wow, just wow

Two quick comments

If you get your news from social media, put down your phone, go to a store and buy a paper, buy many papers and read for yourself for hours. Social media is the worst place to get your news. And I know many of you know this, but the better half just showed me a post from a friend that supposedly was from a trusted news source. It didn’t take us two minutes to find the real story. Scary how fast people are manipulated and many people never went back to the story, only read and accepted what the post said about the story and commented and shared like crazy. We responded with the original story and got shot down with there are other stories that say the same thing, but didn’t offer us another example.


I saw Last week Tonight from last night. If any of what he talks about is even 1/10th true, we got problems. Go see it yourself on Youtube. We seriously need new leadership in Washington D.C.


And no I do not feel I am contradicting myself from the first comment since this is an entertainment show (sort of), just saying this needs more research, but you have to start somewhere.

Dear Owners, CEOs and managers of construction companies

Talk to your workers and yes especially to your Latin American workers. Step up to the plate and instruct them the importance of wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands etc or you are about to lose hundreds if not thousands of your workers. 

Seriously, if you want to continue your business you better think about the workers who do the actual work. Unfortunately Latin Americans just aren’t informed and the working class/workers are out and about without any understanding of this pandemic or worse any concern. Your workers, their families and of course the general public would benefit if you would take it upon yourselves to do what is right. Do not talk to me about the importance of the economy if you cannot do what is right for your people.

And speaking of business, how about lets make and sell t-shirts that have a picture of a person wearing a mask with the statement ‘pro-life” above the picture. Sure it sounds like a liberal sarcastic statement, but actually it is pro life. Think about it.

Lies and Yo yos

First of all a simple truth. The Donor class doesn’t care about you. Not a bit. And this includes many on up the economic ladder, they even consider the upper middle class their serfs. So why do you keep supporting politicians who put them first? 

Sure it is obvious the Republicans do, but the Democrats cannot be too smug. They do, but play the game of putting band-aids on cancerous pus filled wounds that need surgery. Don’t believe me. Then why after decades of people being killed by police officers are we just now getting police reform on the national level. Only because there are enough voices for the moment to make them act like they are doing something. Otherwise the special interests that support them will be back in charge soon. Same for tea party Republicans, and they even got a good chunk of people elected that said they were for them. Now in 2020, the elites still get what they want and the rest of us get squat. Quit being lied to and start really looking to make changes by how we are represented and who is representing us.

And more specifically for the lies, I present to you Governor Abbott of Texas. If there was ever someone trying to figure out the backstroke in one moment, it is our illustrious Governor. Boy he was so ready to get us all back to work, (donor class puppet), we needed to save the economy, didn’t even come close to following the CDC guidelines for when you should open. Stuck a can opener in our backends and opened away. Now the one moral cell in his body discovered that people are going to start dying here pretty quick if something isn’t done so he goes out and starts whining no one is doing what they are suppose to do by wearing their masks and washing their hands. He could have put into place a whole host of requirements for public interaction, but no! Again the puppet of the donor class pushed forward as fast as he could attempting to look like he was being responsible. Heck no, we were just about full throttle on Memorial Day weekend, now we are going into the Fourth of July and he is attempting to put the bottle back in the genie by whining about the masks and limiting large gatherings to less than a hundred people. Oh what a man of action. Hypocrite! He still wants us open, but that one moral cell in his body apparently won’t shut up and he is stuck looking at himself in the mirror realizing thousands if not more Texans are going to blame him for the deaths of their family members. And rightfully so. He could have waited one more month and our economy could have slowly unwound itself over the summer, but no, money was more important, the donors were more important than common sense, factual reason and that one pesky thing called people’s lives.

And so Up and down, up and down goes the Yo yo. What our wonderful donor class and elitists do not realize is not everyone wants to be like them, nor care about them. And on a side note why should we care about them, they obviously do not care about us. Anyway their self absorption precludes them from realizing this virus is not going to go away just because they want to make money, nor do they understand that the rest of us do not want to die for their profits. Historically all the serf classes have never done too much about anything till things get desperate the then the true chaos erupts. I prefer a stable society so my anger is pretty high right now. If the elitists keep up their antics the vast majority of us serfs will begin to see the errors and make changes on their own. Again I do not want this, but my state university education seems to have given me a better understanding of world history than all those dollars spent at Ivy League schools earned for their alumni. Sooner or later the serfs reach a breaking point and change happens and it has never been pleasant. This is why I prefer our Constitution, a strong middle class, and a government that represents the whole of the populace. Helps to keep things balanced and peaceful. Now though the elitists need to sue their over priced universities because they sure haven’t learned anything about history. This pandemic may or may not be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it does. I do not like ugly.

