Update from the
Heartland
No.799
3.4.17 – 9.4.17
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
To all,
The follow-up news items:
-- After embattled House Intelligence Committee Chairman Representative
Devin Gerald Nunes of California (Republican) jumped into the cesspool of
Trumpian politics [797], he recused
himself from the committee’s possible probe of Russian interference in the 2016
election. A triumvirate of Representative
Kenneth Michael ‘Mike’ Conaway of Texas, Representative Harold Watson ‘Trey’
Gowdy III of South Carolina and Representative Thomas Joseph ‘Tom’ Rooney of Florida
will replace Nunes for the Russia investigation. The Office of Congressional Ethics (the same group the
Republican majority tried to castrate at the current sessions opening) will
look into what Nunes described as “entirely false and politically motivated”
accusations lodged against him. From my perspective, the accusations appear to be spot on.
-- The chemical attack on the village of Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib
province, Syria, killed at least 85 people, including 27 children, and
approximately 550 other people, including many children, were injured. Autopsy results of three victims
indicated the chemical agent sarin was the cause of death. This particular attack was not as
severe as the 21.August.2013, sarin [GB] gas attack on a suburban Damascus neighborhood,
killing at least 1,429 people, including 426 children, and precipitated
President Obama’s red line statement [611,
614]. As a related footnote, I happen to agree with President
Trump on this one; President Obama’s failure to enforce this threat weakened
the United States, especially in that part of the world. An axiom of life: NEVER make a threat
you are not fully prepared to enforce.
In reality, a threat is tantamount to pulling the trigger. In the early morning hours of Friday,
President Trump ordered an attack on the Shayrat Air Base in Homs province,
reported the base from which the aircraft that executed the Khan Sheikhoun
chemical attack took off. Two
destroyers, USS Porter and
USS Ross, launched a total of 59
tomahawk cruise missiles from the Mediterranean Sea over a half-hour span
beginning at 02:36 [C] EEST {19:36 [R] EDT} on Friday. The Defense Department reported that 58
of the 59 missiles struck their targets.
For reasons I know not, they did not crater the runways, leaving the
runways immediately usable (very strange).
We
have a local special election for our district representative next Tuesday to replace
Mike Pompeo [789], who became
Director of Central Intelligence.
The Republican glitterati started showing up this week to bolster their
candidate and maintain the seat for the majority. The Republican candidate Ron Estes has carried out a
particularly nasty advertisement campaign against his Democrat opponent James
Thompson, who has not responded in kind.
Estes’ advertisements appeal to the basest thinking of evangelical
Christians (numerous in these parts) and the more right wing among Republican
believers. Estes is also a
disciple of Governor Sam Brownback.
Given his performance as state treasurer, his professed political
positions, and this damnable and disgusting advertisement campaign, I can
assure you who I will not be voting for in this special election.
In
the wake of last week’s WSJ editorial “A
President’s Credibility” [797],
an interesting trio combination of disassociated perspectives offers us some
intriguing contemplative material given our current predicament.
First,
I would like to illuminate the current season of Showtime’s “Homeland” series program that portrays
the fictional ‘Deep State’ reaction to a president not of their liking. This particular season seems to be even
more prophetic than previous seasons.
Second,
Leonard Pitts offered yet another spot-on opinion piece with “Journalists did lousy job covering 2016
campaign” that pegged it exactly.
The Press spent 18 months dancing to the tune played by the Donald. He told his myriad untruths and got
away with it, every time . . . well, except his lame apology for being a rather
disgusting misogynistic creep.
Third,
the March
23, 2017 issue of Time magazine with its stark red on black cover
titled: “Is Truth Dead?”
The title pretty much says it all.
These
are the times in which we live.
And, the President wonders why we do not believe him . . . well
actually, he may not care a hoot whether we believe him or not. After all, he is the president and we
are not!
This
was a rough week with the bad guys being particularly active. First, at least 10 innocent people were
killed in St. Petersburg, Russia, as a consequence of a terrorist bomb
explosion aboard a subway train.
