Federal Judges and the President...

 Now that the President is in office and his Cabinet in place for the most part, he has begun the work of delivering on his campaign promises. He is clearly making an earnest effort to do what he said he was going to do. What he said he was going to do is the reason he won the election, in profound ways, I might add. But, as was to be expected, in a bipartisan system of government there is going to be those who are opposed to practically any executive action. You know, as Mark Twain once said, "You can please some of the people some of the time but you can't please all of the people all of the time." That's all fine and good, and as it should be. It's why it's called democracy, while allowing for debate the majority rules. Winning an election doesn't give the president free rein to any type of autocracy. Another wonder of a constitutional democracy, checks and balances and separation of powers. 

However, I think the framework of the system of checks and balances has gotten a little out of whack, with the whimsical, partisan input of federal judges when they personally (and I mean that word literally...) take offense to a particular executive action. Let's take the U.S. Agency of International Development (USAID) controversy as an example. This is a case of executive control over government priorities and spending. There is an element of constitutional interpretation involved that goes back to John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson and has been affirmed in Supreme Court jurisprudence as practically unconditional. There are a few exceptions, such as the power of Congress to declare war, the power of the Senate to ratify treaties, and the requirement of Senate consent before diplomats may take their posts. There are numerous cases where congress may compel the president to operate bureaucracies and spend public funds but in general, foreign affairs is not one of them. USAID was established by president Kennedy in 1961. The original charter of USAID was quite progressive in nature, very well-meaning but also very vague, and in the long term very short on American interests. 

Last Friday, Judge Carl Nichols of the Federal District Court in Washington DC, temporarily paused Trump's directives placing about 2,700 USAID employees on administrative leave and evacuating them from their host countries on an expedited basis. The objections were raised by employee unions. Nichols rejected the union's objections to stopping new spending after being informed that the administration was not blocking spending for obligations already in progress. Judge Nichol's concern was whether there would be irreparable harm resulting from the abrupt manner in which employees have been cut off from USAID information systems and directed to evacuate. It is not the role of any judge to rule on potential illegalities. 

FULL STOP. This is clearly, even to the most casual observer, well into the realm of foreign diplomacy. A US Federal District Court judge has no damn business issuing orders, of any type to a US president on any matters that involve foreign diplomacy. This role was relegated to Congress and having a law degree is not required to comprehend that. Federal judges who take it upon themselves to inject their (almost always) liberal bias into executive action should also take it upon themselves to stop trying to usurp the role of the United States Congress. I can assure you the framers of our constitution did not intend for small-minded, biased judges to force their opinions on the executive branch. 

Judge Nichols and Judge Engelmeyer, stick to your dockets and leave governing the country to those we, the American peopled elected to do so. Had we wanted you to make these decisions we would have elected you to the office of president. We did not do that. 

#USAID.  #Trump.  #JudgeCarlNichols  #JudgeEngelmeyer

Senate Democrats. Jerks, Idiots, or both?...

When I started this blog almost fifteen years ago, I was determined to discuss important topics with a tone of objectivity, intellectualism, and rationality. I still am. But, there are some topics, and a few individuals that really stir my passions and as we say in America 'get my goat'. It's really difficult to restrain my self from saying what I really want to say at times. One such topic has come up that I want to talk about. I'll do my best to stick to my goals of civility but please bear in mind my only real boundaries are my first amendment rights of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. 

Today, Senate Democrats decided to 'take a stand' against President Trump's nominee for Director of the FBI. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats moved to delay a procedural requirement in the confirmation of Kash Patel as FBI Director. They took advantage of committee rules to delay the confirmation vote for a week. According to Senator Dick Durbin, "The appointment of the head of the FBI is one of the most serious that the Senate Judiciary Committee should consider. We decided 50 years ago to de-politicize the FBI by giving ten year tenures to those who headed up the FBI to transcend any single president." 

