27 November 2017

Update no.830

Update from the Sunland
No.830
20.11.17 – 26.11.17

            To all,
            The follow-up news items:
-- In this plethora of bad conduct accusations [824] filling the capacity of the Press and our consciousness, apparently, an abuser/perpetrator must simply deny, deny, deny, and deny again.  “He totally denies it,” proclaimed our Commander-in-Chief.  Unfortunately, in the specific case of Roy Moore, the statute of limitations has expired in all instances (to my knowledge); thus, he cannot be tried before a jury of peers in a court of law.  As a consequence, this boils down to a character issue.  Those who support his prior conduct will not be swayed.  Yet, I will state for the public record, the outrageous hypocrisy represented by Roy Moore is indescribable.  He was the Alabama State Supreme Court judge who defied the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the state display of the Ten Commandments—a Judeo-Christian entity.  Also, for the record, of his female accusers I have heard speak directly versus his awkward, lame denials, I believe the women—they have little to nothing to gain.  He does not deserve any public office, set aside the United States Senate; however, that decision rests with the voters of Alabama, and if elected, ultimately with the Senate.
-- The Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook intends to notify millions of users who liked or followed any of the 290 Facebook or Instagram pages created by Russian actors that they viewed alleged misinformation [782] in the lead up to the U.S. presidential election last year.  The notification provides little information to users who did not visit or follow the affected pages.

            On Friday, a horrific mass murder event occurred during evening prayers at the Al Rawda mosque in the village of Be'r Al Sabea, west of the city of al-Arish on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.  The attack involved multiple perpetrators (35 at last report), at least one explosive device, and automatic weapons fire.  As of the closure of this week’s edition of the Update, at least 235 people were killed and 109 injured, and no group has yet claimed responsibility.  The Egyptian branch of the Islamic State has regularly staged attacks in Sinai, and is active in al-Arish area.  The mosque is reported linked Sufist faction of Sunni Islam, but still Sunni in affiliation. The attack appears to be a fratricide terrorist event within the Sunni sect of Islam and perhaps an attempt to find ISIL a new home with Iraq and Syria disappearing.

            A friend and frequent contributor to this humble forum sent along the following link and article for our considerations.
“What Explains U.S. Mass Shootings?  International Comparisons Suggest an Answer”
by Max Fisher and Josh Keller
New York Times
Published: NOV. 7, 2017
To which I responded:
Calvin,
            I cannot argue with the data.  The first chart is compelling.  However, the suggested conclusion seems rather simplistic to me.
            When you examine the mass murder events in our history, the availability of firearms is clearly an indicator—no debate.  However, the involvement of mental health problems with the perpetrators is also a common, if not universal, factor in every single event.  To suggest the availability of firearms is the sole causal factor is simply wrong.  Further, the number of firearms versus the number of mass shooters is likewise simplistic; the following per capita chart is closer to being representative, and yet, it ignores various control factors like firearm control measures in place, such as they are.
            The authors stated, “If mental health made the difference, then data would show that Americans have more mental health problems than do people in other countries with fewer mass shootings.”  They add “trust me” statements that suggest no correlation with mental health factors, and yet, they ignore the one central, common fact—the mental health problems of the perpetrators.  If there was no mental health correlation, the mental health of the perpetrators should be representative of the mental health fraction in the general population; it clearly is not.  I ask them, why is mental health problems as common as the choice of weapons in these events?
            I fundamentally reject their conclusion.