And speaking of yo yos, because of the ineptitude of our state leadership and national leadership, I have noticed this reopening of our economy is creating a very different dynamic for the working class and this is going to get worse. For example all the restaurants opened and can seat up to 50%, but oops all the employees have Covid 19 so they close for a few days then reopen, and then it will begin again. Young people hang out together so they will be passing it through a massive amount of social groups as they go back and forth among themselves so they will pass it forward which will cause more employees somewhere in some business to get another business infected and hence closed for a few days. And then they reopen and the cycle starts all over. We just cannot sit in this midstream waiting for our government to do what is supposed to do and protect the people with rational planning. This yo yo will continue to go up and down, up and down, till we find real leadership to give us a plan to get through the rest of the summer and beyond.

Stay safe folks, we need you. 

Happy Father’s Day

To all Fathers, Grandfathers, Godfathers, and everyone else who has been part of raising a child or children. I hope you enjoy your day.

Cheers

How to title two completely different comments?

First the economy is up and sputtering, but the stock market still finds a way to make the rich richer, even with the downturns. Remember the concept of balancing the needs of the many with the needs of the few. Yea, been awhile. 

So if we open the economy up full speed, and say let the virus do what the virus do. Who pays for all the needless death? Seriously if people are going to die and yes some are older, but some aren’t, why should the families of these people being left out in the cold be left hanging with large medical bills to be added onto the expense of funerals etc? For profit hospitals are going to want theirs because hey, the economy is open and they want to make money too. 

So barring the news articles that have extreme individual examples of medical bills, many families will see their inheritance that maybe they would be waiting another few years or for the younger deaths, no inheritance yet, be swallowed whole by the last medical bills. Three weeks in ICU ain’t cheap, but God forbid our lovely Governors cannot figure out a way to help people in need. Nope, need to make money, but will any of the money being made off the sacrifices of the people who died needlessly go back to the families that will need it most? The rich will get theirs, the poor will still suffer, the middle and working class will be lied to again and again and now these same families will have to find ways to live off the land because Mom’s little trust just got eaten up by the predators as she died. Yes, the economy is open and nothing has changed for the better.

Or maybe we need a wealth tax to pay for the death tax.

As you know I do not step at all into controversial waters so I make this next comment with a bit of trepidation, yet why not.

What happens after the protests? Outside of unfortunately many of them being sick with COVID19, what are the next steps to turn their momentum into tangible action.

Well the first thing they need to do is get the solutions out of the hands of the Democrats and Republicans and D.C. 

Or maybe they should use the same system that has been keeping them down to build their own stock in the process. What is DC well known for besides monuments? Lobbyists of course. And what feeds lobbyists? Money.

How about some group of people form a non profit to sell the artwork that has been created by these protests in t-shirts and banners and whatever other merchandise they create and use this money to fund a PAC or Lobbying group and create their own legislation like the current lobbyists do? 

As always once the money comes in the corruption begins, so hopefully they can build a very strong board of community and business leaders for this non-profit, make it very transparent, but very active in lobbying Congress.

Yet, having the money allows them the access to the very same power brokers who will take advantage of them, because...why... they don’t have money.  On a side note, I would love to hear the conversations around some members of Congress when they realize the lobbyist knocking at their door is actually someone buying access to constructively change police reform and implement other reforms. Confusion, consternation, denial are expressions you might see. Yet in the big picture if you add this process to strong get out the vote campaigns, registering voters, and of course voting for new leadership then you might actually start to see change.

The protesters do need to vote, but they need more. They need the resources and the leaders to take this energy to Washington and actually write the laws like the current lobbyists do to protect the wealthy and their money. You do not get a tear down of EPA regulations because some Congressperson passed gas, no you get it because people are in DC spending money to get those regulations torn down. So lets use this energy to create a system that puts money alongside the votes to make real change and maybe build something back up for a change. 

In the long run we should outlaw lobbyists, since they are counter productive to the greater good, but until then, lets use them for the greater good. 

Cheers

You know the phrase: A rising tide lifts all boats

Turns out that doesn’t play well in the modern real world and let’s discuss why.

