Will the American mid-terms be Aftershocks or a Tsunami?

Hate will win the mid-term U.S. Elections

It is tragic but American elections have degraded to the point that the party that generates the most hate will win - both these mid-terms and in 2024. Imagine that! This is supposedly the "model" of a true democracy. It was - as long as white Anglo-Saxons had all the money and power while visible minorities remained just that and kept their mouths shut.

I have always leaned towards small "c" conservative values but they seem to be disappearing - globally. As an outsider looking in along with the rest of the world I do think the Democrats have moved a little too far left but not to the degree that the Republicans - even the non-MAGA ones - have moved in droves to the extreme right.

I just saw a headline that made me shake my head. Apparently Laura Ingraham on FOX (sorry but I can't say "NEWS" - it is not. See LAURA INGRAHAM: Last night was 'embarrassing' for the president | Fox News). It contains this: "Bottom line, I can't think of anything more irresponsible than a president who tells the world that America is a democracy only if his party wins." Are you seeing where I am going yet?

There is more drivel but this is apparently her personal opinion which she is trying to get you to absorb. Welcome to free speech and a free press. Under Trump it will probably disappear. That's the first salient point. The main problem with her verbal meanderings is that the leader of the party she and her network love to love stated openly before hundreds of millions of people that the only way he could possibly lose is if the 2020 elections were rigged! And he started this rant long before the election.

Did the Yankees claim the series was rigged because they could not lose unless it was?

As most intelligent people now know, this was complete bullshit. Even its architect Steve Bannon admitted this. There is not much new that I have not already said but this is really pathetic: if these elections give the GOP a majority in the House and/or the Senate it will only be because many of those who make up that majority sold their souls to the Devil. They lied through their teeth and they are still doing so. Most of us know it. If Trump returns to power THAT will be the reason.

The REALLY sad part? The only office that The Donald should be occupying would be enclosed by concrete and iron bars. Paint it white if it will make him feel better. Much as I like Biden as a person, it is probably true that he is a little long in the tooth to fulfill another four years,

The best solution in my opinion? Trump should be locked up as much for his private dealings as his Presidential ones. One of the reasons? You couldn't tell them apart. Biden should go because another four years even if there isn't another January 6th will be four more years of infighting while world politics and wars carry on. His ideals deserve respect but the world has changed - radically.

Then what? The only thing that gives me some hope for the future is youth - not all of it but SOME. OUR issues in many cases are gone unless radical parents passed on their extreme views to their kids. Race is often transparent. Blacks are with whites; browns with blacks; browns with whites; yellow with red; red with olive - you get the picture, and they are OK with it!

We are leaving a horrible, horrible world to our kids and many of them know it. I hope they can reform political systems across the world when we are gone. They will have to or the planet will no longer be a special third rock from the sun - just another sphere of dust.

Whichever side you want to vote for, do yourselves a favour. If the representative is spewing hate, don't vote for them.

#thebrewsterblock

American Politics Compared to Lemmings

Are Too Many American Voters Becoming Lemmings?

Many people have heard about a small rodent known as a Lemming which is believed to hurl itself from cliffs in huge numbers. The jury is out on whether this is really true as you will see in the following references:
https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/myth-truth-about-lemmings

https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/or-not-lemmings

If they do it is more in the form of a stampede - often looking for food. They can swim but are not great judges of aquatic distances. Many drown. With huge numbers behind them they could be pushed off the cliff or simply have no way back. In one of the above references there were accusations that in a Disney documentary the producers were actually pushing some of them off a precipice for the desired effect.

What is happening in America today is very similar. Many people who just can't seem to see the light about election lies are following the masses and not thinking for themselves. People like Steve Bannon and Donald Trump are doing the pushing. They have no plans to go over the edge themselves.

Today is the day we all heard about an attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband in their home. It was an intruder looking for Nancy who was not there. It is reported that her husband will recover fully. If police had not arrived promptly, what would have happened? If the attackers had gotten their hands on Mike Pence on January 6th with a gallows outside, what would have happened?

If the violence being seen and often encouraged in America today continues, every election will become a cliff. Humans are supposed to be intelligent enough not to jump. Apparently many are not.

Look what happened to Osama bin Laden. His pursuit spanned Presidential terms of both Republicans and Democrats and eventually it succeeded - because of cooperation for a greater good.

Surely the most renowned model of a democracy in the world is worth saving. The Liberty Bell now has many, many cracks but all of them can be repaired without melting down the bell itself. Violence is often a quick route to short term gains but in the end everybody pays.

The way things are going one day soon you will see in the media - if the extremists have not destroyed all forms but their own (sound familiar?) - the rest of the world will rightly decline to acknowledge election results in America and rightly so. The fix is in and just like the last time, it ain't colored blue.

