“If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be
in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.” ~ James Madison
I titled this post, "Keeping Our Power," and I mean it both metaphorically and literally.
A few days ago, I was on the phone discussing Trump and Russia with a friend, and shared my prediction that something like this (see 12/30/16 WAPO article) was imminent.
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Article in Washington Post on December 30, 2016 |
More than that -- think about how over the years, our institutions have forced us to transition into a "paperless" society. If you don't have a piece of paper proving how much is in your bank account, what happens when you can't even access the account and your money?
Since our banking is all electronic now, what's to stop a hostile country like Russia from hacking our system and wiping out our balances?
This is not some paranoid conspiracy theory anymore.
Based on the above article, Russia has put its toe in the water. This is no longer an "if" scenario; it's more of a "when." Losing power would be devastating. We must urge power companies and financial institutions to have a backup. Literally.
In 2012, J.J. Abrams had a television show on NBC called "Revolution." The apocalyptic premise? All the power for the entire planet went off. Permanently. What happened next? Chaos. Anarchy. Martial law. Splintering of society. Sure, the show was fiction in 2012. But here we are entering 2017, and it's beginning to look a lot like... Crisis.
With Russia hacking a power grid in Vermont -- now, more than ever -- Congress must act immediately since Russia has declared cyberwar on our nation. Their invasion is no longer a covert operation. They're flaunting it. And let's also address the Republican Elephant in the room.
It's been posited that Republicans are afraid to oppose Trump, because he's leveraging knowledge of dirty laundry over them as blackmail. But whatever damaging information he may or may not have on them, it cannot possibly be more important than loyalty to our country. Any true patriot sitting on any evidence against Trump must come forward now with that evidence. (That includes you, Tom Arnold.)
That also includes NBC, Mark Burnett, and all mainstream media. Also The White House, Speaker Paul Ryan, FBI, CIA, NSA, SEC, Justice Department, Loretta Lynch, and even Edward Snowden.
With his recent tweets about Boeing and Lockheed having an immediate effect on their stock values, and proof that a lot of trading happened just before the tweets, many Americans and I would like to know why the Securities Exchange Commission has not investigated Donald Trump for Insider Trading yet.
It is abundantly clear Trump is loyal to no one except himself. He is more loyal to Putin/Russia than he is to the USA. I repeat -- he must pay for his crimes. Trump must not be allowed to take office. He must be tried and convicted as a Traitor, stripped of his assets, and exiled to Russia.
If he were to be examined by a panel of independent psychiatrists, I suspect they would diagnose him with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Trump's likely mental illness is not treatable. It is an intrinsic part of who he is. His NPD and Fascist behavior pose undeniably credible threats to each of us, all of us, and our nation. His need for constant attention and validation are part and parcel of his NPD. There is no question he is unqualified and unfit to be President.
We see his petty tweets daily (which he does to avoid actual press conferences), and are appalled at his lack of maturity, lack of restraint, lack of common sense, and lack of concern for consequences. Trump skips intelligence briefings. His conflicts of interest are insurmountable. He refuses to release his tax returns.
Make no mistake. Trump is an illegitimate president. Therefore, Pence and their Cabinet are illegitimate, too. The Justice Department and Supreme Court must act now.
Based on the above article, Russia has put its toe in the water. This is no longer an "if" scenario; it's more of a "when." Losing power would be devastating. We must urge power companies and financial institutions to have a backup. Literally.
In 2012, J.J. Abrams had a television show on NBC called "Revolution." The apocalyptic premise? All the power for the entire planet went off. Permanently. What happened next? Chaos. Anarchy. Martial law. Splintering of society. Sure, the show was fiction in 2012. But here we are entering 2017, and it's beginning to look a lot like... Crisis.
Donald J. Trump has colluded and continues to collude with Russia. Now he's arrogantly flaunting it, too, and daring anyone to stop him. What Trump is doing is a blatant Act of Treason against the United States. Congress cannot and must not ignore this any longer.
Democrats and Republicans must put aside all partisan politics and behave as Americans defending our country from hostile invasions. It can no longer be denied that Donald J. Trump is a Traitor in the moral, ethical, and Constitutional sense. He must be indicted. Now.
"Loyalty to the Nation all the time, loyalty to the Government
when it deserves it." ~ Mark Twain
when it deserves it." ~ Mark Twain
Democrats and Republicans must put aside all partisan politics and behave as Americans defending our country from hostile invasions. It can no longer be denied that Donald J. Trump is a Traitor in the moral, ethical, and Constitutional sense. He must be indicted. Now.
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of
great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” ― John F. Kennedy
great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” ― John F. Kennedy
It's been posited that Republicans are afraid to oppose Trump, because he's leveraging knowledge of dirty laundry over them as blackmail. But whatever damaging information he may or may not have on them, it cannot possibly be more important than loyalty to our country. Any true patriot sitting on any evidence against Trump must come forward now with that evidence. (That includes you, Tom Arnold.)
That also includes NBC, Mark Burnett, and all mainstream media. Also The White House, Speaker Paul Ryan, FBI, CIA, NSA, SEC, Justice Department, Loretta Lynch, and even Edward Snowden.
With his recent tweets about Boeing and Lockheed having an immediate effect on their stock values, and proof that a lot of trading happened just before the tweets, many Americans and I would like to know why the Securities Exchange Commission has not investigated Donald Trump for Insider Trading yet.
Trump has spent his life conning, cheating, grifting, lying, manipulating, scheming, insulting, and raping. It's high time he pays the price for his crimes.
