0040 - 30APR2017 - Written in Sep 2016 - Never published - Still true...

What a choice, my friends, what a choice!

Up until now I had decided not to write anything about the Democratic or Republican party final nominees for POTUS because I had not reached the bottom of my disappointment with them. But recently, a friend asked me my opinion on these elections and also on the national conversation about immigration…  He got me ready; now I write...

I am extremely conflicted about voting for any of the main party candidates… Because of that, more and more I was looking into Gary Johnson (Libertarian) and Jill Stein (Green)… Then came the fateful morning where Gary Johnson was asked his thoughts about Aleppo and he asked “What’s Aleppo?” Done with him! Here is what I think about Clinton and Trump…

Hillary Clinton continues to sink into the cesspool created by her lies, arrogance, ambition and, maybe – as General Hayden suggested - intellectual incapacity to learn… In my book she’s not fit to be POTUS having lied her way out in every occasion she's had and having - pretty much - wiped her back side with the State Department protocols for the handling of sensitive information. If your past performance is a predictor of your future performance, she will be one of the most ethically challenged people to ever have sought the office… She has even managed to corrupt, directly or via surrogates, some people and organizations with, up until now, good/respectable reputation like the Director of the FBI, and the FBI itself; they are now the laughingstock of the nation… She has disrespected and disregarded more people than everybody I know, except for Trump.

Donald Trump continues to go lower and lower in the continuum of poor taste, poor manners, poor judgement, poor human qualities and poor citizenship… He is a megalomaniac charlatan, a demagogue, a masterful marketer who discovered, and then aroused, the latent nationalist/segregationist feelings of a significant percentage of the US population and, based on that, he thinks that he can spew hate over any segment of the population he chooses to attack (Mexicans, POWs, people with disabilities, Muslims, etc.) and say or do anything without consequences... This megalomaniac will dismiss any protocol, proven custom, even break the law, in his insistence that he knows it all and needs nobody’s input; he may even start bellicose activities just to prove he’s tough. Finally, I think his motto of “Making America Great Again” is only the ‘right hand’ conversation, with the ‘left hand’ conversation talking about bringing America back to when everybody looked alike, sounded alike and prayed alike; when everybody knew their place, including what part of the bus they were expected to sit on, and what water fountain they were supposed to drink out of...

As a corollary to this, whoever wins will have ZERO chances to get anything done because Congress will continue to have their eyes on the next election cycle and on how they can raise the most money for their re-election! And the hell with the business of governing which is what they were elected for! So let’s fasten our seat belts, my friends, because the road is going to get bumpy and it is going to take some serious trauma for us to get out of this vicious cycle…

As far as immigration goes, I am also conflicted, and here’s why: I believe in the rule of law; I believe that what makes this country different from many other countries is our general tendency to adhere to the law; therefore, the law comes first. I’ve always had a natural aversion against those who try to cut corners, circumvent the system, ignore process, take advantage of the situation whether it is fair/ethical or not… So, to me, either you follow the rules or you’re out of the game… However, sometimes there are also circumstances - like the current times - in which the law becomes obsolete and impractical, is no longer feasible, fair or applicable. Immigration Laws have been in need of reform for decades now and Congress has blocked any initiative to get it done (both Bush 43 and Obama failed on getting anything passed); that inaction has opened the door to demagogues like this clown (Trump) to develop a nationalist (nearly neo-Fascist) message; that message, by the way is completely baseless, because he cannot deport 11 million people without the concurrence of congress for all the appropriations of the billions of dollars that it would cost, and without sending our economy into a tail spin due to the void caused on the labor force by the absence of millions of workers; simply not doable the way this demagogue has sold it. However, as baseless as it may be, the message resonates with a lot, a surprisingly large lot, of people in this country, and they are buying it hook, line and sinker!... (If you want an example of how screwed up our immigration laws are, read this:  http://miguelssoapbox.blogspot.com/2016/03/0036-22mar2016-screwed-up-system.html)

0039 - 29NOV2016 - It's a new day...

