Years ago I owned a small Real Estate business with a couple friends and I sold everything from residences in town to farms and land for about 7 years. I learned during that time when you sell a piece of property “anything which is nailed down, glued down, or screwed down” is part of that sale. Meaning, once the papers have been signed, you can’t change anything. You can’t decide the antique clock attached to the side of your garage is something you’ve decided to keep if it wasn’t specified in the original agreement. Just like when, in business, you make a loan and give collateral for the loan, the banker can’t come by your business after the fact and simply add more collateral – thereby unilaterally changing the agreement. It’s not only against the “rules” to do this, it’s against the law.
So, I’m finding it very interesting that republicans are feeling it’s OK to change the terms of the so-called “Cares Act” after it’s been negotiated with a “bipartisan agreement” and then signed into law by individual 1. Whether the republicans made the changes “unilaterally” after they came to an “agreement” with democrats or whether the changes have/are taken/taking place after our IMPEACHED so-called president signed the bill, the result is the same. They are breaking the law. Although, we’re discovering in this republican led “world” there’s a belief that an agreement is not really an agreement. This is the kind of garbage that has the potential to undermine the basic tenets of our democratic republic. (OK, you’re correct, it already has)
I wrote recently, democrats should agree to NOTHING in this “next go around” of a coronavirus bill without some STRICT provisions – AND, they should DEMAND accountability for the last bill (the $2.2 TRILLION one) before there is any more money going out of Washington DC – no matter the consequences to “we the people.” The WORST thing which can happen at this point in time would be for republicans to use this crisis to underhandedly CHEAT taxpayers out of funds – which, you would think, is already stretching this nation to the max. I mean, they’ve magically found about $8 TRILLION so far – most going to Wall Street in money which can be used at the discretion of the ???? – and, they’re talking about another $2.3 TRILLION. Personally, it’s going “out” a bit fast for me – but, as the saying goes, “What do I know?”
Well, the obvious answer to that last question is “not much” – but, I will tell you I do know something! And, taking agreements and then changing them after the fact is NOT kosher! As another saying goes, “Fool me once………….. you know the rest. I’m saying NO more money until the FIRST 2+ TRILLION bill is being dispersed as it was intended. And, if there are “tricks” which got “snuck” into the bill aimed at Real Estate Investors, for example – ie individual 1, his family, and his daughter’s family – those need to be “fixed” before there’s any more money appropriated. Democrats are, obviously, going to need a backbone here. This is why there just doesn’t seem to be an appetite for “bipartisanship” – and, please don’t “both sides” me – I’m not buying it.
Democrats need to be careful they don’t come out of this looking like powerless fools. I wrote the other day about how, apparently, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin has figured out a way to screw the airline workers’ unions – turning the bailout of the airline industry into a “stock buying opportunity” for Treasury. That wasn’t the “plan.” Mnuchin is also, from what I’ve read, CHANGING the terms of the unemployment insurance payments – again, unilaterally? I hope I’m wrong, but the truth is I don’t trust these republicans as far as …….. yep, you know the rest!
Of course individual 1 is continuing his campaign to undermine the Social Security and Medicare systems as he pushes for the “temporary” abolishment of the payroll tax. If democrats fall for that I won’t be the only progressive minded American who will be disgusted with them. I’ve been saying for years, the only hope those of us who want an end to this version of the republican party – which resembles the 1% of America the Koch brothers managed to connect to with their libertarian platform back in the days of Reagan (shows what money can do in America) – we have no choice but to depend on democrats. It is EXTREMELY important they not get played during this crisis.
Of course, democrats want money in the hands of the working class members of our society who are suffering without work and they want those who don’t have health insurance (which, by the way has grown by the MILLIONS in the last month with all the layoffs) to be able to get tested for the virus and go to the hospital for free, But they can’t allow themselves to get sucked into a short term war of words with republicans over the details of this next bill – until FIRST they make sure the CHEATING gets stopped from the last bill. Period, full stop!
And, furthermore, this next bill MUST include the funding for all 50 states and territories where voting takes place to be able to set up a VOTE BY MAIL system. What just happened in Wisconsin is unacceptable and it will be up to the democrats to insure it doesn’t happen in the upcoming primaries and, more importantly, in the general election in November. Individual 1 has already speculated that if there was vote by mail “republicans would never win another election.” Well, of course, that’s not true – but, if it was true that would simply mean republicans need to change what they stand for to be consistent with their constituents. The ONLY fraudulent example I’ve ever heard of, regarding voting via mail in votes, was in the last election in North Carolina where a REPUBLICAN attempted to STEAL the election via illegal activity.
