31 August 2020

Update no.972

Update from the Sunland

No.972

24.8.20 – 30.8.20

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

 

            To all,

 

            The Republican National Committee (RNC) put on their national convention and nominated the Bully-in-Chief (BIC) and Vice President Mike Pence for another term in office.  The convention with speeches and videos at Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC, on Monday evening.  Their opening rah-rah video was narrated by Actor Jon Voight.  The conclusion of the video proclaimed:

Four years ago, we faced a historic crossroad—career politicians promising change in every election and delivering emptiness.  We chose a different path, a man who is not a politician, a man who cares, a man who loves America and all Americans, a man who works tirelessly, for you, even tonight, during this nomination.  The results, jobs were created, embracing the undeniable greatness of diversity, prosperity, safe communities, protecting and serving, caring for one another.  Still, politicians spun their deceptions and obstructed progress, fanning the flames of lawlessness.  We all know that it is easy to criticize, but it takes a true leader to solve problems.  COVID-19.  While other criticized without solutions, [the BIC’s] swift actions saved lives.  And, as leading Democrats want to keep businesses closed down, our president is leading the way for a full economic recovery.  We are Americans.  Despite unpredictable events, we as Americans work together to overcome challenges and write our own story—the legends for our posterity.  America, land of promise, land of opportunity, land of heroes, land of greatness.

When you add in the noble background music and complimentary imagery, the video is inspirational and uplifting—very well done, I must say.  They even faced the elephant in the room head on, even though the espoused conclusion is highly questionable, if not an outright lie.  But, . . . if only!  The man depicted and referred to in the video failed miserably in so many myriad ways to live up to the spirit portrayed in the videos.  My opinions regarding the consequences of the man’s malignant narcissism alone are well known and plentiful; I do not need to bore you with regurgitation.  Charlie Kirk, Founder, Turning Point USA, offered the real essence to the whole convention, this time in our history, and the upcoming election.

I am here tonight to tell you, to warn you, that this election is a decision between preserving America as we know it and eliminating everything that we love.

I confined my transcription to that one sentence, but Kirk’s entire speech was simply an amplification of the above sentence.  He (they) chose to paint anyone who does not agree with the BIC as wrong, evil, destructive, and in sum, an enemy of the State.  Kimberly Guilfoyle’s vitriol was disturbing in the extreme.  The contradictions, hypocrisy, and falsehoods were breathtaking and understandable but disappointing.  They sought to focus on the good the BIC and his administration have accomplished, which is also quite understandable for politicians; every politician does exactly the same thing.  We must sort out the truth and our choices.

            Vice President Michael Richard ‘Mike’ Pence of Indiana accepted the party nomination at Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor.

            Of course, the BIC chose his daughter to introduce him for his acceptance speech.  I must note an observation.  I was quite impressed by Ivanka’s skill with the teleprompter.  She is far more skilled than the BIC with the device.  Her speaking style is also far more polished than the BIC’s standard performance.  Unfortunately, we cannot trust a word the BIC, his family, or his sycophants utter, as his so-called and self-proclaimed “truthful hyperbole” has been repeatedly and consistently proven to be neither truthful nor hyperbole.  However, we can appreciate the showmanship of perhaps the greatest snake-oil salesman history has yet recorded.  We also witnessed another terrible example of why we are incapable of gaining control of the COVID19 pandemic—1,500 people in close proximity, without social distancing or face masks, except by a very few among the audience.  I hope no one gets infected as a consequence.

            So it is.  We enter the last phase of this silly season with nine (9) weeks to the election.  I hope and trust everyone is registered and ready to VOTE.

            The amount of money spent on the fireworks display alone could probably feed a small nation for years.  The audacity is breathtaking.

            The flag-waving, rah-rah videos were very well done in virtually every respect.  They were definitely feel-good videos that touted the American spirit.  They chose to feature most citizens of many and wide backgrounds to sing his praises.  There were far fewer politicians than last week.  I accept that the people who spoke believe what they said and their benefit they attributed to the BIC.  Taken prima facie, the BIC and his administration deserve credit.  He also displayed an unprecedented presidential pardon during the political event and naturalized five new citizens.  The BIC placed himself as an executive producer of the convention show (although I tried for quite some time to independently verify the information, I could not), and he deserves credit for putting on a great show.  Well done!

            Unfortunately, the false vitriol and excessive misinformation pronouncements darken an otherwise positive effort to focus on the positive.  Further, all of the rah-rah stuff cannot erase the man he is at the root.  Again, unfortunately, I have read:

-- Special Counsel’s Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election [22.3.2019;804898902904]

-- Intelligence Community whistleblower’s letter of 12.8.2019

-- House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence The Trump-Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry Report [3.12.2019; 935].

-- House Committee on the Judiciary Impeachment of Donald John Trump, President of the United States Report[9.12.2019; 935].

-- Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election Report [18.8.2020; 971]

-- myriad indictments, court charging documents, and court rulings.

If only the BIC was a better man and lived up to the spirit and biased rhetoric presented in the BIC show.  He is not, and the leopard cannot change his spots.  He is what he is, and there is zero hope that he will change and become a better man and citizen.  I have not and will not forget or forgive his misconduct.

            At the end of the day, I return to my earlier observation.  If only the BIC was just a fraction of the man all those speakers claimed and declared him to be.  If only he was just a sliver of the man he is hyped to be—by himself and his believers.  Regrettably, he is not.  Some citizens choose to ignore the reality of the man he is, to believe he is the man they want him to be.  I freely confess to my inability to look beyond his malignant narcissism and his myriad character flaws.

            I thought about how to summarize reality versus all those videos and words of praise and adoration for the BIC.  Here is my conclusion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iimj0j4NYME

That clip graphically displays the Ugly American syndrome.  Those few seconds during the video shows the BIC pushing past Prime Minister Duško Marković of Montenegro on 25.May.2017, at a NATO summit meeting in Brussels, Belgium.  The BIC simply had to be in front and puff up his chest as if he is the biggest dog on the street.  He said no words; he only acted.  Those few seconds of that video clip show everyone why I refuse to refer to the president by his familial name.  He is the Bully-in-Chief (BIC)—the consummate Ugly American.  The prime minister of Montenegro and the president of the United States are equals; the nations are not the same size, but we are equals.  Let us not forget – “all men are created equal.”  Does the BIC’s actions that day in 2017 show the interaction of equals?  I think everyone knows the answer to that question.  I recognize that some American citizens probably see nothing wrong with the BIC’s conduct that day in Brussels, and many may very well cheer him on to represent American exceptionalism.  I am not and cannot be one of those citizens.  Ugly Americans and schoolyard bullies are NOT who Americans should aspire to be in life and in relations with our neighbors.  I do not need to hear about all the great things the BIC thinks he has done by himself alone.  That video clips says all I need to know.  The BIC is not the man I want to represent me on the world stage.  He can falsely claim destructive socialism, lawlessness, and despair are the alternative to him, but once again, he is flat-assed wrong . . . in every possible way and from every perspective.

 

            The headline on a conservative Blog on Wednesday stated:

Enemies of the State: Biden, Harris, Pelosi, and Schumer

Anytime Democrats invoke their oath "to support and defend" our Constitution, it should evoke herniating laughter!

Really?  Are there actually American citizens who believe this drivel?

            As noted above, this is precisely one of the themes of the RNC Nominating Convention this week.  In this context, I will also note that more than a few Democrats have engaged in similar extreme criticism of the BIC and his administration.  This is not new.  As noted in my review of the RNC Convention above, this is precisely reflective of the BIC’s Republican Party.  It is not an isolated thought or brain-fart.  It is systemic.  From my perspective, QAnon has taken control of the Republican Party thanks in no small measure to the BIC’s embrace and tacit support of the right-wing conspiracy theory group.  This sort of vitriolic nonsense is exactly the corrosive rhetoric that will destroy this once grand republic.  We have apparently lost the ability to disagree respectfully, to debate issues vigorously, and to seek compromise and solutions for the common good.  This is tribalism at its worst and must be condemned outright.

