Update no.926

Update from the Sunland

No.926

7.10.19 – 13.10.19

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

            To all,

            The follow-up news items:

-- The BIC appears to have unilaterally ordered the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Northern Syria [914], and directly or inadvertently greenlighted the Turkish attack on our Kurdish allies in the region.  This one even ticked off some Republicans and joined both political parties against the BIC’s action.  Then, in what has become his trademark modus operandi, the BIC sent out this tweet into the cypersphere:

“As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!). They must, with Europe and others, watch over...  

8:38 AM - 7 Oct 2019

“....the captured ISIS fighters and families. The U.S. has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate. It is time now for others in the region, some of great wealth, to protect their own territory. THE USA IS GREAT!”

8:38 AM - 7 Oct 2019

[emphasis mine]

Whether the BIC was kidding, joking or stone cold serious is irrelevant, no POTUS should ever talk like this.  We must cleanse the Oval Office of this outrageous incompetence.

-- The BIC lost another of his myriad legal attempts to block various governmental agencies from gaining access to his personal and business tax returns [772, 915].  This time, it was the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.  Whether the BIC chooses to press his appeal to the Supremes is yet to be announced publicly, but my guess, based on the BIC’s personality traits: he will indeed attempt to stretch the inevitable out as long as he possibly can.  Let’s see how close I am to being correct.  If he does, I cannot imagine the Supremes, even with Gorsuch and Kavanaugh on the bench, siding with the BIC against the law.

-- Boeing’s woes mount, like the BIC’s lies and subterfuge, in the aftermath of the twin B-737 MAX accidents [878, 889, 896, 900].  Reports suggest tensions are growing between U.S. and European aviation regulators over the corrective actions.  Also, Boeing CEO Mullenburg has been stripped of his chairmanship by the board of directors.  I continue to watch for criminal charges.

-- The BIC’s incessant obstruction of justice seems to be breaking down piece by piece.  Ambassador Yovanovitch [924] apparently defied the administration and testified under subpoena behind closed doors before the combined House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Committee on Oversight and Reform.  Late this week, we learned Ambassador Sondland’s initial refusal has apparently been overcome and he will testify next week.

            Two foreign-born donors to a pro-BIC fundraising committee who helped Rudy Giuliani’s efforts to investigate Democrat Joe Biden were arrested late Wednesday on criminal charges of violating campaign finance rules.  And, Rudy himself is under criminal investigation.  Further, true to form, the BIC has begun the process of throwing his supporters under the bus, and then backing the bus up.  “I hardly knew him” has become the BIC standard, go-to excuse.  The BIC will throw away Giuliani as he has all of loyalist supporter who lose their value to his purposes.

            So many Republicans have forgotten, ignored, or are outright ignorant of the impeachment process, which is a constitutional provision to deal with political or elected federal officials who have abused their office including the president of the United States.  The House portion of the process functions like a grand jury in the judicial process.  The Senate functions as the court to judge the indictment.  The BIC has no constitutional or legal foundation for his obstruction of the constitutional process.  The BIC and his array of sycophants scream about due process and he has been charged with no crime.  It is an interesting twisted logic.  He has not been charged with a crime because he cannot be charged (per the 1973 OLC memorandum)—a contemporary, political version of Catch-22.

            For the record, as of this date (13.October.2019), I favor the House impeachment inquiry; however, I have not seen sufficient evidence to have a reasonable assurance of conviction in the Senate.  Therefore, I remain against impeachment (indictment) of the BIC without a reasonable probability of conviction in the Senate and removal from office in accordance with the provisions of the U.S. Constitution.

            That said, I was convinced upon my reading of the Special Counsel’s Report [898] that the BIC had committed multiple crimes and continues to bring disgrace to the office he holds.  The BIC deserves to go down in history as the first president to be removed from office by impeachment.  But, I am not a sitting U.S. Senator, so my assessment does not matter a twit.

