Out, Fox

    Commentators on the Fox TV network are being criticized for their thinly veiled suggestions that people use force to impose their judgments on politicians.
   Talk show host Jesse Watters reportedly told his audience at a conservative political conference to "ambush" Dr. Anthony Fauci with sharply phrased questions that amount to a "kill shot" that would silence the nation's top disease expert, even if the questions are based on false information.
   According to an NPR report, Watters said to the crowd, "This is when you say, 'Dr. Fauci, you funded risky research at a sloppy Chinese lab, the same lab that sprung this pandemic on the world. You know why people don't trust you, don't you?' Boom, he is dead. He's done."
   Fauci's response, made on a CNN TV appearance, was to say the remarks were "a reflection of the craziness that goes on in society."

Highest Appeal

   Donald Trump has taken his bid to stop New York's probe of his business dealings to the Supreme Court, and lawyers for both sides have asked the court to consider the case quickly.
   This is in itself unusual, since many suspect the ex-president has been using court challenges largely to delay any probe of his activities.
   However, observers said the court is not likely to say for several weeks whether it will hear the challenge, and it would then be months before it gets to hearing the case.
   Otherwise, it is possible that the court will reject the bid sooner, in which case any decisions by lower courts will stand. And there is speculation that despite the fact that three of the nine justices were appointed by Trump and that Republicans outnumber Democrats on the high bench, they will declare their independence of politics and focus entirely on the law.
 

Population Slowdown

   The pandemic helped to slow population growth in America to its slowest ever, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

   This year, the population grew by 0.1 percent (that's one-tenth of 1 percent), the agency said, and it was the first time since 1937 that the population grew by fewer than one million people. That was the lowest number since the bureau began its annual estimates in 1900.

   Part of the slowdown was caused by a drop in international migration, the agency said. Only a quarter of a million people came to America in the past ten years. Part of the slowdown was attributed to the pandemic. Earlier, "the slowest rate of growth in the 20th Century was from 1918-1919, amid the influenza pandemic and World War I."

   Add all this to the shortage of workers as businesses try to hire workers for sometimes menial jobs, and the question becomes, why is there so much opposition to newcomers from other countries with differing cultures?

   The most likely answer: bigotry.

  

World Lockdown

   The latest version of the corona virus has spread so widely and so rapidly that countries around the world are shutting down in a desperate bid to control it. 

   In America, many of the nation's most popular sports activities are delaying their games because players are testing positive for the latest variant of the disease. 

   Many cities are canceling their New Year's Eve celebrations, which draw massive crowds overnight no matter how cold it may get. New York City, however, has not yet pulled the plug on its Times Square gathering. 

   Stay tuned. The mayor may yet say, "Don't come." Don't be surprised, however, if thousands of people gather in Manhattan no matter the weather or the cancellation.

   A virus, however, is not known to be politically correct in its willingness to follow a government official's orders.

Block Aid

  Former president Donald Trump is suing to block New York investigators from continuing their probe of his business activities in the years before and during his term in office.

   Whether this has any likelihood of succeeding is an open question. One wonders where it says that someone can stop an official investigation that has only just begun. Moreover, civil investigations often take years. In addition, this one is a state investigation, and federal officials have no authority over what New York chooses to probe.

   There's also the question of funding. News reports have detailed the ex-president's money-raising political activities even as his personal and business activities show a lack of funding.

   So who's paying the investigators? Besides, if a person is innocent, why bother to stop a probe?

   One answer would be a strong ego. Another would be ... 

Freedom and Speech

    "The times, they are a-changin'." -- Bob Dylan

 

   America was formed from change.

   From its earliest days, when European invaders pushed Native tribes aside and brought their own customs -- including slavery -- to the New World, to the current years, those who suffered from any change accepted the consequences. At least, that's what the winners claimed. Reality, however, said otherwise.

   "Nobody likes a loser," the winners insisted, trying to persuade others to accept the new situation and do what they're told.

   There comes a time, however, when someone who is accustomed to winning -- no matter how it is arranged -- finally is outvoted and has to leave his elevated position.

   So does this loser accept the vote and move on with his life?

   For someone who has spent his life seeking approval and demanding to be liked, this is not acceptable. Therefore, he does not accept the vote, even if it is a strong majority.

   This is the problem that faces America today, and the question becomes, what to do about it.

   Those who did not like the results of the recent presidential vote gathered nearly a year ago to protest the inauguration of the winner. But the opposition candidate could not and does not accept the notion that he is, in fact, a loser.

   The question now is, what to do about it. There is strong evidence that suggests the loser encouraged his believers to overturn what he insists was a "rigged" election and prevent the inauguration of the winner.

   Losers have the right to complain about the results of anything -- in this case, an election -- and this free speech is protected by the Constitution. But when this allegedly free speech causes followers to cause harm to others, the speaker becomes little more than a trouble maker, and there are laws about that.

   It may well be true that few people love a loser, but when a loser gripes so loudly and for so long that it leads to violence, it's time for society to gather its resources and shut him up.

Viral Politics

   Playing politics with public health is, to put it bluntly, stupid.

   Unless, of course, those in government have a larger, longer range goal, and that would be to undermine public loyalty to the opposition political party so they can increase their own power.

   Perhaps if politicians had a better reputation for speaking truthfully, America would not have its current problems.

   That's another way of noting that hypocrisy rules.