Well, he got caught – even his own son testified against him because, well, Americans don’t believe in CHEATING in elections – with a few exceptions. And, of course, the most notable exception of someone willing to CHEAT to win an election would be none other than individual 1 himself. He invited the Russians to help him back in 2016 and within days of believing he’d avoided that “bullet” he was back at it again, this time requesting that the Ukrainians would help him CHEAT to win the next election. Now, he’s christened himself as his own press secretary and he’s using the coronavirus to make up for his missing cult rallies – although, it appears I’m not the only American turned off by his LYING about this crisis. These “press briefings” are just a more subtle form of CHEATING!
It’s bad enough to have an IMPEACHED so-called president who is corrupt to the bone, but, on top of that the incompetence makes this all almost unbearable. And, while he claimed he “loves uneducated voters” back in 2016 I’m guessing even some of his faithful are beginning to see the problem with a pseudo mafia boss running the country in the middle of a pandemic. First of all, he’s incapable of stopping all the LYING. For example – and, of course, this goes to the incompetence as well – I read today that he’s now saying he doesn’t remember being informed about “what was coming” – regarding Covid-19 – back in mid January. He said this on the same day Anthony Fauci “spilled the beans” in an interview that he told “the administration what was coming back in mid January.” And, of course, this administration is – well – individual 1. Check mate! (And, I’m guessing, Fauci will soon get one of the infamous “tweets” thanking him for his service and announcing his replacement – who will be a lackey)
It’s starting to sink in to individual 1 how bad it looks as more and more people realize he was warned this was coming in the mid-January “window” which contradicts the MOUNTAIN of LIES since then. So, he’s busy in “deflection” mode – denying he was informed (that’s bad ANY way you look at it), blaming the World Health Organization (WHO) which I still remember labeling it a “worldwide pandemic” based on the lack of response from countries like the U.S. and Western Europe “back” in early March. Of course, the head of the WHO didn’t specifically call out the countries by name, but anyone without their head in the “sand” understood what was being said. (People everywhere seem to fear individual 1’s revenge tweets)
And, of course, there’s already a bevy of political advertisements using individual 1’s own words – connecting them to the date on which they were spoken – that make our IMPEACHED so-called president look – well – REALLY bad! And, quite honestly, and I hate to say this, but it makes his supporters look really bad. It’s like, as many more than me have been saying for several years now, they believe anything coming from his mouth. Of course, he’s got Fox “news” desperately trying to hold onto their audience by continuing the BRAINWASHING which is helping to perpetuate this abomination on America’s society. I “get it” America is FAR from perfect, but individual 1 has brought out what is the worst in America and it’s time to “fix” the problem. (Well, obviously, the “time” to fix the problem will be the first Tuesday in November)
In the long run I have faith all this will end up turning America back toward the country which came through the depression, the country which “invented” the Social Security system, reformed laws regulating the workplace, the country which began to address the issue of Civil Rights – and, of course, Covid-19 has brought to the forefront “the work left to do” in that regard, the Country which created the Medicare system (although, we’ve still failed to overcome republican obstruction to universal health insurance), the country which created the GI Bill and the country where people my age could go to college without taking out a mortgage, and I could go on and on. Of course, there are many NEW challenges – the Climate Crisis at the top of the list – and “we the people” will be busy addressing ALL of this once we clear these obstructionist republicans from the government. (I’m amazed at how much money is available during a crisis when a republican is in the “White House”)
I’m not so naive to believe we just vote in democrats and all will be well. It’s just that democrats are the ONLY reasonable option to “republican” right now. Once democrats are in power “we the people” need to make sure they are responsive to our wishes – I listened to Nancy Pelosi the other day and she referred to her constituents as her “bosses.” It’s true every member of Congress has a different set of “bosses,” but what we need is a Congress where MONEY is NOT the boss. Where lobbyists are not buying members of Congress. Obviously, this will require serious reform, but I believe there are some young members of Congress who are with me on this – they want our government to be representative of the majority of Americans.
President Obama did get a majority of the votes in both of his victorious elections but he was hampered by Moscow Mitch and ALL his filibusters, plus I don’t believe “we the people” were active enough in DEMANDING what we want from our government during Obama’s 8 years at the “helm.” I think too many people were simply happy because the economy was moving in a steady upward (and, by the way, on the same trajectory continued with individual 1 – in other words, individual 1 inherited “the greatest economy in the history of the country” from Obama. OK, it hasn’t been “the greatest economy in the history of the country” – I couldn’t resist) direction and President Obama was labeled “no drama Obama.” Obviously, he wasn’t perfect – I personally, had my share of disagreements with his administration. Of course, he’s even more popular now after 3+ years of individual 1.
This next election is going to be the “nastiest” election in American history – I can virtually guarantee it. And, of course, Joe Biden comes across to people like me as a grandfatherly figure – but, the republican attack “dogs” will be out in full force – likely, they’re already out there as I’m typing this – and, I have to wonder if Biden is up for what he’s going to be facing. He’s in an awkward spot because he pretty much has to allow individual 1 to “hog the stage” during this pandemic and, of course, that is like “red meat” to our IMPEACHED so-called president. However, when you watch the “briefings” (Which I’ve admitted I’m almost unable to do at all at this point) his narcissism comes shining through – and, I have to believe even some of his “uneducated voters” are going to tire of him telling them what a great job he’s doing while they KNOW that’s not true.
