Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of U.S.Politics!

American Politics - It's Always Entertaining!

One thing about American politics - it is never boring! On any given day you can find ongoing stories that make you just shake your head. Yes, I know. Since most of this stuff comes from the media, in some countries I wouldn't even be reading or viewing it but that doesn't change the stuff!

What have I seen just today? Most of what I saw yesterday and probably tomorrow.

The USA is sabre rattling (again) telling China that it better not take sides in the Ukraine war - or else. Meanwhile billions in aid from the US has flowed to Ukraine and will continue because - she has taken sides. I agree with it but there are at least shades of hypocrisy here.

For over two years now Trump has been spreading absolute crap - the Big Lie - being ever so grateful to Fox. Anchors on Fox were known to agree off camera that there was no election fraud - that Trump lost and Biden won. Now that the Fox owner has admitted to this under oath, Trump is mad as a hatter (OK angry - some think he was always mad) at the very same network. Makes you feel good all over. Too bad The Pope has stayed out of it. What kind of filth would DJT spew in that case?

If you are ever stuck then MTG is always good for a laugh and a headshake. (Google it - I don't want to mention the name.) This woman would have fit right in on The Three Stooges. Where is Ralph Kramden when you need him? POW - right to the moon! No guns involved.

The other day I was hearing a respectable GOP member and media spokesperson stating correctly that every member of the GOP is not right wing. Not all Republicans are gun toting red necks, implying that most Democrats openly said they were. OK true. Funny but he neglected to say that not all Democrats are "Socialists". That is something that too many GOP members DO say. I don't think many of them know the meaning of the word.

Two big topics always guaranteed to get a rise and some coverage are Woke and Critical Race Theory. No matter how you cut it, both smack of many Americans wanting to sweep their sometimes sordid past under the carpet. Throughout all of the horrible cases of genocide and torture inflicted by humans on other humans, one of the most publicized is the Holocaust. Millions of German citizens - some of them now gone - are still held responsible and always will be.

Victims of the Nazi regime are commemorated in various novel ways. One man has created 70,000 small plaques placed on streets and houses naming individuals we lost. see 'Stumbling stones': a different vision of Holocaust remembrance | Cities | The Guardian. Sites like the gas ovens and prisons where victims were killed and tortured are preserved as horrible reminders.

Contrast that to America. What does America celebrate? It's overpaid and glamorous movie and TV stars with plaques in a famous sidewalk. States are trying to erase their American history from books, schools, media, and even the language. Why not honour black people who were lynched, tortured, raped, gutted, whipped, overworked, and repressed on this side of the ocean? It took over 100 years to get legislation passed to outlaw lynching. Then the best Biden could do was make it a hate crime! It is history and must not be glossed over.

What about Dilbert? Good old not everybody gets the humour Dilbert. He has now been banned from many publications because of the rants of his creator. (I agree he went too far.) What will be next? Will Sylvester the Cat be banned because of his violent attitude towards Tweety Bird? How about Minnie Mouse for being bare chested?

If you're bored it is guaranteed there will be more mass shootings this year and more politicians saying "This must never be allowed to happen again!". Most of them will have some kind of automatic weapon(s) at home as they speak.

Don't forget the other "who done it" trial of Alex Murdaugh. Another super rich and powerful family with too much money and not enough to do with it. Maybe he will get a star in the walk of fame. We don't yet know if he is acting but hey that goes for a lot of Oscar winners. Oh yes - those awards are coming up soon also. No politics there!

That's only two months gone with 10 more to go!

#thebrewsterblock

Will theThird World War be nuclear?

Nuclear or Nucular? Same result.

The last President Bush had a habit of mispronouncing the word Nuclear. If there is ever an actual hostile firing of these weapons between or among nations, we are toast - nuclear OR nucular.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has raised the prospect of a Nuclear war again. We can only hope not. The world would become quite uninhabitable if many of these exploded. I think it is safe to say that if one nation targets another who also has weapons, it will be like a snowball fight between countries. Snow forts won't exist.

We have become almost blasé to national disasters for years. There are many causes: fire; hurricanes and tornadoes; floods; tsunamis; and recently once again earthquakes. It is worth doing a search for what has been written and the horrible visuals recorded when Fat Man and Little Boy were exploded by America over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was hell on earth.

