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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
November 10, 2017 (posted November 13, 2017)
Mr. President: It is a year since your election and a couple of months less since the
inauguration. In that time the bombast has not stopped, the achievements remain
meager.
The threats against North Korea continue -- now on your Asian tour. President Moon
of South Korea is from the rapprochement party, bemused at the bellicosity, in polite
tolerance because of trade, displaying Asian courtesy to one he probably considers a
buffoon. Can anyone imagine him sacrificing the estimated 100,000 dead, in Seoul
alone, and another destruction of his country in a war with North Korea? Moreover,
no amount of sanctions will have any effect as long as China continues to help its
long-term ally.
Relations with other allies remain cool to say the least. No sign of the oft repeated
better trade deals. COP23 the UN climate change conference is in progress at the
UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn. The U.S. has 48 attendees despite the Administration's
lack of support.
Now that Syria has joined the Paris Climate Accord, the US is the only country left
out. Worth noting, the French Foreign Ministry announced Trump has not been
invited to the December Climate Summit in Paris.
The wall on the border with Mexico to keep out migrants appears moribund. Indeed
relations with Mexico are cool to say the least and they have scoffed at the idea of
paying for the wall as was Trump's boast.
The domestic policy record is one of general failure in Congress, a body controlled at
present by the president's own party. Even Republicans are not going to vote out
Obamacare unless there is a reasonable healthcare alternative. There has been no
'beautiful healthcare for all' as promised in the campaign.
About the only thing positive is a reduction in unemployment but the trend downwards
originated long ago under Obama with the economic turnaround following the 2008
financial collapse.
The president has been busy with his pen signing executive orders. He has just
signed one to deregulate again the financial monoliths that caused the 2008
disaster. Not surprising as he has more billionaires in his administration than ever in
history, some from Wall Street.
While he plans tax cuts for the wealthy, including himself, he supports a budget that
would cut $472 billion from Medicare and more than $ 1 trillion from Medicaid, the only
health support for the destitute and disabled. If the Democrats have any spine left,
they will filibuster this appalling injustice.
The US has become an even more extremely violent place. On Sunday November 5,
28 people were killed and 20 wounded during a church service in Sutherland Springs,
Texas. The Las Vegas shooting was a little over a month ago on October 1. The
deadliest in modern U.S. history, it lasted 10 minutes and claimed 58 lives wounding
546. A mass shooting is defined by Shooting Tracker as an incident in which there
are four or more victims excluding the perpetrator. According to its records, there
were 25 such incidents from October 15 through November 5th.
Donald Trump's response each time follows the gun lobby mantra, namely, 'Guns
don't kill people; people kill people'. Mr. President, the guns sure help. The Las
Vegas killer had an arsenal including a rapid-firing machine gun equivalent. Obama
at least recognized the problem and attempted to do something about it.
Lastly, at number 23 the U.S. already lags most of the developed world in income
inequality. Should Trump's tax proposals and other policies go into effect, it is
expected to drop another 33 spots to a ranking of 59 just below Sri Lanka.
The U.S. deserves better.
This piece appeared first on telesurtv.net
Mr. President: It is a year since your election and a couple of months less since the
inauguration. In that time the bombast has not stopped, the achievements remain
meager.
The threats against North Korea continue -- now on your Asian tour. President Moon
of South Korea is from the rapprochement party, bemused at the bellicosity, in polite
tolerance because of trade, displaying Asian courtesy to one he probably considers a
buffoon. Can anyone imagine him sacrificing the estimated 100,000 dead, in Seoul
alone, and another destruction of his country in a war with North Korea? Moreover,
no amount of sanctions will have any effect as long as China continues to help its
long-term ally.
Relations with other allies remain cool to say the least. No sign of the oft repeated
better trade deals. COP23 the UN climate change conference is in progress at the
UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn. The U.S. has 48 attendees despite the Administration's
lack of support.
Now that Syria has joined the Paris Climate Accord, the US is the only country left
out. Worth noting, the French Foreign Ministry announced Trump has not been
invited to the December Climate Summit in Paris.
The wall on the border with Mexico to keep out migrants appears moribund. Indeed
relations with Mexico are cool to say the least and they have scoffed at the idea of
paying for the wall as was Trump's boast.
The domestic policy record is one of general failure in Congress, a body controlled at
present by the president's own party. Even Republicans are not going to vote out
Obamacare unless there is a reasonable healthcare alternative. There has been no
'beautiful healthcare for all' as promised in the campaign.
About the only thing positive is a reduction in unemployment but the trend downwards
originated long ago under Obama with the economic turnaround following the 2008
financial collapse.
The president has been busy with his pen signing executive orders. He has just
signed one to deregulate again the financial monoliths that caused the 2008
disaster. Not surprising as he has more billionaires in his administration than ever in
history, some from Wall Street.
While he plans tax cuts for the wealthy, including himself, he supports a budget that
would cut $472 billion from Medicare and more than $ 1 trillion from Medicaid, the only
health support for the destitute and disabled. If the Democrats have any spine left,
they will filibuster this appalling injustice.
The US has become an even more extremely violent place. On Sunday November 5,
28 people were killed and 20 wounded during a church service in Sutherland Springs,
Texas. The Las Vegas shooting was a little over a month ago on October 1. The
deadliest in modern U.S. history, it lasted 10 minutes and claimed 58 lives wounding
546. A mass shooting is defined by Shooting Tracker as an incident in which there
are four or more victims excluding the perpetrator. According to its records, there
were 25 such incidents from October 15 through November 5th.
Donald Trump's response each time follows the gun lobby mantra, namely, 'Guns
don't kill people; people kill people'. Mr. President, the guns sure help. The Las
Vegas killer had an arsenal including a rapid-firing machine gun equivalent. Obama
at least recognized the problem and attempted to do something about it.
Lastly, at number 23 the U.S. already lags most of the developed world in income
inequality. Should Trump's tax proposals and other policies go into effect, it is
expected to drop another 33 spots to a ranking of 59 just below Sri Lanka.
The U.S. deserves better.
This piece appeared first on telesurtv.net