Terrorism

Hillary Clinton Acceptance Speech The Culmination Of A Successful Convention

Ronald 1 Comment

Hillary Clinton delivered a great acceptance speech yesterday, the culmination of a successful Democratic National Convention, making her officially the first woman ever nominated for President by a major political party.

She gave a speech which emphasized a progressive agenda, to continue the successes of Barack Obama, and to move to emphasize such issues as a $15 minimum wage; free tuition for public colleges for those whose families earn less than $125,00 income; working toward criminal justice reform; promoting a more aggressive climate change agenda; promotion of civil rights equality for groups that have been denied it under law; improvement of ObamaCare; investment in infrastructure; the belief in science; advocacy of strengthening our alliances with foreign nations including NATO; strong commitment to overcoming ISIL (ISIS) and other terrorist groups in the world, among other proposals.

Clinton came across as genuine, sincere, committed to taking on much of Bernie Sanders’s agenda, and while not the accomplished orator that her husband Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and Joe Biden are, was extremely effective.

The speech of Marine General John Allen denouncing Donald Trump, and the Muslim father, Khizr Khan, speaking about the sacrifice of his son in Iraq in 2004 and asking if Trump knew what the Constitution says, were other standout moments of the last night of the convention, and a strong case against the stability and qualifications and ethics of Trump was emphasized by all speakers.

This is a terrifying time, but to imagine that Donald Trump could be elected President should motivate everyone to register to vote; lobby their friends, family members and work colleagues to get out there to vote; and work to get people to the polls at election time.

For Trump to win the Presidency would be the biggest disaster in American history since September 11, and cannot be allowed to occur.

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine A Great Choice For Vice President, And Possible Succession If Need Arises!

Ronald 11 Comments

Hillary Clinton has made a great choice for Vice President, in selecting Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as her partner to run the executive branch for the next four to eight years.

Tim Kaine comes from a crucial swing state, and would be the third Virginia leader to be Vice President, after Thomas Jefferson and John Tyler, who both became President. He is also the first Virginian to be on the Presidential election ballot, since Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and 1916, not a native Virginian, however, as Governor of New Jersey.

Kaine would be the second Catholic Vice President after Joe Biden, with John F. Kennedy the only Catholic President.

Kaine is a steady, stable, pleasant, well liked political leader who has proved by his experience and interaction with other government leaders that he is well qualified to be President, if the emergency arises. He is also, like Joe Biden, well liked personally by Republicans in the Senate and House of Representatives who have dealt with him.

Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine are very comfortable together, and Kaine has a tolerant and mild temperament that engenders confidence.

Kaine has served as Richmond Mayor, Lieutenant Governor, Governor, Senator, and chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and his resume is very diverse and broad.

Kaine has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee, crucial committees and experiences in an age of terrorism.

Kaine has the great advantage that he speaks fluent Spanish, a big plus for the Latino community, which is now one out of every six Americans.

If Kaine is elected, his replacement is appointed by Virginia’s Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe, which would not be true had Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, or New Jersey Senator Cory Booker been selected.

Kaine was already on the short list for Vice President with Barack Obama in 2008, a sign that he is well regarded in Democratic circles.

Kaine went to the University of Missouri, Columbia as an undergraduate, and to Harvard Law School, so has excellent academic credentials.

Kaine’s Catholicism and Spanish language ability will help him in states including North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada, and his working class roots will help in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Tim Kaine can be criticized on the issue of free trade, and on supporting the Iran deal, but it will not have that much of an effect on the election, as this blogger sees it. He is certainly not “perfect”, but then no one is.

This blogger was correct when he said that Kaine was the front runner for Vice President, and that the history of the Democratic Party nominees for President choosing a US Senator for Vice President would be continued, all but 1972 and 1984.

This nomination also shows once again that Southerners are favored for Vice President now 9 times since 1944 onward in the Democratic Party, even though Tim Kaine is very different than most earlier Southern nominees for Vice President, much more progressive. Also, Southerners have been on the Presidential ticket at either end of the Democratic ballot in all elections since 1944, except 1968, 1972, 1984, 2008, and 2012, a total of 14 out of 19 times.

Tim Kaine will be an asset to Hillary Clinton, both during the campaign, and as an active Vice President in the mold of Walter Mondale, Al Gore, and Joe Biden!

“Law And Order” Domestic Policy, And “America First” Isolationist Foreign Policy: The Coming Of Fascism To America Under Donald Trump!

Ronald 5 Comments

Donald Trump last night delivered a 75 minute speech accepting the Republican Presidential nomination with a sense of humility and gratefulness (yeh sure)!

The longest acceptance speech of modern times, he promoted fear and trepidation about the condition of America and its future, and declared that he, himself, will resolve the problems of terrorism, crime, and crumbling infrastructure all by himself.

