Donald Trump, All the Way From the UK

None other than the BBC out of the UK did an expose' on Trump and the Mob.

Thanks, Republicans.

Note to Trump Supporters

All true. Facts.

But wait. There's more. Much more.

Mexico just closed their border with us, the US, in a case of deep, deep irony and the EU is opening its borders to many nations but THE US ISN'T ONE OF THEM. Also, we, the US, have the largest number of coronavirus cases--and deaths--in the entire world, China and India included. Etc.

Thanks, Republicans.

It's bad enough you were and are suckers. You didn't have to bring us, the nation, along with you all.

Quote of the Day -- Donald J Trump, In a Nutshell

Someone on Quora asked “Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?” Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England wrote the following response: 

A,few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.

Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever. I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.

But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.

Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers. And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.

There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface. Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront. Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul. And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist. Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that. He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat. He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.

And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully. That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead. There are unspoken rules to this stuff – the Queensberry rules of basic decency – and he breaks them all. He punches downwards – which a gentleman should, would, could never do – and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless – and he kicks them when they are down.

So the fact that a significant minority – perhaps a third – of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think ‘Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:
• Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.
• You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.

This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss. After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum. God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid. He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart. In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.

And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish: ‘My God… what… have… I… created? If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set.

Again, Importantly, What the World Is Saying of Donald Trump

Have you seen this writing of a man from the UK on this President Donald Trump?

British Writer Pens The Best Description Of Trump I’ve Read

(Some bolding added for emphasis).

“Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?” Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England wrote the following response:

A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.

Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever. I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman. But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.

Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers. And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.

There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface. Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront. Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul. And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist. Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that. He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat. He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.

And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully. That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead. There are unspoken rules to this stuff – the Queensberry rules of basic decency – and he breaks them all. He punches downwards – which a gentleman should, would, could never do – and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless – and he kicks them when they are down.

So the fact that a significant minority – perhaps a third – of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think ‘Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:

• Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.
• You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.

This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss. After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum. God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid. He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart. In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.

And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish: ‘My God… what… have… I… created?' If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set.

Once again. Thanks, Republicans.

Excellent Information on this Coronavirus

My cousin posted a video from this Dr. John Campbell from the UK as he expounds on this COVID19 or coronavirus. I found them to be helpful, calm, rational, information-filled and definitely worth the time. I think you may, too.


Yesterday. Dr. Campbell projects half of the nation's 7.7 billion population will contract this coronavirus.
If true, if that pans out, and the 3.4% figure for deaths holds, that will mean nearly 262 million people across the planet would pass.
Then there's this one, today.

Stay safe out there, everyone. Best to you all.

A Brit Captures Our Very Republican Party President

I ran across this in the last week and could not agree with it or the author more.

British Writer Pens The Best Description 

Of Trump I've Read

Someone on Quora asked “Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?” Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England wrote the following response:
Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.

For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.

Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.

But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.

Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.

And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.

There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface.

Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront.
Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul.

And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist.

Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that.

He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat.

He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.

And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully.

That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead.

There are unspoken rules to this stuff – the Queensberry rules of basic decency – and he breaks them all. He punches downwards – which a gentleman should, would, could never do – and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless – and he kicks them when they are down.

So the fact that a significant minority – perhaps a third – of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think ‘Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:

• Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.
• You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.

This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss.

After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum.

God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid.

He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart.

In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.

And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish:
‘My God… what… have… I… created?

If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set.

Quote of the Day (Week, Month, Year)-- On Donald Trump

A Facebook friend posted the following quote about Donald Trump and I cannot find a better, more complete, nor more accurate description of the man.

Someone asked "Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?"

Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England, wrote this magnificent response:

"A few things spring to mind.

Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.

For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.

So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.

Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.

I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.

But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.

Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.

And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.

There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface.

Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront.

Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul.

And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist.

Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that.

He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat.

He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.

And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully.

That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead.

There are unspoken rules to this stuff - the Queensberry rules of basic decency - and he breaks them all. He punches downwards - which a gentleman should, would, could never do - and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless - and he kicks them when they are down.

