Whew! Mid-Terms are FINALLY Over!

It’s finally in the can, as the old movie saying goes. 2022 mid-term elections are over. O.V.E.R. Damn, it felt like forever getting to Nov. 8, 2022. But we did it, we voted and now we are counting…and counting…and counting. I’m sure there will be some deniers who will stomp and pout to make some states count yet AGAIN. Like Arizona. It’s 2:30 am Saturday morning (11/12/22) and we are still unsure WHO will be “in charge” in the house and senate. Democrats are ONE seat away from 50 in the senate and the house still has several seats for either party to gain control. I seriously hope that the Democrats can maintain the trifecta of rational governance.

Trump is taking a serious beat down over his causing many of the GOP candidates their seats. He is the only one who believed that HIS endorsement made any difference. OH, it DID make a difference – it caused them to LOSE seats. It’s been VERY QUIET on the Republican front. The only people talking about how dreadful the outcome has been for the GOP candidates are the journalists and media outlets and some of the Democrats. Most of the Republicans have remained mum.

I think that once everything is settled and we know what’s what and who is occupying what seat then they will all start to play the “blame game” with some blaming Trump, some blaming McConnell and NONE taking any responsibility for their own words, and actions that caused them to lose this badly. They have to see that people are so sick of the denialism of election results. They scream that elections are not fair YET they continue to run as candidates in elections! Tsk Tsk. If they don’t believe in the system then WHY RUN?

So, let’s all just hope that the votes come in Blue and we can rest easy for another year before the next big election cycle get’s heated up. We can laugh as we watch Trumpty Dumpty try to repair his shell cracks and make a silly 3rd run for office. He’s sooo concerned about Ron DeSantis – who could be more evil as President than Trump was because unlike Trump, DeSantis is smart and cunning. I will talk more about him in the future. But anyone in the LGBTQ world should be VERY afraid of DeS1antis because he HATES us and he WILL do all he can to make being LGBTQ a CRIME. He will end same sex marriage and make our lives hell if he’s elected.

Trump is going to be a funny train-wreck for the next few months. SNL will be having plenty of fodder for their shows! And news media pundits should have a literal ball chewing him up nightly. Enjoy!

In the meantime…everyone be safe.

~MB

Twenty-One Years Ago

FIRST – 21 years ago, on 9/11/2001, I stood on the open 2nd floor of the barn we were building at the farm I owned with my former partner. I had just heard about the first plane and I thought that we were entering WW3. David and I climbed down the ladders and headed inside the house where we joined Nancy and watched live TV coverage as the 2nd plane hit the other tower. Then the Pentagon. Then the field in Pennsylvania. Stunned, sick to our stomachs, and fearful we all started calling everyone in our respective families. Cell phone lines were jammed, there was trouble getting through to some people as everyone in America was doing the exact same thing in that moment. In that moment the world stood still; stock still. Every life in America changed on 9/11/2001. From those harrowing moments on we knew of “life before” and “life after” America was attacked by terrorists hell-bent on killing as many Americans as possible as quickly as possible.

Almost 5,000 people died that day. And many more became victims as illnesses from the contaminated sites where they were working so hard to find survivors; rescue the living and retrieve the dead, slowly killing them months and years later. Every living American was affected that day. Those who would be born after that fateful day would read about it, maybe someone would try to explain. But no one could ever put into words exactly what happened inside of each of us; how we felt, how we cried and what our worlds were like before that day. Many things we are now used now were not even thought about before the planes hit those towers and souls ceased to exist. Things changed.

Like everyone that day, I was confused, then super sad as I watched lives being snuffed out in real time, then angry as fuck at those who perpetrated the crimes against America that day. We stopped barn construction that day and the barn went untouched for the following couple of weeks, as my partner and I were as stunned and unsure of what was going to happen. Was our country going to war? Who did this and why? Were other places at risk? What the fuck is happening???

It’s a day I will certainly never forget. If you were conscious there’s no way you could forget. It was a pivotal moment in our country’s history, in world history and in our personal lives.

Americans pulled together over 9-11. Our country was at risk. We knew we had to show solidarity.

The next major historical moment in our history would happen 20 years later, on Jan. 6, 2020 when an insurrection against our country was spawned by an egotistical man who could not accept that he lost an election fair and square. He had been working diligently for the previous 5 years to tear us apart, to get us fighting against one another; destroying the fabric of American pride piece by piece. It’s a well-used tactic that Hitler and Mousellini both used when they decided to rip their own countries apart out of greed and power hunger. Trump studied it well. And here we are…our democracy is now at risk. It’s time for us ALL to come back together as American people and fight to save our country from the evil within this time.

There’s a lot more to say, but I need a break.

Pay attention, shit is about to get very real across this country. It’s no longer just one man, he’s built a fascist army of red hats, his MAGA Red Army, who are working at his will to help him become King. We are all just considered to be collateral damage at this point – unless we pull together and do whatever each of us can do to fight back against them. Speak up. Vote. Do not stay silent, that just gives them your permission to continue their behavior in your presence. WE do not have to accept this. WE out number them and love is always greater than hate. Good will prevail.