 

Packing SCOTUS

   Republicans are suddenly outraged at the idea of expanding the Supreme Court, allegedly so Democrats can add some of their own to the bench and thus pack the court in their favor.

   Therefore, wrote one of their flacks, "there has never in history been a more important time" to defeat Democrats in November. The pitch cites a tweet indicating that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) supports adding four seats to SCOTUS. (Therefore, send money.)

   An odd pitch, warning of a court-packing, since the GOP did just that a few years ago by stalling President Obama's single appointment so Donald Trump could name three conservative Republicans to the court.

   But they do make one valid point: Politicizing the judicial system is a bad idea.

   Perhaps they will listen to their own propaganda.

  

Mandatory Foolishness

    Junior Trump warns that the anti-covid vaccine is an "authoritarian mandate" to crush the Constitution and to fire "millions of hard-working Americans."

   To stop this assault on American freedom, the son of the ex-president adds, he asks for political contributions "to stop Joe Biden."

   Meanwhile, more than 800,000 Americans have died from the virus, and variants threaten to push that total to nearly one million. Hospitals are once again filling up with patients as the virus continues to spread. And around the world, the disease continues to sicken those who do not have access to a life-saving vaccine.

   Apparently, politics is more important than American lives.

Oak Wise

   Druidry is growing around the world as people look for a spiritual practice that does not require strict obedience to a set of rules imposed by others.
   Many folks look for specific instructions on how to contact a spiritual advisor or deity. Druidry does not give specific directions. Rather, it suggests that every person reach out to the Otherworld in their own way. This is similar to what practitioners of other belief systems do, including variations of Shamanism, the Asian term used for native belief systems in cultures around the world. Each has been modified as people adapt the principles to better fit the cultural traditions they know and are comfortable with.
   This is also true of other spiritual traditions that live on in their cultures despite attempts by newer religious organizations to stamp them out. Sadly, this strategy has been the root of many wars -- the belief that one way is right and all others are evil. Politics and economics are usually cited as the causes of military conflict, but an underlying reason is often religious.
   When conversations mix politics and religion, the result often leads to argument and violence. Add economics to the mix, and on a national level, this means war.
   Some preachers assail faith healers as wishful thinkers or at worst as devil worshippers, especially those who do not share the same spiritual beliefs. And they criticize physicians who do not emphasize the healing power of faith. There is room for both. Each contributes to a person's well being. They both are healers -- one through faith and the other through the physical. That's why medical healers are called physicians.
   Conflicts often arise between physicians and faith healers. It's not likely that some faith healers will abandon their criticism of medics, but it is possible to counter-balance what they say. They rely on their right to freedom of speech, but those who disagree can do the same.
   A problem arises when radical preachers claim that right for themselves but want to take it away from others. At the same time, a preacher may want to establish his belief system as somehow official and others are unconstitutional.
   In this context, some will ask which religion or belief system is best?
   The answer is the one that works best for you. Find a spiritual path that is comfortable for you to follow and stay on it regardless of what others may say.
   There is a temptation to share the cause of your spiritual or religious comfort with others in such a way as to convert them to your belief system.

   If they ask, go ahead and share. Otherwise, don't do it, because what works for you may not work for others.
   That way madness lies.

Anchors Away

   Two major TV news anchors are leaving their networks, each citing the drastic change in news coverage and the loss of neutrality among viewers.

   Brian Williams of MSNBC and Chris Wallace of Fox each announced their plans as the broadcast week drew to a close. Both lamented the changes in viewer demands. Both are known for their journalistic neutrality and their reputation for asking tough questions.

   Williams did not say what his future plans are. Wallace will move to CNN+, the company's non-broadcast news operation. However, it was clear that Wallace's leaving was prompted by the increase in right-wing commentary on the Fox network, with some of its commentators skirting and sometimes crossing the bounds of truth.

   Earlier, news anchor Shepard Smith left the Fox Network for similar reasons. He is now with CNBC. 

The Best W

    The basic tenet of journalism is to deal with the Five Ws of any story -- Who, What, Where, When and Why.

   These days, the final W -- Why -- is more important than ever on the national level.

   Why are the Trumpians delaying and doing their best to avoid questions by the Congressional committee  investigating the January 6 mob attack on the nation's Capitol?

   Equally important, why is the committee not swiftly issuing subpoenas to those who refuse to attend committee hearings?

   The translation of the term "subpoena" is "under penalty." But if there is no penalty for refusing to comply with the committee's order to attend, then there is no penalty, and the committee's work is pointless.

   Again comes the Why question: Why is the committee not enforcing its order to testify?

   The first four Ws are relatively easy, since the entire world has seen video of the assault. But the first -- Who is behind organizing the attack -- is of primary importance. The What, Where and When are easily documented by video and by personal recollections of Congressional members trapped by the assault on that day.

   That leaves the Who and the Why.

   It is nearly a full year since the event. (It was too well organized to be termed a riot.) The people of America deserve and need answers.

Election Begathon

    The election day begathon has begun, and it's nearly a full year until the next voting day. And that voting day is an interim election year, when control of Congress is up for grabs.

   But that's the point for those now in the minority, and those anxious to keep their control. Moreover, it's complicated by the redrawing of election districts to "conform" to the most recent census count.

   Already, lawsuits are being filed over allegations of gerrymandering to ensure one party maintains control.