#thebrewsterblock

The 2020 Election Steal

Do you really want another Civil War in America?

The real election steal was Integrity, Honesty, and Truth - not votes

It is safe to say that in any living person's lifetime there has never been as emotional an attitude towards elections in America as there is today. The key word here is ELECTIONS: which hundreds of thousands of American soldiers and even more in other countries died to protect. Think about that for a minute!

If you listen to and worse actually believe the likes of Steve Bannon, that is where you are headed again. In fact he is actually trying to spread his poison to other countries. This time it will involve the slaughter of each other - fellow Americans. Is that really what you want?

One of the elements of democracy at least in America is the separation of church and state. This is a big one. You can be a Christian or follow any other faith openly and without persecution or fear - in THEORY. So how can you call yourself a person of faith who prays to a God while simultaneously calling for the elimination of others with different beliefs - political ones in this case? Remember that those you might be listening to on TV and social media are calling for that change through violence - murder if necessary. Is that really you? That's what the Nazis believed.

Hang Mike Pence - seriously? Kill Nancy Pelosi? Then go to church an call yourself religious? Give your head a shake.

Incubators Instead of Abortions or Forced Pregnancies?

Is Incubation an Alternative to Abortions?

With all the controversy about banning abortions and forcing women to carry an unborn to term I began wondering something and apparently so have others. As with most new ideas more than one individual has had a similar thought.

My question was whether in the early stages of pregnancy an embryo could be successfully transferred to an external incubator for normal develop? Here is an article I found on the topic which is already being researched. China is doing experiments on the concept:
Scientists Have Created An Artificial Womb To Grow Babies From Conception To Birth | by Carlyn Beccia | Sexography | Medium

Since the technology is far beyond me I will leave it to others but the acceptability of the practice poses questions. It seems to me that if it is accepted that couples - who can't have their own child - turn to use of a surrogate mother or In Vitro Fertilization then this is simply another alternative.

Extremists will probably not agree with this as long as the natural mother could have carried the embryo/fetus to full term. Surely the idea represents a compromise. The child could be adapted by others unable to conceive or perhaps after even more research could be transplanted into a different woman for a normal birth. It seems better than a so-called abortion pill as well.

Government subsidies into such research could be provided to universities etc. for research on this side of the pond. The couple who did not want to be unplanned parents; victims of rape; the unborn embryo/fetus; and the receiving mother or couple all benefit.

Some will say that this is tampering with nature; some that super beings will result; some that eventually you will be able to buy such a product at Walmart or Costco. Yadda, Yadda. If we keep firing off spacecraft the sky will fall.

I have said this before and say it again. Men - whether clergyman, mate, judge, or legislator - should not be dictating mandatory births to women. I also said that any do gooders who claim any kind of moral high ground on the issue will quickly change their minds when they are involved in an unplanned pregnancy. Just observe the claims and counter claims of a certain ex-football player who is now running for office. There will be more.

Feel free to comment.

#thebrewsterblock

Trans Gender Controversy

Get a Grip Folks. Where does it End?

Two days ago during a golf tournament dinner, a friend from Waterloo, Ontario informed us of a current and ongoing controversy in his city at the school board. We all thought he was joking. Sorry to those who will be offended by this post but I am just relaying the facts. FYI most of us in attendance were raised in the '50s.

I have since done some Googling and the "issue" has come up in other parts of the world as well. My search included the latest list of gender choices such as LGBTQ2 plus and it was not in the list. (Nobody ever mentions it but neither am I: M-Male nor my spouse F-Female. I am OK with that.)

This issue has to do with - there is a term for it - "Furries". These are apparently kids (in this case) who identify as CATS, as in feline. Some articles claim that the next part is just a scam but it is said that certain school boards are actually being pressured to supply kitty litter for these kids in school washrooms. Seriously! I can only assume why. Initially I thought this might be for support cats just like support dogs who accompany an adult or child. I was wrong. It was for the student.

Where will this end? I will admit up front that I am about to be facetious (there being no catetious). What about dogs? Do we need fire hydrants in the washrooms? Are there kids who think of themselves as Pandas? Bring on the bamboo. If you identify as a full scale lion or tiger, what next - raw meat for lunch? I hope there are no seals because the stench would be overwhelming.

I want to say that if you are a parent of such a child I am sure that everyone including me wishes all the best for you and your offspring. But somewhere a line or lines have to be drawn and it seems to me that Trans Species is one of them. If I had a child who thought they were some type of animal I would not try to place the responsibility on the school board. They have enough to do.