~MB

Slow-motion Destruction of Life as we Knew It

White identity politics inside of the completely untethered Republican party – that is blatantly anti-democracy and bordering on being rebranded as a domestic terrorist organization is NOT a good thing for ANY PART of America and should NOT be allowed to continue it’s measured, a slow-motion coup on American government.

If you think it ended on Jan. 6 2021 you are sorely mistaken. Jan. 6, 2021, was the virtual BIRTH of this very active continuing assault on the American government, culture, lifestyle, and every citizen’s expectation of FREEDOM and Constitutional protections. Jan 6th was the conclusion of a “trial run”, the last episode in the Trump Terrorizes America series – soon to be followed by the new mini-docu series titled Insurrection leads to civil war.

I am just an ordinary American citizen. I am part of the LGBT community. I am female. Those last two things make me a second-class citizen in this country. I am also a Veteran who served proudly and believed once upon a time that America was a proud, thriving place of Freedoms that were unlike any others in the world. I served proudly thinking that I was part of protecting the constitution and freedom in America, all the while unknowing that many of these freedoms have been under strenuous attack for decades.

Now I am witnessing the success of these well-organized, often funded by questionable means such as foreign actors in the form of countries or foreign leaders. This whole tearing apart of America from the inside by a minority party with unlimited resources has been in the works for decades and we are now feeling the “success” of their plans to end democracy in America and install an egalitarian government.

I’ve heard “nooo, they’ll never get away with doing this, or that…” only to then watch as they CONTINUOUSLY get away with everything questionable and break all the rules, violate laws and do unimaginable illegal damage to our government entities – and are NOT prosecuted or even reprimanded! They’ve packed the courts with judges who are part of their unspoken “organization” so they are never held legally responsible and they can just keep on tearing down our country piece by piece. They have installed the most extreme right wing conspiracy theorists into many positions of power across the nation – one by one.

Their ultimate goal seems to be contiguous uninterrupted control of the country by a conglomeration of right-wingnuts of the white power party, the domestic terrorist organization formerly known as the GOP.. An org that is wanting to control women from top to bottom, forcing pregnancy. They are “against” the abortion of a glob of cells but could care less about the killing of children in classrooms via blowing their brains out with AR15s. They view women as second-class citizens with no bodily autonomy or privacy rights, to be controlled and basically owned by men. Almost daily they are stripping us of our rights quietly behind the robes of a hand-picked (by Federalists) SCOTUS with pre-determined outcomes dictated by the Federalists. They were very very copious in putting this plan together, methodically over time, having patience until we got to where we are right NOW. They have a “new” America in mind and it’s not one of the Constitutional rights or freedom. There is more to come, just watch.

In my 60 years walking this planet the happenings of the last 5-6 years have been astoundingly the worst I could ever imagine and I fear for myself and millions of others who will be targetted in this evolving scheme of the GOP.

20 years of trauma…and it’s not over

I’m sure you remember where you were at 9:37 am on 9/11/01. I know I do. That moment and the hours that followed, the days that the pile smoldered and you could feel retaliation starting to be more mumbled about. As we each were frozen momentarily in our tracks during those horrific fully televised first moments of the planes hitting the towers, then the falling of those towers – straight down every single one of us changed in those moments. A feeling of collective vulnerability first, we had been attacked full on and all we could do was watch as events unfolded, 2997 the eventual fatality count.

Then the rising anger, calls for revenge and off to war we marched our soldiers…Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria..the middle east, thousands of miles away from home and doing a job no one before had been successful at or wanted to do. Britain tried 3 times, lost and went home every time. Russia, they’ve tried twice in recent history, only to pull out and go home. Why did we think we would ever have any more success in a country that does not want western government or influence? Democracy is not for everyone, and evidently it’s not wanted very badly in Afghanistan as we were shown when they dropped their American made weapons and ran from the Taliban.

In the last 20 years we poured buckets of cash into the war against terrorism. Trillions. Yet, here at home our infrastructure is pathetically tattered with no update in the last 50+ years, homelessness is outrageous, people are hungry, unemployed and sick without adequate medical care and our Congress cannot even get a $3.5 trillion dollar infrastructure bill passed. We’ll sit and allow our money to be squandered on needless war but NOT spend any good amount here at home taking care of our own country; improving our own infrastructure, bringing America fully into the 21st century. Yet we will try to nation build in other countries and not peep about the wasted costs.

People line Christopher Street during a gathering of the LGBTQ community and supporters protesting U.S. President Donald Trump’s agenda in Manhattan, New York, U.S., February 4, 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Our politicians need a big fat wake up call. Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats need to stop pussy-footing around and DO THEIR JOBS, discard the filibuster and move on with the business of rebuilding America from it’s neglect and from it’s abuse during the last administration’s time in office.

Republicans need to take a deep, deep look inside their party and DECIDE WHO THE FUCK they are and WHO they represent – oh and try developing an agenda that is not based on lies and cheating American voters, slamming women’s rights, installing inadequate people in all the wrong places, conspiracy theory, and made up bullshit about dems being lizard people. They party looks absolutely FOOLISH.