   Come down to the essence, and that's the principle of politics these days -- control.

   It's not about doing what's right for the nation, but it's about controlling what government does so those in power can do what is financially beneficial for their backers.

   This week, the nation lost one of its better government officials, and his loss only emphasized how politics has changed. And not for the better.

   Bob Dole, a veteran of World War II, the U.S. Senate and a candidate for vice president, died the day before the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. He was known not only for his sharp humor, but also for his ability to work with the political opposition to achieve measures that would benefit the people -- all the people of the nation, not just those of a single party.

  

Gun Violence

      More than 500 people have died of gunfire in Philadelphia so far this year, up from 400 just a few weeks ago.

   Nationwide, the total is nearly 20,000. That's an increase of some 5,000 gunshot fatalities compared to 2018.

   Yet for all the talk about the soaring death rate, there has been little talk about tighter controls. Instead, there have been efforts to blame the increase on the spread of the corona virus and its mutations, which bring more tension to social relationships.

   That may well be true, but deaths from the virus have increased in other countries worldwide, and it's not clear whether gun deaths have also increased in those countries.

   Meanwhile, the logic is clear: More guns bring more deaths. Therefore, fewer guns will mean fewer deaths.

   One wonders whether Canada, which has strict gun ownership laws, has also seen an increase in gun violence and deaths. A quick check shows that gun homicides in Canada reached a five-year high in 2020 at a total of 277. Or Britain, or Ireland, or Australia, or New Zealand, other nations where the English language is predominant but gun laws are more strict.

   In Britain, gun homicides in 2018 totaled 33. In Australia, there are an estimated 14 firearms per 100 inhabitants. In the United States, that ratio is 120. That means there are more guns in America than there are people.

   That raises the question, why do so many Americans feel they need multiple firearms?

   One reason proposed by the gun lobby is that Americans rely on the Second Amendment to have guns so they can retaliate against invaders. From where, Canada? Apparently these believers do not trust the U.S. military, including the Marine Corps, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Forces and other highly trained personnel to defend the nation from invaders on the other side of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

   Meanwhile, the proliferation of guns in America leads to more killings of students and children while they are attending school.

    

Josephine Baker

    France paused this week to honor the American Black woman singer who was instrumental in helping her adopted nation deal with the Nazi invasion during World War II.

   The French international TV operation carried the ceremony live and in full, while the British and German networks available in America devoted extensive coverage to the honors.

   But there were no reports carried on major American TV networks. One wonders why. Was it because they did not know who Josephine Baker was, or did they decide the event was not newsworthy?

   She was born in the U.S., lived in Harlem, moved to France and became the most popular entertainer in the country in the 1930s and 1940s. She stayed in Paris during the occupation and used her position to have contact with German military officers and pass on valued information to the French Resistance.

   After the war, she was given several of the nation's top honors, including one personally by Charles de Gaulle. She later appeared at the side of Rev. Martin Luther King during his "I have a dream" speech.

   Yet despite all this, when the nation of France inducted her into its Pantheon in Paris, to join its most honored citizens, American TV networks had no coverage of the event.

   One wonders why.

 

King of Denial

    The Pharaoh Syndrome is spreading as people refuse to accept the reality of the corona virus.

   Result: The death toll rises as infections soar. This is what happens when people refuse to believe medical professionals and embrace the words of politicians instead.

Whether

   Decisions are based on whether to do one thing or another. A simplistic definition, certainly, but one that has kept me off this page recently. Instead, I have been writing fiction, a very satisfying effort, and the results are posted on the Amazon site.

   It certainly is more satisfying than sending samples to traditional publishers, then waiting months for a rejection note so the text can be sent to another.

   Instead, a book goes worldwide overnight, sales are immediately recorded and royalties paid monthly. It's not enough to finance retirement, but it does encourage more writing.

   My latest effort is titled "The Druid Cat," and deals with a feline effort to help his human partner, a journalist writing on the conflict between a hard-nosed redemptionist and those who want to follow their own spiritual path. It's the latest in a series.

   But my favorite is one titled "The Wolf Who Came Back," and tells of a leader taking his pack to resolve issues that humans destroyed.

   Meanwhile, enjoy the stories while I dig up more commentary on current events.

Gun Violence

    More than 400 people have been shot to death in the city of Philadelphia so far this year. At this rate, the city is likely to pass last year's record of some 500 gun deaths in Philadelphia.

   Nationally, 20,000 Americans died of gun violence last year, according to statistics. Yet the National Rifle Association has not been mentioned in any of the news reports of the soaring death rate.

  Why? The NRA supported the national gun control program when it was initiated in 1934, when the organization was sponsored by the U.S. military. But when that association was ended, the NRA became active in supporting gun ownership by the many, citing the Second Amendment to the Constitution and calling for near universal gun ownership by all Americans.

   Coincidentally, the NRA became a not-so-secret arm of the gun industry, and its program ignored the first phrase of the Second Amendment, which specifies that "A well regulated militia" is essential "to the security of a free state," and therefore gun ownership must not be limited. But the rash of shootings in major American cities cannot be attributed to members of any organized militia, well regulated or otherwise.

  Compare gun violence in America to other major nations such as Canada, Britain or France. So the question remains: Where is the NRA in all this?

Cancel Voting

    News media report there have been threats made against local and state voting officials, warning them of personal harm to them and to their families if Trump supporters lose.

