31 October 2016

Update no.776

Update from the Heartland
No.776
24.10.16 – 30.10.16
To all,

            The follow-up news items:
-- In this category, a friend and contributor wrote:
“As I generally begin my search each day for any updates on MS804 and MH370, I found the following this morning:”
The article linked above:
“There’s something we haven’t been told about MH370”
by Anthony Colangelo – Reporter
The New Daily
Published: Oct 25, 2016; 11:00pm
My response:
            I am troubled by more than a few things in that article.
            However, first and foremost, I do agree with the conclusion: “[Cox] now believes ‘rogue pilot’ [hypothesis] is no more likely than any other theory.  My opinion favors the rogue pilot hypothesis simply because it is the hypothesis that fits most of the publicly known data, but I cannot espouse the rogue pilot hypothesis over other plausible hypotheses.
            Windscreen failure is so low on the plausible hypotheses scale as to be essentially zero . . . verging upon a wild-ass guess, i.e., the aircraft could have been hit by a meteor.  It suggests a very poor understanding of modern windscreen design and experience.
            Windscreen heater failures occur in all high altitude aircraft (to my knowledge).  I have dealt with that class of failure in virtually every high altitude aircraft I have ever worked on.  While there have been instances of smoking units, I have never heard of a full-on fire caused by windscreen heater malfunction in any aircraft.
            The documented flight track required pilot action, either by active flight control or programming the FCS, either way it was an intentional act.
            Lastly, I am troubled by the graphic at the bottom . . . my primary objections: 1.) the boxed “Likely Flight Track,” and 2.) the implication the found debris indicates the likely crash site, i.e., Western Indian Ocean.  The arc pointed to by the boxed text is actually the equi-distant arc from the maritime satellite (InMarSat) that picked up the last electronic ping from the aircraft.  The debris has been floating debris, which by definition is subject to wind and ocean currents.  While there are factual elements in the graphic, the annotations and conclusions are wrong.

            I am so bloody tired of this eMail crap.  There is ONLY one person to blame for the mess she is in – Hillary Rodham Clinton – period, full stop, end of story.
            Hillary can blame no one else!  It does not matter who advised her, who suggested it would make her life easier, or anything or anyone else.  She decided to mix private and professional communications, hosted, processed and stored on a personal server she purchased, had installed and maintained in her home.  Once she decided to mix private and public communications, she abdicated her communications privacy.  When she unilaterally decided (regardless of any third party she hired) to delete her “private” eMails, she violated several laws at least on intent, if not explicit legal precision.  By my understanding of the law, both the bill enacting Title 5 – Government Organization and Employees [PL 89-554; 80 Stat. 378; 6.September.1966] and the Presidential Recordings Preservation Act [PL 93-526; 88 Stat. 1695; 19.December.1974] defined the intent of the law regarding governmental communications.  Her professional communications belong to the People, NOT to her.  Once she chose to mix those messages, her private communications during her years of service became part of the public record by default, i.e., she had no right to delete communications she unilaterally deemed “private” or personal.
            Hillary decided to sluff it off in a lame attempt to minimize what she had done and exposed governmental communications to potential compromise.  Her actions have allowed this matter to remain an open wound that cannot heal for more than two years.  I can find no evidence she understands the full dimensions of her “mistake.”
            Hillary probably did not want people rummaging through her private communications with other people.  I sure as hell know I do not want anyone rummaging through my communications.  However, the biggest point of all in this sordid episode remains, she ABDICATED her privacy when she decided to combine professional and private communications.  I have attempted to strictly keep my professional and private communications separate.  I have known all my professional life that my professional communications were the property of the military (the USG) and whatever company I was working for at the time.  How she rationalized the mixing of professional and private for her personal, selfish convenience was beyond me.  She probably considered it a classic “easier to seek forgiveness than to gain permission” scenario.  Well, the forgiveness has been very difficult to attain for one principal reason it seems to me.  Hillary (and her husband) has(ve) a long pattern of behavior and conduct that demonstrates or strongly implies they see themselves as above the law, i.e., the divine right of kings.  At the end of the day, such conduct is absolutely, categorically unacceptable and intolerable . . . regardless of apologies.

