Saturday, May 18, 2019

On The Brink of War: 'What We have Here, is Failure to Communicate'

Good Day World!

"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard." - Anne Spencer

I've been reading articles for the last two days researching what's happening between the U.S. and Iran, and why the two nations are nearing a conflict no one wants.

It's scarily simple; a lack of communication. Yes, it's that mundane.

Iran has watched as the U.S. sent a carrier group and heavy duty bombers to their area, threatening to kick their ass big time if any American troops are attacked by Iran or their proxies because of a rumor.

Meanwhile, Iran saw this buildup in military power as a threat and began taking actions to defend itself.

What started the whole thing anyway?

Again, it's very simple, and could have been avoided by communicating. 

Rumors began circulating that Iran was arming it's attack boats with missiles and were planning to attack American troops in Iraq and Syria, despite skepticism on the part of our European allies.

If the Trump regime hadn't gone after Iran like a honey badger the moment he slunk into office, there's a good chance communication would have avoided any sudden military buildups.

It's no surprise the Iranian regime refuses to communicate with the Trump regime now. They don't trust him. The orange ape's lack of a transparent foreign policy has rattled nations across the planet.

The result of this failure is playing out right now. Both sides are struggling not to go to war. Trump has said he doesn't want one. The Iranians said they don't want one.

But, there's wheels in motion on both sides preparing for one.

Which brings me to another worrisome example of lack of communication: Congress has been held in the dark over the whole foreign policy mess. 
Members are getting briefed next week on Iran. Apparently, there's no hurry for what could be a worldwide crisis.

Going forward, we're going to have to hope cooler heads do prevail, and that someday a line of communication between the two rivals will be established with diplomacy.

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

Friday, May 17, 2019

Why Are There So Many Democratic Candidates for President?


                                         Good Day World!

"Coffee is a language in itself." - Jackie Chan 

Cruising on my morning coffee fix is not a good time for math. As I slowly woke up with the help of my java fix, I wondered how many Democrats were running for president? 

I was aware that there were more candidates than I have fingers and toes. But the numbers keep increasing. At last count (yesterday) New York mayor Bill de Blasio threw his hat in the ring bringing the total number of hopefuls to 23.

Observation: de Blasio starts right off with negative polling numbers, unlike the rest of the pack. New Yorkers don't even like him, according to this article.

I'm trying to wrap my head around that number. Twenty-three contestants. I believe it's a record, for better, or worse. But why do so many people think it's time to run for president?

Pundits say there are a lot of Trump haters out there among the majority of potential voters, so running an anti-Trump campaign has become a central feature. 

A purely speculative reason for that is everyone thinks that if a moron like Trump could get elected the chances that they could were good.

What I question is who really thinks candidates like Marianne Williamson, or Andrew Yang, are serious contenders? Most Americans have never heard of them.

Note to Democrats: More is not better, if there's no quality in the selection.

In my humble opinion, there only a half dozen viable contenders, and Joe Biden leads them all. It's obvious in the pollings. The majority of the hopefuls aren't on anyone's national radar.

Another possibility, and you can take this one tongue-in-cheek, is that it gives all the wannabes a chance at a book deal!

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

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Ssssshh...What's That Sound? There's Talk Of War Going Around


                                            Good Day World!

"When life gives you lemons, trade them for coffee." Anonymous

While enjoying my first cup of coffee this morning a troubling feeling of deja vu harshed my morning high.

Quick history: President Bush started a war with Iraq based upon false information to get the attention of the nation.

Fast forward: It's really feeling like history is going to repeat itself, but with Iran as the new target. Here's why...

Senators Demand Answers From Trump Administration on Iran Threat 

Trump's Potential War With Iran Is All Bolton's Doing. But It Might Also be His undoing.

State Department Orders Non-Emergency Personnel To Leave Iraq Posts

I really don't have anything to add to the obvious comparison above other than a song from the 60's that's still relevant today by Buffalo Springfield - "Stop children! What's That Sound?"

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

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Our Democracy is on Life Support

Good Day World!

"Do you know how helpless you feel if you have a full cup of coffee in your hand and you start to sneeze?" - Jean Kerr

It only took two cups of coffee this morning to realize the die has been cast.

The fat lady is singing. The inevitable has arrived. No more pretenses.

It's Trump vs the rule of law in America.

Congress has been crippled because Trump has decided to ignore all the subpoenas and requests from four House  committees.

Trump's minions are actively fighting 29 investigations by taking a blanket approach featuring false claims of "executive privilege," and a long haul tactic that's playing out in the courts with the intention of blocking everything against him until 2020, or beyond.

Trump's goal of gathering his power has been aided by a cowardly GOP-held senate who have been reluctant to defend our democracy out of fear of Donny's wrath.

The days of America as a beacon of democracy are skidding to an embarrassing halt. Trump's love of dictators is a direct assault against everything democracy represents.

After just 29 months in power Trump has managed to mangle ethics and values in repeated attempts of open defiance of all our rules of law, and a civilized society.

Right now democracy is on life support, with little hope of change until the 2020 elections.

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

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Trump's Bigly Day: His Mini-Me Was Here From Hungry

Good Day World!

