EU's Tusk deems Trump and U.S. an unreliable ally

Donald Tusk

Those uninformed doormat supporters of Donald Trump who say he is in there "kicking ass" and getting things done just had that mentality shoved down their throats with a harsh rebuke from the President of the European Union, Donald Tusk, making the following remark...

"Looking at the latest decisions of President Trump, some could even think, ‘With friends like that, who needs enemies?’”

America has always been a nation that prides itself in its individuality while cooperating with other countries around the world. Yes, there have been tiffs with the likes of Russia, China and North Korea, but we have been fortunate in solving most disagreements with diplomacy. Another option is war, one of which the Democrats got us into in Vietnam, the most recent by Republicans, and much worse, in Afghanistan and Iraq. But then there's Donald Trump, and his willingness to withdraw from the Iran deal and the threat of a transatlantic trade war, reported by the Guardian.

As the most powerful country in the world--and we are on the precipice of losing that--we should lead, not dictate. The UK, France and Germany have decided to stay with the joint plan against Iran because those in charge of the three countries are smart enough to see the diplomatic benefits over starting a war in the middle east. John Bolton was brought into the White precisely for decisions like the one on Iran. Bolton is known to believe that the U.S.'s strength enables it to bully nations all over the world, even taking on China in the South China Sea.

Right now, the nations of the European Union are our closest friends, the kind we desperately need as Russia and China continue to rattle their sabers, and North Korea, with another lunatic at the helm, could go postal any day. It's is imperative to stand up for what you believe but most sophisticated individuals solve their problems with negotiations. 

2016 Trump voters ignorant but not poor

Foreign Policy Magazine says what we already know, that Trump did win in 2016, but adds that he was elected because voters are "ignorant literally." And these poor souls who elected him aren't in the low-income bracket as some have maintained, their average income is $72,000 per year. U.S. median household income is $55,760. Although a Pew study of voters from both parties claims that Republican voters are more informed than Democrats, Foreign Policy states those who put this lunatic in the Oval Office are definitely uninformed. Findings from political scientists studying the issue for well over 65 years...

"Voters generally know who the president is but not much else. They don’t know which party controls Congress, what Congress has done recently, whether the economy is getting better or worse (or by how much)."

This is why we end up with morons like Donald Trump in the White House. Precisely why we also have the idiots we do in Congress, and we can't get rid of either. Yet. FP would have us believe it is not because voters are stupid--something I quickly disagree with, at least some of them--rather they don't do their research. And that in itself is stupid when it comes to the responsibility of voting, particularly in the shape this country is in under Republicans.  I'll leave you with this...

The great political scientist Philip Converse once said: “The two simplest truths I know about the distribution of political information in moderate electorates are that the mean is low and variance is high.”

Sean Hannity wishes Donald Trump beddy bye every night

I don't know if Hannity says 'cuddle up and sleep nice,' but he does place a call each evening at 10PM following his Fox News show at nine in New York. The Independent News calls this, "both laughable and worrying, considering the crazy stuff that pours out of Hannity’s mouth constantly, and undoubtedly into Trump’s empty head." This could account for some of T-rump's middle-of-the-night tweets that are completely off the grid. Apparently even Trump calls Hannity back sometimes holding conversations that don't disturb Melania since she sleeps in another bedroom.

Here's what Rob Reiner tweeted...

"We’re told that Trump whisperer Sean Hannity and the pathological liar engage in pillow talk every night. Comforting to know that the fate of democracy and the free world rests in the hands of a ventriloquist and his dummy."

Another said...

"I wouldn't be shocked to learn Trump's first question to Hannity every night is, 'What are you wearing?'"

Only a bunch of uninformed morons would support a president that pulls the crap that this man does. But the tragedy of it all is the idiots in Congress that allow it to continue. I no longer think November will be a landslide to the left, but I cannot believe there won't be a reckoning. I'll leave you with this commentary by Stephen Colbert you find here on Salon.

Scandal is Donald Trump's new middle name

Donald Trump-Stormy Daniels

Scandal forced Richard Nixon out of office, almost got Bill Clinton, but Donald Trump is the enigma of the political century. It started with the Russians, to influence the 2016 election, angled over to paying off porn star, Stormy Daniels, careening next to Michael Cohen's influence peddling. The Oval Office lunatic is either ignoring the uproar, or he really is too stupid to realize the deep shit he is in. Lanny Davis, the former Clinton attorney who now specializes in crisis management said...

