Trump, and Trump. 

Heil Donald.  Heil Rodrigo.  Oh, and Heil crazy, short, fat North Korean dude who required zero skill and energy to draw the Donald into a Twitter pissing match that could cost us Planet Earth. 
Sadly, that chubby little fuck is the smartest of the bunch.

"Trump has not been cunning but credulous; not an authoritarian but a pushover.
Ultimately, Trump is failing because he has little knowledge of the world and no guiding star of moral principle. The best of our leaders — think Abraham Lincoln — have been sure about the truth and uncertain about themselves. Trump is the opposite. His mind is uncluttered by creeds. He knows what he wants at any given moment, but it can bear little relation to the moment following. Who really believes that he would be sleepless if the wall were not built or if NAFTA ultimately survived? Who believes he would not be sleepless because of a nasty joke at his expense during a dinner party?
Without deep and thoughtful beliefs, persuasion is impossible. It is public reasoning that allows others to follow a leader’s footsteps in the snow. What has Trump done to rationally and respectfully persuade his critics?
During his campaign, Trump looked down on the weak; now it is revealed HE, is weak." 
*Michael Gerson, WP

"A federal judge on Tuesday blocked any attempt by the Trump administration to withhold funding from "sanctuary cities" that do not cooperate with U.S. immigration officials, saying the president has no authority to attach new conditions to federal spending" (this apparently from a judge on some little island in the middle of California.)

"This is why we have courts — to halt the overreach of a president and an attorney general who either don't understand the Constitution or choose to ignore it," the San Francisco Attorney said in a statement.

If it wasn't for the Judiciary, Comrade Donald would have us back in about 1937 Germany.
Where his fresh off the boat trophy wife would have never been allowed in.

re-post.  still valid and I don't know how better to say it -

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Today, I am Muslim.
Always - I will be a human who supports basic human rights. I am not referring to rights associated with being a woman or a man or having lighter or darker skin color or your sexual orientation or what God you worship or don't.   I'm talking about the bigger picture.  HUMAN rights. And in fact until we stop separating ourselves into groups, demanding OUR rights for whatever group we identify with, until we stop doing that, we can never truly be equal. Your president is proving just that.  By picking and choosing who gets rights and who doesn't. 

I am very sad. Anxious, worried. I am truly embarrassed to be a citizen of the United States of America. A country built by immigrants.  A wonderful beautiful place created by people from somewhere else (well, you know - after we sliced and diced the indigenous folks, AKA the first immigrants.)  A country who's very founding documents require us to welcome those seeking sanctuary. Instead our leader is slamming the door on those fleeing the largest humanitarian crisis since WWII. A crisis that in large part WE, you and me, the United States, created.  Your president is discriminating against, oppressing literally millions and millions of people - based on their religious affiliation.  It is immoral it is un-American.   It is wrong by any civilized standard.  History has proved it to be extraordinarily destructive.   It is opposite of what this country is supposed to stand for.    

And this is only the start. Generations of diplomacy are circling the drain. The new foreign policy akin to what happens on a second grade playground. Except this is real world. The president of the greatest country on earth pouting and shouting and tweeting and otherwise acting like a 70-year old toddler, sowing confusion and fear across the globe. And angering really big, really well armed nations.  Why? Aside from feeding the oversized ego of somebody who has never even lived real life........what possible benefit is there to anyone?

Donald Trump. The best president Putin could buy.

I am embarrassed to be a citizen of the United States of America. You can tell me to leave, go somewhere else if I don't like it here. But I won't. It isn't ME being un-American.  I'm not the one violating so many principles this country was founded on.   It's not me tearing up the constitution and stomping on the flag.  And it wouldn't be prudent for me to go anywhere else, anyway.  Your president is making sure of that.  By leading with hate and paranoia, your president is making sure that being a citizen of the United States is becoming a very unpopular condition.  Increasingly unsafe for all of us. 
Both abroad and at home.

I'm probably getting too told to be climbing over all these walls he wants to build, anyway.
Yes, today I am Muslim. 

I like to think, or hope there are fewer dems and republicans than those who vote their conscience, e.g. many could more accurately be labeled "independent." Unfortunately Oregon is one of many states that penalizes such folks by limiting voting rights in primaries (something which, along with the electoral college has lost it's reason to exist. It is time for both to go.)  One of the most effective ways available to make change is to work from within. To do that I must vote. To do that as often as possible in Oregon, I must register with one of the major parties. Regardless, I am feeling a little (tiny bit) less worried this evening. It seems cracks may be appearing in the foundation of support/fear of reprisal on the Republican side of the House. While the group of swing votes come from a corner of the club I wouldn't normally spend time with, at this point we need to take what we can get. 

With regards to health care reform Comrade Donald has had his tantrum (I swear, I can picture him with his hands balled up into fists stomping his little feet up and down) and taken his ball and gone home. Once again showing himself to be Master Statesman and King of Compromise. Not. 

Hopefully the Republican side of Congress is at least a teensy bit emboldened and will try to insert more common sense into things. It will be slow but I believe it may have started. 

Oh - ObamaCare (or however you want to describe it) is far from perfect. A downside to Captain Pouty walking off the court is we have lost an opportunity to actually improve on it.

It's late, sitting here with a glass of wine. What the heck -
The country has one less Republican. I officially switched teams. I am now batting Democrat. Surprisingly easy to do. Just.....hop online and git 'er done. Anyway, I figured, why not? The Republican party is pretty much dead, anyway. Certainly Trump is not Republican. Trump is Trumpian. He would have aligned himself with Satan if Satan had a political party Little D thought would help get him elected. 

