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Tag Archives: As I see It

I Wish We Were Smarter


The current elections have shown how divided we are as a country. This division is not new but has been accented by this Presidential race. Race became an issue when President Obama ran and won twice! The division was always there but once a man of color ran and won the Racists and bigots surfaced in droves spurred on by the likes of the Drump and many members of our illustrious(?) Congress. Skin color, sex or religious belief  has nothing to do with ability and intelligence. Our problem starts with the lack of reading and understanding what is really happening in the world and our Congress. If we were “smarter” as voters we would give less weight to the political ads that interrupt our TV time, our dinner  and assail our senses. The political system has come to rely on half truths and outright lies to get our votes. It is in our best interests to ignore this deluge of garbage and research the candidate  for ourselves. We have to remember a political campaign is just advertising in a different form. Our future is in the hands of the people we elect and unfortunately we fail to follow-up on them after they get into office. This lack of follow up is why they fail us (but not themselves).Once they fail we become disenfranchised and stop paying attention to them while looking for the next best thing. There is no next best if we continue to follow the same pattern of apathy (which the electeds depend on) until the next election cycle. I wish we were smarter, smarter means put aside the rhetoric you hear and look for the results. Look at the track record of the candidate (incumbent or new) and stop being a single issue voter. There are always multiple issues in a campaign and they affect all of us no matter who you are. The way to affect change in government is to be a smarter voter. Disappointment will always follow the uninformed.

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Selling Books


This political race and previous ones have shown that several so called political pundits and media hosts have one objective and that is to sell their books and their opinions (no matter how flawed). Bill O’Reilly has killed off several Presidents, Ann Coulter has shown she can’t tell one person of color from another. The issue is that in modern American the Racial divide is alive and seemingly living well. These well known (if not well read) writers have the ability to do better things with their writing but with their implied if not implicit bias they have only increased the ignorance in understanding other “races”. First we need to examine “Race” . We are ALL members of the “HUMAN RACE!”, that being said would it not make sense as members of the same world wide group that we work together in the face of truth to make the world we live in better? Forget the politics of Brexit, ISIS, Al Qaeda and other semi political groups (some of whom hold up their cause as religiously based). The aforementioned writers/ pundits have one goal and that is to sell books! Do your self a favor do not buy the books but read them on line or at a library then decide the validity of their writings and the facts(?) behind the text.   As humans we have capability to get beyond these common misconceptions by simply talking to one another and understanding that each division of the human race aside from religious views have similar if not exactly the same views on more issues than is known. The divisions are political ploys to keep us separate with overblown explanations of non issues.

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Sooner Than Later


The FBI has failed again (still?). The close to the vest method of gathering information has hurt us again and again. Information on the Boston Bombers and now the Orlando shooter should have been made available to local Law enforcement. The local officers have the ability to monitor these people and hopefully prevent another tragedy. It is time that the FBI step up and really help protect Americans from any potential radical threats local and foreign. Apparently its OK to allow these events to happen in order to protect the “integrity” of the agency. It is well past time that these agencies should have a reciprocal association for the security of the Nation, this is after all their job. The agency was so intent on investigating civil rights activists that there was no protection Dr. king, none for Malcolm X and none for Robert Kennedy. I am of the opinion that the agency possibly had information that could have prevented these acts but we may never know for sure. More recently, the bureau has extensively investigated Hillary Clinton’s email (at what cost?) and decided that there were no intentional mistakes in what was done but there were many instances of poor record keeping. Little known facts  that 2 former Secretaries of State used private email servers and these were never brought up in this debate by the Dupublicans. As an agency, the FBI has changed from protectors and investigators to more of a dingy office detective. This is not to say that the agency is bad but more to say that their mandate does not  or should not include investigations involving politics or at least not publicize them until a full and complete investigation is done. These days of instant information put out incorrect or incomplete information with the speed of light but correction is lost in the dust.

