Errol Nelson

Errol Nelson https://www.dailykos.com/user/Errol Nelson/rss/index.xml News Community Action Copyright 2005 - Steal what you want Mon, 27 Jan 2020 04:58:34 +0000 Mon, 27 Jan 2020 04:58:34 +0000 Daily Kos rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos) Daily Kos rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos) The Government Shutdown: The Real Cause - RW Radio/TV; and an Old Fashioned Cure https://www.dailykos.com/story/2019/1/22/1790925/-The-Government-Shutdown-The-Real-Cause-RW-Radio-TV-and-an-Old-Fashioned-Cure Everyone knows that Donnie Dimbulb’s shut down of a large portion of the Government is another stupid negotiation strategy: a distraction to his mounting legal troubles; and impending investigations by Mueller and several House committees. Nancy Pelosi has him by the proverbial balls and he doesn’t know how to respond except to scream louder and take Federal ‘employees’ hostages that have nothing to do with the issue. Never-mind, that this leaves 800,000 employees, and their family’s, without an income; and is impacting others receiving Federal aid along with contractors. As hostages, they are supposed to whimper and cry, but do nothing more. As it progresses, the shutdown begins to slop over into other government functions; like aid to the poor and disabled. The finger is pointed at Trump and McConnell, and they are in no small measure responsible for starting and maintaining it. And, as it goes on, it will only get worse for us, the public. Declaring a National Emergency will gain nothing for them and only muddy the waters further. If Donnie wants a wall; lets build one around the White House and seal him in. It’s far cheaper. However. the Lions share of the blame goes to Right Wing Radio: Primarily Fatty <a href="https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/" target="_blank" title="">Rush Limbaugh</a>, Scrawny <a href="http://www.anncoulter.com/" target="_blank" title="">Ann Coulter </a>and <a href="https://www.hannity.com/" target="_blank" title="">Sean Hannity</a>, along with <a href="https://www.lauraingraham.com/" target="_blank" title=""> Laura Ingraham</a>, <a href="http://ttps://www.foxnews.com" target="_blank" title="">Fox News</a> and other Right WIng Nut Jobs. They have Trump’s ear (he’s deaf to everyone else) and he acts on their comments. Stephanie Ruhle at MSNBC <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-wont-budge-doesnt-want-to-be-called-a-weenie-by-coulter_us_5c37cc33e4b045f6768a688e" target="_blank" title="">commented </a>that Trump won’t budge on the shutdown because Scrawny Annie might call him a weenie. Barney Frank on Jan 17 Real Time with Bill Maher noted ” that Limbaugh and Coulter have more influence on Trump than Congress.” Since they are his principal access to his base, he’s going to do whatever ‘they’ say. “Employees, who needs ‘em’” is their mantra and Donnie Dimbulb dutifully obeys. They can bleat all they want on the airwaves at little cost because they have no skin in the game. It’s time to give them some. There’s a legal concept: Your right to swing your fist stops where my nose starts To paraphrase Your right to shoot your mouth off ends where my livelihood starts In order for the employees to ‘win’ this battle they need to engage the real enemy: the RWNJ’s shown above. However, to really make an impact they need use a more old fashioned method: THE MAILED LETTER. An <a href="https://www.apnews.com/5d95c567185f4592b4a6e59fa9317f7c" target="_blank" title="">article</a> by AP sets the biweekly loss for an average employee at $1,480. for the pay period that just ended. That’s $1.2 billion removed from the economy in just 2 weeks and climbing fast. What is required is a physical address: Residence and/or business, where letters can be sent. Addresses, if posted on their websites are probably agents or mail drops, so some research is necessary. Fatty lives in Palm Beach FL, and Scrawny is in West Palm Beach, FL. Not sure of the location of the others? If you find one, post it here. Let’s give the employees some help and assistance. OK, as a hostage, what do you send them? For starter’s: An Invoice for services unable to be rendered to the American public. Here’s a sample Invoice Format. Modify, expand and embellish as you wish: Your Name (optional) Agency State, Zip Fatty (Find address) Scrawny “ cc Republican Senator’s/Rep (optional) INVOICE For Services (list duties) unable to be rendered for the period from (December 18, 2018 to January 4, 2019) at (agency) in City, State? (Detail as necessary) Salary $1,480.00* Interest(1%) -0- Total $1,480.00 Total now due and payable immediately $1,480.00. *Use Gross salary — no deductions. 1% int/pay period ___________________________________ Add any comments or criticisms of them on a separate page. Do this every week, adding 1% interest to the total. Why mail, not e-mail? One word — VOLUME. A standard long letter ~3.5” X 9” (1-3 pages) takes up about 2 CI (cubic inches). 800,000 letters is 909 CF (cubic feet) packed. A 20-foot shipping container is about <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/7/30/1552928/-How-Much-Are-You-Worth-Really-Part-1-A-Visual-Perspective-of-Money-and-Value" target="_blank" title="">1360 CF</a>. Or 4 dump trucks is ~1080 CF. Visualize a dump truck unloading every other day at Fatty’s and Scrawny’s residence/business. They can’t just discard it, because is mixed in with their regular mail. SO! They have to open and evaluate every one. And that takes time, and money. In contrast, an e-mail can be deleted in seconds. Give them skin in the game whether they like it or not. If everyone affected by the shutdown sends a letter a week to each of them; how long will it be before they decide that — maybe — continuing to hype the shutdown is more than its worth. They endlessly rant about their ‘right’ to free speech, with no consideration to the lives of anyone else, and it probably includes even some of their devout worshipers. You, citizen/employee/hostage, have the freedom of the press that you can exercise. (That pesky First Amendment to the Constitution). It’s time to make the cost more than they can afford. A letter a week makes a RWNJ freak. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) AnnCoulter DonalTrump FoxNews Hostages invoice LauraIngraham letter MitchMcConnell NancyPelosi RushLimbaugh RWNJ SeanHannity Shutdown _1790925 Tue, 22 Jan 2019 21:37:51 +0000 Read the Signals: George H.W. Bush Has Died; What's Next For the Republicans? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2018/11/30/1816371/-Read-the-Signals-George-H-W-Bush-Has-Died-What-s-Next-For-the-Republicans Without belaboring the issue: The Republicans have gone downhill in the last quarter century. Like him or not, George H.W. Bush was a class act who represented the Presidency as it was meant to be portrayed. Donald J. Trump is the antithesis of that: using the Presidency for personal gain, and surrounding himself with sycophants with no morals or ethics. He wants no less than an autocracy to enrich himself and his power, public be damned. As to the future of the Republican Party, it can be determined by one simple act: Will Donald Trump be invited to the funeral? It’s well known that there is no love lost between Trump and the Bushes. What will they signal? Yes means that they accept the new, biased, exclusive Republican Party. No means they need different leadership, and the likes of Donald Trump are not acceptable. Think about it. More than you know, the Republican, the two-party system and America’s future may be riding on it. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) DonaldTrump Funeral GeorgeHWBush Presidency Republicans Signals _1816371 Sat, 01 Dec 2018 06:16:43 +0000 When the Bully Pulpit Becomes the BULLY PULPIT! https://www.dailykos.com/story/2018/10/25/1799830/-When-the-Bully-Pulpit-Becomes-the-BULLY-PULPIT The Presidency has always been a platform to espouse political and policy positions to the public. The term <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bully_pulpit" target="_blank" title="">Bully Pulpit</a> originated with President Theodore Roosevelt. The term originally meant excellent, superb or wonderful. Now, with Donald Trump, it has taken on a more sinister and, yes, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2017/07/04/535429508/trump-s-weekend-gives-twist-to-meaning-of-bully-pulpit" target="_blank" title="">evil</a> and dangerous meaning. Trump has used the presidency to more than castigate or excoriate his ‘perceived’ enemies. He has taken to some very vile name calling — Lying Hillary, Pocahontas, Little Marco, etc — to paint them as enemies, not the opposition who, in America, has a right to espouse a different viewpoint. And the brunt of his name calling, and bullying, seems to be towards women. His supporters are now engaging in bomb attempts on his ‘perceived enemies.’ And, it will not stop until he stops engaging in bullying language and tactics. That appears unlikely, given his past behavior and comments at the Rally last night. The question is: How do you <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-couch/201702/6-smarter-ways-deal-bully" target="_blank" title="">deal with a bully </a>when the Bully is the President? He not only will not stop name calling and bullying, he does it because he exults in it. Translation: He gets his rocks off on it. The Bully Pulpit has now become the BULLY PULPIT. What can be done? Very little at this point. The only options are the 25th Amendment or Impeachment, or getting him to resign: all of which are unlikely as long as the Republicans are in charge. This is why the upcoming election on Nov 6 is so important. We the public, must send an unmistakable signal the Trumps conduct is unacceptable, and will be contained. Otherwise, his bullying will reach new levels of unacceptable conduct. VOTE like your life and future depends in it. IT DOES! rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) Bully BullyPulpit DonaldTrump President _1799830 Thu, 25 Oct 2018 18:46:27 +0000 GOP! Government Of Pariahs https://www.dailykos.com/story/2018/10/5/1801910/-GOP-Government-Of-Pariahs A closer look at our current political travails shows that Republicans, and therefore our Government, is being led by Pariahs. The original (India) definition a Pariah was an outcast. The current definition is a person who is not liked, respected or trusted. And that definition fits the present Republican leadership to a T. They have taken control of the Administrative (President, Donald Trump) and Legislative (House, Paul Ryan and Senate, Mitch McConnell) branches. Appointing Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court further cements their control of the Judiciary. Why are they Pariahs? Because none of them are liked, respected or trusted. We all know people; friends and relatives, we don’t like or even respect, and vice versa. But when it comes to trust we draw a line. None of the above named, who are in positions of great power over others; are liked or respected, and most of all, they are not trusted. With their actions, Trump and McConnell have shattered any norms, decorum and trust that existed between Party’s, and the public. And it is not likely to return as long as they are in power. As a result the Republican Party has become a pariah also. It is not liked, respected or trusted by a majority of Americans. It has become primarily an old, white, male, Christian, patriarchy, pining for a return to the days when their word was law, and only they were allowed to vote. Women and non-whites need to be relegated to the lesser status they once had; servants to the masters. The bright side is that they are dying off, so it is safe to ignore them. They are the party of the exclusive. And that is why they must be defeated, decisively in November, and again in 2020. Do your part: VOTE rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) DonaldTrump Government MitchMcConnell pariahs Republicans respected SupremeCourt Trusted _1801910 Fri, 05 Oct 2018 21:38:44 +0000 Put Him in the Hurt Locker: Boycott Everything Trump https://www.dailykos.com/story/2018/6/21/1773850/-Put-Him-in-the-Hurt-Locker-Boycott-Everything-Trump The cruelty and barbarity of the ‘Family Separation Policy’ again brings out the worst in America. People who are fleeing the dangers of their home countries are asking for help and asylum. And what do they get? Their kids ripped from them and placed in an overheated makeshift jails. Meanwhile, the kids are unmoored from any support system, proper care, empathy or loving. They become ripe for exploitation by the worst elements of our society: The child abusers, and lowest of the low; child pornographers. And what is the Trump Administration doing? Cheering at their accomplishment: WE solved the immigration problem. Yea! Right! At what cost? To America? To the fleeing families? And to America’s reputation in the world as a ‘Bastion of Freedom?’ ‘Bastion of Incarceration’ is now a more appropriate label, in more ways than one. However, in all this gloom: Opportunity Knocks. As President, Trump has refused to disgorge his business interests. He has refused to provide his tax returns. He flouts the emoluments clause, and willfully ignores the basic ethical standards of the Office of the President of the United States. It’s time to hit him where he lives: In the pocketbook. Make him pay — literally. Boycott, picket, protest, leaflet and avoid Everything Trump: <ul> <li>His Hotels (all his hotels, worldwide, not just DC).</li> <li>Mar-a-Lago.</li> <li>His golf courses. </li> <li>His room bookings for meetings.</li> <li>His Products and Services. </li> <li>Anything and everything with a Trump label on it. </li> </ul> So far, he’s been able to dominate the National dialog by controlling the news cycles, along with his bevy of sycophants, suck-ups and enablers. Boycotting him will put a substantial dent is his cash flow. Make him default on his loans to his Russian financiers. Make it become the distraction that will consume all of his time. After all, his continual distractions and domination are dragging America down to a Dictatorship. That is not who we are nor who we want or aspire to be, as a population and as a nation. Trump gets his energy by playing to his base: that collection of ignorant, mostly white supremacists who think they should occupy the superior place in American society. They have become, a cult, slavishly following the pronouncements of ‘Der leader.’ They have rationalized their support by claiming that the fleeing immigrants (those others) and children are ‘breaking’ the law. What Law? Rule of Law? To digress: Rule of Law is a fallacy perpetrated by the elites and ruling class that allows them to control the Empire. America specializes in ‘Buffet Law:’ Congress will make a law to benefit any group that is willing to pay for it. Cross palm with silver; er, please make a candidate donation. American law is largely the result of that distorted exploitative, capitalist system. The favoritism that results is palpable and vividly displays obvious bias against the middle and lower classes that we keep seeing, time after time after time. Even Alexis De Tocqueville noted, in 1832, the propensity of American Government to adopt and follow laws and rules, at all levels of governance. Then, there are the Secondary Ramifications of a Trump Boycott. First: Trump defaulting, or declaring Bankruptcy, on his myriad loans will not go over well with his Russian Oligarch financiers. He turned to Russia when the banking system would not lend him any more money. They, in turn, are expecting a Return on Investment, both monetary and political. Default or Bankruptcy would leave them in the lurch. Collecting on the debt or taking ownership of his property’s? In America? Under the current political and legal climate? Good luck with that. Second: Putin bet on the wrong horse. By meddling in the election, Putin succeeded in influencing them sufficiently to get Trump elected via the Electoral College. However, while Trump started strong he’s fading fast. His abhorrent policies are creating growing public outrage. Possessed with malignant Narcissism and selfishness, his policies and dictates are creating havoc, not only in America, but globally. Putin’s desire to disrupt the American political system is running afoul because of Trumps chaotic governance; if you can call it that. In the long-term, Putin may have done more damage to Russia, than America, or his other ambitions with his ill-thought out actions. Works for me. Third: Mueller is hot on Trumps trail, and tail. The likelihood of impeachment or jail for Trump is becoming more and more likely every day. His only support is from a completely supine and compliant Republican Party. They, cowards that they are, meekly cooperating with Trumps machinations, no questions asked. May they be defeated in their upcoming election. Trump has sold his soul to profit from the misery of people and their children fleeing from oppression. He is beyond redemption. His next destination is Hell.* Boycott Everything Trump *In my book, “The Inevitable Decline and Fall of Empire” I speculated about the composition of a spiritual world that we commonly refer to as Heaven or Hell: Ranging from one of collective harmony to one overseen by an autocratic ruler. Note: these emulate the range of the temporal world societies. One of the scenarios was a spirituality where everyone was required to relive, in real time, all the things that you did to others: Positive and negative. You would experience the joy and happiness they did because of your help or interaction with them. On the dark side, you would also experience the pain, misery, terror, hurt and death you caused them. On that basis, Trump’s negative spirituality chits are growing exponentially. One hopes that he would suffer that eternal fate for his unspeakably cruel and barbaric actions to humanity. I apologize to those who differ. I just can’t bring myself to condone, support or sympathize with such an evil man. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) America BastionofFreedom BastionofIncarceration Boycott BuffetLaw Empire Hell Immigration mueller President RuleofLaw Russia Spirituality trump VladimirPutin _1773850 Thu, 21 Jun 2018 17:10:29 +0000 Censure Trump? Why Not! https://www.dailykos.com/story/2018/1/12/1732232/-Censure-Trump-Why-Not Calls to censure Donald Trump are starting <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-epitomizes-conduct-unbecoming-a-presidentwill-congress-step-up-and-say-so" target="_blank" title="">again</a>. Censure in a non-binding rebuke of unacceptable conduct and is defined as: A formal, public reprimand for an infraction or violation. His latest vulgar comment certainly qualifies as a censurable action along with his refusal to reveal his finances, and violation of the emoluments clause. Although censure has no direct effect on his actions as President, it does cast a cloud over his conduct. And, the political fallout will have both present and future repercussions. What would a censure resolution accomplish: <ul> <li>It would be a public rebuke to Trumps present and future conduct. </li> <li>It would reduce the possibility of his re-election. No censured Senator or Representative was ever re-elected. </li> <li>It would require the Congress to re-assume some of the duties they ceded to the President over the past 80 years. </li> <li>It would identify the Members of Congress that support a measure of decorum in the conduct of the Government, and those who do not. </li> <li>It could shore up the Republican Party in the upcoming elections if they could show even a minimal modicum of decorum. Unlikely!</li> <li>It would be a slap in the face rebuke to the public who blindly voted for him out of Party loyalty, change or the racist, white supremacy that now permeates the Republican Party. </li> <li>It would force Congress to put up or shut up, on something, anything. </li> </ul> Will it happen? I’m not holding my breath. They will only censure if there is sufficient public pressure to do so. Another issue where you need to contact your Senators and Representative. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) Censure Congress DonaldTrump Reprimand RepublicanParty _1732232 Fri, 12 Jan 2018 18:49:21 +0000 It's Dark Out There https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/11/29/1719679/-It-s-Dark-Out-There Short Rant Tues Nov 28. Watching Rachel when the power goes out. I’m sitting here in the dark along with my neighbors. Everybody is now inconvenienced. My only light is from my 18v Ryobi spotlight looking for some candles, which turn out to be 4v battery candles. Whoopee! Why does this have to be? Because: <ul> <li>Corporate Dominance?</li> <li>Corporate Stupidity?</li> <li>Corporate Brainlessness?</li> </ul> YES! WE are to the be the sole providers of goods and services — BY DESIGN. Fuck the Individual. Corporations uber alles. The inability of people to function without Corporate power is the problem. The past is prologue to the future. Will end with one of my standard memes: A Solar Panel and Wind Helix on Every Roof A Battery in every Garage. End Rant! rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) Corporations individuals PowerOutages RenewableEnergy _1719679 Thu, 30 Nov 2017 01:57:53 +0000 How Democrats Can Fix Their Crappy Messaging and Attract Republican Voters https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/7/17/1678761/-How-Democrats-Can-Fix-Their-Crappy-Messaging-and-Attract-Republican-Voters There have been numerous stories lately here at Daily Kos lamenting the inadequacy and inability of the Democrats to clearly and succinctly disseminate their policy and positions. Democrats keep trying to be all things to all people, but the presentation still isn’t working. In contrast, the Republicans have a short, incisive message they keep endlessly repeating in restricted markets: and it keeps, maintains and energizes their base. It’s time for Democrats to do likewise. Whats the Problem? Democrats need to: 1. Stop trying to be all things to all people. 2. Go to more General Messaging. 3. Keep the messages Simple and Generic. 4. Counter the Republican messages point by point. 5. Keep repeating: Republicans are supported by the rich (1%): to enrich the rich. Democrats just get the rest (99%) that need services and assistance also. Then adopt a program that will provide it, and explain it to them in simple terms. Get with the program, Democrats 6. Remember that Democrats have more potential and actual voters than Republicans. They just don’t do what is required to either court them or snag them. Get with the program, Democrats. 7. Invade the communication markets the Republicans are presently dominating or have exclusive (Radio/TV) rights. Take the listeners/watchers out of the dark. Re-institute Howard Dean’s 50-State strategy. Get with the program, Democrats. 8. Actively expose and resist Republican shenanigans like voter suppression, voter purging and gerrymandering, etc. Get with the program, Democrats. Am I repeating myself? 9. Keep stating that ‘Freedom’ and ‘Individual Rights’ are not rationales to allow Republicans to bask in exclusion politics. 10. Continually remind everyone that Government is: Of the people, By the People, and For the People. It is not just for the rich (and definitely should not be by the rich or of the rich) who try and do influence law and policy with money. The Three Elements of Humanity: Individuals — Groups — Society Who, and what you are is determined by intrinsic elements (gender, race, physical characteristics); and ‘membership’ in groups, both intrinsic (families, tribes, etc) and legal constructs (associations, corporations, religions, nations, etc). Society is collective humanity, all 7 billion+ of us, and growing. Individual___________Groups_______________Society Groups have different needs and interests. It falls largely on government to balance these interests for the greatest benefit of everyone. And that is the ever changing problem that keeps eluding one size fits all solutions. Accentuate the Differences This is a general template of differences for discussion purposes. It is not a description of absolute characteristics of either Party. Democrats Republicans We (99%) They (1%) Inclusive Exclusive Liberal Conservative Trends Socialism Trends Capitalism Collective Responsibility Individual Responsibility WGYB (We've Got Your Back) YOYO (You’re On Your Own) General Welfare Limited (Rich) Welfare Publicization Privatization Country before Party Party before Country Universal Defined Benefits (1) Few Benefits-Low Taxes Group Restraint (2) Small Government Global Cooperation (3) Strong Defense/Isolation Environmental Stability (4) Less Regulation Voter Expression (5) Voter Suppression To get down to specifics, we need to focus on the bolded differences between the Democrat and Republicans, using the basic Republican template. These are my definition of the differences based on a message of collective responsibility . Feel free to add, modify or expand to get a Better Democratic Message for the 2018 and 2020 elections. (1) Universal Defined Benefits: There are already several defined benefit programs used to a varying degree through both public programs and private sources: <ul> <li>Retirement (Social Security) is provided by fees on earned income. However it is not-yet-universal. There are opt-outs by States to provide Retirement Plans also. Most are solvent, but some States have large, unfunded liabilities. If a State goes bankrupt, their retirement funds can be affected. Social Security should be revised to include insure that everybody (including those who didn’t pay in) receives a minimum basic retirement. </li> <li>Healthcare (Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare) is limited to the older, indigent and military veterans. Single Payer would make it more inclusive and universal. It would also reduce the egregious (15-20% unnecessary) fees charged by for-profit insurances companies that are paid to investors and for excessive corporate salaries. </li> <li>Education is provided largely by State and local government entities, with some Federal assistance. However there are Republican efforts to privatize it via charter schools. Education is now the key to almost all jobs and should be Universal from kindergarten through College. It should remain public and universal. </li> <li>Banking via Glass-Steagall separated commercial and investment banking from 1933-1999. It should be reinstated. Personal commercial banking services could, and should be expanded to include banking services provided by the States and the USPS (especially in the more rural locations). This would expand financial services and reduce the fees that privatized banks charge. </li> <li>Voting should be inclusive and universal: Modeled largely on the present Oregon program. You are automatically registered at 18 and you must opt-out. Voting should be for the best convenience of the voter and secure, with a paper trail. The voter suppression efforts by Republicans are an effort to maintain a failing political philosophy. Requiring people to stand in line and vote at a precinct is — in itself — a voter suppression tactic. </li> </ul> (2) Group (Corporate) Restraint: Groups, from families to corporations want to conduct their activities to maximize their profit; whether is personal power or monetary. Probably the best example of that is Citizens United, which has unleashed a flood of money in support of opposition of candidates, initiatives and legislation. In effect, money is more influential then even the most vigorous Get Out The Vote efforts. It is, simply put, a distortion of democratic politics that must be corrected to achieve more equity an balance in our political system. See (5) below. (3) Global Cooperation: In the long run cooperation yields more benefits than either isolation or confrontation. It is not necessary to agree on all issues, any more than it is necessary for Democrats or Republicans to agree on all issues. We are not a Do It Yourself planet. Everything, and everybody is tied everything and everybody else. War is an exercise in destruction and in the long run benefits very few. It is like the difference between analysis and synthesis. Analysis means to take apart, synthesis means to put together. Which is the most effective process for resolving our differences? (4) Environmental Stability: Everything a person or group does impacts our physical environment e.g. society. And in response the environment attempts to compensate in either a small or big way. LeChatelier said it best: If a change occurs in one of the factors which a system is in equilibrium, the system will tend to adjust itself to annul, as far as possible the effect of the change. We are seeing the effects of that now, with climate change: More people — more CO2 — higher temperatures — rising seas — etc. The efforts should be to minimize the changes. The methods can and will vary and needs to maintain maximum flexibility while achieving that goal. People, Corporations and Governments are not entitled to use our societal resources — the