Monday, August 31, 2020:   And The Beat Goes On....
So August's posts have gone out a bit late. As always, there was an abundance of stupid coming out of D. C. Unfortunately, it is the same old "stupid shit" that has been the hallmark of the Trump administration. More chaos, little or no action on critical legislation, denial of reality, shameless self-promotion, and lies, lies, and more lies. What is so amazing is that the polls continue to show Trump support in the low 40% range.

I would like to think that the citizens of this country are better than that, but alas, there is clearly a significant and ugly segment of our society that is reflected in Trump. The motivations of his ardent supporters are varied. Some are racists, others misogynists, many are just plain stupid and a large percentage are ignorant by choice. The rich support for Trump is transactional. Take Larry Ellison of Oracle fame (as a matter of disclosure, one of my ex-employers). He supports Trump with the expectation that Trump will facilitate his acquisition of Tic-Toc from the Chinese over Microsoft's bid to buy the U.S. version. The ultra conservatives in the Republican Party support him because he is a national distraction that allows them to go about their nefarious business of establishing a fascist state while the press and public are focused on Trump's latest dumb shit.

Afraid of losing power, the Republicans let in the fringe crazies (a.k.a. the Tea Party). That opened up the gates of power to the likes of the "Q" supporters. So even if there is a change in the administration in Washington, has this political/social cancer metastasized to the point where it will continue beyond the reign of Trump?

The question that has been posed is this, has the ascent of Trump and his supporters irrevocably broken our democracy? Cancer does not have to invade every organ of the body to kill the patient, only a few critical ones.

Saturday, August 15, 2020:   The Things That Depress Me
I recently made a trip back to the town in Michigan that was home for the better part of 43 years. What I saw both confirmed what I knew while at the same time was a wake up call to the threat to our democracy that exists in the United States today. As I drove through town, I saw numerous Trump/Pence 2020 political banners and signs. Having been a member of the local school board for 10 years and the president of the board for 8 of those years, I was well aware of the political leanings in the community. But even knowing how conservative they are, it was a bit of a shock to see the level of Trump support after everything that has happened over the course of his presidency.

I would like to believe that it is simple ignorance that underpins their support, but at this point that would be a stretch. The reality is that they see Trump as just one of their own - racist, morally corrupt, self-centered, greedy, and above the common laws that guide a civilized society. I think it also reflects something that I expected to happen as the Lincoln Project gets more aggressive in its effort to prevent Trump's re-election. It is clear that the core centrists in the Republican Party are trying to root out the cancer that now permeates their ranks at all levels of government.

The Republican Party is morally bankrupt and beyond redemption. They allowed evil to infect their ranks and the soul of the party has blackened to the point where you can no longer recognize a modicum of humility, kindness, charity or any form of human caring.