American citizens have been in a constant state of trauma response for the last 20 years. From the falling of the towers on 9/11/01 to the Texas abortion ban of 2021. We’ve literally been dealing with once crisis after another; one on top of the other, some thing repeatedly through the 20 years. Here we are now, 20 years later just having exited Afghanistan – albeit in not so graceful a fashion for the #1 fighting force in the world – in the midst of a huge heath crisis (covid) that has become a partisan political football. We have 30% of the country acting like children, attacking our capital, refusing vaccines, pushing for authoritarian rule and marshal law and enticing politicians to act like ogres who’s only goal is to end democracy in America.

On a daily basis we have trauma piled on us by what’s going on around us. Mass shootings at grocery stores, movie theaters, concert venues, barbershops, shopping malls, SCHOOLS, work places, and even government buildings. The virus keeps us all in this constant state of trauma limbo…where we are just itching for it to be over and don’t want to get infected! We wear our masks, socially and support President Biden’s 6 point Covid plan AND we fight with the anti-vax, denial and misinformation crowd. We are contending with a party that wants to limit voting rights, end Roe Vs Wade, and deport the Dreamers.

Don’t even get me started on the personal traumas, we’ve all had those as well whether related to what happened 20 years ago or to something totally personal, we all cope with some level of trauma response daily, we’re all still alive and kicking and this is a more difficult part of life in 2021. We can always keep hoping the future grows more calm and becomes more organized for all of our sakes.

((Hugs)) to all. ~ MB

Trump Takeover

Yes, it’s happened. #45 has finally done a completely illegal, constitutionally wrong, immoral thing – right in our faces – by coercing the Ukraine president for election gain. Yes, that is WRONG on any and all levels!!! It’s illegal AF. Yet, he cares NOT one iota. And he – and the GOP – are basically saying “WTF you gonna do now America?”

IF he and the GOP are allowed to get away with this flagrant violation of all laws concerning elections and proper presidential conduct (ha!) we are definitely doomed to an autocracy of very vile dimensions. He has committed the ultimate impeachable act, yet Pelosi and the Dems are STILL not moving fast enough toward ousting this criminal.

The man-boy held $250M from Ukraine (defense funding) wanting them to create a criminal scandal against his possible opponent (Biden) and the man’s son in exchange for him releasing the $250M . That is extortion at it’s finest.

This was brought to the head of intelligence’s desk via a whistle-blower complaint, where the person reporting hearing the calls and who then was “very alarmed” enough to risk his/her job and life basically for the security of the country. The law says the DNI must hand this over to Congress for full review. In this case, some idiot told the president and his vultures in the White House and they have obtained and blocked the report/complaint from making it into Pelosi’s hands and put before the eyes of Congress and us – the American people!

#45 has done tons of things already in abusing the power of his office. THIS is the most flagrant and it’s EXACTLY what he did in 2016 to steal the Presidency then!!!

He, and his vultures, know that IF he loses the 2020 election that he will be handcuffed on the podium at the next inauguration and hauled off to prison. Just like other corrupt leaders – past and present, Israel’s Netanyahu is in the same predicament currently. So he’s fighting for his freedom as well as to maintain control of America and her resources.

This is treason. WE must beat this guy like a drum in 2020 – stealing Biden’s words. Then we must be prepared to extricate him and the vultures from the White House – at all costs. This is . seriou folks, these people are about to tear up the Constitution and at that point it becomes Anarchy.

It’s time to ring Pelosi’s bells – phone, email, text, everything…start calling your Congress people and Senators. Pressure them to conduct an investigation into this whistleblower report and start the impeachment process based on that report’s contents and an investigation into the calls. It’s time to ring Pelosi’s bells – phone, email, text, everything…start calling your Congress people and Senators. Pressure them to conduct an investigation into this whistleblower report and start the impeachment process based on that report’s contents and an investigation into the calls.

The youth of the world are fighting these money-grubbers for the environment and adults should take note and also be fighting to eliminate or decapacitate these corrupt elements. Everyone involved would be better off without the evil of these kinds of innate corruption.

My 2 cents

~MB

American Leadership

Elections were held on Nov. 6, 2018, our mid-terms, across the nation.  There was a very big build up to these mid-terms this time around and for very good reason. We have a tyrant in the position of POTUS and the citizens of the USA are being divided by this man on a constant basis. And the division was very well represented in the numbers seen in the election. More people voted this time around than voted in any previous mid-term cycle since Watergate happened back when Nixon was in office.

I am a proud American. I am a military veteran who served my country for 6 years proudly, loyally and honorably. I want what is best for America and also what is good for the world and ALL good people. I am not a nationalist, I believe in global thinking. To limit my thinking to just America would be selfish and closed-minded. We are a connected world in many, many ways. We depend on one another across the board.

