Trump 2024

Is 2024 just 1984 forty years later?

I never read the book "1984" by George Orwell but now I will. I have always heard about it and the term "Big brother is watching you!" I would say that some of Trump's more elite followers are trying to create the society depicted in the book. To get a flavor, just read its Wikipedia article - scary stuff.

I doubt if the Donald is capable of getting through an entire book of this volume but he appears to be modelling himself after some of its characters (someone must have counselled him). I have mentioned before, I think he is also a Joe McCarthy wannabe. Also remember that "Make America Great Again" was touted by Reagan long before Trump echoed it. He did author The Big Lie but I doubt much else.

What is alarming to me is just how far right the GOP has now swung. Some will point out that many Democrats have shifted very much to the left - also true. I believe however that the balance of violent behavior is coming from the right. As evidence one only has to look at the events on January 6th. It was not leftists or Democrats calling for Pence to be hanged and Pelosi to be shot or otherwise hurt, it was flag-carrying Trumpers. Remember that this was their own Republican Vice President.

Trump didn't just throw his own Vice President under the bus, he was willing to watch them march Pence up the stairs to the gallows and probably do nothing as he dropped through the floor! Look at the events this week-end, September 18. Trump is once again trying to fire up his people in defense of those who built those gallows and stormed the Capital.

The American Dream has become a nightmare. It is all but dead. To me the only way to salvage some of what America used to be is to have the bravest of the brave on the right form a new Republican party. It will have to totally redefine what it stands for. I recently heard a recording of Governor Reagan talking to Nixon years ago and referring to black Africans as monkeys! It needs someone brave enough to inspire a new following the way Trump or Trumpism did for his base. For sure conservative ideals must be a part of it but NOT violence. 

It also has to recognize that America is simply not going to be predominantly white anymore. That does not kill the dream - it just changes it. It will not only save America but prove to the world just how resilient this unique country is.

Please step up to the microphone Liz Cheney, or Mitt Romney, or a former General. Imagine how powerful it would be if such a man/woman did step up and win the Presidency with a partner of a different race.

If the country was capable of electing and tolerating Mr. and Mrs Trump for four years, it's not a big stretch!

#thebrewsterblock

FBI and Co. GUILTY in Nasser Probe

Somebody has to pay for those female athletes' abuse!

This Senate hearing into the abuse of young female athletes at the Olympic level and elsewhere was flawed before it began.

You could not help but feel for and admire the four athletes who spoke to the Senate hearings on behalf of many, many other girls. It is a travesty that so many responsible people in the FBI and Olympic groups ignored them. Somebody other than the girls must pay.

The problem I see with the Senate Hearing is that the optics were bad from the start. Why on earth are women not controlling these hearings? How can we say we understand when the athletes ended up facing a bunch of old men who look like they wouldn't understand sexual abuse if they tripped over it? These men were older than the victims' grandfathers. When most of them were as young as the girls, touching, kissing, feeling and ignoring such pleas were par for the course. The poor women had a large handicap before they even got up onto the tee. Who wants to lay it all out there for their Grandfather?

They should have been speaking first and foremost to other women. Nasser should have been behind bars after the first complaints - years ago. Those in the FBI and other organizations who ignored things, told the girls to keep quiet, or simply kept stalling must be punished.

Two additional things come to mind. Today in the realm Trumpism and the pandemic, we keep hearing people that sound completely zingy talking about demonic celebrities who are trying to capture and consume our children in some satanic ritual. This gives those dingbats ammunition to say - "See! We told you they are out there!" The authorities including the FBI are accessories in this matter.

Secondly, what I did not hear about was how on earth Nasser was ever hired or put into his position without appropriate screening. Surely anybody who is in constant contact - physically - with attractive and fit young women - too timid to scream as loudly as adult women might - must be screened at a much higher standard before being hired or appointed. This same standard by the way has to be applied to any of the so-called "support" groups and individuals to whom the girls are referred for treatment. Otherwise you could be rescuing these girls from the wolf and tossing them to a jackal. 

Those who ignored the complaints or covered them up must suffer severe penalties, because they deserve it and to set a precedent for others.

These are brave women who will forever be remembered. Sadly it is another broken cog in the already flawed American justice system. Let me guess: some people will say that the solution is to arm young female athletes with pistols so they can defend themselves in the future. The second amendment solves another problem!

