Licentious

  As for those who claim that suggesting they wear a mask as a health precaution and that government has no right to tell them what to do, one can only ask whether they were ever told to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze; whether they have a driver's license; whether they obey speed limits when driving; whether they follow one-way street signs; and whether the auto they own has a license and whether they are covered by liability insurance.

 All are government mandates. 

   So let's all sneeze in each other's faces, drive 90 miles an hour in the opposite direction on a one-way street in the middle of town, and beat up on anyone who disagrees with us on any topic at any time. 

   Law? Pshaw. Health and consideration of others? Nonsense.

 

   "Greed is good," according to Gordon Gekko in the movie about Wall Street.

Debate Debacle

   News media worldwide went bonkers over the childish behavior of the president during the televised debate Tuesday evening.
   As expected, the debate quickly degenerated into a swamp of interruptions, name-calling, insults and lies, largely made by the Donald Trump.
   Eventually, however, former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate, said, "Will you shut up, man?" and referred to Trump as a "clown."
   Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News was unable to persuade the president to avoid interrupting, reminding him that both sides had agreed that the debaters would not interrupt.
   Trump's response was, "He did it too!" a defense normally used by children who are caught misbehaving.
   In all, the debacle led the organizers of the debate to say there would be changes in the way future debates are conducted.
   Some of the suggestions included attaching an "off" switch on each debater's microphones so the moderator could turn them off. That, however, would not stop someone from talking. And there is the possibility that future debates would be cancelled.

Taking Debate

   Speculation is high as to whether Joe Biden will yield to temptation and respond to Donald Trump's taunts during the first debate of the current presidential campaign, set for Tuesday evening.
   Also, what will he do about the many interruptions that Trump typically launches while others are speaking, replete with insults?
   There is also the question whether either candidate will actually answer any of the questions posed by the moderator.
   Especially of interest will be whether Trump says anything about his financial doings, as documented in a major expose printed in the New York Times. His only comment so far has been to assert that the report is "fake" and the information in it was obtained illegally.
   But if the data is "fake," what does it matter how it was acquired? If it was only "made up," as Trump alleges, then it was not obtained illegally. On the other hand, if the tax return data was gotten legally, then the president has an obligation to respond.
   He has claimed that because his returns are under audit, he cannot release them publicly. But there is nothing in IRS regulations that stipulates that an individual cannot disclose his personal financial information.
   Other presidents and candidates have done that, so the question now becomes, what is Trump hiding?

The bell tolls for thee

   The death toll from the corona virus in the United States just passed 200,000. At this rate, a quarter-million Americans will have died from this disease by Election Day. 

   Yet the man up for re-election as president downplays the danger of the virus, mocks his opponent for wearing a face mask and holds massive campaign rallies where few of his followers take any of the precautions urged by science.

    Question: Why is he risking the lives of his own voters?

RIP RBG

   "Let the people speak,''  said  GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell in 2016, nearly a year before a presidential election when a vacancy appeared on the Supreme Court. McConnell stalled Senate action until after the election, so the new Republican president could choose a replacement.
   That was then. Now, Republicans want a replacement nomination for the deceased Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before she is even in the ground, and the next presidential election is mere weeks away.
   Justice Ginsburg died Thursday, Sept. 17, the day before Rosh Hashanah, but will not be buried until Monday, Sept. 28, the day after Yom Kippur.
   Yet the president says he will announce a replacement nomination this weekend, two days before the burial.
   So much for respect and tradition when power is at stake.

Social Welfare

   Democracy in America is in danger of falling victim to greed and power.
   "Radical left-wing liberal socialist" have all become foul words, but that has always been said of those who endorse programs that might benefit all members of society, and not just the wealthy, privileged few.
   It was true in the late 19th Century when labor unions were being formed. Later, the income tax was opposed as a "punishment" of the wealthy and a gift to the "undeserving poor." As if there were large numbers of people who deserved to be poor.
   Then came the social welfare programs of the Great Depression era. Minimum wage laws and other laws that prevented employers from reducing pay when business declined. Unemployment compensation for those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Social Security pensions to encourage retirement by the elderly, thus making jobs available for younger workers.
   Then came a health care program for the elderly (Medicare), and a rule prohibiting insurance companies from refusing coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, thus putting the full burden of health care costs on those with low income or inability to work. Then came a health care program for the poor (Medicaid).
   All these and more are government-sponsored programs to benefit all members of society -- to ensure the social welfare of all.
   But by demonizing these programs as "socialist," implying that they are all symptoms of a cruel dictatorship, some politicians and their followers want to dismantle all these programs, leaving many Americans to fend for themselves regardless of their abilities.
   This strategy would conserve wealth and power to the few members of the republic who inherited their status, rather than having to work their way up through the ranks of society.
  Soon it will up to voters to decide whether they want government to continue on its path of eliminating programs designed to assist those in need, or to return to its function of ensuring the welfare of all members of society.
   If that be socialism, let us make the most of it, even as we avoid a dictatorial government bent on ensuring the prosperity of the few at the expense of the many.

Ballot Bingo

The problem with voting early is that you provide more paper ballots for the GOP to challenge and delay final results of the election. Despite what the prez claims, results are not final on Election Day because absentee and mailed ballots are not counted until after the polls close, and the choice for any president is not final until the Electoral College meets in early December. And it's not fully official until Congress opens and reads the Electoral College results in early January. Meanwhile, the GOP can mount legal challenges each step of the way, forcing the final choice into the House of Representatives.
  Remember Bush v Gore and the so-called "hanging chads," which led to many votes being discarded.