Saturday, March 23, 2019

NZ Tells NRA to 'Bugger off' - Americans Can Learn a Lesson From That


                                        Good Day World!

Today, I'm hanging my head in shame for the thousands of Americans who have been slaughtered by semi-automatic rifles with no consequences in this country.

I'm particularly angry with the role that the National Rifle Association (NRA) has played in recent decades. They've successfully stifled any safety gun laws from being enacted with their powerful lobby. 
That same NRA has recently stuck it's ugly nose into New Zealand's affairs and claimed it's residents have a right to have assault rifles. 

The response, from former Police Minister Judith Collins was to warn NRA lobbyists trying to interfere in the countries laws; "Bugger off!"

So how was New Zealand, a country of three million with over one million citizens bearing semi-automatic rifles, able to pass legislation so quickly after a white nationalist slaughtered 50 innocent Muslims in their mosques?

One big reason is New Zealand doesn't have the NRA and their politicians don't have to face the wrath of gun industry corporations acting under the guise of the NRA.

New Zealand's government felt empowered to do something to make the country safer, instead of what is least likely to elicit attack ads during the next re-election bid.

The NRA's lobbying power has so warped our conception of what is possible that to us, every instance of meaningful gun reform now seems astonishing.

What New Zealand did was not astonishing. It was a safe, rational, and sane thing to do.

It's really a pity that an organization (currently being investigated for accepting foreign funds (Russia) to help Trump win the 2016 election, has such a sway over our lawmakers.

New Zealand is a teaching moment for our republic. The question is, can we learn from it?

Related: Pew Research Poll Shows Majority of Americans Want Gun Safety Laws Enacted

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Friday, March 22, 2019

This Is Collusion: Trump Give's Embattled Netanyahu a Gift

Good Day World!

Let's set aside Trump's collusion case with Russia for a moment to take a look at another unfolding case of collusion.

This time with Israel's embattled Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Like Trump, Netanyahu is being investigated for corruption and abuse of power.

In three weeks Israel will hold national elections that will either boot him out of power, or will give him another term.

With this in mind, consider yesterday's surprise announcement by Trump that he was overturning a longstanding US policy (52 years) regarding the Israel-occupied Golan Heights.

This comes after a year of lobbying by Israel and some senators like Cruz who was drawing up a plan to legitimize driving the Palestinians out of the Golan Heights, despite the stance taken by the rest of the world.  

But there's more. Netanyahu is scheduled to join Trump at The White House just before April 9th, when his country's elections take place.

Why? It's kind of obvious. Because he wants to double down on getting Trump to formally recognize the Golan Heights as part of Israel prior to the vote. He needs something concrete to win the election. 

Netanyahu's counting on Trump's popularity in Israel to give him the edge it'll take to overcome his shady dealings on election day.

I agree with former US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta who recently said, "...the move raises a lot of concern, and it's difficult to not see this as an attempt to buttress Netanyahu's chances of remaining in power."

As Panetta noted, "It's hard not to put two and two together."

It's also not hard to see where all of this will end. Trump is colluding with another authoritarian leader for mutual benefits. The next question is what is Netanyahu giving Trump? A Trump tower in Jerusalem?

Some habits are just hard to break.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Sideshow Trump Displays Art of the Dodge

Good Day World!

Here's a silly question to ask; Have you ever watched The Simpson's, a popular animated show on TV?

If you have, do you remember Sideshow Bob

He was a self-proclaimed genius, member of the Republican Party (is any of this sounding like someone else you know?), champion of high culture, and Bart Simson's archenemy. 

He was also a former children's entertainer (Trump was an entertainer in The Apprentice appealing to a childlike segment of the country) before turning into a criminal mastermind.

To change the conversation about the upcoming release of Mueller's report, Sideshow Trump put on a series of sideshows to distract Americans recently.

1) Ex-CIA Director Blasts Trump Over 'Temper Tantrums'

2.) Trump Blasts Kellyanne Conway's Husband George Conway: Husband From Hell, Conway says You.Are.Nuts.

3) Trump Using Stalinist Tactics To Discredit Climate Science 

4) Trump's Latest Deranged Rant Divorced From Reality

I could go on and list more examples, but I think you got the point by now.

Trump's recent twitterstorm and public statements are sideshows meant to distract us. To take the focus off his real fear...what the Mueller report is going to reveal.

Until that fateful day arrives we can expect more sideshows from the clown in the Oval Office.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Mueller Report: It Could Be Released Any Day, Week, or Month Now


                                           Good Day World!

I admire Robert Mueller's delaying tactics for releasing the holy grail until it's finished.