I'm a bit surprised that this level of hypocrisy didn't spark an alert from the Earthquake Notification Service that the San Andreas Fault shifted about a foot today. "We" decided 50 years ago to de-politicize the FBI? Who in the hell exactly is "we", Dick? And where exactly have you been for the past four years, Dick? Where were you when the FBI was directed to conduct operation 'Crossfire Hurricane'? You know, the one that alleged that Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. Where were you when the FBI was directed to pressure social media platforms to censor stories concerning Hunter Biden's laptop? Where were you when FBI field offices were circulating a memo tagging traditional Catholics as domestic terrorists? Where were you when Attorney General Merrick Garland gave the directive to target parents at school board meetings who voiced discontent with certain policies? One more, if I may. Where were you when the FBI was directed to raid Mar-a-Lago to bolster Jack Smith's lunatic 'classified documents case'? I suppose it doesn't really matter where you were when all the above happened, but wherever it was you sure as hell weren't paying any damn attention to what was going on. "We decided 50 years ago...". What an arrogant and stupid thing to say. 50 years ago you were a pimple-faced illiterate barely-out-of-college kid probably wasting someone's scholarship money. Your colossal gall won't get much attention unfortunately because such is what we have come to expect from Democrats of late. Kind of like the 'New Norm'. You obviously didn't get the memo from November 5, 2024 Dickie. The New Norm is no more. America is tired of the Democrat's New Norm. Like DEI, it's gone. As you should be, as well...

#dickdurbin.  #kashpatel.  #fbidirectorconfirmation. #dumbdemocrats

The Tragic DC Air Crash, a Little History...

 The crash that occurred last night between an American Airlines regional jet and a military Blackhawk helicopter that claimed 67 lives was extraordinarily horrendous. Unthinkable. The cause, of course, yet to be determined. The president and his co-leaders wasted no time in beginning the investigations into the possible causes with the intent to do whatever needed to be done to ensure such never happened again. 'Never' might be a little optimistic but they're doing all that can be done. Trump, as he is so inclined to do threw in a cup of criticism of policies of the last administration regarding hiring policies, specifically structured around the tenets of DEI. I'm not implying that the criticism wasn't well-deserved, but there is a time and a place for everything. 

Something interesting I happened to read that I believe is worth noting. A number of years ago, the Obama administration summarily rejected 1000 candidates from the Collegiate Training Initative Program. This was a program designed to provide a pathway to a career in air traffic control and to ensure the future ATC's had the skills and knowledge to perform the job. These 1,000 candidates studied, took the exams and passed with flying colors. The administration's excuse was that the pool of applicants weren't diverse enough. Instead of hiring candidates with the most competency, individuals were elevated for hiring consideration based on their race. They were no longer considered for the position of air traffic controller based on their skin color. Which happened to be white in many cases. 

Trump has recently sign an executive order prioritizing safety over diversity, equity and inclusion. This EO included the deletion of DEI from the operations of the FAA. ATC's will be hired on the basis of merit and merit alone. Skin color will not be a factor. It also requires that the FAA administrator to review the past performance and performance standards of all FAA employees in critical safety positions and make clear that any individual who fails to demonstrate adequate capability is replaced by someone who can and will ensure American's flight safety and efficiency. If you're a proponent and believer in DEI, now might be a good time to keep your mouth shut...

It's not Really Inflation, It's Just a Hangover...

 I don't think any normal, rational person thinks of themself as stupid. Sure, we all do stupid things at times and realize that we have done so. But rarely, if ever, do we think of ourselves as 'stupid'. I mean, stupid is foolish, senseless, a slow-witted doofus, on a continuous basis. No one thinks of themselves in this way, it's just human nature. Even if one is indeed, stupid. There are a multitude of factors that can account for being stupid, such as lack of education, culture, environment, influences early in life, genetics, and so on. However, there is another explanation for stupid. One that I think most have not thought of. Biases, prejudices, intolerances, narrow-mindedness, bigotry, inability to be objective, enmity for whatever reason. These 'states of mind', though state of mind tends to be ephemeral and these conditions tend to be somewhat permanent, often form the framework of a person's thinking and behavior. And the thinking and behavior that comes from these characteristics isn't usually objective and rational. And, more often than not it enters the realm of foolish and senseless, hence, stupid. 