I start this entry with this declaration: after today, I will not be addressing politics anymore. Here is why: back in May this year, I made the following assertion in one of my postings:

“Regardless, I think this fall may define a brand-new view of the USA around the world… I hope it remains positive… After all, the combination of isolationism (I don’t give a damn about what they think), nationalism (only the USA matter), populism (I’ll say what they want to hear) and disdain for other peoples have never worked! If you really think it works, read your History of the World, especially the chapters about Germany in the 1930s…”

Well, the people have spoken and I was proven wrong; what I viewed as impossible to happen here in the noble and exalted U.S. of A., (the resurgence of Nationalism, Populism, Xenophobia and disdain for other people) has happened.

I really hope Trump’s government is successful, because then the USA will be successful; I had a fear that the theme “Let’s make America great again” really meant “…like it was when we all looked, sounded and prayed alike, and those who didn’t, well they knew what water fountain to drink out of!” I sincerely hope I am wrong again and, with that, I take my political final curtain!

Now, let’s talk about some other things…

Sports: I don’t know if I shared this but, after 38 years as a loyal fan, I resigned my membership as a Buccaneer’s fan. The team’s criteria for success (win at all costs) and mine (always play at the center of the Ethical Circle) collided; I could no longer root for them; we divorced! Instead, I continue to follow the Dolphins, Giants, Lions, and adopted the Titans (had to!) So, this past week, my teams went 4-0; they all have playoff aspirations, with different degrees of possibilities. In college, the Florida Gators lost to the FSU Seminoles; too bad! Don’t really care much about the rest… We’ll wait for the playoffs and cheer for somebody (other than Alabama!) again …

Currently Happening: Fire on the Mountain… For the last six to eight months, we here in Tennessee, have been affected by a severe drought… We have a small creek in the Southern boundary of our property and, for the first time since we’ve been living here (2009) it went dry around May and never again this year has carried a drop of water… The pastures and lawns in the area were already brown by the time Fall set in this past October… Now, and for a couple of weeks already, fires have started in the Eastern part of the state (along with Kentucky, the Carolinas and Northern Georgia). This past week-end, the Smokey Mountains area of the state have been burning like never before; Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and other places have been asked to evacuate… Closer to home and on Thanksgiving Day,  a fire started to burn on Horseshoe Dr, right where the short Horseshoe Dr. meets the longer Horseshoe Dr. It burned good for about three hours expanding about 200 yards wide and 50 yards deep and, with the combined efforts of several local Fire and Forestry Departments, trenches were dug and firewalls established and it all was contained (not extinguished) by sunset… As per the Fire Department, it was deliberately set… Now, we had rain last night for the first time since May; it was not a lot, but a good beginning… Let’s hope there is more coming our way…

Family: my two younger daughters, Alex & Leah, came home for Thanksgiving, Alex from Atlanta, GA, and Leah from Rochester, NY; that was very good; we cooked up a storm, enjoyed some libations, ate most of what we cooked and baked… My grandson, Dominic, turned four on Nov 23rd; he and his parent spent Thanksgivings in Kentucky, with my son-in-law’s family.

Good book read lately: “Destiny and Power, the American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush”, by Jon Meacham.

Food for thought: “Nothing is as frightening as ignorance in action” – Goethe

So, stay humble enough to continue to learn, my friends…

0038 – 21MAY2016 - The receiving end…

I got some feedback that my last posting, -- the one from May 7th 2016 -- might have offended some people… Some of my friends(?) took exception to certain things I wrote; specifically, some thought I was suggesting they were racists due to the fact that they support a racist. Allow me to elaborate…

In that writing I did suggest that many of Trump’s followers were racist; I also said “… and some are not”, quoting Trump regarding his characterization of all Mexican being murderers and rapists. It is very simple folks: if you follow Trump and you’re not a racist, maybe you just fall into the minority/exception I just explained; so, if you’re not a racist, there is no need to take offense: I did not call you a racist.

But let’s examine this just a little more: one of Trump’s great appeals to many people is his dispensation with Political Correctness… He’s being praised for ‘…telling it like it is...’, and for being blunt, direct, tactless, vulgar and gratuitously offensive. Many of his followers delight on this because he's saying things (and getting away with it) they've been feeling and wanting to say for a long time but never - until now - were able to openly express or subscribe to. It is somewhat mysterious to me how is it that, when Trump insults people from all walks of life, saying deprecating things that have been proven false time and time again, it is OK and it feels great; but when it comes the other way, it tastes like shit. When Trump does it many of you support it and applaud; when it comes your way you feel offended and cry foul… Hmmm: does the term double standards ring a bell?