            Pardon me . . . it took me far too long to figure out that Donald Trump is spot on correct!  The presidential election system is rigged . . . in spades.  The Founders / Framers were wise enough and intellectually astute enough to recognize and acknowledge the vulnerability of the new Republic to simple, popular vote.  They created a system with some insulation between simple popular vote and the actual election of the president.  The people are susceptible to demagoguery, as history bore witness in 1932/33.  A third of the German people voted for the National Socialist German Worker’s Party (NSDAP).  The German political establishment of the day convinced President Hindenburg they could control the firebrand NSDAP leader.  As a consequence, Hindenburg appointed Hitler to be chancellor [30.January.1933].  It took less than three months [23.March.1933] for the German Parliament under National Socialist coercion to pass by a vote of 441 to 94, a law giving Adolf Hitler dictatorial power – actually, Gesetz zur Behebung der Not von Volk und Reich [Law in order to remedy the misery of the people and the Empire] also known as der Ermächtigungsgesetz [the Enabling Act].  At that moment, the political establishment lost any hope of controlling the new dictator.  Suppression of the Press, opposition and the Judiciary began simultaneously, but took a little longer to achieve and was just as absolute.  While our electoral process, established by the Constitution, would NOT prevent such unilateral power being placed in the hands of one person, it certainly makes the likelihood substantially less.  If we think similar demagoguery is not possible in this Grand Republic, we are only fooling ourselves.  So, yes, our presidential election system is rigged (to use the erroneous word of the Republican nominee), and I want it to remain that way.  Any human being who thinks and proclaims, “I alone can fix it” [762] is a demagogue in the classic sense and the worst possible way.

            Footnote: The next Update will be the last before the election on Tuesday, 8.November.2016.  I will state for the record, if I did or even could believe the few kernels of policy positions espoused by the Republican presidential nominee, I could actually support those few positions.  Unfortunately, I do not believe him.  Yet, for me, I cannot get past his seriously threatening character flaws, just one noted above.  As I have stated more than a few times in this humble forum, I have seen his kind far too many times in my life.
            To be fair and balanced, I also find affinity with some of the policy positions offered by the Democrat presidential nominee.  However, the perception of entitlement above and beyond We, the People, as illuminated above, is simply a bridge too far for me.
            In just over a week, I expect we shall have a president-elect.  Whomever the new president shall be, I will do my best to see the positive and find the good, and more importantly, I shall advocate for compromise to find solutions to our very real national issues.  Full stop!

            Leonard Pitts sank the nail with one stroke, again.
“Trump whines and blames instead of accepting reality”
by Leonard Pitts Jr. – Miami Herald
Wichita Eagle
Published: OCTOBER 24, 2016; 5:16 AM

            Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada publicly suggested that FBI Director James Comey may have violated the Hatch Act, when the director sent a disclosure letter to cognizant members of Congress regarding the “pertinent” eMails discovered on Wiener’s laptop computer in an unrelated criminal investigation.  Comey was left in an impossible position after his declaration last July [760].  For a man of integrity, I truly believe he had no choice but to issue that disclosure letter.  The Comey letter was NOT an open letter.  It was NOT intended for public disclosure.  While we do not know who made that letter public, I have very strong suspicions.  President Roosevelt signed into law the Hatch Act of 1939 [PL 76-252; 53 Stat. 1147; 2.August.1939] [570], “to prevent pernicious political activities” by Federal employees.  Given the circumstances created solely by Hillary Clinton (see above), there is no way on God’s little green Earth the word “pernicious” can be applied to Comey’s action.  Hillary can rail against the timing and precedent, yet again, she did this completely to herself.  Apparently, she has no problem throwing Director Comey under the bus – not a high point in personal integrity on her part.

            News from the economic front:
-- The U.S. Commerce Department reported the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at a 2.9% annual rate in 3Q2016 – the fastest growth in two years, which eased concerns of a near-term slowdown.   Economic growth remains on a long, slow trajectory.