Here in the United States of America we are all the products of immigrants from hundreds of other countries coming to this continent in search of a better life for themselves and their heirs. No one other than the Native Americans who were here for thousands of years, peacefully, before the Vikings and then Columbus invaded their land and took it in the name of Kings. Now we are all here, occupying this same soil, and we must all strive to get along. I know that sounds simplistic, but if we just start with that basic idea – to just get along – maybe we can begin to heal the divisions that #45 has caused, inflamed and encouraged with his words and actions. We the people of the United States must rise above the hatred and bigotry of this “man” and refuse to allow him to further divide and polarize us as American citizens.

I do not know how #45 got to where he is; how he convinced the Republican party to allow a man of his nature to become a candidate – backed by them – and then actually become president of the USA. (POTUS).  I have much respect for all people, regardless of political affiliation, and I want to believe that all people are good and really do want good things for themselves and the country at large. I have voted Republican and I have voted Democrat and I have identified as Independent. I vote the issues, the character of the candidate and I take the time to make sure I know and understand the facts. I wish that everyone would adopt a similar way of thinking, but I do understand that some are so brainwashed or perhaps not properly educated on the real facts, that they think they have to only vote one way – the way their chosen party wants them to vote.

After the elections were tallied I watched as the “leader” of my country mocked and ridiculed candidates of his own party (Republicans) for losing to the Democrats, while he blamed their losses on their not being properly loyal and in line with him and his egotistical, maniacal and hateful priorities. I have never seen this kind of blatantly hateful behavior from ANY former US President – NEVER. It is not right or proper for the leader of the party to belittle those beneath him in stature – for ANY reason. He shouldn’t even be involved in individual state-level politics in my opinion. The President of the United States should remain neutral and out of the way to allow states to hold their own fair and balanced elections. He should not be out there demanding their loyalty and alignment with his personal ideals. He backed 74 candidates and 53 of them lost last Tuesday, most for being Trump backed to begin with. And now 3 states are facing recounts because of razor-thin margins and Trump tweets out that Democrats are “stealing” elections – with no proof, no grounds, and no reason. These elections are being monitored VERY closely by both parties and independent monitors. Election fraud is very front-of-mind in America and we are ensuring it’s not happening. All the people want is a FAIR count of EVERY vote cast in every election. It’s not right to “call” an election before every single vote is counted, i.e. free elections. That is how democracy works. Here is the definition.

Democracy according to Merriam Webster Dictionary:

1a: government by the people especially: rule of the majority. b: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. 2: a political unit that has a democratic government.

This election was huge for the USA. We changed the make-up of our representation dramatically. Democrats claimed 235 seats in the House of Representatives with 102 of them being claimed by women to include 40 black women, 2 Muslim women, and several lesbian identified women. So women now make up 25% of the Congress. Democrats also reclaimed at least 333 state legislative seats across the country, and 9 governorship positions – including my state, Maine. Democrats routed the Republican party and the American citizens sent Trump and his small base a warning signal that we do not like or agree with the direction he is trying to take our nation morally, ethically or internationally.

Yes, we had a blue wave…although Trump won’t admit it – of course, he won’t, that would mean he didn’t get what he wanted and he’s not going to ever admit to anything that is TRUE.  It may not have been the tidal wave we wanted, but it was definitely a geography changing wave that will change the Congress drastically for his next 2 years in office.

In fear of what this Democratically controlled Congress will do Trump immediately fired his Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, and installed a low-level guy named Matt Whitaker who is a sworn Trump loyalist and has spoken harshly against the on-going probe into improper Russian collaboration in the 2016 election. This move is entirely unconstitutional and will be recified very soon I believe. Whitaker is not the right man for this job, he has no experience, no credentials, is currently under FBI investigation for defrauding people out of millions of dollars with a troubled company he represented, he’s stated his opposition to the special counsel,he’s an extreme partisan and cannot serve as an unbiased AG, it’s just not possible. Plus, he must be confirmed and that’s just not going to happen as he will never pass the vetting process.

Today Trump is in Paris, regrettably. He’s supposed to be there to commemorate Armistice day yet he skipped going to the battlefield cemetary yesterday because of rain. The soldiers that lay there dead didn’t cancel because of rain, it was raining bullets as they fought for the freedom of the world from fascism and nationalism 1914 to 1918. His lack of respect for the military is disgraceful. He talks a big talk of how he supports our soldiers, yet he has not even gone to Afghanistan or any other place where we are currently engaged to visit the troops – and he’s had 2 whole years to do so. He’s a draft dodger who is STILL afraid of war, even though he seems to want to create one all the time.

This morning all of the other world leaders walked in a huge line down the middle of Paris in a show of solidarity. Trump did not. He took his own motorcade. Thus, the USA was not represented in that show of solidarity. Disgraceful and disgusting. And it was VERY much noticed by the whole world. He has no respect for veterans, he only talks about the military as a way to try to reach his dwindling little base. His generals don’t even trust him or agree with him, especially when it comes to sending all those troops unnecessarily to the Mexican border. He has not comprehension of how the military works or how he is supposed to use it – or not use it – given particular situations. His performance in Paris was regrettably demeaning to us as veterans and US citizens.

