Fascism........wait...what....

Fascism- extreme right-wing authorities, or intolerant views or practice.
   Is Steve Bannon trying to turn into Joseph Goebbels and unify the American people against the free press of the United States by constantly referring to them as the real true enemy of the Republican Party ? Is his political base so ignorant that they would believe that you could possibly forge a right wing alliance that would discredit all media as lying fake news creators and make the American people only believe what our President says. Trump stated that the news about General Flynn had nine quoted sources and implied that the article was not true because the sources were unnamed, but the article was true and Flynn was asked to resign, did his political base agree with the decision probably not and probably thought that the story was fake news. Why has the media been such a slave to his clown act, do they really have to wait with baited breath for Trump to insult them, he has even gone so far as to omit the NY Times and CNN from little Spicer get togethers which I'm sure was nothing about nothing. Does the media even have an obligation to cover his fake news and then be slammed by all his brown shirts, is there nothing to report on other than what he cleverly makes up as news. I think CNN should not devote 24/7 to his agenda especially since most of his political base thinks it is fake news anyway, have their ratings gone down while Fox has gone up, please I hope not, as Fox and its little media stars appear to fawn over his every word. Does the world have a thought vacuum that they only see and hear what this administration is spewing while not even taking the time to think about what they are saying and making up their own intelligent minds about what is really happening in the USA. We are dulling up our thoughts we are no longer the razor sharp self thinkers that made this country bright and alive with technology, arts, innovation and hard work, can we please think for ourselves again, formulate ideas that can help us all work together to solve our own unique problems while not forgetting that we have opened our gates to all men and women for over three hundred years and become the greatest country to exist.
   When the Trump political, base appears on news media they are always the same, unemployed, about to be down sized, no jobs no future men, forty to sixty years old who voted for Trump because he promise to put them back to work or protect them from the hoards of invaders that are going to seize their jobs, instead Trump is going to deport all illegal workers so that you can all leave the diner and go pick vegetables and work at Burger King, and he will be the most despised president ever, but no you each believe that he is going to save the coal industry and the steel industry, it unfortunately is not going to happen and your only hope is to try and learn a new technology to keep up with the American economy. Push yourself away from the counter and demand not an imaginary job but a training program that will qualify you to renter the workforce and to be a success, do it now and maybe Trump will free up some of your tax dollars to really reemploy the middle class.
   I mean goddamn read a book, go to a museum, learn something new and do it because you can and because you want to explore and learn. Visit a National Park and see what incredible wonders exist in the USA, don't let a politician tell you what is what find out for yourselves.
Rant over.
South Jersey out.

Transgender Student Rights

 Below is the definition of bullying found on the stopbullying.gov, the government website on stopping bullying in schools.  

 "Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior (among school aged children) that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose."

What kind of example is the government setting for our children? Where do they think bullying comes from if not from imitation. There should be a new government website created which gives citizens pointers on how to recognize and stop bullying on a governmental level. Here is what they suggest adults do to stop bullying in schools:

"Stop Bullying on the Spot

When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time. There are simple steps adults can take to stop bullying on the spot and keep kids safe."

So what we can do with the bullying behavior seen on a daily basis coming out of the Oval Office, the Senate and Congress? Sending out the message that it is not acceptable. Hereby sending said message out. Is this really what will make America great again? Targeting the memebers of a society who are most easily targeted? This is what Trump had to say about bullying in 2016:

"The billionaire CEO sat down for an interview with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, which aired on the cable network Tuesday night. During the exchange, Kelly asked Trump if he was ever bullied as a child. He responded that he had not been, but bullying isn’t solely a youth phenomenon. “People are bullied when they’re 55,” Trump said. Kelly, sensing the irony of the moment, replied with a coy smile: “Can happen when you’re 45.”
“You know, it happens, right?” Trump continued. “But you gotta get over it. Fight back, do whatever you have to do.” Okay. Whatever we have to do.