He declared that he will be the President of “Law and Order”, reminding people of the last President to utilize such a term, Richard Nixon, who proved to be the most lawless President in American history. He made it seem that his opponent, Hillary Clinton, was for lawlessness, much like Richard Nixon and third party candidate George Wallace in 1968 made it seem as if Hubert Humphrey was for lawlessness.

He declared an “America First” doctrine, reminding us of the isolationist group of 1940-1941 of that precise name, promoted by many naive isolationists, most famously Charles Lindbergh of aviation fame, who wanted to keep us out the war in Europe as Nazi Germany took over most of the continent.

He argued that only he, alone, could resolve the issues of terrorism and crime, as if by magic, he would solve them, without considering the role of the Congress and the courts, and the fact that we are NOT a Fascist dictatorship with one man rule.

Face the reality that Donald Trump is a clear cut Fascist, and a danger to American democracy and the US Constitution, and all efforts must be made to prevent this monster from becoming our 45th President.

A major job of education is needed, as too many people have no clue as to what Trump is doing, manipulating emotions and fear as he strives to become our leader, despite no experience, no knowledge, and with a constantly confrontational persona!

The Reality Of Terrorism Worldwide Requires A President With Knowledge And Experience, NOT Slogans And Braggadocio!

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The reality of terrorism worldwide presents a massive challenge to the next President of the United States, as it did to George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

We cannot afford to have an ignoramus, or a mercurial personality, to sit in the White House, such as Donald Trump.

We need a person of vast experience and knowledge, and a cool, measured handling of stress, and Hillary Clinton demonstrated that as Barack Obama’s first term Secretary of State from 2009-2013.

And Hillary Clinton needs a Vice President who has demonstrated similar traits, and the more one looks at the various Vice Presidential possibilities for Hillary, the more Virginia Senator Tim Kaine looks in many ways as the best choice.

He serves on the Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committee, and has had vast government experience as Richmond Mayor, Governor of Virginia, and now Senator from Virginia.

While he is not exciting or dynamic, he has a cool, balanced personality, and were an emergency to arise, Tim Kaine could certainly fill the shoes of the Presidency.

This is not to downgrade Elizabeth Warren, Julian Castro, Tom Perez, Cory Booker, Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar, Sherrod Brown, and Tom Vilsack, among others.

But on further reflection, it just might be wise for Hillary to select Tim Kaine!

The End Of The United Kingdom As We Know It Is A Disaster For Them, Europe, And The United States!

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The decision of the population of the United Kingdom, by a 52-48 percentage, to leave the European Union is a disaster for them, Europe, and the United States long term!

The election is a victory of the uneducated white people of rural areas against people of other races and religions, and is, therefore nativist, racist, and xenophobic, and an attack on urban areas in the nation, particularly the capital of London, which has no issue with diversity and immigration.

London, and Scotland voted yes, an odd combination, and we can forecast the future breakup of the United Kingdom, with Scotland becoming independent, and Northern Ireland breaking away, creating a possibly new Irish civil war between Catholics and Protestants.

The security of Europe and America is not helped by the disintegration of our closest ally, and world finance, tourism, and unity against terrorism will be drastically affected in a negative fashion.

The world is much more unsafe and unstable than it was yesterday, and now, more than ever, we need a steady and experienced hand in the White House and that is Hillary Clinton!

We cannot allow the “Know Nothingism” of the majority of the United Kingdom to infect us, and elect Donald Trump to the Presidency!

War On Gay And Lesbian America In Full Swing By Religious Fanatics And Republicans!

Ronald 19 Comments

The shocking murder of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, along with 53 others wounded, many of them in serious condition, is a sign of the war on gays and lesbians raging in America by religious fanatics and Republicans!

The perpetrator was a Muslim fanatic, a person devoted to ISIS, but it is not just Islamic terrorism that is guilty of this crime.

It is religious fanaticism of all religions, which refuses to treat gays and lesbians as human beings with basic human rights, as much as straight Americans.

It is white Americans, black Americans, Hispanic Americans who use their religious fanaticism to hate gays and lesbians, with many people repudiating their own children and other family members.

It is evangelical Christian extremists, Catholic extremists, Jewish extremists, Hindu extremists, Mormon extremists–extremists of all religions—who promulgate hatred and prejudice and discrimination.

It is ministers who promote hate, and priests who promote hate from their pulpits.

It is Republicans who refuse to accept gay rights and gay marriage, and refuse to mention that this terrorist event involved gays and lesbians, as if the people killed do not matter.

It is Donald Trump refusing to acknowledge until just now that gays and lesbians were killed, only bragging that he was “right” that this was another example of radical Islamic terrorism, and calling on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to resign for refusing to use that term. It took Trump two days until now finally to show concern that it was gays and lesbians who were the victims.

Donald Trump should resign from the race if he refuses to accept that gays and lesbians have the same rights as anyone else in America, including marriage rights, as decided by the Supreme Court of the Unites States.