            Comments and contributions from Update no.829:
Comment to the Blog:
“Congratulations on your move to the Valley of the Sun!  You have arrived at the best time of year because you have months of pleasant weather ahead.
“While none of the Trumps has been convicted so far, maybe they act guilty because they are guilty.
“Sexual assault and harassment occur at every level of society right down to prisons.  I agree that they are abuses of power.  I have talked to several women who have been through these experiences and have gone through one incident myself.  I believe the obvious about reporting: the position of power has protected the perpetrators.  Those I know who have reported incidents and sought redress have been ignored at best and have sometimes faced retribution.  Until large numbers of people report the same kind of behavior, it continues.  I believe the current wave of reports may bring about an important change in this country, although the shape of that change is not clear yet.
“I do not favor cutting income taxes in general, least of all for the wealthy.  That process has been under way since the Reagan Administration without any particular good results.  We need to invest in our country, not allow the wealthiest few to continue looting it.
“That John Oliver clip is remarkable.  Oliver's exposition of Trump's methods would be a credit to my instructors in critical thinking and logic.  Of course, the instructors weren't nearly that funny, but that clip teaches good lessons in logic and reason.
“The discussion of mental illness as the cause of mass shootings is accurate internally, but lacks insight.  The strongest correlation to mass shootings, and firearm homicide in general, is domestic violence.  That is not officially mental illness.  Some actions have been taken to prevent people with histories of violence from acquiring firearms at legitimate dealers, but loopholes remain for weapons bought at gun shows or over the Internet.  Also, the factor that affected the recent Northern California case was not those exceptions, but indifferent reporting.  The loopholes and reporting issues could be changed far easier than the whole issue of mental illness detection and treatment could be addressed.”
My response to the Blog:
            Yes, indeedie; glorious weather—high 70’s during the day, low 60’s at night, beautiful blue, cloudless skies.  We had planned to winter here like last winter.  Wintering became moving in August.
            Re: guilty.  I am inclined to agree.  There is way too much smoke for there not to be fire, IMHO.
            Re: sexual harassment.  I do believe the floodgates have opened, and I hope and expect that we bear witness to a pivotal change in our society that will lead to respecting other human beings, especially females.  The days of the Doctrine of Coverture are long gone.  It is well past time to treat women with respect, dignity and equality.  The large numbers of victims are coming forward, feeling safer in the collective.  Yet, as I have written previously, I worry about false accusations in this climate of retribution.  I also strongly object to the condemnations of public opinion; however, I fear that is the price we must pay for our past acquiescence.
            Re: taxes.  Again, I agree.  I do not want anyone to pay more taxes than is necessary to fund our various governmental organizations.  Today, we also have a huge debt that must be paid down as well.  I am not interested in creating a pool of money for Congress to spend as they wish; they have proven themselves irresponsible.  Spending should be debated in public and agreed; then, taxes should be imposed to pay for that approved spending.
            Re: Oliver clip.  I agree.  I thought it was extraordinary as well, on many levels—exceptional message, artfully delivered.
            Re: mass shootings.  I cannot argue with your assessment.  I will only add: these all still boil down to all of us being observant of those around us and helping law enforcement identify dangerous individuals.  We must care enough for our communities to illuminate those who show signs of aberrant behavior that might lead to violence against others.

Another contribution:
“Re Trumps ‘junket’ / ‘soiree’... good to see you've adapted to AZ already ... you're not in LIBERAL, Kansas anymore!! :)) And Trump IS VERY important!!  Let's see YOU do his job! (No, nix that)
“John Oliver and Steven Colbert are two of the greatest asses on TV today ...and the most extreme liberal fools around .. if you listen to their tripe long enough you might get sick from their koolaid ..tell me something factual either of them have blurted beside just hate speak ..  and his vocabulary/use of profanity is proof of lack of substance in his material ... hahaha ... let's see which loony liberal can diss the president the best ... such disrespect .. and sad you too accept the CNN etc media lies .. they are so obvious .. you would make a great buddy with George Soros himself ...”
My reply:
            Kansas . . . liberal, hardly; more religiously conservative than Arizona, I do believe.  Also, last time I checked, not every resident of Arizona voted for the fellow in the White House.
            Nope, I couldn’t be POTUS, even if I wanted to be; I’ve got more skeletons in my closet than the great orange one; the majority (if not all) of Americans would never accept [an asshole] a person like me.
            Did you listen to the whole John Oliver video clip?  Ginger, Oliver literally quotes Trump’s words verbatim.  Are you claiming they are not his words?  Facts are facts.  You and your savior can spin the facts as you choose, but your spin does not alter the facts.  I appreciate your consternation with criticism of your bright shining light; yet, like Sir Winston so succinctly and eloquently said,
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.
Wise words, it seems to me.

One more contribution:
“Thank you kindly for answering some of my prompts, in this Update.  Sorry for being late in the game--reply wise.
“On the sexual harassment if not battery/assault allegations, I agree with you and can only imagine the law firms must be doing Black Friday value business.  I don't know where all this is heading, but would not be surprised to have total surveillance (CAMS) in most workplaces.  I appreciate on your observations on the sense of entitlement when raising children.
“Thanks for your good analysis on the situation in Saudi Arabia.  Yes, As the World Turns...
My response:
            You are most welcome, and thank you as well for raising topics—always appreciated.  I’m usually good for an opinion, for whatever that’s worth, on most topics (not all), but most, so raise topics as you wish.
            Yeah, hard to say how the sexual harassment situation will play out, but it is surely my hope and expectation that it will lead to a more enlighten state and true equality for all citizens within this Grand Republic regardless of the social factors—age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or disability.
            Indeed . . . as the World turns . . .