Let me give an example. A president, at a time that a pandemic disease was spreading around the globe, shuttering businesses, schools, and institutions, causing millions to lose their jobs and livelihoods decides to begin to disburse funds to individuals and businesses to help them endure unprecedented hardships. Government funds, checks in the mail to enable them to weather the storm. Not just billions but trillions. I mean, who doesn't like getting a check in the mail, especially if it's 'free money'. Prop up the masses until times are better. Fair enough. 

Here's another. It's no secret that millions are struggling with student loan debt and have been for years. Part of the American Dream is to go to college and prepare oneself to get a good paying white collar job. After a few years, since you now have that good paying job you pay back the student loan. The crash-landing called reality was not everyone got a good paying job. Degrees, even advanced degrees in philosophy, don't often lead to high paying jobs. In fact, they often don't even lead to a job at all. So this overly compassionate president decrees that this burdensome student loan debt shall be forgiven. Erased from the books, like it never happened. So in many cases very expensive educations suddenly became 'free'. Hundreds of billions of dollars given away for free. What could possibly be more altruistic and magnanimous than forgiving debts, and giving money to people who had lost their jobs. It's exactly what one would expect from a great leader, right? Right?

Life is not that simple and easy, except for the simple-minded. We've all heard it and we all know it, nothing is free. There is no free lunch. And when the government is involved, absolutely nothing is free. A stark fact is the government does not generate income. It cannot generate wealth of any kind. It is incapable of producing anything of value. It collects taxes and fees from the working populace and distributes that money in myriad places. If the government gives out 'free money', it's not actually free, it's coming from another source. And 99 times out of 100 that 'source is the American taxpayer. Now here's the really bad news, when the government spends large sums of money for whatever reason it has a negative effect on the economy in the form of inflation. AKA, rapidly rising prices for goods and services. The government is in effect flooding the economy with dollars which has the effect or reducing the value of the dollar, causing inflation. 

All that presidential magnanimity came at a price. Kind of like a drunken binge. It seemed to be so much fun at the time but the next day was hell-to pay. I'm doubting that many would argue that one of the definitions of inflation is 'hell-to-pay'. So, back to the original premise, was that president, compassionate, prescient and forward thinking? Or perhaps foolish and short-sighted, maybe even self-serving. Were the stimulus checks and forgiven loans really good for the people and the country, or was it all just a forbearance to the pain of the present situation? Hangovers are hell...

Goodbye Jim Acosta, and good riddance...

 Jim Acosta, the embattled and controversial CNN anchor announced Tuesday that he is leaving the network after 18 years. CNN offered Acosta a demotion to a middle-of-the-night time slot when practically no one is watching TV and those that are certainly aren't watching CNN News. "I have decided to move on," said Acosta. 

Acosta distinguished himself as the Anti-Trump icon during the President's first term. "I have always believed it's the job of the press to hold power accountable. I have always tried to do that here at CNN. One final message, don't give in to the lies. Don't give in to the fear. Hold onto the truth, and to hope." Such eloquent articulation coming from a douchebag 'reporter' who thought himself to be a qualified political commentator. Like so many liberals, Acosta was unable to control his disdain for people and ideology that he didn't agree with. His job was to report, not opine, but he never seemed to get that. 