Now remember that these were crude and small atomic devises. Today the nuclear arms race has produced bombs that are more powerful by factors of 10. They have also been perfected. Their use on Japan has been debated many times. It did bring Japan - who had vowed to continue the war in the Pacific - to its heels months after Germany had already surrendered. This was also after prolonged fire bombing of hundreds of Japanese cities which did even more damage to buildings and people than the two big ones. We can only be thankful that Germany did not acquire the knowhow before the U.S.A. although they were trying.

There are very eerie similarities between the Ukraine situation and the last two world wars. Some are: growing economic crises and the differences between rich and poor; scapegoats being named to justify acts of war; despots in control of powerful nations; desire for the expansion of borders which are illegal land grabs; nations forming sides and alliances.

Today there are some major differences that make these times worse. As mentioned, the weapons are capable of destroying the planet and its people.
Britain is no longer a big player but IS and she has not made her position clear. North Korea and Iran could jump in. India's position is not clear either but by proximity siding with China would be very attractive, especially economically.

Adding to all of that, the American people are getting tired of being the world's police officers and paying fortunes to others. American politics is in turmoil and getting worse. Some people in other nations were overjoyed at 9/11. Many would like to see America with a bloody nose.

The one hope is that the madmen in power today have seen what would happen in a nuclear exchange. They would not be immune themselves.

Perhaps one of the worst ironies is this: Mankind and science is learning more about the power of the atom and the sun. New energy sources are being researched and tried. China claims to have new hypersonic glide vehicles that travel at Mach 5 and with much greater efficiency.

So just when all of this knowledge and power should be combined so that future generations can travel to distant heavenly bodies, it would be a shame if it were all used to target and destroy each other. We will become just another distant sphere probably covered in dust and water with a radioactive atmosphere that would kill any alien visitors who managed to leverage their own technology to reach us after we failed.

#thebrewsterblock

Balloons or UFO's?

A Balloon a Day Keeps the Air Force at Play

A monster balloon for "weather",

Mysteriously slipped from its tether.

Completely unfurled, it travelled the world,

Adrift in the breeze like a feather.

A pilot while flying his plane,

Exclaimed "Am I going insane?"

For he saw with his eye, this thing in the sky, 

And radioed in to explain.

"So Captain, what's this about?

Settle down! There's no need to shout!"

"I know you'll be thinking, that I have been drinking,

Listen! There can be no doubt."

"A balloon two hundred feet high,

Above me way up in the sky,

Is scanning our nation, just like the space station,

And staring at us as we fly."

The White House was called in a hurry,

The Pentagon soon in a flurry,

"What the hell?" was the cry, as they did a fly by,

Then everyone started to worry.

Its payload is big as a Boeing,

Where is the bloody thing going?

Although unmanned, it's flight path seems planned,

So rumours were rampant and growing.

Republicans screamed "Shoot it down!"

"Are you nuts?" Biden said with a frown.

"It could kill masses wherever it crashes

Demolishing some little town!"

So when it had flown out to sea,

A jet chopped it down like a tree,

'Though China demanded it back when it landed,

The free world shouted with glee.

But then as quick as a wink,

With barely enough time to blink,

A new thing appeared, and this one was weird!

Could they be related you think?

The next day a third thing was seen,

Just what could this possibly mean?

With Biden annoyed, they both were destroyed,  

What secrets from them could we glean?

The Chinese wouldn't say squat.

Was it some sinister plot?

A devilish ploy, to simply annoy?

Red Herring to see what we've got?

I solved this one on my own.

It's not a spy craft or drone.

To me it's quite clear, so lend me your ear,

And put down that damned bloody phone!

When E.T came from the skies,

An alien sleuth in disguise,

It was a disgrace how we'd ruined this place.

He couldn't believe his own eyes.

His alien kin were quite pissed,

They came to see what they'd missed.

If we don't get back onto the right track,

Then Earth will no longer exist.

#thebrewsterblock

Road Rage and People with Guns

Want to Self-Destruct? It's Easy

Violence is everywhere we look today. How many generations have said that? Not much has changed except the frequency and magnitude. Here are a few things to ponder:

1. ROAD RAGE: Have you experienced this while driving - either the sudden impulse to explode at someone yourself or being the victim of another whose blood was apparently made to boil by you? If you are saying "No" you can leave now. You are a Saint. We all have been there to some degree.