You could almost say, for example, Andrew Cuomo is providing a “political science 101” class for individual 1 every day as he tells the TRUTH to New Yorkers, but individual 1 is just unable to “get it.” Apparently, any strategy which involves the word “truth” just doesn’t register with our IMPEACHED so-called president. I’ve even seen “snipits” where Cuomo has been referred to as “president.” I just don’t think individual 1 has it in him to tell the truth and, of course, he’ll NEVER own up to the “missing 70 days” where he KNEW what was coming while at the same time denying it was coming and then he denied he KNEW it was coming. Sad!
I’m sure individual 1 AND Steve Mnuchin will deny they’ve done anything “untoward” in regard to the funding in the “Cares Act,” but, as I said, I don’t trust them AT ALL! I listened this morning to U.S. Representative Denny Heck of WA – who I’ve known for over 60 years, albeit from a distance (his brother was my good friend in High School – his brother was an Agent Orange victim of the Viet Nam War as were others of my High School classmates) and he was sharing in an interview on MSNBC the importance of getting additional aid to Small Businesses ASAP. I agree, but, as I said above, not on republican terms – and, if democrats don’t MAKE SURE the money in these bills is dispersed appropriately we will have a situation where neither party has a “leg to stand on.” That won’t be the formula to defeat individual 1 in November. I hope democrats consider my advice! There’s ANOTHER saying: “Haste makes waste.” Take heed!
Final Thought: I’ve been getting a series of emails I considered routine fund raisers which dominate my inbox daily about the “attack on the Postal Service.” I haven’t taken it serious enough until today, when I read individual 1 is threatening to veto any “relief” bill which “bails out the Postal Service.” Well, here’s what I think of that. Democrats SHOULD put what the Postal Service needs to survive past this pandemic into the next relief bill and let individual 1 veto the damn bill. Democrats MUST stop allowing themselves to be bullied – while giving in to TRILLIONS of dollars in mysterious Wall Street grants to republican donors. This has got to STOP!
And, if you needed MORE to cause you to realize the importance of voting republicans into the history books this November, look no further than what just happened in Wisconsin – where the Wisconsin republican legislature insisted if democrats wanted to vote in their primary they had to risk their lives to do so (and, amazingly, many of them did just that) in the face of this Covid-19 pandemic. Not only was the republican legislature of Wisconsin at fault, but so was the right wing Wisconsin Supreme Court, and more tellingly, the right wing U.S. Supreme Court – and, there lies the rub.
If “we the people” don’t overrun the polls in November making certain individual 1 has the opportunity to defend himself against all the lawsuits which are accumulating while he has the protection of the so-called “OLC memo” – protecting him from crimes which would lead to an indictment other than those which SHOULD cause another IMPEACHMENT – we will likely see either a 6-3 or 7-2 right wing majority on the US Supreme Court. Individual 1’s one “achievement” with the help of Moscow Mitch has been turning the courts hard to the right – the right wing “base” of the republican party fully understands kissing up to individual 1 gets them judges, judges, and more judges – and, not much else – but, they don’t care about much else. What we saw in Wisconsin this past week exposes the seriousness of this issue to anyone who’s paying attention! That’s the scenario individual 1 wants for November!
One more thing: I wrote the other day about the latest book I’m reading and, well, I MUST recommend this book to anyone interested in a look into one of the most significant issues facing America – and, as I’m reading it, I’m thinking this book is discussing issues hardly anyone has a clue about (certainly, I WAS in that category) and which are extremely dangerous to the long term health of this nation. The book’s title is: “WINNERS TAKE ALL The ELITE CHARADE of CHANGING the WORLD” by Anand Giridharadas. I will be, no doubt, writing more about this book, but to anyone who has a lot of time to read (that was a joke :o) it’s extremely well written and touches a topic I’ve never been exposed to before – although, I’ve thought about how I think people like Mark Zuckerberg are becoming more dangerous every day. The section of the book I’m in right now is focused on “Silicon Valley” and it really reminds me of when I read the book “The Family” by Jeff Sharlet. I’ll just say at this point, if “we the people” don’t stand up for ourselves at the polls come November, we deserve what we get. The one thing I’ll say after what I’ve read so far in “Winners Take All” is that the idea that rich people should rule the world seems to be a bipartisan concept. Personally, it appeals to me no more coming from the “left” than coming from the “right.” The reality is there are many wealthy “elites” in America (and, around the world) who believe they know what is best for the rest of us “minions.” Stay tuned…………
Both of these books are well worth the time it takes to read them!!!