This is a human rights crisis of massive proportions, and the religious fanatics and Republicans cannot be allowed to triumph, as this would be a crime on the scale of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust against gays and lesbians, often forgotten!

NBC Wall Street Journal Opinion Poll Indicates 61 Percent Worry About Having President With No Government Or Military Experience!

Ronald 38 Comments

A new NBC Wall Street Journal poll demonstrates the common sense of Americans, their concern and worry about having a President with no government or military experience.

We have NEVER had such a President, and only Wendell Willkie, nominated in 1940 by the Republican Party against Franklin D. Roosevelt, has had the same lack of background.

But Willkie was not the kind of divisive figure, and did not display the ignorance and demagoguery, of Donald Trump.

We have never had a candidate for President quite like Donald Trump, and his recklessness, character assassination, and impulsive nature makes him much too dangerous to give the nuclear codes, along with the basic danger he presents to the whole American constitutional system.

No businessman, certainly from real estate and casinos alone, has the qualifications to run a government and the military, who has never been exposed to the basic facts and knowledge that experience in the government and or the military provides.

This is not reality television, but serious business about heading the government of the most powerful nation on earth in a time of domestic division and foreign terrorist threat.

The fact that terrorist groups hope for Trump’s victory is because they know it will encourage and recruit new terrorists for the future, with Trump’s anti Muslim rhetoric and plan to ban all Muslims being totally counterproductive in dealing with the threat of terrorism.

Trump is a danger to the long term stability of America in both domestic and foreign policy, and must NOT be allowed to gain power based on the ignorance and prejudices of the white working class, non college educated, men, who seem unable to understand that Trump does not give a damn about them as individuals, but is simply on another egotistical, narcissistic trip!

Lawless Donald Trump Challenged On Plans, If Elected, To Use Waterboarding, By Director Of CIA And Former Director Of CIA And NSA!

Ronald 4 Comments

A very alarming development is Donald Trump’s announced plans, if elected President, to utilize waterboarding and other torture techniques which were used in the Iraq War against terrorists, but have been banned since then.

Senator John McCain, who suffered from torture while a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and many others. have made it clear that torture does not work in gaining intelligence that helps win a war or to fight terrorism, but Trump is claiming that he will revive it.

But now, CIA Director John Brennan and former CIA Director and former NSA director Michael Hayden have come out strongly against such revival of waterboarding or other such torture techniques, with both making it clear that they would resist a President’s orders to implement such directives!

That is startling, but comforting, and it shows just how dangerous Donald Trump is, that he would become a truly lawless President, far worse than Richard Nixon!

And it would be great to hear other Republicans agree with the intelligence agency leaders, but do not count on it.

More reason to repudiate Donald Trump and the party which is against him, but seems unwilling to condemn his threat of an abuse of Presidential power!

99 Years Since America Entered World Affairs In A True Sense, And The Future!

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99 years ago, on April 6,1917, the United States Congress declared war on Germany, and America entered “The Great War”, World War I.

Woodrow Wilson, by asking for a war declaration on April 2, took a fateful step that put America on the world stage, and committed us to sending American troops overseas.

It began a century in which America would be engaged in seven wars, and face the headaches and responsibilities of world leadership.

Now, we are hearing candidates, including Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, who wish for us to retreat from that commitment to world affairs, as there is total disillusionment with our foreign policy under both Democrats and Republicans.

The world is a dangerous place, and trying to figure out what is best for America’s future in a world of nuclear weapons being spread, and of terrorism a threat all over the globe , is daunting!

We tried a return to isolationism in the 1920s and 1930s, and it was an utter failure and a disaster.

But at the same time, we were drawn into wars that could not be won, including Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

So we are in a quandary, with no easy or simple solution as to what our future relationship with the world should be!

The First Terrorist Attack: Columbus, New Mexico (Pancho Villa) March 9, 1916!

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Most who study American history know of the British attack on Washington, DC on August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812.

They know of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941, leading to World War II entrance.

Of course, they know of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, leading to the War on Terrorism.

But almost no one knows of the attack on Columbus, New Mexico, on March 9, 1916 by Mexican bandits led by rogue Pancho Villa, during the period known as the Mexican Revolution.

This attack led to the burning of this town on the Mexican border by several hundred Mexican guerrillas, and the deaths of 17 Americans.

President Woodrow Wilson sent in General John J. Pershing to hunt down Pancho Villa and the guerrillas, but this “Punitive Expedition”, lasting from March 14, 1916 to February 7, 1917 failed to accomplish its mission, and the American troops were withdrawn, after months of protests from the Mexican government about the invasion into their sovereign territory.

This was one of the many undeclared wars in American history, and was unable to fulfill its objective, the capture or killing of Villa, who was later killed by one of his followers in 1923.

So yesterday was the centennial anniversary of this tragic event!