Update no.975

 Update from the Sunland

No.975

14.9.20 – 20.9.20

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

 

            To all,

 

            I do not need to wrap myself in the flag to show my patriotism.  Those who do so generally feel they have something to prove, like a braggadocio pilot who lacks the skills.  I do not!

 

            Tuesday, 15.September.2020, the 80^th day of remembrance; this is the day known as Battle of Britain Day.  While many of us may not be British, we owe an extraordinary debt that can never be repaid to The Few (the RAF fighter pilots including seven American volunteers) and all of the British people who stood alone against Hitler’s Germans that summer.  The war would have been fundamentally different if they had not been successful.  The war was a long way from being won, but on this day 80 years ago, they stopped the inexorable and undaunted German advance across Europe at the English Channel.  Let us never forget what The Few and the British people did for their freedom and ours during that summer of 1940.

 

            I watched and listened to every second of the Town Hall with the Bully-in-Chief (BIC) at Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, 15.September.2020.  “The President and the People” – a 20/20 Special Edition was hosted by ABC News and moderated by George Stephanopoulos.  Unfortunately, the whole event was just more of the same ol’ shtick from the world’s greatest snake-oil salesman.

 

            Attorney General Barr spoke at Hillsdale College on Wednesday and publicly stated, “Other than slavery, which was a different kind of restraint, this [the COVID19 mandates] is the greatest intrusion on civil liberty in American history.”  Until this moment, I thought William Barr was an educated, knowledgeable man.  Now, we know he is quite like his master; he does not know or understand history.  Justice Brandeis so eloquently observed that “the Bill of Rights is not a suicide pact” – Terminiello v. City of Chicago [337 U.S. 1 (1949)].  Freedom and civil liberty do NOT entitle any citizen to injure or endanger another citizen or property.  I am an outspoken advocate for every citizen’s inherent freedom of choice and resistance to government intrusion into our private lives and choices.  However, when it comes to the public domain, the government has an obligation to regulate conduct and behavior in the public domain for a host of reasons, not least of which is public safety.  Intoxication by alcohol or any other psychotropic substances in private should be protected, while the same intoxication can and should be restricted in the public domain.  The wearing of a face mask in public where a minimum of a six-foot separation cannot be maintained can be thought of like intoxication—necessary for public safety.  So, for Barr to say what he did was absolutely, categorically, and I will say maliciously false.  Wearing a mask is NOT some statement of individual freedom of choice; it is an essential action to break the chain of infection. There is only one reason we are having this debate, the BIC’s malignant narcissism, egocentricity, and paucity of even a scintilla of caring or compassion for anyone except himself.

 

            Compare the BIC’s speech when he is off-the-cuff with impromptu remarks with those moments when he must read a teleprompter or written text.  The difference is stark and dramatic. In my 72 years on God’s little green planet, I cannot recall any politician or public figure being so droll, boring, and outright dull, or rather devoid of inflection, color, or even a sliver of passion.  What is the antonym for inspirational?  On top of that, the bastard lies about everything from irrelevant to essential.  I am not talking about spinning the truth, or the BIC’s favorite “get out of jail” free card, “truthful hyperbole.”  He says things that are outright lies; he knows they are wrong; he refuses to speak the truth because the truth does not serve his malignant narcissistic, egocentric needs.  His behavior is par for the course for snake-oil salesmen, con-artists, and other nefarious individuals; it is absolutely not acceptable for any president of the United States regardless of mental illness, the paucity of experience, or lack of knowledge.  He does NOT get a pass because he has all of those traits.

 

            An extract from a separate communications thread seemed appropriate for this forum.

“I take it you are safe from hurricane Sally?

“What a mess this world of ours is in, what with your main man and this damned virus we couldn’t ask for more distractions to normality.  What is normality, will it ever return?

“And now you in particular are being bombarded by un-wanted storms allegedly produced by global warming which we are all experiencing including our wet side of the pond.

“We still have friends and family which over here we cannot meet in numbers greater than six.  Of course, like you, we do have the deniers who have caused northern towns to be placed into ‘lock down’.  I believe legal actions are being sought and rightly so.

“We’ve had several incredible TV programmes on the Battle of Britain 80^th anniversary. I don’t know if you have access to our TV channels?”

My response:

            Yep, no effect from Sally on us.  I can’t say that for Southeast U.S.

            Yeah, the BIC continues to make things worse.  He has no clue what leadership means.  Further, I truly believe he thinks leadership means never taking responsibility . . . well, we have to give him some credit; he loves taking full and sole credit for things he feels make him appear strong and omnipotent.  The United States today is an orchestra of millions without a conductor.  All we have is cacophonic noise and chaos—very sad.  If this is what he means by “Make America Great Again,” I want nothing of it.  The irrational exuberance of the stock market is not worth spit given the chaos induced by the BIC.  I still contend that he is a clear and present danger to this once grand republic.