            Comments and contributions from Update no.775:
Comment to the Blog:
“To repeat the obvious, Donald Trump's personality failings make him a dramatically inappropriate choice for President.  Unfortunately, the high-functioning gentlemen who wrote the Constitution failed to foresee our national descent into madness.  They neglected to specify admission of criminal behavior or dramatic personality dysfunctions as disqualifying factors for high office.
“However, ‘Even a blind hog can find an acorn once in a while.’ (Attributed to William F. Shumaker by goodreads.com) Trump's proposals on revolving-door lobbying, should they be enacted, would benefit the U.S. a great deal.  I see term limits on Congress less favorably unless similar limits could somehow be imposed on lobbying.  Otherwise, experienced lobbyists could manipulate even more rookie members of Congress as easily than they do now.
“Comparing Trump to Clinton resembles comparing arsenic to cyanide as a food additive.  You die either way.  I am glad I already voted. My enthusiasm drops lower daily.  The only reassuring factor is that Congress could restrain either of them.
“I would not oppose lawsuits exposing corruption in our electoral system, although the outcomes of those are beyond my imagination.  However, some of Trump's supporters may make some attempt at armed revolt when their candidate loses.  The duly elected President will put that down forcibly. In the process, she will demonstrate the futility of those who claim to keep arms in anticipation of revolting against an oppressive government.  The United States has by far the largest military in the world. If someone thinks they can beat that with a few thousand personal arsenals, let them have at it.
“Your statement about Senator Sanders is false.  ‘Bernie sought to protest those rules and went a long way to doing just that; he still played by the rules.’  Not quite.  The ‘rules’ that bother most of us in regard to the Clintons deal with fund raising. Sanders out-raised Mrs. Clinton more months than not without taking corporate or PAC money.  That's on record at the Federal Elections Commission. Sanders did not play by ‘the rules’ (Citizens United and the rest). A few others are still doing that grassroots fundraising.  Voters may forget that for a while, but progressive office holders and potential candidates will not. Furthermore, Senator Sanders is not going away.  If the Democrats successfully re-take the Senate, as they may, Sanders will become the chief check on Hillary Clinton's corporate paybacks.  Senator Warren, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and others will support his efforts.”
My response to the Blog:
            Re: “failed to foresee our national descent into madness.  On the contrary, I think they constructed the Electoral College to avoid or deal with just this situation – popular seduction by a demagogue.
            Re: lobbyists.  That is the flaw in term limits.  Many laws are drafted and pushed by the lobbyists for their self and client benefit.  I am not sure how we break that one without impinging upon the 1st Amendment.
            Re: “arsenic to cyanide.  Good one!
            Re: “lawsuits exposing corruption.  I do not know anyone who would oppose such litigation, well other than the culprits.  However, it should be criminal prosecution, not civil lawsuits, against such felonious conduct.
            Re: “armed revolt.  That is my concern as well.  The Republican nominee has unleashed the white supremacists and xenophobes among us.  If we have an oppressive government, we have ourselves to blame.  We elected, enabled and allowed the moral projectionists in government, who pass those oppressive laws.  It is up to us to undo what they have done.  Returning us to slavery or oppression of women in the name of “Making America Great Again” is on us.
            Re: “the rules.”  I understand the resentment to the fundraising rules.  I share in that resentment.  I was gobsmacked throughout my reading of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission [558 U.S. 310 (2010)] [424] that struck down the guts of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA){AKA McCain–Feingold Act or Shays-Meehan}[PL 107-155; 116 Stat. 81; 27.March.2002] [322], which made a valiant attempt, albeit not far enough, to constrain the effects of money (and more importantly, dark money) on federal elections.  I strongly disagreed with the lopsided interpretation of the Constitution, then, [by the so-called strict constructionists in the Court] and my opinion has not changed.  If anything, the Hillary Clinton campaign of 2016 has demonstrated the negative consequences and reinforced my opinion.  SCOTUS has forced the issue into the realm of a constitutional amendment to clean up elections.  Given my experience with the Equal Rights Amendment {House Joint Resolution No. 208; 22.March.1972}, I know how hard constitutional amendments can be, but that does not mean we should not try.
            Re: “chief check.  I pray you are correct.