So the fact that a significant minority - perhaps a third - of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think 'Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:
* Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.
* You don't need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.

This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss.

After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum.

God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid.

He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart.

In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws - he would make a Trump.

And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish:

'My God… what… have… I… created?

If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set."
Meanwhile, THANKS, REPUBLICANS!

Now get us out of this mess.

The Nightmares That Have Been This Overseas Trip and the Only Three Explanations for Donald Trump

This trip President Trump has made to Europe--England, Scotland and now, on to Helsinki--has been yet one more collection of fiascos, no surprise, for the nation, what with the his insulting the Queen of England and so, the UK people, to start.

Twitter counts ways 

US President Donald Trump 

'insulted' the Queen

Then he insulted their Prime Minister, Theresa May.

Donald Trump Attacks Theresa May 

Over Brexit;

 Brits Slam 'Rudeness

Not done there, he had to insult our NATO allies, as well.

Trump NATO summit starts with insults 

to US allies

Then, of course, once that damage was done, the next day he took it all back.

President Trump denies 

he criticized British prime minister

A couple days ago, at his golf course---of course--in Scotland, he called the EU an enemy.

On eve of Russia summit, 

Trump calls European Union 'a foe'

The EU.

An enemy.

Our largest trading partner, hands down.

List of the largest trading partners 

of the United States

And now, to wrap up this nightmare of an overseas trip, he is to meet with our self-sworn enemy, Russia, and their President Vladimir Putin, for a completely private meeting--translators only. This goes against all national and international protocol and security, both. No President has ever had such a meeting, nor should they, without advisors and witnesses, overseeing said meeting.

Ladies and gentlemen, honestly, this President is one of three things. He is either 

1. really, densely stupid, 
2. insane or 
3. treasonous to our nation and doing all this for Russia 

It's one of those three. It's got to be. There are no other explanations. What else is there? What else could it all be?

Seen on Facebook earlier today:

"So, lemme see if I get this.

Two of the most powerful men in the world, rightly or wrongly, are having a one-on-one in secret.

Both are world-class liars.

Putin is a long-time professional KGB (secret police & intel agency rolled into one) operative, thug, cold-blooded murderer, greedy authoritarian head of Russia who may have something (well, DOES have something but we don't know what just yet) on Trump, who is an easily manipulated con man, grifter, ignoramus wannabe authoritarian leader of the U.S..

What could possibly go wrong?"

--Gordon E Moore, friend of a FB friend

Link:

'Evil Has Won'

If This President Never Concerned You...

If this President and Presidency hasn't, to date, concerned you, he and it should now.

Donald Trump 'considered invading Venezuela'

US president briefed not to mention the topic at dinner with leaders from four Latin American allies – but he did so anyway

Why on Earth would we, the United States, invade and attack Venezuela?

Because they're Socialists?

And then, when you get there, what do you do? Whom do you attack? What, precisely, would you be trying to do and/or undo?

What the heck?

America: Do You Even Know Yourself?

So we just finished celebrating Memorial Day and being patriotic, all that, sure. But America, Americans, do you even really know your own nation? Check out these facts, these statistics:

In December 2017, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty issued a report on the United States that included these lines:[xix]