Statistics from STOMP Out Bullying show that 9 out of 10 LGBT-identified students are bullied in school. 9 out of 10? In this day and age? Statistics also show that  LGBT youth are also four times more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to attempt suicide.
On Febrary 22nd, the Trump administration revoked Obama-era guidance laid out in 2016’s so-called Dear Colleague letter that sought to protect transgender students under Title IX, undoing what trans and civil rights advocates have termed a victory on a major cultural and political battleground.
Donald Trump promised to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in his prime-time convention speech, and he said he was heartened to hear that the crowd supported him in that fight. So what, was he not telling the truth? Or was it fake news?

 

Scott Pruitt & the E.P.A.

photo via thinkprogress

I basically blame the Democrats for Trump's victory. I don't understand why they chose Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. I honestly believe Bernie Sanders would have had a better chance than Clinton to bring it home for the Democrats. So wouldn't you think, at least now, the Democrats would do what is in their power to oppose Trump's course of destruction? Well obviously not all of them. Two Democrats, Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota voted for Scott Pruitt as new head of the EPA. Are you kidding me? They should be ashamed of themselves. Let us take a look at Mr. Pruitt's interest for the environment and his relationship to the agency which once did make an effort to protect the environment, and which yes, might indeed, in the future better be named as a "so-called" environmental protection agency.
During the time Scott Pruitt served as the attorney general of Oklahoma, he sued the E.P.A. fourteen times in an effort to block federal air and water pollution regulations. He repeatedly sought to block policies designed to address climate change and has openly stated he is sceptical that climate change actually even exists. Why did Republicans insist on holding a confirmation vote on Friday when the Oklahoma attorney general’s office is under order to release about 3,000 of Mr. Pruitt’s emails related to his communications with the fossil fuel industry during a period in which, as that state’s attorney general, he repeatedly sued the E.P.A. and sought to block policies designed to address climate change. Pruitt is so shameless a choice that over 700 former E.P.A. employees have signed a letter to senators opposing his confirmation. According to Greenpeace, here is the real dirt on Pruitt....
 via Greenpeace
"Pruitt’s public statements on climate and energy are frustrating (to say the least) for anyone who understands basic science. But it’s what he hasn’t said that’s even worse.
In 2014, Pruitt was caught in a secretive alliance with oil and gas industry insiders aimed at tearing down environmental protections. Emails obtained by the New York Times show Pruitt and other Republican attorneys general collaborating with corporations and lobbyists to file lawsuits and challenge federal regulations on everything from fracking to air pollution.
One of those fossil fuel insiders was Harold Hamm, Trump’s top energy adviser and CEO of the country’s largest fracking company. Hamm would go on to chair Pruitt’s 2013 re-election campaign. More recently he’s made news as one of the biggest proponents of the Dakota Access Pipeline; it’s his company’s fracked oil that would have flowed through the pipeline if it had been completed.
Meanwhile, Pruitt has received $318,496 in campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry since 2002, leaving little doubt about whose interests he’ll protect as EPA head — and it’s not people or the environment."
So-called crazy activists and scientists who care about the future of the planet and and warn us that we must change our habits if future generations are to have clean air and water have little chance of making the profit the fossil fuel industry has by encouraging us to keep calm and carry on destroying the planet. Trump wants to dismantle the E.P.A. and has taken a huge first step in doing so. This is really a disaster.