"Usually in crisis management, you have a terrible week, and your first rule is to get it all over with. In the case of Trump, he seems to not care."

And the irony of all this is that special prosecutor, Robert Mueller, is not the predator, rather career prosecutors in New York, going after Trump through his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. USA Today reports that "At least 27 times over the past two weeks, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders and her deputies have referred questions about the controversies to the [personal] lawyers. So, does this mean that with time Trump's ratings will decrease and he will no longer be able to bargain with Congress? That could bring about more chaos in the GOP, which won't bode well for November.

Religious affiliation down as more elect to be "nones"

"Nones" of another variety than we're used to in the Catholic Church, and, of course, spelled different, are the driving force in religion as we know it today. They are either "atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular,” according to the American Family Survey Their numbers are 34% of all Americans with Protestants trailing at 33%, Catholicism 21% in this late 2017 study. I have said for years that the primary thing wrong with religion is the organized church and continue to believe it is precisely that which is creating this new important group.

Other factors accounting for the exodus are the strict disciplines that have often harsh requirements in order for the congregation to participate, like the Catholic faith, but then there is the latest barrier, an LGBTQ community that isn't welcome, especially by Evangelicals. Here are passages from the Bible re. homosexuality...

You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. (Leviticus 18:22)

If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. (Leviticus 20:13)

According to one source "The word “homosexuality” didn’t even show up in English translations of the Bible until 1946," so Bible thumpers can't really trace it back to the original scriptures. And that brings about another theory of mine, the Bible is a book written by men who, even if inspired by the holy events of the day, nevertheless were people like us. Prone to mistakes, which in many cases account for confusions found in translation after translation. But the obstacles against the LGBTQ group is only one problem for the church; with so many more, the "nones" are sure to proliferate.

International gun control gets in the act

Probably most of us have not thought enough about international gun control when the situation is so bad in this country, far surpassing those of other industrialized nations like the U.S. As an example, this country had 3.85 gun deaths per 100,000 population in 2016 compared to Japan .04, China .06, United Kingdom .07, and Germany .12. There's more but you get the idea. The international conference was about eliminating the trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons, but has several other aspects to its agenda...

• Exert greater control over ammunition
• Support women’s participation in small arms control
• Crack down on illicit trade in small arms and ammunition
• Strengthen legislation to disarm domestic violence abusers

They also want to address things like guns in the home, a problem very prevalent in the U.S. since 1.7 million children live with unlocked, loaded guns in this country. Did you know that 91% of all children who die from firearms in high-income countries across the world come from the United States. So, the high level of gun violence and the need to fix it is not debatable. And since the Mary Stoneman massacre, the right button seems to have been pushed, and the gun control movement has gained a momentum that just may be both deep-rooted and enduring.

New Jersey has a grip on gun control

The 2nd Amendment gun nuts are all in a dither over the release by New Jersey of federal information on "near-real-time firearms trafficking data." They refer to the 1996 Dickey Amendment, which forbids using the feds budget to do gun violence research. The NRA and its brainless membership have been dreading this for some time, knowing full well that, with the brutal facts out in the open, the American public might come to their senses and take up opposition to gun violence. What is so pitiful is it has taken so many gun deaths, including hundreds of children, to get here.

"Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy unveiled the data Tuesday as part of a campaign promise to strengthen New Jersey's already-tight gun laws." One of the facts" "77 percent of guns used in crimes in New Jersey come from out of state." Which would indicate they are bringing in guns from states with the loosest gun laws like Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi, or closer Vermont. New Jersey has promised to release this information from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on a monthly basis. More states should do this in line with enacting new gun control laws.

Did Facebook elect Donald Trump?

Typical Facebook 2016 Election ad

Headlines have proclaimed that thousands of ads were purchased by Russians, some posing as Americans, designed to elect Donald Trump in 2016. If the idea was to force the U.S. into chaos, then they accomplished their purpose. Facebook says they were actually purchased by the Kremlin and, even when considering 1st Amendment rights, it raises the question of whether or not this is considered an act of hostility against the American government. Of course, T-rump and his pathetic supporters would say no, it is just business as usual, in the good old Republican way.

Facebook even admits the ads were meant, "to sway public sentiment," and claims to be placing safeguards in place to prevent manipulation of future elections. But the question arises, is the American public so easily swayed, basically uninformed, so downright stupid that a Facebook ad could decide their vote? If so, this country has become a massive field of what I call apathetics, those who are completely out of tune, and really don't care. The most frightening side of the ads was their bent toward racism as well as to create unrest on gay rights and gun rights.