This requires a special kind of help in a special kind of place which is NOT a school. If your school taxes are actually being spent on kitty litter for the washroom you have a right to protest - loudly.

People have compared me to a puppy dog in the past. Newspaper will do for now and later on Depends apparently work just fine.

#thebrewsterblock

The Trump, DOJ, Special Master Shell Game

Deep State or Dire Straits?

If your lawyer or doctor took your most personal files home and then had a dinner party leaving them open in the party room or bathroom for any guest to read at their leisure, would you be irate? Would you sue? Naturally you would, and you would likely win. So how is it that Trump can get away with taking the most sensitive documents in the White House home in a similar manner? If you subsequently discovered that many of your papers were missing would you be fit to be tied? Should the lawyer be disbarred? Again the answer is yes. Ditto Trump.

January 6th showed one of the worst cracks in the Liberty Bell I have witnessed but this Mar-A-Lago debacle Trumps even that. One of the elements that Trump claimed he would fix was the "Deep State" of things in Washington. He failed - we all know that. He lost - we all know that. But one of the things that this entire mess with its completely biased judge and its "Special Master" show is just how dysfunctional the U.S. government can be. It really does need a shake-up but not violent and total destruction.

It is ironic that DJT and the boys by their gross conduct have dramatically demonstrated what he claimed he would fix! There have been many more examples. Think "lock her up!"

This case should be a slam dunk along with the 2 impeachments. Trump should never get into the White House again. Many prominent Republicans publicly sided with The Donald and swore the election was rigged. It WAS - by the GOP and Trump. Thankfully they failed. Now they are all standing on their heads to get re-elected. From "It was rigged and Trump is still President" to "Joe Biden is the legitimate President. There was no fix." Go figure. They too should never hold office again. They ARE the biggest problem with the system. They are the Deep State because they are in Dire Straits. Yes - people like this exist on both sides of the aisle.

We always need leaders who have the interests of the majority of the population at heart and who can get things done. In a democracy, they are politicians by definition. I often think that is a dirty word but it isn't. It is politics itself that has earned the dirty title and it has reached an all time high in America.

Trump's judge appointments have been working in a biased manner in his favour. They should not. There is something wrong with the system when this guy was caught red handed with his hand in the nation's security cookie jar in a personal space far away from where it belongs. Either you or I would be locked up. He should be also. He has no justification. Period.

Electing Donald J. Trump back into the White House would be like appointing Vito Corleone to replace The Pope.

If you are scoffing at this let me finish with one fact you can check for yourselves. Donald J. Trump is not invited to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. She was not amused with him and probably knew he would try to steal the show by pushing King Charles III out of his way.

#thebrewsterblock

Elizabeth II: A Royal Example to All

Elizabeth II. None Like Her Before, None After

I am not a big fan of royalty but it is as close as I get to watching celebrities and all the garbage they often represent. Taking in something educational about this remarkable lady is not a waste of time. Watching anything to do with other Hollywood types and the talk shows and gossip columnists who make their living from them - is.

I can't imagine filling the Queen's shoes for a day let alone some 75 years. If you have watched any of the excellent documentaries or movies about her life you will understand why. Following a close second for unfilled shoes would be the monarch's spouse - Phillip in this case - who has even less power. For a man of his pride and background he could not escape the image as the most famous henpecked husband in the world. Even his children could not take his name. America will experience this some day if there is ever a First Gentleman.

The Queen had no real "power" but her affect on peoples' lives is probably up there with the Pope. She was pulled in a dozen directions every day by "duty"; the Prime Minister; tradition; her relatives; her own natural wisdom with relatively little formal education; and the mysterious "courtiers" to mention a few .

Do a little research on a courtier. I Googled it and am still not clear who they really are or where they come from. It seems to include almost everyone in authority at the palace - all of the palaces - and you can apply for a job to work for the famous Windsor family any time you wish. If you spend your life devoted to them and are VERY organized and clever at manipulating people, you could some day influence the King or Queen yourself. Since all her residences are ancient, you'd better be able to deal with four legged vermin as well as the two lagged variety.

In no way can I justify the untold wealth the family possesses. Most of it comes from taxpayers and looting back in the colonial days. You can't really have a royal family living in a duplex across from a variety store which they frequent in their pre-owned Land Rover but their wealth is obscene.

Personally I admire the level of decorum, morality, and self-discipline she set. At the commoner level there are precious few of these left among us. The "F" bomb is dropped everywhere except perhaps in her presence. Kids' dress codes don't really exist anymore nor the parental ones from which they should have derived. Adults' dress codes are no better. What used to be considered "Blue" movies or porn are now commonplace. It appears that self discipline has gone the way of the dial phone. Violent behaviour has become a daily occurrence.

