A few years before she died, I asked my mother if it was simply a rite of passage that most elderly Americans conclude that our country is going to hell. I always hear that from the older demographic- I think because the younger demographic has no historical point of reference. You can only know how bad America has gotten by knowing what a great country this once was. There is no other way. We did not become great because of governance or socialistic practice or legal precedent- we were great once because anyone who worked hard and used common sense could find the American dream and the rule of law protected them. Today the rule of law protects the aristocracy and the corporate oligarchy via the Supreme Court. All nine of those Harvard grads exist solely to protect the haves from the have nots. One day there will be another revolution and a bunch of those necks are gonna get stretched. That's history and that's how it always ends-the cynical side of me desperately wants to be here when it happens.
My story begins here.
They called it the "Gibralter of Unionism." In turn of the 20th century Butte, Montana the struggle was real. Conditions in the mines were deplorable but if you wanted a shot at the American dream you had to pay the admission price. Maybe you paid the admission price at places like Five Points in Manhattan, in Chicago stockyards, or in Butte mines.
In the Butte, Montana of my childhood- nearly everyone from wool growers to barbers were union members. It had all started with the miners, of course. That it got out of hand and included nearly every worker in Butte- seemed normal somehow. Understandable I suppose, given the circumstances.
But people in Butte believed that America was great. I used to hear them say that. Imagine people talking about what a great country this was- all the time.
A miner in turn of the century Butte, Montana worked six 12 hour days. That's a 72 work week- working a mile underground with no light and breathing air saturated with rock dust and various gases. There were no "benefits" at the time. No retirement plans, no health insurance, no disability, no overtime, or funeral expenses. You made 3 dollars a day, a quarter an hour, blowing up rock and reducing it to rubble- putting it in the box to be carried to the surface. In 1917, 3 bucks was barely a livable wage. In the old days, they killed thousands of mules and horses dragging ore to the surface. Thousands of miners lost their lives. But that was their American dream.
When I hear people bad mouth unions, I don't think about some clown working 40 hours a week- making 75 grand affixing rear view mirrors onto car doors standing in a Detroit assembly line. I don't think about mobsters, teamsters, or government workers. I think about miners covered in dirt, choking on dust, lifting heavy rock in the darkness a mile below the earth's surface, doing that for a quarter an hour- 72 hours a week and dying in accidents or with black lung.
You wanna know tough? Try that shit for 30 or 40 years.
On the other side of that 72 hour work week was the most ruthless company that ever existed. Not only did they break unions and kill workers- employing them like cattle- but it has always been my belief that Percy Rockefeller ordered the assassination of union organizer, Frank Little, in 1917. For more on that topic, try this link. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaconda_Copper
The history of Butte is the history of America. It pits immigrants v the wealthy and elite aristocracy- the ruling class. It's a fascinating story and I could go on but I'd be missing the point. What was it that made America great?
In the 1800's, America equaled promise. People were getting rich in America. We had a Constitution and a Bill of Rights which guaranteed basic human freedoms. Freedoms that were denied elsewhere. We had land and resources. We had opportunity.
In the America of my youth, there was a sense of fair play. People were free to work as much as they wanted to. To invent new things with new ideas. The rule of law protected people who had great ideas and new inventions. It rewarded them handsomely. The rule of law prevented others from stealing their ideas or property. The government could not come in and steal their wealth either. Courts routinely ruled in favor of our working class.
We had freedom. We had morality. We had two parent families with fathers present and accounted for- parents that married and attended church. We didn't kill our children. We said the Pledge of Allegiance every morning because we were grateful for what we had.
People disciplined their children. Children did not run around screaming. They were removed immediately or spanked first and then removed.
Businesses treated people like customers. We had competition, not monopolistic corporations who essentially price fix everything and treat customers like garbage.
People had respect for others. They relied and leaned on each other. This reliance fostered a sense of unity, a notion that we are all in this together. Anybody that has spent a night in a foxhole or gone through a traumatic event knows about reliance and trust. It transcends and permanently changes relationships. Bonds forged through reliance on others in desperate situations are bonds that last a long, long time. Ask any combat veteran.
We once had an objective media that reported news. We could trust them in as much as they simply reported what they were told. If the government lied to them- they reported it that way. They did not editorialize and chime in with their opinions.
We had a legal immigration system, that up until 1967, allowed about a million people annually to become citizens. Our borders were not over run with criminals, drug smugglers, and cheap labor. Our crime rates have soared because we are afraid to call out Mexican nationals for the crime they are responsible for. Just look at a jail roster in Texas, Arizona, or S. California. While our infrastructure and court system remained clogged with this human sewage other cities provide sanctuary and government benefits for them.
The Central Bank, the root of much evil, did not exist until 1913. It only took them 16 years to destroy America (1929) which in turn enabled politicians to step in and start eroding and destroying our freedoms- but even then, politicians, crooked bankers, and criminals like Hillary Clinton were prosecuted. We did not make excuses for their conduct. Investigative committees actually investigated and charged people. An episode like the gross misconduct at Benghazi would have been exposed to the light of day. We do not leave our own to die.
Today that has all changed. The rule of law has been eroded and replaced by a nanny government that seizes our money and incentive to work. Courts routinely rule in favor of corporate America and the expanse of even more federal power. Our freedoms are dwindling- you can't enjoy the product of your labor if your government is taking it from you and redistributing it. Church attendance is down. Our gratitude, expressed via the Pledge of Allegiance, is now gone. We abort our children and then live with the guilt of that act over the course of our lives. We do so because we don't believe in a God or a final reckoning. Our children are raised by single parents without partners.
Children are undisciplined. People are angry- they treat others with disrespect. The sense of community and unity has been replaced by a false sense of anonymity and independence. Our media editorializes the news. It has gotten so bad that I simply don't watch the news anymore. Our immigration system is a sham. We are over run with illegal aliens and crime.
The corporate oligarchy rules over us. They price fix the cost of borrowing, communication costs, oil, insurance, and drugs. They control what we see and hear. The Central Bank has ruined our economic way of life. It ruined our lives in 1929, and it did it again in 2007. The final reckoning for this last episode has yet to happen- but it will.
Politicians are now above the law. They break the law with impunity. Our Presidents conduct bombing campaigns in any country that they choose. We don't trust government. Congress has an approval rate of only 15% because they are obstructionist, compromised power brokers who sell themselves for re-election contributions.
We were a proud nation once. I don't see that anymore. I don't hear people say America is great- because it no longer is. There is no reason why we couldn't have the best health care system anywhere in the world, a fair tax structure, or an orderly and legal immigration process.
We continue to accept terrible performance from our cowardly leadership which desperately needs term limits- all of it. This includes judges- no more guaranteed, lifetime gigs. They don't rule on strict precedence, they legislate.
The problem is that making drastic and desperately needed changes requires courage. I just don't see any courage out there. We have fallen into some mid pack level of mediocrity where doing the right thing for all of us is no longer a concern. We accept poor performance to avoid confronting problems and issues. I see cowards where great men once stood.
