What is the Acceptable Level of Cruelty?

09 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by in Immigration, Politics

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A conservative reporter asked that question and it summed up the problem precisely. Illegal immigration is against the law. Asking for asylum at an entry port is legal. Crossing the border elsewhere isn’t. The vast majority of the people crossing the southern border are not Mexicans. They are from crime-ridden nations to the south of Mexico where murder, rape, torture, beatings, and kidnapping are very day occurrences in rich and poor neighborhoods. The rich hire bodyguards and get visas. The poor must walk north.

That’s where the question becomes relevant. In the past we have arrested illegal crossers, processed them and released them until the hearing. They usually don’t show up. The asylum seekers usually did show up. We tried GPS bracelets and 99% came to their hearings. We don’t catch everybody and no wall is going to make much of a difference when they are fleeing the nightmare we created for them. The gangs and drugs are our fault.

The question is if the previous ideas didn’t work then maybe we should try illegal, inhuman and immoral practices. ICE has been roughing up legal and illegal refugees, separating babies from their mothers, locking 150 people in a 3,000 square foot enclosure with one toilet for days, and deporting mothers and fathers while keeping the children. The Administration hopes its methods will deter all immigration from the south.

The only real deterrence is weather. The numbers are down from last year because the temperature is 15 – 20 degrees hotter this year than 2017. It’s always lower in summer than other seasons because of the heat and drought.

While the places they are coming from is worse than the place we put them, they will keep coming.

Time to Reflect

09 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by in Politics, U.S. History

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As I write this on the 2018 Independence Day, I reflect on the past and the current state of the United States of America. When I was young it was the Fourth of July fireworks, a family reunion picnic at Cave-In-Rock, and swimming at Pounds Hollow. I don’t remember any of the adults ever discussing anything relating to what the holiday is about.

Perhaps it mirrored the colonists before and during the Revolution. About as many were for as were against the separation from England. Many historians believe most colonists didn’t care either way and just wanted to be left alone. Doesn’t that remind us of today’s siloed or tribal groups? For decades we have lead the free world “morally,” financially, and militarily. The vast majority of Americans supported the bi-partisan strategy so real congressional dissension was rare and short-lived. The “We-Against-Them” was the American side against the Communist side. Now we and them are within the border.

As we are celebrating the 242nd Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we must look at what has become of America. We have always had trouble with race relations but they seem to be getting worse again. The separation between rich and poor has become greater than any time in over a century. We have damaged relationships with nations we have been closely allied for decades and made friends with countries we have had tentative relations for decades. The political divide is greater than any time in the last 157 years. The discourse of the political parties and the administration has fallen to historic lows. The President’s diatribe is the leading factor in the abandonment of civility. America’s current philosophy is to turn inward to the despair of our international commerce and diplomats. Not since we moved the Indians West have Americans felt so compelled to carry a gun. Much of this is lobbying industry, unlimited money to campaigns and phony social media stories.

I wonder if the founding fathers, who had many vices, would be proud of today’s America. Decide for yourself after reading the Declaration and the Constitution.

Roe V. Wade

05 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by in Healthcare, Women

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I am morally against abortion after three months, but I think a woman has the right to make that decision herself. A wife and mother who is having trouble coping with several kids and can’t face another one should consider an abortion. A single woman who accidentally becomes pregnant should be allowed to do as she wants.

Another moral issue people face is rape and incest. If abortion is immoral because it takes a life then the resulting abortion from rape or incest is immoral. The same applies to save the life of a mother or a horribly developed fetus which will die in agony in days after birth. The anti-abortionists don’t seem to care about what happens to the unwanted baby that isn’t immediately adopted and goes into the system. These people should rush to the adoption agencies or register with the State to take care of the child for free for the next 18-21 years.

Most of those same people are against any sex where babies are not wanted. That is a ridiculous idea for most humans. Their belief that sex education promotes sex is also crazy. Non-partisan studies show it reduces sex and what occurs is safer. More education has shown to cause fewer pregnancies and abortions in teenagers.

Pregnancy occurs even with the use of pills and condoms because they aren’t 100% effective. Accidents, rape and incest do occur so education and use of RU486 should be easily available. It is 95% effective in the first 50 days but less so in the second trimester. Had this pill or a legal abortion been available in the mid-1950s my twenty-nine year old sister would still be alive. She bled to death from an illegal abortion. Her death may be part of my support of a women’s right, but many other factors have as much influence. We must cut abortions, not by law, but with education and pills.

Why Trump Loves Putin

05 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by in International, President Trump

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Why is President Trump so friendly and supportive of Russian President Vladimir Putin? He refuses to admit the Russians interfered with the 2016 Presidential election. He is willing to forgive Russia for annexing the Crimean Peninsula and is heavily involved in the Eastern Ukraine fighting. A long and extensive investigation confirms the airliner was shot down by Russians using a Russian anti-aircraft missile.

