Seventeen Years of What

29 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Free Press, Military, Politics

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As of October 7, 2001, we have been in Afghanistan for seventeen years. I remember the step-by-step of how we got into Viet Nam and how we got out. I remember the strategy that put the Russians into their Afghanistan quagmire which we aided the Afghan rebels. The Russians finally left with their tails between their legs just as we left Viet Nam.

Both retreats show any insurgent organization can ultimately win if they are willing to keep fighting for years. The Taliban, many fought the Russians, are trying to outlast the war with us. Every time we come up with a new strategy they know it is just a matter of time until we leave.

President Truman “gave up China to the Commies”, Nixon “gave up Southeast Asia,” and neither Bush or Obama wanted to leave Afghanistan with the Taliban taking over. Trump will make sure we stay in as long as he is in office. So we will be there for at least the next three years.

As a student of military history I can say winning a guerilla war without getting very ugly is impossible. We go out of our way not to hurt non-combatants. The last World War had millions of civilians killed by our indiscriminate bombing of cities. (The Norden bombsite was a farce.) As long as the enemy can commit atrocities and we don’t then they can hide where we can’t get at them.

Do we have the will to kill more Afghans, lose American lives, and spend billions more to fight to a stalemate or maybe a coalition government? I’m on the fence, are you?

Numbers Do Lie

21 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in Politics

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Have you noticed the administration has been reporting an increase in assaults on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) agents? The purported reason is more human and drug smuggling requiring a border wall. If people are going to be conned into supporting a wall something must get them agitated enough to demand it.

Prior to ICE change in reporting assaults a few months ago, an assault with one individual was counted as one no matter how many agents were involved. An incident in Texas demonstrates the new numbers exaggerate an incident to pump up numbers. Six suspects were confronted by seven agents. A shot was fired by a suspect before all six were arrested. Instead of one assault on an agent it became six suspects times seven agents times the three guns found on them to be (6 X 7 X 3 = 126) one hundred twenty-six assaults recorded for that incident. Where does these frauds originate?

In today’s America, it seems so easy to con our people and for us to believe it. Every day we are told many lies and some people believe every one of them. When on rare occasions a truth is told few people can believe it. We know of many instances where economic numbers have been misrepresented. Failures or no change is represented as a success.

How can we trust anyone who constantly lies and brags about things just to satisfy a massive ego? The fake facts are being exposed by the real media if only people will pay attention.

Consumers Lose Again And Again And ….

21 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in Politics, U.S. Economy

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The Constitution’s Article 1, Section 7 gives the job of raising revenue to Congress. Revenue bills are supposed to be originated in the House of Representatives with the Senate’s agreement and the President’s signing. The Country did not have an income tax so revenue was raised through tariffs. Therefore, putting tariffs on imports (can’t tax exports) is the responsibility of Congress, not the President.

When I asked my Senator’s staff where the President derived the authority to levy tariffs without her approval they couldn’t answer. Republicans always complain about Presidential overreach when a Democrat is in the Oval Office. This combative President appears to overreach his authority every day. Shouldn’t Congress know why the President has usurped power?

Article 1, Section 8 says “Congress shall regulate commerce with foreign nations…” and that means tariffs, treaties and agreements like NAFTA. Trump is trying to get around Congress by saying Canadian milk, cheese, and yogurt involves our National Security. Actually we export several times more of those products to Canada than we import from Canada. (One wealthy dairyman is the cause of this tariff war.)

Nicor Steel says its profits will rise greatly because the steel tariffs are allowing them to raise their prices. Since we import about three-fourths of our steel almost everything will go up because the consumer pays the tariff on their purchases. Since the steel industry is raising their prices too, we will just pay more. That’s inflation which causes the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates on loans to buy the washer/dryer and car. These are two more items with new tariffs. Rich stockholders win, consumers lose!

Call out your Senator and Congressman when you see them. It’s their abrogation of responsibility that’s responsible for the increases costs the consumer will be paying!

Aliens Are Coming!

21 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in Immigration, Military, Politics

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The President wants to start a new branch of our armed services to be called the Space Force. During his same speech he said he would not allow the United States to be an alien sanctuary. Perhaps he has seen the movie dealing with this problem. It is called “Men in Black.” Perhaps his Space Forces could wear the last suit they will ever wear.

Just because the President has a problem with brown people doesn’t mean all aliens are brown, too. We know most are gray and little with big heads. The (fictional?) movie says they have been living here for years and the administration has often said we have an alien problem because millions have been living among us.

Since we don’t have spaceships for these patrollers and patrolettes to fly up to build a wall over the US, I must assume they are going to find those aliens already here and intercept those coming. Perhaps they will be coming in a caravan so we can see them when they enter Pluto’s orbit.

I am hopeful Congress will agree with the new branch of the military and come up with an alien visa system which the space Force can use when they catch aliens. I think these aliens will be a help to our high tech economy since they had to be savvy to get here. Perhaps Elon Musk (Sounds Alien-ish) is an alien. He certainly doesn’t look like the rest of us and his name isn’t Earth-like. Perhaps this alien invasion has come to help us build a better America. Of course Trump could have just seen star ship troopers and thought of leading them against the aliens.

Politically Correct

14 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in Gender, Uncategorized

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I am not Politically Correct. Oh, I don’t use inappropriate slang words for people of different races, ethnics, gender, or religions. My mother told me when I was a kid to treat everybody the same. Apparently several million peoples’ mothers didn’t teach them correctly. The Declaration of Independence says all MEN are created equal (they didn’t mean women?) and the Constitution counted “three-fifths of all other persons (read slaves). Many of the amendments have tried to equalize the inequality (equal rights amendment for women has failed.) So, white men are still at the top of the heap.

Most Americans try not to intentionally offend others but in today’s climate, who knows what is okay. It seems a man can’t mention a woman’s lack of tan lines when she wears a backless dress or even say she looks great in that dress. Hugs are out and so is a pat on the back.

I think gender PC has gone way over the top. Women hug each other and men but if a man hugs a woman it’s harassment. One of the women complaining about Morgan Freeman’s behavior said on a TV news program “Mr. Freeman said I looked sexy in that dress.” Is it now wrong to compliment someone’s appearance? Are compliments now harassment?

I worked in many jobs (I would have said positions but that might not be PC!) and with many women and I only know of only one harassment. It was another supervisor who kept hitting on a woman in his group so she asked to work for me and that stopped it. Fishing off the company pier today is grounds for a harassment charge.

Have we gone so far from sanity that walls need to be built around each of us? Accusing someone of something they think occurred years or even decades ago is ridiculous. Times have changed! What was commonplace thirty years ago may have been wrong then but being penalized now is wrong, wrong, wrong. Many countries have had a reconciliation time to overcome murders and kidnapping, why can’t we forgive and forget old harassments?

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.