So I don't think it's a rite of passage. My mother didn't either. I think it is an opinion based on the deterioration of our core values and morals which has happened over decades and the last century. When I asked mom the question she understood the distinction I was making about whether all old people make the same observation. She said, "Maybe so, but it really has gotten a lot worse."
Mom spent the last few years of her life getting gouged for healthcare and prescriptions. Very often, she would call providers and ask simple questions about itemizing bills or pricing structures. She was amazed at how evasive their answers were and how annoyed they were that she was even asking. She could never get a straight answer. Mom was just looking for a fair price in a system that isn't interested in fair pricing and truth be told, wasn't even interested in her just so long as they received their insurance check. She was merely a conduit for payment.
It doesn't take too much imagination to understand how mom felt.
Monday, April 17, 2017
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Donald Trump, Political Apprentice- The Sunday Collage
Prior to last year's election, I found myself arguing with a couple of Trump supporters. The Trump supporters had bought into the "Art of the Deal" mentality that Trump gets things done. They think, I suppose, that business triumphs translate into political triumphs. They are two entirely different worlds.
I knew this. But I also know that people don't like Donald Trump. His likeability index flat lined long ago.
So right after Trump gave Hillary another get out of jail free card, Trump set about the task of appointing his elite millionaire and billionaire buddies from places like Goldman Sachs to cabinet positions- solidifying more control for the aristocracy.
Then we had last nights- non vote- on the Obamacare repeal and replace. With republicans controlling both houses and the presidency, they can't even bring a bill to the floor for a vote. Much less pass one.
Why not?
Because people don't like Trump. His own party doesn't like him and when people don't like you- they will find ways to sabotage your efforts and make sure you fail.
This isn't some business where you can control people and if they don't do what you demand- you simply fire them. These people are elected. They do not have to kiss President Trump's ass- and in fact- he's about to have his ass kicked a few more times. Because the politcos and stakeholders don't care about his success. The losers of course are American taxpayers- workers forced to pay for the healthcare needs of the McDonalds fed minions.
In 2008, bankers received their trillion dollar bailout courtesy of Congress. So did health insurers. That's all the ACA ever was- transferring middle class income into health insurer pockets. Another bail out.
I don't think voters, or Donald Trump for that matter, knew how ineffective Trump would be as President. He is completely outside of his comfort zone. This ain't some construction company or silly television show.
Oh sure, the alternative was un-electable. I know. Her opponent called her a criminal and anyone with warm blood knows that statement is true.
So now I hear next up is tax reform. Tax reform for who?
Do you know that Congress could pass a fair or flat tax in a matter of hours? Eliminate thousands upon thousands of pages of IRS regulations, substantially reduce the IRS, and put a million accountants out of work?
Normally they might call that kind of situation a win-win. It makes too much sense. Yet, it will never happen.
The aristocracy in this country have a tax structure that they bought and paid for via campaign contributions and other juicy deals and loans made over the last 40 years. There is not a snowball's chance in hell that the puppets of Congress are going to pass any real reform that helps individual taxpayers like myself. At their expense. They may bail out some rich folks, maybe a corporation or two, but if you think they are going to help you out Mr. Working Stiff, think again. Someone has to pay for all that free shit and it ain't going to be Warren Buffet or Mark Zuckerberg. Or General Electric. Or Donald Trump. Or all of those deep state bankers now embedded in Congress and government.
Here's a universal truth. People like and help nice people. If you aren't a nice guy, then the world isn't particularly motivated to come in and help you succeed. Trump doesn't have the emotional skill to change his likeability. He thinks he's gonna bark orders and get things done in a world full of people that want him to fail.
The next episode of Donald Trump, political apprentice, will begin in a couple of weeks. I am expecting the same level of success for tax reform that we saw with health care reform. At least we know now that even his own party will throw him under the bus- which is not exactly a formula for success.
Post Script. On 04/06/2017, we learned that Congress is no closer to tax reform than the repeal of Obamacare...in fact they say...it is further off. Tax reform in the form of a 3 tiered, no deduction, fair tax could be accomplished in an afternoon. It will never happen- our government masters will see to that. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-04-05/suddenly-both-obamacare-repeal-and-trump-tax-reform-are-dead
Post Script. On 04/06/2017, we learned that Congress is no closer to tax reform than the repeal of Obamacare...in fact they say...it is further off. Tax reform in the form of a 3 tiered, no deduction, fair tax could be accomplished in an afternoon. It will never happen- our government masters will see to that. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-04-05/suddenly-both-obamacare-repeal-and-trump-tax-reform-are-dead
Thursday, February 9, 2017
We Have Every Right To Protect Our Borders
Spinning the truth into lies. The new media business model.
For those of you who think President Trump's travel ban is unprecedented- please read on.
Last Friday Donald Trump signed a travel ban from seven middle eastern countries. What I have done here is included a news piece from CNN- I've done that so that you can see how CNN shades the truth by stating that the travel ban includes seven "predominately Muslim" nations. http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/30/politics/trump-travel-ban-q-and-a/
A few years ago, I got embroiled in a rather nasty back and forth with a liberal atheist- who otherwise quite educated- was defending followers of Islam. Our argument ground to a halt when I asked her if she knew the history of Mohammad the child rapist- or if she had ever read the Quran. Had she lied- I most certainly was prepared to offer a pop quiz on the spot. Instead she opted out of the argument, I suspect because she realized she was on the verge of completely exposing her ignorance of the subject matter.
For those of you who do not know the history of Mohammad the architect of Islam, people who have not read the Quran, folks who do not know what Sharia Law entails, or how the Muslim religion treats women, infidels, and non believers- you need to educate yourselves right now before you utter one peep or opinion about a subject you know nothing about.
Here is an eye opening piece with references listed at the bottom...be forewarned...you may find it quite distasteful. https://themuslimissue.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/islam-the-crimes-of-prophet-mohammed/
If you do educate yourselves on the subject- you will begin to see Islam for what it is and let me just say this... An objective look will leave you in awe. If this is the word of God, we are all in a lot of trouble.
Every country in the world has the right to protect their borders and they do. Wars have been waged over borders since the beginning of time. Interestingly enough, every war I can think of involves those things that we all find most distasteful. Politics and religion. Taboo subjects in many homes.
Think of your property boundaries as your own little country. Imagine if I told you that not only could I enter your property at will but that I had every right to do so and you could do nothing to stop it. Not only that but that you must allow me to use the property as I wish- to feed, clothe, worship, and provide medical help for me as the need arose.
This of course is insane. In America, where the rule of law once existed, you'd be prosecuted for trespassing or subjected to the barrel of a gun.
Why then would people find immigrants, both legal and illegal, entitled to enter our country? Are we under some contractual obligation to provide food and shelter to anyone who wants to come here? Do foreign nationals have rights which trump our very own citizen's rights to a safe and peaceful existence? Are we obligated to let anyone in?
The answer is no. It has always been no.
