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Most Significant Events Of 2019 In Public Affairs

Ronald 5 Comments

When one looks back at the most significant events of 2019 in public affairs, the following would stand out in no special order:

The impeachment of Donald Trump on charges of Obstruction of Justice and Abuse of Congress.

The Democratic House of Representatives passing about 400 bills, but almost all going nowhere in the Republican Senate.

The growing influence of Democratic women in Congress, with the most ever being elected to the House of Representatives.

The magnificent leadership and courage of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff.

The continuing crisis of global warming and climate change, and the refusal of the US government under Donald Trump to deal with the evolving disaster.

The total lack of empathy, compassion, common decency of the US government toward refugees at the border, particularly the separation of children from their families, often with no tracking and paper work done, meaning many children are lost forever to their parents.

The US Government attack on the intelligence community, the diplomatic community, the judiciary, and the civil servants who serve our nation honorably, and are now being trashed, and many resigning or being forced out, a major loss long run to the American nation.

The growing evidence of the US government being manipulated by foreign powers, including Russia, China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and other authoritarian dictatorships, at the expense of America’s traditional allies, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and other nations in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as allies in Asia, including Japan and South Korea.

The growing evidence of corruption, malfeasance, and incompetence of many members of the Donald Trump cabinet, as well as other top officials in many agencies of the US government.

The growing division of the American people by race, nationality, religion, gender, age, and sexual orientation, being encouraged and promoted by the racism, nativism, misogyny, antisemitism, and homophobia of the Trump Administration policies, and the total lack of civility and promotion of bullyism advanced by the 45th President.

Donald Trump Foreign Policy A Total Disaster!

Ronald 12 Comments

President Donald Trump has totally destroyed American foreign policy, creating a massive disaster which will impact the nation and the world for long beyond his tenure in office.

He has damaged our relationships with our democratic allies in NATO, along with our alliance with Japan and South Korea.

He has developed a total admiration for authoritarian dictatorships, including Russia, China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, the Philippines, and Brazil.

He has created a situation in the Middle East that is causing disintegration of any hope of stability, by helping Russia, Iran, Syria and Turkey massacre the Kurdish minority that helped the world against ISIS. And he claims to be unwilling to trust Iran on the repudiated Nuclear Deal, but now is helping them and Vladimir Putin to increase their influence in the Middle East, a situation which also endangers Israel.

ISIS now is again a major threat to the world, particularly to our allies in NATO, and Trump seemed to encourage that with his outrageous comments last week, showing lack of concern with that reality. But it will also affect the United States as well over time, and will make it more dangerous for Americans to travel world wide, as ISIS will be out to attack Americans, as well as Europeans.

Trump is totally clueless on foreign policy, and has fired anyone who has any sense of reality on the subject, and now has sycophants working to destroy the Foreign Service and the State Department, a long range detriment to any future President who will follow Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

This is only one of a multitude of reasons why Donald Trump needs to be removed from the Presidency, but will 20 Republicans join 47 Democrats in doing what needs to be done, to rid the Presidency of this menace to the nation and to the world?

Sadly, the odds are strongly against it!

Two Thirds Of The Trump Term Is Gone: We Must Ensure That His Time In The Presidency Ends On January 20, 2021!

Ronald 60 Comments

Yesterday, September 20, marked the end of 32 months of the Trump Presidency, two thirds of the entire term of 48 months.

This has been the most tumultuous 32 months in the history of the American Presidency, and with constant attacks on every institution and tradition imaginable, led by a crazed, mentally ill, morally bankrupt and totally evil man and his despicable cabinet and family.

And to imagine his attorneys in court this week declaring that the President cannot be challenged, and cannot be investigated, is an alarm bell in the night of the horrific dangers we are facing.

There is the potential of a new Middle East War, this time with Iran, in the service of a corrupt regime in Saudi Arabia.

There is the potential of a massive economic collapse after the longest economic expansion in American history, caused to a great extent by Donald Trump’s crazy tariff war with China and other nations.

There is the potential of more mass murders with firearms, and no moral leadership on Capitol Hill.

There is the ever present danger of climate change, with protests inspired by young people whose future is doomed if nothing is done to deal with the reality of what is occurring.