• US infant mortality rates in 2013 were the highest in the developed world.
• Americans can expect to live shorter and sicker lives, compared to people living in any other rich democracy, and the “health gap” between the US and its peer countries continues to grow.
• US inequality levels are far higher than those in most European countries.
• Neglected tropical diseases, including Zika, are increasingly common in the USA. It has been estimated that 12 million Americans live with a neglected parasitic infection. A 2017 report documents the prevalence of hookworm in Lowndes County, Alabama.
• The US has the highest prevalence of obesity in the developed world.
• In terms of access to water and sanitation the US ranks 36th in the world.
• America has the highest incarceration rate in the world, ahead of Turkmenistan, El Salvador, Cuba, Thailand and the Russian Federation. Its rate is nearly five times the OECD average. [OECD means the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an organization that has 35 member countries.]
• The youth poverty rate in the United States is the highest across the OECD with one quarter of youth living in poverty compared to less than 14 percent across the OECD.
• The Stanford Center on Inequality and Poverty ranks the most well-off countries in terms of labor markets, poverty, safety net, wealth inequality, and economic mobility. The US comes in last of the top 10 most well-off countries, and 18th amongst the top 21.
• In the OECD the US ranks 35th out of 37 in terms of poverty and inequality.
• According to the World Income Inequality Database, the US has the highest Gini rate (measuring inequality) of all Western Countries.
• The Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality characterizes the US as “a clear and constant outlier in the child poverty league.” US child poverty rates are the highest amongst the six richest countries – Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden and Norway.

Doesn't it seem as though we should all come together and work on our issues, our problems?

Entertainment Overnight -- Royal Cellist Edition

You have to admit. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, whatever they're otherwise called now, have magnificent taste in cellists. This is what he was already capable of at just 13 years.

Kansas City Gets Another Great Write-Up

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Kansas City did, in fact, get yet another good, positive, maybe glowing write up by way of this clickbait article from The Daily Mail. It was in the following article.

 

The Biggest City in Every State

What they had to say about us:

Not to be confused with the neighboring city of the same name in Kansas itself, this is a beautiful city of approximately 480,000 that is often missed by tourists. It said that only Rome has more fountains than Kansas City, Missouri, which also supposedly has more boulevards than Paris. Art deco buildings decorate downtown streets, and the historic city market has plenty of dining and shopping options, as well as a farmers market. The 18th and Vine Historic District houses the American Jazz Museum as well as the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and other museums in the city include the National World War I Museum and Liberty Memorial, Crown Center (home of Hallmark Cards and the Hallmark Museum), and a few art museums to boot. The Crossroads Arts District has been referred to as the SoHo of the Midwest, and is particularly busy during the summer. The Kansas City food scene is another reason to stop here. Barbecue food is a local specialty, and the American Royal BBQ Contest is the largest of its kind.

Not just the biggest city in the state but maybe one of the best, as well?

Enjoy your Sunday, y'all.

Nations That Have Universal Health Care

Yes, nations that have universal health care--health care for all--and so, don't tie its cost to profit like we in America. A partial list.

Check that out.

Slovenia, for God's sake.

But no, we can't do it.

Idiots.

Way to go, America

Check out the latest ranking of all the nations of the world and who does--and who doesn't--come in at the top. This is precisely what Republican and Right Wing policies and legislators and government and governments get us.

In a global ranking of 'best countries,' the United States drops to No. 7

The top 6 nations? 

Socialist. 

 All Socialist. 

This is what working together gets them. 

A little from the article.

A new ranking of the world's “best countries” is out — and the results don’t look good for America.

Switzerland takes top nation honors, according to the second annual “Best Countries” ranking from U.S. News & World Report, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and global brand consultants BAV Consulting. Just behind the Swiss are Canada and Britain, second and third, respectively.

The United States ends up in the seventh spot, just edging out Australia but also lagging Germany, Japan and Sweden.

Get that. Our neighbors to the North, the Canadians, are number two in the world. I expect most Americans would no way expect that.

Not only are we ranked in the 7th spot but we dropped 3 spots from the previous list. We are only seen as the “most powerful.” Given the absolutely foolish and fiscally irresponsible amount we spend on military and what we call defense, we ought to be most powerful.

Bet better, America. You're falling behind. And it's not because you're not spending boodles of money. It's just that you're foolishly spending far too much of it on what we consider "defense" and health care.

Link:

US Falls in US News Best Countries Rankings

How Actually Bad This Trump Presidency Is

The again, unprecedented Presidency of this Donald J. Trump. A foreign nation and actually close ally is, right at this moment--has to--debate whether you should even be allowed to visit.

UK Parliament debates Trump visit

Shame on you, America. This is where you are now. This is what he's done to you. This is what he's doing. This is how bad it is just now, all due to this one short-sighted, ugly, ignorant, racist, sexist, misogynist.