If Facebook did elect Donald Trump, we are in more trouble than we ever realized.

NRA still doesn't want public to know true gun violence statistics

The National Rifle Assn. pushed through the Dickey Amendment in 1996, gun legislation that prevents, "the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from using funds 'to advocate or promote gun control.'" Naturally it is in the best interest of this violence promoting organization to keep the true facts from the public. According to Health, "Of the 30 leading causes of death in the United States, gun violence is the least researched." And the Brady organization reports, on an average day 96 people die from gun violence. But the NRA refuses to accept these figures.

I have followed David Hemenway, director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center for years and despite the NRA's head gun nut, Wayne LaPierre, he is making progress in documenting and publishing about gun violence. He regularly side-steps the Dickey Amendment which prevents "the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from using funds 'to advocate or promote gun control.'" It's a stupid law meant only to hide the facts that gun violence is completely out of control, to keep it all secret so a stupid Congress doesn't have to face the facts.

Actually, gun violence research has proliferated over the past few years thanks to people like David Hemenway and with the help of universities, think tanks and private philanthropy. Even states like California are beginning to recognize the problem and then "governors from six northeastern states and Puerto Rico announced plans to launch a research consortium to study the issue. "A gun in the home increases the risk of someone in that home dying from suicide maybe threefold, and the evidence is overwhelming," Hemenway says. The NRA, and the public, must face up to these facts.

Trump's bait and switch on reducing drug costs

Mouth open as usual but no substance

Bait and switch is alive and well in the Trump administration and, as usual, the American consumer is the loser. Instead of going direct to the source of ridiculously high U.S. drug prices, the greed of pharmaceutical companies, he appeals to foreign markets to adjust their prices, That has to be one of the stupidest  moves Donald Trump has made since entering office. Besides, health experts say it wouldn't work anyway because the American drug industry wouldn't cooperate. Why should they? As an example, Medicare, one of its largest markets, isn't required to negotiate its drug pricing.

After Trump's speech, shares of major drugmakers, insurers and PBMs, pharmacy benefit managers, rose. Warren Buffett called the cost of healthcare "insane," and he, along with Chase Bank and Amazon hope to, "create a health care system that costs less and gets better results." for its employees. Talk is that could even accommodate other companies in the future. And that brought down the stocks of insurers and pharmaceutical companies. This would bring to mind that competition is no longer fair in the business world, now favoring large corporations and the wealthy.

Has anyone doubted that for some time?

Not one iota of your life is private anymore

For years I labored as a privacy blogger to convince the public they should be concerned over the loss of their privacy. Protect your data, I would tell them, even going to the extent of suggesting individuals should own their personal information, companies having to get your permission to use it, paying you for the privilege. No one was interested and out of all this I coined the term, 'apathetics,' for the individuals who stood by indifferently, watching their private data collected in databases around the world.

I finally threw up my hands and said, 'If you don't give a shit, why should I,' and turned my interest to political blogging. I can assure you the time to protect your personal information is long past; given time, almost anyone can go to the Internet underground and buy your Social Security number for five bucks. I still refuse to give mine out just because of the principal of it. Now Google is talking about selling the future, "powered by your personal data." Facebook, because of the use of its users' private information is in trouble with the feds. I hate to say it, but I told you so.

John Bolton is a cautious enigma

John Bolton

With John Bolton now in Donald Trump's cabinet as the new national security adviser, one doesn't know whether to head for the bomb shelter or just hang around to see how long it takes
T-rump to fire him. In either case, he was a major factor in the decision to quit the Iran deal, but on that note itself, there is a modicum of doubt if the agreement really did any good. The question is, as it has been for some time, when it comes to these "rogue" states, do we go for regime change or continue to settle for diplomacy? Spectator/USA thinks Bolton's war mongering is overstated, even in Iran's proclamations, ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to America.’ Only time will tell.

Immigration tops gun control in November voting

I know immigration reform is an issue that must be addressed, but currently more lives are at stake in the matter of getting guns off the street. Especially since much of the targeting has been children in respect to mass shootings. I was more than a little surprised to see a recent poll by Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Business and Economics Polling name immigration as the number one issue this fall. Now this is Florida voters in the state where the most recent gun violence massacre occurred, Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. You have to wonder if this is because Florida has such loose gun laws with the NRA's leading lobbyist, Marion Hammer, in residence, or is this predicting the familiar trend after major gun violence...back to public apathy.

Have democrats lost their edge? Not surprised!