            You want a conspiracy theory?  What if the right-wingers like QAnon, neo-Nazis, Aryan Nations, KKK, and Republican operatives are the ones acting in or inspiring others to imbed themselves in otherwise peaceful protests in selected cities to create violence, chaos, and the image that Democrat mayors have lost control?  Such false-flag operations are not without precedent, e.g., the burning of the Reichstag on 27.February.1933 that brought dictatorship, and the Gliwice, Germany radio station pseudo-attack on 31.August.1939 that sparked war in Europe.  No, these operations are not new, but we may well bear witness to the latest application.  The BIC’s followers are so bloody desperate to hold onto power and preserve their privilege that false-flag operations are entirely possible and plausible.  We must remain ever vigilant and suspicious.  Protesters are not the problem; anarchists and agitators are the instigators of violence within peaceful protests.

            The leftists, socialist, or communists among us are NOT enemies of the State.  They simply hold different views and opinions regarding the governance of this once grand republic.  So, when I am presented with a choice between the soft, squishy, feel-gooders or the QAnon Party, my selection and vote is extremely easy to make.  Character matters.  Intentions do not amount to much.

 

            Category 4 Hurricane Laura, the most powerful hurricane in 150 years to hit the region, made landfall at 01:00 [S] CDT, Thursday, 27.August.2020, near Cameron, Louisiana.  The damage is widespread and extensive.  The storm center moved north, made a hard, right turn at Southeast Missouri, headed east, and is expected to clear the United States by Sunday on its way across the Atlantic to the United Kingdom and Europe.

 

            This week’s events signaled the demise of the once noble Republican Party.  The remnants are no longer the republican party; they are now the BIC’s party, or more properly the QAnon Party enabled by the BIC (because I cannot give that man that much credit).  I am undoubtedly late to that minor epiphany, but hey, better late than never.  Rest in peace, Barry Goldwater.

 

            There was a lot of drivel about the BIC being the greatest jobs president in history.  He loves to take responsibility for the new jobs created by businesses during his administration, and that is what presidents do.  But that is not the test of the man.  So where was he in taking responsibility for losing 30M (million) jobs during the pandemic.  Isn’t he just as responsible to losing jobs as much as he is for creating jobs?  He loves to take credit for the good times, but he refuses to take responsibility for the bad times.  The sword cuts both ways.  The reality speaks volumes about what the BIC thinks leadership is.  The BIC’s definition of leadership is not even similar to anything I recognize as leadership.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.971:

Comment to the Blog:

“DNC message: ‘We’re not Chump (but we might be Republicans).’  As an Ohioan, it’s disgusting to see K-Sick featured at the DNC’s convention.

“RNC message: ‘we’re Chump.’

“We already knew the Chump is deeply corrupt.  It doesn’t seem to change anything.

“It’s good to see Steve Bannon at least catch a felony or two.  He is as detestable as the Chump, and a damn sight shrewder.

“We are riding out the virus issue.  Like it or not, the most likely outcome in The United States is herd immunity, whenever that occurs.”

My response to the Blog:

            Thank you for your contribution.

            Thank you also for your opinion on the DNC message.  We shall respectfully disagree.

            The first night of the RNC convention was certainly red meat for the believers and consumers of the BIC’s magic snake-oil elixir.  Unfortunately, I do not and cannot agree that anyone who disagrees with the BIC is an enemy of the State.  You are spot on correct.  It does not matter what the BIC does; he thinks he has absolute immunity.  The BIC was spot on correct; he could actually shoot someone (any random innocent person) on Fifth Avenue and still not lose any votes.  We have to admire that kind of blind loyalty.  But, as he says, it is what it is.  We shall see in November.

            I share your opinion of Bannon.

            Yes, I suspect you are correct.  The window of containment has passed.  Now, we are left with no choice.  So, we must all ride it out . . . until an effective vaccine is available . . . for those who choose to take it.

 

Another contribution:

“Our youngsters return to school next week having been at home since the outbreak of Covid in March.  Of course, there are different sides as to the health issues involved but the majority approve the decision.  We all hope they are right.  It will be a long and hard struggle for the youth to catch up on their education.  This could indicate that we are on top of Covid falsely encouraging some people, mostly youths, to behave recklessly with street parties etc.  This must stop!  A fine of £10,000 is to be imposed on those organising such events.

“For an event planned by our village Legion to commemorate VJ Day I was given strict instructions not to invite more than 30 people with no drink of food and social spacing to be observed. Oh and no singing or musical instruments! We were allowed a bugle for the last post. It was a memorable event. I’m hoping to recommence our monthly meetings in October.

“Lots of cover here on those fires-not so far from you two.”

My reply:

            Yes, I’m afraid it is going to be very busy until this election is decided.

            The same is happening here.  I’m with you, I sure hope this situation does not go any more sideways than it already has.  Our country’s children are returning to school as well.  We need this to work.  As long as we have a segment of our society who see the counter-infection procedures as a measure of freedom of choice, we will not get ahead of the virus.  This has nothing to do with individual freedom; it is entirely about breaking the chain of infection until an effective vaccine is available.

            I hope your VJ Day commemoration was successful and safe.

            We have no fires close by at present, but our normally crystal-clear skies are dimmed by a heavy haze of smoke from the fires in Southern California.  This too shall pass.

 

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

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)

24 August 2020

Update no.971

 Update from the Sunland

No.971

17.8.20 – 23.8.20

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

 

            To all,

 

            The Democratic National Convention occurred this week in a virtual video format that offered an extraordinary message of union, involvement, and potential prosperity.  The Biden-Harris ticket clearly embraced his former party opponents, political opponents, and everyday working folks.  The inclusion of Republicans in the national message moment was unusual, refreshing, and encouraging.  The format reflected the constraints imposed by the current and on-going COVID19 pandemic.  The breadth of the virtual convention was nothing short of awesome, featuring extraordinary diversity, inclusion, unity and optimism.  I will freely confess to tears welling up in just the expanse of the roll call vote of the states and territories nominating Joseph Robinette ‘Joe’ Biden Jr. of Delaware and Kamala Devi Harris of California for the presidency and vice presidency in the upcoming election.

            The four-day virtual convention featured many prominent speakers, both Democrat and Republican.  From my perspective, the most notable were Michelle Obama, John Kasich, Colin Powell, Jill Biden, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Mike Bloomberg, among so many others, including Steph Curry and his family with their two precocious girls.  Although I am not a fan, Hillary Clinton also spoke and offered an admirable speech.  For all the polished rhetoric, the ultimate scene-stealer was a 13-year-old boy from New Hampshire, Brayden Harrington, who is struggling to overcome his stuttering.  “Joe Biden cares.”  Brayden gave us heart and genuine admiration.  The most remarkable phrase from the four days to me was, we must lead “by the power of our example rather than the example of our power.”  That phrase alone brightly illuminates the stark difference between Joe Biden and the BIC.  The choice is clear.

            It is the Republicans turn to inspire us next week.  I eagerly await the message.

 

            Many of us criticized President Bush (43) for his slow and tepid response to Hurricane Katrina [195], as a below the bar effort that cost far too many lives.  I have also persistently condemned his attempt to fight a war on the cheap instead of mobilizing the nation to deal with the threat we faced; again, his decisions cost far too many lives.  I have also claimed the worst president in my lifetime was President Jimmy Carter, not because he was not a good and decent man, but because of his gross mismanagement of important governmental functions, not least of which was national security matters.  Compared to the BIC’s performance, or rather paucity of performance, Bush-43 and Carter are highly revered saints.  I shall live the remainder of my life with a new low standard for presidential conduct—the Bully-in-Chief (BIC) [796-971].