  This during the few days before the coming off-year election next week. Typically, voter turnout is slim for such years, since many districts have only local offices at stake.

  But this could be a sign of things to come, a precursor to next year, when almost all seats in the House of Representatives will be open, and a third of the Senate seats.

 Separately, Donald Trump has called on supporters to ignore voting. Put the two together, and there is suspicion of a ploy to disrupt major elections in America to make it easier for the ex-president to "prove" the falsity of his loss in 2020 and to arbitrarily claim victory next time.

  Worse, if local and state election officials and poll workers refuse to risk their lives at polling places, that could mean they would be replaced by supporters of a given candidate, who would manipulate the vote count in favor of their candidate.

  If that sounds like the efforts made last year to overturn the vote counts that evicted Trump from the White House and now change the system to guarantee a return to power for the ex-president, then perhaps poll workers and election officials will have to be on guard to protect not only themselves and their families, but the Constitution itself, and replace it with someone who wants to dictate how the country shall conduct its elections.

Corona Blues

      The big virus is still keeping many folks home, and the death toll remains high. But despite that reality, many Americans insist the story is a Democrat plot meant only to harm Donald Trump and his campaign to return to the White House. Perhaps even before the official next re-election year in 2024.

    And have you noticed that Republican politicians refer to their opposition as the Democrat Party, and not by the official name "Democratic" Party? That can only be because they want to imply that members of that party are not really "democratic." This ploy on words has been going on for several years. One would think that eventually they might realize that the ploy is not working. But repetition is the guideline employed by propagandists for many decades.

Word Warriors

   Watch for the Republican Party to accelerate its campaign to persuade the world that the events of Jan. 6 were a peaceful demonstration by Trump supporters, and whatever incidents of unruly behavior did occur were perpetrated by minority civil rights protestors and Democratic supporters of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
   TV programs now show a split screen of a Republican defender of the Trumpistas on one side and video of the riotous attack on the Capitol on the other side.
   None of this, however, stops Trump supporters from pointing to problems involving civil rights demonstrators, no matter now minor. As if protesting, "They did it first," excuses the behavior of the rioters.

Word Play

    "Biomedical security state." That's the phrase used by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida to attack the federal plan encouraging an anti-virus injection mandate.
   As if preventive medicine is a bad thing.
   One primary function of government is to secure the safety of the people. So why would the governor attack the idea as representing something to be avoided because it endangers American liberty and the freedom of choice?
   The term "security state" has encountered negative connotations, implying that government oversteps its legitimate responsibilities. But there is a long history of governments around the world mandating health measures to bring health and safety to its citizens.
   Even the ex-president, for all his ranting about the foolishness of virus warnings during the covid pandemic, was inoculated early on, but said nothing about it, instead continuing his attack.
   Now, his supporters on the Faux News network praise him for allegedly bringing the covid vaccine to the public.
   Contrast that with state officials in some parts of the country who insist that mandating the vaccine is a civil rights violation.
   People have a responsibility to care for their own health, but they also have an obligation not to spread sickness to others.

Denial Pandemic

 Your civil rights end where my nose begins. -- Pug Mahoney

   It's no surprise that the death toll from virus infections has tripled as people deny the existence of covid and its recent variant.
   However, the good news is that Americans are now rushing to get vaccinated.
   The bad news is that for many of them, it's too late.
   Even so, governors in several states refuse to mandate mask wearing to help reduce infections. Others assail requirements that inoculations are necessary to help protect others.
   "It's an assault on civil liberties," they say.
   But for many decades, there have been government requirements that people be inoculated against diseases. These included measles, mumps, polio and many others. In addition, government has passed many laws to regulate people's actions as a way to prevent disease and death, not least of which is a ban on driving while intoxicated.
   The idea of civil liberties is crucial in maintaining American democracy. But there are limits to dangerous behavior, and government is right to enforce these limits.

Trial by Gossip

   A lie can go around the world before truth can cross the street. -- Pug Mahoney

   No, Mark Twain did not say that. Nor did he say the other version widely attributed to him. But it doesn't matter. What does matter is that politicians often lie, and it's up to the news media to expose them.
   Time was, people spread gossip over back fences or in taverns, where they met and talked only with those who agreed with them. That's still true, but now gossip has gone electronic, so it spreads even faster than early radio commentators could only dream about.
   These days, the spread of gossip and rumor, often false and malicious, is a basic format for some TV network commentators. Moreover, unlike comedians, they won't say that the stories they tell are just that -- stories, intended to prompt laughter. Instead, they insist the stories are true, and they attack anyone who exposes the lie.
   The difference between a lie and a tall story told by a comedian is intent. A comedian wants to provoke laughter. Sadly, the intent of some TV and internet writers is to provoke an overthrow of the federal government, even if it takes violence to do it.
   And by definition, urging the violent overthrow of government is treason.

Ignorance is Bliss

    Republican members of Congress are ignoring the House committee hearings on the Jan. 6 incidents, claiming they are too busy. The Fox "news" network is devoting much of its time to covering other stories, and its commentators are assailing Joe Biden's efforts to deal with current problems in America.
   Granted, some of the other cable channels are more sympathetic to the Biden administration, and find as much fault as they can with GOP claims that insist the Jan. 6 incidents were peaceful, while other protest demonstrations by civil rights people last year were not.
   But this is not last year. This is now, and civil rights protestors did not smash their way into the Capitol, threatening the lives of the vice president and the speaker of the House. Refusing to watch video of the Jan. 6 attacks does not make it go away, and spreading lies about what happened that day is more than counter-productive, it is dangerous to the American way of life.