Could it be because Putin has full control of his legislative body? (Agree or unpleasant things happen to you or your family.) The remaining news media is very supportive of Putin because the media outlets are repressed by exile, harassment and jailing of reporters and owners, or murder. Putin does not fear an investigation since his old KGB friends run the new security service. Putin has revised the Russian Constitution to where he can be in office for the rest of his life.

Our economic and military allies dropped Russia out of the G-8 Alliance, now G-7, because of the Ukraine invasions. Trump wants to reinstate Putin because of Russia’s economic power. Russia is far down the list on economic power since its economy is based on gas and oil prices. It has little other trade impact with the rest of the world.

Is rumored blackmail true? Is it because Putin’s cut from all trade and take-over’s has made him a multi-billionaire and Trump loves billionaires? Is it because without Putin’s help Trump would have lost the election?

I doubt if we will learn any more after the upcoming meeting between the two Presidents. It will be a love fest.

Tariffs Are Taxes

05 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by in Tariffs, U.S. Taxes

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When an item is imported at a price of $10.00 and is subject to a 30% tariff, the item becomes a $13.00 purchase. The American company that manufactures the same item will now raise its price to $13.00 giving it an additional $3.00 profit. So tariffs are just another tax on the consumer. The recent tax cut was minor for most people and tariffs will more than offset the few dollars saved by the cuts.

A car dealer has said the average price of a car he sells will increase over $5,000. A builder of a single family home stated his homes will raise about $7,000.00 per house. Both raises are for materials imported from Canada, Mexico, European Union, and China. If the reader isn’t buying a new car or house, the cost of clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, and many other imported appliances is going up substantially.

The backlash is clearly stated by the Texas Governor who has pled with Trump to remove the steel and aluminum tariffs from China because no American company makes the specific grades or worse the American smelters are already at peak capacity. He says the potential increase of 17,000 steel jobs will cost 550,000 Texas jobs. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and many companies have predicted an economic disaster if the tariffs aren’t dropped.

Why doesn’t Congress do anything about tariffs? It is because they have had their attention diverted by a concocted immigration emergency. Common knowledge shows Congress is incapable of juggling two or more subjects at once. They gave us a few dollars a week tax cut for political gain and refuse to address the tariff disaster. A three year old child has a greater multi-tasking ability.

The Constitution says Congress is to levy tariffs and they have shirked the responsibility.

Losing Factual News

29 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Free Press, Free Speech, Politics

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A New York hedge fund, One Rock Capital Partners, bought Northern Pacific Paper in 2016. Northern Pacific Paper makes about half the newsprint made in this country. The mill was not at full capacity so, like many hedge funds, they bought the mill figuring they would increase production by getting the government to help. They did and now, we, the readers of this and other newspapers will probably have to pay more or have a smaller paper or lose Journalists.

Why is the newsprint (second biggest expense) going up in price? The government helped the New York hedge fund get a thirty percent tariff on Canadian paper. Except for that hedge fund almost every organization has protested because of the damage it will do to small newspapers and even large ones like Trump’s nemesis, the New York Times. The Times is an investigative paper owned by Jeff Bezos. Bezos is the founder and CEO of Amazon which Trump has made the object of his scorn.

Commerce Secretary William Ross says it will add a cent or two to a newspaper but the Longview Daily News says it will increase the cost about a nickel or the salary of two reporters. The increase will cause many small papers to close. Like this paper and other small town papers, who will do the investigative reporting in their community? The Chicago Tribune is a fine regional paper but it isn’t going to do much in Joliet, Coal City, Morris, Channahon, or New Lenox. The digital “reporting” is usually suspicious at best and the stories on the social media are usually trash. The Russian’s stories about Clinton and other divisive issues was swallowed by the gullible but not printed by the newspapers. An administration that depends on lies does not want responsible reporting printing the truth.

Tell every Representative and Senator to support the bi-partisan bill; Protecting Rational Incentives In Newsprint Trade Act. Ask your friends that may not read a paper to do so. The shutting down of newspapers may be just the first step in stopping factual reporting. The administration also declared war on the Public Broadcast System. We must stop it here!

We Never Learn

29 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Drugs, Immigration, Violence

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As I watch the media’s reporting of the immigration mess, I am as conflicted as are most Americans. The vast majority of those seeking admittance to the United States are looking for a safe place to live for themselves and their children. Many are just kids looking for safety from gangs controlling their countries.

To be honest all this mess is our fault. We are where the drugs are sold that has fueled the violence south of the border causing the refugees to seek relative safety. Trump keeps talking about MS-13 gang members coming here but I remember seeing a documentary many years ago saying the gang originated in Los Angeles. We caught them and shipped them home. Oops.