Another contribution:
“Good letter…the one big red-line (among others) that Trump crossed for me was regarding nuclear weapons.  He has not the temperament, judgment, knowledge or even common sense to be the one in charge of our nuclear arsenal - of which BTW, he has no clue.  Most Americans are not really aware that the order can be given and carried out in only a few minutes…it was designed that way.  Those hoping that others would be a brake on Trump’s urges to use nuclear weapons were he to win don’t understand the system.  HRC has issues, but I am not concerned with her starting a nuclear war on during a bad day.
“Also, regarding the comment of one of your correspondents re Trump ‘As Chief Executive, Trump would restore international respect for our country while cleaning house in the Executive Branch, protecting the integrity of our Judicial Branch (Federal Courts) by nominating constitutional scholars, and inspiring our Legislative Branch (Congress) to do its constitutional job by doing his.’
“Actually, Trump has already caused immeasurable harm to international respect for the United States.  I go overseas a lot and deal with foreign officials and politicians.  To a person, they all are aghast at Trump, and wonder what has happened in the U.S.  Even back in the summer of 2015, they were asking what the hell he was about.  I can say that it will take a long time for the U.S. to get back the respect of many foreign governments and peoples in the wake of Trump’s candidacy.  The statement that he would ‘restore international respect’ for the U.S. is utterly ludicrous and without any basis in fact.
“Another writer has ably commented on Trump’s bizarre relationship with the President of the Russian Federation.  He says it better than I can.”
“‘Trump is dangerous because he refused to agree that he would accept the election’s outcome if he loses, inviting a violent reaction by his supporters — and because he sided with the Russian Federation against U.S. intelligence and military leaders over their alleged interference in this election. Even his running mate Mike Pence has found these bizarre positions insupportable.
‘What Trump’s startling debate responses showed was not merely his vacuum of proper temperament and judgment — personality defects that are all too well known by now — but his casual lack of respect for basic American institutions and traditions.  His casual dismissal of profound concerns over Russian incursions against U.S. citizens, despite the briefings he has received from American intelligence officials, was stunning.  He accepted the denials by Russian officials and implied that his own country’s services are lying.
‘Frantically as he waves the flag, spouting nationalism and xenophobia, Trump’s ‘patriotism’ is now exposed as a ruse. Although he pretended to denounce interference in American elections ‘by any country,’ at the urging of moderator Chris Wallace, he has encouraged the suspected Russian intrusions into this process all along — and reaffirmed that position last night.
‘No doubt many Republicans have been troubled by Trump’s shadowy and compromised relationship with the regime of Vladimir Putin.  His strange pronouncements about Ukraine, Syria, and other foreign issues, seeming to justify or whitewash aggressive Russian policies, are far outside the American mainstream in either party.’”
My reply:
            Re: “redline(s).”  There were (are) so bloody many, and he has sprinted (as best he can these days) across virtually all of them.  I do absolutely agree with you . . . his comments about nuclear weapons were irresponsible and extraordinarily ill informed.
            Re: “immeasurable harm.  Indeed . . . of that there is no doubt.  What is even worse, I am quite concerned the aftermath of his candidacy will be the vile gift that keeps giving.  Further, he will blame the lack of international respect on Obama.
            Re: “Trump-Putin bro-mance.”  The contradictions in the Republican nominee’s public positions, statements and other brain-farts abound.  There is NO consistency . . . well, other than his brand (name) and his voracious appetite for publicity (of any kind) – classic extreme narcissism.

            My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap                        :-)

24 October 2016

Update no.775

Update from the Heartland
No.775
17.10.16 – 23.10.16
To all,

            Several public opinions were published this week in our local newspaper and seem quite appropriate at this juncture of the silly season.
-- “This isn’t ‘how men are’”
by Leonard Pitts Jr. – Miami Herald
Wichita Eagle
Published: OCTOBER 17, 2016 5:12 AM
-- “Win or lose, Trump damages democracy”
by Davis Merritt
Wichita Eagle
Published: OCTOBER 18, 2016 5:01 AM
            Yet, it was a simple Opinion Line contribution that rang the bell for me.
I’m so confused. It seems as if the Republican Party is trying to make me vote for Clinton.”
            I understand Melania’s defense of her husband, but I’m sorry, Melania . . . what was on the video tape was not “boy talk.”  She also affirmed the reality that she had two (2) boys at home – her son and her husband.  Further, I do NOT want a boy in the Oval Office.  I want a mature, calm, level-headed, contemplative person (male, female, transgender . . . well gender is irrelevant) in the Oval Office.  ‘Nuf said!