Great Plague Returns

    Historians know about a disease that struck the known world in ancient times, and only those who stayed home and avoided contact with deniers survived.
   At the time, it was called divine intervention, but realists suggest that while quarantine may have been a result of divine guidance, people would not have otherwise survived. Those who continued full contact with others quickly spread the disease.
   Whether the current worldwide plague is punishment for human behavior is an argument for theologians to debate. Others, including medical personnel, are more concerned with healing and prevention than with arguing over divine punishment as the cause. Many scholars say this is why people were given intelligence.
   Others, however, insist the disease does not exist. They can be described as having what can be called the pharaoh syndrome -- king of denial.

Ignoring Truth

    Evening news commentators on the cable channels spent most of their time yesterday covering the testimony of Capitol police officers describing their experiences of Jan. 6. The Fox channel, however, spoke about the failure of the Biden administration to do anything about the corona virus infections, and said little or nothing about the testimony and the attitudes of the demonstrators.
   Ignoring truth doesn't make it go away.

Sore Losers Deny Reality

   Choice cannot always change reality.
   Many devoted followers of Donald Trump refuse to accept the reality of a lost election, thus following their leader. But this choice contradicts the vote results in many states, all of which were certified as accurate by court rulings in some 60 jurisdictions.
   Meanwhile, their super-salesman leader uses this belief to raise money for himself under the guise of a continuing presidential campaign. It's not clear, however, whether these donations really do go to a political effort, or are lining the pockets of the contender.
   Soon enough, investigative reporters will dig up evidence of where the money is, adding to the task prosecutors face as they proceed with numerous court allegations of wrongdoing.
   And despite all the reports of questionable activities by the self-proclaimed "winner" of the last presidential election, thousands of believers flock to campaign rallies and contribute to their leader.
  Will it end when a court rules that his activities are illegal?
   Stay tuned.

Shock Wave

    The number of covid infections has doubled and in some areas tripled in recent days. Still, many refuse to get a proven vaccine, and many Republican members of Congress will not say whether they have been vaccinated.
   In this case, refusal to answer the question can be taken as an admission they have indeed been inoculated but are afraid to say so in fear of offending their ultra-conservative constituents and thereby lose votes.
   Which is more important, winning an election or staying alive? Apparently, politics defeats health.
   Only a day after endorsing covid vaccination, talk show host Sean Hannity reversed himself -- again -- and resumed his attack on the new covid vaccine.
   Why? Reaction from viewers was so virulent that he changed his position -- again -- as a way of keeping his audience.
   Therefore, to many in the ultra-right, politics is more important than good health. They insist that each person has the right to refuse inoculation or to wear a mask, despite the rising wave of sickness and death.
   Some, however, have indeed changed their minds, but only after they have lost a loved one to the virus or have survived it themselves. Sometimes only barely.

Dream World vs Video

    When will the devoted followers of the ex-president acknowledge that he has an illness and needs treatment for a return to reality?
   In recorded interviews, he is saying the events of Jan. 6 were a peaceful demonstration by a loving crowd that was welcomed by police and escorted by them into the Capitol building.
   The audio recordings are played on television as video shows the violence of the invasion and brutality toward security guards.
   All this as authors of a new book on the events are interviewed on talk shows. They are both long-time reporters for the Washington Post. As for those who will insist the journalists are lying, the standard response tells the objectors to file a lawsuit alleging libel. But if it's true, it's not libel. That legal principle was established in America some 250 years ago.
   

Reality Check

   Ultra-right wing conservatives have now acknowledged that a nationwide virus infestation is real and it's time for everyone to wear a mask and/or get vaccinated. However, they still insist it's a matter of choice.
   Perhaps the most notable of the attitude change is that of Fox news commentator Sean Hannity, whose revised comments urging vaccination made the broadcasts of other commentary programs. Republican political leaders have also joined the call for universal vaccination.
   The change comes as the infection and fatality rates in America soar, to a level double what it was a month ago.
   As our own commentator Pug Mahoney would say, if you want to tell someone something, you have to get their attention first.

Mask Charade

    Refusal to wear a mask during a pandemic is a denial that a virus exists and a rebellion against what refusers believe is wrongful propaganda spread by the fake news media.
   They choose to put their trust in the few politicians who reiterate their ideas despite a rising death toll, not only in America but around the world.
   Dozens of experts in medicine and disease warn that unless people resume wearing masks in whatever group they attend, the sickness will continue to spread as variants proliferate.
   But despite all evidence to the contrary, a rising number of disbelievers call the mask suggestion a charade and not worth listening to.
   Perhaps when the disease strikes home -- literally -- then they will wear a mask. Sadly, by then it may be too late.

Sore Losers, English Style

    Sports fans in England are so unhappy that their team lost to Italy in the Euro2020 final recently that they want a replay, otherwise they will leave the European Football Association.
   They got a senior British government official to say the English team was "not representative of our green and pleasant land," but included sons of "black African pickaninnies (cq) with watermelon smiles and Muslim mothers," according to a report in the Irish Times. The writer quoted a letter by David George Hamilton Frost, chief Brexit negotiator for the UK. (Not the same David Paradine Frost of TV fame.)
   In addition, Frost's letter pointed out that "four of the current England side are of Irish background ... a country which has never been other than a source of deep and ongoing distress to England for over 800 years."
   Frost added, "We believe we should be allowed to field a team of proper Englishmen for a real Euro 2020 final and not as happened in Wembley on July 11th."