This is a phrase used or hijacked by the elitists to convince you that if you let them have their way and they get richer then you should do well also.

And they use to love this phrase, you would hear it all the time.

So lets break it down by the analogy itself. In theory this phrase might actually work in the real world. If the economy or tide rose then everyone in the bay’s boat would rise also. That assumes though that everyone is floating on a boat with a strong and sturdy hull. Every boat doesn’t have to be the same size and some may do better, but if the hull of the boat  is in good shape then all boats rise. 

Turns out though many people have boats with a damaged hull. For example a declining public education system puts leaks in many hulls. Or over the years wage stagnation or purchasing power diminishes due to wages not keeping up with inflation puts a few holes in the hull. Or the cost of healthcare eating up more of your budget puts a few holes in the hull. Or once you make the mistake of going into debt this adds a few holes in your hull. Or living through layoffs due to recessions or mergers puts a few holes in your hull. These damn holes just start popping up everywhere. And it doesn’t do any good if the only boat repair (government help) is no more than a few makeshift rubber corks when you are staring at twenty holes.

And after many years of holes in your hull, the rising tide still benefits a few boats, but for many the tide rises higher into the boat so it actually starts to sink. The many boats sinking are then asked to take on more debt (the government’s paid for by taxes)to keep the tide rising for the few boats. Then the rising boats are taking on less of their share (disproportionate tax reform) so they rise even higher while yours is sinking even further so now the gap (wealth) between the rising boats and the sinking boats grows. 

On top of this there are many boats who aren’t even in the water. Some boats end up or began completely on dry land and any rise in the tide is directed completely away from them. Their boat is stuck in dry mud (of discrimination and prejudice).They look out across the bay which seems level wondering why the water doesn’t come their way so they too can enjoy life on the bay. Many just want to participate and be a part of the bay like everyone else. Others are dejected and have given up on their boat going anywhere. 

So it may be fun to say a rising tide lifts all boats, but until everyone’s boat is built with a strong hull and when needed fundamentally sound (effective public policy) boat repairs are easily accessible that bay is not basking in a warm, calm full moon kind of night. 

The goal is for us all to enjoy the rhythmic sound of gentle waves rocking us to sleep in our comfortable bunks cause no one wants to spend the night frantically bailing water. We cannot all have a big boat. We can strive for one of course, but as long as it floats well and your children can build their own boat over time then all can be good.

Trump may have turned one of his lies into fact.

And not in a good way for him.

Trump has always said there is a deep state against him. Which even on the surface is hard to believe because to create a deep state it takes time, you have to know the who of the deep state, their purpose and a whole host of people would have to keep themselves in a bubble. And we all know there are more leaks in Washington than a hundred year old wooden fishing boat.

Yet over the last week, yes in just a week more military leaders have spoken up than I think in my whole lifetime combined and I am not young. I do not remember my parents, nor myself hearing, reading or talking about so many military personnel saying the President is wrong. And saying so emphatically. They are saying he is wrong, they are saying why they believe he is wrong, and they are saying we need new leadership.

Folks if you do not understand the gravity of what this means you seriously need to go back to school and learn about our Constitution and our history. 

Yes the protests against racist police brutality is more important, the absolute respect of all life, and must be followed through with action, but do not let these statements of military personnel slip by you. And please listen to the substance and the why of their comments. Their voice actually adds even more credence to the protesters points. 

Yes it may seem tumultuous in our Country right now, but the coming together of so many people and the comments by so many retired military leaders are actually a sign of hope. It is always harder to do what is right and right now the start of the hard part is beginning hopefully.

So Trump always says there is a deep state of Washington insiders against him. Today he may be right. The good news is; it is very open and loud. 

Today I feel like I can say Cheers again.

Dear Mr. President

Resign already.

Dear FBI,
Please look to charge and arrest those promoting and inciting violence against our country and Constitution with sedition and treason.

Dear Republican and Democrat Parties,
What are you going to do for the whole of this country? You make promises after promises election cycle over election cycle and now what. We are worse off than we were forty years ago. Our wealth growth, our wage growth, our healthcare and many other aspects for basic living are stagnating or falling behind comparably to what it was decades ago.
We are the world's superpower, yet our education is way down the chart compared to other developed nations. Education is more than STEM. It is history, civics, culture and more. The few continue to thrive while the many strive to maintain what they once had.