The train driver had the presence of mind to press on to the next
station, which undoubtedly saved lives.
The security services also discovered another backpack bomb that did not
explode and was disarmed. Second,
another truck terrorist attack this time in Stockholm, Sweden. A large truck plowed into pedestrians
in a popular, central city, shopping area, killing at least five innocent
people and injuring scores of others.
The truck reportedly had a powerful bomb on board that failed to
detonate. It could have been much
worse. Third, on Palm Sunday, near
simultaneous bombs exploded at two Coptic churches in Egypt, as worshipers
gathered for religious services, killing at least 43 innocent people and
wounding many others. Our hearts
and prayers go out to the families of the lost and those struggling to survive
of our Russian, Swedish and Egyptian brothers and sisters. These attacks demand that all of us get
involved in security matters. Our
police need our help. Let us all
stand up to the mark.
The
Senate voted 55-45-0-0(0) to invoke cloture on the Democrat filibuster, falling
five votes short of the super majority necessary to end debate on the
nomination of Judge Neil McGill Gorsuch of the 10th Circuit Court of
Appeals [790] to fill the seat on
the Supreme Court vacated by the passing of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Then, they voted 52-48-0-0(0), along
strict party lines, to abandon the long standing rule of a super majority to
confirm Supreme Court nominations, followed by a 54-45-0-1(0) vote to confirm
the nomination of Judge Gorsuch. The Republican majority appears to have
also abandoned any hope of compromise.
Gorsuch impressed me as an intelligent, contemplative jurist, who even
if he is as conservative as Scalia would not alter the balance of the Court. The next appointment, should it come
during the Trump administration, may well become a blood bath.
The
Wall Street Journal reported that the
administration hinted at what it means by “extreme vetting” President Donald
Trump has promised. They want to subject
more visa applicants to intense security reviews and have embassies spend more
time interviewing each applicant. The
measures have not yet been publicly announced and may well subject foreigners
who want to visit the United States, even for a short trip, to being forced to
disclose contacts on their mobile phones, social-media passwords and financial
records, and to answer probing questions about their political beliefs or
religious ideology. The changes could apply to people from all over the world,
including allies such as France and Germany. Such extreme measures would surely generate significant
controversy, both at home and abroad, and become a major irritant among our
allies. Does “America First” in
Trump parlance means pissing off the entire rest of the world? Where is that damn decoder ring?
The
Wall Street Journal also reported
that the Director of the White House National Economic Council Gary D. Cohn
told the Senate Banking Committee he could support legislation breaking up the
largest U.S. banks, a development that might bolster congressional efforts to
reinstate the Depression-era Glass-Steagall law. Cohn is a former Goldman Sachs executive and the top White
House economic adviser. This is a
very interesting twist and perhaps a forecast of what is to come.
Comments and contributions from Update no.798:
“What?
“No comment on the miracle from the heartland, my alma mater MSU's
noble conquering of the unconquerable CT girl's b.b. team? No acknowledgment of the domination of
both Carolinas in the sport? what
is this... a geopolitical exchange of insults between the left coast(s) , of
which the Carolinas are exceptions, and the heartland (of which MS is spiritual
leader) without recognition of what really matters to most citizens in our
society?
“Come on, lighten up. Trump, like fine whiskey, will get better with age, unlike
the wine preferred by the elite.”
My response:
Well,
my oh my, you called me out and rightly so. The accomplishment of the Mississippi State women over UConn
was indeed monumental. Yes, also,
the Carolinas have done well in college sports. Game on tonight.
Mississippi being the spiritual leader . . . oh wait . . . my omission
cannot induce my contrition on that one.
Re:
Trump . . . a fine whiskey.
Whoa! Now, actually, that
does explain his intoxicating influence on so many citizens. I never thought of myself as a member
of the elite, but I actually prefer wine.
Does that qualify me as a member of the elite?
Hearty
congratulations to the Mississippi State Women’s Basketball team on their
extraordinary accomplishment.
Comment to the Blog:
“The only thing we know with certainty about Brexit is that it will be
long and strange.