President Jailed

   The former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, has been jailed for refusing to answer questions about corruption in his administration. Zuma "repeatedly attacked the courts and even predicted a popular uprising against judges," according to a CBS News report.
   Now there is the question whether something similar could happen in the U.S.
   Prosecutors are gathering evidence with great care and will soon file charges against the American ex-president, probably after they get Allan Weisselberg, the now arrested former chief financial officer for Donald Trump, to flip and testify against the ex-president.
   Trump has already indicated he will abandon Weisselberg and not come to his defense. It's also possible that even Trump's children will be arrested, and he will abandon them also.
  The problem prosecutors in New York face is the massive public support for the ex-president, which would lead to violence, as it has in South Africa.

Strange Love

    "Politicians ... have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought." -- Gen. Jack D. Ripper, played by Sterling Hayden in the movie "Dr. Strangelove."

   "Who ya gonna believe, me or your own eyes?" -- Groucho Marx.

   The January 6 gathering in Washington was peaceful and filled with loving demonstrations of the federal government, according to an announcement by Donald Trump.
   Say what?
   If that's what peaceful love looks like, one wonders about the appearance of anger, hatred, threats and violence. That comment would also mean the hours of video taken by the demonstrators themselves and spread by them on the internet, as well as shown live on TV networks -- including the Trump-sympathetic Fox network -- were all manufactured in advance by hateful foes of the man who insists he is a two-term president.
   But you can't believe what you see on TV, they maintain, unless it's one of their own operations. All others are fake, including NPR, the BBC, France24 and DW (the German international network), both of which broadcast in English; as well as ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, CNBC and all the local channels nationwide, plus print media such as the Associated Press, the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald, Miami Herald. Also, there are the many independent magazines as well as all the news operations distributing information via the internet.
   According to this position, they all lie. The only ones worth reading or listening to are affiliated with the Trump organization, or Trump himself. Who, by the ways was banned from the major internet comment carriers for consistently mouthing stuff that is not only untrue, but also sparks violence.
   Trump sued the tech firms Twitter, Facebook and Google, accusing them of "illegal, unconstitutional censorship" because they blocked him from using their sites to spread lies and encourage violence.
   Observers note that forcing a media operator to publish anything would violate the First Amendment guarantee of a free and independent press. Unless that's what the ex-president wants -- full control of all information channels.
   It has worked in other countries. Why not here?

Afghanistanism

   Afghanistanism is the practice of commenting at great length about the problems in faraway places while ignoring issues in the home country.

   The term was first used in the London press in the 19th Century when the British military could not control Afghanistan as a way of keeping Russia out of India. In the 2oth Century, the Soviet military could not control the country. Now, in the 21st Century, the American military is pulling out of Afghanistan after being unable to bring peace to the country.

   Three of the most powerful nations in the world were unable to control what Afghans do.

   It's time the U.S government focused on resolved problems in America.

Hypocrisy

    Hypocrisy is rampant in American politics. No surprise, but the current degree of hypocrisy is memorable. There has always been a lot of political nonsense in America, and the major news media have been covering new developments in the continuing probe of the Jan. 6 episode at the nation's capital, including the invasion of the Capitol building.
   Many citizens, however, have heard enough, and have lost interest. Others don't believe the news reports, even as new video comes out showing the insurrection. That's a big problem for the nation and for journalists reporting on the issue.
   However, it's important to remember the issue is indeed more visible because of television coverage and internet commentary. Gone are the days when the only news coverage available to the general public was the print media -- newspapers and magazines. Now, anyone with access to a computer can publish ideas and comments worldwide and get instant response.
   The problem is there are no editors to monitor the truth of what any individual posts. As someone once said, a lie can go around the world before truth can cross the street.
   The alternative, however, of having internet providers edit and approve comments before posting is not feasible, and is itself subject to abuse, just as uncontrolled postings can be abusive.
   Free speech is important, but there are legitimate limits, such as libel and lying.
   Be careful what you wish for. You may get it.
   Meanwhile, the importance of instantaneous coverage of violent misbehavior, including cruelty by police officers, remains paramount.

Presidential Predictions

   If you say something often enough, loud enough, long enough and to enough people ready to believe whatever you say without question, eventually you will build a political power base that will be difficult for truth tellers to topple.
   That's what has happened in America over the past few years, as Donald Trump began his campaign to take over the government. There is no question that he succeeded, briefly at least, winning one term as president by manipulating the Electoral College vote despite losing the popular vote in 2012.
   Four years later, he lost on both counts but refused to accept the results, and continues to spout the Big Lie that the election was stolen through massive and widespread fraud.
   His complaints were rejected by some 60 county, state and federal court rulings, including two unanimous decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court, with three members appointed by Trump himself.
   Now we are engaged in a great civil discourse, testing whether this nation can survive under its 230-year-old Constitutional set of rules for government behavior.
   This writer raised the question in December, just a few weeks after Election Day, that Trump would not accept the results of the election and the court decisions, and might encourage his followers to take some form of action to prevent the inauguration of his duly elected successor.
   I was right.
   On January 6, he encouraged his followers to march on the Capitol to stop the formal acceptance of the vote count by Congress, which would then certify Joe Biden as the new president.
   He failed.
   But failure was not an acceptable outcome, so he maintained his denial and did not attend the inauguration of his successor. Instead, he attended a rally of his supporters and continues to encourage his supporters to expand their belief that the election was stolen from him.
   In many states, popular support remains so strong that other elected officials don't oppose him in fear they will lose their positions.
   This is a prime symptom of demagoguery.
   The danger of a demagogue taking power is clear. America has escaped that danger several times in the past, and now the symptoms have returned with a greater likelihood that the disease will sicken the nation's political health to a critical level.
   This writer once posed the comment that if we survived Richard Nixon, we can survive anything. Now I'm not so sure.