In fact at times, it has been hell no. Our very own government some 75 years ago- found it wise to lock up 140000 Japanese Americans who were already legal citizens. That is the penultimate travel ban. There was not one peep of dissent back then when FDR- the democrat- issued his executive order. No CNN to criticize the President for locking up 140000 Americans who were primarily Christian and Buddhists.
We have every right in America to demand and expect an orderly and lawful immigration process. Just because two or three Presidents chose to break the law and import a slave labor force for their business cronies does not make our immigration law null and void. In fact, I would submit to you that President Trump's travel ban is precisely what the role of government is supposed to entail. It is the only reason we have government in the first place.
To protect the safety of our own citizens. That includes our property, our infrastructure, and our civil rights. It has always been that way.
For those of you who think President Trump's travel ban is unprecedented- please read on.
Last Friday Donald Trump signed a travel ban from seven middle eastern countries. What I have done here is included a news piece from CNN- I've done that so that you can see how CNN shades the truth by stating that the travel ban includes seven "predominately Muslim" nations. http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/30/politics/trump-travel-ban-q-and-a/
A few years ago, I got embroiled in a rather nasty back and forth with a liberal atheist- who otherwise quite educated- was defending followers of Islam. Our argument ground to a halt when I asked her if she knew the history of Mohammad the child rapist- or if she had ever read the Quran. Had she lied- I most certainly was prepared to offer a pop quiz on the spot. Instead she opted out of the argument, I suspect because she realized she was on the verge of completely exposing her ignorance of the subject matter.
For those of you who do not know the history of Mohammad the architect of Islam, people who have not read the Quran, folks who do not know what Sharia Law entails, or how the Muslim religion treats women, infidels, and non believers- you need to educate yourselves right now before you utter one peep or opinion about a subject you know nothing about.
Here is an eye opening piece with references listed at the bottom...be forewarned...you may find it quite distasteful. https://themuslimissue.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/islam-the-crimes-of-prophet-mohammed/
If you do educate yourselves on the subject- you will begin to see Islam for what it is and let me just say this... An objective look will leave you in awe. If this is the word of God, we are all in a lot of trouble.
Every country in the world has the right to protect their borders and they do. Wars have been waged over borders since the beginning of time. Interestingly enough, every war I can think of involves those things that we all find most distasteful. Politics and religion. Taboo subjects in many homes.
Think of your property boundaries as your own little country. Imagine if I told you that not only could I enter your property at will but that I had every right to do so and you could do nothing to stop it. Not only that but that you must allow me to use the property as I wish- to feed, clothe, worship, and provide medical help for me as the need arose.
This of course is insane. In America, where the rule of law once existed, you'd be prosecuted for trespassing or subjected to the barrel of a gun.
Why then would people find immigrants, both legal and illegal, entitled to enter our country? Are we under some contractual obligation to provide food and shelter to anyone who wants to come here? Do foreign nationals have rights which trump our very own citizen's rights to a safe and peaceful existence? Are we obligated to let anyone in?
The answer is no. It has always been no.
In fact at times, it has been hell no. Our very own government some 75 years ago- found it wise to lock up 140000 Japanese Americans who were already legal citizens. That is the penultimate travel ban. There was not one peep of dissent back then when FDR- the democrat- issued his executive order. No CNN to criticize the President for locking up 140000 Americans who were primarily Christian and Buddhists.
We have every right in America to demand and expect an orderly and lawful immigration process. Just because two or three Presidents chose to break the law and import a slave labor force for their business cronies does not make our immigration law null and void. In fact, I would submit to you that President Trump's travel ban is precisely what the role of government is supposed to entail. It is the only reason we have government in the first place.
To protect the safety of our own citizens. That includes our property, our infrastructure, and our civil rights. It has always been that way.
Friday, February 3, 2017
My Fearless 2017 Superbowl Prediction
One of my favorite quotes- taken from a horse racing bettor's t-shirt- "Often wrong, never in doubt."
Such is the world of a sports bettor. C'mon it's the Superbowl- are you really afraid to lose 20 bucks at the party? Or would you rather waist (ha!) your money on sugary coffee?
Here then is my case for this year's Superbowl winner- the New England Patriots.
The league commissioner, Roger Goodell, suspended Patriot quarterback Tom Brady on the flimsiest evidence in the football deflate gate scandal. The Patriots went 3-1 over that span, losing only to a decent Bills team. Brady isn't just a quarterback- he may be the best that ever played. His numbers certainly indicate that. The Patriots and Brady were already pissed off having missed the SB last year when Denver came in and thumped them. Motivating Tom Brady even more, Goodell handed out his sentence and never attended a game in Gillette stadium. Smart move- Goodell might have been mobbed and beaten by angry fans. Goodell will be in attendance when the trophy gets handed out Sunday.
Bill Belichick might be the best coach ever. I have watched this guy come up with game plans and personnel changes that leave me in awe. You can wear hoodies with cut off sleeves when you are this good. Belichick's teams are well disciplined.
Defense. Atlanta has none. You cannot win a SB sans a defense. I have seen this time and time again. If the game evolves into a shoot out- the Patriots will still win. NE's defense ranked 8th this year, the Falcons was 25th.
In terms of offense, Atlanta ranked 2, NE ranked 4.
The only significant injury is world class TE Gronkowski for the Patriots. They have a very capable bench and while the loss of Gronk is significant- they have plenty of other weapons.
Last but not least is an oddball item I use. A weird angle. Superbowl winning teams do not lose to losing teams during the regular season. While this is not a perfect angle- I think it hits with 75-80% percent accuracy. The Patriots lost to the Bills and the Seahawks. The Falcons lost 5 games, most notably were losses to the Buccaneers, Eagles, and 5-11 San Diego! (SD even lost to the Browns which prevented Cleveland from going 0-16)
On the Falcons side of things, I think they are an improving club. They look like world beaters at home. That's what kept the spread so low.
On Sunday, they are going to play the battle tested and proven veterans of football.
In my circle, people are sick of seeing the Patriots year after year. Everyone is rooting for a Falcon victory- except the smart money. Yesterday, a well respected gambler friend of mine wagered 2100.00 on the Patriots.
The spread is currently Patriots -3. I think the Patriots can easily cover this- and may win by 10 to 14 points. The total is 59 points and I'm not sure that's high enough.
Be sure and chime in if the Falcons win. I especially enjoy caustic comments regarding my lack of intelligence, my poor judgment, or any number of other nasty comments from the usual suspects.
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Bringing Mom Home- The Sunday Collage
I have never really cared for stories about the sick and dying. I've never found the subject appealing. In fact, I'd rather avoid the whole thing until that moment when it becomes unavoidable.
My mother was a farm kid. The second of six. She grew up in eastern Montana on the banks of the Missouri River. She lived an abandoned life as a child she once told me, lost in the middle of six kids while cooking for farm hands- helping to scratch a living out of the dirt. The Great Depression was fresh in the minds of the folks back then and they lived a frugal existence, barely making ends meet and wasting nothing. She tried to fix or repair everything that broke. Her harvest gold washer and dryer will testify to that. That was how my mother lived her life.