There is the power of religion, dividing people, and xenophobia, promoting racism and nativism on a large scale.

There is so much evil occurring, and an entire political party bows to the person who wishes to be a King, while the other party cowers in fear at standing up to the tin horn dictator and holding him accountable to the extent possible.

If Donald Trump is not impeached, it will be a sign to future Presidents of both sides of the political equation that they have been given license to extend the horrors of Donald Trump in the name of their own ambitions, rather than what is proper for the American people.

The fire is burning, and it is time for action, not only by the Democratic Party, but by all good citizens with a conscience and principles, willing to go beyond any personal economic gain that they might be having, and thinking of the nation above their own selfish interests.

Removal Of Dan Coats As Director Of National Intelligence A Warning Sign On Foreign Policy For America

Ronald 2 Comments

The decision of Donald Trump to remove Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence is a major blow to the intelligence community and a danger sign on foreign policy for America.

Coats handled his job in a professional manner, often contradicting Trump on many national security issues.

Coats knew that Russia had intervened to help Trump win the Presidential Election of 2016, and was continuing to interfere in the upcoming Presidential Election of 2020 to help Trump once again.

Coats knew that North Korea was playing Trump for a fool, and will not ever denuclearize.

Coats knew that the Iran Nuclear Deal was working, and that breaking the treaty, supported by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, along with China and Russia, was a mistake.

Coats knew that ISIS (ISIL) is still a threat to promote terrorism in the Middle East, despite it losing its territorial base.

Coats knew that Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed bin Salman arranged the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist, at the embassy in Turkey last year, despite Trump refusing to accept that reality.

It is Coats and other intelligence officials and agencies who have been leading the fight against the dangers presented by Donald Trump.

And it is good to see some Republicans, including Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr of North Carolina making clear that proposed replacement, Congressman John Ratcliffe of Texas, was totally unqualified to replace Coats.

The future security and safety of the United States is endangered every day Donald Trump remains as President of the United States!

The Disgrace Of Ivanka Trump And Jared Kushner

Ronald 10 Comments

America has never seen such a level of nepotism as it now sees with Donald Trump daughter Ivanka Trump and son in law Jared Kushner.

It is illegal since 1964 for a Presidential relative to work for the government for the President, after a law was passed to bar it following the time when Robert F. Kennedy was Attorney General for his brother, John F. Kennedy.

The fact that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are not paid a salary does not matter, as neither has gained a high security clearance, and Jared Kushner in particular, has become a risk with his ties to Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, and his close relationship with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It is clear that corruption is occurring, and that either or both Ivanka and Jared could face prosecution, and that would be great news, as both act entitled and privileged, and need their comeuppance.

Donald Trump And Disposal Of Human Rights, The Goal Of Jimmy Carter Four Decades Ago

Ronald 6 Comments

In the late 1970s, President Jimmy Carter enunciated his belief in human rights, and pursued a policy of denunciation of those nations which denied human rights to their citizens.

Now, four decades later, President Donald Trump has totally reversed such a policy, and has embraced leaders of nations which massively violate human rights.

So we see Trump embracing Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation ; Kim Jong Un of North Korea; Xi Jinping of China; Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia; Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt; Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey; Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines; Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil; Jaroslaw Kaczynski of Poland; Viktor Orban of Hungary; and other authoritarians who deny basic civil rights and civil liberties to their citizens, and persecute minorities and immigrants in their midst, and threaten journalists, extremely alarming and disturbing.

At the same time, Trump attacks and is critical of the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Canada and the other nations in NATO, and it is clear that he is enamored with dictators over democratic leaders.

In so doing, Trump is undermining the concept of liberal democracy, and destroying American constitutional principles, damaging the image of America, and destabilizing international affairs.

70 Years Of NATO: The Best Foreign Alliance In World History, Now Endangered By Supernationalist Donald Trump

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We have just passed 70 years of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the best foreign alliance in world history, which has kept the peace since World War II.

However, NATO is now endangered by super nationalist Donald Trump, who constantly is critical of the NATO allies for not paying enough for their own defense, and every time Trump goes to a NATO meeting, and in between as well, he is regularly hostile and abusive in his statements and actions toward nations that are democratic.