The United State of America has long been viewed as the bastion of Democracy; a free land governed by the people where justice and equality are high priority. Trump does not see this nation as such. He wants to be King and run it as he sees fit, regardless of the fact that he PLEDGED to uphold the Constitution of the United State of America. I am willing to BET that he has NOT read the document, let alone that he does not understand or comprehend the words and principles of it.

What we want here in America is some return to civility. We want to focus on the problems we have; homelessness, healthcare for all, infrastructure, education, economic equality and an economic atmosphere that benefits us all, as well as a myriad of other focused important issues such as improved immigration policy for one. We want to be good world citizens and neighbors to our allies. We want to be a proud country that represents what is good in people and the world; with good ethical behavior, attention to higher morals, and protection for those in need.

We do not want a leader who denigrates people for no reason. Who cannot handle being asked questions about what he says and does without calling people derogatory names and being an outright bully. We want a leader who will not cow to the Russians or kiss Putin’s ass so publically. We want a leader who will treat other world leaders with respect and appropriately, not one who picks fights, calls names, tweets out racist slurs, or sees other counties as “shitholes”. We want a leader who can filter his mouth for hells sake.

I really sincerely hope that the Republican party will find and fully vet a good, respectful, decent and intelligent candidate to challenge Trump for the 2020 chance to run for President. I know they can do FAR BETTER than having to “walk the line” with this egotistical man-boy they got stuck with in 2016. Yes, people wanted change, but they DIDN’T want a tyrant to destroy every limb of our sacred governing body. We want a leader who believes in justice for all; that no one is above the law – not even him/herself!!! We want a leader we can be proud of to represent us to the world; one that our kids can look up to and say “that guy is awesome, he cares about people and I want to be like him” – I know there aren’t any kids out there emulating Trump right now, there just can’t be.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said today

“Patriotism is the opposite of nationalism.  Nationalism is the betrayal of patriotism.” By saying, ‘Our interests first, who cares about the others,’ we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what gives it grace and what is essential: its moral values.”

These are very poignant words. I believe as he does, that we all need to be more caring and more civil and work toward the good of the whole world while taking good care of our own countries as well. We need to share the burdens, cooperate to solve the problems and work toward the benefit of all people. I want a president in my country who also believes this – with all his heart, and who tells only the TRUTH to us citizens.

Peace & Kindness.  ~MB

 

My Nation’s Battle

America is on the very brink of a constitutional crisis right this moment.  We are also 2 days and a wake up from a major mid-term election.  I, like many Americans, am on the edge of my seat, sweating bullets and hoping to hell that we can change the course of this discord and save our government from complete failure.  It’s a very frightening time in America.

Unless you have seriously been in a cave, without exposure to human interaction or any type of media you basically know what is currently transpiring here.  We have a toxic president who is fear-mongering, spreading hate, telling outright lies and misleading his base and trying to undermine the very democracy we have relied on for over 200 years. Donald J. Trump is madly stoking the fires of racism, sexism, xenophobia as well as touting nationalism and white supremacy. It’s sick to see this actually coming from the leader of our great country. And it’s causing so much hate that it permeates the air, social media, and is affecting us in all aspects of our lives. This is what’s happening in America. And it’s shocking.

Enough is enough and too much stinks. Somehow, someway together we must stand against all that is going wrong here; stand and be counted and hold our heads high in this vicious face of adversity. It’s petrifying with all of the outright violence, the threats of more violence and the preparation to be ready for that violence should it become even more real to each of us who rally against the evils trying to gain footholds in America.

This has become a national crisis; a time of danger in America. Trump is leading the charge against about 75% of all Americans. He calls us “evil”. He calls anyone in the news media, or who write anything controversial to his beliefs the “enemy of the people”. This has incited violence that has resulted in 15 pipe bombs being sent to his major opponents – all Democrats, 2 of which are previous US Presidents.

His rhetoric and hate speech stoked the hate in one man who burst into a Jewish place of worship, The Tree of Life Sanctuary, where he slaughtered 11 people in the midst of their worship of their God.  THAT is a HATE crime. Our president’s words to his “base” put this idea that this was “okay” to do because those “Jews” were part of what he sees as the problem for him, into the mind of someone who believed him – who took his words to heart and acted on them.

Another man tried to get into a church where it was a predominantly black congregation during their Sunday service. He was denied entry, but he went to the local Kroger Grocery store and murdered 2 good citizens coming out of that store – while saying “whites don’t kill whites”. His two victims were a black man and a black woman, both who were well known and loved by their community.  THAT’s what’s happening here.  And it’s growing exponentially daily.

Hate permeates the air. Hate permeates his speeches and those of his followers, his political partners and his supporters in the Republican party. He is held high by white supremacists here at home and around the world as their new “fearless leader”.