 

            The fifth and final volume of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) was released on Tuesday, 18.August.2020.  For reference, the first volume was released by the SSCI on Thursday, 25.July.2019.  All five volumes contain and present 1,316 pages of more hard evidence of Russian government interference in the 2016 election as well as the malfeasance of the BIC and his cronies during the campaign for the 2016 presidential election.  This time, the report cannot be sloughed off as some political partisan hack job or BIC-declared hoax.  The committee is run by Republicans, and it has bipartisan support.  The SSCI report confirmed and indeed expands upon the findings of the Special Counsel’s report [804, 898902].  Of course, the report matters not to the BIC or his loyal supporters.  They will most likely not read any of the volumes, or if they do, they will attempt to discount the findings as part of some so-called deep state conspiracy against the best president ever to stand on this planet in the past, present, or future (sarcasm).  They are entitled to do and believe as they wish.  I do respectfully disagree.  While not intended to be such, the report is an indictment against the BIC and his political campaign on a host of levels, not least of which was their failure to confront the Russians for their criminal activity and cyber-warfare against the United States.

 

            The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York filed an indictment against Brian Kolfage, Stephen Kevin Bannon, Andrew Badolato, and Timothy Shea—United States v. Kolfage, Bannon, Badolato, and Shea[USDC SDNY 20 cr 412 (2020)].  There are two principal charges against all four of these American citizens: 1.) Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, and 2.) Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.  The charges stem from the creation and operation of We Build the Wall, Inc., a non-profit, GoFundMe, organization.  They raised US$25M in contributions from supportive citizens and allegedly skimmed off millions of the collected funds for their personal use. The indictment listed a page worth of bank accounts and acquired property to be confiscated.  Perhaps even at the fitting level, the FBI arrested Bannon on the 152-foot mega-yacht The Lady May owned by exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui and anchored off Westbrook, Connecticut.

            There are numerous tables on the Web that present the number of criminal indictments, criminal convictions, and prison sentences of each presidential administration since Nixon and including the BIC (so far).  The worst by nearly three (3) times the next worst (Nixon) is none other than the BIC, and he is not done yet.  The bottom three (worst) are Reagan, Nixon, and the BIC.  The top three (best) are Carter, Clinton, and Obama.  Does anyone note the commonality?  I suspect ol’ Steve and his buddies are going to become guests of Uncle Sam for a long time, unless the BIC decides to issue another one his highly questionable pardons.  We shall see.

 

            The United States of America has 4% of the world's population but 25% of the worldwide COVID19 cases and 22% of the COVID19 deaths.  The hospitalizations in the U.S. versus the world proved more problematic to obtain, since there is a presumably disparate reporting standard; I believe the U.S. hospitalizations are about 21% of the world levels.  What is wrong with this picture?  The BIC persists in his sleight of hand activities regarding testing, as he has repeatedly insisted that if we did not test, we would have no cases.  His contention is irrational, ignorant, and otherwise very un-presidential—a snake-oil salesman’s chicanery.  The BIC’s laissez-faire approach to the pandemic response has brought us to this tragic state, not for what he did so much, but rather for what he did not do.  He publicly declared he was not responsible and literally pitted the states against each other in a common purpose that proved extraordinarily wasteful and injurious.  The governors, for the most part, tried mightily to control the pandemic, but the BIC’s public example of defiance of the protection measures as some obscene demonstration of freedom and individual rights made matters far worse.  Not abiding the protective measures is simply disrespecting other citizens, and his negative example has absolutely nothing to do with individual rights.

 

            U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero issued his 103-page ruling on the Supreme Court’s remand in Trump vs. Vance [591 U. S. ____ (2020)] [965, 966].  In his Second Amended Complaint, the BIC claimed the grand jury subpoena to Mazars USA LLP “is overbroad and issued in bad faith.”  Marrero’s decision was well written, comprehensive, and directly to the point—Trump vs. Vance [USDC SDNY Case 1:19-cv-08694-VM (2020)].  Judge Marrero denied a request for an emergency stay, set a rapid schedule to hearing arguments on the appeal.  The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals also rejected urgent request by the BIC for a stay. The BIC will assuredly appeal to the Supremes, but I suspect the outcome is established given their words in the prior remand ruling.  This is exactly what the BIC struggling mightily to delay the inevitable looks like.  If the BIC does not gain an emergency stay with the U.S. Supreme Court, he may well be required to surrender his tax records for the decision can be rendered.

 

            By a comfortable 107-vote margin, including two-dozen Republicans, the House of Representatives passed a legislative bill known as the Delivering for America Act [H.R. 8015, House: 257-150-0-24(4)].  The bill would restrict changes that might be implemented in the United States Postal Service (USPS) and allocated US$25B in additional funding.  The BIC has threatened to veto any funding for the USPS, so the Republican-controlled Senate is not likely to even consider the legislation.  So, the Senate majority leader will probably do the BIC’s wet work, once again by his inaction, since the BIC never gets his hands dirty.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.970:

Comment to the Blog:

“The Democratic Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees this year still stand against the Chump and don’t stand for anything.  Deja vu all over again.  Senator Harris’s record as Attorney General of California relieves her of my vote.  I’ll note that the next Vice-President is very important due to the unlikelihood of either major candidate remaining alive and well for four years.

“The New York Times morning briefing newsletter this morning (August 17, 2020) leads with a discussion of possible herd immunity in some locations.  That’s the default outcome of the virus if we don’t do anything effective, as indeed we haven’t.

“The past week’s primaries underscore my point that candidates must stand for something if they seek votes.  Ilhan Omar won her primary in a safe Democratic district.  She’s one of ‘the Squad,’ prominently progressive and clearly supporting those policies.  On the other hand, a safe Republican district in Georgia chose a supporter of the Q-Anon conspiracy nonsense.  However insane I believe that is, she too stands for something.”

My response:

            Regarding what Biden-Harris stand for, we shall respectfully disagree.  Unfortunately, far too much of what they stand for is the antithesis of what the BIC has done to this once grand republic in the last four years, so it is so easily colored as anti-BIC.  I believe you are not giving the Biden-Harris team proper credit.  Yes, far too much of this particular rendition of the silly season has become the anti-BIC.  These are the times in which we live.  In the context of survival, there is so little doubt I would prefer Harris over Pence for a host of reasons.

            I think herd immunity is the default position.  The ineptitude of the BIC’s laissez-faire approach to deal with the pandemic has squandered whatever opportunities we might have had to contain the virus.  So, in that context, I suppose we should prepare for 100s of thousands more dead, and I hope that we are not among that unfortunate group.

            Quite true.  We have the additional challenge during this silly season to sort through all the chaff, smoke, deflection, and obstruction to find the information we need.  “Perfect is the enemy of good.”

 . . . Round two:

“Biden and Harris still don’t stand for anything, only against someone.  Granted, that someone embodies the very worst of American manhood, but that’s not the point.  Negative campaigning undermines election turnout and participation in general.  People listen to both sides and conclude that no candidate is worthy of their vote.   Too often that’s true.

“That was also the point of my comment on the primaries. I don't know at all what you thought I said, but I meant to draw attention to candidates that won by standing in favor of policies.  I might see their positions as ludicrous, but they succeed by offering to do something constructive.  They don’t just point fingers at the other candidate.

“I regret failing to link to the article on herd immunity.  The writer points out new, relatively positive expert statements on herd immunity and suggests that it may already be occurring in certain local areas.  ‘Hundreds of thousands more’ dead is a fear, not a reasonable prediction.”

