Here we are, 25 days from the November election which COULD put Donald Trump where he belongs, right next to Benedict Arnold in the history books. And, oh yes, across the room from Jack Smith in a courtroom headed for another guilty verdict due to some of the most egregious political corruption in American History. But, there’s SO MUCH more “We the people” should be paying attention to. As I listen to political programming as we head toward this election I “get” what’s being talked about, but there’s a couple issues which boggles my mind as they seem to be getting “glossed” over. There are many issues, but – especially if you’re a “young voter” these seem to be the ones which SHOULD be at the top of the “list.”
I mean, no one can argue, for example, freedom for viability over their own bodies for women are serious issues which pretty much will be determined in this election, one way or another. And, I have to add, this is NOT just an issue for women. It involves husbands, brothers, fathers, uncles, and grandfathers. I learned long ago I had paid for an “abortion.” (Even though I thought I would never do so) In the first pregnancy I was involved in (directly – as the father) my wife started bleeding profusely at about 15 weeks and had a miscarriage. I rushed her to the hospital and she had an emergency “D & C” – in essence, an abortion. Over the next few years she gave birth to two beautiful young daughters.
As we’ve seen from the stories of more and more young women since the overturning of Roe v Wade women who’ve been turned away from the hospital because of “Trump abortion bans” – that, according to him, EVERYONE wanted – are facing the reality of serious health complications including DEATH. No one knows the number of women who’ve DIED because of these TRUMP bans on a common procedure, but the statistics are clear that pregnancy is now a “life threatening condition” for women in nearly half of the U.S. states. This is a SERIOUS issue in the upcoming election, but in the long run, I submit, not one of the top two. (I shudder when I think of what if my wife and I had been in today’s Texas – without the means to get to another state for the needed health care)
Here’s one which really causes me some consternation. Somehow Trump is favored due to the ‘economy” by more Americans than Kamala Harris. How can this be so? Trump left office with the WORST job creation record in American History? In the same general direction as Herbert Hoover – the “father” of the great depression. Additionally, Trump’s administration was responsible for roughly 25% of the nation’s total debt – for ALL TIME. So, something like 3 million fewer Americans were employed when he left than when he took the oath. And, he’s so dishonest he’s trying to take credit for the RECORD stock market numbers – get this – under Biden! This guy will say ANYTHING!
Yes, the economy is important – but, you have to wonder what people are looking at/reading to have this view of Trump’s ability to run the economy. For heaven’s sake, he oversaw the BANKRUPTCY of his businesses SIX times. He was bailed out of several business disasters by Russian, Saudi, Chinese, and Qatari “investors” looking for a way to LAUNDER some of their “Ill gotten” gains. If he was applying for a job at an American Fortune 500 company, he’d never get through the first wave of applicants. And, the economy is a “short term” concern – and, I’m talking about more important “long term” issues.
Voting Rights are high on my list of important issues. I’ve watched in somewhat a state of horror over the past few years since John Roberts and the Supreme Court “gutted” Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and seriously weakened Section 2. (I used to know in more detail about both sections, but at 77 I’m witnessing, first hand, the cognitive decline you hear talked about after Trump has given a speech.) “Conservatives,” as usual, are trying to create circumstances where the fewest possible number of voters, from their perspective, head to the polls. Voter suppression legislation has been passed in nearly half of the American states. Yikes! (Yet, not what I see as the two most important issues)
The “environment” (clean water, clean air, etc.) obviously is of great importance and, now, we’re getting “warm” regarding the two issues I believe should be DRIVING this campaign. I’m also concerned about the proliferation of guns in America. For example, to me, AK – 47’s (AR – 15’s) are not weapons for individual self defense or HUNTING? Guns which can shoot rounds off faster than the guy who reads the “small stuff” after an advertisement on TV – just picture someone talking faster than you can think, are NOT guaranteed by the second amendment – and, they SHOULD be illegal.
The wars in Ukraine and Israel/GAZA. If you’re a republican and you’re talking about supporting Vladimir Putin, well, I can’t help you. I “get” the issue with the Israeli’s and their outrageous response to October 7th, but the reality is Joe Biden (or Kamala Harris) can’t control Bibi Netanyahu – who will drag this war out indefinitely – simply out of “self preservation” – kind of in the “mold” of Donald Trump. Once this war is “over” (it’s been going on for 4000 years if you believe the Bible – even Trump’s version) Netanyahu will be forced to face up to his corruption. (Bribery and Fraud – sound familiar?) Bottom line, if you care about the Palestinians, you SHOULDN’T be voting for Trump. And, you can support both the Israeli (people) AND the Palestinian people. That gets me to my point!