At any rate, I will do something that the man you follow, and the philosophy you spouse, do not seem to find it politically correct to do: I apologize if I offended you; it was not intentional but I realize I caused you discomfort and pain.

I leave you with one last thought: if you felt offended by what I wrote even though it did not apply to you, you can understand how folks feel when Trump casts wide nests of offensive remarks, even though it does not apply to them... If you are not a racist (the minority I wrote of above) and really believe in the Golden Rule of treating others like you'd like to be treated, can you truly support Trump and his doctrine? Doing both is a logical paradox...Think about it…

0037 - 07MAY2016 - News of its demise are grossly exaggerated!

It all began last June at the height of the season for announcements to become pre-candidates to the Presidency of the United States of America… Notice that I say pre-candidates because, until their party nominates them, that’s all they are, pre-candidates. At any rate, up to 17 people – 16 boys and one girl -  threw their hats in the ring to opt for the nomination by the Republican Party, the Great Old Party, the party of Lincoln; by the way, the party has morphed into something unrecognizable when compared with its beginnings in the late 1850s; but I digress…

Around that time, the Spring of 2015, all pre-candidates brought forward their ‘messages’, and some of them were – to me - more attractive than others… The most attractive ones were those who were openly against what I consider legalized bribery, or traffic of influences, or lobbying, or corporate donations… One of them specifically was Donald J. Trump who said “I don’t need donations; I won’t take donations so I won’t owe any political favors to any one… No one will call campaign favors on me!” That, folks, was music to my ears; another pre-candidate had a similar philosophy, Bernie Sanders, by accepting only small individual donations, not corporate ones.

The narrative of the presidential campaign cycle began to heat up when Trump made his comments about the Mexicans being here/coming here were mostly bad people (murderers, rapists) with some exceptions… Although repudiated publicly by many, those comments resonated with a lot of people; those people started to think this guy had something on the ball; he seemed to be speaking on some attractive terms… He started to claim the mantra of not believing in (or giving a damn about) Political Correctness; rudeness and disparage appeared to surface more and more often in his rallies/interviews and people started to feel ‘liberated’ by the fact that somebody was saying out loud and in the open what they had been bottling up for decades now… Some weeks went by and Trump managed to be -  inexplicably – very disparaging about Megyn Kelly (Faux Network anchor), raising some eyebrows, eliciting some comments, but losing no popularity, mind you; on the contrary. He continued to harp on his Mexican/illegals theme, and added that he would deport 11 to 12 million people in the first year of his presidency, and build a “huge and beautiful wall with a great and beautiful door” and that he would have México pay for it; his popularity soared. His opponents, meanwhile, were ‘running on issues’ not realizing they were not being heard by their party and, therefore, making no difference and getting nowhere.

Then came the comments about John McCain not being a hero because “heroes don’t get caught”, and the mimicking of a handicapped reporter with whom he had had a disagreement in the past. Republican veterans did not flinch; republican disable people did not flinch either… He expands his rhetoric against trade agreements, international military alliances and this rhetoric continues to resonate with more and more people…

Then, the San Bernardino, CA massacre happens and he issues his most impactful statement yet: “Banning the entry of Muslims into the USA” … Now he’s gone into even more complicated – but more visceral – territory because now he’s talking about banning people from coming here just for practicing another religion, regardless of race or national origin (many nations around the world – including ours - have native Muslim populations; by the way, the biggest number of Muslims in the world are Indonesians, not Arabs!) … Most people start to say that this is the end of Trump’s campaign; he’s gone too far now; he’s alienated friends and foes alike; and so on… But, guess what: his popularity goes through the roof; more people are attending his rallies, more people are saying “he’s one of us” … 

His opponents, much to their chagrin, change their tactics and styles, and start attacking him in the same style he attacks them, including allusions to the size of genitalia; but it does not work; one by one they drop out beaten, embarrassed and ashamed of themselves for having stooped that low (though not all of them are either ashamed or embarrassed since they immediately joined his ranks, i.e. Christy, Carson…)