So I have gone from being middle-of-the-road, even slightly conservative republican to full-on Democrat. I suppose I was more independent when it came down to particular issues, but more often than not fell on the R side. Not anymore.

I continue trying my best to stay away from the news. Continue being embarrassed cause I am a US citizen. Bits of information still get through, however. Just enough to remind me that Comrade Donald, in his short time in office, has done more to make the world a dangerous place than the scariest, most effective terrorist out there. In close second place is the vast majority of "Republicans" in the House and Senate lacking the kahonies to do what they know is right. Like little puppies, following Trump down his self-serving paranoid path to God only knows where.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I usually vote when given the opportunity but have never been politically active, or activist. Not really, anyway. Now, though....I am very worried. The longer this racist, misogynistic, out of touch possibly clinically paranoid wack-job you elected is in charge of  this country, the world is less safe. He may actually have the ability, and the will to fuck-up the whole thing.

And he'll do it via Twitter.

Cool

If we can get by the fact his ban is illegal immoral unconstitutional and completely lacking in decency, dignity, and anything else resembling the difficult to define characteristic known as “class” that our so-called president is completely without (not to mention it flies in the face of the values this country was founded on, e.g. it is Un-American) – it also simply does not make sense. No actual data to support the effort. The ban appears to be based largely on his near clinical level of insecurity, even paranoia (while selectively avoiding conflicts with those countries within which he has business interests. You know, countries that actually DO send terrorists our way. Saudi Arabia, etc etc etc.)

And then he goes on a twitter rant pouting about a bad ‘ol judge doing his job and stating the president’s actions are not legal. A twitter rant he continues. Because that’s what presidents do. Act as would a child. It worries me that without any difficulty at all I can picture the leader of the free world covering his ears closing his eyes real tight stomping his feet and screaming like a two-year old when he doesn’t get his way.
 
That’s who we elected president of the United States. A pouty child with dangerous entitlement issues who has had a silver spoon shoved so far up his backside and for so long he has completely lost touch with reality. A pouty child who in barely two weeks has gone a long way towards alienating us from the rest of the world.
    
Sure, his actions provide wonderful material for SNL. In fact, about the only reason we are not the laughing stock of the entire world is because most any sane person out there is too afraid of his inconsistent, dangerous behavior. So far the only people he seems to be making happy are the terrorists he claims to be protecting us from including his BFF Vladimir.
           
Two weeks in office and already this country is a joke and each and every one of us is less safe. Thank you Comrade Donald.

Slovenia. I think that’s where she’s from. One of those Muslim countries. Or Baptist, or maybe that’s where Mexicans come from. Whatever. The evil people. Anyway, it’s the same amount. I think it less coincidence and more conspiracy that the numbers are exactly equal. Of the seven countries Trump named on his immigration ban, if you consider all the terrorists those countries have produced over the past several decades who attacked us, add them up and compare them to the number of terrorists Slovenia has bothered us with, it is the exact same number. The only logical conclusion? Melania must be deported. The so-called "first lady" must be put back on the boat and sent home. This is a matter of national security for crying out loud. At the very least we should build a wall around her.

Meanwhile, we all get to wonder and worry what major problems our fearless leader will produce THIS week.
It isn’t funny anymore. 

Today, I am Muslim.
Always - I will be a human who supports basic human rights. I am not referring to rights associated with being a woman or a man or having lighter or darker skin color or your sexual orientation or what God you worship or don't.   I'm talking about the bigger picture.  HUMAN rights. And in fact until we stop separating ourselves into groups, demanding OUR rights for whatever group we identify with, until we stop doing that, we can never truly be equal. Your president is proving just that.  By picking and choosing who gets rights and who doesn't. 

I am very sad. Anxious, worried. I am truly embarrassed to be a citizen of the United States of America. A country built by immigrants.  A wonderful beautiful place created by people from somewhere else (well, you know - after we sliced and diced the indigenous folks.)  A country who's very founding documents require us to welcome those seeking sanctuary. Instead our leader is slamming the door on those fleeing the largest humanitarian crisis since WWII. A crisis that in large part WE, you and me, the United States, created.  Your president is discriminating against, oppressing literally millions and millions of people - based on their religious affiliation.  It is immoral it is in-American.   It is wrong by any civilized standard.  History has proved it to be extraordinarily destructive.   It is opposite of what this country is supposed to stand for.    

And this is only the start. Generations of diplomacy are circling the drain. The new foreign policy akin to what happens on a second grade playground. Except this is real world. The president of the greatest country on earth pouting and shouting and tweeting and otherwise acting like a 70-year old toddler, sowing confusion and fear across the globe. And angering really big, really well armed nations.  Why? Aside from feeding the oversized ego of somebody who has never even lived real life........what possible benefit is there to anyone?

Donald Trump. The best president Putin could buy.

I am embarrassed to be a citizen of the United States of America. You can tell me to leave, go somewhere else if I don't like it here. But I won't. It isn't ME being un-American.  I'm not the one violating so many principles this country was founded on.   It's not me tearing up the constitution and stomping on the flag.  And it wouldn't be prudent for me to go anywhere else, anyway.  Your president is making sure of that.  By leading with hate and paranoia, your president is making sure that being a citizen of the United States is becoming a very unpopular condition.  Increasingly unsafe for all of us. 
Both abroad and at home.  
  
I'm probably getting too told to be climbing over all these walls he wants to build, anyway.
Yes, today I am Muslim.