If you’re a young person and you care about this nation remaining a “nation of laws, not men,” you SHOULD be focused on voting AGAINST Trump simply because of the issue of the COURTS. If Trump manages to CHEAT his way back into the “White House” I can guarantee you both Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito will retire and will be replaced by YOUNG jurists selected by Leonard Leo. That means MORE Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, or Coney Barrett types for the next FORTY years. That would mean the court will be a right wing disaster for the lifetimes of my children. This SHOULD (in my view) be one of the top two issues of this election season giving reason to vote AGAINST Trump, but more importantly FOR Kamala Harris.
The second issue I consider of IMPERATIVE importance would be the CLIMATE CRISIS. I keep wondering what is it going to take for “we the people” to wake up to this CRISIS? Florida was “hit” twice within two weeks by POWERFUL hurricanes – the first doing MAJOR damage all the way up to Western North Carolina – leaving major flooding and lost of life in its wake. The second storm reached category FIVE status in a matter of hours and was category three when it made a direct hit on the Western shores of Florida. The destruction was MASSIVE and, yet, hear we are a week later, hardly focused on the devastation any more. (Unless, of course, you live in the affected areas)
But, hurricanes aren’t the only problem stemming from the CLIMATE CRISIS. Every year, it seems, huge parts of California are on fire with damage which compares to that caused by hurricanes in the East. Plus, the increase in average temperatures is alarming if you pay attention to the scientists who suggest we’re close to the “tipping point” – meaning “we’ve gone too far” (i.e. – we’ve ignored this problem for too long) The truth, when thinking about CLIMATE, is that the democrats have managed to get “beginning” legislation through a recalcitrant Congress as a start. Trump continues to call the CLIMATE CRISIS a “hoax.” Why are we virtually IGNORING this critical issue?
Simply put, democrats are in favor of addressing this issue and MUST win the “White House” in order to prevent the Supreme Court becoming more of an issue for the working class members of our nation. Since John Roberts became the Chief Justice the court’s “tilt” to the right has become much more extreme. It’s already a corporate friendly court, but that could get worse – MUCH worse! The only hope in dealing with these two issues requires “we the people” to vote for democrats up and down the “ticket.” We need a democratic Congress in order for a progressive agenda to have any chance of passing! Stay tuned!!
Final Thought: The ROT in the republican party runs much deeper than just Donald Trump. Can you imagine J.D. Vance as president? He is the least popular and least “prepared” V.P. candidate in modern American History. (However, from the republican standpoint, he’s proving himself to be a proficient LIAR!) He’s even worse than Sarah Palin and Dan Quayle – if you can imagine that. Vance might be able to spell “potato” but, he can’t answer the question; “Did Donald Trump LOSE the 2020 election?” What a chicken s@#t! Trump’s OLDER than President Biden was back in 2020 and if something would happen to him, should he CHEAT his way back into the “White House” (and, get away with it once more) Vance would become president! Think about that! Yikes!!
As usual, there’s MORE: This past weekend, while Trump was ranting about the “radical left lunatics” (presumably, he’s talking about me) he suggested using the National Guard, or “if necessary” the MILITARY to – well, I’m not sure what exactly he meant. Was he suggesting using the MILITARY to attack their fellow Americans? To kill fellow Americans? Apparently, given the “immunity” he got from the Supreme Court, actions like that would become legal. I’m not sure if they’d be legal from the standpoint of the members of the military – I was only a Marine for six months – (HONORABLY medically discharged) back in the days of Vietnam (While Trump was getting “bone spur” deferments) but, I still remember something about not following ILLEGAL orders. Just sayin….
With Trump, there is NO bottom because as General Mark Milley has publicly stated, Trump is “fascist to the core.” Apparently General Milley has read at least as much as I have of project 2025. (It’s easy to get a copy to download if you want to read it) I just had a stray thought: Could he have read my blog? Project 2025 is a “road map to fascism” (My characterization) and when Trump says he doesn’t know what it is, well, just pile that on the tens of THOUSANDS of other LIES he’s spewed right to the faces of his supporters. It’s the “agenda of the next conservative president” and its authors (well over 100 contributors – it’s 902 pages in length) were significant members of his administration. Repetitive LYING and PROJECTION (staples of Trump’s “campaign strategy” – or, maybe just a core principle of members of organized crime?) come straight out of Mein Kampf. If you’re young and didn’t pay attention in history class, that means Trump’s strategies were first devised by Adolf Hitler! I rest my case!!!