Some of the drop outs start to rationalize their failure by citing some anger that the USA workers have against their leaders for having lost their good paying jobs; others rationalize their failure by saying that people are angry because the Republicans have ‘owned’ congress for two years now and have done nothing; others say that Republican voters have become anti-establishment (whatever that may mean). And none of them realize (or have the courage to recognize in public) that they have been beaten with a theme that, even though it was never said, it was something that appealed to lots of people, and here it is: “If they don’t look like us, and don’t sound like us, and don’t pray like us, they don’t belong with us”. In other words, without uttering it once in public, Trump has beaten them all with the most visceral and primitive of the appeals to many people here in the USA: The Racism Card! What many people are thinking now, and very few are saying, is that the news of racism’s demise here in the good old US of A are grossly exaggerated!

Now, to paraphrase Trump about the Mexicans “…and some are good people”, not all of Trump’s followers are the racist type; no, some of them are rather attracted to what he’s saying for other reasons (like I was when he said he would owe no political favors); some of them think that NATO is a waste; some of them think that protecting our interests in Germany, Japan, South Korea is also a waste; some other think that trade or defense treatises are a waste; some of them think that being a peace maker is also a waste; some of them think he’s out to stick it to Washington and give congress hell; some of them think ‘Islam is after us’; some people are afraid of having lost National Identity and want to restore it (this melting pot concept is grossly overrated!); and there may be many other reasons, noble or otherwise, why people gravitate towards Trump and his rhetoric…

As I write this, there are already myriads of ‘defections’ within the Republican ranks; many notable and traditional Republican names have either temporarily or permanently, withheld their support from Trump. Some people praise them for their candor and honesty; some others bash them for being anti-democratic cowards… I find it refreshing when Jeb Bush says “how can I honestly support Trump when I have said many times before he is unfit to govern? Which Bush would the voters believe?” He also adds he will not vote for either Trump or Clinton: I subscribe to that!

Now, I know there are many of you out there who, regardless of any reasoning, have already voted for Trump in the Republican Primaries, and are convinced about voting for him again in the General Elections. It is my sincere hope that you are focusing on the right-hand part of the conversation which says “Let’s make America great again”; I fear there are many others who focus on the left-hand part of the conversation which actually says “…like it was when we all looked, sounded and prayed alike, when everybody knew their place!”

Regardless, I think this fall may define a brand new view of the USA around the world… I hope it remains positive… After all, the combination of isolationism (I don’t give a damn about what they think), nationalism (only the USA matter), populism (I’ll say what they want to hear) and disdain for other peoples have never worked! If you really think it works, read your History of the World, especially the chapters about Germany in the 1930s…

0036 - 22MAR2016 - A screwed-up System...

This is a story about immigration; it is not the typical story of late about suffering and hard times; about anguish and separations; about people living in the shadows in constant fear of being found out… No; this one is a little different…

After years of coming to the USA frequently to visit in leisure trips, in 1992, this man and his family applied for visas to come to live permanently here in the USA. They went to the USA Embassy in their country of origin, met with an embassy worker, acquired the application forms, filled the application forms and submitted them with all the pertinent and required supporting documentation. One of the reasons why they used to come to the USA as often as they did is that he had a sister living in Houston who had moved to the USA for reasons or marriage. The other reasons were to continue their education by frequently attending medical seminars… When they submitted their applications for resident visas, his sister provided an affidavit about her being financially responsible for them and therefore, under no circumstance would they become a burden to the government (housing assistance welfare, food stamps, etc.) In the process they went for several interviews with Embassy officials or diplomats all as part of their permanent residence process…

At the time he was a 40 years old Medical Doctor (Gastroenterologist) and his wife was a 39 years old Medical Doctor (Pathologist); they had four kids all still in school and living at home. He had a private practice, rather successful, and she worked at the University in their Tropical Medicine Institute (doing research).  They calculated that they would need to put themselves to school for about four more years to become fully license doctors here in the States; consequently, they figured out how much money they needed for their schooling, their children schooling and overall living expenses for four years; saved their money and put it in the bank to be ready for the occasion…

Years went by, life went on and – meanwhile- they were always looking forward to the day when they got their permanent visas… During that time things changed… The kids grew up, got out of school… One, also a doctor, got married and moved to the USA with her USAir Pilot husband; today she practices medicine in McAllen, TX. Another one, a lawyer, got married and lives – and practices law - in Santiago, Chile. The others have similar stories with the bottom line being, that all the kids sought greener pastures… Also during that time, the political and economic situations changed and, little by little they started to eat into their savings in order to maintain their lifestyle…

One day last fall, after 23 years of waiting, they got in the mail the news that their application had been approved, welcoming them to the USA… Woot woot! Time to celebrate!