#thebrewsterblock

Can Biden be a True War Time President?

More World Problems to Solve

On August 7th I wrote a piece "Problems for the World to Solve" - together. Read that one if you have not. This is a continuation.

The prime reason for our runaway environmental problems including the melting of the ice caps, fires, and super storms is that the world's leaders, both political and business, have ignored them - just kicked them down the road for the next generation. In fact this is primarily business leaders because they usually control the politicians.

Why do they stall? It is simple. Super, super rich people - the one percent - who live so lavish lifestyles we can't even imagine them, are by and large selfish. Not all are but most. Do auto executives really want to get rid of petroleum powered cars? Do oil execs want them to ? Do bank execs really want to teach people not to use credit to buy things they want rather than need? Do politicians really want to make the ultra rich corporations and their execs pay their share of taxes when those same entities finance political campaigns?

What individual really needs to be a billionaire let alone a multi-billionaire?

Let's go back to the title. Trump claimed to be a War Time President. Really? His administration did finally get industry to ramp up production of things we vitally needed to battle COVID. Good for him and those businesses. For the sake of our future, don't stop now.

In conventional wartimes Presidents and Prime Ministers - even dictators - got big industry to do some amazing things. Plants were halted and converted into making planes, tanks, and munitions. Women who traditionally did not work outside the home went to work making all of those things. Remember Rosie the Riveter? Luxury items were put on hold and vital foods were rationed to feed troops.

So why can't these business leaders who were capable of rapid development of aircraft and ships do the same again? We ARE in another war to save this planet. Stalling again will commit our own offspring to disasters only a few generations away. Is the lavish lifestyle really such a personal priority that you are willing to see your grandkids suffer?

Here is the list from August 7th:

Cars: Eliminate petroleum powered ones
Plastics: Eliminate or vastly reduce its use while ramping up ways to re-use and re-cycle it.
Drinking Water: Develop inexpensive ways to convert ocean salt water for those who have no drinking water.
Food: Build more giant greenhouses and stop eliminating farmlands. Develop more proteins from plants.
Energy:We need more clean energy that people can afford
Shelter: China is building multi-floored apartments in one day!
Clothing: Many have none or only one or two garments.

As mentioned, the COVID pandemic provided another example of what can be done in a hurry when lives are at stake. Now how about:

Harnessing the tides. This has begun in some places. The amount of energy available is virtually limitless for our purposes. Use it to power electrical generating plants.

Sunlight: Use focused sunlight through huge convex or parabolic mirrors to boil water (or other liquids?) which then power steam driven electrical generators.

Meat: This is a tough one but cattle create a lot of atmospheric gas. We love our beef but we would probably be better off without it. The land could be used for crops which are more healthy than beef. I now drink soy milk which I prefer and it has more vitamins and minerals by percentage than regular milk from cattle.

Population Control: This is even more controversial than eliminating beef but the world's population expansion is a huge problem. Limits on offspring per couple would help immensely. China has tried this but is considering its reversal. Until some of these other problems are solved it might be a good thing to press the pause button on an ever expanding population. If not mandated, then incentives could be offered.

International Aid: Surely in the long term helping 3rd world countries with education, equipment to grow crops, purify water, and build rudimentary shelter is cheaper than trying to overpower countries with war and military force? The problem is getting international bodies to cooperate.

Pay for Public Resources: Finally my favorite. This really gets those super rich mentioned above very up tight. Several administrations say the rich should pay their share. They don't. Usually the means is going to be income tax - and it should be. But there are other ways.

Living in a home over a certain size per resident should cost a high premium for electricity; gas; water; and property size. The same applies to vehicles and boats with huge engines for sheer enjoyment. The idea that since they "earned it" they should be able to have these things can no longer be justified. In many cases they did not - their parents or grandparents did. Many hard working people can't afford basic food OR shelter.

However the big one is that most of the huge corporations formed by individuals use immense amounts of those same resources to run those businesses. Some are manufacturing and resource processing plants; hotel chains; airlines and shipping to name a few. These businesses all utilize public resources paid for by you and me: electricity; gas; water; roadways; airports; maritime ports; liquid and solid waste. We pay for it but they get to deduct it as expenses thereby NOT paying the requisite proportion of costs to build and maintain all of that infrastructure. Meanwhile we can not deduct our paltry amount of electricity, gas, water, sewage etc. to run our homes.