“Thanks for the reminder of Spiro Agnew (‘nattering nabobs
of negativism’). I needed a good
chuckle. The U.S.A. is taking a
deep dive into bizarre events. At
this point, ‘thou dost protest too much’ is about all we have confirmed (to the
level of legal proof) about the Trump campaign and administration other than
the obvious corruption.
“The comparison to the Nixon White House yields another
thought. According to historical sources, Nixon did not descend to the level of
wandering around trying to find reality until very late in his impeachment
process. Trump seems to have begun
at that level. What lies lower?
“I agree that the ‘new’ North Carolina bathroom bill does no
good. Incidentally, the phrase ‘business
and sports organizations’ is a bit redundant. North Carolina is discovering
that sports are very much a business.
“While I doubt the ‘deep state’ conspiracy, I will give the
Democrats responsibility for being so smug, spineless and insider-based that
they lost the election to the orange-haired wacko despite nearly bottomless
funding.”
My reply to the Blog:
Re:
Brexit. I hope not, but I am
inclined to agree . . . long and strange . . . and most likely messy.
Re:
Trump administration. I do not
think corruption is an appropriate word . . . at least to this point. So much of what we face in the current
administration is a direct and singular artifact of Trump’s gynormous
personality flaws. He alone has
created this chaos.
Re:
“trying to find reality.” Good
observation. I strongly suspect
Trump’s persistent wiretapping conspiracy advocacy may well be his
undoing. The longer he presses,
the more likely those conversations will be made public, and I also strongly
suspect those conversations will NOT reflect well on Trump or his minions.
Re:
“sports is very much a business.”
Quite so. I was only
attempting to differentiate between manufacturing and entertainment.
Re:
Deep State conspiracy. I cannot
subscribe to the Deep State at this stage. Unfortunately, I do not blame Democrats in the main for
their election loss. For me, that
blame rests solely and completely upon Hillary Clinton; if I was going to add a
supplemental, it would be Bill Clinton.
Hillary’s insistence on her private server for government
communications, and then unilateral deleting her self-proclaimed “personal”
messages, was the killer for me. I
never bought into the Benghazi accusations, the uranium transfer conspiracy, or
any other of the myriad conservative condemnations. Bill’s “social visit” to Attorney General Loretta Lynch on
the tarmac in Phoenix was a very public and graphic demonstration of his royal
prerogative, elitist mentality . . . not dramatically different from Trump’s
obscene self-aggrandizement.
. . . Round two:
“How is ‘corruption’ not an appropriate word for Trump's
administration? He has ongoing
conflicts of interest, supposedly mitigated by making his sons, on paper, in
charge of his businesses. With his
worldwide interests, that gesture would not suffice for a local city office,
much less for the President of the United States. Various sources make many additional claims, but just the
conflicts of interest resulting from his known properties certainly justify ‘corruption.’ I believe, very much, that you need a
broader view of the Democratic National Committee. You have focused only on a few headlines about the Clintons,
but there's much more well-documented information. Mrs. Clinton could not have achieved nomination on her own. Not even close.”
. . . my reply to round two:
Once
again, we bear down on definitions.
In the context of the Trump administration and from my perspective,
corruption is bribery, money for political actions – quid pro quo. I have
not seen the profiteering, as yet, although the clear conflict of interest
potential articulated long before his inauguration remains valid.
That
said, the textbook definition includes other alternative definitions: moral
perversion, depravity, and perversion of integrity that would also be
applicable to this individual, in the broader, general sense.
Re:
“conflict of interest” is potential, not realization. The criminal aspect is realization, not potential. The potential is quite similar to
morality, what one does when no one is watching. If his continued conflict of interests are documented and
realized, then it becomes a felony and impeachable.
Re:
“a
broader view of the Democratic National Committee.” I take your counsel seriously and I
remain vigilant. In this context,
the DNC is the same as the RNC . . . establishment politics.