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

20 November 2017

Update no.829

Update from the Sunland
No.829
13.11.17 – 19.11.17

            To all,
            Another turning point milestone in our lives has arrived.  We departed from Kansas on Wednesday and arrived in Arizona the following day to begin our long-planned wintering in a warmer climate.  Several months ago, we concluded our discussions regarding the potential for a permanent move and set a plan in motion to achieve that objective.  Our dog Sadie tore the ACL in her right rear knee that required surgery and delayed our movement plan by two weeks.  We do not have a new residence, yet; however, we have been looking in earnest since our decision to move.  As a consequence, I am compelled to change the title of this Blog, again . . . for the third time.  This humble forum began in 2001, as the Update from Italy, changed to Update from the Heartland in 2003, and now the new Update from the Sunland.  The cyberspace address will remain the same.
            I wrote the paragraph above in advance.  The execution of the plan did not play out exactly as expected.  After thinning things out and packing as much as we could, the professional packers took the better part of two days to complete their work—one day longer than planned.  I thought we could finish moving most of our “stuff” out of the house (leaving only major furniture for showings) on Wednesday.  In reality, we did not finish until noon the following day.  We hit the road, “heading down the highway, lookin’ for adventure” at 13:00 [S] CST.  We made our planned RON late Thursday, in Tucumcari, New Mexico, got a good night’s sleep, and arrived at our winter encampment Friday evening.  Now, the priority becomes finding a proper permanent residence.
            BTW, Jeanne gets the credit for the Blog title change.  Thank you, Sweetcheeks!

            The follow-up news items:
-- You know, none of the Trump clan, including The Donald, are guilty of anything until they are charged, tried and convicted in a court of law, or in Donald’s unique case, in the House of Representatives and Senate of the United States.  So, they are all presumed innocent until proven guilty.  What is so puzzling to me . . . why do they continue to act so damn guilty?  My guess, they all believe to their core that they are better than all of us and entitled to do as they please.
-- The revelations of sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein [823] opened a floodgate to similar accusations against men of influence and power.  The latest culprit is none other than Senator Al Franken of Minnesota—clear evidence that such accusations are not confined to Republicans like Roy Moore.  I simply note the addition to the list of transgressors.  I have nothing new to add to my opinion of men who act badly [826 & prior].

            A frequent contributor and friend asked a number of important questions in another forum that I thought worthy of discussion within this humble forum.
mass sexual assault allegations striking Hollywood and the political sphere
            First, this flood of sexual assault and misconduct allegations in the post-Weinstein days is certainly not limited to Hollywood or the political sphere.  I truly believe this phenomenon exists in every segment of society where an individual is in a position of power over other human beings.  They are not limited by any of the social factors that I am able to see.  There are bad people in all segments.
            Second, like rape, these actions are not about sex; they are all about power and domination of other human beings.  I have stated previously, this phenomenon is quite akin to the divine right of kings—the king can do no wrong.  As long as any citizen feels he is better, more important, than another citizen, we will continue to suffer these abuses.  As long as children are raised to think they are better than others, those children will grow up to feel they are entitled to abuse others.
            Third, I am disturbed by the time lag between bad conduct and public or legal accusation.  Trial by Press or public opinion is flat wrong.  I understand the reluctance of the victims to stand up to powerful assailants.  In that, I am thankful the dam broke and we have started to confront these bad men for their bad behavior.  No man has any right whatsoever to impose his will or proclivities upon any non-consenting human being, period, full stop!
Trump's Asian junket
            The President’s Asian soirée was better than expected, actually . . . at least from the public perspective.  The organization of the trip was spot-on perfect to send a clear message to Kim Jung Un and the DPRK; they are alone in threatening their neighbors and the United States, and any action on their part is not likely to end well.  The exercise of three (3) carrier battle groups in the vicinity was not coincidental and quite appropriate.  I do agree with the President in that previous administrations were far too tolerant and malleable with respect to the DPRK.  Whether linked or not, the optics of a senior PRC envoy travelling to the DPRK after the POTUS visit is very positive.  I give him credit for sticking to the script of the experts; however, his deviations remain quite worrisome.  He is NOT as important as he thinks he is.
 Saudi Arabia going-ons whether you think it was/is a coup and power consolidation, with any potential for their pivot towards Russia
            The Saudi situation remains both disconcerting and troubling.  I understand the apparent pivot, given the actions of the Obama administration to hold the Saudis accountable for their tacit support of Wahhabism and the broader Salafism.  I find it difficult to imagine how the Saudi leaders can or will justify cozying up to the Russians for a host of reasons; however, the recent public overtures are most likely an overt warning shot across the bow of the United States.  The aggressive “governmental” actions of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud, 32, has a measure of validity in that corruption seems to be a hereditary fact of life in the region; however, the arrest of potential opponents to his eventual ascendancy appear to be no different from other notable power consolidations efforts by other dictators like Hitler, Mussolini, Mao Tse Tung, and most recently Kim Jung Un.  There is no doubt in my little pea-brain that the Saudis see the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) as their singular greatest threat.  I do not see Mohammed’s “anti-corruption” arrests as a coup d’état in that his father, King Salman, quite probably sanctioned Mohammed’s aggressive moves to solidify the change the King made in June of this year by removing his nephew as the previous crown prince, thus elevating his son as the heir apparent.  As a consequence, we see a number of disassociated events in Saudi Arabia in isolation rather than as part of a continuum.  As always, time shall tell the tale.
            “That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”