            This week, the Republican nominee Donald Trump offered his governmental ethics reform proposal.
First: I am going to re-institute a 5-year ban on all executive branch officials lobbying the government for 5 years after they leave government service. I am going to ask Congress to pass this ban into law so that it cannot be lifted by executive order.
Second: I am going to ask Congress to institute its own 5-year ban on lobbying by former members of Congress and their staffs.
Third: I am going to expand the definition of lobbyist so we close all the loopholes that former government officials use by labeling themselves consultants and advisors when we all know they are lobbyists.
Fourth: I am going to issue a lifetime ban against senior executive branch officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.
And Fifth: I am going to ask Congress to pass a campaign finance reform that prevents registered foreign lobbyists from raising money in American elections.”
            The next day, he added his advocacy for congressional term limits – a six-year limit for the House [three (3) terms] and a 12-year cap for the Senate [two (2) terms].  At least the Republican nominee acknowledged that a constitutional amendment would be required to impose term limits on Congress.
            A regular contributor added his opinion.
“Here is another reason I urge patriots to vote for the rogue non-politician Independent Republican who offends many with his bad habits, scares the timid with his unapologetic pride in the values that made America great, and gives us every reason to believe that he will actually begin to change things in Washington while respecting and protecting the constitution.
“Incidentally, I do not plan to vote for any Repandercrat and may actually vote this time for a Democrat for my U.S. representative, confident that the incumbent republican will win on his way to inherit Thad Cochran's revered Senatorial mantle and spend another career in Washington along with all the others that oppose term limits in favor of the status quo.
“One can hold one's nose and hopefully vote for Trump in good faith.  One cannot block the stench of corruption surrounding Clinton by any nasal pressure or other pretense at the polls.”
I could not resist responding.
            First, I must confess, I fully support Trump’s ethics and term limits proposals.  I have a long history of advocating for similar ethics reforms and especially for term limits for Congress.  The 22nd Amendment was ratified by the states in 1951, to prevent a repeat of FDR’s four terms as POTUS.  Unfortunately, the 22nd Amendment only applies to POTUS.
            I would argue that Trump’s ethics proposal does not go far enough in curtailing the influence of lobbyists and the incestuous relationship between Congress and lobbyists.  It is not clear to me how his Fifth point would play with Citizens United [558 U.S. 310 (2010)] [424], but it is still worth a shot.  Also, only partially constraining lobbyists, especially with congressional term limits, might actually make things much worse.
            Now that we have the agreements out of the way, I cannot resist responding to some of your other points.
            Re: “the values that made America great.  OK, I’ll bite.  What values are those?  I had no idea self-serving, egocentricity, narcissism and demagoguery were historic values lauded in this Grand Republic.  I have so much yet to learn.
            Re: “gives us every reason to believe that he will actually begin to change things in Washington while respecting and protecting the constitution.  I genuinely and truly wish your assessment is and would be correct.  Unfortunately, I see very little to give me similar confidence.  In fact, I see far too many signs that a Trump presidency would be the antithesis of what this Grand Republic has stood for nearly two and a half centuries.
            As I have acknowledged with other contributors to this humble forum, I offer nothing but praise for your ability to so clearly see your choice.  I have not made my choice, as yet, other than I cannot find any path to vote for the Republican nominee; his character flaws are simply too monumental and threatening for my tolerance.
            Re: “the stench of corruption surrounding Clinton.  I am no fan of Hillary – never have been and probably never will be.  There is certainly a plethora of salients to criticize her conduct.  She has clearly done some really bonehead things.  Further, we may not like the rules of the game, but we should not criticize her for playing by those rules better than anyone else.  Bernie sought to protest those rules and went a long way to doing just that; he still played by the rules.  If we don’t like the rules, let us change the rules before the next game rather than crucify a candidate for playing by the rules.

            The third and final presidential debate of this silly season was held at the Thomas & Mack Center, University of Nevada Las Vegas, moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News.  I will begrudgingly give Trump credit for his mighty effort to appear and act presidential, but he failed to sustain that Herculean effort for 90 minutes.  He simply does not have the maturity to keep his mouth shut and retain some modicum of discipline.
            I could offer multitudinous observations on both candidates.  I certainly have those opinions.  However, I highly doubt my opinions or observations matter a hoot to anyone.  To me, the truth-teller above all others was the Republican nominee’s response to Wallace’s query: “I want to ask you here on the stage tonight, do you make the same commitment that you'll absolutely accept the result of the election?
Trump answered, “I will look at it at the time. I’m not looking at anything now, I'll look at it at the time. What I've seen, what I’ve seen, is so bad.
Trump rambled on in a valiant effort to deflect from the question.  Wallace pressed him, “Are you saying you're not prepared now to commit to that [the] principle [of peaceful transition of power]?
To which, he responded, “What I’m saying is that I will tell you at the time.  I'll keep you in suspense, okay?
While this is an abridged transcript of the exchange, it is the essence of the problem I have with the Republican nominee.  The whole election is ALL about him – not this Grand Republic, not history, not tradition, not precedent, not anything beyond himself.  His response is consistent with his “I alone can fix it” statement [762], i.e., only he can determine the legitimacy of this election.  This is NOT a reality show, Donald!  This is the presidency of the United States of America.  It is NOT about you.
            I stand squarely and solidly with Hillary; I am horrified that a presidential candidate would fail to stand with the democratic process in this Grand Republic.  Every losing candidate in my lifetime has conceded with dignity and grace.  Donald Trump has no clue – none – what those words mean.
            The Donald had not even left the stage when his surrogates rushed out to begin their work – “Of course, we’ll accept the election results.”  Thank goodness his surrogates had their decoder rings to translate his words into proper English for the rest of us.  But, no, the Donald could not leave well enough alone.  He had to double-down in the days following the debate.  His narcissism and demagoguery will go down in history as unprecedented and unequalled.
            At the end of the day, I am left with the Comment Line statement noted in last week’s Update [774].  Donald Trump is working very, very hard to make me vote for Hillary Clinton (which I absolutely resent, i.e., she does not deserve my vote).
Postscript note: FYI, Donald, the Supreme Court does NOT do anything “automatically,” no matter what you may want.  You clearly have no clue about how the Supreme Court works.  Supplemental: Sam Brownback is trying to do a similar “court packing” campaign here is Kansas.  These damnable ideologues must be stopped.

