Better things to do…

…than watch the greatest democracy in the world destroy itself.

(Click here)

I agree with Bannon. It has gone too far.

 

Sorry, but, I can’t stop laughing.

It is realized that TikTok is used by the Chinese government to subvert out nation’s democracy while spying on our treasury and who knows what other spying activities, so it is banned from all that. 

The ban is upheld by the USA Supreme Court in recognition of the importance of national security.

The legislation passed states Bytedance can sell 100 percent to a USA company to allow it to continue operations and instead wants to continue it’s covert interests.

What makes anyone believe that if the Chinese only owns 50 percent interest there is no longer a national security issue? Where does that thought process come from?

TikTok is dark and needs to stay that way. There are other options for users of that use that form of media. 

I would think Americans would be grateful to have their homeland secure while the Chinese can no longer use their personal phones to rob them of privacy and be glad Congress protects their privacy. 

Do Americans not fear enemies? That is called brainwashing.

China wants to harm other people, including Americans. Does no one understand what has transpired in Hong Kong? Taiwan? Does no one care? Just a shrug of the shoulders and an “Oh, well, it ain’t us?” Is that what is going on? If that DENIAL of danger continues, it will be us.

Who is in control, China or Congress?

China is breaking USA law right now. Right this second the USA is an international joke. It has lost credibility with allies. For what reason?

Denial of the problem is profound. Not until Americans experience the oppression will they understand.

(Click here)

Promoting the ban…

…is unconstitutional. Breaking the law has consequences. If those breaking the law expect pardons in exchange for acting to violate national security then the CEOs don’t belong at the top of the company.

Trump cannot forever over ride the USA Constitution as a form of governance. That is negating the power of the people through their legislature. That proves an entirely different purpose to his presidency than provided by the USA Constitution.

The National security of this country is paramount to protecting the people.

Amazing, Trump wants to give our enemies $50 billion (TikTok is considered worth $100 billion.) to buy an entity considered a national security issue, while he sics DOGE on the nation’s treasury and has no intention of providing reduced government savings to Social Security to solve the treasury’s debt. The guy is a communist and intends to sell the USA to our enemies. At least Congress is still has loyalty to the USA Constitution.

After Trump is inaugurated he really should simply eat his favorite fast food for four years and watch FOX.

I think China has it wrong.

 (Click here)

While cargo manufactured in China will be subject to tariffs, the Chinese manufacturing  in Mexico are protected by Canada, Mexico, and U.S.A. Trade Agreements. There is a strong possibility any country including China will have some degree of success if they bring lawsuits as members of The World Trade Organization.

WTO (Click here)

I believe American consumer organizations can also access the WTO rules on tariffs, custom duty rates, especially agricultural commodities protected under “Doha Agenda.” I wouldn’t be surprised if consumer organizations with substantial member numbers such as Sam’s Club, Costco, pharmacies such as CVS or Walgreens, etc. can own independent member status considering the impact they have on global trade so long as there are no national security concerns.

Trump’s tariffs are arrogant in that they are to replace domestic tax structures. The concept alone is illegitimate, in that, domestic taxes are not the responsibility of foreign governments. Transforming domestic taxes into tariffs seems an attack on USA sovereignty from a sitting USA president. I think the concept can be made illegal and litigable at the level of the WTO. Either a global trade organization has control of it’s members to conduct benevolent trade or it doesn’t.

I really think Trump’s bragging about the USA economic engine as leverage over global economic stability can and should be made mute. The lousy bastard can start real wars and not just tariff wars.

The USA was a leader in establishing the WTO. The purpose is obvious, to maintain consistent and fair economic stability for all countries regardless the stage of development. Trade improves quality of life for any peoples. The WTO is one cog in the capacity to bring global peace. I think it was H.W. Bush that coined the expression, “…the family of nations.” 

Sanctions are a completely different issue and concept than tariffs and customs duties in that it involves a different type of stability. Sanctions are national security apparatus that act as the second cog of the mechanism of peaceful economic trade. AGGRESSIVE acts against economic infrastructure such as shipping and peaceful use of nuclear power must be upheld and recognized as an important part of the WTO mission and by-laws.