Just another liberal terminally ill with Trump Derangement Syndrome. Only Acosta, by fate or fortune found himself in a position to take advantage of any and all opportunities to increase his own public profile. As a reporter, he never actually provided any useful information to the public. One of his publicity stunts was in a 2018 press conference he sparred with White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders over Trump calling the press the "enemy of the people." Acosta said he thought it would be a good thing if Trump would disavow the comment because "I think we deserve that, " before he got up and left the room. He later claimed that leaving the room was an act of protest. Probably his most infamous moment came in a press conference that same year when he was arguing with Trump and refused to give up the microphone. He pushed aside the arm of a female aide, and the White House promptly revoked his press pass. A court restored his credentials in response to a lawsuit from CNN. 

Acosta, absent the ability or intelligence to execute the job of a reporter, and now absent employment will fade away from the profession of journalism. A job best handled by earnest and capable people. Acosta will undoubtedly join the group of misdirected, twisted liberal idealists who washed up on the deserted shores of politics where no one is around to give a crap.

I Used to Be a Conspiracy Theorist...

 Now it appears, that isn't so anymore. Because there is evidence and some who knew the truth from the beginning are talking now. The Coronavirus was not a natural pathogen. Its origin is none other than a Chinese laboratory. In Wuhan. The CIA released an updated assessment indicating such. The Department of Energy and the FBI also have information that supports the lab-leak postulate. 

Remember back to late 2019 into 2020 the discourse about Covid-19 being a product of 'gain of function' research in the Wuhan virology lab, and was accidentally leaked from the lab? At the head of the camp to dismiss that theory was the unyielding argument posed by a Dr. Anthony Fauci. I think it's worth noting that Dr. Fauci recently was the beneficiary of a presidential pardon from Joe Biden. It wasn't stated that the pardon was for any particular grievance, however, I think it's becoming quite clear to even the most casual observer why he may be in need of one in the future. Fauci was responsible for some NIH funds there were channeled to Wuhan to study gain of function of the SARS-Cov2 virus. Gain of function means the transmissibility of a pathogen of a virus normally only found in animals to humans. It has not been proven conclusively that Covid was leaked from the lab but there are clues emerging that such was the case. 

What has been proven is the significant efforts that have been made to conceal and cover up information concerning the chain of events. An unnamed whistleblower described by House Republicans as a "highly credible senior level CIA officer" alleged that some of his colleagues that were of the opinion that a lab-leak was likely were offered a "significant monetary incentive to change their opinion." An 'omerta' of sorts emerged in the scientific community to mislead investigators. 

As of April 2024, over 7 million people have died as a result of the outbreak of the coronavirus. Countless millions have had their lives upended, lost jobs and livelihoods. Infirmities resulting from the effects of the disease. The fallout effects in the U.S. education system from school closings and remote learning have been disastrous. Thousands of U.S. military and government employees were laid off for refusing the Covid vaccine. The same fate was met by countless people in the private sector as well. Firearm sales surged during the early months of the pandemic as Americans feared an outbreak of violent lawlessness as a result of the social upheavals that were occurring. Beginning with the death of George Floyd, the summer of 2020 resulted in 19 deaths attributed to protests in multiple cities. Then began the irresponsible and excessive government spending which, as we know, was attributable to the runaway inflation we are and will be dealing with for some time to come. 

It was a global travesty. There have been colossal coverups and lies, and there will continue to be. Once history has been written, it cannot be unwritten. All who were complicit in this Cyclopean racket will do anything to ensure their name doesn't appear in the history books... But what is certain to be included in the annals of history is the baseless pardon handed out by Joe Biden to his chief medical adviser, Tony Fauci...

It's over , it's finally over

It's over, it's been nigh a year now that all the calamity has been going on. By calamity I mean the brouhaha of the election.  The campaign, the speeches, the mudslinging, the denigration and disparagement of each party toward the other. In November, it all came to a crescendo, then it ended. The American voters spoke loudly and clearly at the ballot box and the Democrats were shell-shocked (comatose even) at what they had to say. After all the ballots were counted and certified, the American political landscape went silent, like crickets on a midsummer night. There was disbelief, then denial. But there was no going back. It was done. 