Well, not so fast… He’s now 63 and his wife 62; if they decided to come and go through the schooling they need to become fully accredited doctors in the USA, they would be ready to start a career when they are 67 and 66; hmmm… Also, all their savings are gone; therefore, they could not go to school anyway; so what would they do here? What kind of professional start would they be able to achieve at 63 & 62? He/they refuse to be a burden to either his sister (now an elderly woman herself) or to their daughter… After a long time of deliberation, they decided to say thanks, but no thanks; decided to stay where they are and continue to wait, this time for the sunset of their lives…

I wonder, what kind of administrative process takes - legitimately - 23 years to complete…? Coming out empty-handed with an answer, I can reach only one conclusion: the system is seriously screwed up!

His name is Dr. Manuel J. Gomez (a.k.a. Manolo), and her name is Dr. Miriam Naranjo de Gomez. He was my next-door neighbor, childhood friend (two months my senior!), and classmate through elementary, middle and high schools in Carúpano, our home town in Venezuela; he’s still my dear friend… I can assure you not having this caliber of people amongst us is a real loss for the good ole U.S.A.

0035 - 04MAR2016 - The Freak Show...

So, I was watching the Republican debate last night and, within the first five minutes, Jan said: “this is uncomfortable”; she was referring to the tone and content of the questions and answers being attempted to be asked and answered. Two minutes later she said “this is disgusting”; she was referring to the level of exchanges and discourse among people who are seeking to lead this country; immediately after that, the last straw came when Trump said he has no problems with the size of his ‘endowment’; “this is embarrassing”, she said, and got up and left the room. I agreed with her but, nonetheless, stayed to watch the rest of the ‘show’…

Uncomfortable, disgusting and embarrassing sum up the spectacle served last night by Bozo, Pennywise and little Bongo (Trump, Cruz and Rubio) and ‘moderated’ (allowed and encouraged, I would say) by anchors of the Fox network (I refuse to call the Fox News; they belong in the entertainment category!) The only adult in the room is the one that is – of course- trailing in all polls: John Kasich (another evidence that few people give a flying flick about seriousness anymore!)

Last night’s freak show tops a week of developments in politics that, as little as four years ago, I would have never imagined that it would happen here, in the U.S. of A., where we pretend to be the standard bearers of democracy, the model that many other nations aspire to emulate, the leaders of the free world!

The week started with a comment made by the ex-director of both the CIA and the NSA, a retired Air Force General by the name of Michael Hayden, who said in one of the Sunday programs that if Trump, as Commander in Chief, gave an order to use torture on prisoners (as he has avowed several times), soldiers would have the right to refuse to execute that order, since it is prescribed by the Military Code of Conduct to reject unlawful orders… Holy smokes!  That is tantamount to open rebellion! That is only a taste of the kind of discussion provoked by the rhetoric used by some candidates… That’s horrific!

As we readied ourselves on Wednesday to deal with the hangover from Super Tuesday, we also had to confront – head on - the consequences of such a decisive day in our electoral process… By the looks of it, and based on vox populi, it would be Hillary vs. Trump in the fall, unless the Republicans staged a coup d’état at the convention (rumors abounded that morning), and/or Hillary got indicted/arrested … On that day, Wednesday, I thought that the rest of the field, though some of them waged a very dignified campaign, needed to go home, lick their wounds and see how they could contribute to the re-accreditation of the process, to the salvation the system. I envisioned the ugliest times of the campaign were yet to come, in the fall… I was wrong and my timings were off (the fall was too far away) …

The news outlets, news shows, and every pundit were talking about one of these topics: 

• (a)    Almighty Hillary cannot put away a 74 years old New York Jew socialist from Vermont, virtually unknown up to one year ago; now she’s copying some of his lines…
• (b)    The guy who setup Hillary’s server has been given immunity by the FBI; the likelihood of her indictment and arrest just got higher…
• (c)     The Republican establishment (who are they anyway?) will not accept Trump as their nominee…
• (d)    It looks more and more probable that the Republican Convention will be a contested event…
• (e)    Ohio and Florida are the firewall to prevent Trump from ‘hijacking our party” …

And, on Thursday, the wheels came off the Republican wagon: Mitch's re-birth, and the debate!

