Cyber Spying and Hacking Alive and Well in the U.S. Government

 007 Was More Fun But This Is Real

I was just reading about what is purportedly a major case of cyber hacking into Federal Government departments and systems. Supposedly this is one of the most serious ever and the attacker is once again alleged to be Russia.

Is either Trump or Biden addressing this? I have not heard much about it. It seems to me that it should be right up there with COVID 19; right and left winged extremism; restoring faith in elections; Iran; North Korea; environment; and China as major challenges for America.

According to one Associated Press article Trump fired some major players and eliminated positions which addressed this. If there isn't already there should be major push for more  dollars to be spent fighting this and a key person should report right to the top. If this is already part of the National Security Advisor's position then they are failing.

In one area Trump was right. Billions of dollars are spent so that American forces can protect other areas of the world. Others should definitely pay their share. The issue here is what is America doing with its savings?

Cyber Security is one area in which more should be spent. America should be the leader here. One can only hope that she has her own surreptitious code inside the governmental systems of her enemies and is indeed doing a better job than they are. Unfortunately we can never really hear about that. When we hear about terrorist plots being foiled before they occur, it gives us hope. Unfortunately when we also hear that others like Russia already have stolen mountains of confidential materials from inside supposedly secure federal and state systems, how can Americans feel safe and protected?

Over to you Joe. What are you and Kamela going to do about it? Talk doesn't cut it. If you can send someone to the moon, surely you can protect your own data. I bet China can. That was first and only then are they taking moon shots.

#thebrewsterblock

3 Party System for America

 Is it Time for a #NewParty in U.S. Politics?

I say the answer is yes. A #threeparty system is long overdue.

All the arguments I outline below are the usual reasons most people reject the idea. It can get out of hand. Look at Italy for example where there are more elections than you can count. Perhaps there should be a limit of three in America. Another possibility is to place minimums on the popular vote attained. For example if party "A" fails to get X percent of that vote in two elections in succession it can no longer participate in a third election..

This is like black and white film and TV. There was only so much you could do with it. As soon as colour came along brand new avenues of innovation opened up for directors and producers.

The Tea Party was a bad example of a new party but demonstrated how it will shake up the other two.

Let's assume after Trump leaves office and most people know this is inevitable, he forms a new party. A couple of things will happen. We pretty much know what it will look like and stand for as depicted by Trump and his base. It might attract a few staunch Republicans and even some disenchanted Democrats (doubtful) but I doubt in any large numbers. People voted for Trump to shake up the status quo in Washington. He did. They just got more red neck extremism than they anticipated. His base does not consist of traditional Republicans.

Perhaps a Mitt Romney or a John Kasich could re-establish a more central conservative new Republican party. I suggest a name change. That would attract many former Republicans and maybe some central Democrats thereby weakening any new Trump party and the Democrats. If this happened the existing GOP would likely crumble. This might also give a needed excuse for those spineless big R Republicans who are afraid of Trump to leave him and try to join the new party. They would still have a lot of "splainin" to do. In my opinion they should be put out to pasture.

Any new party is bound to attract new and younger talent, candidates, ideas, and ideals. This is what America needs. It will split the existing vote. Old guard career Senators and Congressmen/women will have to work far harder for their positions. The electorate will also be younger and tired of the McConnells and Grahams on the Hill. Younger people - well educated or not, smell bullshit when it is in abundance as it is now.

Everyone will have to work a lot harder and live up to their promises if they ever want to get a majority. By the same token minority governments force opposing sides to reach across the aisle to get anything passed. This effect will not only come into play at the Presidential level but in both houses of Congress.

Personally I think this is far better for the voters in a democracy. Generally, if it is tougher for the politicians, it is better for the voters. They are after all footing the bill.

Too many career politicians forget for whom they are supposed to be working. It is never supposed to be for themselves.

#thebrewsterblock

Top 5 Analogies for Trump and his Red Cappers

 Let's Try to Make This Easy - Again

Top 5 ways I can think of to try to make them understand.

5. It's the top of the 9th inning boys and you are up but the other team is ahead. Your team strikes out or does not get enough runs to reverse the lead. The game is OVER folks. You can stay if you want but the crowd and the winners have gone home - WITH the pennant. You will be pitching to yourself.

4. You are driving down the road and your tire blows. You carry on - fwap, fwap, fwap. Then a second blows. You keep driving - fwappity, fwappity, fwappity. Soon people are yelling that all four are gone and you are on the rims. Now you are wrecking the car AND the road - right? Get it? You should have stopped after the first blowout.

3. The brand new pool in the back yard is now finished. You plan a big breaking in party with catering, lots of beer and a live band. Problem! It is December fellas with three inches of snow. Everybody declined. Nobody wants to play polar bear.  No party - get it. Donate the food to charity and take back the beer if it isn't opened. Try again in the summer - in four years.

2. Some guy has cheated on his wife and kids for the last time. She has already won the divorce case. She got the money and you got the car. The house is now occupied by new owners. Stop knocking on the door or you will be charged. Get used to sleeping in your car or at your lover's place unless she also moved on. It's over. Any similarity between this and any political leaders is purely unintentional.

1. You are on stage at the world sword fishing contest. Your catch which you claim you landed yourself is hanging on one scale and the other guy's, who happens to be Joe Biden is on an identical scale. His is visibly larger and the scales show it is indeed heavier. You are yelling foul, it is fixed. You insist the judges switch scales. They do with the same result. Your fish falls off the scale and shatters into 100 plaster of Paris pieces. You scream you have been framed. You and your lawyers claim a mountain of evidence - somewhere - that Joe's fish is phony. It is examined by fishermen and taxidermists alike. He wins. Yours is ruled artificial. Still you scream and so do your fans. Go home with your fraudulent broken fish. You have four years to glue it back together.

The last one is a fish story for a reason. Something in the Republican camp smells fishy. Their party is also starting to shatter on the floor.

Trump's supporters have claimed that the Dems. have tried to get him out of office for four years. Probably true. Now you can see why.

#thebrewsterblock