Day: July 19, 2017

America On Verge Of Massive Tragedy Caused By Donald Trump Incompetence, With No Clue To What It Will Be!

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In the midst of the incompetence of Donald Trump, one can sense that America is on the verge of a massive tragedy we are not yet aware of.

Every Presidency is faced with challenges and crises that determine the historical record of that President.

So as September 11 would have a dramatic effect on the reputation of George W. Bush; the Monica Lewinsky scandal affect the Bill Clinton legacy; and the Affordable Care Act determine the image of Barack Obama, the question is what challenge or crisis will mark the Donald Trump legacy, other than the scandal regarding Russian collusion with the Trump campaign, now proved by the revelation of emails and meetings between Donald Trump, Jr and his brother in law Jared Kushner with Russian agents, regarding the 2016 Presidential election campaign.

Now we learn of an unreported meeting of Trump with Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit dinner in Germany, in full view of other national leaders, but with Trump alone with Putin and a Russian to translate for Putin, but no one else on the American side with Trump. What in the world was going on? This only adds to the image of Russian collusion, with a President not able to be tracked as to what he was doing at that dinner meeting.

Will it be war with North Korea; or a crisis in relations with Iran; or major alienation with NATO allies; or further tensions with China or Russia; or Trump attempts to destroy civil liberties and civil rights in a manner which promotes open conflict and bloodshed in America?

We have no idea at this point, but a major crisis in either foreign or domestic affairs seems imminent, with a damaged, and mentally unstable Presidency in our midst!

Donald Trump is clueless, ignorant, “out to lunch”, lazy, taking no interest in what is going on in Congress, just interested to sign his name, and display it to the gathered audience!

We have a child, not very bright or motivated, who is leader of the free world, and the world and the nation are in deep trouble, about to get worse!

George McGovern Birthday, What Would Have Been His 95th: A Moment To Remember

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Senator George McGovern of South Dakota, the 1972 Democratic Presidential nominee against President Richard Nixon, would have been 95 today, a moment to remember this great man, who passed away five years ago on October 21, 2012.

McGovern may have been an historic loser, winning only Massachusetts and the District of Columbia in his race against Nixon 45 years ago.

But McGovern was, in many ways, the most principled man ever to run for President.

He ran as an anti Vietnam War candidate, who had been a fighter pilot in World War II.

He ran as a person committed to the hungry, the poor, the disadvantaged in our society. He worked across the aisle with Bob Dole of Kansas to take action to help the most deprived in our society.

He ran as a principled and decent political leader who wanted to bring America back to its purpose, to promote equality, justice and compassion.

Americans instead voted for the most unprincipled and corrupt President in American history, until Donald Trump came along.

George McGovern was my idol, my hero, as a young man in graduate school, inspired by the fact that he had, like myself, pursued a PH. D. in American history, and had taught on the college level before entering politics.

What is it about America that too often they vote for the candidate who is far less principled, decent, and compassionate–as with Richard Nixon and Donald Trump as two examples?

Why is it that we have, as a nation, too often made the wrong choice?

This is something that will be repeated until the better side of our nature finally returns to the basic principles of America, and steers away from those who exploit our fears and insecurities and worsens the American condition!

Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention Anniversary On July 19 A Reminder Of Struggles American Women Still Face In 2017!

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On this day in 1848, 169 years ago, the Women’s Rights Convention took place in Seneca Falls, New York, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, with about 200 women attending.

It was a two day convention to “discuss the social, civil and religious condition and rights of women”.

The convention condemned slavery, and advocated women suffrage, along with property rights, education rights, equality in marriage and over children, and the rights of women to employment at a decent wage, all very advanced ideas for the time.

The idea that a group of women spoke up for their basic human and legal rights was seen at the time as revolutionary, and it would take to 1920 and the 19th Amendment for women to gain the right to vote nationally.

Here we are a century later, and still the fight for women’s equality is far from over, with the clear attack on women’s rights by Donald Trump, Mike Pence, the Republican Party, and right wing Christianity, including on equal pay, sexual harassment and assault, education, and court battles over privacy rights, including abortion rights and the equal treatment of lesbians.

We have an openly sexist and misogynistic President and Vice President, and even within the Republican Party, its women members, particularly in the US Senate, are shown lack of respect and equality in how they are regarded and treated by their male colleagues.

The fact that three women Republican Senators–Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia–helped to kill the attempt to end ObamaCare without protection for constituents on their health care, is leading to Trump being critical of them, and his disrespect for women is legion.

So the battle for women’s rights is suffering from retreat from earlier accomplishments, and the struggle goes on, and both women and men need to work together on fighting for those basic human rights for women, against women such as Ann Coulter, who has advocated repeal of the 19th Amendment, the Woman Suffrage Amendment, as we near a century since its addition to the Constitution.