This mid-term election is about Trump.  Trump has MADE it about Trump. He will TELL you directly it’s “all about him” and if you elect anyone other than another Republican who is aligned with him and in agreement with his lack of values that you are against him. This is behavior we have NEVER seen in any president of the United States of America – EVER in history. It’s unpresidential. It’s dangerous. It’s unethical and it’s immoral, sickening and twisted. I wish it would stop, but I am not afraid that he has this ball rolling so fast downhill that it’s going to just continue to pick up speed, pick up ill-intended people and cause even MORE hate and chaos across our lands. I know it will cause more to lose their lives; to be threatened and killed for who they are. THAT is just wrong. The entire tone of this, the hate and fear-mongering, come from the top – and that top is Trump himself. He is responsible for the toxicity in America and his cronies are complicit in creating and maintaining the toxicity. Every. Damned. One. of Them.  Those who claim they don’t agree with “everything” he says or does but won’t speak against him, or try to rein him in are just outright liars. They are encouraging him to continue.

Trump’s main goal is to completely divide us up into smaller groups that he can then bully in various ways. He doesn’t want unity at all. Division is his goal for America; his method. BUT I am starting to see us understand his tactics and we are getting together. Whites, blacks, young people, women, LGBTs, Latino/a’s and other minority populations are starting to band together in our courageous attempts to fight back against all of this hate and division.

Oprah Winfrey, Barak Obama, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Jeff Bezos, and many, many other celebrities and famous people are standing up and standing together. Rallying to bring us all to the polls on Tuesday, November 6th, 2018 to change the course of this fated voyage into a dismal future of Trumpism. Trump may be counting on polarization, but with some luck it’s going to backfire on him as we all see his true colors and millions of Americans are rising up to fight back – uniting in solidarity for the good of the country, for the good of all people, against white nationalism, racism, and extremism and to return America to a good place for ALL to live and prosper in harmony – despite our differences.

The voting booth is the place where ALL of us have the exact same power.  Every vote is equal to every other vote.  This scares the fuck out of Trump and his Republican buddies. Thus voter suppression, oppression, and denial are running rampant in many jurisdictions. There are fights to get everyone to the polls and to get everyone registered going on everywhere. Maybe we can revisit voting laws to ensure proper voter access after these elections and when we have a more cooperative, well-intentioned Congress and Senate as well as more competent Governors and representatives across the board. There should NEVER be any obstacle to ANY American placing his vote on any election day, EVER.

So, Tuesday is coming up fast. Battles are heated. We’re all on edge. Time for change has come, and it’s NOW. There will be more battles. This is just the beginning. Trump will be furious when his party comes up short – in any way – and he will try to throw a wrench into the works. I bet he tries to say the Democrats cheated and he will try to nullify the elections altogether. He will threaten some new “executive order” or will appoint himself the “final decider” on all things for America. He will be defeated in the end because hate cannot win, and Donald Trump’s entire agenda is one of hate and division.

I hope the whole world is watching. This is going to be a historical election cycle for sure.

Peace – MB

Fake F*cking News America

Fake News.  It’s a term we hear EVERY DAMNED DAY here in America.  It’s a new kind of term, one developed by the current MORON occupying our Oval Office: Donald J. Trump.  What DJT actually “means” by screaming or tweeting “FAKE NEWS” is that the news is actually TRUE, but it’s in disagreement with what he WANTS people to believe.  It’s sick, and it’s completely CRAZY.

Our great journalists and reporters bring us the news and reliable, honest news agencies stand solidly behind them, yet our “President” has the audacity to deny actual FACT BASED reporting of events, conversations, e-mails, TWEETS, and photographs, videos and audio recordings.  The man is full-on batshit crazy!!!  He’s working for Russia, it’s obvious, and cajoling with mobster-style attorneys, racist pig lobbies, like the NRA and the RNC.

He’s taken money from foreign governments, and may possibly be illegally occupying the White House due to direct Russian assistance.  White House bought and paid for in Rubles.

The political landscape in the United States right now requires about 4 of the 2’x3′ Walmart white-board material, all glued (or taped) together and that’s the kind of surface you would need to lay this out – if you use rather small photos – I can’t imagine what the FBI’s board looks like on this Cohen case alone!?!!!  It’s become a giant ball of fucked-up shenanigans!

Watching the newscasts is like watching a reality TV show, or a really, really deep episode of Law & Order and Scandal all balled together.  It’s disgusting and shameful to the American people.  THIS is NOT what we wanted, or expected when we held our 2016 presidential election.

It’s been about 2 weeks since I typed the above paragraphs, and things have continued to rapidly decline -as if it wasn’t already bad enough – here in the USA.  It’s just crazy and out of control.  Our government is no longer “governing” but is spending all of it’s energy destroying our country, fighting amongst themselves, stealing from the tax coffers and creating complete mayhem in the press.   It’s fucking scary.  It’s NOT right or normal.

I fear that we are in far more serious trouble here than ANY of us realize or think.  People are becoming numb to the news coverage or having trouble believing what is right and what is wrong, depending on what news outlet they choose to watch.  The government has the Trump channel now and Fox News to spread they hate and propaganda.  Just like Nazi Germany decades back….what the fuck America???? What the holy fucking hell are we going to do about this?  Are we really going to allow the white supremacist, bigoted Nazi fucks in our White House and around the country, run the show now?  Are we really going backwards in time and humanity here?  WTF???

America in Crisis

The Republican party of the United States of America (GOP) is retiring, resigning and being thrown out like trash at an alarming rate; flinging the doors open wide for the Democrats who will most likely be replacing them and taking over Congress and the Senate.  Our House is on fire, and the rats are running.