            The Republican dominated House of Representatives passed HR 1, titled: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, by a partisan vote of: 227-205-0-2(1).  The primary problem I have with the House legislation is it will add US$1.5T to the national debt, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).  The House bill appears to face an uphill slog in the Senate.  At the end of the day, I am not in favor of a tax cut without concomitant spending reductions to at least achieve a zero-sum state, if not a revenue surplus to pay down the debt.  Adding another US$1.5T to the national debt is simply NOT acceptable or justifiable.
            Further, removing the mandatory clause of the PPACA is counter-productive to achieving universal health care for all citizens.  I understand our societal commitment to freedom of choice; however, the lowest rates possible depend directly upon the participation of all citizens, not just those who choose to participate.  I understand young folks not caring or wanting health care insurance, yet, that is not how insurance works for everyone.  This is a common good and general welfare issue in the broader sense.

            Our middle son sent along the following link for a video clip of interest:
“The Trump Presidency: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)”
            John opened his shtick with:
“I know, I honestly know, that the prospect of talking about Trump yet again feels exhausting.  We are all so tired of him.  Every room in America should have a sign on the wall that counts the minutes that it’s been since we last heard his f**king name.”
            John also illuminated three key techniques Trump consistently uses to insulate himself from criticism:
1.     Delegitimizing the Media – waging war on the very concept of truth.
2.     Whataboutism – changing the subject to someone else’s perceived wrongdoing; attempting to establish moral equivalency; all criticism is hypocritical and everybody should do whatever they want.
3.     Trolling – intentional antagonism of others to divert attention from his actions.
John has deftly illuminated the propaganda techniques utilized by totalitarian governments to deflect attention from their actions and further their political objectives.
John accurately established the significance of Trump’s diversion techniques.  “Whether [Bill] Clinton engaged in predatory behavior is absolutely a legitimate question, but it shouldn’t really inform what we do about Roy Moore.  And, even if you believe that Democrats are guilty of a double standard, the solution is not to have no standard whatsoever.  That is why it is so important to train ourselves to identify these techniques [noted above], because their natural endpoint is the erosion of our ability:
to decide what is important,
have an honest debate, and
hold one another accountable.”
            One sobering thought, the Roman Empire was not defeated or conquered by an external enemy.  Numerous internal forces deteriorated the cohesiveness of the societal fabric and corroded the empire from within.  So much of what I see today is not intended to strengthen the societal fabric, but rather consolidate power and bolster the Trump brand in the commercial world.  The power of the United States rests upon our diversity, not in some notion of unilateral dictated homogeneity.

            Comments and contributions from Update no.828:
“You should send the last contributor this video.
My reply:
            I’d say John Oliver is spot on . . . the apple is indeed an apple . . . not a banana.
            I will pass it along to the last contributor as well as the entire forum.  Unfortunately, I cannot divulge the identity of the contributor.