I don’t know what President was the first to try to stop our drug habit, but the world would be a better place if that one and all the succeeding ones hadn’t failed. Just like Prohibition spawned organized crime, drugs have created the world’s gang problem. Who’s to blame for the refugee/immigration problem? Look in the mirror because we use drugs, we don’t report sellers, and we vote for people who are soft on gangs and drugs. Giving people a ticket just increases the problem here and where the drug was grown and transported.

As usual we seem to be blaming the result of what we caused on countries South of the border. It isn’t a new problem because I remember the discussions from years ago predicted this refugee flood would happen. We never seem to take responsibility for what we do when we mess up a country.

Survival of Democracy or Déjà Vu

29 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Politics

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Dr. Samuel Johnson (1790-1784) wrote “Patriotism is the last refuge of a tyrant.” Seeing President Trump wrap his arms around the flag reminded me of the quote. A few weeks before, I saw him bring the Republican power structure to an embarrassing Rose Garden kiss-up. I saw him say to the cameras and the audience, “These people will now say how great I am.” He sat on the corner of the stage with his arms crossed beaming like Kim Jong II.

His pals are dictators of North Korea, China, and Russia. His enemies may be the democratically elected leaders of Mexico, Canada, United Kingdom, France, and Germany. He talks about his pals with admiration and how the media isn’t a problem to them in their countries. He says strong men are loved by their people.

President Trump has told the Secretary of Defense to give him a military parade like Kim’s, Xi’s and Vlad’s. He wants to tell the world that he commands one of the largest, most expensive militaries in the world and they will do what he says.

His demand for subservience not only reflects today’s dictators, but reminds one of German troops parading in front of Adolf Hitler. He demanded the military swear allegiance to him, not Germany. His leadership and generals kowtowed to him or they were replaced by those who would. Sound familiar?

Those of us who have studied history and Geo-politics know this behavior has never led to anything po9sitive. His pals and those figures of the past developed personality cults to control their people. Combining massive ego and nationalism does not have a good result. Using Hitler’s propaganda minister’s Big Lie tactics to dupe people requires lying every day and dismissing and belittling the regular media and those who tell the truth. Putin buys the media company, closes it, or kills the reporters and owners. Murdoch and Sinclair Medias are buying up media companies. Our lie-fighting, truth-telling media is called fake news while the administration tries to get legislation to repress it.

In the words of Yogi Berra, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

The Real Economic Boom

29 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Politics, Tariffs, U.S. Economy, U.S. Taxes

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I used boom and not boon because the few dollars each week a wage earner may get is more than offset by reality. The tax cut was designed for companies and not the average American. Non-public companies like Trump’s, Koch’s, and others are able to pocket the entire cut. A few public companies gave one-time bonuses. One big Republican donor is Wall-Mart. It was touted as giving raises because of the tax cut, but raises were scheduled more than a year before. They offset by closing almost a hundred stores and laying off hundreds of higher paid managers.

The offset is the rising National Debt which raises interest rate. The Federal Reserve will be raising the rate three more times this year and more times next year. A few dollars each week doesn’t overcome the credit card, auto, and mortgage rate increases.

The tariff Trump is putting on the items we buy means the items cost the consumer money even if paid in cash. Add the tariff increases to credit increases and the tax cut is a net loss to the average consumer. Increasing an item’s cost may cause consumers to not buy an item made overseas or here because the domestic manufacturers are already raising their prices to match the tariffs. Now we don’t buy the more expensive items so Americans lose their jobs.

Future Presidents will have to raise income taxes to pay down the massive debt. As interest rates increase a greater portion of the yearly budget will go to paying the interest just as Greece and other debtor nations do. The rich will move elsewhere leaving the rest of us to suffer the consequences.

Voting Quandary

29 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Politics, Uncategorized

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In November, we will have a choice to make in many Congressional Districts. Illinois is a blue state with few Republican representatives. Most are moderate because being a far right winger would not get them elected in today’s political environment. About five cycles ago most of the Republican moderates across the nation were defeated by radicals.

The cycle presents a real quandary for those of us who are real centrists. The moderates may not agree with the far right nut cases in many instances but they vote how President Trump tells them. Keeping Trump from destroying what the past ten Presidents have built for America may mean Illinois voters must elect Democratic replacements.

I don’t want Congress to swing too far to the left either but Donald Trump’s quest to destroy the fabric of our great nation must be stopped. He has rolled back the financial, environmental, and workplace regulations that were onerous when enacted but most were workable and good for us. Instead of reducing our massive debt he has increased it on the scale of Greece. He is used to running up debt, taking a profit and then declaring bankruptcy. America can’t do that.

Richard Nixon’s paranoia did not get us into such a mess as we are now entering into during this Presidential term. To take the first step we need for the Republican moderates to walk away from Trump or to lose their seat in Congress. We can’t have Representatives standing behind their leaders who have stood on the dais with Trump telling us how great he is.

Lying every day isn’t any way to run America.