I have some fairly liberal views, yet part of me is also conservative.  I’m more conservative when it comes to budget issues, the military, and protection of our homeland, but absolutely liberal when it comes to issues of environmental protection, renewable energy strategy, healthcare for all, and having a transparent, ethical governmental body.  Some of me is even Socialist…we SHOULD all care and take care of one another – no one benefits from isolationism, classism, economic bullying or closed borders.

The world can see that right this moment my country is in a state of chaos and public crisis.  We are a country divided.  Divided by race, economics, religion, sexuality, social status, and a myriad of other cultural issues.  Our leadership has deteriorated beyond what we ever imagined possible.

Our infrastructure is in a state of decay, crumbling and killing people.  Our national debt has skyrocketed into the trillions.

Farmers’ crops are rotting in the fields of California due to lack of migrant farm workers due to their fear of our government and the government’s cruel immigration policy enforcement.  ICE agents lurk in bus stations and local parks.

Eighty thousand “Dreamers” live in fear and limbo, not knowing if tomorrow they will be deported to countries that they know nothing about and have never even seen to remember, countries that are at war-torn, impoverished, crumbling and ruled by corrupt leaders, gangs, and drug cartels.

Our military is being spread around the globe, fighting in places that none of us have ever even heard of in some cases.  They’re being forced to the Mexican-American border to assist with what some think is a “crisis” of people flowing by the millions across our borders – this is NOT true, actually illegal border crossings are at a 40 year low and our current 16,000 border patrol agents are doing a remarkable job in successfully apprehending illegals more now than ever before – because they have better tools to do so!  NOT because crossings are up!

It has been proven beyond a doubt that the Russians interfered in our 2016 election processes, not only in our presidential election but in about 31 state ballots as well.  Yet, there was $125M set aside to deal with this issue, and to date not ONE PENNY has been spent to do so.  THAT is a crime all by itself!  Someone should be held responsible for that lack of action.

Cyber-security is a joke to America.  There is NO cyber-security.  Our power plants are at risk, water systems are vulnerable, electrical grids could be taken down in a nan-second, and even our personal information has been pirated by Cambridge Analytica via Facebook to the tune of over 87 million peoples’ profiles.  Cambridge Analytica is the company that was hired by Trump to aid in his election campaign.  Coincidence?  I think not.

We currently are living under the rule of a man who believes that being “President” of our country means that he is above the law, untouchable, and can do anything he chooses without repercussions or consequences.  He does not even have a vague understanding of our country’s Constitutional articles, amendments or laws.  Now, he could depend upon assistants, advisors, aides, and attorneys for guidance, but instead he has chosen to dismiss, fire or force the resignation of almost all of them.  He tells us he doesn’t need a National Security Advisor because he can advise himself – a man who received 5 draft deferrals and who has NO military experience whatsoever.  And who does not read; who does not like reading so chooses not to read but to listen to a very biased, shadowy news station on his television set.  His idea of “governing” is to send out harassing messages via Twitter on a daily basis, usually starting at 4am every day.  No one can control him.  He refuses to listen to anyone, takes no advice and is belligerent in making the point that he is always “right” about everything.  He admits no wrong, ever.

This man is racist, sexist, a misogynist, unethical, immoral and just downright rude.  He has NO “people skills” at all.  He believes women are inferior beings to be used for sex and to wait on their men.  Any woman who challenges him politically is instantly on his Twitter shit list and he will harass and degrade her forever.  His opponent in the election that he stole in 2016 is the prime example.  He mentions her almost every day on Twitter, always in very demeaning terms and with vitriol and hatred.  He’s obviously very threatened by smart women and wishes to silence all women as a result.

There are not enough hours left in my night here to go on and explain all of the other unbelievable, crazy, chaotic, vulgar and consequential nonsense that is happening here in America right now.

I think I have made my points above and that you, dear reader, get the gist of what I am trying to convey.  We are in trouble.  And the leadership that is currently running this country is destroying it quickly, more and more so every day.  All of those in positions of publicly appointed leadership (Congress, Senate, Cabinet members, Department Heads, Governors, etc) seem to be frozen in time.  They either cannot or will not take action to save us.  But they are streaming out of Washington DC to save their own asses by the hoards, leaving a leadership vacuum in their wake.

No one knows what to do, or how to control our lunatic “President” who’s positioning himself to become America’s first Dictator.

So, if you live in another country and you ask your American friends why we are letting him destroy our country, please remember that we are not “letting” him do anything.  He has basically got us all hostage.  His dispersal of hate, his corruption, immoral behavior and lying rhetoric have us torn in half and unable to convince our representative to go against him in any way.  Russia is pulling his strings, that we KNOW this and it is obvious to us all.  We march, we write, we call, we march some more….we are screaming and hollering at the top of our lungs. all to no avail.

It’s very frustrating, scary and even dangerous for many of us.  But, we are Americans.  We’ve been through hell and back before.  We will overcome this somehow.  We will find our way out of this mess, it’s just going to take some time and perhaps a lot of pain – for every American, whether they know it, acknowledge it, or not.