            A relevant observation:
“Republicans are so quick to use the term ‘constitutional right’ to bear arms aka 2nd Amendment.  But they won't do the same for Roe v Wade.  The same ‘constitutional right’ applies.”
To which, I replied:
            I certainly understand and agree with your sentiment.  However, we need to be quite precise and clear, especially on such volatile and polarizing issues.
            The 2nd Amendment has been and remains a part of the Constitution of the United States since 1791.  The matter addressed in Roe v. Wade [410 U.S. 113 (1973)] [319] is constitutional interpretation by the Supreme Court and it is not represented or reflected in any of the articles or amendments to the Constitution.
            I will say, I highly doubt Trump has read Roe v. Wade or even has a smidgen of understanding of what the SCOTUS ruling actually says beyond what he has been fed.  I make no claim to being a constitutional scholar, but I have read the ruling (carefully).  The instigating issue in that case was abortion.  Yet, the ruling deals with a citizen’s (a woman’s) fundamental right to privacy in making intimate and very personal medical decisions.  Neither abortion nor privacy are written into the Constitution.
            SCOTUS is driven by an important, I will say essential, point of law called “stare decisis” = “to stand by a decision.”  The body of decisions regarding the 2nd Amendment is far greater than that of abortion or even privacy.  Yet, at the end of the day, SCOTUS is the sole interpreter of the Constitution since Marbury v. Madison [5 U.S. {1 Cranch} 137 (1803)] [414].  The reality is, SCOTUS can and has changed its collective mind (albeit, comparatively rarely), e.g., Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission [558 U.S. 310 (2010)] [424].
            There are many such matters that remain lightning rods in contemporary society; regulation of firearms and abortion are but two of those issues.  I will close by saying the ultimate, single most critical issue that remains under constant pressure is a citizen’s fundamental right to privacy, IMHO.
            Vote wisely, my Son.
With this follow-up contribution:
“Thank you for the insight and clarity.  I knew Roe v Wade wasn’t part of the actual Constitution but your description helps provide context.
“I thought last nights debate was the best out of the 3.  It got a little much towards the end as they tried to talk over each other but overall it was good.  As for ‘wisely,’ not sure that's possible in this election.  I guess anyone but Trump will be wise in our sad state of affairs.
“We'll know in 3 weeks!”
Along with my follow-up reply:
            Debate 2 sealed and locked the door for me.  I’m still writing about Debate 3, but the truth-teller moment was “I’ll keep you in suspense.”
            The best we can hope for is an overwhelming landslide defeat (losing the presidency and both chambers of Congress) that embarrasses him so much that he disappears . . . not likely, given his character flaws, but still a nice thought.
            Yes, indeed, we shall know in 3 weeks.

            Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte [769] continues his pledged efforts to distance his country from the United States, while he cozies up to the People’s Republic of China.  It would appear the Philippines have conceded the island dispute in the South China Sea to the PRC [696].  The Philippine people elected Duterte based on his professed intentions to warm to the PRC and cool to the U.S.A.   Separately, Russia has apparently told Duterte to give them a wish list for military hardware.  This is not a good sign for open navigation of the South China Sea.