Update

 Free Speech and Anger
26 June 2021

   The Supreme Court supported a teenage girl's right to post her opinions on Facebook, even if she resorts to profanity in doing it.
   A local school board suspended her from cheerleading activities because of her posting, which was done at her home on a weekend, and no school facilities were involved.
   SCOTUS ruled 8-1 that the school board was wrong in suspending her for doing something in her own home on her own time. The girl acknowledged that she was angry about losing her effort to get on the cheerleading team, and she vented her anger with profanity, using the F-word four times in a single posting.
   The court noted that while the school can regulate activities and comments made on school time and in school facilities, it cannot expand the regulation to cover what a student does off campus, on her own time and in her own home.
   One wonders whether the school board would have taken similar action if a boy had posted angry profanities over losing a spot on the football team.
   Three cheers for free speech.

He's Back
30 June 2021

   Ex-president Donald Trump is still speaking at rallies of supporters, talking about a possible return to office. Followers remain adamant that the election was "stolen," despite some 50 court rulings -- including two at the Supreme Court (which has three of his nominees) -- that there is no evidence to support the allegations.
   Danger: The Jan. 6 insurrection may be repeated.

Indicted
1 July 2021

   As expected, the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer were indicted today on multiple charges, including tax fraud. The ex-president himself was not named in the indictment. There is speculation that authorities are using the indictment of other officials of the company partly as leverage to get the CFO -- Allen Weisselberg -- to testify against Donald Trump in return for a lesser sentence.
   Trump himself called the move by prosecutors "a witch hunt."

Frivolity
8 July 2021

   The ex-president sued Facebook, Twitter and Google in a demand that they restore his accounts, which were dropped because of falsehoods and comments that escalated the potential for violence. In the lawsuit, Donald Trump claimed the bans were unconstitutional censorship of his right to free speech.
   Observers noted that the claims were likely a publicity stunt to raise money for the ex-president. And before Trump was done speaking at his golf course about his plans, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee sent text messages asking for contributions, according to a New York Times report. Soon after, Trump's political action committee also sent its solicitation, the Times said.
   News media have long been protected from government censorship by the First Amendment to the Constitution, and are free to publish -- or not publish -- information about anything or anyone, as long as it is not libelous. The Trump lawsuit claims the tech firms are, in a way, government firms because of a federal law protecting them and therefore the First Amendment does not apply.
   Earlier, Trump failed in his attempt to set up his own web site, so he is now demanding that he get back on the commercial services. Meanwhile, there is the danger that if this demand is successful, similar demands would be made to print and broadcast media, insisting that they publish unedited commentary by government officials. This would mean government control of the press, a clear violation of the First Amendment.
   Unless the Constitution be suspended.

The Big Lie

 If you tell a lie big enough, loud enough and often enough, some people will start to believe it. -- Attributed in various forms to Adolph Hitler and Joseph Goebbels.

   There was a time in American journalism not long ago that the L word was almost never used in print or broadcast media. Moreover, in personal conversation, calling someone a liar would quickly get the user punched out. Beginning several years ago, however, untruths spread by Donald Trump became so blatant, so often and so easily disproven that journalists and commentators began using the L word consistently. In short, he lies and here's the truth.
   In the 1930s, propaganda disseminated by Nazi politicians in Germany used the technique consistently, defending it by accusing the British government of telling lies and insisting that their version was the truth.
   The term "big lie" reportedly was coined by Adolph Hitler in his 1925 book, "Mein Kampf."
   Recently in America, Donald Trump began using this strategy even before he was elected in 2016, claiming that the only way he could lose would be if there was massive fraud throughout the nation.
   In fact, he did lose the popular vote, but took the office of the presidency by winning the electoral vote. Even so, he continued to insist that he really did win the popular vote also, even as he became president.
   Four years later, he lost both the popular vote and the electoral vote, but claimed that was only because of massive fraud throughout the nation. His supporters filed some sixty appeals to state and federal courts to  overturn the electoral college tally. All were rejected, as well as two that reached the Supreme Court, which included three justices nominated by Trump himself. Moreover, both Supreme Court appeals were rejected unanimously.
   This did not stop him from continuing his efforts to remain in office, however. He actively endorsed a rally by supporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on January 6, the day Congress was to formally count the electoral college vote and endorse Joe Biden as the next president.
   The result of his endorsement was an attack by demonstrators on the Capitol, forcing Congress to shelter as the National Guard and police were called in to repel the assault and uphold the result. Biden was inaugurated as scheduled on January 20, but Trump did not attend.
   Since then, Trump has repeated his claim that he really did win, but it was only through fraud that Biden became president. Meanwhile, the use of the term "the big lie" has become common in news reports, both by commentators and among traditional news journalists who report fact and whether claims are true.
   This, however, has not stopped many in the Trump corner to continue to insist there was widespread fraud in the vote count.
   In addition, they have begun claiming that the events of January 6, documented by video of the insurrection, did not happen. News reports show Trump supporters saying this, but they also show video of the insurrection next to the the claims of denial.