Another contribution:
“Thanks for your weekly Update.
“The church shooting was incredibly tragic (like all).  I think Trump mentioned this situation is more about mental illness than guns.  I agree, however I also agree with you that the law/systems now in place, failed us too, as the U.S. Air Force should have reported accurately and timely, the events that led to the perpetrator's discharge (including spousal abuse, and then fracturing his own son's skull).  There was also a police contact thereafter regarding the Texas shooter's abuse of his own dog.  An evil person, no doubt.  Do you believe our mental health system has failed us too?   It will be interesting to see if toxicology results come back from the autopsy workup on the church shooting suspect, to see if any drugs and/or alcohol were present during his terrible act.
“Those in our country that are polarized by such tragic events that seem to get worse and more frequent, need to remember one of the mass killings in the past year in China involved the perp there using a knife.  Of course we could include vehicles being used for mass murder as we have seen in NYC and Europe.
“Your Update and interaction with readers/contributors, is very interesting!   It does almost seem like we need to abandon the traditional two-party system here, with a few different and new brands (but not suggesting 31-Flavors).  We saw Ross Perot peter out as a presidential hopeful in the 1990's when he formed the Reform Party.
“I had hoped in the 90's for Newt Gingrich, thinking he was a critical thinker and his doctrine Contract with America seemed worthy for the goals and direction he wanted to steer America to.
“Looking forward to your next Update and your analysis/opinion on all the mass sexual assault allegations striking Hollywood and the political sphere.  Additionally would like to see your take on Trump's Asian junket; and your discernment on the Saudi Arabia going-ons, whether you think it was/is a coup and power consolidation, with any potential for their pivot towards Russia?”
My response:
            Re: Texas church shooter.  Yes, indeed, I suspect the autopsy toxicology findings will be informative and may not be negative.  “Do you believe our mental health system has failed us too?”  Well, I don’t think it is the health care system that has failed, but our political system.  Congress and state legislatures are the one’s who removed funding for mental health triage, treatment and support.  We continue to point at the lack of mental health care processes as a root cause of these tragic events, and yet, Congress & state legislatures do nothing.  Further, I see a societal failure much like the Catherine Susan ‘Kitty’ Genovese murder [13.3.1964].  Until every citizen feels a responsibility to protect fellow citizens and assist law enforcement in that process, we will suffer these societal systemic failures.  Like so MANY other mass killers, more than a few people saw the signs and did nothing.  We must all care for others.
            I quite agree.  The current two major parties have failed us, or perhaps, if we look deeper, we will see that is us that failed each other—we keep electing them; we whine about our politicians, but we keep electing “our guy.”  In fact, a significant portion of citizens of this Grand Republic were so desperate for change in the political intransigence, stagnation and fratricide, they turned to a snake-oil salesman for the magic elixir, and now, residents in Alabama are turning to another one of those guys to fill the state’s open senate seat.  Our votes matter!  Abstention is NOT a worthy option.
            The Contract with America was a noteworthy idea and concept, yet it had one major flaw . . . it was Republican rather than American.  There were also notable failures to fulfill that Contract for the obvious reasons—partisan focus.
            Thank you for raising a number of important topics for discussion in this humble forum.  Rather than attempt response in the Comments section, I’ll try to respond in this week’s Update.
 . . . a follow-up comment:
“Your core message in first paragraph/last sentence is most noble: ‘We must all care for others.’  Yes, it is a political problem with the mental illness problem, and also I might add a problem in the mental care infrastructure that does not do enough to provide understanding, does not communicate to other family members, and often will prescribe MEDS with not well enough known side effects discussion/disclosure.  I have a close family member with serious issues, and have been in and out of all of that for a long time, with such frustration.  A more holistic and inclusive (to other family members) approach needs to be addressed.
“The spike in politicos and cops addressing the homeless issue, especially in San Diego and other California cities, is directly coupled to the lack of addressing and solving the issue of mental illness.  It took a serious outbreak of Hepatitis-A in San Diego, to get the politicians to finally acknowledge and truthfully admit we have a serious issue with the homeless.
“Perhaps the two major political parties have become far too bureaucratic like much of our government structure.  Like most bureaucracies, they atrophy and stop producing results, and largely protect the power they have acquired through many decades.  That was largely the appeal of Donald Trump to his constituents (voters), they saw DT as an outsider (he was very persuasive at sending that message, whether real or imagined), and outside the SWAMP.  My conspiratorial tendency of thinking causes me to still wait to see if this was fact or fiction (I might be too paranoid for some).
“Good call on the Contract with America, I will have to go back and review that doctrine by Newt, who is know doubt an interesting intellectual and historian.
“Cap, I look forward to your next Update, and will share it with the ‘Group.’”
 . . . and my follow-up response:
            A significant obstacle we face is actually the HIPAA restrictions {Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) [PL 104-191; 110 Stat. 1936; 21.8.1996]}, which limits the disclosure of personal data to anyone, including the government, without the patient’s consent.  While I believe HIPAA is an important bulwark against the intrusion of the State in our private affairs, we must find a more reasonable balance; the collective good eventually exceeds an individual’s privacy rights.  The challenge for us is, where does that balance point lay?  Clearly, with this most recent event, we are biased too far toward individual privacy at the expense of the collective good.
            Re: homelessness.  I quite agree.  The problem exists to varying degrees in virtually all cities.
            I think you pegged it.  A substantial number of citizens ignored The Donald’s serious personality flaws out of desperation; they wanted an anti-establishment anybody; they got one.  I suppose the jury is still out regarding his potential to accomplish anything significant.
            I largely see Gingrich’s Contract with America as self-aggrandizement—self-promotion.  While the Congress of his era did fulfill some of those professed objectives, there were also notable failures.