This is probably because all drivers that have acquired a license to drive a vehicle think they are the best drivers on the road. My fault? Not bloody likely. Here are a few habits that really get under my skin. Those who:

a) Refuse to use turn indicators
b) Never completely stop at STOP signs or when turning right on a red light (in my province we can do that.)
c) Those for whom a yellow light means floor it and you will probably not get caught
d) The ones guilty of c) who don't even think about T-boning a car or killing a pedestrian when both of them had the right of way after the light turned red
e) The ones who continue to use Cell phones while driving with one hand
f) Those whose brains seem to malfunction when they enter a parking lot
g) In winter the bozos that don't clean their entire car of snow and ice
h) The really slow drivers - below the speed limit - who are not in the slow lane

I could carry on. But when it is extreme, what is your usual reaction? Flip the finger? Honk the horn? Yell out the window? Follow the person to tailgate them?

There is something about driving that just flips our rage switch. Usually we are in the safety of our vehicle at the time. Store that thought.

2) GUN RAGE: As we have all seen far too many times before a similar thing happens when someone possesses a gun and gets enraged at others. The same switch is flipped! Unlike road rage this tends to happen more with men but when you are the victim, does it matter? Gun shootings do happen throughout the world but America to guns is like Coke or Pepsi to colas - almost synonymous.

So what is the third step mentioned in the heading?

3) If you want to get seriously hurt or killed, especially in America, just remember that that the driver at whom you scream or flip the bird causing them to come after and confront you just might be afflicted by 2).

Step 3: SAME SWITCH! Bang - you're dead.

#thebrewsterblock

Classified Documents: Governments' and Yours

Do you have confidential documents in YOUR house?

Not to belittle the phrase which is profoundly important, but is there going to be a Me Too trend for confidential documents in someone's garage, library, or basement? What a joke this has become. 

One evening on CNN I believe it was #MargaretHoover who hit the nail on the head in my opinion. She opined that it was simple: once out of office people take files home to add legitimacy while they write memoires and books, hoping to make big bucks as authors. If this is true it makes the act even worse. Making money from country secrets is deplorable. In the case of Trump I think he had other reasons.

Having said all that I know that I have violated similar protocols at a corporate level in the past. I also had good intentions. I was taking work home - unpaid work - to get something done in a quiet environment with no interruptions. I felt confident that they would remain safe and secure until their return. This is probably true for many people - until they leave their briefcase on the bus or subway!

It was becoming laughable in America. Instead of spending millions on spy technology, satellites, balloons, and drones, China and aothers should just break into a prominent politicians house or garage. This is grab bag at the highest level - international Cracker Jack! White House fortune cookies!

If you have a Safety Deposit Box at a bank you know how secure procedures are. There are 2 keys required. You have to sign anything in or out. In this case nothing has to be returned but there is a record of visits. It should be easy to do something similar but even more strict within a government. 

Stuff should be read in a locked facility if possible and when finished with them materials should go straight back into a vault, double locked by administrators. If the volume is such that it must be taken from the reading room as homework, records have to be kept including the signature of the reader and a return date has to be agreed upon and tracked.

How does an administrator control or even reprimand the President or Vice President of the country without fear of job loss? How do authorities?

Drop the file Joe a put your hands behind your back! On the floor - NOW! We'll help you back up Mr. President.

Biden: "I had no idea there were any classified documents in my house. I'm serious. No this is no joke ... no joke. Really. Really. I mean this. I'm not being fasetious - fatecious - fasillyous ... I'm not kidding. Just ask Jill."

Trump: "This is another case of the deep state - the FBI gone wild. I read hundreds of documents every night - thousands of documents. More stuff than any President anywhere in history. That's because I have a higher EQ than any other President by far. Besides if there are any they are MINE. I unclassified them. I can do that you know. I can do anything as President. I can just grab them without even asking."

Mike Pence: "It has been recently brought to my attention that it is possible that certain select missives might have been identified in locations that could reasonably be associated with my person. I might not disagree with your contention but I want to assure you that the former President had nothing to do with this and that all procedures and protocols are always followed by my staff. I have also directed them to immediately ..." . Wait. Where are you going?"

#thebresterblock

Ground Hog Day

Famous ground hogs were very unhappy today. 

There are many famous little critters who have their day in the sun (although we usually hope not) around the globe Groundhog - Wikipedia. Some are: Punxsutawney Phil (Pennsylvania); Ms. G (Massachusetts); Tymko (Ukraine); Sir Walter Wally (North Carolina); Quigley (New York); Manitoba Merv (Manitoba); Fred La Marmotte (Québec); Shubenacadie Sam (Nova Scotia); Wiarton Willie (Ontario). Groundhog Day: What did the groundhogs predict for 2023? | CTV News

For the most part especially for gardeners they are a pain on the butt. But today they all have their fifteen minutes of Andy Warhol fame.