 . . . my response to round two:

            And it is baffling to me why you persist in your contention that Biden does not stand for anything.  He may not be espousing the policies you favor, but he has made his position quite clear.  Presidents rarely take unilateral action to do anything.  Real accomplishments occur in Congress with the creation and passage of laws that the president approves, or rejects.  I am not particularly influenced by “I will . . .” nonsense.  I must judge any candidate’s ability to lead, to seek compromise, to find solutions to contemporary problems.  Presidents cannot just will things to happen as they wish.  Perhaps the issue here is, Biden is too middle of the road, too moderate, and not at one extreme or the other.  My inclination is the middle ground.

            I did not “predict” hundreds of thousands more fatalities.  I said we should prepare ourselves for such tragedies if we continue down this “oh well,” “it is what it is,” laissez-faire approach to pandemic response.

 . . . Round three:

“I'm not particularly interested in any candidate's current statements.  I study history.  Biden has always sought to represent exactly the center of the positions of the Democratic Party management.  Bottom line: he has no position of his own.  Harris's history, on the other hand, consists of carrying out policies offensive to me, and she will likely serve at least part of the term if Biden is elected.

“You contradicted yourself.  You said, ‘I did not 'predict' . . .’ but then you said, ‘we should prepare ourselves’ for exactly that.”

 . . . my response to round three:

            OK, now we have the essence.  Our political differences rests upon your observation.  I am a citizen of the middle.  I appreciate the positions and abilities of those who seek the middle.  I am far more interested in a vigorous debate, negotiation, compromise, and mutually satisfactory (or perhaps equally dissatisfied, depending upon one’s perspective) solutions.  I see his moderation as a positive.

            You say contradiction.  I say differentiation.  Being prepared for a potential event does not mean I believe (or predict) an outcome.  I suppose that is my military training coming to the fore.  We prepared for all kinds of potential events from nuclear or biological warfare to social disintegration.  Just a little FYI: that is precisely why I am so critical of Bush 43.  The military had numerous good models for dealing with an occupation; they had good plans.  But Rummie had to beat down those plans to achieve the lowest possible expenses to accomplish the president’s strategic objectives, and he relieved the Army chief of staff he saw as an obstacle rather than sound advisor.  We bear witness to the result, e.g., rampant looting after the fall of the Hussein regime and the birth of ISIL; that is a direct, tragic example of the USG not being prepared for winning the peace.  More American lives were lost in that failure than were lost in the original invasion.

 . . . Round four:

“You may well be a moderate.  Biden is a follower.  He will change his positions to suit the DNC's donor base.  If the majority of the DNC decided that slate gray is actually aquamarine with neon pink streaks, so would Biden.  My statement stands.

“Your ‘differentiation’ is confusing, and the military context doesn't do anything to clarify it for those of us not interested in military activities.”

 . . . my response to round four:

            Well then, I am afraid we shall respectfully disagree.  I do not see what you see.

            My apologies.  I thought my military experience was relevant.  My bad!

 

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

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)

17 August 2020

Update no.970

Update from the Sunland

No.970

10.8.20 – 16.8.20

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

 

            To all,

 

            Iis official!  Vice President Biden selected Senator Kamala Devi Harris of California to be his running mate for the upcoming presidential election.  The selection will be approved and become the Democratic Party nomination at next week’s national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  She is a native-born American citizen and daughter of emigrant parents—father Jamaican, mother Indian.  Kamala had also been an opponent of Biden during the primaries.

            The Republican national convention will be held the following week to nominate the BIC and Vice President Pence as their candidates.  The dance card is nearly set.

 

            At the Monday evening Presser (Press Conference), our resident “stable genius,” AKA the Bully-in-Chief (BIC), proclaimed (among so many other gems):

Nobody’s ever seen anything like this.  Right?  The closest thing is, ah, in 1917, they say, the great pandemic.  It certainly was a terrible thing where they lost anywhere from 50 to 100 million people, probably ended the Second World War.  All the soldiers were sick.  Ah.  It was, that was a terrible situation.  This is highly contagious.  This one is highly, highly contagious.  You know, if I would’ve listened to a lot of people, we would’ve kept it open, and by the way, we keep it open now, all the way, we keep it open.  But we would’ve kept it open and you could be up to a million and a half, two million people right now, one and a half to two million people."
[emphasis mine]

WHAT!  Really?  There is a reason they refer to that disastrous episode in history as the 1918 Pandemic.  Patient zero is believed to be Private Albert Gitchell, a company cook at Fort Riley, Kansas, who was identified on 4.March.1918.  Second, we do not need more evidence that the BIC is not and never was a student of history, but this is just too much.  The Second World War began in 1939 (or 1931, if we choose a more expansive definition) [most high school students know that] and did not end until 1945.  Oh wait, he was just kidding.  No, no, he told us himself that he never kids or jokes around.  Even if we give him the benefit of the doubt and claim he just misspoke, the 1918 Pandemic did not and could not have ended the First World War; all of the soldiers on either side were not sick.  The meat grinder of the Western Front churned on until virtually the last artillery shell was fired at the 11th minute of the 11th hour on the 11th day of November.  My great uncle was wounded in combat twice in just that span of time—March to November 1918.

            WTF!  The doctors need to find a more effective cognitive impairment test [967]; the one they used obviously yielded a false negative.  He clearly is neither stable nor a genius, and I highly doubt his mental health and stability.

            Just an odd but related footnote: the BIC’s speaking is so bloody disjointed that transcribing his exact words is unusually difficult.  In addition to history, I wish he had paid just a little attention in English class as a student . . . or perhaps, I am using the word student inappropriately here in reference to the BIC.

 

            will now freely and openly confess to my very dark thoughts this week.  The plethora of right-wing conspiracies, misinformation campaigns, voter suppression, and outright lies have taken their toll on my usually plentiful optimism; Josef Goebbels would be proud of those folks—tell a lie enough times and the people will believe it.  I have historically believed in the inherent strength of this once Grand Republic.  But the relentless deluge of QAnon, right-wing talking heads, conspiracists, BIC loyalists, anti-vaxxers, and whatnot have corroded my usual “we shall overcome” belief.  They attack knowledge, science, and facts, and they actually tout ignorance just as George Orwell so perfectly predicted.  The insanity of it all is just too much.  The worst of it is not the free speech of the extreme right-wing, but it is the BIC giving voice and amplification to that bunch; they were once a distant fringe.  Today, they have become mainstream thanks in toto to the BIC and the BIC alone.  The BIC ran on a campaign slogan four years ago that persists to this day and is actually the absolute antithesis of the reality he alone has brought to our country.  I have recognized and acknowledged that he is a clear and present danger to the republic.  Even more discouraging than all of that . . . if the Republicans are successful in suppressing the vote with their multi-faceted, aggressive plans and efforts, we may well be faced with another four years (or more, if the BIC is successful) of this absurd insanity.  I have listened to these right-wing crazies incessantly telling us we are doomed; the nation is failing.  I always sloughed off such ridiculous nonsense.  But as I began, my dark thoughts brought for the first time ever the thought that we deserve to fail, to cease to exist.  We deserve this!  We are our own worst enemy.  I also had an additional dark thought that maybe we just need to let this go.  Let the virus kill off all these crazies, and perhaps in the rubble of what is left, the rest of us might rise again to greatness.  The BIC has been the single most effective wrecking ball to this once Grand Republic—single-handed; he is the greatest.  I can only hope enough saner minds prevail to record the history of this country’s downfall.  We deserve what comes!  It truly pains me to say that aloud, but these are the dark days of my depression.