First, good ole Mitch tried to do an impersonation of the Phoenix, and come back from the ashes of rejection and defeat; he gave a blistering speech against Trump holding nothing back. He tried to play the role of the elder statesman imparting his wisdom. He delivered a recipe for only one objective: stop Trump. The speech was a summary of what all Trump’s opponents have been saying about him for the last several weeks; it made no difference then; Mitch’s speech, therefore, will make no difference. He said nothing new and, furthermore, Trump’s supporters don’t care; Mitch is part and parcel of what they are rejecting. The only result of that speech was that, last night, Trump offended and demeaned – mercilessly - a decent man; Mitch should have remained retired; his time came and went; the Trump crisis is someone else’s battle to fight. Besides, stopping Trump is not possible without tearing the party up possibly beyond repair. I’d say the Republicans have only one way left to save the party: support Trump; embrace Trump; manage Trump; tame Trump; make a Republican out of him!

And then came, of course, the debate. I will add no more. The only results these clowns accomplished were (a) to demonstrate that Kasich is the only viable choice; and (b) made the Jerry Springer show seem refined…

One final thought, my friends: if this is the best we have to offer to our nation and to the world, our future is simply bleak. We are better than this!

0034 - 16FEB2016 - The show goes on...

And then, all of a sudden, we come to realize that the show has moved from the three-ring Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus, to the octagon of the Mixed Martial Arts arena…

In the first round Bozo (Trump) and Pennywise (Cruz) got engaged in a contest to see who could call each other a liar faster and louder; it quickly escalated to a very unsavory brawl… Meanwhile Honey Booboo (Bush) woke up in the second round and started to complain that Bozo was calling his family names and started to quiver (I thought for a minute he was going to cry). Later, little Bongo (Rubio) decided he needed to get in the action in the 3^rd round and started to shrill and stump his feet because ‘it was Clinton the one who was guilty for the 9/11 attack’… Literally, there seems to have been only two grownups in the room: Kasich, who is in general very sound and stays above that fray (but is getting borderline weird with his message of ‘love and reconciliation’), and then Ben Carson who, at one time, I am sure was a master of the electronic scalpel, but, at this moment cannot speak his way out of a paper bag…  What a spectacle folks… 

This is my 11^th rodeo - presidential election, that is - in the USA (my first one was Carter Vs. Ford in 1976) and I had gone through four rounds in Venezuela before that… Never could I imagine that I would be witnessing the degradation in civility, manners, respect and demeanor that these characters, who aspire to be the leader of the greatest country on Earth, have taken this process down to…

Ah, but this is not all… In the previous match, Ronald McDonald decided she cannot convince anybody that she has anything original to offer, or anything that people could find her credible on; so, what does she do? What every loser with complete lack of integrity does: start to change the focus from them to their opponent, and try to discredit them; it is called climbing up on someone else’s back because you don’t have one to stand on… Then there is Bernie Sanders who seems to have gotten stuck on Wall Street and cannot move any further that that…

Is it also very amusing to watch the political morning shows (MSNBC, CNN & FOX): all the pundits walk around like zombies with their jaws dropped to the floor: they cannot believe what was said in the latest debate and how it was said, and cannot figure out why the polls show Bozo so far ahead, or where this process is going to…

Now, to make things more complicated, and to define a battle with far more consequences than the presidential election, Justice Antonin Scalia died. In two days it has already created more animosity and crisis than the election; the whole power base of the republic is in turmoil: The Executive branch (the President) must appoint a successor to Scalia, but they are told not to bother; the Judiciary branch (Supreme Court) is incomplete without the 9^th Justice and many cases would not be heard or adjudicated letting the lower court decision prevail; the Legislative branch (the Senate) is obligated to advise and consent but they have bowed to do neither until Obama is out of office… This is UGLY!