So about the time my father first showed an interest in my mother, the sparks flew right away. Mother would later tell me that my father was the only person that showed genuine interest in her at that insecure time of her life. Mom said she hated that farm. She hated milking cows. She wanted to get away and my father seemed to offer her the perfect opportunity.
They dated, they were married, and they would have three kids. They would travel all over Montana- chasing the American dream.
The truth was, my parents soon found out that they were incompatible. In a different day when divorce didn't happen- the two of them just stuck it out. Arguing, fighting, and living some miserable existence, I often wished that they would just get divorced. Out of the war zone that was my childhood, I fought back. I did all those things that kids who are raised in an environment like that do. I experimented with pot, I drank, I smoked, I cursed, I ran away, and I barely made it through high school. The night before my high school graduation was the last night my parents ever spent together. I came home that night to find my mother crying and my father packing up a few belongings.
And like my mother on that farm some twenty years earlier, all I could think about was running away. and I did. And I kept running for 30 years.
I tried to live my life differently but in a world of infinite possibilities and very few solutions, my life ended up more or less just like my parents' life had. I got divorced, quit my job, and beset with depression- I used every skill I had ever learned as a cop to examine my life and put the pieces back where they belonged. I quit drinking. I searched for and found the truth. The promise we are all born with.
Mom lived in the same house for over 30 years. She was always gardening and planning various home improvements. I never envisioned a day when she would not be in that house.
I spent countless hours talking with my mother back then, sorting out what had happened and reflecting back on those times. The pieces started falling into place. Everything started to make sense and I began to gain understanding. The anger that had been such a burden throughout most of my life started to fade away. My parents were just living their lives and I guess I had just been an unintended piece of collateral damage. And while that might sound bad, it helped shape who I was and oddly, who I was about to become.
Slowly, we repaired our relationship. And then late in 2012, right after she retired, mom was diagnosed with throat cancer. Mom had beaten breast cancer years earlier in her life and a few other ailments- so she set about the task of getting well. Mom hated to drive and so it would be my duty to drive her everywhere. We had two or three different doctors, tests and imaging, radiation, chemo, throat dilations. I would pick mom up and bring her home. I remember thinking that I must have taken her to 125 different appointments over that two year span. I never missed an appointment.
She never complained- even when her hair fell out.
Mom eventually won that bout with cancer but it was a pyrrhic victory. She never really thrived after that. It was a slow, two year decline until Dec. 22 when my siblings summoned the ambulance for her. We spent the next three weeks at the hospital and I think mom thought she was going to beat this. She was used to winning these battles but this time was going to be different. It was hard for us to watch.
Mom died January 13.
We paid her bills, wrote her obituary, and made arrangements for her to be picked up and cremated. On January 16th we spoke with an attorney about her will, locked up her house, and returned home.
Today I picked up mom's ashes. I put them in my car. As I was driving through Boise, I realized I was taking her home for the last time.
Mom's life taught me a lot of things but not in the way she might have intended.
I've learned that many of the things we learn as children, both good and bad, follow us for a long time. I've discovered that people love in different ways. That some things are worth fixing. I've learned that you can't simply hold people accountable for things they don't know or don't understand. I've learned that people fail- often while trying to do the right things. But mostly I think- I've learned that people are just living their lives. Doing the best that they can. You have to let them be- living is evolutionary and personal. Resentments are wasted energy and mostly untrue. Understanding others and forgiveness are similar concepts. Resolving feelings of guilt and anger are healthy when done right. I had the opportunity to make sense out of all of that while my parents were still alive. I am very grateful I was given that opportunity and it is with tremendous reluctance that I- as well as my siblings- are forced to join the ranks of those who have lost loved ones. This is going to take some getting used to.
My mother was a farm kid. The second of six. She grew up in eastern Montana on the banks of the Missouri River. She lived an abandoned life as a child she once told me, lost in the middle of six kids while cooking for farm hands- helping to scratch a living out of the dirt. The Great Depression was fresh in the minds of the folks back then and they lived a frugal existence, barely making ends meet and wasting nothing. She tried to fix or repair everything that broke. Her harvest gold washer and dryer will testify to that. That was how my mother lived her life.
So about the time my father first showed an interest in my mother, the sparks flew right away. Mother would later tell me that my father was the only person that showed genuine interest in her at that insecure time of her life. Mom said she hated that farm. She hated milking cows. She wanted to get away and my father seemed to offer her the perfect opportunity.
They dated, they were married, and they would have three kids. They would travel all over Montana- chasing the American dream.
The truth was, my parents soon found out that they were incompatible. In a different day when divorce didn't happen- the two of them just stuck it out. Arguing, fighting, and living some miserable existence, I often wished that they would just get divorced. Out of the war zone that was my childhood, I fought back. I did all those things that kids who are raised in an environment like that do. I experimented with pot, I drank, I smoked, I cursed, I ran away, and I barely made it through high school. The night before my high school graduation was the last night my parents ever spent together. I came home that night to find my mother crying and my father packing up a few belongings.
And like my mother on that farm some twenty years earlier, all I could think about was running away. and I did. And I kept running for 30 years.
I tried to live my life differently but in a world of infinite possibilities and very few solutions, my life ended up more or less just like my parents' life had. I got divorced, quit my job, and beset with depression- I used every skill I had ever learned as a cop to examine my life and put the pieces back where they belonged. I quit drinking. I searched for and found the truth. The promise we are all born with.
Mom lived in the same house for over 30 years. She was always gardening and planning various home improvements. I never envisioned a day when she would not be in that house.
I spent countless hours talking with my mother back then, sorting out what had happened and reflecting back on those times. The pieces started falling into place. Everything started to make sense and I began to gain understanding. The anger that had been such a burden throughout most of my life started to fade away. My parents were just living their lives and I guess I had just been an unintended piece of collateral damage. And while that might sound bad, it helped shape who I was and oddly, who I was about to become.
Slowly, we repaired our relationship. And then late in 2012, right after she retired, mom was diagnosed with throat cancer. Mom had beaten breast cancer years earlier in her life and a few other ailments- so she set about the task of getting well. Mom hated to drive and so it would be my duty to drive her everywhere. We had two or three different doctors, tests and imaging, radiation, chemo, throat dilations. I would pick mom up and bring her home. I remember thinking that I must have taken her to 125 different appointments over that two year span. I never missed an appointment.
She never complained- even when her hair fell out.
Mom eventually won that bout with cancer but it was a pyrrhic victory. She never really thrived after that. It was a slow, two year decline until Dec. 22 when my siblings summoned the ambulance for her. We spent the next three weeks at the hospital and I think mom thought she was going to beat this. She was used to winning these battles but this time was going to be different. It was hard for us to watch.
Mom died January 13.
We paid her bills, wrote her obituary, and made arrangements for her to be picked up and cremated. On January 16th we spoke with an attorney about her will, locked up her house, and returned home.