I sincerely believe Trump’s nastiness is based in racism. It is part of his superiority complex. He dresses himself with aggression when in fact he has to answer to the USA Congress and people. Whatever power Trump has to dismantle the federal government is still governed by the Congress and courts. Trump’s idea of dictatorial powers is ultimately stemmed by the checks and balances of the USA Constitution. With that said, it is vital the WTO continue its steadfast purpose. 

Follow the Rule of Law

The Tik-Tok CEO is first a communist loyal to President Xi. Trump in even trying to circumvent the law is a communist sympathizer and a danger to USA national security.

Trump is not above the law and has a criminal history.

In this case, Trump is protected by the responsibility of the President if he acts to uphold the legislature and Supreme Court decision. Executive Office capacity does NOT allow for creating circumstances that put the country’s national security at risk. To indulge Tik-Tok’s CEO would be the equivalent of having Xi in a SCIF for a unilateral exchange of nuclear codes. 

National security should be extremely high for a USA president, not disappointed Tik-Tok enthusiasts that voted for him in anticipation of him breaking the law.

Unions

 The nation’s unions are going to have a lot of activity without the strength of a NLRB. The unions will have to find their footing under strong labor laws. The federal workers are going to need them immediately and the unions should consider the role of whistleblowers.

Immigration is the bright shiny object on Day One.

(Click here)

Looks like the USA is headed for a government shutdown on Day Two.

Chicago’s highest crime rate are drug arrests.

(Click here)

It is doubtful that immigration raids will reduce crime anywhere in the USA.

“ICE”

The other victims to these executive branch orders are the enforcement officers, right?

I think the current ICE force has some capacity, but, more will be needed to carry out mass deportations. All those new officers will need training. So, it will take some time for that aspect to get up to speed.

The victimization continues with cities and mayor and councils that are labeled “sanctuary cities.” These cities are not purposefully protecting illegal entries to the country. Providing a degree of safety for this community by allowing police captains the right to assign officers as they wish is a matter of “peacekeeping.”

There is a long history of what works and what doesn’t work in governance of these folks. Employment does a lot in creating peaceful communities. So, while the Rule of Law is vital to a democracy, creating governance that allows its safe practice is just as important. That is why governing authority have strategies to ensure peaceful communities while law enforcement does their work.

Any law enforcement officer is a human being, too. We know the DOJ has an effect on the tone of law enforcement to protect citizens’ lives. The last thing anyone wants is street violence that causes death to illegal immigrants that are otherwise law abiding and decent people. Americans can get caught in the crossfire, too. So, the approach to raids and mass deportations are important and Governors do have some say in the way federal officials handle themselves.

Basically, we all want the best outcomes with minimal trauma. I would expect good governance all the way around. Where good governance is replaced by hate should be met with equally sharp ridicule demanding peaceful outcomes for everyone. The hospitals can’t be expected to be in high alert 24/7.

(Click here)

It sounds as though Trump’s plans are worse.

(Click here) This time children will be placed in detention facilities and quite possibly permanently separated from their families. The children will probably become foster children for adoption.

MAGA politics discusses “anchor babies.” They will seek to eliminate that power from children as a tool to return by deported parents. The courts will receive that legal burden. There will be large backlogs and the Foster system will be overwhelmed. I guess the detention facilities will be like orphanages.

Who is going to staff these facilities? There is a huge question about the funding and possibly dumping a federal expense on the states. I doubt the states have to accept such costs. Constitutionally. States rights. The states can sue for relief.

The entire mess will be used as another “hate issue” and who handles it best. I think the churches are best organized for the task. The charter school facilities and their families might be a path.

There was that whole Texas detention facility mess last time. Private companies might be standing in the wings waiting for their bank rolls again.

That’s Trump. He lends his signature to anything. He will turn employees into prisoners and fugitives and their children into “emotional basket cares” and never care about the ultimate result.