What Trump had to endure and overcome to reach this triumphant victory is nothing short of remarkable. Four 'lawfare' suits staged by liberal, Soros funded DA's in an attempt to keep him from running for and winning the office of president. This doesn't include the state of Colorado excluding him from the ballot until ordered by the US Supreme Court to put it back on the ballot. Here's a summary of the lawfare cases:

• On March 30,2023, Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in NY City on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. On May 30 a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts. In January 2025 he was sentenced to 'unconditional discharge'. Which is essentially no imprisonment, no fine and no probation. 
• On June 8, 2023, Trump and his aide Waltine Nauta were indicted as well as an additional defendant, Carlos deOliveira with 32 counts of willfully retaining national defense information, obstruction of justice, interfering with a federal investigation and making false statements. On July 15, 2024, Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the indictment, ruling that Special Counsel Jack Smith, was improperly appointed and funded. 
• On August 1, 2023, Trump was indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington DC for corruptly obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and conspiracy against rights. The original trial date was vacated by Judge Chutkan, while the Supreme Court heard Trump's immunity claim. The Supreme Court sided with Trump. 
• On August 14, 2023 Trump, along with 18 co-defendants were indicted by a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia on, 1 count of racketeering violating the Georgia RICO Act, 6 counts of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, and a very long list of other violations and grievances. The Fulton County DA and a special prosecutors appointed to assist, Nathan Wade were both removed from counsel due to an improper relationship. Evidently, when not in court they were unable to refrain from excessive fornication. 

In addition to the frivolous, baseless lawsuits instigated by political opponents designed to keep Trump from running for office, there were three attempts on his life. Obviously and fortunately, none of the assassination attempts were successful. Of the lawfare suits, other than a derisive verdict by a vapid, biased New York judge, nothing of consequence resulted. That is, nothing other than winning the presidency. All of these attempts to prevent Trump from running for  office by liberals, whether wielding a gun or a gavel failed. The idealism and agenda of the Democratic Party failed. The democrats are akin to the NFL team that finished the season in last place without winning a single game. What to do? Fire the coach, take a long vacation then reconvene and think about it. 

That brings us to January 20, 2025. A few hours (maybe less than that...) before the inauguration ceremony the incumbent president surreptitiously went berserk with his power of pardon. Only this time it wasn't convicted criminals (like his son), it was yet-to-be convicted criminals. Family members, all who conceivably profited from the influence peddling with the Chinese Communist Party members. Evidently corruption was a family affair. The estimated total swindled, coerced or begged from the communists, $27,000,000. I'm willing to bet the Chinese are really miffed, 'we paid all that for influence, now we have nothing to show for it?' That 'influence evaporated like water in Death Valley. 

The good news is, it's over. The lying, the deception, the cover-ups, the turnstiles at the border, the battery-operated car mandates, massive government spending, runaway inflation, it's over. Not expecting puppy dogs and rainbows but the rainstorms of stupidity are over. If Trump can deliver on nothing else but the promise of governance with common sense, then we're going to be better off...

A new Presidential Cabinet? Yes, please, thank you.

If you have been watching the confirmation hearings of Trump's cabinet nominees, you have no doubt noticed the extreme partisan nature of the questioning. Conservative members of Congress seem to be able to see the value and qualifications in each nominee while the Democratic  senators do not. Let's not deliberate on that, let Congress carry out it's due diligence. However, let's do take a look at President Biden's cabinet members so we can maintain a clear perspective. 

Janet Yellen, the Secretary of the Treasury said "Inflation is only  transitory." Of course it is... Secretary off Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas famously stated "the border is secure." Of course it is... Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg blurted out, "what, me worry?" Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin went AWOL for 'medical reasons' and even his boss Pres. Biden wasn't aware of where he was or why. Warehouse forklift operators tend to be more responsible than this. Miguel Cardona has been called the worst secretary in the history of the department of education. Cardona once quoted Ronald Reagan's famous quip "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." Obviously Cardona was unaware that Reagan called these the nine most terrifying words in the English language. 