Third Term?

    Donald Trump told an audience of conservatives that he was considering running for "a third term" as president in 2024, basing his plan on his conviction that he really won last year, but the election was stolen from him.
   One wonders whether he has actually read the Constitution, which specifically forbids anyone from more than two elected terms.
   Unless he finally admits he actually did lose his bid for re-election last year. This would make him eligible to run again.
   But to admit he lost?
   Fat chance.

Power Playing

   So why did Sen. Mitch McConnell vote to acquit Donald Trump if he already knew he was guilty of inciting the insurrection on January 6?
   Answer: To maintain his own grip on power as leader of Republicans in the Senate.
   Seven Republican senators voted guilty, a record for opposition party members in a presidential impeachment trial. But of those seven, four were recently re-elected to six-year terms in the Senate, so their jobs were safe, and three are retiring, so voting no didn't matter.
   The final score was 54 guilty votes, but 67 were needed for a two-thirds majority.

Not Guilty -- But

   The U.S. Senate failed to reach the two-thirds vote needed to convict Donald Trump for offenses committed while in office, so he was thereby acquitted of the charges against him.
   However, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell strongly criticized the former president for his behavior, and pointed out that Trump still faces potential criminal and civil charges of inciting the assault on the Capitol building January 6 in an effort to stop the electoral vote count that would certify the presidency of his successor Joe Biden.
   McConnell used the rationale that Trump was no longer in office, therefore impeachment was pointless. But he did slam the former president's behavior, in effect encouraging civil and criminal authorities to file charges against him.
   Now that Trump no longer has the support of the political leader of the Republican Party, the likelihood that he will succeed in any future effort to achieve public office is diminished.
   Moreover, if Trump is convicted of criminal charges that he incited the riot, that would severely harm any attempt to be elected to anything. In addition, he still faces various charges that have already been filed against him.
   

Pound the Table

   Lawyers often follow this axiom: When you have facts on your side, argue the facts. When you have the law on your side, argue the law. When you have neither, pound the table.
   The opening remarks of the defense team today in the Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump amounted to table pounding. The case against the former president offered hours of video and background on just how he provoked his supporters into storming the capitol to prevent counting and certification of the electoral votes that turned him out of office.
   The single charge against him is incitement of insurrection, and House managers spent two days detailing the evidence. Today, the ex-president's lawyers began their defense by pounding the table and alleging that there was no evidence to support the charges.
   Separately, three senators met yesterday with the defense team to discuss the case and decide on defense strategy. Commentators pointed out that the three senators are not only jurors in the case, but also witnesses to the incident that brought on the charges. For them to also participate in the defense is therefore highly questionable.
   However, this is not a legal matter, but political. The worst that can happen in an impeachment case is that the accused is ousted from office and prevented from seeking another. The first part is moot, but if the president is acquitted (for the second time) he will be able to seek the presidency again in four years.
   In addition, any allegations against an official who is ousted through impeachment can still be pursued in the courts. In this case, criminal and civil court actions against the now former president are already under way in state courts, and potentially could be filed in federal courts.

Defense Lawyers Quit

    All five members of Donald Trump's impeachment defense team have resigned from the case, a bit more than a week before the Senate trial is scheduled to begin.
   One wonders why.
  Here's a possibility: The lawyers wanted to say the impeachment was unconstitutional, because Trump was already out of office, and thus the issue of impeachment was moot. The sole charge was incitement of insurrection, based on his speech to supporters who immediately broke into the Capitol building. However, Trump wanted to focus on the idea that he really did win the election, and therefore the invasion of the Congress by rioters was justified.
   The real reason why the lawyers quit is not known.
   Yet.

Never Again

   Donald Trump is banned from ever again holding any public office in the United States.
   Not because Congress may impeach and convict him, nor because the vice president and the Cabinet may remove him from office, but because the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, approved in 1868, already prohibits it.
   Specifically, the Constitution says, "No person shall ... hold any office, civil or military, under the United States ... or as an officer of the United States (who) shall have engaged in engaged in insurrection ... or given aid or comfort" to those who do.
   There is little doubt that he encouraged the mob gathered for his speech to march to the Capitol to prevent the formal approval of a new president. Nor is there any doubt that he comforted those who did raid a session of Congress for failing to succeed in their insurrection.
   Therefore, whether Trump is removed from his position before his term expires next week, or whether the House of Representatives impeaches him, or whether the Senate convicts him even after his term expires, he will never again be able to hold any government office.
   He has talked of running again for the presidency, but even if he does, he is Constitutionally prohibited from moving back into the White House.

Song for the Day

On the first day of Congress, the Trumpsters gave to  all:

Trial by combat
Incitement for mayhem
Mob insurrection
Politicians hiding
Stalled in their voting
Military guarding
Rioters invading
Five of them dead
Top aides resigning
Worldwide rejection
Failed re-election
And a president accused of treason