Planet — as a ‘free’ garbage dump for their air and water pollution, and land/extraction damage. That should be a cost of doing business. If you can’t afford it, you probably shouldn’t be in business. As for the Republicans, they cater to a more exclusive set of policies. They ignore the fact that the population keeps growing, and have no problem degrading both the environment and people for the benefit of a few. (5) Voter Expression: For Democrats to attain and retain a majority they need to expand their base. That means that everyone of voting age is entitled to vote in every election. Re-instituting the Fairness Doctrine would require ‘both’ sides to be heard and discourage the one-sided media reporting that (Right Wing ‘Republican’ Radio/RV) dominates in some markets. e.g. Keep ‘em in the Dark. No news is worse than bad or misleading news. Mail in voting - Optical scanning - paper trail: This is where the older, tried and true methods have proven to be the most reliable. Electronic, and machine voting can be hacked and altered by those in charge of the system. So, Democrats: you can spiffy up your messaging with 5 magic words: Benefits Restraint Cooperation Stability Expression I’ll leave it to you (Democrat Establishment) to flesh out the details of your messaging for the upcoming elections. You’re the ones getting the big bucks, not me. This is a free analysis, I took it apart. You get to synthesize a program, and put something together. If the past is prologue, however, my expectations are pretty low. Prove me wrong. A good comparison would help your synthesis: Dems Repos Uni-Benefits No Stinkin’ Benefits Corporate Restraint Less Regs-No Restraint Cooperation Isolation/Defense Stability Less Government More Voters Fewer Voters ________________Bottom Line___ _________________ WGYB YOYO We’ve Got Your Back You’re on Your Own So, Democrats there is a program and message out there waiting to be synthesized and implemented. Are you going to be proactive or inactive? Just asking! Kossacks, all comments and replies should be directed at the Democrats. It’s their program and message, and our Country, we’re talking about, not mine. I’m only offering suggestions to improve and implement it. I’d like to see a formal Democratic response to my suggestions here in Kos. Now, that would make a difference. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) Benefits Cooperation Democrats expression Groups individuals Messaging Republicans Restraint Society stability _1678761 Mon, 17 Jul 2017 17:24:50 +0000 The Gettysburg Address* Revisited. A 2017 Independence Day Redux https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/7/4/1677676/-The-Gettysburg-Address-Revisited-A-2017-Independence-Day-Redux Twelve score and one year “ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Today, we are not in a physical war, but in an informal civil war over intractable social and economic issues that serve to only divide and alienate us. They pit the rights of the individual, the group and the inevitable impact our on society and the environment through religion, politics and money. It is a civil war between the haves and have nots, rewarding those who benefit from the exploitation of the planet’s resources, and ignoring or targeting those who struggle and labor to provide the necessities of life for ourselves and our families. It is a war between the individual and his institutions and corporations for the soul of humanity and the survival of the planet that sustains us. There are no winners in this war, only casualties. It will end only when everyone comes together to the benefit of all individuals, plants, animals and minerals that constitute Planet Earth. Today, we have a president who is dedicated to the enrichment of personal power and wealth for himself and the haves, not the general welfare of the people he leads. He and his Party are dismantling the institutions and protections provided by government to those most in need. In the end, only you, the people can correct the conditions that have been erected and are perpetuating this unspoken civil war. Will it continue, or can there be peace and the domestic tranquillity “that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” * I hope President Lincoln doesn’t mind my my emulating his powerful words in this difficult time. And I hope each of you will reflect on the costs and efforts necessary to maintain those freedoms our forebears fought and died for. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) CivilWar EconomicIssues GettysburgAddress havenots haves IndependenceDay PlanetEarth SocialIssues _1677676 Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:20:25 +0000 Boycott Everything Trump https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/6/1/1668051/-Boycott-Everything-Trump Trump has gone around the bend. His decision today to abandon the Paris Climate accords is the single most stupid thing he has done, in a plethora of stupid things, in his short period as President. In one fell swoop he has put a knife in the heart of the American Empire, and its future participation and leadership in the world. He has told the world — UP YOURS. He has said to the world, with 95% of the population, we don’t need you, we’ll do everything ourselves. And, he is totally oblivious to how the world and the other 194 Nations that signed the Climate Accords will respond. I can’t speak for them, but here is how I think they and the American people should respond to his stupid and unthinking action: BOYCOTT EVERYTHING TRUMP Do not purchase any Trump products or services, including Ivanka’s Do not stay in his hotels or rent his facilities. Do not golf at his courses. (Banks) Do not make any loans to prop him up when his revenues decline. Picket his facilities — worldwide — to remind people of the foolishness of his decision. Hit him where he lives and breathes: IN HIS POCKETBOOK. That is the only way he will get the message. This decision is beyond the pale: For America and for the World. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) Boycott DonaldTrump President _1668051 Thu, 01 Jun 2017 21:33:51 +0000 The Greatest Scam Ever! God & The Prosperity Gospel! And It's Still Going On! https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/30/1658620/-The-Greatest-Scam-Ever-God-The-Prosperity-Gospel-And-It-s-Still-Going-On We are subjected daily to all manner of scams, most of which are designed to separate us from our hard earned money. Work at home, fake charity’s, Ponzi/pyramid schemes, and lately, fake news. But, all these pale in comparison to the longest running (over 4000 years) scam of all: The existence of an ephemeral God (or Deity), possessing both spiritual and temporal properties. The original scam was: If you want to have an eternal life you better believe in our characterization of God (religion) and follow our rules. Eternal life (spiritual existence) can only be attained through belief and fealty to ‘our’ characterization of God, whether it is monotheistic Judaism, Christianity, Islam or some offshoot thereof. And, it is still going on, practiced by all manner of Rabbi’s, Ministers and Clerics. To understand the origin of the scam, you need to understand the history of those ancient times. Law was just being codified — see Code of Hammurabi for an example. The economy was primarily agricultural. Gods and Kings were the human royalty and were accorded the most privileges and deference (sound familiar). A comparable analogy would be that today’s Kings would Mayors and Governors and Gods would be Presidents and Premiers. But, the Gods and Kings were still human and could be killed. Wars were common between the tribes with a winner take all attitude. The leaders of the losers (Gods) were usually killed, replaced by the winning God, and the losing tribe became the slaves of the winners. At that time (circa 2000 BCE), the Jews (Hebrews) were a minor sect. The notion of a God with both temporal and spiritual qualities that they were espousing was attracting a lot of attention. And, since the vast majority (~99%) were still illiterate, the ‘Will of God’ was interpreted by the literate Rabbis and leaders. But at the heart of it was a ‘God’ that was unreachable and unavailable, and could not be killed. It had two effects: 1) it attracted an increasing number of followers, and 2) it drove the opponents/enemies with their human Gods nuts. They couldn’t either find or kill the Hebrew leader ‘God,’ which further strengthened the beliefs of the followers of Judaism. Belief supplanted reality and could be, and was exploited to further the selfish ends of the Ruling/Religious Class. However, with every successful scam comes a Dark Side. In this case it was the intolerance of Judaism towards the other ‘religions,’ branding them as heathen, unwashed and unenlightened. The offspring of Judaism: Christianity and Islam; were even more intolerant to each other and other religions such as Hinduism or Buddhism. Right now, that intolerance between the Monotheistic religions is largely driving the conflicts we are presently seeing in the Middle East. Another dark side of this development of the ephemeral ‘God’ was the ‘mandate’ of the 10% tithe to support the religious power structure: so they (the Rabbis) could interpret the scriptures and commandments of ‘God.’ Another scam that has endured to this day and props up the present day evangelists through the Prosperity Gospel. Today, all of them, especially Christianity in America, are preaching the Prosperity Gospel that have morphed into profit centers for their leaders. Megachurches of Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, James Dobson, Pat Robertson et al, preaching you will be saved if you donate to our church. Send $5. or $50… and we will pray for you, and guarantee you a spot in heaven. They are promising you eternal life based on a financial donation. Has anyone of these religious leaders ever made good on that claim? None the I know of. On a parallel track the money changers (Pharisees) of the day were devising currencies for each local tribe, city or country. In order to do business in one country you needed to trade in that currency. Gold was the universal exchange currency because its durability. Traders were required to exchange their gold for the local currency to do business. When they left they needed to exchange the local currency back to gold. And, there was, of course, the required 2-3% transaction fee at both ends. Imagine each of the 50 states having their own currency. If you were doing business in California you would need to exchange your Nevada dollars for California dollars minus a 3% transaction tax. And, the State could tax the transaction at 33% (1%). The states would be ecstatic over such a concept. And, that is reason Christ trashed the Temple in Jerusalem — because the money changers occupancy of it violated its religious purpose. Both practices continue to this day with tithes in the churches and transaction fees on bank accounts and credit/debit cards, etc. Free money through transaction fees that serve little useful purpose except further enrich the already rich. Never mind the ubiquitous debt financing that underscores the Capitalist economy. We have reached the logical conclusion of the story of the unavailable God, the development of currency and the Prosperity Gospel it has spawned. However, although the prosperity gospel has expanded, it is still limited to the richest 1% that control the production of goods and services, and exchange of money: <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/7/30/1552928/-How-Much-Are-You-Worth-Really-Part-1-A-Visual-Perspective-of-Money-and-Value" target="_blank" title="">How Much Are You Worth? </a>corporate executives, financiers, technology revolutionists and the like are it beneficiaries. You can find them listed in the ‘Forbes 400 Richest’ people, wallowing in their money while the 99% of us are expendable and outsourced by robots or to cheaper labor. This is the trickle up version of the economy that underscores the Prosperity Gospel: Those that have, get. In fact they (Koch’s, Walton’s, Mercer’s, et al) are the scum of the earth turning the earth into uninhabitable scum with their mindless accumulation of artificial money, and the power that goes with it. There are a few (Gates, Buffett) giving large portions of their fortunes to aid the poor and unfortunate, but they are a minority. To illustrate their methods just look at the example of Donald Trump and the ‘beautiful wall:’ How many people believed that he would keep his promise to ‘build the wall and make Mexico pay for it?’ A lot! Subsequent events have rendered that promise moot. It’s not going to happen. And he compounded that with his recent visit to Liberty University (A Jerry Falwell project) proclaiming “In America we don’t worship government, we worship God.” * (Insert my scream here). And VP Pence has stated that ‘God’ comes first for him, with America 4th or 5th. When will people ever learn, or will they keep falling for the same financial and religious scams? Apparently they not only won’t learn, they revel in their ignorance. P.T. Barnum was right: There’s a sucker born every minute. What to do? Just telling people they are being promised something (eternal life) if they belong and donate to to this (pick one) church or denomination, despite the fact it’s neither correct nor true, does not dissuade them from their beliefs. The entire purpose and basis of the Monotheistic religions that a God even exists must be altered. It won’t be as long as the hucksters can scam the desperate and gullible with a false doctrine and message that if they believe ‘this,’ or donate ‘that,’ they will be saved and get a place and preference in ‘Heaven.’ And oh, by the way, ‘Vote Republican.’ When will they stop using the rationale that ‘God’ is the fall guy that sustains the beliefs of the lazy, ignorant and gullible as an excuse to dismiss reality and the facts of our temporal existence. Never, as long as they can make a buck. The Prosperity Gospel is for ME - Not for Thee The Prosperity Gospel is now infecting all of government: Privatization is the order of the day: Religion, health insurance education, etc. It’s time for the voters to trash the Prosperity Gospel of Capitalism with their private good - public bad mantra. The gospel of money worship that benefits the few (1%) at the expense of the many (99%). When the profit motive for a few becomes the be all and end all of economy, instead of the delivery of goods and services, it will be the end of the Capitalist economy. It’s already happening. For example: Airline charges are up, customer service is down. Brick and mortar stores are shuttering, leaving more people without work. The rich get richer the poor get poorer, and less able to buy goods and services. HELLO! What part of shooting yourself in the wallet don’t the rich understand? Meantime, back at reality ranch, our temporal needs and requirements — like food, water and shelter — keep intruding on the planetary resources with things like more people, climate change, pollution and depletion of the real commons (resources). We are living in a real world with real problems and real consequences, not a world based on beliefs or some promise of eternal life and hereafter if we donate to the right person or religion. What world do you really live in? The real one is getting worse, rapidly. Or, the one where the words of some scammers preaching prosperity through religion say it’s unnecessary because an unproven ‘better afterlife’ awaits them if they believe and donate to a charlatan posing as a ‘Man of God.’ And the scam goes on. *His statement is both self-serving and disingenuous because in his own narcissistic mind he thinks HE IS GOD, of one of those ancient empires, and being ever the prosperity gospel scammer we should give him our adulation and unquestioningly bow to his pronouncements and decisions. YUK! :-( Thank you to all of you who commented on my story <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/21/1658660/-Does-God-Exist" target="_blank" title="">Does God Exist?</a> Many of you made good comments and observations, and the subject is of obvious interest. I will review and summarize them, along with comments to this story for further discussion in a future story. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) Christianity DonaldTrump God GreatestScamEver Islam Judiasm Megachurches monotheism prosperitygospel Scam StreetProphets WillofGod _1658620 Tue, 30 May 2017 18:42:00 +0000 Memorial Day, The Nuremberg Principles and Donald Trump. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/28/1666899/-Memorial-Day-The-Nuremberg-Principles-and-Donald-Trump I was watching the Memorial Day Tribute to our Armed Forces on PBS, and sorting through some download printouts: and I came across a printout from Wikipedia on the Nuremberg Principles. The Nuremberg Principles were a result of the findings of the Nuremberg Trials and are Guidelines for what constitutes a war crime and crimes against humanity. I believe that several of President Donald Trumps Executive Orders are in violation of those Principles. To summarize: Principle II: “The fact that that internal law does not impose a penalty for and act which constitutes a crime under international law does not relieve the person who committed the act from responsibility under international law.” Principle III: “The fact that a person who committed an act which constitutes a crime under international law acted as Head of State or responsible government official does not relieve him from responsibility under international law.” Principle VI: “ The crimes hereinafter set out are punishable as crimes under international law: (a) Crimes against peace: (i) Planning, preparation, initiation or waging a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances; (ii) Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for any of the acts in (i). (b) War Crimes: Violation of laws or customs or war which include, but are not limited to, murder, ill-treatment or deportation to slave labor or any other purpose of civilian population of or in occupied territory; murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war or persons on the Seas, killing of hostages, plunder of public or private property, wanton destruction of cities, town or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity. (c) Crimes against humanity: Murder extermination, enslavement, deportation and other inhumane acts done against any civilian population, or persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds, when such acts are carried on in execution of or in connection with any crime against the peace or any war crime.” ___________________________________________________________________________________________ I submit that the several of the Executive Orders approved and signed by President Donald Trump are in violation of the Nuremberg Principles, specifically Principle VI (c): Crimes against Humanity. He is acting as both a person under Principle II and a Head of State under Principle III to enact and enforce these unlawful Executive Orders: Even though the Federal Courts have declared these Executive Orders unconstitutional. Enjoy your Memorial Day. I have a feeling it is going to be a long, hot, contentious summer. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) CrimesAgainstHumanity DonaldTrump ExecutiveOrders MemorialDay Nurembergprinciples _1666899 Mon, 29 May 2017 06:22:49 +0000 Does God Exist? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/21/1658660/-Does-God-Exist <h2>Chapter 29.</h2> <h2>Does God Exist?</h2> It is the final proof of God’s omnipotence that he need not exist in order to save us. Peter DeVries, American Author Does God exist? This is an age-old question with profound ramifications for humanity. If a God—defined as a deity, creator, or Supreme Being—does exist, what form does he/she/it take? These questions have been debated by humankind since the concept was first espoused in ages past by newly sentient humans. Who, and where, it originated will never be known. That the question exists to be debated is a monument to humanity’s sentience and our ability to think and reason. The existence or nonexistence of God is a classic dilemma, and can be demonstrated through a simple, logical proof. The proof has been presented under many names, but it is described in Figure 1. below as the “realm of knowledge argument.” The basis of the argument is that human knowledge is finite and has limits, even though it is continually expanding. At any point in time the concentric circles can represent all present and future knowledge. <h3> Figure 1.</h3> <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Realm_of_Knowledge.jpg" src="http://images.dailykos.com/images/396711/large/Realm_of_Knowledge.jpg?1493857210" title="Realm_of_Knowledge.jpg"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> Innermost circle A represents the realm or extent of your lifetime knowledge and learning to right now: science, literature, languages, psychology, religion, cooking, auto repair, gardening, directions to a friend’s house, etc. The larger concentric circles represent, respectively: B: the collective knowledge of all humans to right now C: all collective existing and future human knowledge D: all knowledge that is knowable in the physical universe E: all knowledge there will ever be in all dimensions <a name="f1"></a>To demonstrate to yourself the existence or nonexistence of God, answer the following question: Does God exist in the realm signified by circle A, B, C, D, or E? Make your selection! Now prove it to the satisfaction of any and all doubters, or those who made a different selection. If God exists within the realm signified by circle A or B, that existence should be physically provable. There should be some physical or temporal method to conclusively prove that a superior being or deity defined as God exists and can at any time exert total control over humanity’s fate or condition. If God exists in the realm signified by circle C, D, or E, existence of such a being is not provable because it is beyond the realm of humanity’s present knowledge. Therefore: If you claim that God exists at the realm signified by circle A or B, demonstrate physical proof of God’s existence. If you claim that God does not exist at the realm signified by circle A or B, then the possibility of the existence of God still remains at the realm signified by circle C, D, or E, which is presently beyond the realm of humanity’s knowledge. Either way, the argument demonstrates that the existence and origin of an omnipotent God—however defined—can be neither proven nor disproven. It is a true dilemma. Quantity of documentation for one side or the other does not constitute proof. There are libraries full of books and documents purporting to “prove” the existence or nonexistence of God, yet none can pass the simple test of proof described above. Inferences can be made about the existence of God or anything else for that matter, from patterns of behavior. When we experience an effect, we must, therefore, be able to postulate a cause. E.g., if your body is bruised, therefore you fell down and hurt yourself. Our sentient thoughts tell us there is something more to our being than just physical existence, so it is ascribed to a spiritual dimension wherein an entity called God resides. By choosing to call the spiritual entity “God”—or whatever name a religion may use—we establish a perception of reality based on an arbitrarily defined physical frame of reference. The sentience paradox* at work? This representation could be the spiritual monolithic monarch (God) of Judaism, Christianity, or Islam, or a collective society wherein all spiritual entities are equal. Even the idea that a god or deity is a monolithic leader presumes that the spiritual realm is an empire and emulates its earthly counterparts. This metaphorical representation then becomes a physical interpretation that governs perceived behavior within a religious doctrine. If there is a spiritual dimension that exists beyond the physical reality we know and live in, does it possess “supraphysical” laws similar in nature to those we are familiar with in our physical reality? If so, then that dimension exists, whether or not we believe or cannot prove it exists. It merely occupies a different (time and space) continuum beyond our knowledge. Therefore, sentient belief or nonbelief in its existence as an “entree” to that dimension is irrelevant. Regardless of the representation of the composition of the spiritual realm, if there is a spiritual realm, everyone is asked to accept solely on faith that it exists. After acceptance, only the form of the spiritual realm remains to be defined. With the tendency for humankind to extrapolate a spiritual realm from known frames of reference, it will probably follow a physical pattern. Heaven and hell are physical representations of good and bad spiritual realms, with God and Satan leaders of their respective empires. The primary issue is not that a God, creator, or Supreme Being does or does not exist. Its that the possibility of such existence has given opportunistic people throughout the history of sentient humankind license to postulate frames of reference and make unsupported claims of exclusive spiritual access on behalf of their religion. Those claims include dependency of the individual on a system that permits an enlightened few to identify and interpret the doctrine and messages of God. In the Empire Era, religion followed a leadership pattern similar to rule by kings, paralleling the secular empires of the day. The state and religion were run by groups representing opposite sides of the same coin, and both were driven by innate human behavior—our selfish biological drives and rule by dominant leaders—and the unrequited quest by every person for spiritual knowledge and security about an unknown and uncharted hereafter. From my book The Inevitable Decline and Fall of Empire. c 2000 Notes: Underlines added *The sentience paradox: Reality and the perception of reality are mutually independent principles. Follow-up story tomorrow; The Greatest Scam Ever... rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) Empire Exist God Reality RealmofKnowledge SentienceParadox _1658660 Sun, 21 May 2017 22:53:49 +0000 The First Rule of Politics: No Surprises! https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/9/1660723/-The-First-Rule-of-Politics-No-Surprises There are a lot of first rules of politics. But the one that takes precedence is that politicians and bureaucrats DO NOT LIKE TO BE SURPRISED. Donnie Dimwit violated that rule with his abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey. The rationale is irrelevant. Only the action counts. The backlash has already started and will only get worse. I’m sure that more that one diarist here at DKos will weigh in on the the stupidity of his actions in the coming days. To all you young folks, its Watergate deja vu all over again. Enjoy, and learn from the show you are watching. Sincerely, Ye Olde Curmedgeon rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) DonaldTrump Politics Rules Watergate _1660723 Wed, 10 May 2017 06:56:58 +0000 Using Acronyms: When in Doubt - Spell it Out https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/4/22/1655422/-Using-Acronyms-When-in-Doubt-Spell-it-Out The use of Acronyms, e.g. Initial Slang, is on the rise. It is a veritable Alphabet Soup of shorthand increasingly being applied to everyday language and writing. States (FL, WA), Federal and State Agencies (DOE, EPA) Chemical symbols (Cl, Au) Airport designations (CHI, DFW), and generic statements (OMG, IMHO), etc, are being used and expanded. The problem is that many Acronyms are somewhat obscure and/or have multiple meanings. Having written numerous papers, articles, books and presentations: Acronyms need to be defined. Because the Daily Kos audience is diverse, it is a general rule that the first time you use an Acronym, put it in parenthesis behind the full spelling for clarity of discussion: e.g. Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). This differentiates it from the Wisconsin Interscholastic Activities Association, which uses the same Acronym (WIAA). I went through most of the stories and comments in today’s (April 22, 2017) Daily Kos identifying the Acronyms that were being used. I came across several dozen. There were only two I couldn’t identify: SPOX and PANDAS. SPOX has 2 meanings: SpokesPerson and Smallpox. Since the story was about Ivanka Trump, I don’t think it referred to smallpox. PANDAS is a different story. I looked it up on <a href="http://www.acronymfinder.com%20" title="">Acronym Finder</a> to find the meaning which was: Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infection. Ohhh KAY! Sounds like something Trump could be suffering from. Oops! Got off the subject. But, it is something the author should of clarified. Other Acronyms I found with multiple meanings (application underlined): <ul> <li>SS — 336 meanings, including Secret Service and Social Security. </li> <li>NRA — 60 meanings including National Rifle Association, National Recovery Act, National Recreation Act. </li> </ul> Since the past election, Daily Kos members and followers are increasing rapidly: Some are active participants while others just prefer to read and comment. In conducting my cursory review, I found that commenters used Acronyms more than story writers. So, for the sake of clarity, please review your Acronym use in your stories and comments. And if you’re not sure if everyone knows your context or meaning: SPELL IT OUT, and (paren) the Acronym. You can state your preference in the poll below. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) AcronymFinder Acronyms DailyKos InitialSlang SpellItOut _1655422 Sun, 23 Apr 2017 05:41:00 +0000 Donnie Drakon* Trump Says: LET THEM DIE! https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/3/22/1644334/-Donnie-Drakon-Trump-Says-LET-THEM-DIE Trump’s first budget is out! And, it is the worst, most Draconian piece of shit ever put forth in the history of the Republic. First, a definition and clarification: *Draco ( Greek — Drakon) was a 7th Century BCE legislator and law giver (magistrate) that decreed unusual and cruel penalties, including death, for minor crimes. The adjective Draconian is his legacy and is the definition of cruel, unusual and/or extreme responses to minor infractions or circumstances. I used the appellation Drakon to tie Trump to his Russian masters. Donald Trump — and the Republicans — have taken Draconian to a new and more cruel level: Anyone who is poor, older, female, non-white (the other), immigrant, disabled, ill or may need Federal assistance is scheduled to be thrown under the bus: i.e. pay higher health premiums under that abomination called Trumpcare. Sorry, (YOYO) you’re on your own. All, so the richest 1% assholes can get richer. In addition, he has betrayed those who were convinced by his lies and voted for him. The magnitude of his betrayal hasn’t yet, or may never sink in to those Red State voters and believers. Stupid Sarah Palin’s ‘Death Panels’ are here to help eliminate the least fortunate of us. He can’t even adhere to the basic principles of the Republic as stated in the Preamble to the Constitution - ’in order to form a more perfect union:’ <ul> <li>Establish Justice</li> <li>Insure Domestic Tranquillity </li> <li>Provide for the Common Defence</li> <li>Promote the General Welfare</li> <li>Secure the Blessings of Liberty </li> </ul> This abomination of a budget and Trumpcare by Donnie Drakon does none of that. How does arresting and harassing immigrants and Muslims who have committed no crime insure domestic tranquillity? How does a border wall with Mexico provide for the ‘common’ defence while simultaneously cutting the budget of the Coast Guard? How does cutting support and nutritional programs to the sick, women, children and the elderly promote the general welfare? How does turning the country into a police state secure the blessings of liberty? It doesn’t! All it does is to make the 1% richer and create more uncertainty and fear in the rest of us. In short he has taken the Constitution, ripped it up and tossed it in the trash. And who suffers? Only about 25+ million people will directly suffer and lose health insurance as a result of his callous, uncaring attitude. He really is Drakon personified, only he does it on a wholesale basis: Not for breaking a law, but for getting old or sick. This abomination of a budget and Trumpcare consign the poor and needy to slow, needless, unrelenting suffering. And the Republicans are aiding and abetting these callous and cruel efforts. According to that OMB asshole Mark Mulvaney: “They can no longer contribute to society so why should the Federal government continue to provide them aid and financial assistance?” That is one of the most disgusting things I have ever heard coming from a government lackey. One of the arguments about humanity is that they are biologically designed to procreate during their younger years. Women are fertile between about 13 and their late forties, when menopause occurs. No more ability to make babies, therefore — according to the Dominionists and Evangelicals — they serve no further useful purpose to humanity. Testosterone levels in men start declining in their forties, therefore they serve no further useful purpose to humanity. Those ‘old’ people need to die and get out of the way so the rich can get richer. Donnie ‘Drakon’ Trump needs to be thrown under the bus ASAP. However, it is up to the Republicans to do it, and they are collectively as power-hungry, stupid, cruel and callous as he is. May Donnie Drakon forever live in infamy, and his presidency wither to extinction for the misery he is attempting to inflict on over 25 million old, sick and disabled Americans. All the more reason to: Repeal and Replace all Republicans Note: I would have submitted diary this earlier but my computer crashed and I needed to take it in for repair. My disgust with the actions and cruelty of this president requires the sternest of opposition and the strongest of comments, so if I went over the line I apologize. At 78, I can speak my mind, and what ‘Drakon’ Trump is attempting to inflict on the American people infuriates me. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) Constitution DonaldTrump Draconion Drakon Evangelicals MarkMulvaney Republicans Trumpcare _1644334 Wed, 22 Mar 2017 19:39:56 +0000 Donnie Two Face: You Can't have it Both Ways! https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/2/28/1638920/-Donnie-Two-Face-You-Can-t-have-it-Both-Ways For all of you that are scratching your heads about Donnie’s speech to Congress: You are not alone! What he said and what he is doing are totally contradictory concepts. However, there is hope at the end of the rainbow. Janus is the Roman double-faced God of Gates and Doors, of endings and beginnings. One cycle is ending and another is beginning. But it is not what most of us think. What is ending is the Capitalist system that rewards the monetary economy to the few at the expense of the many. It is beginning to be replaced by a more inclusive system that rewards all that contribute and does not leave those behind when they can no longer contribute. Donnie is among the last, worst examples of the old system. Short may he reign. It’s time to move forward. Keep those cards, letters and protests coming. The future is ours. We just have to act and take it. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) BeginningsandEndings Capitalist DonaldTrump Janus presidentialspeech _1638920 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 07:47:44 +0000 The Fool Who Would Be King https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/11/19/1599275/-The-Fool-Who-Would-Be-King The election of Donald Trump to the presidency marks a clear and significant departure from normal politics. He has never been elected to anything or subject to the influence of voters and lobbyists who have opinions on everything. He has been master and king of his business domain and does it his way. As described by many, he is a thin skinned bully who can’t take criticism, and must respond to all slights no matter how small. And that is his Achilles heel. Donald Trump wants to return us to the time when kings ruled with absolute authority, and the opposition was dispatched — literally. Even his earliest pronouncements and appointments reek of imperialist attitude and demeanor. HE is not required to conform to the wishes and rights of all the people. They (we) are his subjects and will obey his commands and directives. Things like the Constitution and the Rule of Law are a hindrance to him. He wants to register and/or deport people based on their religion, ethnicity or lack of citizenship. A lot of you are making the comparison to Hitler, facism, white nationalism, etc, and those comparisons are valid. A World War was fought to defeat them at a horrendous price in blood and treasure. At the conclusion of the War a (Nuremberg) Trial (see Wikipedia) was held and the those in charge were held accountable and sentences ranged from death to acquittal. A set of Nuremberg Principles were established as to what constitutes a war crime. Although, they may not be directly applicable to a Donald Trump presidency, everyone who wants to serve in his administration should be cognizant of them. They include (to paraphrase): <ul> <li>People are responsible for their crimes, not institutions.</li> <li>Just following ‘lawful’ orders does not excuse their individual responsibility or conduct.</li> <li>Crimes against humanity include deportation or persecution on political, racial or religious grounds.</li> </ul> Apologists for a Donald Trump administration will argue that the Nuremberg Principles do not apply to peacetime activities. The Republican Party is now in charge and they can pass or repeal anything they damn well please. I beg to differ and hope that everything they do to discriminate or persecute is zealously challenged in court. If that brings the entire Federal legal/judicial system to a halt, that is the consequence of electing a fool who would be king as our president. And, his efforts to reestablish an Empire will hasten its decline and fall. <hr> rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) Constitution DonaldTrump Nurembergprinciples NurembergTrial Presidency RuleofLaw WorldWar _1599275 Sat, 19 Nov 2016 23:34:49 +0000 The 11:08 RNC Express to Pariah: An E-Sop Fable* https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/11/7/1590312/-The-11-08-RNC-Express-to-Pariah-An-E-Sop-Fable With stops at Piranha Lake Resort and Purgatory Junction. All Aboard Along the way you will be treated to spectacular views of Gerrymandering Canyon, Obstruction Falls, Intimidation Flats, Obamacare Caverns, Kick ‘em to the Curb Talus Slope, Legislative Swamp, Grand Judicial Dam, Values Valley, Greenback Mountain,Voter Fraud River and See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Speak No Evil Promontory. Lead laced mineral water and nothing burgers will be served in the Vista View To Oblivion Lounge. First stop: Piranha Lake Resort. All L(oser) tickets, this is your stop. The lake waters are already roiling in anticipation of a new crop of L… bathers. Its been two years since their last feeding and they’re expecting a bumper crop this year. Next stop: Purgatory Junction. All C(onsultant), A(dministration) and LO(bbyist) tickets disembark here. A rigorous schedule of courses has been planned for your, hopefully lengthy, penance and rehabilitation to return to civilized society. Many of you will not survive the austere regimen and required meditation, and failure is not an option. Some Courses: <ul> <li>Review of Ethics and Morality</li> <li>The tenets of a civilized society</li> <li>Obstruction is not cooperation by another name</li> <li>Negotiating with people who disagree with you</li> <li>My way is the highway to oblivion</li> <li>Voter Registration 101 </li> <li>And, many, many more</li> </ul> Final stop: Pariah. After a seemingly interminable time in Perdition tunnel, we burst out into the blazing sunlight, slow and stop: We have finally arrived. The sole remaining passenger steps out into the suffocating - windless heat, cloudless sky and an endless expanse of sand that stretches out to infinity: no trees, no plants, not a single blade of grass to be found, anywhere. The morose passenger looks around and sees a partially constructed, weathered building, a stack of lumber, saw, hammer, nails and a frayed, sweat stained cap with the fading logo: “Make America Great Again.” A headstone on one side of the building is inscribed “Ronald Reagan RIP.” The sign on the building says: Welcome to Pariah An Exceptional Shining City Under Construction Funded by the Republican Party *E-Sop fables are my reincarnation of Aesop’s timeless fables, focused on addressing the morality of current issues. Enjoy! If a DKos cartoonist or illustrator would like to pictorialize Pariah, It would be appreciated. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) AesopFables MakeAnericaGreatAgain pariah RepublicanParty RonaldReagan ShiningCity _1590312 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 07:48:57 +0000 "The Election Must be Rigged" https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/10/17/1583263/--The-Election-Must-be-Rigged Donald Trump repeatedly states that the Presidential election is rigged. “Believe me.” “The election must be rigged.” On SNL Alec Baldwin parodies Donald Trump saying the election is rigged. Donald retorts that SNL lies, and claims: “The election must be rigged.” Donald Trump has received zero endorsements from the newspapers and media. “The election must be rigged.” The only positive press for Donald Trump comes from the tabloid TV rag - Fox News. “The election must be rigged.” Republican silence about Donald Trumps comments ‘validates’ the statement that, “The election must be rigged.” His opponent is a crook and liar, and should be prosecuted and jailed. “Lock her up.” “The election must be rigged.” Trump keeps saying “only he can fix it,” but nobody listens because “The election must be rigged.” Trump keeps saying he won’t reveal his tax returns or foreign financiers, and to unquestioningly trust him. If you don’t “The election must be rigged.” Trump keeps saying he will ‘Make America Great Again,’ but all he’s doing is to ‘Make America Grate Again. ’If you don’t ‘Believe Me?’’ “The election must be rigged.” His opponent is a “Trump the Bitch” woman who suffers from drug abuse and repeated bouts of the vapors. “The election must be rigged.” Even with wholesale Republican gerrymandering, Trump can’t overcome his unfavorable ratings and conduct. “The election must be rigged.” There have been 31 cases of voter impersonation fraud in the past billion votes (1 every 32,258,065 votes). “The election must be rigged.” Voter fraud is rampant and unless and until every last incident is uncovered; “The election must be rigged.” Voter ID Laws targeting minorities have been pursued in several states, disenfranchising legitimate voters. “The election must be rigged.” Polling places are insufficiently monitored by the ‘proper’ people. “The election must be rigged.” Polling places are admitting too many unqualified people: Women, minorities, immigrants, Muslims, Jews, disabled; you know — Americans. “The election must be rigged.” Immigrants are flooding the country and voting illegally. “The election must be rigged.” Ten+ (and counting) women have accused Donald Trump of sexually accosting them. “The election must be rigged.” Election laws haven’t been sufficiently vetted under Kris Kobach’s (Kansas SoS) white Republican only voting guidelines. “The election must be rigged.” Diebold voting machines haven’t been properly programed this year to shift votes to the anointed Republican candidate. “The election must be rigged.” Only old, uneducated, white males should be the considered the proper voting bloc. “The election must be rigged.” Old, educated, white males (like me) know better and would never, ever vote for a stupid, vacuous, incompetent, unqualified, untrustworthy, unethical, unprincipled slime ball like Donald Trump. “The election must be rigged.” On Nov 9, after the ballots are counted and he is defeated decisively: Modern day fascist Donald Trump should be strung upside down by his ankles (reminiscent of his hero Mussolini) from the yardarm rigging and left to slowly twist in the wind; while plaintively bleating 1000 times, “The election was rigged.” SOB! Credit to Jeff Foxworthy for his “You must be a redneck” couplets. Feel free to add couplets. The more the merrier. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) 2016PresidentialElection DonaldTrump HillaryClinton theelectionmustberigged _1583263 Mon, 17 Oct 2016 19:18:25 +0000 How Low Can Trump Go? Can We Get Him Below 35% PV? Can We Get the Popular Vote Spread to 20%? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/10/15/1582162/-How-Low-Can-Trump-Go-Can-We-Get-Him-Below-35-PV-Can-We-Get-the-Popular-Vote-Spread-to-20 Donald Trump is plumbing the depths of depravity, deplorability, and dis-ingenuousness in this Presidential Election. Just when you think he can’t sink any lower, he says or does something even more outrageous or insulting. His scorched-earth, insult all detractors, take no prisoners campaign only lays waste to some other group or individual that opposes him. It has no upside. However, that is not the LOW I want to address. Comments and actions have consequences, and pitting people against each other engenders either support, or disgust and animosity with the public. But, it also gets people fired up and want to respond with their vote, either for and against. In the end only the final vote totals matter. So, how do you get sufficient votes for your side to win? Two ways: 1) Get more people to vote for you, or 2) Get fewer people to vote for your opponent, or not vote at all. There have been 3 Landslide Elections with >20% Popular Vote difference in modern times: 1936 Roosevelt (61%) vs Landon (37%) Spread (24%) 1964 Johnson (61%) vs Goldwater (38%) Spread (23%) 1972 Nixon (61%) vs McGovern (38%) Spread (23%) Reagan vs Mondale came close at 18% spread in 1984. In the other Presidential elections since 1936 the spread was 15% or lower. All the landslide elections were associated with high voter satisfaction or dissatisfaction: Roosevelt implemented a large number of government programs that put people back to work. Johnson branded Goldwater as a loose cannon who would lead us into another World War. Ironically, he then expanded the Viet Nam war to new levels. Nixon implemented his Southern Strategy by getting Democrats to become Republicans due to the passage of the 1965 Civil Rights Act. The fallout of that is still being felt today. Ms Clinton has been saddled with unending criticism and invective from the Republicans for 30 years, and the toll has given her a high unfavorable rating. However, Trump also has a high unfavorable rating. So, how do we get the to a 20% spread for Ms Clinton with two candidates that have high unfavorable ratings? As of this story posting, Ms Clinton is starting to poll in the high teens in some polls. Will it continue and increase the spread over the next three weeks? My assessment: Ms Clinton needs to keep presenting herself as the inclusive candidate, providing programs and policies for the middle and lower classes; and lowering the present inequities and inequalities towards the rich and the corporations championed by the Republican Party. She needs to let Donald Trump continue be the narcissistic loose cannon and fool that he is. One by one he is alienating just about every voting group, except the old white, male supremacists who despise the Washington establishment, and are longing for a return to a time where they were preeminent. They need to be defeated, decisively. Just how big is that extremist voting bloc? And when will Trump start alienating even some of them? My guess is that the most extreme factions of the popular vote that presently appeal to and support Trump comprise no more than 30% of the electorate. When you add in another 5-10% of other dissatisfied voters, how that will translate into votes for Trump or Republicans down-ballot is still an open question. It is my contention that the fallout and the damage done to Trump and the Republicans will depend more on the spread than the total Popular or Electoral vote. The greater the spread the more likely the Democrats will also get both the Senate and the House. A popular vote spread of over 15% for Ms Clinton should recapture the Senate, but a spread near or over 20% would be necessary to recapture the House also. My prediction: If Ms Clinton gets a popular vote spread of more than 20% and/or Trump gets less than 35% of the popular vote, it will be a landslide for the Democrats and a disaster of epic proportions for the Republicans. It will take them at least 5 election cycles to recover. What do you think? rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) 2016PresidentialElection 20percentspread 35percentpopularvote DonaldTrump HillaryClinton landslideelection _1582162 Sat, 15 Oct 2016 18:58:00 +0000 Lester Holt, A Performance Assessment 9/26/16 https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/9/27/1575081/-Lester-Holt-A-Performance-Assessment-9-26-16 The first debate is in the books. The pundits are pontificating about who won and who lost: Consensus — Ms Clinton won. Very little has been said about Mr Holt’s performance. On Monday I said I would conduct an assessment of Mr Holt. Here it is. Mr Holt let the debate proceed for almost 30 minutes before interceding. Trump repeatedly interfered, as he normally does, and talked over Ms Clinton. Ms Clinton stuck to her script. At 45 minutes he said they were behind schedule. He became more involved throughout the remainder of the debate, interjecting comments and talking points more frequently. After about an hour Mr Trump began to show obvious disdain for Ms Clinton with facial expressions and increasingly fidgety behavior. I don’t know for sure, but near the end of the debate I thought I saw Mr Trump make a facial expression that looked like Wile E Coyote just after had run out of road and gone off the cliff. Mr Holt: <ul> <li>Let the candidates determine the direction and tempo of the debate.</li> <li>Interfered only to move it along or clarify a point. </li> <li>Let the candidates attack and parry freely with little interference or comment. </li> <li>Did not influence or determine the outcome of the debate in any way (the goal of the moderator/referee).</li> </ul> He passed the assessment as a debate moderator. I would give him a grade of 85-90%, B+ to A-. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) 2016presidentialelectiondebate Assessment donaletrump HillaryClinton lesterholt _1575081 Tue, 27 Sep 2016 20:45:25 +0000 Courage, Character & Consistency: Which Presidential Candidate Has It? Will The Debate Show It? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/9/25/1571427/-Courage-Character-Consistency-Which-Presidential-Candidate-Has-It-Will-The-Debate-Show-It Preface: For over 30 years I was a referee (soccer), and for over 20 years I was a Referee Assessor: evaluating Referees for proficiency and advancement to higher grades. The assessment included and required addressing topics such as appearance, positioning and foul recognition. However, there was one section — Courage, Character and Consistency (CCC) — in applying the Laws of the Game, that stood out. It dealt with the more intangible aspects of officiating and was often the reason whether or not a referee passed, failed or didn’t upgrade. What does it have to do with the qualifications of the candidates running for POTUS, the most powerful office in the world? Everything! If you don’t have those qualities, the ability to deal with and negotiate reasonably (keep your cool) with some of the biggest assholes in the world, then it is the United States and its stature in the world that would be severely diminished. Courage, Character & Consistency need to be addressed both individually and collectively. In that context they include but are not constrained by the dictionary definitions. For purposes of this diary they are generally defined as follows: <ul> <li>Courage: The ability to make, or not make a decision independent of any outside forces or persuasions, and stick with it in spite of the complaints generated by the various factions (players, teams, audience). </li> <li>Character: The ability of the individual to project a persona of fairness and equity in the decisions and not show favoritism or bias towards one side or the other, or be unduly influenced by the audience or a particular faction. </li> <li>Consistency: The ability to make the same decision to both sides as equally as possible for the same or similar transgression or event. </li> </ul> As you can see there is considerable overlap in the definitions, and their application. To me, the classic example — in soccer — of courage, character & consistency was the decision of Esse Baharmast, the referee representing the U.S. in the 1998 World Cup — Norway v Brazil. He called a penalty kick against Brazil for a take down from behind. The problem was that none of the ‘official’ cameras saw it from the proper angle. The ensuing furor and blame placing essentially ended his international officiating career. Finally, the next day a view was found (by a Norwegian cameraman) that supported his call, thereby vindicating him. By then it was too late, the damage had been done. The moral of this story is: Even though you endeavor to do the right thing, if the powers that be (in the extant case, FIFA and the media) have determined otherwise, then you’re toast. The parallels here are obvious and incontrovertible. The question here is: who has the qualifications to best serve the USA , both domestically and internationally; Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? What is their record, their accomplishments and their service to the public? The Candidates: Hillary Clinton has been in the public view and consciousness for over 30 years. There is a lot we know about her, not a small portion of it generated by Republicans and the conservative media. Through it, she has had the courage to withstand the slings and arrows from the opposition, even though a lot of it has proven erroneous or downright false. She has shown the character of someone who (mostly) will not stoop to the level of vitriol endlessly thrown at her by the Republicans and conservative media. However, the constant negative messaging has taken a toll on her reputation and ‘trustworthiness.’ The drumbeat of constant negative repetition changes the public dynamic of her, and what she actually is, or stands for. She has also been reasonably consistent in her positions, but willing to change them in the light of new information. All in all (WYSIWYG) what you see - not what your hear from others - is what you get from Ms. Clinton. Another disadvantage that Ms. Clinton labors under is longstanding and goes back to Bill’s presidency. In 2000, I wrote the following in my book (From Chap 25 — Empire, Empire Everywhere: The Law and Corporate Shield Run Amok): “A recent example of out-of-control Empire and law run amok is the 1999 impeachment and trial of William Jefferson Clinton (U.S. President 1993-2001). The acknowledged leader of the free world was subjected to accusation, impeachment and trial on charges of questionable basis. President Clinton’s conduct notwithstanding, the case illustrates the that no one is immune from ill-conceived law adopted by a state with unrestrained legislative supremacy: from backroom bureaucrats indulging in mindless implementation of of adopted “statutes”; from opponents that control “the system”; and from unbounded vindictiveness. It personified the worst traits of humanity and all that is wrong with Empire: the selfish exercise of raw power using “the system” and the club of Rule of Law to cloak the procedure in legitimacy and acceptability. It amply illustrates that ill-conceived law can even affect those it attempts to favor and protect. The culprit is the unrestrained and unchecked adoption of statute law to reward the favored few or punish those who do not conform to limited visions of the current ”leadership” on how humanity should behave or rules it should conform to. Sometimes it turns and bites the hand that feeds it.” Since then, things have definitely changed for the worse, with polarization now at an all-time high. Donald Trump, on the other hand, has none of those qualities. His courage emanates from what the audience wants to hear, not what is right or proper for the country. So, his views are constantly changing to meet those expectations. Character? He has none. He is a character but doesn’t possess any. He doesn’t honor contracts, continually bilking contractors or students. Would you work for him, knowing that you may not be paid, even with a contract? I wouldn’t! Then why would you vote for someone continually changes his mind to suit the situation, and would not honor treaties or agreements. Bilking individuals or small companies is one thing, bilking countries is quite another. His consistency is that he is consistently inconsistent. The Moderator: However, this diary is not only about the candidates. They are capable of taking care of themselves. It is about the duty of the moderator — the referee — to ensure the debate is conducted properly and fairly, the questions are not biased, and he (Lester Holt) will intercede if responses get too far out of line. In short, it is about giving the audience a fair and spirited contest that brings out both the positions and conduct of the candidates for all to see and evaluate for themselves. In the CiC forum Matt Lauer failed the CCC test, and was roundly criticized for it. He dwelled far too long on Ms Clinton’s e-mails and gave Mr Trump softballs. In the debates, both the moderators and the media can influence the outcome of the debate. Up to now the media has not had their feet held to the fire. They need to be. The pundits and the media will ‘grade’ the contestants through their own rose colored glasses. They will declare who ‘won’ and who ‘lost' along with the usual elaborate and gobbledygook ‘explanations,’ 90% of which is bullshit. However, nobody gives a rip about the win/lose record of the referee, nee moderator, because it’s ‘not relevant.’ But, the moderator drives the discussion. Just like a referee can, through action or inaction determine the outcome of a game, so can the moderator determine the outcome of the debate. When I was a referee and scheduled to do a tough game, I went through a little ritual: I put on my uniform, stood in front of a mirror and said Q: Who is the biggest asshole on this field today? A: I am. Q: Are you prepared to prove it? So, Mr Holt, are you going to be the biggest asshole at the debate, and are you prepared to prove it? As you watch the debate on Mon, look for the telltale signs of explicit and implicit bias by Mr Holt. The candidates are applying for the most powerful job in the world. What they say and how they respond is vital to how they would represent America on the world stage. Does Mr Holt have the courage to issue a proverbial caution (Yellow Card for you soccer folk) for conduct unbecoming? Do not be sidetracked by name calling, meaningless posturing or grandiose statements. Vote on their content and demeanor, not some win/lose claim of the beltway pundits, or personal bias. I will conduct my own assessment of the candidates and moderator’s performance on Tues, with emphasis on Courage, Character & Consistency, not just content. If you want to try it yourself, note some basics. Develop a cheat sheet that allows you count indiscretions, such as : Interruptions/Distractions; Misstatements; Lies/Exaggerations; Sarcastic Comments, and who said them. And did Mr Holt intervene at the appropriate times? We can compare notes on Tuesday. Until then, happy assessing. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) 2016PresidentialElection Character consistency Courage Debates DonaldTrump HillaryClinton lesterholt moderator _1571427 Sun, 25 Sep 2016 23:28:15 +0000 Will He (Trump) or Won't He? The Plot Thickens https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/9/6/1566566/-Will-He-Trump-or-Won-t-He-The-Plot-Thickens Keeping up with The Donald is getting more and more frustrating and confusing. The blogosphere has gone berserk over his endless machinations, comments and ever changing positions. Even Machiavelli would have trouble explaining him. The question I am posing here is: What is his end game? Is Trump running to deliberately lose? If so, what does he expect to gain by doing so? A lot of you here at DKos and elsewhere have examined his various actions and comments at length, and reached different conclusions about his motives and strategy. Lets look at the evidence so far. He has: <ul> <li>Almost no State organizations typical of a campaign of this magnitude.</li> <li>No extensive media ad buys normal in a campaign at this level.</li> <li>Less than enthusiastic support from the RNC, and other Republican candidates distancing themselves from him and his positions.</li> <li>Relied primarily on his brand name and comments to publicize himself. </li> <li>A penchant for continually labeling his detractors, rivals and opponents: “Lying Hillary” “Little Marco” etc. Endless repetition reinforces the label. </li> <li>Rally’s that are staged and restricted to the loyal supporters and followers.</li> <li>To Tweet or comment on every slight, no matter how small.</li> <li>Positions that are nationalistic, sexist, racist and homophobic to an extreme that no other candidate can even come close to. </li> <li>Refused to disclose any of his tax returns.</li> <li>Refused to disclose his loans and who holds them, and who he is beholden to: Foreign Countries or investors?</li> <li>Not payed his principal employees or strategists and is largely ignoring their advice.</li> <li>Probably promised employees, friends and associates a financial role in his yet undisclosed future plans for the ‘Trump Media Empire.’</li> <li>Required non-disclosure agreements from employees and volunteers.</li> <li>Recruited the extreme right-wing media (Fox, Breitbart) movers and shakers (Bannon, Ailes, etc) to run, finance and publicize his campaign. </li> </ul> He has been very opaque about his affairs in a very public media campaign and forum. His lack of disclosure and transparency go directly to his paranoia and secretiveness about his shady, if not illegal dealings. He is being aided and abetted by a somnolent mainstream and alternative media whose greed ‘trumps’ facts or reason. Meanwhile, <s>Hillary</s> (...Wait! Stop! One of the subtle, pervasive putdowns is some in the media keep referring to the candidates as Hillary and Mr Trump, not Ms Clinton and Mr Trump. Honorifics and formalities aside, it promotes an attitude that relegates Ms Clinton to lesser status, and it does not go unnoticed. The rabid right will do anything to demean her, but the MSM, including some here at DKos, should know better and accord the proper respect to someone aspiring to the highest office in the land...) Ms Clinton is being endlessly pummeled for the aboveboard work she is doing to combat poverty and other global social issues through the Clinton Foundation. I guess greed justifies unfair and unbalanced coverage. They are all Fox all the time now! What is he getting in return? Primarily a very large database of donors and followers of like minded xenophobic thinkers numbering in the millions. Many of you have guessed (I think correctly) that what he wants is to establish and run the ‘Trump Media Empire:’ a conglomeration of television, communications, newspapers and blogs to endlessly tout the ‘wonderfulness’ of Donald Trump. YUK! It will be so right-wing oriented that it will make Fox look like flaming liberals. NOTE: Ailes supposedly has a non-compete clause in his settlement agreement so he couldn't participate in such a venture, at least officially. From that vantage point Trump can pander to the worst supremacist elements of those followers and undermine our democratic republic under the banner of a 1st Amendment free press. All to influence the 2020 election and usher in a nationalistic regime under his leadership. Many of you are right, fascism is an only an election away. From that position Trump can also command donations that will make Pat Robertson, the Family Research Council, Tony Perkins, etc look like pikers. This will allow him to pay off his foreign financing and involvement, and enrich him beyond belief. At the same time it will also undercut Fox TV and other conservative media and blogs by siphoning off their supporters; which I’m sure will please the disgraced Ailes no end. I’m not going to elaborate on the deficiencies of our current governmental and political systems, or the inequities (there are many) it has produced over the years. That is for another essay and other to blog about. Is Ms Hillary Clinton the best candidate possible? No! But, for this election she is the only alternative and is 10,000% better than the less than candid bullshit laden hypocrite I call Trumpty Dumpty. We have a little over 2 months left in this 2016 campaign. Trump and the Republicans not only need to be defeated, they need to be crushed. Their positions, strategies, tactics and unending obstruction to everything not Republican policy, or privatization of public services for the greedy corporations, needs to be repudiated by the voters in the strongest possible terms. The Republican’s primary goal of late has been to enshrine and do the bidding of an elite oligarchy to manage and direct the affairs of us unwashed commoners. It must not happen or be allowed to continue unchallenged. The communist allegory is the bourgeoisie and proletariat, but the end result is the same: The rich and influential are fucking over everyone else and using the Republican Party as their vehicle to accomplish it. They all need to be thrown off the political cliff. Cash ‘em out and ship ’em out to some soon-to-be underwater Pacific island. The Republicans are also the consummate dupes. They have provided Trump with a treasure trove of marks to be endlessly mined for money, promising the world and delivering little or nothing. It’s the ultimate fools errand and, finally, the chickens are coming home to roost. Donald J Trump has no ethics, no morals and no scruples. He has only an infantile need to be continuously satisfied, gratified and make an obscene profit, bilking the public. Keep repeating this mantra up to and past the election. Donald Trump is: UNQUALIFIED INCOMPETENT UNTRUSTWORTHY UNETHICAL UNPRINCIPLED He must never be elected to anything, let alone President of the United States. We, the people, our rights and liberties, and our present form of government will all suffer if he does get elected, now, or in 2020 if we enable him through a bought and paid for media empire. If he quits, he will have laid bare his total selfishness and vacuousness, and that of the Republican Party. They both should be consigned to oblivion, forever, or a much warmer place for eternity if that’s your preference. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) 2016Election DonaldTrump incompetent oblivion PresidentialCampaign Republicans trumpmediaempire Unethical Unprincipled unqualified untrustworthy _1566566 Tue, 06 Sep 2016 17:21:57 +0000 You shall know them by their _________? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/8/10/1558782/-You-shall-know-them-by-their-_________ With the 2nd Amendment comment, Donald Trumps rantings and rhetoric have gone too far and are descending into darkness, from which there is no return. Some food for thought on the current furor. Matthew Chapter 7 is considered the sayings of Jesus. A lot of the verses are very familiar sayings, and appropriate to our current problems. Here are a selected few that describe the current presidential campaign and Donald Trump’s behavior, with my commentary. 1. Judge not that ye be not judged. Too many of us refuse to listen and blindly follow anyone who promises us prosperity or change they can’t, or won’t fulfill. 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out or thine own eye; and then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. Evangelicals, take note. There are none so blind than those that will not see. 6. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample you them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Can we say Trump U, stiffing contractors and bankruptcies. 9. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Promises of jobs, deporting illegals and a GREAT wall. All undeliverable. 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Tax cuts for everyone, especially the rich. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles. You can substitute works or words for fruits. What Trump is selling we definitely shouldn’t be buying . 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat (Peter, Paul & Mary). Donald Trump is definitely a lemon and impossible to take. 26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house on sand. The Donald is not adhering to even basic civility in the campaign and it is crumbling rapidly. 27. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. It’s going to be a stormy three months before the inevitable collapse of Donald Trump and the Republican Party on Nov 8 . Sigh! Read the entire chapter. The wisdom is timeless and entirely appropriate to the current issues we are facing. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) bytheirfruits DonaldTrump houseonsand Lemon matthewchapter7 RepublicanParty _1558782 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 19:30:57 +0000 How Much Are You Worth, Really? Part 1 - A Visual Perspective of Money and Value https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/7/30/1552928/-How-Much-Are-You-Worth-Really-Part-1-A-Visual-Perspective-of-Money-and-Value It’s well known that the underlying central theme of the 2016 Election is income inequality. It’s driving the protests, rally’s and conversations in a myriad of ways. What I want to do here is to quantify the role of money in everyone’s life to illustrate the stark differences between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots and the 99% vs the 1%. No esoteric economics, or tax and monetary policy/history. But I will crunch a lot of numbers, so bear with me. WHAT IS MONEY Money has four basic functions: <ul> <li>It is a medium of exchange.</li> <li>It is a measure of value.</li> <li>It is a standard of comparison.</li> <li>It is a store of quantity.</li> </ul> This essay will focus on the last point, and attempt to quantify income inequalities and provide visual references everyone can relate to. START WITH A STANDARD U.S. PAPER BILL <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Front of a $100 bill" src="http://images.dailykos.com/images/210820/large/New100front.jpg?1455686747" title="Front of a $100 bill"> <figcaption>U.S. $100 Bill</figcaption> </figure> The volume (Wikipedia) of a U.S. paper bill is 6.14” X 2.61” X 0.0043” = 0.0689 CI (Cubic inch using engineering notation ). As the standard of quantity we will use the $100. bill — known as the Benjamin’s. 1.0/0.0689 = 14.5 bills per CI = $1,450. 14.5 X 1760 CI = 25,520 bills per CF, or ~ $2.5 Million. These are our base monetary quantities. The 2015 annual income for the lowest 90% of Americans (per Laura Clawson) is ~$31,000. As an aside: Raising the minimum wage to $15. could increase that amount to ~$40,000. (unverified estimate). <hr> Next, take your standard 12 oz aluminum (Al) beverage can: The one everyone drinks their soda and beer from. (Couldn’t find an image in the DK Image Library). The actual volume is 355 ml or 21.66 CI. 14 .5 X 21.66 =~ 314 X $100. = $31,400. That is the monetary value, in $100. bills that will fit in a standard Al beverage can based on its volume. CONCLUSION: The annual salary of bottom 90% of American’s (in $100. bills) will fit in a single 12 oz Al beverage can. Stifle the fury, it’s going to get worse. Some containers I measured or information was available (size may vary): <ul> <li>Small Lunch Sack = 157 CI = $227,500.</li> <li>Shopping Bag = 1185 CI = $1.7 M.</li> <li>Luggage Carry-on = 2772 CI = $ 4.0 M.</li> <li>Large Suitcase = 4560 CI = $6.6 M.</li> <li>Med Pickup Truck = 35 CF = $87.5 M.</li> <li>Dump Truck = 270 CF = $675 M.</li> <li>10’ Standard Shipping Container = 680 CF = $1.7 B.