Today I picked up mom's ashes. I put them in my car. As I was driving through Boise, I realized I was taking her home for the last time.
Mom's life taught me a lot of things but not in the way she might have intended.
I've learned that many of the things we learn as children, both good and bad, follow us for a long time. I've discovered that people love in different ways. That some things are worth fixing. I've learned that you can't simply hold people accountable for things they don't know or don't understand. I've learned that people fail- often while trying to do the right things. But mostly I think- I've learned that people are just living their lives. Doing the best that they can. You have to let them be- living is evolutionary and personal. Resentments are wasted energy and mostly untrue. Understanding others and forgiveness are similar concepts. Resolving feelings of guilt and anger are healthy when done right. I had the opportunity to make sense out of all of that while my parents were still alive. I am very grateful I was given that opportunity and it is with tremendous reluctance that I- as well as my siblings- are forced to join the ranks of those who have lost loved ones. This is going to take some getting used to.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Black Criminals, White Cops
I titled it that way for a reason.
There comes a moment in nearly every human life when each of us must confront our demons. Some identify the problem and get a shot at wellness, others pretend they have no demons and continue to remain sick and ultimately decline.
There is no other way.
I can not remember any problem in my life from blood clots to burst water mains in my front yard that didn't require recognition that something was wrong, a diagnosis or plan for resolving the issue, action, and follow up. That's how those problems get fixed including violent crime in America.
In America, if we removed five cities from our violent crime rates- Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, St. Louis, and New Orleans- we'd have a relatively safe world. http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/most-dangerous-cities-in-the-world.html
So what do those five cities have in common? What can we learn from them? They are led by democratic leadership, they have statistically large populations of African-Americans, and they have high percentages of single parent households- no adult male present. In fact, single parent households in the black community are well past the epidemic stage, I have heard numbers ranging from 50 to 75%. That is astounding. Here's an older link on the light side of the number. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/the-number-of-children-living-in-single-parent-homes-has-nearly-doubled-in
Adrian Peterson is an example of this. The famous Minnesota Viking running back has fathered anywhere from 7 to 9 children with at least six different mothers (he refuses to disclose the real number) and indeed his absence led to the death of one child at the hands of some sort of step father figure. http://heavy.com/sports/2014/09/adrian-peterson-number-of-kids-sons-daughters/
The problem with fathering nine kids and not being present in most of their lives is that they may go out and father 9 children of their own and decide it is unnecessary to be present in their children's lives. This law of numbers increases at some haphazard geometric rate which indeed has landed us at the threshold of an entire demographic epidemic bent on self destruction.
The problem of course is that there is a profound lack of supervision in a one parent family. In a one parent family- that parent has to find a way to provide for her children- while her children are out running around with their friends after school. This of course leads to delinquency and crime, some of it deadly. Kids with rap sheets and all of the other associated fallout, dropping out of school, drug and alcohol addiction, mental health problems, are generally prevented by background investigators from becoming cops. Thus we have a prison society that has an over represented black population and a law enforcement community that has an under represented black population. It stands to reason.
So you may say- We already know this. Tell us something new.
In America we have evolved into this culture that believes ignoring issues of race is the best choice. We are afraid to confront the obvious demographic problem. We are obstructed by two camps- African Americans and the politically correct liberal left who squash any talk of the problem with their labeling tactics. So those that could help, don't. And in the meantime- homicide rates among the black community continue to soar. http://homicides.suntimes.com/
Ok, so you don't want to listen to privileged white Americans who you assume can't possibly understand your plight even though we live beside you, work beside you, and go to school with you? White Americans are just too stupid to begin to understand all of the problems you uniquely face? Ok, so where is that black leadership who does understand? Guys like Barack Obama? Hmmm...
Mr. Obama had a lay up. A perfect opportunity for blacks to finally recognize a problem exists, to rally behind a leader who understood the plight. Obama would plot a solution for taking responsibility and help get that demographic on the path to well being. What happened instead? The same old, tired, blame whitey rhetoric that we always get. This is the change he spoke of? Remember the white cop who arrested or detained the black homeowner at the beginning of Obama's first term which led to the beer summit? By openly criticizing the white police officer before he knew any of the facts- Obama failed this country. We discovered who he was. Once he discovered that jumping to conclusions meant he was ultimately wrong and a little embarrassed- he saved face by calling for the beer summit. That whole seedy episode was a teachable moment- not for us- but for Mr Obama. Trayvon Martin and the Ferguson fiasco were two other teachable moments wherein Mr. Obama had the opportunity to identify and attack the real problem. But that takes courage and commitment. It's easier to just blame old man whitey. The safe way.
Old man whitey doesn't have to care because old man whitey isn't getting killed. All old man whitey is doing is footing the bill for all of the infrastructure needs of a demographic that can't grasp what it's problem is while it's busy killing itself. It is an American tragedy where real people are getting killed because the rest of us are too chicken shit to talk about the problem without being labeled racists.
In that sense, we have all failed.
Many years ago, I was working with a black cop who often got called "nigger." I asked him once how he put up with all that name calling. In turn he asked me how I enjoyed being called "pig." Angry, I thought. For a moment, I understood.
America has a communication problem. The first hurdle we have to clear is this insane idea that to speak we must walk on eggshells or become labeled by someone else. We have got to quit labeling people and publicly humiliating them every time we try to have a conversation about how to solve our common problems.
We lack courage and follow through. We quit rather than suffer the humiliation of a politically correct demographic more than happy to label us. In the meantime, real kids keep getting killed.
But mostly I think, America has a commitment and parenting problem. Kids screw up- that's what they do. Given a lack of supervision, kids with under developed brains have continually found ways to land in trouble. That's why we parent them. We know they are predisposed to being dumb asses. When we quit parenting, like we have been, we see the results. In Chicago, in Detroit, or anywhere else. That's not unique anywhere nor has it ever been- it's just reached epidemic proportions in several cities and once that ball starts rolling- it's going to be hard to stop it.
Could it be that simple? Instead of spreading blame around like a rainbird, could it be an individual failure to parent and take responsibility for our children regardless of what color they happen to be?
I think so. I think in addition to being poor parents, many parents or adults simply lack the courage to self examine. It's always easier to blame someone else rather than take responsibility ourselves. I mean do you really think Adrian Peterson blames himself for the death of his infant son whom he never met?
Sure, violent crime has reached epidemic proportions in key cities where kids have no father present. It has always existed in every other demographic too.
What has changed in the last 40 years is a complete lack of parenting and supervision brought about by a myriad of factors. Abandoning behavior whether it is actual or brought about as a result of indifference, drug or alcohol abuse, or other issues has been a huge contributing factor. Our children are reckless, unsupervised morons who enter adulthood with under developed brains who think carrying a gun is a good idea. They of course will be confronted by other morons with guns and undeveloped brains. Or mostly non-morons with well developed brains, guns, and badges. And that's where all of this poor parenting gets sorted out.