At the same time, he embraces authoritarian leaders and has no complaints about their denial of human rights, including the Russian Federation, North Korea, Turkey, Egypt, the Philippines, and Saudi Arabia.

On the other hand, he is working in the direction of military action against Venezuela and Iran, so do not be shocked if we engaged in two more wars before the Presidential Election of 2020, just as George W. Bush managed to put America in war against Afghanistan and Iraq during his first term in the Presidency/

Donald Trump is a menace, totally ignorant in foreign policy, and dangerous to world stability.

Propaganda, Much Being Promoted By Russia And Other Enemy Rivals, Manipulating And Distorting Democrats, Both Presidential Candidates And Congressional Leaders

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It is already clear that Russia and other enemy rivals, probably including North Korea, China, Iran, and conceivably Saudi Arabia, are working on manipulating and distorting the backgrounds, records, and viewpoints of all potential Democratic Presidential candidates, as well as Congressional leaders of the party opposed to Donald Trump.

Collusion in the 2016 elections is clear, and there were hints of such activities being attempted in the 2018 Midterm Elections, although not as effective.

But the big game is who will control the White House, and these nations mentioned above love that Donald Trump is President, and that they have the ability to influence him, and undermine the democratic process in a deleterious manner.

So one must take with a grain of salt all of the negative points being published and rumored about contenders, with the understanding that no candidate is perfect in every way, and that even with shortcomings, any potential Democratic nominee for President would be a vast improvement over the disastrous, corrupt President we have now in the White House.

We are not looking for perfection, but for a President who will put the interests of the American people in the forefront, and work to reverse the damage done by Donald Trump and his ilk, and move the nation forward to new horizons.

Donald Trump Defends And Believes Murderous Authoritarians Mohammed Bin Salman, Kim Jong Un, And Vladimir Putin: The Degrading Of The Moral Authority Of The Presidency

Ronald 1 Comment

Donald Trump is the most despicable President in American history, not because he negotiates with authoritarian dictators in the hope of avoiding conflict, but because he, publicly and privately, will take their word, and believe what they say, when they deny murderous activities against Americans and against journalists.

So we have Mohammed bin Salman who was well aware and responsible for the horrific murder of American journalist and Saudi Arabian national Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018.

So we have Kim Jong Un who was well aware and responsible for the mistreatment, torture and death of American student Otto Warmbier in 2017.

So we have Vladimir Putin who has arranged the death of journalists and other critics who have been murdered outside the Kremlin and in foreign nations by chemical agents, and also denies involvement in the 2016 Presidential election in the United States in favor of Trump over Hillary Clinton.

By publicly accepting these three liars and their denials, Trump adds to his reputation as a massive liar, who has no concern for human rights and common decency.

In so doing, Donald Trump degrades the moral authority of the American Presidency, and besmirches the office.

For that, he will be condemned in history, and it will cement his last place status among Presidents, below James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson.

Donald Trump Taking America On Road Of Total Diplomatic, Economic, Constitutional, and Environmental Disasters By His Egotistical Child Like Behavior: Time For Action Now!

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As 2018 comes to an end in a few days, it is perfectly clear that President Donald Trump is taking America on the road of total diplomatic and economic disasters by his egotistical child like behavior.

Trump is endangering our friendship and alliance with such nations as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and Israel by his reckless courting of the leaders of Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, his worship of their authoritarian leaders.

His lack of realism in American foreign policy is emboldening North Korea to continue to develop nuclear weapons; for Russia to develop new nuclear weapons as well; for Saudi Arabia and Turkey to wield power in the Middle East that endangers Israel’s security; and for the relationship with our neighbors, Canada and Mexico, to become the worst in a century.

His economic policies are leading us toward a Great Depression, and the destruction of our agricultural economy through the imposition of protectionist tariffs, which never benefit workers or consumers.

His authoritarian bent endangers the rule of law and obedience to the Constitution, and his failure to accept the environmental realities of global warming endanger the nation and the entire planet.

His lack of civility undermines what all parents should teach their children, to be respectful and tolerant toward the opposite gender, as well as people of all religions and nationalities.

The President is the worst role model imaginable, and the corruption and scandals surrounding his administration will soon be investigated in detail by the Democratic Party, and accountability will finally occur.