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Consolidate Our Thinking


Many organizations with as many smaller sects are encouraging people to vote a certain way however the real issue should be proper education on all of the issues. These issues are beyond the rhetoric and by extension beyond this election. The smaller elections where Congressional representatives are elected are the biggest issue. We all hear the constant yammering of who is the best choice and the sound bites, buzzwords and snippets designed to excite the voters yet say nothing of substance. An educated electorate is the key to good government, not single issues that apply to some of the people. The way to better government is a long range overall view of all issues no matter who it specifically influences. What effects one group has an impact on all of us sooner or later. As voters we need to broaden our vision of the issues and vote according the effect on all of us for now and in the future. Keep in mind many of our Congressional reps have been in office too long for our own good. Listening to recent interviews with supporters of candidates shows the many people who will be voting are under informed and have one (1) single issue in mind when pressed for reasons they will vote for their favored candidate. These single issues cannot be addressed in a vacuum since they are just a piece of a larger puzzle which like any puzzle needs all of the pieces to make a complete picture. It is of little consequence that you like or dislike a candidate (popularity is over rated) but more that you know more about them in the context of what they may or may not bring to the office.

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The Congress in Digress


The recent override  of the President’s veto has been explained by members of Congress and hailed by the families of 9/11 victims. The long range effect is yet to be felt when these lawsuits move forward. Now good ole Mitch McConnell has piped up again (after the fact) stating that he wished that the President had explained the reason for the veto as it apparently makes sense. Now the Congress will come back after their (election) recess and modify the law before finalizing it. We are all victims of 9/11 and it seems that our Congress has been out to lunch on that fact. Allowing mass lawsuits against specifically Saudi Arabia is at once ludicrous and dangerous since as stated by the President this could bring the same types of lawsuits against the United States from a number of sources. Again “Doc” McConnell is “after speaking”, it appears to me that being in Washington, having ready access to the Whitehouse and related agents, Mr. McTurtle  had access to the information he said he wished the President had made available to the Congress. So explain to me why we keep electing the same Bozo’s after circus has left town?

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Modern Politics


“Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare: “The evil that men do lives after them.The good is oft interred with their bones.”
The above quote sums up our Congress in part or totally. It is within our means to change the quality of our representatives. As citizens we have been victims (yes victims) of organized politics and the media with its many offshoots in the airwaves and in print. Without fully understanding it we have been advertised into voting for folks who we clearly see afterwards are not representing us as they said they would. This misrepresentation then leaves us jaded and unwilling to investigate any new aspirants yet we (some of us) do not vote out of frustration or confusion. How about a little clarity? First all politicians in and out of office are for themselves in one way or another! Some are in it for the money, some are in if for the prestige and some (too few) are actually in it to represent heir constituents. There is a saying that “you can tell when a politician is lying when you see their lips moving”. You can’t stop the lips moving but you limit the output by voting regularly and with knowledge. If an aspirant to an office understands that his tenure is dependent on a knowledgeable base perhaps we will get better representation. The power of the government is in the hands of knowledgeable voters.

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That’s Just The Way It Is!


The recent Colin Kaepernick discussion has again brought the issue of Race to light. I have had several discussions with folks who have not looked at the whole issue. The acceptance of sound bites and headlines appears to be commonplace these days so the backstories (as it were) are lost . Mr. Kaepernick’s protest is legitimate and not well understood by anyone who has never recognized or experienced racial discrimination. This is not to say that Racial disparity  stops at color but it does allow for a discussion of the issue and how it affects everyone. To get to the back story: The writer of “the Star spangled Banner” was a slave  owner and was concerned over the slaves going over to the British as they were treated better than their owners treated them and they were free. The third Stanza which I have posted below tells a story in itself:

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore, That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion A home and a Country should leave us no more? Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave, And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.  

The real issue is that America has still a long way to go as far as Race relations and we have allowed our leaders to continue the propagation of this divide. Mr. Trump has done a masterful job with his rhetoric and I believe does not realize what he is doing. Many Americans (all races) are dissatisfied with the Government but still vote along Racial lines in many cases because it’s easier to hate than to learn about the people they elect. Many of us have become addicted to “reality” shows that in truth are not everyone’s reality and feel that life is like that. If better government is what desired by Americans then reading up on what Congress, State and local elected officials are doing and pay little attention to what they say. Remember to examine the pieces rather than the whole if you want the truth! That’s just the way it is does not have to be.