And once it gets sorted out- the parents are left with a choice. Do we blame ourselves, do we actually self examine our decisions and attach blame where it belongs- or do we blame the cops and old man whitey? The pigs.
Currently, that is what's on the media's menu. Play with your emotions for sales and revenue gains.
If we ever become self aware or find a place where we recognize the great value of taking responsibility for our lives and our poor decisions- we have a real shot at climbing out of this hole. Self examining, identifying, and resolving our issues is part of a responsible adult's willingness to get better. Trust me when I say this. Blaming others, whining about race, inequality, and labeling others is not going to help solve that giant leak in your front yard.
There comes a moment in nearly every human life when each of us must confront our demons. Some identify the problem and get a shot at wellness, others pretend they have no demons and continue to remain sick and ultimately decline.
There is no other way.
I can not remember any problem in my life from blood clots to burst water mains in my front yard that didn't require recognition that something was wrong, a diagnosis or plan for resolving the issue, action, and follow up. That's how those problems get fixed including violent crime in America.
In America, if we removed five cities from our violent crime rates- Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, St. Louis, and New Orleans- we'd have a relatively safe world. http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/most-dangerous-cities-in-the-world.html
So what do those five cities have in common? What can we learn from them? They are led by democratic leadership, they have statistically large populations of African-Americans, and they have high percentages of single parent households- no adult male present. In fact, single parent households in the black community are well past the epidemic stage, I have heard numbers ranging from 50 to 75%. That is astounding. Here's an older link on the light side of the number. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/the-number-of-children-living-in-single-parent-homes-has-nearly-doubled-in
Adrian Peterson is an example of this. The famous Minnesota Viking running back has fathered anywhere from 7 to 9 children with at least six different mothers (he refuses to disclose the real number) and indeed his absence led to the death of one child at the hands of some sort of step father figure. http://heavy.com/sports/2014/09/adrian-peterson-number-of-kids-sons-daughters/
The problem with fathering nine kids and not being present in most of their lives is that they may go out and father 9 children of their own and decide it is unnecessary to be present in their children's lives. This law of numbers increases at some haphazard geometric rate which indeed has landed us at the threshold of an entire demographic epidemic bent on self destruction.
The problem of course is that there is a profound lack of supervision in a one parent family. In a one parent family- that parent has to find a way to provide for her children- while her children are out running around with their friends after school. This of course leads to delinquency and crime, some of it deadly. Kids with rap sheets and all of the other associated fallout, dropping out of school, drug and alcohol addiction, mental health problems, are generally prevented by background investigators from becoming cops. Thus we have a prison society that has an over represented black population and a law enforcement community that has an under represented black population. It stands to reason.
So you may say- We already know this. Tell us something new.
In America we have evolved into this culture that believes ignoring issues of race is the best choice. We are afraid to confront the obvious demographic problem. We are obstructed by two camps- African Americans and the politically correct liberal left who squash any talk of the problem with their labeling tactics. So those that could help, don't. And in the meantime- homicide rates among the black community continue to soar. http://homicides.suntimes.com/
Ok, so you don't want to listen to privileged white Americans who you assume can't possibly understand your plight even though we live beside you, work beside you, and go to school with you? White Americans are just too stupid to begin to understand all of the problems you uniquely face? Ok, so where is that black leadership who does understand? Guys like Barack Obama? Hmmm...
Mr. Obama had a lay up. A perfect opportunity for blacks to finally recognize a problem exists, to rally behind a leader who understood the plight. Obama would plot a solution for taking responsibility and help get that demographic on the path to well being. What happened instead? The same old, tired, blame whitey rhetoric that we always get. This is the change he spoke of? Remember the white cop who arrested or detained the black homeowner at the beginning of Obama's first term which led to the beer summit? By openly criticizing the white police officer before he knew any of the facts- Obama failed this country. We discovered who he was. Once he discovered that jumping to conclusions meant he was ultimately wrong and a little embarrassed- he saved face by calling for the beer summit. That whole seedy episode was a teachable moment- not for us- but for Mr Obama. Trayvon Martin and the Ferguson fiasco were two other teachable moments wherein Mr. Obama had the opportunity to identify and attack the real problem. But that takes courage and commitment. It's easier to just blame old man whitey. The safe way.
Old man whitey doesn't have to care because old man whitey isn't getting killed. All old man whitey is doing is footing the bill for all of the infrastructure needs of a demographic that can't grasp what it's problem is while it's busy killing itself. It is an American tragedy where real people are getting killed because the rest of us are too chicken shit to talk about the problem without being labeled racists.
In that sense, we have all failed.
Many years ago, I was working with a black cop who often got called "nigger." I asked him once how he put up with all that name calling. In turn he asked me how I enjoyed being called "pig." Angry, I thought. For a moment, I understood.
America has a communication problem. The first hurdle we have to clear is this insane idea that to speak we must walk on eggshells or become labeled by someone else. We have got to quit labeling people and publicly humiliating them every time we try to have a conversation about how to solve our common problems.
We lack courage and follow through. We quit rather than suffer the humiliation of a politically correct demographic more than happy to label us. In the meantime, real kids keep getting killed.
But mostly I think, America has a commitment and parenting problem. Kids screw up- that's what they do. Given a lack of supervision, kids with under developed brains have continually found ways to land in trouble. That's why we parent them. We know they are predisposed to being dumb asses. When we quit parenting, like we have been, we see the results. In Chicago, in Detroit, or anywhere else. That's not unique anywhere nor has it ever been- it's just reached epidemic proportions in several cities and once that ball starts rolling- it's going to be hard to stop it.
Could it be that simple? Instead of spreading blame around like a rainbird, could it be an individual failure to parent and take responsibility for our children regardless of what color they happen to be?
I think so. I think in addition to being poor parents, many parents or adults simply lack the courage to self examine. It's always easier to blame someone else rather than take responsibility ourselves. I mean do you really think Adrian Peterson blames himself for the death of his infant son whom he never met?
Sure, violent crime has reached epidemic proportions in key cities where kids have no father present. It has always existed in every other demographic too.
What has changed in the last 40 years is a complete lack of parenting and supervision brought about by a myriad of factors. Abandoning behavior whether it is actual or brought about as a result of indifference, drug or alcohol abuse, or other issues has been a huge contributing factor. Our children are reckless, unsupervised morons who enter adulthood with under developed brains who think carrying a gun is a good idea. They of course will be confronted by other morons with guns and undeveloped brains. Or mostly non-morons with well developed brains, guns, and badges. And that's where all of this poor parenting gets sorted out.
And once it gets sorted out- the parents are left with a choice. Do we blame ourselves, do we actually self examine our decisions and attach blame where it belongs- or do we blame the cops and old man whitey? The pigs.
Currently, that is what's on the media's menu. Play with your emotions for sales and revenue gains.