The Queen and family have shown us all that civility is still possible. I try to model some degree of all this for two reasons: 1) that is how I was brought up and 2) to prove to myself and others that I still can. The crass behaviour I see today still makes me shake my head.

Great empires and civilizations throughout history have fallen as these practices collapsed. Today many of our societies are headed in that direction. America in particular could use a model family like hers. As we have recently seen, the one in the White House is seldom a shining example.

Let her standards long reign over us even if her daily examples no longer can.

#thebrewsterblock 

Second Amendment

Lock, Stock and Barrel

Once again today I had the pleasure of watching Fareed Zakaria's GPS on CNN. The man is intelligence personified. It was all about America's love for guns and compared this passion in the USA to the same in other countries. The point of it all was to show what other countries have managed to do successfully to either minimize the violence when citizens are permitted gun ownership or to severely limit their numbers. As always it was very well done.

The biggest surprise was Switzerland where people also love their weapons. There is one similarity. To complement the Swiss Army citizens proudly form militias and are trained just like regular armed forces in weapons use. They become expert shots and are allowed to take their weapons home but any ammunition must be stored and locked separately. I have suggested this for the USA since the 2nd Amendment says nothing about the right to bear ammunition. People scoff at this but it has merit if the production, distribution, and sale of ammo. is strictly regulated.

Swiss gun uses such as hunting are very limited However citizens of all ages including young kids are encouraged to participate in shooting contests at ranges all over the country where ammunition is available and subsidized by the government. It has become a passion like skiing and most participants are expert marksmen. Automatic and semi-automatic weapons are banned.

The big difference with the USA is one of culture. Citizens of Switzerland see guns solely as a means to defend the country, not themselves.

In another country - Australia - after their first horrible mass shooting the Prime Minister enacted severely restrictive laws and included a buy back of private weapons. Many thousands were collected and destroyed. He faced violent backlashed but the policies cut down on murders and suicides by gunfire tremendously.

New Zealand took very harsh measures as well after shocking events there.

Japan was also featured. It has some of the most strict laws on the planet. Apparently as pointed out on GPS, even their underworld - and they have a powerful one, avoids use of guns because they know how strongly the authorities will come after them if they are used. This was astonishing to me. Even the "Godfathers" come down heavily on their minions if the policy is violated.

The same old question comes up. If other countries can do it, why not America? People will give the militia argument but for a small country Switzerland is well respected for its ability to defend itself. The biggest problem in America is mentality and gun lobbies. Guns are huge business in America. The Dodge City Gunsmoke attitude is alive and well. Even major politicians love their guns.

Lastly the question of kids developing a love of shooting and killing through addiction to gaming in their formative years. I have always believed this to be a huge issue. Tech companies who make fortunes from this just like the gun companies disagree. Surprise, surprise! The almighty American dollar trumps all.

I never heard whether Trump owned guns. I doubt it only because by now he would surely have shot himself in somewhere other than the foot.

Fully automatic weapons have no place in the homes and hands of private citizens anywhere.

#thebrewsterblock

Moon Shot Artemis: Goddess of a lot of things

" One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind"

Who can forget those words or where they were in 1969 when uttered by Neil Armstrong on the moon? Given the state of the world today, I have to lean towards the small step aspect since it was over 50 years ago. We have been somewhat pathetic on the leaps for mankind front both at home and abroad. 

I happened to be on a post-university tour of Europe before deciding on a career. My girlfriend and I were in a campsite in France listening to the broadcast in French on a transistor radio which sat on a fellow camper's car roof. That was another small step - the transistor. (If you read this girlfriend, I'd love a copy of our pictures!)

Have we come a long way? Was that and the Challenger and all it cost in money and lives worth it? Some would say yes in the same vane as the War of Independence; the Civil War; and all World Wars were worth it. Lives are always lost in accomplishing greatness and historic change.

So in trying to decide what to write about today I glanced again at the headlines. The next moon shot was front and centre (British spelling folks. Chill out.)
Why "Artemis?" Who is this? In case you don't know (I didn't) she was a Greek goddess (Roman counterpart was Diana). Look her up: ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis; Artemis • Greek Goddess of the Hunt and Moon - Facts and Information (greekgodsandgoddesses.net). Apparently she is a goddess of the hunt , the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. As Diana, she was a virgin Goddess of wildlife (how did they know?) and patroness of hunting; She is twin sister to Apollo and daughter of Zeus, God of Gods!

No wonder religion is still in a mess and believers of one fight believers of another. No wonder women are better multi-taskers than men. Anyway NASA seem to have chosen a great name especially the sister of Apollo element and Goddess of the moon.