Not only is this unprecedented, that a close US ally, actually, easily arguably our closest ally, is, at this moment, debating a state visit by an American President is, by itself, new, negative, breaking ground and territory, of course. That it is also being done in the FIRST 5 WEEKS of this presidency, in his first 100 days when he would normally be, in any other administration, at his most popular is just stunning and again, never before experienced.

A sad, sad day for you, America.

Link:

Thousands expected to attend 'Not My Presidents Day' rallies across the country

New President and Congress Show For Whom They're Actually Working, Already

Check out what the Republicans in Congress have done and are doing for the already-wealthy and corporations--and against the people, ultimately, against the nation and the nation’s best interests since they took over the White House and got back in Congress only two weeks ago.

--Scrapping Dodd-Frank so the big banks can be yet more unregulated and take us ever-closer to one more economic, national and possibly, if not likely, international melt-down

--Scrapping rules against coal companies dumping coal ash into streams

--Scrapping required background checks for the officially mentally unstable

--Scrapping rules that require financial advisers to act on their clients best interests. Those clients would be you and me.

--Scrapping methane rules so corporations can pour yet more methane into our atmosphere

Don't believe it? See for yourself.

Trump Team Promises To 'Dismantle' 

Dodd-Frank Bank Regulations

Trump Moves to Roll Back Obama-Era 

Financial Regulations

'banking caucus' ready to rip apart 

Dodd-Frank

Congress just killed a rule restricting coal companies from dumping waste in streams

GOP rolls back gun control rule that limits sales to mentally disabled people

Trump Takes Aim At Dodd-Frank, Investor Protections Rule In Executive Action

Congress ready to roll back federal methane flaring rule

And then this sort of Republican President, Trump, wants to further erode the separation of church and state by letting churches be political. Ironically, he said it at the National Prayer Breakfast a few days ago.

Trump vows to 'totally destroy' restrictions on churches' support of candidates

Want to see a real beauty? Want to see who this new President Trump and his Republican colleagues are really working for? There's nothing any more telling than this little exchange that took place this week, just a few days ago.

Donald Trump breaks Medicare promise after meeting with Big Pharma lobbyists

Finally, here's another. One last, late breaking example of who Mr. Trump and all the Republicans in Congress are actually working for. And it's not you and me, Mr. and Mrs. middle- and/or lower-class America.

G.O.P. Hurries to Slash Oil and Gas Rules, Ending Industries’ 8-Year Wait

During the campaign for the office he now holds, Mr. Trump said we Americans pay too high prices for drugs and pharmaceuticals in the nation. Like he had to tell us, right? Now? Now that he's President and in the White House and has the power to do anything?  Yeah, well, never mind...

Mind you, this is only the first two weeks, ladies and gentlemen. Who can even imagine what they have in store for us even this month, this year, let alone the next four or six years, depending on the length of their respective terms in office?

The Most Expensive Presidency Ever?

I saw this article today out on FB:

Trump Tower security is costing the 

US taxpayer $400000 every single day

There are so many things about this to know and keep in mind, it's pretty stunning.

That figure alone, $400,000 per day---nearly one half million dollars a day for security for the man in the White House who has not divested and who will not divest from his portfolio, Emoluments Clause or no.

Screw you, America. He has money to make.

Forget that it could--and likely would--cloud his decision making for and on the nation. He and his money are far too important to be bothered with our legality and laws.

Second, think about this. Do some math.

$400,000 per day turns out to be--wait for it--146 million dollars per year.

Just for this President. And only because he won't, again, divest himself of his business portfolio and hey, it's more fun flying back to NEW YORKE SITTY so he can be in his own tower on whatever floor, surrounded by very tacky, lowbrow gold furniture and furnishings.

New Yorkers have to love the inconvenience of having this bonehead in town, too, don't you know? Blocking the streets, making traffic yet more impassable. It must be even more awful.

Then, let's do some more math, fellow Americans.