These are very trying times.

Peace.  ~MB

Code Red: Republican Tax Attack

It’s become very hard to live in America under the current President and his administration – albeit an ever-shrinking administration, it’s still got it’s key assholes in there making things worse by the day.  Tillerson has been dismantling the state department; eliminating women, people of color and anyone left from the Obama administration.  And he’s not re-filling the positions, he’s just leaving them empty.  The “plan” it seems, is to shrink the government.

Smaller government is not a bad thing, but when you do it like it’s currently being done it becomes a real problem.  We are left without key positions filled.  Ambassadors to foreign countries for one example.  We have very few ambassadors left.  Trump tells us that we don’t need anyone but him, he’s enough and he’s it.  He is trying to “micro-manage” every aspect of our complex democracy and we are suffering from his narcissistic need to do it.

He’s cutting back or eliminating some very key departments, like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), any agency working on LGBT issues, women’s issues, minority issues.  Some of them are: Planned Parenthood, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for Humanities (NEH), Minority Business Development Agency, Economic Development Administration,  International Trade Administration, Office fo Community Operated Policing Services (COPS), Office of Violence Against Women, Legal Services Corporation, Environment and National Resources Division of the Justice Department, UN Governmental Panel on Climate Change, Office of Electricity Deliverability and Energy Reliability, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Fossil Energy.  All viable agencies that serve and protect America and us as citizens.  (reference article in Time.com)  He is also now seeking to cut millions from counter-terrorism funding…right after the attack on NYC.  Yes, deep cuts to funding to our Department of Homeland Security…just doesn’t make any sense!!!

Trump is a creepy, authoritarian moron.  He’s hell-bent on erasing ANY trace of Obama’s presidency.  He is the #1 consumer of FOX News (which is now banned in the UK and Canada for false/fake information distribution), and Brietbart.  The man is so entangled with the Russians that he can’t even piss without Putin’s permission.  He’s under MAJOR investigation for collaborating with the Russians to win the election of 2016.  As are most of his close allies and staff.  The man is a clear and present DANGER to the United States.  He obstructs justice, he violates the emoluments clause daily, he verbally promotes violence, he says racist and bigoted things, often tweeting them to the world.  He insults foreign leaders and ridicules our long-time allies. He has moved America into last place in the arena of world respect.  And his #1 trait:  HE LIES CONSTANTLY.  He seems to lie so much that even HE believes his own lies!

Right now Trump is trying to jam a new “tax reform bill” through our Congress and Senate and into law.  The bill is horrendous to say it mildly.  It’ is completely geared towards making the wealthy even MORE wealthy, by eliminating tax deductions for the rest of us, and giving HUGE tax breaks to the wealthiest individuals and corporations.  The bill eliminates deductions for teachers buying stuff for the classroom, eliminates the deduction of state and local taxes (resulting in double taxation), eliminates deduction for interest on student loans – and makes them claim the loans as income!!!  And that’s just SOME of it…I can’t even go into everything here….I am furious.

In the bill they have hidden a repeal of Roe vs. Wade, naming a fetus as a viable human being – thus redefining the start of life.  They have hidden a break that now will allow churches and religious groups to donate to political campaigns and candidates, and making their donations deductible!!!  A serious breach of the division of church and state!  He’s snuck in steep taxation on renewable energy sources, such as solar and hydro power – he claims coal is “clean”, proving how very ignorant he truly IS.  There are also tons more of these little “sneak ins” in the new tax scam bill.  It’s not just a big fat tax break for the rich, but it’s a giant attack on the middle class and poor here in America.

AND this “tax reform” will increase our federal deficit by $1.4 to $1.7 TRILLION dollars over 10 years.

Less than 20% of this country even “likes” this tax bill.  And even they aren’t understanding just how horrible this will make things here in the USA.  It could cripple our country, plunge us into a huge recession and cause much unnecessary suffering by millions of people.

People making $40K a year will see a tax hike.  While people making $1M a year will see a huge tax cut.  HOW does that make any sense?  How is that fair and equitable???  Even our Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says this bill is NOT GOOD.

All Democrats will vote against this new “tax reform bill”.  It will be passed into law – IF it is actually passed as is – by ONLY the Republican party.  THEY WILL OWN THIS PROBLEM.   It’s the Republican Tax Attack.  And they are DETERMINED to RAM this through, making it law before the end of the year.  Trump claims it’s going to be a “Big, beautiful, very beautiful, Christmas present.”   HE LIES!!!  And LIES some MORE!!!

They are rushing this bill through so that it cannot be properly vetted and debated as it should be.  They don’t want people to figure out just how sneaky and conniving they are being with this bill.  They don’t want us to know how bad things are.  It’s trickle-down economics.  We have tried it before with Reagan, and it resulted in a recession during the 80’s, remember?  This bill should NOT be passed into law.

If you have read me this far and are as angry as I am take some time today to CALL YOUR SENATOR!!!  Google your Senator and speak up against this Republican Tax Attack!!!

I’m done.

Peace.  ~MB