If we ever become self aware or find a place where we recognize the great value of taking responsibility for our lives and our poor decisions- we have a real shot at climbing out of this hole. Self examining, identifying, and resolving our issues is part of a responsible adult's willingness to get better. Trust me when I say this. Blaming others, whining about race, inequality, and labeling others is not going to help solve that giant leak in your front yard.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
How I Learned to Hate Liberal America- The Sunday Collage
There was a time in my life when I would have proudly said I leaned democrat. Having grown up in a union town I watched the industrial robber barons destroy human lives and rape the environment to such an extent that my hometown is America's number one Superfund site. Killing thousands of miners making three dollars a day and leaving a toxic stew behind is reason enough to hate the greedy capitalistic and GOP aligned interests that got away with that. Those were my humble impressions as a child. So I get the democratic thinking of Butte, Montana.
Over the subsequent 40 years, something inside of me changed. Maybe it was the strength of environmental protection. As a young man, regulating the nuclear industry was a big deal to me. I had visions of toxic waste rotting away- vivid childhood memories of what happened in Butte. Maybe it was the success of President Reagan on the heels of Jimmy Carter's failed leadership. I liked Reagan's moral code and his tenacity in breaking up public unions. I was never a fan of public employee unions. In fact while I still believe in collective bargaining for the private sector- I do not believe in collective bargaining for government employees. The costs to American taxpayers are staggering. Taxpayers cannot escape the costs of taxes imposed on them by political entities. In the private sector, people still have the freedom to choose what products to buy and which companies to support. (Obamacare duly noted) Slowly as my liberal concerns were addressed over the years, I relaxed my political views and I began to moderate.
And then two life altering events happened. I landed a career smack dab in the middle of the most liberal outpost in all of Idaho and Bill Clinton became our President.
Let me say this about Clinton. He did a lot of good things not to include lying on national television about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. The sexual conduct of people, as long as it is between consenting adults, does not concern me. Lying about it on national television is a little more egregious but still doesn't put the American people in jeopardy. So all of that matters little- including his impeachment. What Bill Clinton and Congress accomplished was the economic hollowing out of the American middle class. The first death blow was the North American Free Trade Agreement and subsequent agreements which allowed the robber baron class to exploit slave labor anywhere they could find it and outsource American jobs.
Clinton, Rubin, and the banker controlled Congress also de-regulated the banking industry with the repeal of Glass-Steagall. It took the banking industry merely 10 years or so- to repeat history and have a second great depression in 2008. Instead of taking it on the chin like we did in 1929- this time around the Federal Reserve simply created trillions of dollars out of nowhere. The net effect was that millions of baby boomers were robbed of any potential interest their savings might have accumulated- and we now have a 100 trillion dollar debt which can only be satisfied by default or vast money printing/inflation. Like Japan, we are dead in the water.
The rub, the funniest part of all of this- is that the people who ruined America never get blamed for it. Instead, some 8 years later, President Bush and his cabinet get blamed for the financial crisis which Clinton's bunch caused in 1999- and poor President Obama gets painted as a martyr for being saddled with all of these alleged Bush failures. Slick Willy really was pretty slick. He and his wife make millions by giving speeches to all of the banks his repeal of the Glass Steagall Act enriched. All that amounts to is retroactive bribery. Lawyers find ways to circumvent the law- that's what they do.
It was a fine piece of irony that I landed in Blaine County, Idaho. Thousands of trust fund kids and old money, movie stars, environmentalists, ski bums, and pot smokers. Most were from California and Seattle. They literally took over a ski resort and kicked the conservatives out. They claimed it as their own.
You'd think with all of that corporate wealth that the place would lean conservative, capitalist. Not so. The vast majority of these people come from the left coast, some from the other left coast. They are virtually all liberals. That's when I began to realize that the parties had changed places. Many of the liberals I was running into were people that had made a couple million on their house in California, cashed out, and bought homes outright in Blaine County.
A true liberal believes in statism. They believe in regulating all manner and form of human conduct. They pass laws and they raise taxes. The liberals I knew tended to be well educated- education amounts to credentialing. Credentialing is like licensing in the liberal mind. If you do not have the requisite credentialing- in their minds- your opinions mean nothing. You have no license to speak.
Years ago, I became embroiled in a very bitter argument with our liberal city attorney. At the height of the contest when the winner was still being disputed, the city attorney screamed at me, "Where did you get your law degree??" I responded that it didn't take a law degree to read a law and then I asked her to leave the office. The point I make here is that very often, the liberal ego thinks it is far superior to others simply because they have managed to sit in a chair for 6 or 7 years, cram for a bar exam, and then spend the rest of their lives forgetting what was so important in the first place.
Liberals are smug. I can think of no better example of this than when Hillary Clinton asked Donald Trump during the debates if he were going to accept the results of the election as though she had it in the bag. As we all know now, not only did she not win- but she has contested the win and blamed her loss on everyone- but herself. Doing precisely what she was accusing Trump of doing. Obama certainly fits in that smug class of people. I'd still love to know how he paid for his education.
We all know the pro-choice, anti gun liberal. Many of the liberals I knew tended to be atheistic or agnostic. It's hard to get an abortion in California while attending church- the two things simply don't mix well. Blaine County has the smallest church population of any place I have ever lived in. Another telltale sign of the liberal influence was the virtual non existence of church services for the deceased. It would show up in the obituary section. It is not uncommon to have 5 or 6 people die in the valley and not have one church service.
The school district and the local newspaper were two more bastions of liberal influence. In fact, toward the end of my career the local school district would not let the police speak to students. They had been advised by their liberal attorney to act as parents until the parents could be notified and attend whatever questioning we might intend. Not only did that tactic obstruct investigations and lead to poor outcomes- but that school district was the only one in Idaho adopting that policy. Perhaps that has changed.
To this day- I have not seen the local paper ever support a conservative viewpoint. Everything is spin and liberal opinion. I try not to read it anymore- the predictability score runs around 99%.
I spent 25 years surrounded by liberals with their superior attitudes and their intolerance for any opinion or viewpoint other than their own. In the end you realize it's all bullshit and that they don't know any more than anyone else- but it certainly doesn't stop them from trying to convince you that they possess superior intellect.
So am I shocked that the liberals hate Donald Trump? Absolutely not. You see they can't control him. He represents everything that they fear. He tells the truth which pisses them off. They would rather be lied to. That's why we have seen this non stop backlash ever since the election. You hate what you fear. And they certainly hate Trump. Unfortunately- we're going to have to listen to their shit for the next 4 years. It's going to be way worse than Bush part II.
The idea of America was based on freedom. Freedom to earn a living without someone stealing it. Freedom of religion or non religion. Freedom to live your life with some due process of law and without government interference. These freedoms have been eroded away. They are under constant attack by liberal statists who think the solution to everything is more government, more laws, and more taxes to enforce those laws. They are stealing our freedoms. Indeed we are way down on the list of free countries.
I think America is sick of the liberal attitude. It isn't just about people lying to us about health plans or leaving our own to die miserable deaths in some Libyan shit hole. It's this holier than thou, we are smarter than you mentality that has our country polarized. Obama calls us gun toting, Christians. Hillary calls non liberals, deplorables. That comes from our "leadership." They have said that kind of thing in public. They have censored our ability to utter all kinds of things with their invention of politically correct speech yet find no problem labeling us with a derogatory name.
