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Copyright © 2017
ofthisandthat.org. All rights
reserved.
ofthisandthat.org. All rights
reserved.
| Questions and Comments backfire@ofthisandthat.org |
INAUGURATION, January 20, 2009
Drunk in its stale air
For two hundred years.
Fettered in mind and body,
The soul, the safe escape
To let me breathe the cries
Of my heart singing
Tears of mel-an-choly.
Drunk in its stale air
For two hundred years.
Fettered in mind and body,
The soul, the safe escape
To let me breathe the cries
Of my heart singing
Tears of mel-an-choly.
The tears flow free today
Washing the stains of blood
And sweat in brotherhood.
Raise the curtain then an'
Let the world look in
On this promised land --
We breathe free today.... almost.
--- Arshad M. Khan
We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.
--- Native American proverb
--- Native American proverb
August 18, 2017
Mr. President: Since January when this administration entered office, has anything
significant been accomplished. The only major bill slapping more sanctions on
Russia was entirely the work of Congress. Whether it is a positive or a foreign policy
disaster is debatable, but one thing is certain: we continue to antagonize, irritate,
humble, press militarily, encircle and threaten the only country capable of obliterating
the U.S. in twenty minutes.
What else has happened? Not much. A stream of visitors to golf clubs and resorts
with little consequence; threats and invective usually by tweet, all of it just as easily
done if trump was still running for office.
Racist rallies, counter-rallies, conflict wounding and even loss of life. A nauseating
ambivalence and moral equivalence, hardly presidential in a multi-ethnic society. It,
too, more in line with a dog whistling candidate Trump.
The hirings and firings in this White House have established a new record of sorts.
Now it is Steve Bannon, the looming alt-right figure. Rumor has it that Rupert
Murdoch whispered in Trump's (usually tin) ear. Doubtful if anyone will miss him ...
except of course Trump as is clear from his recent remarks about the Charlottesville
incident.
Does anyone want to work for Trump? Yes, there is. The new Communications
Director is a 28-year old former model in whom Mr. Trump has supreme confidence.
Who can imagine associating Roosevelt or Eisenhower or even Bill Clinton with such
a hire.
Meanwhile serious players are leaving. Following a stream of resignations at his two
CEO Councils, Trump disbanded his Strategy and Policy Forum as well as the
Manufacturing Council. You're all fired!
Does it take a Trump to run this government? Clearly not. One can even extend the
scope of the question to Trump' recent predecessors. Would we have been better off
without their pro-active policies specifically in Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, also
Ukraine. Maladroit signals to Saddam Hussein allowing him to believe it was okay to
invade Kuwait started it.
The devastation of the first Iraq war followed soon by Bill Clinton's sanctions ...
costing the lives of over a half million (576,000) children according to the UN and
justified without a shred of remorse by Madeleine Albright as the price of trying to rid
the country of Saddam Hussein -- the same man who was an ally against Iran a dozen
years prior.
The $5 billion Ukraine adventure toppling a democratically elected government
turned Russia from friend to reluctant foe, and a country preferring to look westwards
looking east to China, a country with a nuclear capacity matched only by us.
Then the devastation from Libya to Syria killing then spilling millions into Europe
causing an EU rift -- consequences unimagined by the planners as were the costs:
$60 billion for Iraq was the figure most commonly floated; estimates now run at $5
trillion and counting.
There it is then, a vote for an incompetent president ... and an ineffective one. Can
you imagine a sane general going to war for Trump?
Mr. President: Since January when this administration entered office, has anything
significant been accomplished. The only major bill slapping more sanctions on
Russia was entirely the work of Congress. Whether it is a positive or a foreign policy
disaster is debatable, but one thing is certain: we continue to antagonize, irritate,
humble, press militarily, encircle and threaten the only country capable of obliterating
the U.S. in twenty minutes.
What else has happened? Not much. A stream of visitors to golf clubs and resorts
with little consequence; threats and invective usually by tweet, all of it just as easily
done if trump was still running for office.
Racist rallies, counter-rallies, conflict wounding and even loss of life. A nauseating
ambivalence and moral equivalence, hardly presidential in a multi-ethnic society. It,
too, more in line with a dog whistling candidate Trump.
The hirings and firings in this White House have established a new record of sorts.
Now it is Steve Bannon, the looming alt-right figure. Rumor has it that Rupert
Murdoch whispered in Trump's (usually tin) ear. Doubtful if anyone will miss him ...
except of course Trump as is clear from his recent remarks about the Charlottesville
incident.
Does anyone want to work for Trump? Yes, there is. The new Communications
Director is a 28-year old former model in whom Mr. Trump has supreme confidence.
Who can imagine associating Roosevelt or Eisenhower or even Bill Clinton with such
a hire.
Meanwhile serious players are leaving. Following a stream of resignations at his two
CEO Councils, Trump disbanded his Strategy and Policy Forum as well as the
Manufacturing Council. You're all fired!
Does it take a Trump to run this government? Clearly not. One can even extend the
scope of the question to Trump' recent predecessors. Would we have been better off
without their pro-active policies specifically in Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, also
Ukraine. Maladroit signals to Saddam Hussein allowing him to believe it was okay to
invade Kuwait started it.
The devastation of the first Iraq war followed soon by Bill Clinton's sanctions ...
costing the lives of over a half million (576,000) children according to the UN and
justified without a shred of remorse by Madeleine Albright as the price of trying to rid
the country of Saddam Hussein -- the same man who was an ally against Iran a dozen
years prior.
The $5 billion Ukraine adventure toppling a democratically elected government
turned Russia from friend to reluctant foe, and a country preferring to look westwards
looking east to China, a country with a nuclear capacity matched only by us.
Then the devastation from Libya to Syria killing then spilling millions into Europe
causing an EU rift -- consequences unimagined by the planners as were the costs:
$60 billion for Iraq was the figure most commonly floated; estimates now run at $5
trillion and counting.
There it is then, a vote for an incompetent president ... and an ineffective one. Can
you imagine a sane general going to war for Trump?