</li> <li>20’ Standard Shipping Container = 1360 CF = $3.4 B. </li> <li>40’ Standard Shipping Container = 2720 CF = 6.8 B. </li> </ul> There are other containers that can be used to represent other amounts. ENTRY AMOUNT FOR THE TOP 10% Bottom 90% = $31,000. (Mostly cash from salaries) <hr> Estimates are derived from CNN Money, Financial Times and Forbes. As the amounts become larger, more income is from net worth (stocks, bonds, property) rather than salaries. Top 10% = $31,000. 1 Aluminum Can Top 1% = $380,000. 1 Medium Lunch Sack Top 0.1% = $1.7M 1 Shopping Bag Top 0.01% = 9.1M 1 Large Suitcase and 1 Carry-on Top 0.001% = 59.6M Small Pickup Truck Top 0.0001% = 470M Dump Truck Forbes Top 400 = 1.7B 10’ Shipping Container Forbes Top 180 = 3.4B 20’ Shipping Container Forbes Top 70 = 6.8B 40’ Shipping Container And the winner is: (drumroll) Bill Gates @ $76B = 11- 40’ shipping containers. Note: I live about 20 miles away from Mr. Gates and am in the Aluminum Can Class, along with many of my neighbors. Yippee! I’m trying to visualize 11- 40’ shipping containers parked in the driveway of his Medina mansion. Caveat: Mr. Gates has donated a large chunk of his fortune, along with several others in the Forbes top 70, to eradicating poverty, providing medicines and education. Other billionaires, not so much. Since Donald Trump hasn’t revealed his net worth, we can posit that he is in Dump Truck territory at the very least. I just can’t miss an opportunity to trash Trumpty Dumpty. NOW WHAT? So, how do we fight income inequality in today’s polarized political environment? The Bernie Sanders revolution brought to the forefront the issues described by Occupy Wall Street back in 2011 plus some others. How do we continue to push the income inequality issue in such a way that doesn’t unleash the establishment backlash experienced by the OWS protestors? First, we need to get a lot more people petitioning their politicians. For example: 1- 40’ container of $100. bills could give every member of congress $12. 6 million. That’s 2 large suitcases. All they would need to do is back up to the container, load up and drive off. It pays for the campaign and ensures access and fealty of the politicians to the rich donors. How does your puny little Aluminum can of dollars that you can’t afford to give them stand up to that? Monetarily, it can’t. But, remember, most of the people in the Aluminum can class are voters, and they’re the ones that elect the political candidates. It boils down to how you use your voting power and lever it to the advantage of the Aluminum Can Class majority. Standard Political Quote “The first duty of a politician is to get elected, everything else is a splendid redundancy." Politicians need to be terrorized into listening to the voters over the donors. How do we do that? The First Amendment provides for freedom of speech, religion, press and assembly. It also provides the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. And, there are a lot of grievances out there that need to be redressed, but are not because of the influence of money in politics. But, it also doesn’t specify the manner of redress, except that it be peaceful. It doesn’t specify whether the redress be positive or negative. Everyone also has the right to to express themselves, including telegraphing their vote. How do we do that? We need an action plan that can be implemented immediately, that: <ul> <li>Allows for redress of grievances.</li> <li>Provides a visual reminder of the present inequalities.</li> <li>Gets politicians to respond to your vote rather than money.</li> <li>Provides better access to politicians representing you.</li> <li>Starts correcting the income and other inequalities we are experiencing.</li> <li>Elects those that will enact programs that address the inequalities.</li> </ul> When I was researching a book I wrote several years ago, it was evident in the past that when tribes/countries fought, the winner claimed the spoils — treasure, land, population — and the leader(s) of the losers were usually executed. Fortunately, we are largely, but not entirely past those barbaric practices. So, how do we ‘execute’ our politicians politically nowadays? We vote them out of office. We terminate their political careers, and put them out to pasture. Unfortunately, they are a pesky bunch and keep trying to recycle themselves. For the politicians, obscenely rich and power brokers we restrict ‘execution’ to taking away the thing(s) they value the most: power, money, influence. Strip them clean and send them to the end of the line for a do-over. How do we let them know that they’re past their sell date? Hint: What are the euphemisms for terminating someone. We know that Trumpty Dumpty likes to ‘fire’ people. How would you like to ‘execute’ them? How would you like to ‘execute’ the richies and power brokers that have endlessly gamed the financial and other institutions, with government complicity, to their advantage? Turn your imaginations loose. Finally: I would like to propose the lowly, ubiquitous 12 oz Aluminum can as the (visual) symbol of (income) inequality for this election and beyond. More to come. Part 2: Will be out in a few days. I want to include your contributions, comments and ideas in a follow-up diary. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) 100bill aluminumcan bottom90percent forbesrichest400 IncomeInequality shippingcontainer top10percent top1percent _1552928 Sun, 31 Jul 2016 01:52:49 +0000 Ode to Trumpty Dumpty https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/7/17/1549147/-Ode-to-Trumpty-Dumpty Trumpty Dumpty commanded — build a great wall And crowed to the Heavens while standing tall Then he slipped and all watched him fall All the rich REPO’s, wing nuts, lobbyists and freako’s Rushed to his side and were aghast Putting him back together again was long, long past And the Heavens opened with lightning, thunder and rain Trumpty Dumpty began to melt and circle the drain To their horror they discovered — he had no brain Then they too began to melt Realizing the hand they had been dealt Was a trap of monstrous design — everyone else was just fine The last thing they heard before they melted away Was the sound of Trumpty Dumpty’s laughter The Republican Party had been consigned to oblivion forever after rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) DonaldTrump heavens Republicans trumptydumpty _1549147 Sun, 17 Jul 2016 20:07:31 +0000 Protest/Disrupt:Outrage/Violence. Escalating the Presidential Stakes to White Hot Rage https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/5/7/1524371/-Protest-Disrupt-Outrage-Violence-Escalating-the-Presidential-Stakes-to-White-Hot-Rage Bernie Sanders really set everyone off with his comments on Rachel Maddow’s show Friday. Numerous blogs and hundreds of comments have been posted here, and elsewhere, over the meaning of two words: the difference between Protest and Disrupt(ion). To set the parameters of this essay, they are defined as follows (from Merriam/Webster): Protest 1. A solemn declaration of opinion and usually of dissent. 2. The act of objecting or a gesture of disapproval. 3. A complaint, objection, or display of unwillingness to an idea or course of action. 4. An objection made to an official of governing body of a sport. Note: I would include a governing political, jurisdictional, legislative or judicial body. Disrupt 1. To break apart or rupture. 2. To throw into disorder 3: To interrupt to normal course or unity of. Bernie was correct in making that distinction. Protest involves stating opinions (e.g. T-I-C. all Daily Kos bloggers and commenters are idiots — Oops! I guess that would include me); and gestures (raise hand, extend middle finger, smile). No physical contact is involved. Disruption involves intimidation and/or physical contact to create chaos or disorder, could involve physical altercations, and could be a violation of law. However, protest can become disruption in the blink of an eye. As the presidential race progresses and the candidates are identified, opinions and beliefs solidify within their respective constituencies, positions harden and become absolute: We are right, you are wrong; Phffft to those who differ. The closest parallel to what is happening now is the 1964 Presidential election: Lyndon Johnson vs Barry Goldwater. It was conducted at the height of the U-Cal Berkeley protests (Google Mario Savio) and was also at the height of the folk music era. The present campaign could be exemplified by the song Merry Minuet by the Kingston Trio. Verses included: The whole world is festering with unhappy souls — The French hate the Germans — The Germans hate the Poles — — Italians hate Yugoslavs — South Africans hate the Dutch — And I don’t like anybody very much. What you are seeing is a replay of that campaign, the present state of America and its relations with the world: Deja Vu all over again (Yogi Berra). What’s different this time is the presence of the web and blogs. Everyone has an opinion or belief and now has an opportunity to express it in a public forum. What you need to remember is that protests and opinions are like farts: They make a noisy entry, smell bad, and quickly dissipate to nothingness. But, they are now also forever enshrined in the website archives, waiting to be retrieved and distorted. Be careful what you say, you may be quoted for posterity. Sooo! Cool it! Pontificate, opinionate, bloviate and outragify to your heart’s content. If I think you’re full of shit I’ll say so; and you are free to do the same with me. Mostly, I don’t because it’s a waste of time to try to change someone’s deeply held convictions, beliefs and opinions. But, do not threaten, intimidate or assault others solely to disrupt the discussion, rally’s or events. It serves no purpose and only discredits you and the person/candidate/position you’re supporting. Observe the Trump supporters in action. They are a plague and should be avoided in any civil discourse. If they come to power, it is the reputation of America will be the one that suffers in the eyes of world opinion. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) BernieSanders Disrupt Outrage PresidentialRace Protest RachelMaddow Rage Rescued Violence _1524371 Sun, 08 May 2016 05:14:08 +0000 Would the Last Person Leaving the Republican Party Please Turn Out the Lights https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/5/5/1523730/-Would-the-Last-Person-Leaving-the-Republican-Party-Please-Turn-Out-the-Lights Rachel Maddow’s final segment on Thursday was a piece titled ‘Republicans leaving the Party’ quoting prominent politicians and pundits about their reasons for leaving the Party because Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee. For all you old Washington State fossils, this brought back memories of the 1969 Boeing layoff where employment dropped from 101K to 37K in months. Someone put up billboard on I-90 stating: “Would the last person leaving Seattle please turn out the lights.” I think the Republicans are there. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) Boeing RachelMaddow RepublicanParty turnoutthelights _1523730 Fri, 06 May 2016 05:21:16 +0000 Propaganda, the 2016 Presidential Election and Donald Trump https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/3/13/1500766/-Propaganda-the-2016-Presidential-Election-and-Donald-Trump I’ve been reading Daily Kos for several years now but only recently started commenting and writing stories here. One of the things I noticed — or haven’t noticed anyone addressing — is the role that propaganda is playing in the 2016 presidential election campaign, especially Donald Trump’s campaign. Why is nobody on Kos talking about it? Mr. Trump is a master at propaganda, and it is largely propelling his current popularity. So, here is a brief description of the seven (7) types of propaganda and some examples of Mr. Trump’s use of them. 1) Glittering Generalities: Using emotionally appealing words with no basis to evoke a positive response. Trump: “We’re going to build a wall, and Mexico’s going to pay for it.” 2) Bandwagon — aka Euphoria: Join us and help us march to victory and win. Everyone else is doing it. Parades and rallies and marching bands to generate well being and support. Trump: “If I’m elected, everybody will have a job, I guarantee it.” 3) Testimonial: Taking quotes out of context to support or reject an idea or policy, or using well known people to endorse an idea, policy or product. Trump: See the politicians, businessmen and celebrities endorsing him. 4) Name Calling — aka Labelling: Using words to incite fear and prejudices and create a negative opinion; or diminish or discredit a person, class or idea. Trump: “I have many friends who are; Black, Women, Hispanic, Muslim, Disabled.” “Get him/her out of here.” “________ is a pathological liar.” 5) Plain Folks: Making appeals to, or using regular people to convey his message. “I support Trump because _____________!” NOTE: Bernie Sanders uses this technique to his advantage also. 6)Card Stacking: Manipulating information to show its best features. Trump: “I know how to make a deal.” 7) Transfer: Appeals to a persons imagination of something we like or trust. Trump: “Make America Great Again” Repetition: Like advertising, repeat slogans and quotes frequently and often to get the consumer (voter) to purchase “Product Trump.” Or “Product ‘Cruz,’ ‘Rubio,’ ‘Kasich,’ ‘Clinton,’ ‘Sanders.’ ” Add your comment or quote about any of the presidential candidates and identify the type of propaganda you think it is. Or, respond to the poll below. The results could be interesting. rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) 2016Elections 7typesofpropaganda CyberWarfareFooting DonaldTrump PresidentialElection Propaganda _1500766 Mon, 14 Mar 2016 01:27:54 +0000 The American Political Fishbowl https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/3/3/1495463/-The-American-Political-Fishbowl The 2016 election is rapidly deteriorating to a shouting match between the irrelevant. The debates are proving that. I took the following op-art out of mothballs because it is still, after 12 years, representative of our political parties. It was submitted to several newspapers in 2004, but never published. One change: Point MYOB to Point YOYO (You’re On Your Own). It is free to all for reproduction subject to attribution. Enjoy! <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="American_Political_Fishbowl.jpg" class="width-xl" src="http://images.dailykos.com/images/218849/large/American_Political_Fishbowl.jpg?1457049377" title="American_Political_Fishbowl.jpg"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> rss@dailykos.com (Errol Nelson) Democrats fundamuck Republicans _1495463 Fri, 04 Mar 2016 00:47:32 +0000