Tag: History

TRUMPETING ELEPHANTS IN THE MUD

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 2 Comments

Hearing the allegations flung at Hillary Clinton, I keep wanting Donald Trump and his camp to look in the mirror. So much sounds like psychological projection, where you cast your faults on others.

Remember, for instance, New York magazine has declared Donald J. Trump the most corrupt presidential nominee ever – worse than Ulysses S. Grant, Warren G. Harding, Richard Nixon, George W. “Halliburton” Bush, Ronald Reagan (who has the most indictments and convictions, by the way), James Garfield … what a list of Republicans! And yet they complain about Mrs. Clinton? Gimme a break!

Of course, when it comes to worst president ever, the trumpeting elephants blithely blare another name or two, ignoring the harsher reality. Eight years ago we were mired down in two wars, one of them launched with no justification, and were moments away from global financial collapse into another Great Depression … and despite unparalleled obstructionism from the GOP, we’ve had a president who has restored the economy and reduced the military burden.

Maybe that mud’s turning into quicksand. Just where are they standing, anyway?

RUSSIAN ROULETTE IN THE RACE?

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 1 Comment

One lesson we should have learned from Watergate is that inside information from a  rival’s political campaign can be used to wreak havoc in the democratic process. If you know their plans, you can thwart them. It’s like knowing your opponent’s hand when you’re playing poker. The burglary, after all, stole from the Democratic Party headquarters and involved former CIA spooks. And it’s all a high-stakes game.

When the plot unraveled, it was enough to bring down a sitting president. A crooked president, at that.

The WikiLeaks thefts, by Russian spies, is far worse. No matter what they turn up, their goal is to undermine an American election in the Kremlin’s favor. You know, the kind of nightmare the right-wing used to warn us against in screaming about the threat of the Kremlin and left-wing pinkos. I just wish those folks in the Trump camp would hear that warning more clearly, rushing up behind them.

PUTTING AN INTERPRETATION TO THE ULTIMATE TEST

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 3 Comments

Here’s a proposal for those who believe unlimited, unregulated gun ownership and gun use are the sole point of the Second Amendment. If you’re so convinced that a firearm improves the safety of you and your family, please move to a neighborhood like South Los Angeles or sections of Philadelphia or Chicago where drive-by shootings are commonplace. Join a gang, if you, must, but come back in a year and a day to tell us how reality has impacted your opinions and notions. If you’ve survived. Or life even matters.

ONE BRUSH STROKE OR ROLLER AT A TIME

~ Jnana Hodson ~ Leave a comment

One of the places I’ll admit there’s progress is in the realm of house paint. The mere fact you can go in and have a custom color on the spot that will match one you had mixed earlier is a huge advance. No more guessing. And that’s even before we get to latex, which cleans up with water, rather than oil-based or lead-infused paints.

No more color chips that were way off what showed up on the walls. Oh, how I remember my mother’s lamenting on that one, especially when they’d hired a family friend who was part of a professional painting crew. She hated the color, especially after they tried to correct it.

Now, if the blue tape only worked so well.

WHY DO THE RUSSIANS SO WANT TRUMP TO WIN?

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 2 Comments

The WikiLeaks releases seem to answer the question.

Apparently, the former Secretary of State is stronger than they’d like. Just how did Hillary Clinton so thoroughly best Vladimir Putin in the past? Or was it just her husband, Bill? Either way, it’s obvious the Kremlin couldn’t stand up to her.

Don’t be distracted, folks. Vote against Russian aggression, which is what these leaks are. The ones past, present, and threatened in the future.

Unlike Donald J. Trump, with his bromance with Vladimir. Even with Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort kicked out of the circle, there’s much more of this connection to make headlines.

ANOTHER SCENARIO TO CONSIDER, THIS ONE OUT OF LEFT FIELD

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 2 Comments

To date, all of the Republican challenges to Hillary Clinton’s activities have amounted to nothing other than the squandering of millions of taxpayers’ money.  Over the years, in fact, it’s often appeared the worst they can come up with is to accuse her of minor-league shenanigans of a routinely Republican sort.

Even after their witch hunts and kangaroo courts, though, that hasn’t stopped them from counting to howl for renewed investigations.

Still, there’s always a lingering nervously that something might still blow up along the way, and that leads to a fresh bit of speculation.

What if she withdrew from the race?

Left Tim Kaine as the party’s presidential nominee and, try this one on, Bernie Sanders running in the veep spot.

Kaine has none of the negatives Hillary carries, so the entire dynamic of the campaign would shift. Bernie would inject fresh enthusiasm into the race and deflate Jill Stein’s Green Party, as well.

Believe me, Donald Trump’s camp would be left spinning trying to adjust to the changes.

~*~

Think, too, down the pike and whether a Kaine presidency could erode the anticipated disrespect and outright contempt a Hillary Clinton White House would face as the far right-wing continues its hostility to the Obama legacy. The racist and sexist cards couldn’t be played, for certain. It would be curious to see just what the haters would be left with.

CLEANING HOUSE

~ Jnana Hodson ~ Leave a comment

You may have guessed my reaction to those bumper stickers calling Obama the worst president in American history.

Folks who have no memory of what the poor guy inherited.

OK, his biggest mistake was thinking he could reason with two-year-olds. The ones who go “No! No! No!” with no solution in sight. Imagine the rage if they were drivers on the Interstate, the ones with their brakes locked.

The mistake of thinking them men of good will rather than ill will.

The ones who have comprised the majority of the worst House of Representatives in memory, if not American history. And then their cohorts took over the Senate.

Put the blame where it belongs, especially when they won’t clean up their own mess. How about a clean sweep?