With a track record like the above, how could Biden top that. With Antony Blinken, that's how. Biden probably thought he was getting the next Henry Kissinger and what he actually got was another Groucho Marx (no offense, Groucho.) Blinken showed up at a bar in Ukraine last May and played Neil Young's "Rocking in the Free World". Unfortunately, no one in the bar or anywhere else in the world was impressed. New York Magazine said "Antony Blinken sucks at the guitar and should stop playing." Turns out, he was bad at diplomacy too. He won't be doing that anymore either...

Blinken has been in government since 1994 beginning in the Clinton administration. His brief period out of government was 2017 to 2019 when he was managing director of the Penn Biden Center, the site where classified documents were discovered in 2022. During the time when Blinken was in charge at the Biden Center, contributions from China tripled from $24 million to $77 million. Really, hmmm... Given the Biden's propensity for enriching themselves through the generosity of the Chinese Communist Party, it's fair to question if that's where some of Blinken's $10million net worth came from. In 2020, Blinken characterized Hunter Biden's laptop from hell as "Russian disinformation." He also helped Barry Obama devise and negotiate the ill-fated Iran nuclear deal. 

His relationship, at times has seemed a bit cozy with the ayatollahs and mullahs of Iran. Blinken actually made the claim when Trump killed Qasem Soleimani "it left us less safe." Blinken had the audacity to boast that, during his leadership of the State Department progress was made on the integration and normalization of the Middle East, including between Saudi Arabia and Israel. To even the most casual observer nothing of the sort ever happened. Not even close. Since 2021 Blinken and the State Department has been invested in creating a Palestinian State. In his last major speech as Secretary of State Blinken blamed Israel for having 'systematically undermined the capacity and legitimacy of the only viable alternative to Hamas: the Palestinian Authority. Unforgivable. 

See any comparatives to the Trump array of Cabinet nominees? I don't...

There's Artificial Intelligence, but that's not all there is to it...

 In a previous post I talked of Artificial Intelligence, or AI. A principle point I was attempting to make was that that at the root of AI was the same thing that is found at the root of all computer capability, code. Everything a computer does and is capable of doing is based on code. Code is simply written computer instructions. That may be a bit oversimplified but in essence it's true. For the technological level of computing available to most businesses and individuals today, that is the status quo. Every application, every program, every operating system, is based on and functions with computer code. It matters not if the chip is AMD, Nvidia, Intel, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments..., they are nothing more than silicon and plastic without the aid and support of computer code. 

However, things are changing. Though still in the incipient stages, there is a new age of computing technology in the lab as we speak. It's called quantum computing. Arguably, it's a 'quantum' leap ahead of present computing technology (pun intended). The amalgamation of quantum computing with artificial intelligence is akin to finding a new inhabitable planet in the universe. There are 'breakthroughs in technology' but those words don't even begin to describe this one. 

Enough pie in the sky, let's start at the beginning and break this down. What exactly is quantum computing? According to IBM, quantum computing is "an emergent field of cutting-edge computer science harnessing the unique qualities of quantum mechanics to solve problems beyond the ability of even the most powerful classical computers." The field of quantum computing contains a range of disciplines, including quantum hardware and quantum algorithms. Still very much in the development phase, quantum technology will soon be able to solve complex problems that the supercomputers of today can't solve, or can't solve fast enough. By taking advantage of quantum physics, fully realized quantum computers will be able to process immensely complicated problems orders of magnitude faster than modern machines of today. To add some perspective, quantum computers may be able to solve challenges in a matter of minutes what might take a classical computer thousands of years to complete. 