A new CNN poll shows that the earlier held 18-point spread the Dems held for November is down to just 3. But then the results are qualified with the fact that the results follow closely with Trump's favorability, and the new average for Democrats is seven, not three on a generic ballot.

"The generic ballot is a poll question that asks voters whether they’ll vote for Democrats or Republicans for Congress, and historically it’s been a decent predictor of the House popular vote."     The NY Times

About 45% of the voting public feel enthusiastic about voting in November' the general turnout in midterm elections is 40%. The earlier figure is around the same for both Democrats and Republicans. A big consideration right now is Donald Trump's meeting with Kim Jong un. If it goes well--and we have to hope it does regardless---then we can expect T-rump's favorability to rise even more. To say the least, November will be interesting.

Parkland students think Oliver North perfect for NRA

Charlton Heston

Oliver North's sleezy background with Iran-Contra qualifies him as the devious type to be a leader for the National Rifle Assn. He'll obviously get more training from NRA head Wayne LaPierre, the leader in deviousness. Apparently, activists splashed fake blood at the house of Chris Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist and leading purveyor of the organization's enormous trove of propaganda. This prompted North to call it "civil terrorism" adding, the NRA was the target of a “cyberwar.” I won't even begin to count the number of gun violence deaths just in 2018, but it takes 18 pages to cover all of them. I don't know who's worse, North or Charlton Heston, but I think most of us agree, the NRA has to go!

Why are young people dumping religion?

Pope Francis with lamb

Some of this can be attributed to Donald Trump's claims of being so Christian, when in fact he does nothing but un-Christian things. Like ceaseless lying and adultery. But E.J. Dionne thinks faith has taken its worse hit from the "Republican Party's alliance with the religious right." You're talking about 26% of the voting population, who recently witnessed Speaker Paul Ryan try to oust the House chaplain, a move that was typically Republican. I have an opinion that many folks out there now look up to Pope Francis as the kind of religious leader worth listening to, like Billy Graham was. However, most aren't willing to make the switch to Catholicism so they admire him like I do. There aren't too many like that left.

Monkey see Trump do, Monkey do like Trump

Kelly Sadler_Mouth open once too often

Special assistant Kelly Sadler, a Trump aide, showed she can demonstrate complete lack of class as much as her boss, Donald T-rump. When John McCain voiced opposition to Gina Haspel, as new CIA Director, Sadler commented, “It doesn’t matter, he’s dying anyway,” McCain has been diagnosed with brain cancer with an unknown future. It's hard to get any lower.

Internet will never be the same

The FTC has overturned 2015 rules governing net neutrality. Democrats think they have the votes to reverse the Republican move. Stay tuned to Nasty Jack for how new measure affects your Internet experience, starting June 11.

AI is scary but fun

HAL of Space Odyssey

I worked with AI, Artificial Intelligence, for several years in the junk mail business when I was creating computer models that would determine just where to find a catalog company's best and most profitable customers. Yes, it's been around for several years but wasn't really known outside that limited community of analysts and statisticians until recently. It worked. I purchased a computer program, all-told cost me $25,000, that literally did all my thinking in relation to telling my clients where to mail their catalogs. Output was very expensive, which limited those able to pay the price.

I tell you this to illustrate the fact that you can program a machine (most computers) to think like a human, draw conclusions and make valid predictions. In the same vein, it is possible for these same machines to perform normal household tasks, including what is in the Google AI article, making a call that sounds like a human being. Robots replaced human beings long ago on auto assembly lines, as well as other automated businesses. Remember HAL from Space Odyssey? Started out a team player but turns on his makers and controllers. This was 2001. We're way beyond this today.

Can't imagine an Internet without neutrality

Net neutrality, according to Google, is "the principle that Internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites." A Republican Congress wants to repeal...

"The rules, put in place in 2015 when the FCC was controlled by Democrats, prohibited internet-service providers from selling faster delivery of certain data, slowing speeds for specific content and blocking or otherwise discriminating against any legal online material."   from the LA Times.

Amazon, Facebook, Google and Netflix are all in favor of net neutrality, which would normally raise a red flag for consumers, but Consumers Union Calls FCC’s Net Neutrality Effort “Chilling.”   Jonathan Schwantes, senior policy counsel for Consumers Union says, “Protecting net neutrality means preserving the internet as it was designed — a free, open platform for all that has spurred tremendous competition and innovation." But some Republicans say the Democrats are just politicizing the issue, because they can never win against the House and Trump's signature.

