Monthly Archives: June 2018

Missiles Not Needed

14 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in International, Military, Uncategorized

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About forty years ago I saw a frightening and thought provoking docu-drama on how to use a nuclear device to destroy Charleston, South Carolina. The investigation to find the who and where it was at was intensive and edge-of-seat. It was on a yacht tied up to the dock. It blew just as the experts were going aboard. It was never broadcast again. I suspect a government input because it showed a missile or bomber wasn’t needed to deliver a nuke to any city.

Today’s news is about stopping North Korea and Iran from having intercontinental missiles. Why? In today’s world FedEx or DHL could mail a small one to your doorstep. A larger one could be put into a shipping container and shipped anywhere (less than 2% are checked!) Of course a bomb could be put on a ship and sailed to Chicago. They may already be here!

North Korea has 20-60 bombs that aren’t deliverable by missile. Have they already shipped some to our cities? Has Russia or China or even Pakistan? Which country might sell or have stolen a nuke. CIA says Russia didn’t get all of the bombs back that stored in the Ukraine and North Korea sells items to get cash. Some terrorists are funded with millions and billions so getting one may not be too difficult. Dissident groups in nuclear armed countries might secure one in hopes of accomplishing something.

Now wonder what is in those shipping containers on that rail car or trailer at the warehouses around Minooka, Joliet, and Elwood. If the hairs on the back of your neck don’t tingle it may be due to a razor.

Who Will It Be In 2020

14 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in President Trump, Uncategorized

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Assuming Donald Trump is still President in 2019, who will be the Republican Party’s nominee? Will ego and narcissism cause him to run again, possibly against some of those who sought the nomination in 2016. One pair is already being pushed by the power brokers in the GOP and those of the party who Trump has minimalized and besmirched. The pair is Vice-President Mike Pence and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. Both have been Governor of their states. Pence would probably not have been re-elected Indiana’s Governor because of his excessive need to cut the budget, reduce taxes, and run up debt. Haley was less strident in a moderately red state. Her skeleton was removing the Confederate Battle Flag from all South Carolina government flagpoles and properties.

The current polls indicate Trump’s support is still around 40% but many of those would not vote for him again. The Democrats will probably take control of the House and possibly the Senate. Trump has not had a good relationship with the Republican controlled legislative branch and he would not be able to work with a Democratic one that won their seats because of him.

Bush I rode very high after Desert Storm but quickly lost support and the election. Can Trump create an impression of enough successes to hold off Republican challengers? He lies. He bullies. He is narcissistic and immoral. Can he keep enough support from people who dislike his ethics? Would he run if he might not win? If he runs, it will be the ugliest contest ever!

No Bravery in Illinois

14 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in Illinois, Uncategorized

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Our State’s Governor and Legislators care more about being elected than taking responsible positions on balancing the budget while paying off the current and past bills, the accrued debt, and pension debt. Legislators work in a bipartisan way to spend hundreds of millions in their districts to appease voters and contributors. One such project is an Ohio River Port for Cairo. It will be a failure just as the Mid-American Airport is. A yearly waste is unnecessary road repairs. Monies designated by special taxes are being diverted to those wasted projects. They passed taxes for designated uses for votes, and then use the money elsewhere for votes.

Our supposedly high taxes rate puts us in with the bottom half of the states because of all the deductions and exemptions we get. One exemption most people would agree could be eliminated is state pensions. The treasurer will pay out $8.5 billion this year for pensions. Eliminating it would mean $425 million for paying down the state’s debt. Taxing the pensions when issued would mean those pensioners living out -of-state would pay for money they made while living here.

Another change would be combining all five pension funds into one. This would eliminate double and triple dipping by too many people jumping from one plan to another and drawing two or three pensions. Legislators, judges, and others get one pension and after a few years, jump to another public job, and maybe another. It’s possible a person could qualify for three in twelve years. Lengthening vestment to at least ten years would save money and multiple pensions. Add in one or two Federal pensions by the same maneuvering. Combining all five would save billions in pension liabilities.

A Problem With Aging

14 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in U.S. HealthCare, Uncategorized

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My memory is still good enough to remember when I was learning how our democratic form of government worked. We were told that all the eligible citizens voted for the best people who were like us.

I remember the people we elected to office did what the voters told them to do. They worked together for the good of the country. The two legislative parts worked with the Executive Branch so few vetoes were used.

I remember the Supreme Court was composed of experts on the Constitution. They kept the other two branches on track with the ideals of the founding fathers.

Oh yes, those founding fathers who courageously broke with that mean King of England, who taxed without representation. These men (women were to be kept barefoot, pregnant and ignorant of politics.) made decisions based solely on what was good for the people and the fledgling country.