In recent years I all of them have had one thought only: "Please put me back and lock the door before somebody shoots me!" It really has nothing to do with the sun. I suggest these rodents are tuned in to social media. With the rise in violence around the globe why leave the safety of their den?

Looks like the little buck-toothed critters' traditional predictions were bang on (no pun intended). It's going down to -20 F in the Toronto area.

One question - I could probably Google it but didn't: Who looks after them all year? Is there a special person assigned to their care or a local zoo? Are they paid (the keepers, not the ground hogs)? 

In Stratford Ontario Stratford famous for it's Theatre Festivals, there are swans on the Avon river - just like England. They have an annual parade for both the bringing out of the swans in spring and later housing them back into their winter compound. It is quite a ritual. Maybe some of these towns have the same thing for ground hogs.

The swans seem to relish the attention and they have comfort in numbers - not so for the den diggers.

One other thing I noticed - they all need those tooth whiteners we see advertised. I think the manufacturers are missing an opportunity for a good commercial.

Sometimes I feel like not venturing outside myself - just because!

#thebrewsterblock

The Supreme court: The Thorn in America's Side - make that Heart

Is the Highest Court in America High on Itself or Something Else?

It is time to make some changes to the American democratic "system", in this case The Supreme Court. Just like diagnosing a car, if you could plug into an American government "chip" I'm sure The Supreme Court would be flagged with a code indicating that repair was needed.

Rumours abound that there is internal squabbling. I'm sure this is not new but the differences are never supposed to be based upon politics. To the public it appears that is exactly what is happenng. Look at the fate of great sports teams when the squabbling gets nasty. Their performance falls apart.

What do you expect when Presidents - most recently Trump but many others before him - try to stack the deck in their party's favour? It is supposed to be the last impartial pillar on which the American three part system can rely. Can they do so any longer? That is questionable.

I have suggested before that the court needs to change. It will not be easy but the American system was designed without easy in mind. It should be difficult but doable. Who will take on the challenge?

Here is this author's suggestions as one who has never been a professional politician and who is not American. They apply to the appointment process and the term served by a judge. The objectives are to limit the term any one judge can serve and to attempt to maintain an even split of party appointments. The same should apply to any other Supreme Court appointments in the land:

1. There must always be an odd number of judges. Today there are 9.
2. Just as there is today there will be one Chief Justice to break any split decisions.
3. Judges continue to be appointed but not for life. They will serve for a minimum of 4 years but a maximum of 8 net years. After four years a judge can be replaced by the President. (If a judge is off for 6 months that will not count against their total.)
4. Each new President gets to appoint a maximum of 4 Supreme Court judges (currently) or 50% of the court, excluding the Chief Justice. However if no judge has served their minimum 4 years, no appointments will be permitted until that time.
5. The only exceptions would be if a judge retires, dies, or is incapacitated.
6. If a President wins a 2nd 4 year term and they want to appoint new judges, they will have to replace judges who have served their minimum four years and who were appointed by their own party.
7. During the approval process for a new judge, only a fixed number of rejections (to be determined) of individuals will be permitted. Once the maximum is reached, the President is free to make the appointment.

This would be far from perfect. The transition would take several years. Those who already sit thought they had an esteemed position with great pay for life. If removed they will likely have to be paid out.

It should work towards balancing out the numbers of red and blue judges and could be extended to any additional parties in the future. It should also make existing judges thinks twice about politically motivated decisions.

This will not please everyone but it deserves its day in court! If you object please leave constructive comments below.

#thebrewsterblock

The Climate Warming Warning Light is ON.

Giuliani for Mayer of Renewable Energy!!

I just posted a Tweet that is worth repeating:

"I am reading an article that says this January has had the highest temperatures on record in many European countries. Still we do nothing but talk. This is like ignoring the Check Engine Light on your car or removing the fuse for its warning indicator panel."

Are we all deaf, blind, selfish, or just stupid? The answer is probably all of those adjectives. If I have to pick one it is SELFISH. It won't become a disaster in our lifetimes so we will enjoy our lives while we can. Then it is somebody else's problem - like our kids'.