            We could use some wet.  We had no monsoon this year, and even the cactus are dying from lack of moisture.

            Exactly!  Thanks to the BIC negative example, we have far too many people who refuse to recognize or respect their obligations to society and the common good.  Like the BIC, it is all ME, ME, ME.  That is not a republic.

 

            I also watched Joe Biden’s Town Hall hosted by CNN at a drive-in theater (for social distancing) in Moosic, Pennsylvania.  Anderson Cooper moderated the event.  The content was not much better.  However, the difference in compassion and sensitivity between the two leading candidates is dramatic; if those factors were the deciders, then the vote is clear.  Biden is not particularly inspiring either, but he is a damn sight better human being.  None of the field are the inspirational, uniting leader we need in these troubled times; so, it will come down to who is the best of the bunch?

 

            On Friday, 18.September.2020, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—the Notorious RBG—passed away from complications of pancreatic cancer that she fought for years.  Chief Justice Roberts declared that Justice Ginsburg was a “jurist of historic stature.”  Having read many of her opinions, I think the chief justice is spot on correct.  She will be sorely missed.  Regrettably, her service to this once grand republic will likely be pushed aside and overlooked in the struggle to fill her seat on the bench before the election.

            From her passing, so began a political conflagration that will undoubtedly become quite messy, ugly, and one of epic proportion.  Four years ago, Antonin Scalia passed away not quite one year before the inauguration of a new president.  That was 269 days from Scalia’s death and the presidential election.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky publicly stated, "The American people are perfectly capable of having their say on this issue, so let's give them a voice.  Let's let the American people decide.  The Senate will appropriately revisit the matter when it considers the qualifications of the nominee the next president nominates, whoever that might be."  Then, four years later, after Ginsburg’s passing just 46 days before the election, McConnell publicly stated, “[The BIC’s] nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.”  The hypocrisy is jaw dropping.  McConnell loves to tell us his actions are not hypocrisy, just politics. He points to history and the last time the Senate approved a Supreme Court nomination in an election year when the White House and Senate were controlled by different parties was 1890.  According to him, the happenstance of history has established the right and proper process.  The reality is, he is doing what is convenient for his tribe, and as such, should be resoundingly condemned.

            My gut tells me, turnabout is fair play; however, my brain says, two wrongs do not make a right.  What McConnell did in 2016 was unconstitutional and wrong in every possible way.  What he conveniently failed to acknowledge or recognize is the Constitution of the United States of America makes no mention of such criterion, or even the existence or influence of political parties in any constitutional authority or action.  The rules never apply to Republicans, only to everyone else.  Turning the Republican grotesque hypocrisy back on them would be equally unconstitutional.  Therefore, I say follow the law.  I must suppress my gut inclinations.

            Lastly, I hope the people of Kentucky can find the courage to reject their senior senator and get rid of the penultimate hypocrite in this once grand republic.  He has long ago exceeded his usefulness to this once grand republic.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.974:

Comment to the Blog:

“Hearing The Resident’s self-incriminating words on audio reminds me very much of Nixon’s Watergate tapes.  The difference is that Nixon wasn’t crazy enough to tell a reporter his failings.

“We know that Chump sees the United States as his private property.  Using the ‘Justice’ Department as his private attorney is only the latest example of that.

“I will remind the name-issue critics that ‘trumpery’ already had a definition prior to the advent of our all-time example of that quality.

“Good luck convincing entitled white men that others are mistreated.  They deeply fear losing their advantages.”

My response to the Blog:

            Yeah, I agree.  Nixon was not an idiot; he was just paranoid and needed treatment.  There is no fixing stupid. They’re both still criminals.

            Yes, exactly . . . as dictators and kings do.  The king can do no wrong; he is immune from prosecution and can do whatever the hell he wants for whatever reason strikes him.  And worse, we have enabled the bastard.  I held Barr in higher regard than that at his confirmation; not so now; he has sacrificed all of whatever integrity he had at the altar of the BIC.  I am also disappointingly surprised that more DoJ lawyers have not resigned rather than contribute to the BIC’s abuse of power.

            BIC-ery indeed!

            I am convinced that white supremacy is a significant portion of his support.  The evidence continues to grow, e.g., the BIC & Charlottesville, I don’t know David Duke but hey he supports me, et al ad infinitum ad nauseum.  We see the BIC and his supporters becoming progressively more desperate to hold onto the power they have.  I just hope the rest of us take this election very seriously.  They vote, and they hold the advantage in the Electoral College.

 

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

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)