It is abundantly clear Trump is loyal to no one except himself. He is more loyal to Putin/Russia than he is to the USA. I repeat -- he must pay for his crimes. Trump must not be allowed to take office. He must be tried and convicted as a Traitor, stripped of his assets, and exiled to Russia.
If he were to be examined by a panel of independent psychiatrists, I suspect they would diagnose him with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Trump's likely mental illness is not treatable. It is an intrinsic part of who he is. His NPD and Fascist behavior pose undeniably credible threats to each of us, all of us, and our nation. His need for constant attention and validation are part and parcel of his NPD. There is no question he is unqualified and unfit to be President.
We see his petty tweets daily (which he does to avoid actual press conferences), and are appalled at his lack of maturity, lack of restraint, lack of common sense, and lack of concern for consequences. Trump skips intelligence briefings. His conflicts of interest are insurmountable. He refuses to release his tax returns.
Make no mistake. Trump is an illegitimate president. Therefore, Pence and their Cabinet are illegitimate, too. The Justice Department and Supreme Court must act now.
* * * * *
If you've made it down to here, you've read my entire train of thought. I appreciate you giving serious consideration to what I believe is happening.
As a postscript to these thoughts (which were first presented as a 22-tweet thread on Twitter), I have four additional observations to share.
1. Trump supporters praise him for promising to forgo the presidential salary of roughly $2M over a four-year period. What they fail to acknowledge is that he has already lined his pockets with much more than $2M since election day, exploiting his position with foreign dignitaries and lobbyists, forcing them to stay at his hotels, profiting from the effect on his "brand." His children have tried to auction access to him as another way to profit from the presidency.
He has sent bills to the U.S. Government for use of his plane during the campaign. Who ultimately pays those bills? Taxpayers. He also expects taxpayers to foot the bill for his Manhattan residence, and is charging the Secret Service rent (again taxpayer money). So forgoing $2M in exchange for possibly $50M over four years isn't any sacrifice at all.
In fact, it's the modus operandi of any seasoned grifter. People selling shares of non-existent oil wells will take a $500k investment. After a month, they'll send the investor a $5,000 check with a tiny vial of oil, claiming that it's a sample from the drilling, and they're excited about the prospect of a big payoff. In another month, they'll send the investor another $5,000 check, again as "evidence" that the drilling is a success. But it's all a scam. After another month, they'll send the investor a letter saying the well "dried up." At this point, the con artists have pocketed $490k.
This is exactly what Trump is doing when he promises to forgo a salary. It's all an illusion.
It occurred to me that the states where Trump has more supporters are called "Red States." I then remembered that for decades we referred to the Russians as "REDS." Ironic, eh?
3. I was thinking about Trump voters, trying to calculate a percentage of just how many might actually be racists, homophobes, and misogynists. Of all eligible voters, 27.2% voted for Trump. If our assumptions are that half of them are in that "deplorable" category -- and I only use the word as a frame of reference -- then approximately 14% of all eligible voters are truly pro-Trump, and in terms of the overall population, it's barely 10%.
* * * * *
4. The following quote (from a Republican president!) is directed primarily to Speaker Paul Ryan, tangentially to Republicans, and by proxy to all of Congress:
As a postscript to these thoughts (which were first presented as a 22-tweet thread on Twitter), I have four additional observations to share.
* * * * *
"The supreme quality for leadership is
unquestionably integrity." ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower
unquestionably integrity." ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower
1. Trump supporters praise him for promising to forgo the presidential salary of roughly $2M over a four-year period. What they fail to acknowledge is that he has already lined his pockets with much more than $2M since election day, exploiting his position with foreign dignitaries and lobbyists, forcing them to stay at his hotels, profiting from the effect on his "brand." His children have tried to auction access to him as another way to profit from the presidency.
He has sent bills to the U.S. Government for use of his plane during the campaign. Who ultimately pays those bills? Taxpayers. He also expects taxpayers to foot the bill for his Manhattan residence, and is charging the Secret Service rent (again taxpayer money). So forgoing $2M in exchange for possibly $50M over four years isn't any sacrifice at all.
In fact, it's the modus operandi of any seasoned grifter. People selling shares of non-existent oil wells will take a $500k investment. After a month, they'll send the investor a $5,000 check with a tiny vial of oil, claiming that it's a sample from the drilling, and they're excited about the prospect of a big payoff. In another month, they'll send the investor another $5,000 check, again as "evidence" that the drilling is a success. But it's all a scam. After another month, they'll send the investor a letter saying the well "dried up." At this point, the con artists have pocketed $490k.
This is exactly what Trump is doing when he promises to forgo a salary. It's all an illusion.
* * * * *
2. If Trump and Putin succeed, America will cease to be a Democracy, and will decay into an Autocracy based on Communism and run by a Fascist Dictator.It occurred to me that the states where Trump has more supporters are called "Red States." I then remembered that for decades we referred to the Russians as "REDS." Ironic, eh?
* * * * *
“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially,
are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.” ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt
3. I was thinking about Trump voters, trying to calculate a percentage of just how many might actually be racists, homophobes, and misogynists. Of all eligible voters, 27.2% voted for Trump. If our assumptions are that half of them are in that "deplorable" category -- and I only use the word as a frame of reference -- then approximately 14% of all eligible voters are truly pro-Trump, and in terms of the overall population, it's barely 10%.
That means 90% of all Americans do not support him!
* * * * *
"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security,
unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs,
you would not hear of that party again in our political history."
~ Dwight D. Eisenhower
* * * * *
* * * * *
HAPPY 2017. PEACE.
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