Tag: Trump

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Going, Going, Gone

On Jan. 20, 2017 I put the “Not My President” bumper sticker on my truck.  I also put the American flag in the distress configuration on it.  For the first few months afterwards I was getting flipped off regularly.  Then it more or less stopped.  The flipping off restarted the couple months leading up to the election.  I got where I did not flip them off in return, but held up my thumb and forefinger about one inch apart to represent my estimation of their manhood.  I don’t recall a woman ever giving me the finger.

With Joe Biden set to become the 46th President I feel I can take the bumper stickers off.  I feel like I am waking up from one the worst nightmares of my life.  A nightmare that has gone on for 4 years.  I know we have a couple more months of the Orange Monster, and that he can do much damage in the that time period. But I can see daylight.  I can see a time when I might start feeling some pride for my country again.

I cannot express the relief that I felt with the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.  And at the same time the disappointment I felt in so many of my fellow citizens. In my life time of presidential elections there has never been a clearer choice between good and evil.  Yet almost half the country chose to vote for Darth Vader over Yoda.  I do not really understand why anyone would have voted for Trump in 2016, but I more or less excused them as buying into to his bull.  This time around it is incomprehensible for me.  They have had 4 years of watching his incompetence and malevolence, and they did it again.  Oh well.

Going, going, and soon to be gone.

Keep well.

 

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #3,171

yeah I know you did not ask!

Here is something I thought I would never have to do.  I was speaking to a young woman via Skype to practice my Spanish.  She lives Coca, Ecuador, a city of 40,000 in Amazonian jungle whose primary business in oil.  We had a long, rambling conversation about politics and the upcoming election in the United States.  She apparently has another student who is younger than her (she is late 20s) and a big supporter of the Orange Monster.  He is absolutely convinced that Putin’s Bitch is a man of the people and will win the election. He had told her that all his young friends are of the same opinion.  I did my best to dissuade Micaela that this is not the common position.

At the end of the conversation I did something I never would have thought I would do… I asked a person living in a small South American country to pray for my country.

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #2,901

yeah I know you did not ask!

It occurred to me that the Republican Party and Trump’s Cabinet are very similar to a group of friends partying at a bar.  One of their number is so drunk he can barely walk.  He decides to leave, stumbling to the door with his car keys in hand, and no one bothers to stop him.  No one offers to give him a ride home. No one offers to call him a taxi.  No one takes his keys away.

That head on collision was bound to happen since the people who could have taken action, did not.

Keep well.

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Barr and Pompeo Goosestepping to The Rapture

A fellow Luddite sent me this article by Yvonne Owens, Why, And To What, Have Mike Pompeo and William Barr Sold Their Souls?, with the following comment:

“If some or most of this is factual, it explains what has stumped me, maybe all of us, as to why the right-wing absolution of Putin. I’ve read various theories and hints at this explanation. This is the best dive into the story I’ve found.”

I will admit that when an author has laden an article with so many loaded terms I wonder about  the article in general.  BUT, I will have to admit I agree with her on many points.

My thoughts after reading the article. Continue reading “Barr and Pompeo Goosestepping to The Rapture”

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Sidewalk Battle for America’s Soul

The title may be a bit overly dramatic, but perhaps not.  I really do believe there is an ongoing battle for the soul of the United States.  If the GOP prevail, we will most likely have an authoritarian, racist future dominated by the super rich and corporations where the poor and old struggle to survive.  With the Democrats, hopefully, we will have a kinder, gentler future with a country willing to accept all and support all where moneyed people and corporations are not the ultimate arbitrators of policy.

I ride my bicycle for exercise in several places, but frequently in Creve Coeur Park.  The park has several miles of paved trails that folks use for bicycling, running, walking and in-line skating.  The last few weeks I have seen anti-Trump slogans written in chalk appearing on the trail.  They include such things as Continue reading “Sidewalk Battle for America’s Soul”

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Meatloaf         

I went to the golf course, Bridges, that I most frequently play. It is across the Mississippi River in the little town of Columbia, IL.  This is definitely Redneck territory. Bridges, like a lot of other  courses does not allow outside refreshments.  I was loading up my golf cart, putting on my shoes, etc. when I noticed a group of 3 guys just across the parking lot from me.   What caught my attention was that they were dividing up the beers that were remaining after their round.  Given that this was 1 pm they must have started their round and beer drinking somewhere around 8:30 or 9:00 am. I’m not opposed to having a beer or two after a round of golf, but only on very rare occasions do I drink during a round.  And I am certainly not drinking at 9:00 in the morning.

One golfer left.  The remaining two  were putting their equipment in their respective pickups.  I did notice that one of the remaining had on his red MAGA cap. One of the interesting things of this political season Continue reading “Meatloaf         “