            [NOTE: I wrote the paragraph immediately above on Thursday.  As I finalize this week’s edition of the Update, my opinion has not changed.  The election is not coming soon enough, and the longer this goes, the more the BIC, his magic snake-oil elixir, and his small army of enthusiastic sycophants will erode whatever confidence there is in the integrity of our elections.  They are doing a near perfect job for their true leader NKGB Colonel Vladimir Putin and his gargantuan efforts to discredit western democracies.]

 

            On Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected a direct urgent appeal by the Republican National Committee in their effort to block Rhode Island from using mail-in ballots—Republican National Committee v. Common Cause Rhode Island [591 U.S. ___; 20A28].  The state sought to use mail-in ballots to lessen the risk of spreading the COVID19 contagion during voting or discouraging citizens from voting, while the RNC sought a stay in a lower court order.  Those who follow the Court can guess who the three justices were who would have granted the request for a stay.  The result is Rhode Island can proceed with their intended use of mail-in ballots.  This latest ruling comes six (6) weeks after the Supremes granted at stay in a lower court preliminary injunction in the case of Merrill v. People First of Alabama [591 U.S. ___; 19A1063].  In the Merrill case, the lower court issued an injunction on the state’s requirements for absentee voters to include a copy of their photo-ID and the signatures of two witnesses or a notary public to validate the ballot.  The difference in the two cases is the involvement of the state.  In Rhode Island, the state chose to support the challenged decree allowing mail-in ballot process, while in Alabama, the state defended its process.  Another series of back and forth court judgments in Texas Democratic Party v. Abbott proved more convoluted than I had time to sort out, but it is another state voter suppression case like the cases noted above.  I imagine there are other legal actions but I cannot see them. Whether the Supremes can collect all these up in the next month or so to be of any benefit in settling the BIC’s induced chaos surrounding the pending election is yet to be seen.

            The Republican Party is conducting a broad, general campaign to suppress the vote and discredit mail-in balloting . . . well except for the BIC’s personal absentee ballot and those of his immediate family (they are all OK, because he says so).  And leading the Republican onslaught is their idol, savior, and all-around-badass, AKA the BIC, who seeks to deny funding to and downsize the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to prevent them from handling the projected flood of mail-in ballots.  On Thursday, the BIC told Fox Business:

They want US$25B—billion—for the Post Office.  Now they need that money in order to have the Post Office work so it can take all of the millions and millions of ballots.  If we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money.  That means they can’t have universal mail-in voting.  They just can’t have it.

The outrageousness of the BIC’s transgressions is unprecedented in this once grand republic (unfortunately, not so in autocratic nations or dictatorship oppressed countries; the BIC continues to degrade and corrode this country to third-world status; make America great again indeed).  With the BIC’s mounting shenanigans, I am reminded of the Imperial Chinese punishment, death by a thousand cuts.  President Obama offered the best observation of the BIC’s misdeeds.

What we've seen in a way that is unique to modern political history is a President who is explicit in trying to discourage people from voting.  What we've never seen before is a President say, 'I'm going to try to actively kneecap the postal service to encourage voting and I will be explicit about the reason I'm doing it.'  That’s sort of unheard of, right?

There should be no doubt remaining that the BIC is an extraordinary, unique, clear and present danger to this once grand republic.  He is destroying the country we once loved.

            As has regrettably become the pattern for the Republicans these days, they attempt to destroy or render worthless something rather than try to improve it, make it better, to fix whatever the problem may be.  So it has apparently become with our election system and specifically mail-in voting.  What they cannot destroy they cast relentless doubt about whatever is left.  We have seen the process too many times—just the latest being the voting system.  Mail-in ballots make sense during a pandemic, forcing citizens to risk infection to vote when mail-in voting avoids the risk.  To my Republican friends, let us improve the system, fix whatever problems may exist, and not destroy the process.

            This is exactly what the BIC does so well; he creates chaos, confusion, doubt, and uncertainty in everything . . . except himself.  He is the only one—the only savior, the only messiah.  Yes, absolutely, the BIC is a clear and present danger to whatever is left of this once grand republic.  This insanity must end!

 

            The president and his administration achieved a significant foreign policy success with the announcement that Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would establish diplomatic relations, exchanging ambassadors and opening embassies.  The UAE joined Egypt and Jordan in normalizing relations with Israel.  The president also forecast that other Middle Eastern countries would soon follow the UAE, potentially creating an atmosphere for peace in the region.  It is a little too early and perhaps premature to offer such an optimistic prognosis, but given the accomplishment, he is entitled to such optimism.  We shall hope the projection comes to fruition.

 

            offer my sincere condolences to Donald Trump and his family for the passing of his younger brother Robert Stewart Trump on Saturday.  His cause of death has not yet been disclosed.  May God rest his immortal soul.

 

            On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued their unanimous ruling in the case of National Coalition for Men v. Selective Service System [5CCA No. 19-20272 (2020)] that reversed a lower court decision declaring the exclusion of women from Selective Service registration was unconstitutional.  The judges cited the Supreme Court’s decision in Rostker v. Goldberg [453 U.S. 57 (1981)] that declared male-only draft registration constitutional.  The judges of the 5th Circuit stated that only the Supreme Court can overrule its precedent; they stood firmly on stare decisis.  The 5th Circuit’s judgment was rather non-descript; however, it does raise a very important societal issue.

            I have been and remain an ardent advocate of House Joint Resolution No. 208 [22.3.1972]—the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).  The ERA states: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”  After the Supremes’ decision in Bostock v. Clayton County [590 U. S. ____ (2020)]  [962], the definition of ‘sex’ in this context includes the full spectrum of gender identity.  Further, equal rights are equal rights in toto, or not at all.  A lot has changed since 1981. Rostker must be overturned, but as the 5th Circuit properly noted, only the Supreme Court can do so.  Respectfully, the Supremes must do just that.  As such, all citizens, including women as well as any variant in between, must be included in the draft registration requirement.  The time for equal rights is long overdue, and the time to close the door on the past notions of chivalry, the Doctrine of Coverture, and social paternalism is long overdue as well.

            With respect to this topic, I am compelled to illuminate an essay I wrote and published on 25.August.1998, titled: “Limits on Gender Integration.”

http://www.parlier.com/essay-1.html - gender

Please note my Postscript (2015) at the end of that essay.  I believe the time has come (actually very long overdue) for true, genuine equality under the law.  There are no longer any reasons for discrimination.  We are either equal, or we are not.  Full stop!

 

            Here in Arizona, this coming November, we will vote on Proposition 207—the legalization of marijuana for recreational use.  In the Thursday edition of the Arizona Republic (published on-line the day before), Lisa James and Todd Griffith offered us their opinion regarding Proposition 207.

“What proponents aren't telling you about Prop. 207, which would legalize pot in Arizona”

Opinion: Proposition 207 claims to offer protections if voters agree to legalize marijuana. But there's a lot more in the act that advocates aren't mentioning.

by Lisa James and Todd Griffith – opinion contributors

Arizona Republic

Published: 6:00 a.m. MT; Aug. 12, 2020

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2020/08/12/smart-and-safe-arizona-act-neither-marijuana-legalization-risky/3342111001/

Lisa James is the chair of an organization known as Arizonans for Health and Public Safety.  Todd Griffith is the retired director of the Arizona State Crime Laboratory.

            A wide variety of reasons compelled me to submit my opinion to the Arizona Republic.

            James/Griffith provide us well-crafted words, but unfortunately, the meaning of their words is just more of the same fear-mongering moral projection nonsense that has kept this country in the obscenely expensive, oppressive, and failed war on drugs—50 years and going.  Nearly 90 years ago, our ancestors learned that prohibition does not and cannot work in a free society.  We would be far better served by respecting the fundamental freedom of choice and right to privacy of all citizens, and work on ways to make consumption safe, while eliminating the criminal subculture that supplies illegal substances to satisfy demand.  We found ways to do so for alcohol and tobacco.  We can do the same for psychotropic substances.  Let’s grow up.