"The most dangerous drinking game is seeing how long I can go without coffee."-Anonymous

Thanks to already having had two cups of CBD coffee yesterday morning, I was able to calmly watch Trump and Turkey's authoritarian leader (he goes for the tough guys) Viktor Orban, hug in front of the White House.

Related: Americans Seeing Double As Hungary's Viktor Orban Visit Trump at the White House

An old news reel came to mind of Hitler and Mussolini hugging while watching a military parade. But, I digress.

It was a bigly day for Donny. He got to take the Hungarian strongman to his Romper Room (formerly referred to as the Oval Office) so they could pose for photos and compare their mutually xenophobic stances.

They got to talk about how Orban was one of the first European leaders to support Trump's campaign for the presidency.

When comparing credentials, both bragged about barriers they were putting up to keep immigrants from crossing their borders. The conversation got a little "snitty" at one point when Trump bragged his wall was way bigger than Orban's barriers.

However, Trump's joy at seeing Orban carried the day. Orban, who was an early supporter of Europe's ring-wing populist movement, was in lock-step with Trump when it came to how to rule a country in further conversations.

Observation: Seeing Trump and Orban side-by-side, I came to the conclusion that if there's ever a real actor re-enactment of Despicable Me, the popular animated move, these two leaders would be typecast.

Meanwhile...

Democrats and Republicans weren't thrilled with Trump's company (another member of the world dictator's club). Some even grumbled out loud when reminded that neither Obama, or Bush, would talk with the asshole.

Both presidents were concerned about the steps Orban took to consolidate power and block independent media. So it's not a stretch to see another reason why Donny adores Orban - their mutual hatred of a free press.

No doubt Donny went to bed last night with visions of an unholy alliance with every strongman/dictator in the world, while listening to the soothing sounds of jackboots goose stepping in his own 4th of July parade.

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

Monday, May 13, 2019

America: A Nation in Need of Compromise To Communicate

Good Day World!

"Good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep afterward."-Anonymous

I'm opening this morning's topic after stimulating my brain with some good brew...

Have We Forgotten How To Communicate? 

Back in the dawn of time when mankind gathered in groups for protection, communication was limited to sign language and rudimentary conversations that were limited to expressive grunts.

Then human beings become more advanced and came up with complex languages. From the very beginning, it was a given that compromise made both sides happy. 

Fast forward...

Observation: It's obvious Americans have forgotten how to communicate by compromising with one another for a greater cause.

Example: Look at our lawmakers. We're on the edge of a constitutional crisis with a president who thinks he's a monarch.

Trump's contempt for our democracy/government is now on full display, completely stonewalling Congressional oversight (27 cases thus far) by claiming powers he doesn't have in the Constitution. Compromise is not in Trump's limited vocabulary.

Back to our lawmakers, especially the Republican senators who are enabling Trump. They've decided to drink the Kool aid with him, despite the damage it's causing to our government's ability to use Constitutional checks and balances to counter corruption in the executive branch.

T
he GOP party of Trump puppets on Capitol Hill hope his base will get them re-elected so there's no need to compromise.

The American public is no better. Actual meaningful communication is shunted aside for tribalism at the expense of further dividing Americans.

Once practiced by enlightened societies, compromise has become an albatross in the 21st century. It's meaning lost to partisan puppets seeking to stay in office.

Without some form of compromise there can be no real communication. How, and when, did we lose that ability? Not being an historian, I can't say ...but we lost it somewhere along the way.

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

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Trump To Toss Traditional 4th of July Celebration To Make it a Campaign Rally

Good Day World!

"I wake up some mornings and sit and have my coffee and look out at the beautiful garden, and I go 'Remember how good this is. Because you can lose it.' -Unknown 

It's a cannabis coffee day because I need to remain calm after reading the news; "Trump Takes Over 4th of July Celebration, Changing Location and Inserting Himself Into It" 

The Great Divider is once again burnishing his alt-right credentials by shit-canning American traditions and turning the patriotic holiday into a fascist parade for Herr Trump.

Ever since the orange ape's trip to France, where he saw a large military parade go by a reviewing stand, he's been enamored with the idea of having his own parade to celebrate his takeover over of America's democracy, decency, and basic values.

Trump's new event - no longer just the 4th of July - is being called "A Salute To America."

I can see that. 

White Supremacists, KKK members, and the unhinged segment of the Trump base, will all line the streets and hail Trump with a Nazi salute.

Trump himself will be standing at a reviewing tower with re-elect Trump banners plastered all over it. The bands will be playing "Dixie" and a Civil War re-enactor dressed up like Southern general, Robert E. Lee, will lead the parade.

When it comes time for Trump to make his bigly speech, we can count on it dividing Americans - not uniting them. He'll refer to himself as "your favorite president" while doing his best to crush the Constitution and create further chaos in our government.

Trump's specialty is dividing Americans.

He's shown that skill by politicizing our sports, from football to baseball. Nothing has been immune to Trump's toxic tongue as he turns the country into an ideological battleground featuring the fringe elements in society vs the rest of us.

I plan on celebrating 4th of July this year in a Trump Free Zone.

My house.

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

Universal Music Power

In a delightful description of the power of music William Congreve wrote "Music hath charms to sooth a savage beast..." in his 16...