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

13 November 2017

Update no.828

Update from the Heartland
No.828
6.11.17 – 12.11.17

            To all,
            The follow-up news items:
-- The Texas church massacre last week [827] highlighted yet another unfortunate reality of our contemporary lives—existing laws were not complied with or enforced.  The shooter made no effort, or at least very little effort, to hide or mask his violent nature, or the myriad reasons he should have never been allowed near a firearm.  All of the systems intended to protect us from bad men like that shooter failed us and 26 innocent people died, and now countless others will suffer the tragedy of loss.
-- Special Counsel Robert Mueller [804 & sub] is reportedly investigating former White House National Security Adviser Mike Flynn for conspiring to kidnap dissident Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen in exile in the United States and deliver him to the Erdogan government.  According to the allegations, Mr. Flynn and his son, Michael Flynn Jr., were to be paid as much as US$15M million to deliver Gulen to the Turkish government.  Like the Manafort indictments last week [827], the current allegations are not related to the primary, instigating charter of the Mueller investigation, and they are a product of collateral investigations.  More importantly, these allegations and potential charges are tools Mueller will use to conclude the work of his group.
-- The Wall Street Journal reported increased early enrollments in the first week of the annual PPACA [432 et al] open-enrollment period.  According to the report, insurers suggested the early influx was at least partially stimulated by current public debate over the PPACA and the Republican efforts to repeal or change it.  The early enrollment surge does not represent a forecast of final, total enrollments.  A frequent contributor offers in the Comments section below an important personal observation on the health insurance issue.

            The elections this week do not bode well for Republicans in the mid-term elections next year, when all of the representatives and one third of the senators face re-election campaigns, with some needing to survive contentious primary elections, first.  Before that, we have the election next month to replace Sessions in Alabama, involving a highly controversial Republican candidate.

            Comments and contributions from Update no.827:
“Cap, we’re hearing of another shooting-when will common sense prevail my friend? How many to die before your nation realises that you are not still a cowboy nation?
“My thoughts as an Englishman who has carried firearms for the purpose they should only be considered for, i.e. fighting the nation’s enemies not killing the innocent.”
My reply:
            Yep, yet another tragedy occurred Sunday morning last at a First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas . . . yet another deranged person was allowed to slip through the cracks in our protective systems.  On the flip side, two citizens with firearms stopped the mad man from killing more.  Nothing can justify such incidents.  The word that continues to come to me in such moments is the Italian exclamation—Basta! [Enough!]
 . . . a follow-up comment:
“Indeed cap, we have seen the interviews of your heroes-should they be done for attempted murder?  Now then that’s a toughie.  Apparently he finally killed himself with the third shot.  Hey Cap-nothing personal here-‘Basta’. . Lo spettacolo va avanti.”  [The show goes on.]
 . . . my follow-up reply:
Buon’giorno, [Good day,]
            Infatti!  [Indeed!]
            Interesting question.  In some states, the good guys could be prosecuted for vigilantism, i.e., taking the law into their hands.  However, in Texas, they will be praised for their initiative and courage.  The more we learn about the perpetrator, the more we see our system of protections (such as they are) failed . . . miserably.

