The Art of No Deal

Let's face it, trump is a fraud. The spectacular failure of "repeal and replace" brings that home today. It's not a good day for Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, either. You should at least be able to get the support of your own majority party. The bill was withdrawn because neither the ultra-conservative "freedom" caucus would support it nor the more "moderate" Republicans in the House who might like to get re-elected in districts that went for Secretary Clinton.

Two of my predictions about trump as president have already come to pass. (And I'm hoping some of the others don't!)

It has been seven long years since Obamacare passed and the best the Republican Party could come up with was a last-minute, slap-dash fraud of a bill that would reduce coverage for millions and be a nightmare to administer.

Remember, trump said he would repeal and replace with something much better with less expensive coverage for all! And if you believed that, I've got some steaks, vodka, and a college degree to sell you.

The Constitution Is NOT A "Negative" Document!

I know what they mean. It's the whole conservative line that the U.S. Constitution's purpose was to establish a limited government. Even though it came after the failed Articles of Confederation to give the national government more, not less power. Don't believe the propaganda. Read the document itself.

Today someone posted a clip from the Senate hearings to confirm (or not) Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Senator Sasse of Nebraska set him up for this "negative" document thing.



So I had to respond:

Why Was John Vaughan (1825) in Abersychan in 1847?

Another serendipitous discovery as I was skimming through Welsh Historical Journals online, the simple answer being that 1846-47 were the years of highest pay for puddlers at the Abersychan Iron Works.

Russian Interference and Interests, Yes. Collusion? Maybe Not

Glenn Greenwald

It s necessary to share a warning that there may not be evidence to come forth in the congressional investigations of trump and Russia to show any direct collusion to subvert the recent election.

A recent article by Glenn Greenwald, liberal investigative reporter who has been publishing Eric Snowden's revelations, explains that Democratic leaders worry that there is no such evidence found to date and that it will greatly disturb the Democratic base. It seems too many dots are being connected even if some of those dots of Russian interference and financial influence back and forth do exist.

Holland Saves Western Europe!

The Red, White, and Blue, and Orange!

Ziko-C - Own work. Kerktoren Oude St Mauritius, Silvolde, Koninginnedag 2008. Toren uit ca. 1570.

Not that I'm a big expert on internal or external Dutch politics, but the weak election results of the Partij voor de Vrijheid - PVV (Party for "Freedom") of yet another nationalist populist who shall remain unnamed on this blog was a good sign yesterday. It shows that the march of nationalism that resulted in so many millions of deaths in the horrific wars of the 20th Century may be turning a corner in 21st.

A friend an I discussed the cycles of history yesterday and how we fail to learn to stand up for the rights of the oppressed. The struggle keeps cycling around but blood and horror always seems to rule on this earth. Before the nationalistic wars of the 19th Centuries, we had the nations battling over colonies and slavery and the oppression of peoples of different cultures and tones of skin color. Before that were the feudal kingdoms of "might makes right" and he who had the most gold or bigger sword lorded it over the serfs, peons, or peasants.

But back to the plucky Dutch (I have some ancestry there, by the way, on both my Dad and Mom's side. 19th Century Mormon converts on my Dad's and back to Colonial New Amsterdam Dutch on my Mom's). In the 20th Century, the Netherlands were rolled over by the Nazi war machine surrendering but never quite as their resistance was strong. Many helped Jews escape to neutral Sweden. The resistance wore the hidden safety pins to flash their unity that have now become a symbol of support of immigrants and refugees in this country as I wear them. After the war, Mormon Dutch gathered their potato harvest to feed the starving survivors in . . . Germany. It was such a relief to see their rejection of nationalism yesterday.

Yes, Perpetual Change

NPR had some show on about studies of the brain and how ones favorite music resides in the same portion of the brain as personality. Pop psychology or Science is beyond me. And if true, my favorite music in all its diversity might explain my warped psyche.

On the way down to Provo for Welsh class today, I had to take a break from the news and go to a "happy place." That was Yes's Perpetual Change from The Yes Album (1971). Not quite the sound poetry that followed on Close to the Edge, it still has odd lyrics and amazingly complex rhythms and themes on a tune. There are passages that grind in hard rock riffs and others, lyrical and anthemic passages that soar.

Civil Service Heritage

Odd Coincidence that. I was entering wonderful details of my Grandpa's education and work history onto Ancestry.com from a civil service application dated 1943 when he applied for a management job at the Ogden Arsenal. It was the 33rd anniversary of my civil service computation date.

Yes, my Grandpa helped win the war building the bombs that blasted the Third Reich and Imperialist Japan to bits. A necessary job even with the tragedy of human suffering. Sometimes one must do the unpleasant things that are necessary. That seems the very nature of often disrespected government service.

The Agents of V.O.I.C.E.

When trump announced his great, really great, idea to have a task force for Victims Of Immigrant Crime Engagement, a gasp and moan went up from the Democratic side of the House Chamber. I felt it too.

The problem is simply this:
Attempting to couch it in some kind of relief or service to victims, he doesn't hide the real nature that it is a list of crimes committed by immigrants. By so doing, he creates a new class that he can then treat differently than all other criminals because of their status as immigrants.

Maybe he only means illegal Immigrants. And I can see the point and don't even contest the valid interest of placing a priority on deporting undocumented immigrants who commit serious crime. But why create a victims list of only those impacted by Immigrants?