Whaddayano

My humble apologies for being so wrong yesterday in stating my belief that Trumpapalooza was running low on fuel.  In defense of my erroneous surmise, I did package it as  a belief rather than a prediction. Nonetheless, here we are with the prospect of a Fourth Reich, with JD Vance as Minnie Me, and Steven Miller and who-knows-what-else-the-tide-will-bring-in as loyal henchmen & henchwomen; (perhaps henchpersons is the proper term ?).

I was reminded of the magnitude of my miscalculation as I recalled the sound advice on a small sign behind the bar of a popular bar in downtown Palo Alto, Don’t believe everything you think.

Purging the system of the virus appears to require another onslaught of dis-ease. I think I was correct in stating that it will be a rough ride with substantial pain and some great losses, but if we can manage to disenthrall ourselves, the probability of future successes quickly multiplies as we are now hobbling ourselves by wasting incredible amounts of time and energy over what can only charitably be called absolute shit, or, to use a popular current euphemism, a hot steaming mess.

It is perhaps fruitful to remember that the entire Third Reich ran from Adolf Hitler’s rise to Chancellor in February, 1933, to his admission of defeat in May, 1945. If we start the clock for Donny Johnny with Escalator Ride to this current low point, we already have a decade in on the job and may be past the worst in a couple of years ? Just a thought. And, if you calculate that our trouble began back in the George W coup of November 2000, and then ceding all moral authority worldwide in protracted senseless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with Authorizing Use of Military Force (AUMFs) fully endorsed by Congress and accepted by the American people, you can get a better idea of how far into the abyss we have sunk in the past quarter century. In fact, if you really desire some insight into what has happened to our country and the Two Party System we claim to revere and support, it can be found in just two words, Gaza Genocide, as far as I can tell, fully underwritten by the USA.

My final advice, to the Democratic Party: Try to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) before attempting again to run a woman for the highest office in the land. You’ve got to learn to walk before you can run.

I am one of millions who want something other than what we’ve got and do not yet see viable political partners in our struggle to combat oligarchy and inequality.

The long-awaited day arrives

For all of those citizens, voters, and friends who have waited interminably for The Golden Escalator to reach ground level, November 5th is an overly large moment. The opportunity to repudiate Donald John Trump, one of the most malignant actors ever to desecrate the American political arena, has arrived. I don’t think millions of People will miss their cue. Now is the time.

Forget about the very suspect polling, the billions of dollars sloshing around the Game, the Electoral College, and even the extremely corrupt leadership of the American political system, the man has worn out his welcome, and also appears no longer to offer anything by way of entertainment. He will, of course, proclaim victory and continue to run his formidable grifts upon gullible and morally adrift enthusiasts of MAGA-land, but the pop and sizzle of the early days has evaporated in his swan song meltdown. In fact, as the clock ticks, he continues to hemorrhage more supporters, and were there to be any delay,  he would be receiving even fewer votes. His wave crested in Butler, Pennsylvania, with mouthing of that famous slogan, “Fight, Fight, Fight !” And, fight they did. But their faithful abandoned truth, decency, and kindness on the field of battle, and when the time came to ask for aid and relief from others, no one was within earshot.

We have a long, hard path ahead of us. If we use the power of this moment to right the ship, to take care of business, to run the affairs of state in a manner that benefits the greatest number, we will see qualitative improvements in our country and world.  Should we go the route of profligate spending with massive tax avoidance by the morbidly rich, and rabid militarism world-wide, election victories will not save our experiment in popular government. I continue to stand with Abraham Lincoln’s advice, ‘As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country’.