            A regular contributor added his public opinion on the impending election.
“No doubt.  Predictable Hillary Clinton, extremely wealthy and comfortable after a long controversial public-paid career, is an excellent debater.  She is the long time opportunistic presidential aspirant/politician's wife/political insider, accustomed to achieving success by defusing or defending questionable personal and professional conduct with clever obfuscation, always with careful regard for appearances and blind loyalty to the Democratic Party line.  She is still pleased with her party's efforts to keep America strong and promises more and better of the same approach along with bigger government and a more left leaning Supreme Court.  On the other hand, unpredictable Donald Trump, also extremely wealthy but after a long controversial privately paid career, is a very poor debater.   He is the long time opportunistic entrepreneur/job provider/political outsider, accustomed to achieving success by ignoring complaints of his male chauvinistic mistakes and out-negotiating or bullying weaker opponents while cleverly minimizing taxes, always with little regard for appearances and somewhat fickle support for both Democrat and Repandercrat party lines.  He is disgusted with both parties' failures to keep America strong and promises a fresh different approach along with leaner government and a Supreme Court that respects the constitution as written.  These are important differences, folks.  Clinton the experienced debater energetically prepares for television with experts and debates articulately with condescending smiles and smooth insults.   Trump the poor debater casually prepares with loyal followers and debates awkwardly, with ugly frowns and rough shotgun jabs.  No doubt, if voters believe debating skills are essential, another Clinton will disgrace the White House!  However, presidents don't debate; they lead.  More than ever in history our country needs a tough independent political outsider and private job creator, not a polished status quo politician, to lead our Executive Branch of government.  As Chief Executive, Trump would restore international respect for our country while cleaning house in the Executive Branch, protecting the integrity of our Judicial Branch (Federal Courts) by nominating constitutional scholars, and inspiring our Legislative Branch (Congress) to do its constitutional job by doing his.   Debating skills are not leadership skills.  I hope voters will think for themselves and not be swayed or scared by pollsters or talking heads who swallow smooth political rhetoric and use debates to prove presidential fitness.  Of two unpopular choices, the outsider who will shake up Washington is by far the better one on November 8, 2016.”
My supplemental contribution:
            First and foremost, thank you so very much for sharing your opinion.
            Second, since you wrote to a newspaper, I presume it is acceptable to publish your opinion in this week’s Update.
            Now, I cannot resist my urge to comment.  Please forgive me.
            Your words feature debating skills as a pivotal matter.   Respectfully, the debates rarely yield valuable insights to the candidates intended policies or potential leadership skills.  The debates do offer a graphic view of how candidates handle stress, thinking on their feet without notes and teleprompters (i.e., command of the issue at hand), and how they handle inter-personal relationships.  They are unscripted moments that reflect commitment and preparation, which presumably will indicate how they will perform as POTUS.
            Re: “respects the constitution as written.  Interesting topic for public debate.  We have touched upon this issue many times.  SCOTUS has existed to interpret the words.  So much comes down to the question: did the Founders / Framers intend the Constitution to be interpreted in the context of 1788?  In those days, only white, male, property owners had the right to vote, and slavery was codified in the Constitution.  Strict constructionists demand interpretation ONLY in the context of 1788 and only the articles as written in the King’s English.  Thus, contributing words, e.g., the Preamble, the Declaration, the Federalist Papers, et al, have no bearing upon constitutional interpretation.  I am not and never have been a strict constructionist.  Case in point, privacy is never mentioned in the Constitution, and yet, I truly believe the Founders / Framers understood and espoused a citizen’s fundamental right to privacy.
            I do not share your appreciation of Donald Trump.  To me, he is a huckster, selling snake oil, and a lot of people have bought the snake oil.  He is only interested in himself – his image, his brand, his success – NO ONE ELSE’S.  I say, as long as each individual is happy with the snake oil he is selling, then all is right with the world.  I have not and will not buy his snake oil.
            That said, contrary to the Republican nominee, I shall accept whomever is elected POTUS and do my best to support the new president to the best of my ability.

            A quiet, calm footnote to all of this silly season vitriol: no matter who is elected and becomes the 45th President of the United States of America on 20.January.2017, I am certain I will agree and disagree with the positions, conduct and actions of the new president, as I have with every president since I became politically aware of the Constitution, the governance of this Grand Republic, and the contributions of the person who is POTUS.  We are about to elect a president . . . not enable a dictator or crown a king.  It is simply the nature of the beast.  So it shall be when all of this is said and done.