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Not As Sharp As We Need To Be


The election has brought us many diverse looks and opinions. I am still confused as to why so many smart people cannot see this election clearly. We have two damaged contenders but still one (1) is a better choice regardless of party backing. So many are complaining about change in Government but when that opportunity was available not enough supported the changes. We were so caught up (and still are) in buzzwords, sound bites and catch phrases to see what the real issues were (and are). Our long serving Congress and the well-known pundits decried the Affordable Care Act (Obama care) and scared people away from it, now the system is failing from lack of participation while damaging the people who are covered. There is always the “We” in speeches and conversation but the “We” is actually “I” in most cases. We have been subverted by the very people we follow and trust to be honest. While we have been busy hearing the correct sounding phrases and speeches the real information is hidden like  old clothes in an attic. It is time to clean out the attic and decide which of these less than perfect candidates has the ability to do the job. My personal choice is H and not T primarily because she is better equipped to do it because of a relationship with the rest of the world. Keep in mind that Europe and Asia is watching and a T presidency will hurt us for years to came. It is well to remember that you have an opportunity to make changes in the Congress which is more critical than the Presidency (since the Congress will set the tone for any future progress on anything the country does). To be a better voter clean out the clutter and find the real facts

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We Do It Anyway


Why is it that we do things against all odds? We consistently create problems for ourselves that by all  measures of rationality we should be able to avoid. Even with the information available on the tool we use for entertainment on a daily basis (internet), we ignore information that could prove to be our salvation in some cases and helpful in others. There are back stories on our politics and policies, there are stories on the best and worst vehicles to buy, household goods and how to avoid being ripped off. Of course there are tons of ads from unscrupulous sources but a little judicious reading will weed those out (if you looking for a company avoid the listings that clearly have the word “AD” in the address line, these are not  company websites. There are no specific laws against those type of listings but there are alerts and those alerts exist in each one of us. The old saying “Caveat emptor” still applies and is more  important now. In spite of this post and other warnings on these deceptive practices-we do it anyway . The recent dustup over a QB’s refusal to stand for the national anthem is another instance of under informed people making a big deal over nothing. What if the American Revolution was covered in modern times? Our history would be one of constant turmoil among the races, religions and the native Americans who we stole from. Given our written history in spite of the errors of omission and commission we have done OK as a country. Our failure has been in our trust in the words of our leaders (primarily the long serving ones). We have come to depend too much on what we are told without investing time in vetting the content or the back story of that content. We have to stop doing it anyway.

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Once We Get There


When this election is over and done, no matter who wins, the US will not be the same. If we have a Trump Presidency, there will major changes but not what supporters expect. The current Congress will only allow what they want to be done and any thing that will negatively the “party” will be slow walked if not outright killed. The above statement could also apply to Hillary Clinton. Apparently Mr. Trump is so sure that he is a better non political leader that his programs will be enacted in the first 100 days of his Presidency. To be sure he may have some limited success but his followers will soon learn his agenda will fall on rough times and will not be as enforceable as they think. It is unfortunate that so many disenfranchised people have jumped on the Trump mobile but think about where  or what these folks could accomplish by simply putting their biases aside and get facts about other Americans. Many of their shared ideas are based on Antebellum information about non white Americans. Americans all have the same problems no matter what color they are, what religion they follow and who they associate with. Our government in general has been in turmoil for years but  we had no access to the issues except by news papers or radio, then TV came along and information got easier to get. When the electronic age arrived information was immediate (not always correct but fast). Even with this information readily available many of us would rather listen to someone selling  snake oil  since it sounds good. Suppose we didn’t trust everything the government tells us, would we then read  or investigate to find the facts? Probably not but we still vote people in who continue the same practices that do nothing of merit for all of us. In the 50’s we had Senator McCarthy with his madness, we supported the Shah of Iran in his devastation of his country (that has haunted us to this day), we went into Vietnam for a loss and now we have a demagogue aspiring to be President. We may never have a perfect nation but we can have the one promised and allowed by our Constitution (if we want it). Once we get there the worst will be over but some problems will still exist but they will be manageable.

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