Comment to the Blog:
“Special Counsel Mueller's investigation rivals movies in some ways.  For example, Paul Manafort has/had at least three passports with different numbers and traveled under false names.  If this were fiction, he'd be a high-level drug dealer.  As it is, he worked for the Orange One as well as himself.  Maybe like attracts like.  In any case, the various investigations continue.
“I'm still more interested in the content of the DNC emails than anything else about them.  Donna Brazile has corroborated that content in a large way.  I find it disturbing that Senator Sanders, who knew he'd been pushed out despite the support of Democrat voters, went on to give way to Hillary Clinton and to campaign for her.  Given the strife in both major parties, perhaps we need three or more new parties and to let the old ones go away.
“Paul Rand is a credible Libertarian with a track record of actually voting and working in precisely that agenda.  He could surely revive and expand the existing Libertarian Party.  Governor Kasich, Senators McCain and Flake and others could form a credible centrist party by working with the Obamas and other Democrat centrists.  They'd have an advantage in corporate sponsorship over just about anyone.  That would leave progressives with Nina Turner, Tusli Gabbard, Tim Canova and others very popular with millennials, minorities, and the working class to form a real progressive party.  That would be enough parties to break the two-party system for good.  At least two of those parties would have an interest in changing the campaign finance system and making Congressional districts fairer, which would help.
“I will disagree with you just a little on journalism.  I just want to bring up, not CNN or any of those, but Fox.  Fox News is owned by Rupert Murdoch, who realized long ago that he could further his political agenda to his own benefit by controlling things like story priorities and hiring decisions at his news outlets.  He gathered enough blind loyalty to further his interests in issues including de-regulation of news source ownership.  Within a news organization, that is a short-sighted approach, and Fox seems to be finally letting go of it to a degree.
“Having read and discussed issues on this blog for years, I see your self-description as accurate, except that your version of ‘committed to national security’ (military, diplomacy, spying) puts you pretty far into the conservative rather than Libertarian realm.”
My response to the Blog:
            There are many aspects of the Manafort case that heighten suspicions.  There are very real, pragmatic and prosecutorial reasons Mueller went after Papadopoulos, Manafort and Gates first.  I suspect Mueller sees much more in this investigation.  We shall see.
            Interesting observations about the Brazile revelations.  We have at least two other political parties—Libertarian & Green.  I find it difficult to embrace any political party, but if I had to pick one, I would be closest to the Libertarian approach.
            Rand Paul’s daddy was more Libertarian than he is, but Rand seems to be more Libertarian than Republican, from my perspective.  Yes, the moderate Republicans could join with the moderate Democrats to form a credible middle-ground party . . . nice thought . . . not likely to happen, I suspect.  As the intransigence of the two major parties continues, the viability of other parties grows.  I see less and less value in the two major political parties.
            Well, now, I do confess my agreement with your observations about Rupert Murdoch and Fox News.
            Once again, your observations regarding my political self-description is rather accurate, I do believe . . . which is also why I claim to not find affinity with any particular political party.
 . . . a follow-up comment:
“The central lesson, for me, is that the impact of negative campaigning has lessened. Trump, for all his obvious-to-many bullshit, offered people change.  Clinton offered ‘we're not Trump.’  The millennials, those folks in Iowa, and many others don't want to hear any more about how awful the other candidate is.  They want to know how you will address their problems.  That is what Trump has in common with the progressives who won this month's elections.  Trump won despite his ideas being see-through bombast because his opponent had no ideas that might upset her Wall Street and corporate sponsors.  Many of the new office-holders are Democratic Socialists or even Green party members.  This month's winners have no big-donor ties.  They put forward plans to address problems, not just complaints about the Republicans, and that brought out voters.”
 . . . my follow-up response:
            I cannot quibble with your observations.  I will only add that the “not Trump” movement is not likely to be successful in and of itself for one primary reason—they seriously underestimate the “I’m really pissed off at the Washington establishment (of any party).”  The strength of that element of our political community has found the means to overlook the very serious personality flaws in their standard bearer that speaks volumes for the magnitude of their anger.  NBC Nightly News just broadcast a story about four very young (teenagers) candidates (three notional Republicans + one notional Democrat) for governor in Kansas—who’da ever thunk’it?  We may well be witness to a political revolution.  We can only hope.

Another contribution:
“Well, Cap, I respectfully disagree with your disagreement with the disagreements we agree upon, but I appreciate the agreeable tone with which you disagree with my disagreements, and I look forward to continued agreement upon our disagreements and disagreements about our agreements.  I recently gleaned a quantity of and ate some "apple bananas" diverted to Gulfport, MS, because of hurricanes.  These are small banana-like fruits that have a banana texture but apple taste!  So there.  Keep smiling.”
My reply:
            LMFAO!
            Trying to keep up the intertwined string of negatives made my head spin.  LOL
            I am truly sorry your fruits are so confused.
            I will keep smiling.  I urge you to do so as well.