            Comments and contributions from Update no.774:
“Good day Cap from an Autumnal England.
Mein Gott! What an update! I thought we had some problems this side of the pond but they fade into utter insignificance compared to your Grand Republic’s.
Will it all settle after the election? Will the people of your Republic accept the results or can we expect post-election chaos and revolution? Some of those comments must border on invective broadsides surely. I wouldn’t risk making such statements over here without fear of a writ coming through the letterbox. Is that all acceptable your side Cap?
"However I have said before I cannot understand your electoral system-as you are well aware here our Prime Minister is automatically placed as head of government as he or she is the leader of the governing party therefore carries the majority in Parliament. Not so state side I believe.  It appears to me after all that diatribe that you have two candidates who are plainly unfit to govern especially as the leader of the most powerful nation on earth. Do put me down my friend if my understanding is flawed. We can enjoy that beer together one day.
My response:
            Tatsächlich!  Mein Gott!
            Oh, my friend, we all have problems.
            Re: “Will it all settle after the election?  The optimist in me would answer, yes, of course; it always does . . . the nature of the beast.
            Re: “Will the people of your Republic accept the results or can we expect post-election chaos and revolution?  The Republican nominee has already begun setting up his version of Hitler’s “Nero order” [19.March.1945].  He is blaming anyone and everything for his dropping poll numbers.  It would be entirely consistent with his personality and character to publicly demand his supporters “burn the house down,” if he is not elected.  We shall see.  He has tapped into and encouraged some very ugly forces that have always existed in this Grand Republic.  The reality about freedom . . . it is not always pretty.
            Re: “invective broadsides.Wieder einmal, in der Tat!  The tone of this silly season has been like none other in history.  Again, the optimist in me will say, this too shall pass.
            Re: “Is that all acceptable your side Cap?  Short answer, under the law, yes.  In my opinion and in my life, absolutely and categorically NOT acceptable.  What he has and is doing is very disrespectful of other citizens and the very diversity that is essential to this Grand Republic.
            As history has recorded, the Founders and Framers of this Grand Republic rejected the parliamentary system from which they had come, for very real and valid reasons.  As Sir Winston so eloquently observed, “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”  His wisdom and statement plays out every day, especially in this Grand Republic.

Comment to the Blog:
“As with another contributor from last week, I find it irrational that we are not discussing national and world issues. The specific item that person mentioned, Secretary Clinton's unfortunate record as Secretary of State, ought to at least be in the discussion, along with her campaign resources. Senator Sanders, if he did nothing else, proved that such funding is not necessary.
“(I think I've caught on to Sanders' approach. He wants to re-take the Congress with progressives and work from there.)
“Mr. Trump's personal failings, at this level of severity, are worthy of discussion, but so is the question of exactly how he lost $915 million in a time, place, and business sector where big money was often made. The details of his blowhard policy statements need examination, too.
“One of Trump's dumber notions is that building a physical wall will keep out undocumented immigrants. What is sending them home is the U.S. economy. (There's a net migration to Mexico from here.) Have he and his supporters heard of air and sea travel? Are they aware that the valuable jobs taken by immigrants are mostly going to Asians and Russians working in computer-related fields?
“I'll say it again. With either of the major-party candidates for President, the U.S. is driving steadily over a cliff. The only question is how heavy a foot will be on the accelerator.”
 . . . to which the contributor added:
“Here's a link to Snopes.com's story concerning the re-filing of a lawsuit concerning Trump and another man, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, accused of raping the plaintiff when she was 13 years old in 1994.”
My reply to the Blog:
            Re: Hillary Clinton.  Point made.
            Re: Sanders.  Perhaps.
            Re: the business failings of the Republican nominee.  Spot on!  Yet, he has successfully stonewalled virtually all efforts to expose the details of his business failures.  I certainly believe those failings (and his successes) are valid topics.  The only means we have to rejecting his selfish stonewalling is our vote.  We can only hope he is defeated in a landslide to reject his conduct for history.
            I do not concur with your “cliff” assessment.  This too shall pass . . . no matter who is elected.
            The case noted is a civil case, not a criminal one.  The statute of limitations for rape varies from state to state – four to ten years.  The alleged incident(s) occurred well beyond criminal prosecution.  My opinion of retrospective remorse / accusation remains the same.

            My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap                        :-)