Dear looters, (not the peaceful protesters)
Stop and turn yourself in. You are bad actors and are not solving any problems and you know it. Turn yourself in, make amends, and truly become part of the solution for equality for all.

Dear American People,
Who are we and what are we doing? Some are doing something, what are the rest of us doing? Trump is not the root cause of our problems right now, yet he is the straw that broke the camel's back. And he jumped on it and is still jumping, but at some point those of us who did not say anything for decades have to accept some responsibility for what is going on.
It is time for new leadership. We need leadership for the whole country and this does include the super rich and the super poor, but neither more than the whole of the country. Time to hold the people accountable to the promises they make when they run for office. We need to look at the mayors, the governors who are trying and we need to reach out to them and help them instead of the national parties who have failed us over and over again. When the few thrive on the backs of the those striving to survive change is needed. And when those not able to survive are forgotten, then no one can truly thrive as a human.

Dear Armed Forces,
Please remember you are here for the people and the Constitution. Please do not listen to the false tales of who is the enemy. The enemy are those that fight against the people, our country and the Constitution.

Dear Law Enforcement,
We know that you are tired today. And we know that is a problem, so be aware of your tiredness and stop for a moment. Yes like in every profession there are bad actors, do not let these people define you. Please continue to do a good job, and for now remember you are here to protect and it is hard when you are tired so be conscious of yourself. We will need you to help in the future to make sure all neighborhoods are safe for our citizens to walk.

It all seems so simple............................to write

Next step?

I know many people may not get this analogy but here goes.

My favorite title of a book in the Bible is the Acts of the Apostles. Why you may ask. One reason is I have lets say, an issue with people who say lets pray about it. And they do and that is good, but you have to listen and you have to act also.  Christianity didn’t happen because the Apostles only prayed. They acted. They went out to the world, especially St. Paul and made Christianity happen.

I think we need to think like that now. What are our next steps is what all the protesters and all of us need to ask ourselves? Some people say vote, yet for who? They will say I guess Biden. Okay, but what about your Senator, your Representative, your State officers, your Mayor, etc...?

And we need to hold who we vote for accountable to making change. Of course we need to define the change so we know who to vote for with change. What are the policies that can be enacted to put into our lives the change the protesters want? And this country needs? 

People are hurting. That pain will not go away. What we need to do is find the people to lead that addresses the grieving process these people that are hurt are going through. 

And along with this hurt there are others that want to hurt the people that are hurt. We are now fighting two battles all while trying not to get sick. We have a President and a significant group of people in power who feel they need to stomp on the same people who are hurt to make themselves feel better. There could never be a worse time than now for Donald Trump to be President. He was a nightmare before, now there are not strong enough words to define the depths he is taking us. 

We will need new leadership at all levels of government come November and we need to be prepared for Trump’s supporters to fight this change. Even the ole generals have woken up to this madness. That says more than too much. 

So what are the next steps to finally do more than say it is time for healing because we are way past that need, to successfully and peacefully have a change of elected officials, and do so without dying of some strange bat disease. 

Each one of the above is a daunting task by itself, yet finding this must needed way will prove that America has always been great and will continue to grow to new heights. One day down the road they may actually say this was the second great generation. I pray my grandchildren get to read those history books. 

It is time to come together and rally each other to stand steadfast against tyranny, bullies, hate, and yes vote, but stand by everyone when they are in line to vote, stand by everyone if someone tries to prevent them from voting, stand by everyone the day after the election and demand that promises that were made are kept. And do not sit down till those promises are kept. 

Our leaders are only as good as the expectations we set for them or their efforts in the events that define the times make them. The next leader whether it is a President or a group of citizens have times and expectations that require the greatness of our forefathers or Lincoln. Lets hope that person or persons are present among us now.

So pray for peace, pray for comfort, pray for healing, pray for the souls of the departed, but tomorrow morning get up ready to act. The early Christians didn’t fight wars or suppress others or hold themselves as better than others, no they spoke about the greatest message ever heard on this planet. And they made it their mission to share this message. They acted with love, determination, faith and 2000+ years later that message still resounds, still gives us the best message heard on this planet. Their actions spoke loud, so today we are left with using that message to collect this country’s psyche to put it back on a higher course. We do not need to hold up a Bible in a picture we need to use the words in that Bible to inspire us to stare evil in the face and over come it. 

We all know the phrase action speaks louder than words. 

Thoughts for what comes next?