            Readers of this humble forum may recall my notice of completion for my next novel [967].  While the notional system offered in the book may not be the answer and likely is not the answer, at least it is an attempt to take a more progressive approach to respect the freedoms and rights of all citizens.  There has to be a better way than the failed war on drugs.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.969:

https://news.sky.com/story/kamala-harris-takes-aim-at-donald-trump-in-first-speech-as-joe-bidens-running-mate-12048125

“who’s this lady Cap-haven’t heard you mentioning her.”

My reply:

Kamala Harris is a U.S. senator for California.  I've mentioned her a few times in the Update, since she was a presidential candidate until she dropped out last December [936].  She is a former state attorney general for California and a formidable person--a good choice from my perspective.

 . . . Round two:

“Good show then-if you approve of her then she must be ‘up to scratch’.

“I will watch out for her. She could be a future U.S. president then-the first female leader? You remember our Margaret Thatcher, she was a strong decision maker with a robust personality, if she didn’t like something she would say so and wo-betide those who failed to adhere to the nations’ plans. That’s what leaders should do, unlike some others who wallow around trying to gain adoration and deceitfully generating false hopes and expectations.

“Still in Wiltshire SW. U/K where finally the heatwave has de-generated into Cumuli Nimbus. We are back home for a service with the legion and our padre on Saturday at the village war memorial-the final end of WW2. We are not permitted more than 30 to attend with no singing or music with social spacing upheld throughout. We cannot conduct this event in the church. I am required to provide hand sanitiser, why I don’t know because we don’t make any contact what so ever but rules is rules.

“I was reading an interesting article re the nuclear end of the war and the desperate decisions that had to be made by your leaders at the time. And even after the nuclear bombing heavy raids were needed to obtain the final surrender.”

 . . . my reply to round two:

            Yes, she is someone to watch.  The BIC and his supporters wasted no time in attacking her, displaying their sexist, racist bent.  As I write this week, this once grand republic may never recover from this tragedy—very sad.  The BIC has been and remains Putin’s greatest single asset.

            Yep, VJ Day 75 years on will be celebrated tomorrow.

            As I wrote last week, Truman’s decision to deploy the newly proven atomic weapon was not easy, but it had to be done, and God bless his immortal soul for having the strength of character to do so.  So many lives were saved, and I dare say, the outcome for the Japanese was far better than would most likely have been the case if Operation DOWNFALL had been executed.  Yes, exactly, as the Japanese government waivered, a 1,000-bomber raid on various targets using conventional munitions was executed the day before the surrender; the last bomber had not yet landed when the surrender was broadcast.  Nasty business . . . warfare.

 . . . Round three:

“Thanks for your reply, that is an immense subject indeed, one I believe I would like read more about especially as, in later years, the weapons used were part of my service experience.”

 . . . my reply to round three:

            Yes . . . an enormous subject from the physics and engineering to the political and moral aspects of the decision to employ.  I never got that close to those weapons, but I do know a little about them and their effects.

 

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

Cheers,

Cap                  :-) 

10 August 2020

Update no.969

 Update from the Sunland

No.969

3.8.20 – 9.8.20

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

 

            To all,

 

            The follow-up news items:

-- The police finally released (or leaked) the officers’ bodycam videos from the George Floyd [959] tragedy.  I see that incident in a much different light than I did initially.  We see now that Floyd refused to comply, and persistently and actively resisted.  Floyd’s behavior escalated the incident.  Now, that said, those officers failed to protect Floyd, and they have been appropriately charged.  I understand and appreciate their frustration with Floyd’s continuing resistance, but that does not justify their excessive force that led to Floyd’s unfortunate death.

            My message to ALL citizens: comply with police instructions.  Do not question or confront law enforcement officers.  You do not know what they know, or what they are responding to in any situation.  All of us should be helping law enforcement officers rather than arguing with them or resisting them.  No police officer has any obligation to inform you why they are instructing you to do x, y, or z.  Just do what you are instructed to do when you are told to do it.  It is really that simple . . . to avoid situations like Floyd found himself immersed.

 

            Circa 18:00 [B], Tuesday, 4.August.2020, 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in a Beirut, Lebanon harbor warehouse.  The various video clips of the explosion resemble a 3.0 KT tactical nuclear explosion, complete with massive shockwave condensation dome and mushroom cloud.  The explosion left a large crater where the warehouse once stood and flatten virtually the entire waterfront area, killing hundreds, injuring thousands, and causing extraordinary damage to the city.  The ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) in that warehouse had been offloaded from a confiscated Russian freighter in 2013 and had remained in the warehouse since the seizure.  Ammonium nitrate is used as an agriculture fertilizer but also has a well-known explosive potential.  A brief note of historic events might be helpful to put this most recent incident in perspective; all of the events noted below involved ammonium nitrate explosions.

21.9.1921        Oppau, Germany; 4,500 tons [4.5KT]

16.4.1947        Texas City [near Galveston], Texas; 3,260 tons [3.3 KT] + 1,800 tons of sulfur loaded in two different ships, docked adjacently

19.4.1995        Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; 4,800 pounds [0.002 KT]

17.4.2013        West, Texas; 30 tons [0.030 KT] [592]

Ammonium nitrate is an important agricultural product, but it is also a substance that must be respected and handled properly.  For the record, the first two events noted above were recorded as accidents; the last two were criminal events.  Hopefully, a thorough investigation of the Beirut episode will establish which category the latest event goes into for history.
            With all the religious and political strife, Lebanon has now descended into anarchy as years of pent up frustration boiled over after the explosion.  Ministers have resigned and the government as ceased to function.  Regrettably, the United States has begun to resemble Lebanon.  The BIC did not create the distrust of government, but he has most certainly amplified and capitalized on that fundamental dissatisfaction.  Instead of helping to fix the problem, he alone has made the situation far worse and brought the disintegration of Lebanon closer to us.

 

            On Monday, New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney (DA) filed a motion to dismiss yet another attempt by the Bully-in-Chief (BIC) to block access to Trump Organization records as part of the on-going criminal investigation—Trump vs. Vance [USDC SDNY Case No. 1:19-cv-08694 (VM)].  The latest legal gyrations come in the wake of the Supremes action sending he case back to the lower court on remand—Trump vs. Vance [591 U. S. ____ (2020); No. 19–635] [965, 966].  Of particular note, the Supremes were unanimous on rejecting the BIC’s unfounded claim of his possessing “temporary absolute immunity” as president.  The essence of the Supremes ruling was their dissatisfaction with the lower court’s handling of the separation of powers aspects of the DA’s subpoena order.  We see in the Second Amended Complaint (SAC) dismissal filing the recognition and illumination by the DA that their investigation goes well beyond but does include the “‘hush-money’ payments to silence two women made by Michael Cohen on behalf of Plaintiff in 2016” and other unspecified “possible criminal activity” of the Trump Organization.  Hopefully, the judge will make quick work of this latest delaying tactic and get onto the root issue for clearance of the Supremes’ objection—separation of powers.  Regardless, we are not likely to see this legal dispute reconciled before the election, and further, we are even less likely to see the evidence until it is presented in court.  This case is not going to go away regardless of whether he remains president.