. . . Round three:
“Well, okay. I can do definitions. From Merriam Webster, definition
of corruption: ‘1. a: dishonest or
illegal behavior especially by powerful people (as government officials or
police officers): depravity’. Found at
“How is continuing to profit from one's office not
corruption? It's not the least bit
secret that Trump is profiting from his hotel in DC and from the Mar-A-Lago
resort by hosting foreign agents of all sorts who believe they will be seen
more favorably if they use his commercial enterprises? That's not potential.”
. . . my reply to round three:
I
acknowledged the alternative definitions.
I provided my reasoning.
“How
is continuing to profit from one's office not corruption?” The problem is, proving it beyond a
reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The morality implications are judged in the court of public
opinion. “Trump is profiting from
his hotel in DC” you (we) do not know that. Like we demand of him with his wild accusations, show us the
proof (evidence). The same is
required of our accusations. He
has artfully configured his companies as private endeavors, which makes our
insight into their operations far more difficult. It will take probable cause, warrant(s), and considerable
investigation to establish factual evidence sufficient to meet evidentiary
standards in a criminal court.
What
is worse, his daughter and son-in-law have or will soon have substantial
security clearances with access to extraordinary state information, and we have
virtually no way to determine what they pass along to their other family
members not in the government.
This is a rat’s nest of the worst sort; yet, we elected him, knowing
this was the kind of man he is. He
has been very plain, and we elected him anyway. We get what we elected.
At
the end of the day, my opinion of the man has not changed; if anything, he has
reinforced my opinion. However, I urge
caution in stooping to his level . . . accusations without evidence.
My
very best wishes to all. Take care
of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
2 comments:
The sarin gas attack on the village of Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib Province, Syria, had yet to be investigated before US missiles destroyed the evidence. Hence, most of the details of tate attack remain unknown. Mainstream discussions are now dominated by conspiracy theories, so this ought to be interesting.
Your and some other Congressional special elections may demonstrate the current political direction of this country. As I write this, Kansas awaits vote counting. People predicting anything further ignore the pace of events.
Those who seek to kill large numbers of people, regardless of motivation, have found a new weapon that will not be banned. The entire world in this century depends on motor vehicles. Turning them against one’s perceived enemies or random targets makes a whole new danger for everyone. If such perpetrators die, any supporters or helpers may become impossible to track. Vehicle thefts make a blind alley for investigators. This also makes claims of responsibility dubious. Explosions continue to have the same trademarks and/or traceable residues as before.
We may well mourn the end of bipartisanship in Washington, DC, but it comes as no surprise. The US Federal government has that way since the Reagan Administration.
As far as Mr. Justice Gorsuch, we shall see. Jurists who refuse to state positions prior to being seated cannot be tied to them later.
I believe the Donald has no clear clue that he annoys and/or amuses the rest of the planet. His self-involved and arguably insane viewpoint does not seek accurate outside information.
Calvin,
Re: “destroyed the evidence.” The evidence was not collectible at either end per se. This is where we must trust the Intelligence Community and the President. It is quite plausible and well within the capabilities of the allied powers to have seen the Syrian attack mission unfold from takeoff to consequence. On this one, I must give the President the benefit of the doubt. Despite the naysayers, I think he took the correct action in this instance.
Re: Kansas 4th District special election. The results have been counted and reported. The Republican candidate, who stooped to rather vile, personal, advertisement attacks, was elected.
Re: terrorist weapons of choice. The bad guys will use anything they believe undermines the resolve of freedom-loving people and raises doubt in our governments.
Re: “end of bipartisanship.” Quite so. I will disagree only in the genesis. I will argue the source was prior to the Reagan administration and most likely the Johnson administration and the broad distrust of government, in general, born in the societal consequences of the Vietnam War, and specifically how it was conducted by the Johnson administration. Nixon’s paranoia did not help and most likely amplified that blossoming distrust of government.
Re: “Gorsuch.” Indeed, we shall see. Just a tangential comment, the only proper “stated position” for a judge should be, must be, the law. Personal opinions have no place in judicial pronouncements.
Re: “the Donald.” I think you have seriously understated the negative consequences of his pervasive, personality flaws . . . but that is not news.
“That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”
Cheers,
Cap
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