All I can say in solace, is that his authoritarian governance has temporary standing. Congress ultimately has the right to legislate and end his tyranny, limiting it in many cases to 90 days in length. The courts will be weighing in the entire time and creating the ultimate outcomes of his executive branch authority. Governors have ink pens and desk cameras, too. The goal, of course, will be to impact voters. That is the real goal. The people are simply vehicles in the drama.

I have been watching federal immigration notices over the past four years. There are online sites that facilitate immigration and asylum applications without fees. Some have fees, some don’t. Those involved with these folks should be well acquainted with those websites and the rights they generate. Any Governor will want to at least have a few folks tasked through the Attorney General’s office to handle these dynamics. Sort of like a “Trump fallout hotline” personnel. Probably paralegals.

Just a suggestion to be at the ready from Day One.

The Rust Belt Empathy Burnout

These are working class Americans and American farmers. They had their sensibilities insulted and turned their back on Democrats.

Why they voted for Trump.

This is not unusual. The Democrats can be the moral party and represent the minority interests of the country, but, if they want to be effective for those folks and women they can’t scare others. That is the way I see this point of view. 

These Americans did not vote for Trump. They voted against the unknown and unfamiliar. Trump was simply the other choice. 

Joe Rogan?

I rarely listen to hate radio, I just happened to run across an article that featured Rogan speaking to the California wildfires and I found his commentary rather dangerous. This might be typical of these guys, but, Rogan is not qualified to be dismissive of the cause of such enormous damage to our country.

I think the Americans that lean to the right and especially the extremists tend to dispel the authority of being learned. I think Rogan is the best example of this today. 

Rogan has no college education. He specialized in physical competition at any early age and then found success in beating up Democrats and now hosts an experience everyday that brings him an audience and guests that can add to the political incompetency of that audience. Today, from the article I read, he was actually dangerous in his radio leadership. 

Joe Rogan is blaming the homeless for the wildfires that occurred in California. He enjoyed demasculinating Governor Newsom as if incompetent. He stated the climate crisis so basically a hoax and not the reason for the wildfires that killed, maimed, endangered, and destroyed.

I looked at the burn scar that was the beginning of the New Year’s Eve fire and there is a possibility it was a careless individual or party of people that caused that initial fire. After the initial fire reignited it was the wind that escalated that reignition out of control.

While a spark lit the initial fire it was the climate crisis that caused the infernos that took lives and burnt homes and businesses into ash destroying entire communities. There is absolutely no way the homeless can be blamed for the wildfires in California.

I find Joe Rogan immature, irresponsible, completely uninformed, and an absolute danger to every listener of his program. He CAUSES attitudes that decrease awareness, limit options, cause MISDIRECTION, and quite frankly it is those attitudes that may have ignited the initial fire on New Year’s Eve.

When the public is blind sided like that, danger rather than awareness and preparedness are the outcomes allowing immature, irresponsible, uninformed, and dangerous attitudes even about one’s own life.

The next four years are going to see an escalation of the climate crisis. Like the pandemic the choices Americans will make will either save their lives or waste them causing more damage and loss to the country. 

I have just one question for Rogan and those like him; does he ever take responsibility for the misinformation he spews knowing the actions of his listeners and the lack of moral content in their lives that actually would protect their lives from adverse outcomes?

I find Rogan’s type of misinformation dangerous and uncalled for in generating dangerous behaviors in his audience. Like the irresponsible behavior that sparked fire in a droughts area.

Recognizing Hate Radio and refusing to listen should be a dialogue Americans should be having? 

Below is what grown-ups sound like.

(Click here)

Too radical to be a good president.

(Click here)

Donald Trump is far too radical to be effective internationally. The rest of the world really is disgusted with such leadership. I think the USA is going to be spurned by many leaders. 

Trump counts on the USA economy to be such a powerful entity internationally that he can simply walk all over every other country and leader in the world. Considering Trump’s extremist views and especially the severity of the climate crisis he won’t be as accepted as one thinks. The USA did not impress other leaders during the pandemic. We had the highest number of cases and the highest death rate. Trump’s history is not a good one.