 

            The BIC’s malignant narcissism causes him to persistently shoot himself in the foot.  The phenomenon is truly sad to witness.  Once he latched onto the quantity of testing as his only quasi-redeeming facet of the far broader enormous failure of his laissez-faire COVID19 pandemic response, he has been like a bad dog on a good bone—he cannot let it go—no matter how intellectually vapid or corrupt his arguments.  He persists in public claiming that testing is the problem, i.e., stop testing equals no cases.  He apparently continues to believe the number of cases is the issue.  The reality is and has always been hospitalizations and fatalities that absolutely nothing to do with the quantity of testing.  HBO/Axios reporter Jonathan Swan interviewed the BIC and challenged the president’s claim that the pandemic was “under control” in the United States.

Swan: “How?  A thousand Americans are dying a day.”

BIC: “They are dying.  That’s true.  And you – it is what it is.  But that doesn’t mean we aren’t doing everything we can.  It’s under control as much as you can control it.”

The callousness and the paucity of any sense of reality displayed by the BIC in just the above statement is mind-numbing, irrational, and devoid of truth.  The BIC’s persistent and continuing denials are a clear and present danger to We, the People.  Is it any wonder to anyone (for or against the BIC) that we have such an abysmal state of affairs regarding the pandemic response?  This is the man we hired and installed to lead us through difficult times.  The BIC loves the trappings and inherent power of the office, but he refuses to take responsibility or do his duty.  Not only is he the antithesis of anything even remotely resembling leadership, he is actively working against the proper handling of the pandemic, which threatens more people, thus my contention that he is a clear and present danger.

 

            As is usually the case at this particular time of year, we look back to historic events that specifically occurred 75 years ago.  On Monday, 6.August.1945, the United States dropped the “Little Boy” uranium (235U) bomb on Hiroshima, Imperial Japan, virtually eliminating the entire city in a flash.  Three days later, after the Japanese government refused to surrender, the United States dropped the “Fat Man” plutonium (239Pu) bomb on Nagasaki, Imperial Japan, essentially repeating the earlier results.  A third device was en route to Tinian for deployment, and several additional weapons were at various stages of manufacture and assembly.  Even though confronted with the enormous destruction of the two attacks, the Japanese government struggled to accept the terms of surrender.  It was an attempted coup d’état by a hardline military faction against Emperor Hirohito that swung the decision.  On the 15th, in Tokyo, the emperor made an unprecedented radio broadcast to his nation and the world that the Japanese accepted the terms of surrender, ending the most devastating war in human history.  It can be argued that those two special weapons ended the war, or that they were merely contributors.  In the latter hypothesis, the questions remain: when and at what cost?

            A friend and frequent contributor sent along two related on-line articles:

“The Hiroshima Myth”

by John V. Denson

Mises Institute

Published: 08/06/2020 

https://mises.org/library/hiroshima-myth

“A Look At The History Of The Nagasaki Bombing, 75 Years Later”

by Geoff Brumfiel

National Public Radio (NPR)

Published: August 8, 2020; 7:55 AM ET

https://www.npr.org/2020/08/08/900432101/a-look-at-the-history-of-the-nagasaki-bombing-75-years-later

I noted in both articles biased selectivity regarding the facts to construct the implied conclusions.  Both articles, from different perspectives, paint the picture that neither bomb was necessary and leave the reader with the impression that rogue military elements dropped those weapons.  While most of the facts in both articles are correct, the authors failed to present a complete picture of the broader facts whether intentionally or by neglect.  I resoundingly reject the presentations in both articles.

            Full disclosure: my father served as a sergeant in the 96th Infantry Division (96ID) and nearly lost his life during operations on Leyte Island (Operation KING TWO).  If he had not been seriously wounded and medievac’d to the States, he would have been with the 96ID during the bloodbath of Okinawa (Operation ICEBERG).  If he had survived Okinawa, he would have been with the 96ID for Operation CORONET—the invasion of Honshu.  I know how my father felt about Truman’s decision.  I have been reading, researching, and learning about those times since my childhood.  I make no claim to being an expert or even a historian about those times, but I have collected a large body of facts.  I have tried to understand the dissenters as well as the proponents.  I freely and openly acknowledge that more than a few knowledgeable individuals argued strongly against offensive use of those weapons, but ultimately, I believe President Truman made the difficult decision to save lives, both Allied and Japanese; he did what had to be done.

            One last note: as the Japanese government waivered with acceptance of the Allied terms of surrender, the 20th Air Force launched a 1,000-bomber raid on various targets on the main islands of Japan on the 14th.  By the time the last of the bombers landed, the Japanese surrendered.  If we are going to debate the wisdom or correctness of Truman’s decision to employ nuclear weapons, let us do so with the sum of the collected facts rather than selectively picking out those facts that support one position or another.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.968:

Comment to the Blog:

“The Chump is an outcome of our two-party privately funded system of choosing leaders.

“The Chump revels in having enemies.  “Us versus them” is his theme, his strategy, and almost his entire being.

“If we must rank speakers on sheer eloquence, I see Obama as the peak of modern oration.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t add substance to his accomplishments, which were limited by the DNC.

“The face mask doesn’t insult my machismo if it exists.  However, anything that limits the flow of micro-particles necessarily slows airflow.  This is aggravated in my case by surgical damage to my nose and in many others by various issues.  All the shaming in the world won’t change that.  On top of that, my experience with irritants that affect my asthma tells me that any ‘non-medical’ mask has no medical purpose.  I wear whatever I can as needed to avoid conflict with people like you.  I also carry an effective mask at all times in case of an emergency.

“The correct path/best practice is to provide real personal protective equipment (PPE) to every worker and every other person at risk and to test, trace, and isolate at a far higher level than we’re doing.  That’s working elsewhere.  (A friend in the medical industry tells me the testing that is occurring here in the USA is in fact being falsely reported due to the flow of money to those testing and treating the virus.  To what degree, nobody knows.  Capitalism at its finest.)”

My response to the Blog:

            Oh my, I would not and cannot go that far as your indictment.  Our evolved two-party political system has many faults, of which the selection process is one of those flaws, but to lay the cataclysm of the BIC on that flaw is a bridge too far for me.  I see his candidacy, nomination, and subsequent ‘service’ as far more basic and rudimentary.  The BIC phenomenon is not a fluke; it reflects palpable dissatisfaction with the performance of the federal government among the citizens who vote that they were able to set aside their values, their beliefs, their wants and needs to grasp for a piece of flotsam floating by on the water.

            Yes, I agree.  He was an absorptive student of Roy Cohn who was a consummate lie-deny-defy lawyer of the McCarthy witch hunt era.  That was Cohn’s MO, and the BIC learned well.

            Yes, I would also agree that Barack Obama is certainly at the top of contemporary oratory list.  I’ve been impressed with his communicative skills since I first heard and became aware of this public speaking (2004).  He delivered another impressive speech at the Lewis Memorial.  Yet, one of my greatest criticisms of his presidency was the inability of his administration to negotiate compromise with Congress; a harsh criticism, yes, it was what it was.  I cannot place blame for that failure on the DNC.  Further, every president has had to deal with internal politics as much as external politics—that’s the job, for better or worse, e.g., DNC selection of Truman as FDR’s VP for his 4th term.

            Oh my, “people like” me . . . that’s a rather stiff accusation.  So far, I have not confronted another citizen, but I most definitely note my observations.  Most folks in the community where we live are respectful citizens; I’d estimate 95% wear masks; something like 20% wear eye protection . . . in restaurants, stores, post office, et al.  My observations are from the myriad video clips from across the country, from many different sources (some professional, some not), and from other on-line information networks.  I do not include my many exchanges with other citizens who write and speak words of machismo.  You are not alone with respect to your physical need for selectivity regarding masks; I am sorry you must deal with those complications.  At least you do wear masks.  Masks are not necessary when no one is around you.  Lastly, the positive infections, hospitalizations, and COVID19 fatalities are physical, hard evidence that far too many American citizens do not follow the USG guidelines; there are more than a few who truly believe the COVID19 crisis is a hoax, as the BIC claims.