One wheel fell off the train

President Trump has had a slip in his well oiled machine, losing General Flynn was a shock to him and he only terminated him because he embarrassed the Vice President , he even said that if he knew he was going to speak with the Russians he thought it was a good idea. The administration is unraveling and it is news to Trump and of course fake news to all the media. His cabinet continues to slowly fill but with most of his secretaries under qualified and mostly in over their heads it will grid lock any gains that the country needs. Even though according to Trump they have done more in thirty   days than any administration before he has done nothing to destroy ISIS, created no new jobs, given no tax relief to the middle class, not built the wall, I mean really refugees are walking to Canada where I guess there is no border restrictions, please take notice sir, no one is guarding the northern border, maybe they aren't rapists but I thought you were going to not allow terrorists, maybe, into the states.
   Why is the media even attending any press conferences, do you each need to be insulted and called fake news every day, you people create this media monster now you must simply ignore and let him tweet his own leaks to every citizen in the USA. Is it really this incredible desire to be called on by Trump and then to be told you are horrible and you only represent the evil empire and you reporters are the problem and all Trump supporters believe that. Sad when you would even want to waste your entire day long coverage of the news the way CNN does, program after program with only one subject and how every newcast starts with a Trump revelation, please stop he only needs the attention to feed his massive ego, maybe if no one covered his leak fest and fake news he would simply fade away. To summon his team of change the subject and blame the media twerps, is to simply continue his play on the media, it doesn't matter if you catch him in a lie it still is your fault and you will simply continue the charade that he is playing on us all.  Save your energy and report on all the things he doesn't believe in or all the things that he will alter to the detriment of society as we know it.  This truly is the fall of the Roman Empire but with no leadership and we all better start brushing up on the Russian and Chinese languages because they seem to be more in charge than our confused lack of leadership.
   Get one thing right, accomplish one campaign goal that hasn't bit you in the ass and make these cabinet members help you change America for good, pull us from this pit and put us back on top, bow to no one and get the other 46% to believe that you can do the job. No one believes that running a hotel and running the country are on the same level, you need help and all those that you selected don't seem to have the skills or maybe you would seek their advice.
   We are in trouble and we need help and those that are running the zoo are not the ones to do the job,  can you really drain the swamp and fill it again with new and unqualified swamp creatures , because you have replaced decent caring employees with heartless politicians whose skills are years away from helping make this country great again and believing that you are succeeding to help America is the real fake news.
Rant over- South Jersey out.

Fact Check Trump Press Conference

  

image via ThinkProgress

I just watched Trump's press conference, all 77 minutes of it, and now I get why the European press has the general impression that the people of the Unite States have elected someone who isn't playing with a full deck. He whines about being left a huge mess to clean up, about how long it is taking to get his cabinet approved, goes on and on about his ratings in the Rasmussen poll being so high, and attacks the press and their credibility over and over again. Really? He assures the people of the United States that he will do everything in his power to reunite a divided country and lower, oh, wait, no, eradicate crime in inner cities. How? Didn't get around to elaborating on this, but I have the feeling it has alot to do with law enforcement? Or maybe not? It's all fake news anyway right? Or not? Everybody but Breitbart and Fox News and oh, yeah, President Trump, just spew fake news. Well, a fact check might clear up a little confusion.... here is a link to Politfact where you can actually, do a little fact checking on Trump's press conference. In fact if there are facts you would like checked out, you can suggest a fact check to Politfact and they will check the facts for you. You can write them here: truthometer@politifact.com . 
It is our responsibility to check facts and not just choose to believe those who support our opinions. We have to be informed, we have to search out reliable sources of information. Trump is undermining the credibility of the New York Times and several other news sources who we believe to be serious and responsible. It is right to question all sources of information and of course to check your facts, but to be told again and again that the media is nothing but fake news is of course very disconcerting and weakens us and our ability to decide and act on our decisions. On the other hand, we are being told that Breitbart and Fox News are impartial and unbiased. That they are fair. This simply isn't true, but don't take my word for it, check it out, check out several sources that have proven themselves to be truthful and responsible. Be informed.

Presidential Job Description

"It's common sense. Some things are law – and I'm all in favour of that – and some things are common sense. And this is common sense." President Trump
Whatever that means. Who decides if it's common sense or the law???? And what happens then? Is the President in charge of making common sense decisions?

I think Trump looks at the United States like a corporation and he is like the CEO. This week he has had to learn that he in fact doesn't call all the shots and the people of the USA are not employees, they are citizens. They are not on President Trumps's payroll and actually he has been elected to serve them and not the other way around. I think he needs to be reminded that he is an elected official and he kind of has to obey the law, just like everybody else. I thought a job description for the President as outlined in the Constitution might clear up any questions we all might have as far as what he is able to do:

The President’s Job
According to the Constitution
The US Constitution contains the only official “job description” for the
President of the United States. According to Article II, Sections 2 and 3, the
President:
1) Is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States,
and of each state’s militia when the nation has need of it
2) Has power to obtain information and opinions from heads of the
executive departments
3) May grant pardons and reprieves for crimes against the United States
4) Makes treaties with other countries with the approval of the Senate
5) Appoints ambassadors, federal judges and heads of executive
departments – all subject to the approval of the Senate; the President
also has power to fill any vacancies that may happen while the
Senate is in recess
6) Must report to Congress from time to time about the state of the union
and recommend whatever measures he thinks are necessary
7) May call members of Congress together on extraordinary occasions,
as well as adjourn their meetings when they cannot agree on their
own about when to do this
8) Receives foreign ambassadors and other public officials
9) Is responsible for enforcing the nation’s laws
10) Issues commissions to all officers of the United States

As far as executive orders go, here is the description found by Wikipedia, easy to understand right: "Within the executive branch itself, the president has broad powers to manage national affairs and the priorities of the government. The president can issue rules, regulations, and instructions called executive orders which have the binding force of law upon federal agencies but do not require approval of the United States Congress. Executive orders are subject to judicial review and interpretation." The last sentence being the key, I guess....judicial review. 

So why all this emphasis on pushing the so called "Muslim Ban" through? Why isn't he putting energy into other issues, like the big promises he made during his inauguration? Jobs, for one and getting everybody off welfare a close second. Wow, to do that I guess he really would need a solid, intelligent economic program at hand. We have seen or heard nothing of this. Instead the press has been declared the enemy, the environment is under threat, women's rights are under threat, a racist is in the process of being appointed as the attorney general, and a senator has been forbidden to speak in the Senate. He puts on a good show, I will give him that.

Train wheels slipping on the track

Well it has been a week where the White House has finally started to fill cabinet positions but also has seen a lot of the Presidents policies facing opposition. The travel ban has been halted by three brave so called judges and Trump, who does not like to lose has fired up the secret brethren in the WH to quickly come up with something equally ineffective and I'm sure he will repost another executive order confounding the Judicial system to try and block all his ideas protecting the American people.
   I wonder if he tweets on a whim wherever he is, he appears to have tweeted a shameful tweet to Nordstroms while receiving his daily security briefing, I guess Ivanka has been picked on and she needs Daddy to fight her fight and it wasn't over til Ms. Conway also jumped into the fray and spoke how wonderful Ivanka's line was. I'm sure all the Trump supporters would love to outfit themselves as Ivanka fashionistas .
   Let's get to some of Trumps more campaign promises, how about opening up the coal mines and all the shuttered steel plants, every man alive knows that coal is a dead industry and he can never open up any coal mines. Steel has been taken down by cheap but quality exports and the industry will need massive amounts of capital to ever try and regain that business, although building the wall with Chinese steel does seem almost un-American, so if we put billions of dollars into steel we can build the twenty billion dollar wall and it will be made in America.
   But really if we deport all undocumented workers we will need all the steel workers and coal miners to fill all those open jobs. Put them all back to work with service jobs and minimum wage jobs, they are jobs and your President has promised you all jobs which is why you so heartily supported him, no more state dole these jobs will soon be yours and you all can work right along with your wives working their three part time jobs to keep it together. I truly hope this isn't the way it turns out but whole sectors of the job market simply do not exist any more and unless workers are retrained to catch up with technology they will have few options. Don't wait for jobs that will never be back get  yourself some help before that to is gone.
   Republicans are being heckled and shouted down at their own town meetings and I think some might actually start to feel the pressure of being on the Trump circus train. Several politicos will be up for reelection in 2018 and they had better do the job their constituents who elected them want them to do or they too will be thrown in the job pit that is growing deeper every day. They say the jobless rate is going down but it's just that people drop off the list and millions of people just don't look anymore and have generally given up hope of ever having the life they knew before Obama got into office.  Trump is not going to save you, you have to save yourselves. I can only hope that Trump sticks to his promise to maintain Medicare and Social Security because that is the only hope some people have and without that their is nothing but despair and severe hopelessness. I keep thinking that Trump will some how reach deep and stop all his failures and because of his gilded ego and desire to be the best will actually stop listening to Bannon and Sessions and give everyone a chance at the gold plated toilet. He needs to at least try if not for the majority that voted against him at least for the minority that did and either way fifty percent of the people will always disagree any way..
   Do some thing to bring all Americans back to the prosperity table and let's all feast together there simply is too much class system in the USA and you don't have to be the only one making a buck for the Trump family monopoly game.