Now for the good stuff. Should we even be going there again? Some would say that all of those resources should be utilized here on Earth to help solve today's problems. There is one thing for certain. If this immense effort of time, resources, people, and money is necessary to send even a few people to the moon, God help (which one?) us all if we have to escape this planet because we have made it totally unlivable.

Only a very select and very rich few will be able to live on other planets. This is not often discussed but figure it out for yourselves. Most of us will be stuck below decks here on Earth just like the Titanic. And THAT is why it should not be done. How many people could all that money and technology solve here on Earth?

The other reason for focusing our attention here is that only international cooperation will solve Earth's problems. Once that is achieved it will be much easier to conquer space by combining our knowledge and brainpower.

Will this happen? Look at Russia and Ukraine. Look at China. Look at the USA tearing itself apart. It won't be in my lifetime but would you really want to live in some sort of capsule? Would you want to put on a complex space suit just to go "outside?" It won't be for fresh air - that's for sure.

Wise up people. If our leaders - and WE elect them - keep kicking the worst problems down the road for the next generation, VERY soon there won't be a next generation.

Who knows? Maybe deep down there beneath all of those dinosaur skeletons we keep discovering this has all happened before. Perhaps one rocket series should be named Atlantis.

#thebrewsterblock

Why is America S-o-o-o Divided?

 WHY is Trump so Popular with his base?

U.S. politics has always been right vs. left - liberal vs. conservative; state power vs. individual power; socialist vs. capitalistic. We face many of the same megatrends here in Canada.

Both are lands of tremendous resources and splendour. They are magnets for people who are oppressed and want a better life as represented by the Statue of Liberty.

I have written a lot of anti-Trump posts in this blog. The reason to me is obvious. I can't stand the man, and he does not even impact me directly here in Canada. What is less obvious are the reasons so many of his "base" love him. Perhaps it is time to look outside the box as they say. "Box" is a very topical word with The Donald these days so why not.

I have seen and heard one thing frequently. The GOP might not like Trump and some of his ass kissing colleagues in both Houses, but they dislike even more the alternative - Biden and the Dems. Let's take a look at that. I still maintain one thing however that I have always said. You don't chop off a foot to treat an ingrown toenail. Electing Trump to change Washington is more like the amputation.

Immigration has always been a problem for those with the good life. As the years pass, others are often brought in through immigration policies or in some cases slavery to perform the tasks many of the established will not do. As long as the dominated accept the lesser and physically more demanding jobs involving labor and long hours, things go well. It is way better than they had back home. 

However immigration as a means of helping people escape their woes back home - at the American taxpayer's expanse, is an issue. Many well off Americans see Biden's approach to immigration as too slack. Trump's appeared to be very harsh but many preferred it. If there are not jobs for those already here, why bring in more unless they possess specific skills which are needed?

Trump scored when he said it was time for other nations to pay for American help and defence. It was popular. Biden got out of Afghanistan but in a very clumsy shotgun fashion. Trump signed the treaty but Biden is taking the blame. He is staying out of Ukraine directly, but this new stand off approach is still associated with Trump. Many see Biden as emulating this.

Biden appears to be one of the most honest Presidents but people no longer care about telling the truth. Many lie in their own lives if it is to their benefit and turn a blind eye to the practice.

There is no question that many new Democrats view their own leadership as old guard and not progressive enough. The newer vision of more liberalism is dividing the party but more extremist views of the Republicans seem to be uniting the GOP.

Biden won with a lot of black voter support but his inability to pass voters rights into law has disappointed a lot of those same people.

The world is full of more problems now than Trump faced: COVID pandemic; Monkey Pox; floods; extreme drought; inflation; lack of jobs although that is improving; high fuel coasts; high interest; kids staying at home; overworked medical staff; Ukraine; China. The current President is always blamed for such things and some including Biden acknowledge that the "Buck Stops Here". Trump did not. He won't accept responsibility for anything that is tough to accomplish.

Even though Biden is probably more fit than most his age, voters worry that he is too old and that image won't go away.

Finally there are not only more right winged extremists coming out of the woodwork than ever before, they are taking actions and calling for more. Some even made it into Washington's highest circles and might still be there.

The Wildfires throughout the world are metaphors for the problems America faces. Resources and willpower are thin. Trump loves creating problems and wants more. They are a diversion from his incompetence, inability, and illicit activities. If he is re-elected he will appoint many who are also longing for Authoritarianism.

God help America and the world if Trump becomes POTUS again. As I have said before, one day Lady Liberty will abandon her post and swim back to France if he gets back in.

#thebrewsterblock