            Unfortunately, a significant chunk of our citizenry believes they are invulnerable to COVID19, disregard in toto their infection transmission potential contribution, blindly follow the BIC’s negative example, or are simply ignorant of the situation around them.

 . . . Round two:

“The two-party only system and the unrestricted and unaccountable funding of candidates and campaigns has pretty much ‘evolved’ (or degraded) to this point since at least Reagan.  The Chump’s minority election isn’t the first manifestation of that particular Electoral College phenomenon, and the dissatisfaction with the result of these elections is simply the best tool for the more-capable party.

“The Chump instinctively surrounds himself with others like him.  His combative approach is a feature of his personality, which came before his study under Roy Cohn.

“Obama’s failure came not due to his inability to compromise with Republicans but because of a DNC that refuses to risk alienating large donors.  FDR achieved much more in policy, which is all that makes history.

“You may or may not confront people in public, but that attitude is what I fear much more than the virus.  I maintain my position that non-medical masks do not serve medical purposes.  Social distancing/isolation does more to prevent contagion, but it carries serious mental health/behavioral risks, as demonstrated by spikes in domestic violence and overdoses.  Government could do much more for us, but government is not playing its part.  See above.

“I believe there is a highly contagious virus among us of natural origin.  Actual reliable figures about that virus in the USA are subject to many issues not limited to manipulation.  As nearly as we can determine, a significant number of people actually don’t (or didn’t) have symptoms if they get the virus.

“Yep, you could be wrong.”

 . . . my response to round two:

            The two-party system has dominated our political system for a lot longer than the Reagan administration.  I welcome other parties.  I have voted for other party candidates.  While I tend to agree with you regarding dissatisfaction, the flaws of the two-party political system is a minuscule threat compared to the malignant narcissist who occupies the Oval Office.  It is hard to see any other threats that are orders of magnitude less than the BIC.

            Yes, exactly, his malignant narcissism affliction demands constant adoration and idolatry.  He instinctively throws away the naysayers until he finds the sycophants his ego thrives upon.  His malignant narcissism was born in his childhood, and we have his parents to thank for that.

            I do not let Obama off the hook that easily.  A true leader inspires people to overcome obstacles.

            I do not share your opinion of the value of non-medical masks.  Please remember that non-medical masks are more to protect others from each of us; they significantly attenuate debris from a cough, a sneeze, or just the normal spittle of talking, shouting, or cheering.  Masks are respect for others.  Yes, exactly, agreed in full; the USG has failed miserably on multiple fronts in our pandemic response, and we have one person to thank for that failure.  The BIC is incapable of doing what a decent president should and would be doing.

            Agreed.  While positive infected cases have relevance, the key for us is hospitalizations and fatalities.  As we have argued from the get-go, the most threatening parameter is the saturation of our intensive care capacity.  It is not infections.  As you properly note, the significant majority of infected citizens are asymptomatic or recover without medical intervention.  When the number of hospitalizations (which are a mere fraction of infections) exceeds the treatment capacity, more people will die.  It is not the infections as the BIC like to tell us; it is our treatment capacity.

            I am humble enough to recognize, acknowledge, and taut my fallibility.  I make no claims to being correct on any topic, including a few where I once might have been considered an expert.  My fallibility does not dampen my eagerness to debate important issues or write about sensitive matters.  We must not be afraid of being wrong.  The key, it seems to me, is our fundamental curiosity and willingness to learn.

 . . . Round three:

“I never said the Chump wasn’t a threat.  I said he was the natural outcome of our system.

“There’s more to it than the overwhelming need for adoration.  He also needs to defeat enemies continually.

“If we follow the money, the medical industry picture changes.  I’m sending you a link from NPR in Facebook Messenger to a story about how nursing homes move ordinary people out of the way to make way for COVID patients because the COVID patients pay a great deal more.  There’s more to the money story, but it’s a start.”

 . . . my response to round three:

            I rarely make accusations.  I respectfully do not agree with your statement that the BIC is the natural outcome of our two-party political system.  The disastrous phenomenon of the BIC is a consequence of many other factors not least of which is a minority that is desperate to retain the power they wielded for centuries and the consequent tribalism we must endure.  He has latched onto divisions within our nation to use that minority for his personal power.

            I will grant you that.  All wannabe dictators need enemies or adversaries to show how powerful they are.  The BIC certainly fits that paradigm.

            As I read the NPR article, I do not see it in the same light.  Your words suggest this is some inhuman capitalist motivation.  However, it could be that facility greed to be outsource supplemental to a local hospital and don’t want to mix infected with uninfected people especially in a high-risk population.  It could be as you suggest, but it might be something else entirely.

 . . . Round four:

“I'm not getting a meaning from your paragraph on the NPR article about nursing homes pursuing the money around COVID-19 patients to the detriment of ordinary nursing home residents.  I read the article to mean that nursing home operators seek higher profits regardless of the well-being of their usual residents.  I'm can't understand your response.”

 . . . my response to round four:

            Ina Jaffe states that she does not know the motivation despite repeated attempts to learn why.  The available evidence does not substantiate jumping to the conclusion that the facility’s motivation is inhuman capitalism.  I was only attempting to observe that there could be other motivations other than money.  Further, this is one facility among thousands.   An interesting and applicable crosscheck might have been queries to the local hospitals treating COVID19 cases, i.e., did they request additional space?  We saw the phenomenon in NYC with the deployment of the USNS ships to New York and Los Angeles along with the diversion of public facilities to the treatment of overflow cases.  These are the kinds of things that happen when we foolishly saturate our hospital treatment capacity, and thus, why I continue to harp upon hospitalizations rather than cases (as the BIC does) as the critical criterion.

 . . . Round five:

“There's no sound information about any of this.  I'll note that the hospital ships went unused.  If you choose to believe in the humanitarian motives of people who make a great deal of money by their choices, go for it.”

 . . . my response to round five:

            Whoa dawgy!  Now that was a jump too far.  I never even suggested “humanitarian” motives for that nursing home.  I am only offering that there could be other motives beside money.  The suggestion that money is the only motive for this action is just another conspiracy theory from my perspective.  Let’s get the facts before we condemn them.

 . . . Round six:

“Where would conspiracies come into it?”

 . . . my response to round six:

            Conspiracy theories in the common contemporary form imagine all kinds of causes, sometimes despite the facts and often for the lack of facts.  The article does not tell us, and we do not know, so we guess why?  As always, you have the right to believe what you wish for whatever reasons you wish, as do I.  In this instance, we have insufficient evidence to jump to the money-money-money motivation.

 . . . Round seven:

“A conspiracy theory by definition supposes a conscious multi-party collaboration for some nefarious, typically political purpose.  How does that fit the case of nursing homes having ordinary capitalist greed?”

 . . . my response to round seven:

            Exactly.  You are accusing that nursing home of a conspiracy to kick out paying, presumably contracted residents to make more money treating COVID19 patients.  That is a conspiracy.  I am only saying we do not see the evidence for such an accusation . . . not even probable cause, set aside beyond a reasonable doubt.  Do the facts we have warrant an investigation?  Yes.  I’m all for that.  But accusing an organization of money-grubbing with such insufficient information is wrong (from my perspective).  I just went through a right-wing conspiracy theory video that was far worse but still a conspiracy theory.

            I’m just sayin’ . . . 

 . . . Round eight:

“No, that's not a conspiracy, that's simply a management decision.  I'm not sure why you seem to need a conflict this morning, but I'm merely speculating, not accusing in any formal sense.  I hope you feel better soon.”

 . . . my response to round eight:

            Very well, then.  I bow to your infinite wisdom.

 

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

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)