THAT should change. The businesses will say that if such expenses can not be deducted, then prices will rise. They will. But then other businesses will find ways of becoming more efficient and competitive. Somebody has to buy their products or services.

Saving the planet is indeed a war. Super rich people are in the best position to wage it without becoming more rich in the process. Some very rich people have already given back to the society that made them rich and still are: Bill Gates; Warren Buffet; Ted Turner; Many celebrities too numerous to mention are also giving back.

The super rich I have in mind make the net worth of most celebrities pale by comparison. 
Cough up guys. You will help restore the the American Nightmare to the American Dream.

#thebrewsterblock

Some Good Things About Getting Old

Good Things About Aging? Really?

This is going to be a challenge but I have the time for it. There - that belongs in the list.

Although I am getting older I am actually still here on the right side of the grass realizing that I am getting older. Many people I used to know and love - like my parents - are not. With a minor twist on Descartes' famous saying: "I think, therefore I still am". Good for me.

When the first person addressed me as "Sir" he/she was not a child but another adult. I was pissed since they were not much younger than I was. It still happens at the gym. Now it doesn't bother me - as much! I take it as a sign that some of what my parents taught me - respect - still exists. Some people actually compliment me - then ask how old I am! Hey, there are younger people working out who don't receive the same compliments. Surely that is good.

I get to talk to some pretty amazing looking younger women who - I hope - don't feel like I am hitting on them. Maybe they do, but they don't say it! If I were their age today's women would speak their minds more bluntly than when I was younger.

I don't have to pay the unbelievably high rates for car insurance that young people do. I take satisfaction in knowing that the insurance companies have the statistics to back up the rates. They know who are the bad drivers and they are not older people.

Senior discounts - what could possibly be wrong with that - especially for golf?

Drugs - most of my prescription drugs are covered by our provincial medical plan.

Time. My time is my own. I can do whatever I want. To be honest this is probably the biggest benefit that I am wasting the most.

Getting up and going to bed or even taking a nap. I can do any of these whenever I want!

No boss - I hated having a boss and even being one. No more - I am my own. This is the one which would be the most important if there were ever a second life. I wish I had started some kind of business to be my own boss.

Grandchildren. I don't have any kids so this one is not in my list. It is however high on everyone else's list so I include it here.

Memories. This is a big one. Many people think about and live in the past - both the good times and the bad. Too much of that is bad - it can't ever be changed. So the key here is to be making NEW memories - preferable good ones.

There is some food for thought. OOPS - please don't go to the fridge! My bad.Don't get me wrong - younger is WAY better! But if you have to make the most of things this list is a start.

#thebrewsterblock

A Sincere Apology

Hatred was Not my Objective    

Not everyone is willing to apologize - for anything. I am one who will apologize when I feet the need and I feel such a need.

There are over 350 posts on this blog. They often get intense when I feel strongly about something. Such topics include Trump; his followers; those who attacked The Capital Building; other politicians; and those unwilling to get a COVID shot among others.

It has recently come to my attention that when I used the term "Jabasses" to describe anti-vaxxers I went too far. I accept that and to any that I hurt I hereby apologize. Someone went so far as to imply that this was incenting "hatred." In my opinion, that goes too far. I never write to cause people to hate. If I used the term in any of my posts, it was most likely saying that I personally hate something. I will temper my use of the term in future.

I have removed "Jabasses" from the posting.

What I had in mind when I wrote the piece were people like those in the recent incident involving a school board meeting. Someone who merely expressed their desire to have kids wear masks at school was met with near violence. Their car was surrounded and rocked when they tried to leave. They required an escort. One man was banging on the window saying that he knew where the occupant lived and that they would never be safe again - they should stay inside. Now THAT is fomenting hatred.

On January 6th, building a gallows and calling for Mike Pence to be hanged and Nancy Pelosi to be harmed or killed as well - THAT was hatred.

Most of my former post was also devoted to castigating those who protest just for the sake of it. There were people stating that the Feds under Biden would be coming door to door trying to force people to be vaccinated. That was a blatant lie and the speaker knew it. I was directing the term at those people and any of the "you can't make me" crowd.

So there you have it. To me a little well intended apology goes a long way. I hope it does here also.

#thebrewsterblock.