-- The Federal Reserve is reportedly worried that the slowing global growth and rising trade-policy uncertainty [802] could exert a drag on hiring and the U.S. economy [922].  The Fed has also indicated it will begin buying Treasury bills into the 2^nd quarter of next year.  We will hope the Fed is successful in stemming potential recession; none of us needs a slowdown.

            A Philadelphia jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay US$8B in damages to a Maryland man who said his use of J&J’s antipsychotic medication Risperdal as a child caused him to grow enlarged breasts.  US$8B . . . really?  This is outrageous!  US$8M would have been excessive.  US$8B is a 1,000 times too excessive.  Hopefully, the appeals process will bring a little more sanity to the damages award determination.

            The latest charges of sexual assault against Matt Lauer raise an important point for our continuing debate of consensual relations.  The new accuser refers to an initial non-consensual, anal rape perpetrated by Lauer, and then admits to subsequent consensual sexual relations with Lauer.  She bases her accusation on her contention that she was too intoxicated to consent and that he forcibly violated her body.  This latest circumstance draws into question: what is consent?

            In my humble opinion, for whatever that is worth to anyone, intoxication is a clearly and demonstrably diminished state of mind.  Like the Stanford student rape, if any person is unconscious, does anyone have the right to violate a person’s body?  Is there any difference between physical assault and sexual assault?  Is anyone free to rob or injure an unconscious person?  My opinion: NO!  Full stop, period, drop the mic!

            Yes, the accuser could be reflecting what her memory or clarity of hindsight wants to believe.  She might well be doing this for retribution over being jilted or cast away at the end of it.  Unfortunately, the bill has come due for the paternalism and Doctrine of Coverture that was the essential core of Victorian morality and American societal tradition.  In this she said – he said, I will side with the woman and condemn Matt Lauer for his sense of male entitlement in taking advantage of an intoxicated woman.  To me, intoxication by any substance to any level is no different from being in a coma or any other diminished state.

            CNN held another presidential town hall series at the NOVO in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, co-hosted by the Human Rights Campaign.  The focus topic was “Equality in America”—LGBTQ rights and issues.  All of the top tier Democrat candidates participated, except Senator Sanders, who was recovering from recent surgery, and Gabbard and Yang who declined invitations due to schedule conflicts.

            I must confess listening to these candidates is refreshing, like a delightful, warm, spring day after a long cold winter.  All of the Democrat candidates are articulate, caring, and focused on issues.  All of them demonstrated compassion and understanding of some of the issues faced by the LGBTQ community.  Even Uncle Joe was finely on point.  I will not bore you by recounting the content of the important human rights subject.  Every single one of the Democrat candidates stood head and shoulders over the vile, juvenile rhetoric of the BIC.  In my humble opinion, Pete Buttigieg did the best, and Julián Castro was the least impressive but still far better than the BIC.  We heard Tom Steyer for the first time on the political stage and he did quite well—better than average for the group of candidates on stage that evening.

            The BIC’s body count continues its incessant growth.  The latest casualty is acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin Kealoha McAleenan.

            Comments and contributions from Update no.925:

Comment to the Blog:

“In your mind and mine, Ukraine is a sovereign nation.  In the Chump's mind, they're a handy tool.

“The Sacklers' continuing wealth doesn't surprise me, although I wish they'd get the poverty they deserve. The Panama Papers stands in my mind as the best example of how great wealth is handled in the United States. That event vanished from the news long before anything like justice came about.

“Hong Kong is an important place, and I cannot guess their future. I know of no precedent for this specific situation.

“The Chump's Civil War tweets might constitute sedition per Merriam-Webster.  This week Merriam-Webster also provided the Constitution's causes for impeachment (Article II, Section 4): treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. The ‘civil war’ tweets are seditious as I read the definitions.  The endless bribery in his lodging businesses and his bribing women in order to obstruct justice make more counts.  That's merely the most open and well-documented stuff.

“The conduct of Pastor Jeffress embarrasses me as clergy and it reflects poorly on religion in general.  I would like to see religious organizations taxed.