Well, that was what was in my civics book and what my teacher told me. Fifty years later I know the truth. The veil of idealism has been lifted, wadded up and dumped into the garbage can!

The famous Boston Tea Party was actually a bunch of drunks from a local tavern egged on by some of those Founding Fathers. What was their motive? They were tea smugglers whose tea was higher priced than the East India Company’s tea. Don’t forget the Boston Massacre that Paul Revere (a smuggler) made famous for his silverware, was a minor incident and the only person killed being black. Since the death of a freed black man wouldn’t excite people in the South, he became white.

Does anyone think we elect people that really have the voter’s interest in mind? Recently a politician, in a moment of honesty, reminded me of an old saying, “Do you know of any politician that was poorer when he got out of office than when he went in?” Laws are passed with loopholes that were paid for by lobbyists. Connect the dots.

A Lebanonese businessman once told me, “The Middle East Conflict is business. The guy with the gun is told its religion so he will fight.” Isn’t that similar to what we believe today? Somebody is paying a lot of money to con you into believing what they want you to believe.

Listening Tours

13 Wednesday Jun 2018

Posted by in Politics, Uncategorized

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How many times have you heard someone who is going to run for office say they would do a listening tour? I have heard people running for judge, states attorney, state and federal representative and senator say those or similar words. They say they will do it so they can understand voter concerns. They say they want to represent what your concerns are. Two or three polls tell them what we think so they can say that is what they want too. Don’t you want people who tell you what they think so you can decide which you will vote for? We should vote for the one whose views we agree with the most.

Hillary Clinton did a listening, but her positions were the same after as before the tour. Trump has been for everything he was against and against everything he was for. For instance he donated millions to Democrats and not Republicans, Planned Parenthood, and other liberal causes. His tour was to watch Fox Networks and Breitbart news. Going after their followers became his policies and promises.

With stupidity being rampant with people who believe what they read on social media and what the Russians fed people, Trump won with policies the great majority disagreed with.

Why do we vote for people who are seeking our vote so they can make money or put through their own agenda. I had rather vote for someone’s own principles than vote for someone who formed their viewpoints to suit enough voters to be elected.

Iran is not Iraq

13 Wednesday Jun 2018

Posted by in Defense, International

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A few of the Democrats and most of the Republicans in Congress want to go to war with any country they can con us into believing is a threat. They look at tiny Grenada, Panama, and even the two Iraq invasions as models of what our military can do. They forget Korea and Viet Nam and that we are still in Afghanistan and Korea.

They think that Iran is Iraq and can’t be that different because some of them use the two countries interchangeably. They are both in the Middle East and Muslim so they can’t be too tough to overcome.

The warmongers should look at the facts. Iraq has 25 million people on 168,000 square miles. Iran has over 68 million people and over 636,000 square miles. Iraq’s Army was Shia fighting for a Sunni Government they hated. Iran’s population is 90% Shia with a hardcore force that is extremely dedicated to the leadership. Iran has high tech weapons that can sink the Navy’s carriers and down our planes. Russia has sent their best anti-aircraft defenses to make any attack by Israel or U.S. painful.

Iran sacrificed hundreds of kids by having them walk into Iraq minefields. Militia units followed and were mowed down. Iraqis killed so many they ran out of artillery shells and bullets. They ran before the first line of elite troops got into Iraqi positions.

Iran is a strong Theocracy and will send its people after Americans everywhere. The attacks on the home land by Al Qaeda will pale as to those Iran’s leaders could mount.

The Iraq-Iran War lasted eight years and was over when Iran said it was over. They are prepared to fight and die for decades. Are we?

Changes Don’t Help Us

13 Wednesday Jun 2018

Posted by in Budget, Politics

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Yes, things do need to change but it can’t be done piecemeal. Social Security needs to be fixed along the lines of the Gingrich-Clinton proposal. An effort made by the far right wingers to kill Social Security and keep wages so low people have to depend on welfare to survive is unbelievable. They think those people should be putting money aside for retirement–low wages and saving for retirement is incompatible.

Allowing billionaires to buy the Presidency and Congress has to change. We elect people to go to Washington D.C. to do what is best for all of us, not just those who represent a few thousand far right or left wingers. The lefties want to help people that may not need so much aid and the righties want to help the rich by screwing the other 99%.

Remember the boom years of the 80’s and 90’s? Taxes were about 50% more and the economy was good to great. National banks around the world were afraid we would pay off the last of our Treasury Bonds (30 year was gone; 20 year would have been gone by 2003.) Taxes were reduced as soon as Bush got in and the red ink has been rocketing for 15 years.

Less tax means no money for fixing infrastructure. The economy isn’t trickling down because the top 1% has shut the valve tight. The middle class is just a sliver of its former size. The GOP is trying to convince us we are doing better, but we aren’t.