2023 Nomination for Speaker of The House

The System is Rigged - against the Riggers

You have to laugh. Kevin McCarthy is now suffering a major crisis in his own party during the nomination for a new Speaker of The House. He thought he was a shoe in - just like Trump. Now the fix is really in - against HIM. No Democrats needed.

Looks good on him after condemning Trump and then kissing his "ring". Nancy must really be enjoying the show. That's EXACTLY what it has become - a show. a B-grade movie. No need for cartoons - the whole thing is a cartoon.

Did you hear some of the nominators giving their little speech before naming their nominee? Jim Jordan ranting about how people in the current administration who were never elected are running the show and exercising too much power. Excuse me? The brains behind the entire Trump administration were all unelected. ("Behind" -  reminds me of where The Donald's own gray matter often  resides.) Several of his team were close family members. Are we forgetting Kelly Anne Conway; Roger Stone; Rudy Giuliani; Steve Bannon; John Bolton; Ivanka Trump to name a few. Every President has a cabinet of about 15 people as advisors. None are elected. This is nothing new.

Then there was Jordan's recommitment to investigate everyone in a blue outfit, just to get back at "the other side". He wants a hearing on Dr. Anthony Fauci. Why not subpoena The Pope or any of the current evangelists in his own country? This guy is nuttier than a fruitcake.

Best Holiday wishes to all, Religions aside

 A Very Happy ---- and a Very Merry ----

In extending my best wishes to people around the world, it is sad but I have be concerned that I might offend someone or some group with what they perceive to be an inappropriate greeting. How can this be?

At this time and on many other occasions like festive days and holy days throughout the year, people celebrate and give Thanks. If you are truly faithful - no matter what the faith - I am including you in my wishes. It might not be the best time to do so according to YOUR beliefs and customs. In that case I apologize. To me however this is like greeting someone on the street with a simple Hello despite not knowing their name or where they are from. I appreciate such an initiative from a stranger and I hope that they feel the same. Religion and a God? Both have nothing to do with it.

Sadly not everyone feels the same. Somebody will get upset at a word - like Christmas, or a symbol - like a tree. You are the problem, not my greeting. If someone wishes me a Happy Hanukkah I am grateful even though I know little about Hanukkah. Today I received a greeting from one of my oldest friends - Happy Hogmanay. It is apparently well celebrated in Scotland - his heritage. So as well as being grateful, I learned something this Christmas! I had to GOOGLE it - did you?

More than many recent years, this is one for those who are lucky enough to be enjoying their lives - to REALLY be grateful and to wish from the bottom of their hearts - with or without prayer - a better life and future for so many others.

Off the top I am going to make a list of several things in the last few years that were unique and horrible. I ask you to do the same. Then use whatever means you choose to wish some of them away. I will stop at 10

1. COVID-19 and all the hardships and division it brought
2. The horrific and unjustified attack on Ukraine
3. Brutal - and I mean REALLY brutal weather events and their cause: climate change since the industrial revolution
4. The death of The Queen. This is questionable to some, but the very fact that I only have to say THE QUEEN to identify her speaks volumes. She was overall a good person in a difficult role
5. The return to the rise of extreme dictators and autocrats. They purport to be helping their fellow man but are really only helping themselves - usually men
6. Severe financial crises for many
7. The threat of international war
8. In particular in the USA but also around the world major threats to freedom
9. The continuing attack on many species throughout the world either by massive killing or destruction of their environments
10. Pollution caused by only one of the species "Homo Sapiens": Human Beings.

That's my spontaneous list. What is yours?

I don't have a lot of material wealth but I am warm, live in a house that I co-own and tomorrow will celebrate - in my case Christmas - with bountiful food and drink. I would not classify myself as faithful but I will make an appeal - not a prayer - to any and all powers beyond myself. There are hundreds of thousands of people out there with next to nothing. Some will freeze to death tonight and tomorrow - December 25th, 2022. Elsewhere many will starve and die of dehydration or disease. They really have no future compared to the rest of us.

So please share some of the bounty you have bestowed upon us with as many as you can of them. I don't know what they ever did to deserve their fate. Some of them just want a chance to have what we have. Others have no idea what we have and never will. If that story about feeding the masses with a few fish and some bread is true, how bout doing it again - big time?

If Christ was sacrificed on behalf of all of us and our evil, we haven't learned much from it. 

There is MY wish. It comes from my brain - the one the powers that be gave me. I hope they at least recognize its sincerity.


#thebrewsterblock.