Rant over-South Jersey out

Trump train slowing down but still on th tracks

Well Mr. Trump is continuing to blast the USA with following through on his campaign promises and he is following the Session/Bannon manifesto that pushes a ultra right conservative path. By instigating the Muslim ban he has angered most of the world and made it more dangerous for Americans abroad, I worry about my sister and niece and how the world perceives them, I also worry about my son who aspires to visit and tour Europe and possibly South East Asia. The view of the ugly American seems to be coming back and I'm sure that unless the US government can protect each citizen then the world will hold their government accountable. Do we really need to issue warnings against visiting certain countries, do we need to build a wall that covers our entire coast to keep Americans safe. The courts have stopped Trump from his total ban and I'm sure that most of our tax money will be diverted to pay lawyers to pursue the new agenda, not to mention someday starting to build the wall between Mexico and the USA.
   We need our tax dollars to make America great again and our citizens need to figure out how they are going to replace health care that will disappear , make our military strong again, is our military any weaker then it has been for the last eight years, we just need to pursue our enemies with resolve to finish the job. Trump has not yet come up with his definitive plan to wipe out ISIS maybe it will be a secret like when he rolled out his ban/ vetting on the seven countries that were on the Obama terrorist list, but not Saudi Arabia where fourteen terrorists from 9/11 originated, does Trump lease his name to a gilded hotel for his business partners, money should stay out of the equation when we talk about the safe being of American citizens. I still am repulsed at the videos of American citizens being beheaded and the slow sometimes non existent response of our military. I know the response of the hawkish government was just words but I think that we should respond like the proud bald eagle that represents our grand nation. You see that I believe that if we play to Trump's massive ego he actually will try and improve America if only because he sees himself as better than everyone else, it will be a shame that we will have to suffer through his conservative right agenda and a future congress that will back him for a little while until they realize that that will never be re-elected and in two years will actually need to look for work. Then the grid lock will again create a stand still that will as least mean that Mr. trump will be four and done in politics.
   I don't know how many of Trump's cabinet secretaries will be confirmed but I think everyone is beginning to question some of his candidates as both bad for his cabinet and especially bad for the country. Can the Senate hold fast and reject some we can only hope for the future of our government and for someone that can help steer the President away from a useless waste of time. Let his cabinet help mold his decisions and the direction that we need to travel. I think to seek counsel from Bannon, Miller and Conway we will continue to never move beyond campaign mode and into actually governing this country. A move more than anything needs someone to pull us all together and unify our desperate separation. Maybe then the media that created all this can step back and simply refuse to shine the light on his massive ego, why does the media even show up at his press conferences are they really in need of that much abuse. Do we really need to always look at the body in the road or can we drive by feeling empathy for a lost soul, I think the media does deserve some credit but it still has time to help change the world for the better. Can we just be kind to each other.
Happy Groundhogs Day
Rant over-South Jersey out..

You're Fired!

via Democracy Now!
"President Donald Trump fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates on Monday night, just hours after she announced the Justice Department would not defend Trump’s executive order temporarily banning all refugees, as well as citizens, from seven Muslim-majority nations. Yates had written a memo saying, quote, "I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution’s solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right. I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful." Yates had served in the Justice Department for 27 years."
The White House accused Ms. Yates of betraying  the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order which she believes to be unconstitutional. So he fired her??? She was told that it is time to get serious about protecting the citizens of the Unite States.
So get serious about it Mr. President. How about trying diplomacy instead of aggression?  Invading countries to protect the interests of the USA hasn't worked so well in the past has it? As a normal citizen I ask you, when will this worsening spiral of violence stop?? What role has the USA's foreign policies played in creating the Taliban and ISIS? I am so sick of this cheap political rhetoric and wish just for once, we could get an honest answer out of Washington.
Berlin out.