“I note your other correspondent's use of ‘strong’ to describe the Chump, followed by several false claims about him. I think this person would prefer a ‘strongman’ to a decent human being.

“Anyone in the Washington establishment might be corrupt, but all sources state that no evidence of Biden corruption has turned up in Ukraine.

“I'll note that while the impeachment of Presidents of the United States has yet to result in a conviction, it has resulted in Nixon's resignation and in limited functioning in the case of Andrew Johnson.”

My response to the Blog:

            So it would seem.  He sees other sovereign nations as playthings on a game board.  Anything and anybody is a handy tool for him, as they do his dirty work for him, so he retains deniability—I’ve never told them to do that—just like a Mafia don.  They are to be used and thrown away when no longer of value to him.

            Oh my, you got that right.  Good ol’ boys taking care of the other good ol’ boys.

            Yes, Hong Kong is important for a host of reasons.  I’ve been there several times . . . one of my favorite places on the planet.  We are impotent to do anything for them, or help them achieve freedom, so the best we can do is bear witness and remember what is happening to them.

            Absolutely!  His transgressions, felonious and unconstitutional conduct are myriad and growing.

            Pastor Jeffress (and he is not alone in his kind) reminds me so much of Cardinal Richelieu—been there, done that, don’t want to do it again.  Yes, religious organizations that engage in political affairs should not enjoy tax-exempt status.  They want to play citizen, then let them pay like citizens, as the rest of us do.

            There are very real reasons why Germans were attracted to and supportive of Hitler, as Italians were of Mussolini.  We see those reasons being repeated.  One thing is certain: they are unified and consistent.  We hear the same exact drivel from multiple individuals who do not know each other.  They have learned the playbook well.

            No evidence of criminal conduct has turned up.  However, the appearance of impropriety is unacceptable.  I do not care whether it was criminal; it was wrong, period, full stop!  Whether this will hurt Joe’s candidacy is yet to be seen.

            My position remains unchanged.  Unless there is a reasonable probability of conviction and removal, I see the cost to be far in excess of any potential benefit.  Do I believe the BIC has committed multitudinous impeachable offenses?  Abso-f**king-lutely!  The Special Counsel’s report was more than enough for me.  I am not optimistic the House will produce an articles of impeachment charging document with sufficient strength and clarity to turn 20+ Republican senators, but there is always hope . . . until there is none.

. . . Round two:

“Given the political and corporate environment, I'm not sure I'd count Hunter Biden's employment by itself as the appearance of impropriety beyond the new normal.  As you know, I'm not a Biden backer.  I'd like to see a more progressive and grassroots-funded candidate. However, Biden had begun to fade in polling and contributions already.  I'd rather he rise or fall on his merits versus go down as a result of unsupported attacks.

“I continue to be clergy, and I support religious beliefs and practices as a life tool. However, I disclaimed ‘organized’ religion at some point around five years ago.  I'm sure you understand that. Pastor Jeffress is one example of my reasons for that.  Clergy people that prey on congregants are another.”

. . . my response to round two:

            Your choice.  I would.  He had/has no experience, qualifications, or background to justify a compensation level of US$50K/month; I would argue not even for a year of service, but a month is obscene.  The only thing he has is his familial name and his daddy’s elected office.  That is wrong and sufficient for me, full stop.  Democrats do NOT get a pass.  To me, it is worse than a blowjob in the Oval Office.  I also do not think the image of impropriety is as serious as Hillary’s thumbing her nose at the law with her private eMail server and unilateral deletion of government property.

            I absolutely support the protection of religious freedom and not just because of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.  Religion plays an important part in our lives and society.  That said, clerics do not get a pass to hide behind the Establishment Clause and incite a riot or civil war.  That is exactly what Jeffress is doing.  There are limits to the protections of the Establishment Clause; Jeffress crossed those boundaries in a very big way.  Religion helped civilization define morality.  I respect the place of religion as the moral authority in our society.  However, when any religion incites or compels their believers to impose their morality on all citizens in a free society, they have crossed the line.  I can understand religion opposing prostitution, but it is a political question whether to protect sex workers and their business.  Jeffress was wrong!  The BIC was more wrong for retweeting that inciteful missive.