Over four years---if, God forbid, he makes it that long, given what we've seen of the first two weeks--Mr. Trump and his very reckless, impetuous presidency would cost us, cost you and I, cost the nation 584 million dollars.

Just to keep his tower, his building and him, secure.

That's just under two thirds of a billion dollars.

For security.

For this one President.

Understand and keep in mind not just that this is unprecedented (spelled and used correctly here, please note), but how completely unprecedented this all is. No president has ever needed or required or asked for this kind of security and protection. We've never had this kind of additional, unnecessary expense before. 

This, on top of the fact that Mr. Trump never divested of his business holdings, make this one of the most dangerous and expensive presidencies in the history of the nation, without question.  It's a dangerous presidency because of the risks we incur getting him in and out of New York City but also because of those same risks just having him there, fulfilling his selfish whims.

That it's the most expensive presidency we have ever seen or will likely ever see is shown just in the math, above.

So much for Right Wingers, "Conservatives" and Republicans wanting to be the government of small spending, eh?

American "Health Care"

American health care.

It is the most expensive---and by expensive, I mean outrageously so--and least effective health care system in the world. And by a lot. We have the worst medical outcomes of the top 17 industrialized nations.

U.S. Healthcare: Most Expensive and 

Worst Performing

We have the worst, lowest mortality rates of those top 17 industrialized nations meaning we die sooner than the other 16.

It's insane.

And all because we tie health care to profit and profits. 

No other nation in the world does this. Just us. And this is what it's giving us.

I saw the following comparison on Facebook today, posted by a friend. I post it here, in hopes people will open their minds. From Tom Degan.

"As an American who has been living in Europe for most of the last 20 years, one who has visited doctors numerous times in four different countries, whose two children were brought into this world in European hospitals (France and England), who has himself spent a week in a public British hospital, and who underwent an operation in a private British clinic, I think I can say a thing or two about health care in Europe.

"Our out of pocket expenses for the births? Zero. Even though in France my wife spent 5 days in the hospital after the birth of our first daughter, which is standard by the way.

"During the three years we lived in England, we never once paid for medicine for our children. Children get drugs for free in the UK. Visits to the GP are free for everybody.

"My expenses for the week in the NHS hospital? Zero.

"The cost of the operation in the private clinic? Zero, it was covered by my work insurance, as was the post-op physical therapy I needed.

"In Western Europe you would never be forced to sell your home in order to pay for your medical bills, as happens all too often in America when catastrophic illness strikes and the insurance company decides that your condition was 'pre-existing'.

"The quality of the care? Mostly good. French hospitals are excellent, even the food is decent. The food at the NHS hospital was beyond awful, but then again most English food is pretty bad (though they do have great Indian food). At night, they were understaffed, but I am guessing that, apart from that place where Dr. House works, most American hospitals are understaffed at night, too.

"In short, in the US, you pay more, get less, and die younger than we do in Europe. What part of that don't you understand?

"My fellow Americans, you have nothing to fear except those who would use fear to keep you enslaved to the myth of the might of the American health care system."

--Jeff Degan, from Tom Degan's blog, posted 8/19/09

Links:   "The Rant" by Tom Degan

"The Rant" by Tom Degan | Facebook

On This Day, 1795

The birth of one writer/poet John Keats.

Ode To Autumn 

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;

To bend with apples the mossed cottage-trees,

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

For Summer has o'er-brimmed their clammy cell.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?

Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find

Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,

Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;

Or on a half-reaped furrow sound asleep,

Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook

Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers;

And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep

Steady thy laden head across a brook;

Or by a cider-press, with patient look,

Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?

Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,---

While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,

And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;

Then in a wailful choir, the small gnats mourn

Among the river sallows, borne aloft

Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;

And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;

Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft

The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft,

And gathering swallows twitter in the skies. 

--John Keats

Also the birthday of one Chiang Kai-Shek (1887) and Vanilla Ice (1967).

Have a great day, y'all and Happy Hallowe'en.

Trumpery

Defined