A different contribution:
“The only hope we have is Donald Trump .. but I think you would never lower yourself to admit this fact after you have been so anti-Trump all along ... our problem is we have way too many like you, especially Hollywood celebrities and mainstream media that can't see where we'd be right now if Hillary was elected .. I did not write the following so don't add this to the blog unless you credit it to Mark Snider .. this is the Swamp Trump is trying to challenge if he is only given the chance .. if the left would just quit their squawking at his every move ... if Russia helped Trump maybe they were trying to help free America from the grip of the Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama regime corruption ...”
My response:
            The only hope we have is Donald Trump”; and, “if the left would just quit their squawking at his every move.  Wow!  That is a rather pessimistic view of this Grand Republic and the nation’s history . . . your choice entirely.  I cannot avoid the historical reference; there were more than a few German citizens who felt exactly the same way in 1933.  Heck, there were even British, French and American citizens who also felt the same in 1933, and persisted in their advocacy for the German dictator into 1940.  Needless to say, I do not share your perspective.  In fact, I see him in quite the opposite light—this too shall pass and we shall endure.
            if Russia helped Trump maybe they were trying to help free America from the grip of the Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama regime corruption” . . . surely you jest!
            You are spot on . . . I will “never lower” myself.  I have seen and endured his kind far too many times in my life.  I do not need to learn that lesson, again.  Apparently, you have been more blessed than me, and have suffered his kind and not learned that lesson, yet.  You have appeared to swallow his snake-oil elixir with a broad smile on your face; you believe . . . so more power to you.
            I tried for 20 minutes (enough) to find the citation for your Mark Snider quotation (at least I think it is a quotation); no joy.  Per your admonition, I will not include “his” words in this week’s Update.  [FYI: in the future, if you include another person’s words, please provide a citation, since many readers like to check sources.]  Conspiracy theorists and their products have flourished since the 60’s and LBJ’s misleading and outright false rhetoric in the 1960’s.  ‘Nuf said.
 . . . a follow-up comment:
“Hi ... Yes we most definitely differ on insight and opinion .. that I will just have to swallow unfortunately .. luckily I have met more people who believe in Trump and share my views than folk like yourself .. this greater percentage also is apparent in last November's vote.  I suppose the One World Order is your cup of tea .. not mine.  Seen and endured "his kind"?  Besides Hitler (give that a break!!!) who are all these people you are referring to?  And was your TWA book not a conspiracy theory?
“A note on improved pricing for 2018 healthcare ... still having to select from Healthnet, the only insurance company in AZ which provides insurance for individuals who have no access to group plans ... but what I am seeing during current open enrollment so far is [my daughter]’s choices have gone down $100 to $150 a month on monthly premiums (yes she paid $240 a month on Obama's loving care) ...and the choices for deductibles have declined from like $6000 to as low as $800 for the same or very similar plans!! With maximum out of pocket in case of emergencies being less than $2000!!  Kudos to Whomever was in charge under Trump of getting Healthnet to improve their value!!!  Will let you know how good MY benefits will be once I finalize them!!  Thank GOD Hillary was not elected!!!”
 . . . my follow-up response:
            I apologize for being such a burden.  I suppose it is simply the nature of the beast.
            Yes, certainly, you are definitely not alone in your unbridled love of the fellow in the Oval Office.
            in last November's vote” . . . well, actually, Clinton had 3M more votes and 77 less Electoral College votes, which is what elected him.  Perhaps more significant to our continuing intercourse is the preliminary election results this week . . . not looking good for “his” followers.
            I will give him a break from comparisons to the German dictator when he stops giving us such blatant, glaring, similar conduct.
            And was your TWA book not a conspiracy theory?  Well, interesting question.  Have you read the book?  We examined the publicly available facts, examined all possible causes, and derived the most probable cause given those publicly available facts.  We also examined the NTSB publicly available data and offered our reasons for disagreement with their conclusions.  I do not think of the book as a conspiracy theory, since we do not accuse the government of perpetrating the crime.  You are welcome to label our work as you wish.
            Thank you for sharing your continuing experience with health care insurance.  I cannot imagine anyone in the government being involved in the cost improvement.  I suspect the cost reduction is coming from more people engaging the insurance providers  I am somewhat surprised there are any cost reductions given the current uncertainty in the insurance marketplace created by Congress.

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