American Political Division

 Is the American Two Party System Dead?

I say "Yes" - at least in any form that has been traditional for decades. Are those who say "No" just willing to accept the degree of hatred that now exists between extremists as the new norm?

How many times do we have to hear yet another person saying that it is time to put the division and the politics aside; stop being so bipartisan; listen to each other. Yadda yadda yadda.

When you hear these leaders spitting at each other like two cats on an alley fence it is easy to get discouraged. "Give" and "Take" has become give them the shaft whenever you can and take whatever you can whenever you can. Look out for number 1, which should be the country but is no longer.

This is like a school of sharks and another of killer whales saying it is time to get along because there are enough fish for all of us. The American voters are the fish.

It is like a rabbit clutched in the talons of an eagle on the way up to its nest to tear its prey apart to feed its young, the rabbit suggesting "There is another way. It doesn't have to be like this!' Democracy is the rabbit. Quite frankly the eagle could be either party.

How about Piranhas in a frenzy fighting over the last morsels of an unfortunate animal just trying to cross the Amazon? The Capital was the animal.

"Reaching across the aisle" probably now implies "with a gun in his/her hand!"

Now I am saying it. The lying has to end. It is killing people. Come to your senses. Am I kidding myself? Just listen to them - in both houses. It is not going to happen.

America needs a new Center Left and Center Right party consisting of those who WILL reach to the other. Show some give and take and some cooperation. This will also split the vote so that some former Democrats and some former Republicans will join once they see the new parties prospering. Resort to your old ways and you are out!

It will also take several elections. All the best to Joe and Kamala.

#thebrewsterblock

What Does Stealing the Election Mean?

 The Election was Rigged? By Whom?

After months of hearing Trump and his Mouseketeers claim that the election would be rigged if he lost and now that it was indeed rigged because he did lose, it is becoming clearer what it means.

What more people are now stating categorically is that all of this anger and separation is really about racism. I have been writing this for some time. Privileged white Americans want America to be just that - white and the best of it to go to and belong to whites - just like the good old days.

In 2006 (Bush/Kerry) we heard about voters in black communities standing in the rain for hours to get to use two voting machines. A white jurisdiction had twenty. THAT is what prompted the speeches by Representatives Boxer and Jones.

This time the Californian Republicans placed ballot boxes of their own to collect votes - unofficially. When ordered to remove them they refused. What would have happened to the contents? You can bet the democratic ones would have vanished.

The allocation of seats and the Electoral College was always stacked in favour of wealthy ridings. We also saw rich families buying their way into the most elite schools of advanced education. Some minority school districts were grossly underfunded.

After hurricanes some black families had their land confiscated and had nowhere else to go. I don't know the rules but could they vote with no permanent address to call home? Would it even be a priority for them?

Who can forget the attempts to hinder the Post Office from providing the service depended upon by many democratic minorities? It was denied but the removal of some stations and restrictions on overtime were very suspicious.

It appears that the Democrats stealing the election from the Republicans really means that gradually over time this inherent system stacked against minority voters and in favour of white and often wealthy voters was being recognized and addressed. Some of the wrongs were finally being righted.

So the forces of righteousness are removing the Republicans' bag of tricks. THAT is what is being "stolen".

Cheating means their own cherished ability to cheat is being foiled and they are mad as hell about it. 

#thebrewsterblock

American Democracy at the Precipice of Collapse

 Democracy vs. Dictatorship

One thing is clear throughout all that has happened in America in the last few days. Horrible as it was and still is, the government stood. Many people have pointed this out. Good for America!

This event should also serve as a more stark reminder. Assume the government capital or palace was stormed in a place like China, Russia, The Philippines or especially North Korea. The so-called protestors would have been gassed, water cannoned, or simply mowed down in cold blood if not during the rampage, then certainly after it. Their leaders would have ordered it. THAT is where Trump was headed with all of this.

Is this what all the Trump supporters with the red hats, the horns, the paint etc. really want? If they truly believe that the country is now going to be "Communist" under Biden, recognize what the opposite would have been with four more years under Trump.

His most ardent followers probably think twenty years or more of Donald would be great. The problem with that would be that his evil lies and self-serving ways would eventually be turned against them as well. He already threw Pence under the bus. He said he would be marching with you. Was he? He knew that Secret Service would never allow it but he promised you anyway - stupid or a lie? Does it matter? You think he cares about you? HE THREW YOU UNDER THE SAME BUS! How does it feel?

I am not a fan of Lindsey Graham. However he stood up and quoted just two examples of lies which falsely claim this election was fraudulent. There were supposedly thousands of underage electors. He asked to see just 10 and got none. Again, Trump people claimed there were thousands of felons who supposedly voted. He asked for 10 and got none. There are lots more examples.

