Hypocrisy, Duplicity, or Insanity?

Last week the US Congress passed a budget deal that would increase spending by $300 billion dollars over 2 years. Coming after the tax cut plan, this will increase the deficit. At the same time the Trump White House has come up with a new "infrastructure" plan that will among other things allow states to charge tolls on interstate highways, further roll back environment regulations, and sell of the airport in Washington DC. Trump also want to spend $716 billion on defense. Trump and the GOP remain convinced that tax cuts and runaway military spending are the keys to prosperity. More likely, it will run this country right into the ground.

Something Completely Different

For this week's post, instead of the usual gloom and doom, I decided to post something really funny. It seems that Trump went outdoors without his "MAGA" cap and the wind exposed a part of him we don't usually see; his scalp.



This confirms that Trump only has a few patches of hair left. He lets these patches grow long and then he "coifs" them into his unique hair nest.

Strange Case From the UK

Jemma Beale, a 25 year old native of London England, received a 10 year prison sentence for perjury and perverting the course of justice. She claimed to have been raped by 9 men over several years. One of these accusations led to the conviction of a man named Mahad Cassim, who was jailed for seven years. Cassim's conviction was subsequently overturned and that led to the revelation of Beale's lies. It seems that Beale, who is a lesbian, started making up the allegations in order to get sympathy from her partner. Beale also received £11,000 in criminal injuries compensation. It seems that a system like that would create incentives for women to make false allegations of rape.

Times Up for Me too

If we consider the history of political movements they usually fall apart when they get taken over by a nutter fringe. It seems there was something problematic about the name Me too which has always meant either mindless conformity or herd Instinct. THE so called movement has turned into a parade of privileged white women. Like we're supposed to care that Michelle Williams didn't get to make an additional million dollars. Then there's Natalie Portman about how she felt violated by getting a dirty letter in the mail. The funny thing is that Portman's net worth is believed to be $60 million. For that kind of money I'd accept a dirty letter once in a while.

The MeToo movement has turned into a shit storm, a distraction that only appeals to a public that has grown jaded on a steady diet of scandal and sleaze. If it were a tv show it would have jumped the shark. The real struggle is the fight against racism, militarism, and plutocracy. It's not about narcissistic celebrities pretending to be activists.

Trump Jumps Down the Hole

Trump referred to African countries as a "shithole." Unfortunate, because sub-Saharan Africa is one of the few regions of the world where the US is still well liked. He wants more immigration from countries like Norway. Let's leave aside the question of why Norwegians aren't coming to the US. Trump is a toxic combination of ignorance, arrogance, and cynicism. Charles Blow writing in the New York Times

"It is the belief that even the least qualified man is a better choice than the most qualified woman and a belief that the most vile, anti-intellectual, scandal-plagued simpleton of a white man is sufficient to follow in the presidential footsteps of the best educated, most eloquent, most affable black man.

In an interview in Deadspin Ta-Nehisi Coates points out that slavery persisted in the Northern states as well, and that that impacted how northern whites saw Black people.

American politics have always been about identity.

Making America White Again

The Trump admin. will end the protected status of 200,000 Salvadorans living in the US. This after they ended the protection of 45,000 Haitians and 2,500 Nicaraguans. The pattern is clear. The Trump administration is trying to remove refugees from the US. Its motives can only be explained by racism.

Conservative Shorts In A Knot

The strange thing about the Trump presidency is that anybody with eyes should have known that Trump himself was a swindler, a liar, and a sleazeball. It was difficult for Conservatives, especially those who claim to uphold some cultural or intellectual tradition, to accept Trump. Judging from the tone of conservative media, they are only united by their hatred of "liberals." Conservative media outlets have lately taken to attacking not only special counsel Robert Muller, but the FBI and the Department of Justice. Odd when you consider that conservatives are supposed to be great supporters of law enforcement.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the Putin regime did tamper with the US elections of 2016. If so, this was an attack on American sovereignty on the same level as Pearl Harbor or 9/11/2001. The question for conservatives will then be, how much will the give up to become "Full Trumpers."