All fine and good, but continuing on, what is quantum mechanics? In a single, simple sentence, it is the study of subatomic particles. This is about to get a little technical, apologies, but when talking about quantum mechanics it's hard to avoid getting a bit technical. In understanding quantum computing it's necessary to understand four key principles of quantum mechanics. 

• Superposition - the state in which a quantum particle or system can represent not just one possibility but a combination of multiple possibilities. At the same time.
• Entanglement - the process in which multiple quantum particles become correlated more strongly than regular probability allows.
• Decoherence - the process in which quantum particles and systems can decay, collapse or change converting into single states measurable by classical physics. 
• Interference - the phenomenon in which entangled quantum states can interact and produce more and less likely probabilities. 

I know, it's getting knee-deep, but stay with me. Classical computers, that's what you're using to read this now, rely on binary bits (zeros and ones) to store and process data. Quantum computers, on the other hand, can encode even more data at once using quantum bits or qubits, in superposition. A qubit can behave like a bit and be either a zero or a one, but it can also be a combination of a zero and a one at the same time. When combined, qubits in superposition can scale exponentially. Two qubits can compute with four pieces of information, three can compute with eight, and four can compute with sixteen, and so on. However, each qubit can only output a single bit of information at the end of the computation. Quantum algorithms work by storing and manipulating information in a way inaccessible to classical computers. In simpler terms, they have a hard time communicating with each other.

Silicon chip development has come a long way in a short time, but it's possible that we might soon reach a limit on the computing power of classical computers. Quantum computing appears to be the likely path forward. It is definitely a field we need to familiarize ourselves with. 

As with most contemporary topics, they're complicated. In the field of technology, they're especially complicated. We can only imagine the training and capability required to work in this field of the future.

Artificial Intelligence will bring into the realm of computing machines that can see, hear, smell and touch, and interpret and react. Humanlike, so to speak. Combined with computing power beyond anything we have today, there's so much more to the story than we can imagine...

The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearings...

 As I watched portions of the Pete Hegseth confirmation hearings today, felt some very strong feelings about what I was seeing and hearing. Hegseth himself is a decorated combat veteran who achieved the rank of Major. He is President Trumps' nominee for Secretary of Defense. Several of the senators who questioned him are veterans themselves. I hold the utmost and supreme respect and admiration for veterans. All veterans, and especially those who were combat veterans as well as those who are deceased. They gave us their best and we owe them our best. The questioning senators who are veterans represented both sides of the aisle. It is with disdain and lament that I even mention "both sides of the aisle" but after listening to the confirmation hearings today I feel it necessary and appropriate.  

When I first began to take notice of an incipient partisan divide in the country and politics in particular was during the Obama administration. If you recall the incident early in Obama's presidency when a white police officer arrested a black Harvard professor attempting to gain entry into a Washington residence, his own, by the way. This caused a tremendous uproar at the time, no doubt in large part owing to the fact that a white policeman arrested a black man. That, and many of the events that followed only served to deepen the racial divide in the country. One of those 'events' came directly from the constrained intellect of Obama himself. When the president was asked his opinion on the matter in a press conference a few days later, he remarked that he thought the Cambridge Mass. police had acted "stupidly". Obviously, a US president does not need to involve himself in local police matters, nor does he have any business doing so. The pivotal point in the entire incident and the only 'stupid act' was Obama's birdbrained public statement that 'the police acted stupidly. For a US president and leader of the free world to make such a statement without thinking what the impact of such might be on black youth, white youth, impressionable minds who might harbor contempt for the police, was immoral, unethical, unconscionable, and yes, damn stupid. The racial divide just got deeper. 