Donald Trump and his GOP minions have been knocking off all programs that favor consumers to put the business community in complete control of our lives. One Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, thinks it's wrong and is part of the group fighting the loss of net neutrality. Here's a list of the numerous rights the voting public has lost under T-rump.

Iran decision just another in line of ending Obama programs

Trump and John Bolton

The man sitting in the Oval Office today is still as incompetent and dull-witted as the day he took office. No matter what success he has had in real estate--most of which is questionable--he is still a loser. He remains in office simply due to the poor, uninformed souls that support him and a Congress riddled with idiots and morons who are equally as incompetent as Donald Trump. It is all a travesty for this country, one that has set us back ages in the eyes of the rest of the world. And just yesterday he revoked another of Barack Obama's accomplishments, just because Obama's name was on it.

He tried this on Obamacare but some thoughtful congressional leaders wouldn't permit it. However, the Iran deal didn't require a vote of Congress so Donald dufus went on his merry way of destruction and repealed an action that many believe was keeping the Middle-East semi reticent. Was this the result of the recent addition of John Bolton to Trump's staff? This warmonger still believes the Iraq war was right and that "pre-emptive war with Iran and North Korea is the right call." I'll leave you with a list of now undone programs from past administrations. Basically, his only accomplishments.

Pro gun control folks must vote Democrat in November

Wayne LaPierre, NRA head executioner

National Public Radio has gone to a lot of trouble to compile a report on how state Senators and representatives have voted on gun control in the past, which is a fair indication of how you can expect them to vote in the future. With one exception. Since the Parkland, Florida gun massacre where 17 students and teachers were killed, the mood has changed slightly in Congress. Atlantic Magazine says Republicans are afraid of primary challengers to the gun lobby this election and "appear ready to abandon these concerns [fear of the NRA] in favor of a more proactive response to gun violence."

As an example, when you look at the NPR study, it is completely one-sided in votes on gun control, divided as you would expect with the left for and the right against. There was one particularly troubling item, mental health and gun control, where all but two Republican House members had voted against along with six Democrats. There was the same proportionate vote in the Senate. The point is, if you were convinced that Parkland was something that will definitely continue, and you want to stop it and all gun violence, pick your candidates carefully in November.

Between Trump and Giuliani, Stormy Daniels will end up President

Rudy Giuliani and MOUTH

Let's just look at this scenario. We have a famous porn queen that claims she had a tryst with Donald Trump, which he denies. She was paid $130,000 to keep quiet. And now enters former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani as Trump's top attorney, replacing someone with what looked like solid legal credentials, contrary to the mouth-only talent of Giuliani. The latest is the Oval Office lunatic is unhappy with Rudy, since he can't close the deal on Stormy. Folks, this is the President of the United States, supposedly the most powerful person in the world and not another episode of the soap opera As the World Turns. Trump supporters look at this and say, 'As long as Donald Trump does it, it is OK.' Congress looks at him and says, 'As long as he keeps doing these asinine things, we don't look so stupid.'

Wrong on both counts

John McCain "cunning promoter of his own self-interest"

John, Cindy McCain

The above is a line from Stephen Lemons in FrontPageConfidential. Lemons also writes for the Phoenix New Times and speaks his mind in a way that the informed among us understand. He said the above about McCain adding that he has, "a knack for playing both sides of an issue to his advantage." Like being for immigration and then being against it. He prevented efforts to repeal Obamacare and then voted for Trump's tax plan for the wealthy. He rails against campaign contributions from special interest groups, yet he rakes in contributions from those same groups. He is tops in money received from the National Rifle Assn. And he has a dark side you can see here in his quote from 1998...

Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly?
Because Janet Reno is her father

Another fact...

"Few know that he left his handicapped first wife for a fetching beer heiress whose father gave him a job and a leg up in politics."

John McCain's been a has-been for years and now for the sake of Arizona and the country, should resign from the Senate and spend his time left in beautiful Sedona enjoying life away from Washington. 

Marco Rubio partly right on tax cut

Rubio-Trump

There have been limited bonuses given, little real investment in the American worker, and employment has been in a steady cycle of improvement for awhile, but think Marco Rubio is on the right track, Donald Trump's tax bill still for the wealthy and corporations, not the workers. Rubio says after the weak corporate response above, “In fact, they bought back shares, a few gave out bonuses; there’s no evidence whatsoever that the money’s been massively poured back into the American worker.” And an interesting claim that everyone seems to be ignoring, sure we can bring back the car business to the U.S., but since it is almost all automated, it won't help the American work force.