It's not been easy. The Washington Post recently filed to unseal the redacted court record's in Mueller's case against Paul Manafort hoping to discover what further charges may be filed in the future.

Mueller's team was supposed to respond to that request tomorrow, but got the Post's lawyers to agree to April 1st instead, by teasing them with a mysterious note that his team was still working on a big project that will soon be over.

Lawyers and pundits have been predicting the release of Mueller's report for well over a year now. But here we are. Still no report. And the drama is increasing hourly.

It sounds like Mueller is stringing the Post along and when he does release the redacted information on the Manafort case it's going to be an April Fool's joke, because it won't reveal anything about the heart of the ongoing investigation.

I think it's safe to say Mueller's report will be coming out any day, week, or month now. Stay tuned.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Poll Show's Trump's Mud-Slinging Strategy Is Working


                                        Good Day World!

One of Trump's favorite ways to deceive the public is his use of repetition.

Some pundits like to describe it as throwing mud (or shit) against a wall and seeing what sticks. This flinging strategy has been apparent since the Mueller investigation began.

What concerns me is that recent polls are showing the public is now evenly divided between calling the investigation a "witch hunt," and a legitimate effort to explain to Americans what happened in the 2016 election.

The same survey shows a nation that remains skeptical of Trump's honesty and deeply divided by his leadership.

According to the USA survey cited above, 52 percent of Americans say they have little or no trust in the president's denials that his 2016 campaign colluded with Moscow in the election that put him in the Oval Office.

This poll's findings will surely set the stage for a ferocious partisan battle when Mueller hands over his report to AG William Barr.

Trump's steady cascade of tweets and public lies show that the longer the investigation goes on, the more it's being discredited by Trump's simple strategy.

It's discouraging to see this obvious tactic gaining traction. I suspect part of the problem is people are tired of waiting for the report to come out. We're not a very patient society.

In the world of instant news, a story that drags on for nearly two years was bound to lose it's luster. 

Especially with all of the other breaking stories of Trump versus the Constitution and the conscience of America.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Monday, March 18, 2019

White Nationalists Find Fertile Ground In USA and Abroad

Good Day World!

Unlike our pathetic racist, idiot-in-chief, who claims White Nationalism isn't a big problem, Americans and the rest of the world knows it is.

After the massacre of Muslim worshippers in Christchurch New Zealand, questions were asked about the role of social media promoting White Nationalism worldwide.  

In America:

The nation has witnessed what's considered one of the largest white supremacy marches in decades when hundreds of neo-Nazi demonstrators gathered in Charlottesville in August of 2017. 

According to recent FBI reports, hate crimes have increased nationally by more than 30 percent over the last three years and by 44 percent in California during the same period.

Related: The Rise of White Nationalism Is Creeping Onto Utah Campuses. What You Need To Know.

Related: Nationalism Is Trending, and Trump Isn't Doing Anything about it 

There's no longer any question that Trump's racist rhetoric is having a devastatingly divisive effect on our society. How could it not when the president of the United States won't call out white nationalists every time they're exposed in the news?

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Sunday, March 17, 2019

'Mr. Bobblehead' Has Trump's Rump

Good Day World!

A Republican lawmaker, who didn't want his name mentioned, recently told a reporter that VP Mike Pence has a nickname on Capitol Hill, "Mr. Bobblehead."

The reason for it is because he's frequently seen alongside Trump enthusiastically bobbing his head in agreement with every word his master utters.

There's two theories about Pence's evolution from a stalwart Christian conservative to a Trump lackey: 
a) Pence has traded his sense of morality for power, or
b) He has somehow persuaded himself that this is consistent with some divine plan.

The bottom line is Pence made the decision to have a constituency of one person. His master Trump. His critics wonder if he stopped believing in the scripture when he began following Trump. 

There's a lot of strange things about Pence but the one that stands out the most is his fear of being alone in a room with a woman (or even eating alone with a female, unless it's his wife), which infuriates top female administration officials.


This curious habit extends to going to events featuring alcohol. 

He won't go unless his wife is by his side. 

I don't know about you, but that sure the hell seems like there's a hidden reason for these actions to me.

No male in modern politics has ever taken the position that they can't be alone with a female, whether at work, or eating.

Pence passes this odd behavior on as a religious choice. I sure would like to know the chapter and verse that proves his strange habit is based on the Bible's teachings.

What we do know about Pence is that he has chosen to show his affection and allegiance to a madman. 

Mr. Bobblehead has Trump's rump - for better or worse.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

It's Time to Pay Up Donnie!

It's looks like there will be some prime real estate going on the market soon in New York City. Convicted rapist and former president ...