The racial divide isn't the only breakdown in civility we are suffering. There are others, there are many. As a civilized society we seem to be regressing in our ability to solve our differences. We are too quick to choose sides and do battle. Probably the most prolific and notable of these are those associated with ideological political issues. The country is more politically divided now than at any point in the last twenty years. Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals are less inclined to collaborate and reach mutual understanding on issues. But the underpinning root of the dilemma is this; the perception and view that each party has of the other continues to grow more extremely negative. And the lengths that some are prepared to go to to undermine the other are becoming seriously depraved. Just a couple of examples if I may. The recent episodes of lawfare. Not just one but three of them. The Bible verse 'The truth shall set you free' doesn't always apply in a court of law. The FBI lying on a FISA application, Hillary Clinton's campaign paying a rogue British agent to fabricate a false dossier on Trump, suggesting Russian election interference. Democratic operatives knowingly and intentionally concealing Joe Biden's failing capacities (and abilities to carry out his duties...). The truth never saw the light of day in any of these cases.

Was the reason and motivation for these acts to affect the outcome of an election? (And to win?) If it were, such can never be proven. But to even the most casual observer the motivation is as clear as a Montana sky. We simply accept it and move on. After watching the Hegseth confirmation hearings today, it's apparent some Democratic Senators are having problems with accepting and moving on. Their petulant, partisan behavior indicates that their motivation to undermine 'the other side' is still firmly in place. Even if Joe Biden isn't... 

Enough is enough.

 As one of the twentieth century's most revered and admired writers once said, "In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act." George Orwell had a gift of prescience that few human beings have ever had or ever will possess. Eric Arthur Blair, who wrote under the pen name George Orwell was a classic idealist who wrote in support of democratic socialism. He was an articulate critic of totalitarianism and a staunch supporter of democratic socialism. If he were alive today, would he be able to see through the deception of those who claim to advocate for the latter while leaning toward the former? 

I believe Orwell was a pragmatist. Much the same as the founding fathers of America. In the core of their soul, all of their senses; emotion, intelligence, patriotism, loyalty guided them to construct the constitution of the United States. A framework of law and order that has endured almost two and a half centuries and remains the most viable model of democracy in the history of the world. Their guiding light in the dark storm of anarchy was the desire to develop a system of governance that would be of the people, by the people and for the people. Through two hundred and forty-nine years since not all of our leaders have been so focused and altruistic. Had it not been for the forefathers' brilliance in putting together such a masterpiece we might be in serious trouble today. Orwell, I believe shared their idealism. He was vigorously opposed to all forms of totalitarianism. His 'ideal' society was one where everyone had an equal voice and shared equally in the collective efforts. Not exactly aligned with the doctrines of laissez-faire, but noble and well-meaning nonetheless. 

Back to Orwell's quote, "In a time of deceit..." Are we currently in a time of deceit? Yes, it's not something that only came about in the 21st century, but yes, we are. Veracity has always been a problem with the human race. With some more than others. Politics is a very complex province. Having a tenuous relationship with the truth is not uncommon with a lot of politicians. In fact, lying is so prevalent that it is difficult for the constituents at times to know when they're not being lied to. Many of them simply don't understand that lying by omission is still lying. But through the blur, the obfuscation, the pandering, the bald-faced lying, the truth is there. Often hard to find, difficult to decipher, it's always there. We must also bear in mind that simply putting the truth forward and presenting it isn't always enough. It has to be accepted. If the party-to-be-convinced doesn't accept the truth and choose to remain ignorant, well, not much that can be done about that. In any given group there will always be those who choose to 'believe what they want to believe', the truth be damned. So be it. But the majority of any group will listen to reason. The truth can be very convincing. Especially when it's in one's favor and to one's benefit. And it often is.

Relating this to American politics, it can be argued that the outcome of the recent elections in the US prove the above axiom, that the truth can be very convincing. One side kept insisting that the economy was strong, inflation was in check, immigration was no longer a problem, America was strong and respected by its' adversaries. The other side was telling us "They're not being truthful with you." The response from the American voter was profound and hermetic. Side 'B" we don't believe you, Side 'A' we're going to give you a chance to fix the mess Side 'B' made. It would behoove you to deliver. We're tired of the lying, enough is enough...