Reassuring

The TikTok decision validates the Biden’s White House focus on national security. It has been all too easy for China to send spy balloons, have listening posts at ports all over the country, Chinese hacked the Treasury Department and who knows what else, trafficking and drug smuggling (click here), and election interference. 

It is about time China live within it’s own borders, rather than being the Wall Street darling of cheap labor.

I think China has become a very bad actor. It changed character considerably under Xi. China when it sponsored its first Olympics was a very different country and far more interested in peace and prosperity than today. Its affiliation with Russia since the 2000 friendship pack has resulted in a communist country with expansionist goals. Today, China exhibits far more hostile communist ideology than 24 years ago, partly from alliances with

North Korea.

Today’s bright, shiny object?

Ah. An exploding rocket.

While in the new session of Congress bills designed by DOGE to bilk the American people are being written for introduction.

Hm?

(Click here)

First, congrats to Blue Origin. And maybe it is just the photography, but, is the rocket fuel different or not? It initially exhausts blue in color. Does Bezos manufacture his own fuel? Is it patented? It might be classified and he can’t speak to it. But, I don’t recall a blue flame on other rockets. Just curious.

Fraud scam to overturn a NC election.

(Click here)

The NC Governor and/or AG should start a fraud investigation into the claim 60,000 early voters are proven to be false ballots. There are already decisions in the country regarding complaints about strange requirements for early voting.

This is the problem with having a criminal president-elect. If Cannon is corrupt and will throw an election then why won’t everyone else?

(Click here)

With Republicans…

 …the word “politics” is a cover for corruption all the way to the Supreme Court. Why has it been necessary to demand better policing of ethics with the Roberts’ Court? They use the idea that lies and corruption are actually political tools while they go on vacation and fly flags adversely as a front to societal norms.

To Republicans, lies, corruption, and scandals are necessary to make vast amounts of money. You, know; “Put on your big boy pants.” Now, with Trump coming to power and having his kick back inauguration donations, corrupt big boys are safe to be as bad ass as they want. “No problem!” says Bondi. 

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. Therefore there is no evil. Not even when a million Americans die of Covid-19 in the face of very effective vaccines.

I think it is long overdue for the Cheney Republicans to start a new political party with Democrats of like minds. Why have moral uncertainty in the world of the 21st century? The Cheney Republicans know right from wrong. They prefer the Rule of Law over the rule of men. It seems clear to me, the Old Guard was good, but, spawned Trump. The Cheney Republicans need a paradigm shift discarding old baggage.

Pam Bondi

Queen of corruption. Commit the crime and she looks the other way. 

That is the whole thing with Trump and why he was re-elected, the corruption is never an issue. 

“…2/3rds of Americans have lost faith in the DOJ…” That might be true, but, the reasons it might be true is because Garland didn’t lock up Trump and Associates, like Pam Bondi. This is all racketeering. Jack Smith should have engaged Bondi in interrogatories about her involvement in creating the stolen election fiction. Was she in the phone call with Georgia’s Raffensperger? She never reined in Trump for his lawbreaking? Really? She should have her license pulled.

She is given premium jobs in the government of Trump’s minions and she conducts the office outside of the rule of law. 

(Click here) 

This is such a joke. Pam Bondi IS the reason people have lost faith in the DOJ. She always backs Trump’s racketeering initiates. 

She drank the cool aide and lives in the alternate universe where right is wrong and there simply isn’t anything wrong. Wrong isn’t even in the dictionary.

Pam was the one that THUNK up the story about eating pets in Springfield (There are 67 populated areas named Springfield in the USA. Springfield is a very popular name in the UK as well.) 

(Click here).  

She lives in fear for dog and cat welfare. Pet injustices are her bright, sinewy object while the corruption under her watch runs rampant.

(Click here)

Rumor has it that when with Trump she makes it easy for his voyeurism.