Have any of those hyenas we saw in the Capital Building expressed one ounce of regret and sympathy over the five people who lost their lives because of their hooliganism? I doubt it.

Trump is a liar. He always will be.

Here is a challenge. I would like any one of those marchers who passionately swore they had to do this to take back their country, to explain exactly what they have lost. Don't use words like Communist and Socialist when you obviously don't know what they mean.

One more thing. If you take up the challenge, be honest if you are capable of that, about your true feelings on race, color, culture, and religion. You know - those things all Americans are supposed to be allowed to practice, not just white Americans.

#thebrewsterblock

#Racism Still Alive in America

 The #Wealthiest One Percent Will Never Change

Today is a big day in the American State of Georgia. Its vote for two senators will determine whether Democrats will be able to dominate during the initial Biden administration. This along with the Covid-19 tragedy is dominating American media.

The focus has changed many times in the four years under Trump but most of it was on The Donald, created by The Donald. We all know that. None of it gets to the real issues in America, even Covid.

The real issues, and I narrow them down to two, have not changed in decades. 

1). I read that 0ne percent of the population hold 35% of the nation's wealth. They will do whatever they have to in order to keep it. Think billionaires and multi, multi millionaires. Add in the next 19% and the total is 51%. The exact figures don't matter. The order of magnitude is what is important.

Some of these inherited the wealth. Do they deserve it? What part did they play? That is for another topic. Very few of the rest could have earned their wealth without the nation's infrastructure to build their businesses (gas, electricity, clean water, sewers, roads and bridges, airports, marine ports, telecommunications) and advantaged tax systems. The problem here is that we all pay for those services through our taxes. They will claim the same thing except that their companies can then write it off. We can't, and by comparison we use a very small percentage.

They do not want to share it. The more obscene is their wealth, the greedier they become. Apologies to the few exceptions like Bill Gates.

2). Racism. The same group in 1) hate the gradual browning of America. They especially do not want to share the wealth with anyone non-white. It is well disguised but still there. There are lots of people who do not feel this way - even some rich white folks on both sides of the political divide. But I am addressing problems here, not the nice to haves. 

So who does still harbour such feelings? We all know a couple of groups. Trump and his base and all the gutless Republicans who back him no matter what. Many others for sure.

We are told that some 74,000,000 voted for Trump. Apparently all of those votes were 100% legitimate. Why are Republicans not questioning them? For sure there are a lot of unhappy voters, fed up with voting and politics as usual. Biden must make some changes. Trump however, was the wrong answer. That was cutting off a foot to cure an ingrown toenail. 

This is not unique to America. The concern should be that wherever those like Trump were unopposed, treacherous dictators rose to power willing to kill and torture anyone who then got in their way. America still has a chance to do something about it.

Over to you Joe and Kamela.

#thebrewsterblock

 

Squirrel proof bird feeder

Outsmart the Squirrels!

Finally I outsmarted my local squirrels - so far! See photo below.

I remember my father spending much self amusement time trying to invent a method to feed the birds but keep the squirrels away. He finally hung the bird feeder, a simple tray, from a branch close to our summer cottage, then strung a cord from it right through a wooden window frame into our living room! My mother was very patient. When the squirrel shimmied down onto the feeder he pulled the cord to spin the tray and the pesky rodent would fly off.

The trouble was it became a war in which the squirrel would get right back up there to try again. Either he found it entertaining like a kid on a roller coaster or he wanted in turn, to outsmart Dad!

There is a little rhyme about graffiti writers: "Man's ambition must be small to write his name on an outhouse (bathroom) wall!" I think it also applies to retired men like yours truly, pitting their brain against a squirrel's. 

This is a very simple design. You can buy a commercial metal one like an upside down funnel.  I made it 24 inches square and could have enlarged it but my first attempt works. It also catches a lot of the seed dropped, or rejected by the birds.

The little guys were at first irate when they saw birds like doves up there feasting away. They tried several times to jump from my gazebo onto it but it was too far away. They can climb the pole but can't lean back and out enough to grab the edge of the platform. Now they are content to retrieve the droppings. FYI, I do leave a pile on the ground just for them.

It is New Years Day 2021. Winter has been mild so far. When they get desperate they might succeed but so far I win.

By the way. This is the best design for such a deterrent in all of history. Only I could have done this. My generals and security advisors all failed. No other occupant of this house before me ever accomplished this. But I know you fake media types will never give me credit. That's OK. Media reporters are all squirrel brains. If the squirrels ever do succeed it will not be my fault nor will it be from Russian aid. It will be the Chinese for sure. Biden will never admit this. Neither would Obama.

#thebrewsterblock