. . . Round three:

“In comparing the specifics at hand and making the reasonable assumption they both ‘happened that way,’ Biden's knowing corruption would outrank Clinton's gross sloppiness.

“I share your view of organized religion as a political tool in addition to my other objections.  Using the followers' feelings and beliefs to attack others violates my values in a big way.”

. . . my response to round three:

            What is not clear to me is whether dad knew what the son was doing.  Hunter Biden was an adult citizen; he was not a minor under his parents’ authority.  Hunter should have known better with just one axiom: if it looks too good to be true . . .   If Joe knew, then he sanctioned his son’s inappropriate conduct.  I have seen no indications Joe knew and approved.  Therefore, I do not, yet, debit Biden’s political position.  To me, this is just more Republican nonsense intended to distract We, the People.

            That is precisely why Thomas Jefferson was spot on correct.  Religion should be focused on individual souls, NOT on the body politic.  The reason, to me, is the direct ability to incite that religion holds.  We have multitudinous examples in history, and bear witness today with the jihadi movement among believers of Islam.  We do not need more examples.  Jeffress crossed the line, and his church should be decertified as an establishment of religion and reclassified as a political advocacy organization (and taxed accordingly).

. . . Round four:

“I'm sure Hunter Biden knew the intent behind his paycheck, but he's not the principle.  In any case, nepotism and other forms of corruption run rampant in DC.  That needs a systems approach, although I wouldn't excuse the players.

“I'd like to see organizations of religion taxed and regulated like any other non-charitable group.  If we can separate any legitimately charitable activities they perform from anything else, the charitable part should receive the same support as any other charity.  The human side of religious organizations is as dangerous as it has often been and should be handled appropriately.”

. . . my response to round four:

            I’m all in for that.  The BIC has pissed on traditional restraint.  Time for a law to enforce the prohibition of nepotism.  Unfortunately, like incest, they will have to clearly define what constitutes nepotism.  Until anyone can suggest something different, I would suggest we exclude anyone within two generations in either direction of the principal, regardless of by blood or the law.

            Yeah, we have discussed this before.  We use the term religion in broad, all-encompassing ways.  However, it is not religion that is the problem, it is the flawed human clerics who “interpret” religious principles that is the root cause of religiously-inspired malfeasance.

Another contribution:

“Thanks Cap, am sharing as usual with the Group.  I sense we are entering a vortex that both major political parties in USA will regret.  When we see some of the Christian Republican Right jumping away from Trump, it seems something has gone south.  The geopolitical hot spots are being stacked and quickly, for some strange reason I sense parallels to 1914 & 1939, though I was not yet born for either.

“Our foreign policy and international diplomacy seems to be highly fragmented and distrusted, the leader at the helm is unpredictable and divisive to the n^th degree.  Enemies take advantage of their opposition when they can--sniffing weakness just like animals do of prey.  Let's hope are ship starts sailing in a better direction, and sooner-than-later.

“The aural alarms are sounding of wind shear and microburst...hopefully we don't hear the ground proximately warning voice saying ‘terrain...terrain...pull-up!!’”

My reply:

            Share the Update with whomever you wish.  Everybody welcome.

            There are cracks appearing in his support structure.  As the BIC continues his personal WYSIWYG conduct, there will be others.  Watching Republican Members of Congress prance around in the gunfighter’s dance on the streets of Laredo is fascinating, or at least it would be if it was not so sad.  Good people brought low by the BIC . . . just more tragedy.  I have hope they will open their eyes eventually.

            The reason our foreign policy seems that way is because it is.  The BIC isolationism and Ugly American exceptionalism has alienated virtually every one of our friends and encouraged every one of our adversaries.  The BIC has done a far better job of doing Putin’s dirty work than Putin ever could.

            I’m terribly afraid . . . there will be blood.

            My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                        :-)