Do they really wonder why Trump won? If they can't figure that out, maybe they should go back to school and ask for a refund.
Over the subsequent 40 years, something inside of me changed. Maybe it was the strength of environmental protection. As a young man, regulating the nuclear industry was a big deal to me. I had visions of toxic waste rotting away- vivid childhood memories of what happened in Butte. Maybe it was the success of President Reagan on the heels of Jimmy Carter's failed leadership. I liked Reagan's moral code and his tenacity in breaking up public unions. I was never a fan of public employee unions. In fact while I still believe in collective bargaining for the private sector- I do not believe in collective bargaining for government employees. The costs to American taxpayers are staggering. Taxpayers cannot escape the costs of taxes imposed on them by political entities. In the private sector, people still have the freedom to choose what products to buy and which companies to support. (Obamacare duly noted) Slowly as my liberal concerns were addressed over the years, I relaxed my political views and I began to moderate.
And then two life altering events happened. I landed a career smack dab in the middle of the most liberal outpost in all of Idaho and Bill Clinton became our President.
Let me say this about Clinton. He did a lot of good things not to include lying on national television about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. The sexual conduct of people, as long as it is between consenting adults, does not concern me. Lying about it on national television is a little more egregious but still doesn't put the American people in jeopardy. So all of that matters little- including his impeachment. What Bill Clinton and Congress accomplished was the economic hollowing out of the American middle class. The first death blow was the North American Free Trade Agreement and subsequent agreements which allowed the robber baron class to exploit slave labor anywhere they could find it and outsource American jobs.
Clinton, Rubin, and the banker controlled Congress also de-regulated the banking industry with the repeal of Glass-Steagall. It took the banking industry merely 10 years or so- to repeat history and have a second great depression in 2008. Instead of taking it on the chin like we did in 1929- this time around the Federal Reserve simply created trillions of dollars out of nowhere. The net effect was that millions of baby boomers were robbed of any potential interest their savings might have accumulated- and we now have a 100 trillion dollar debt which can only be satisfied by default or vast money printing/inflation. Like Japan, we are dead in the water.
The rub, the funniest part of all of this- is that the people who ruined America never get blamed for it. Instead, some 8 years later, President Bush and his cabinet get blamed for the financial crisis which Clinton's bunch caused in 1999- and poor President Obama gets painted as a martyr for being saddled with all of these alleged Bush failures. Slick Willy really was pretty slick. He and his wife make millions by giving speeches to all of the banks his repeal of the Glass Steagall Act enriched. All that amounts to is retroactive bribery. Lawyers find ways to circumvent the law- that's what they do.
It was a fine piece of irony that I landed in Blaine County, Idaho. Thousands of trust fund kids and old money, movie stars, environmentalists, ski bums, and pot smokers. Most were from California and Seattle. They literally took over a ski resort and kicked the conservatives out. They claimed it as their own.
You'd think with all of that corporate wealth that the place would lean conservative, capitalist. Not so. The vast majority of these people come from the left coast, some from the other left coast. They are virtually all liberals. That's when I began to realize that the parties had changed places. Many of the liberals I was running into were people that had made a couple million on their house in California, cashed out, and bought homes outright in Blaine County.
A true liberal believes in statism. They believe in regulating all manner and form of human conduct. They pass laws and they raise taxes. The liberals I knew tended to be well educated- education amounts to credentialing. Credentialing is like licensing in the liberal mind. If you do not have the requisite credentialing- in their minds- your opinions mean nothing. You have no license to speak.
Years ago, I became embroiled in a very bitter argument with our liberal city attorney. At the height of the contest when the winner was still being disputed, the city attorney screamed at me, "Where did you get your law degree??" I responded that it didn't take a law degree to read a law and then I asked her to leave the office. The point I make here is that very often, the liberal ego thinks it is far superior to others simply because they have managed to sit in a chair for 6 or 7 years, cram for a bar exam, and then spend the rest of their lives forgetting what was so important in the first place.
Liberals are smug. I can think of no better example of this than when Hillary Clinton asked Donald Trump during the debates if he were going to accept the results of the election as though she had it in the bag. As we all know now, not only did she not win- but she has contested the win and blamed her loss on everyone- but herself. Doing precisely what she was accusing Trump of doing. Obama certainly fits in that smug class of people. I'd still love to know how he paid for his education.
We all know the pro-choice, anti gun liberal. Many of the liberals I knew tended to be atheistic or agnostic. It's hard to get an abortion in California while attending church- the two things simply don't mix well. Blaine County has the smallest church population of any place I have ever lived in. Another telltale sign of the liberal influence was the virtual non existence of church services for the deceased. It would show up in the obituary section. It is not uncommon to have 5 or 6 people die in the valley and not have one church service.
The school district and the local newspaper were two more bastions of liberal influence. In fact, toward the end of my career the local school district would not let the police speak to students. They had been advised by their liberal attorney to act as parents until the parents could be notified and attend whatever questioning we might intend. Not only did that tactic obstruct investigations and lead to poor outcomes- but that school district was the only one in Idaho adopting that policy. Perhaps that has changed.
To this day- I have not seen the local paper ever support a conservative viewpoint. Everything is spin and liberal opinion. I try not to read it anymore- the predictability score runs around 99%.
I spent 25 years surrounded by liberals with their superior attitudes and their intolerance for any opinion or viewpoint other than their own. In the end you realize it's all bullshit and that they don't know any more than anyone else- but it certainly doesn't stop them from trying to convince you that they possess superior intellect.
So am I shocked that the liberals hate Donald Trump? Absolutely not. You see they can't control him. He represents everything that they fear. He tells the truth which pisses them off. They would rather be lied to. That's why we have seen this non stop backlash ever since the election. You hate what you fear. And they certainly hate Trump. Unfortunately- we're going to have to listen to their shit for the next 4 years. It's going to be way worse than Bush part II.
The idea of America was based on freedom. Freedom to earn a living without someone stealing it. Freedom of religion or non religion. Freedom to live your life with some due process of law and without government interference. These freedoms have been eroded away. They are under constant attack by liberal statists who think the solution to everything is more government, more laws, and more taxes to enforce those laws. They are stealing our freedoms. Indeed we are way down on the list of free countries.
I think America is sick of the liberal attitude. It isn't just about people lying to us about health plans or leaving our own to die miserable deaths in some Libyan shit hole. It's this holier than thou, we are smarter than you mentality that has our country polarized. Obama calls us gun toting, Christians. Hillary calls non liberals, deplorables. That comes from our "leadership." They have said that kind of thing in public. They have censored our ability to utter all kinds of things with their invention of politically correct speech yet find no problem labeling us with a derogatory name.
Do they really wonder why Trump won? If they can't figure that out, maybe they should go back to school and ask for a refund.
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