Author: Ronald

California WildFire Cataclysm A Massive Tragedy For America!

Ronald 3 Comments

America is in an existential crisis as a result of the California Wildfire cataclysm that has done horrendous damage to our second largest city, Los Angeles!

It is a result of climate change and yet Republicans and Donald Trump choose to play politics, and clearly refuse to accept the reality of climate change.

Trump and the right wing would prefer instead to blame Governor Gavin Newsom and President Joe Biden and their perceptive environmental policies, and talk about DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) as a contributing factor, degrading women, racial minorities, and gay and transgender people as factors in the disaster, a totally preposterous assertion!

California is about ten percent of America, and has Republicans as well as Democrats, and there is an urgent crisis that requires massive intervention and assistance by the federal government to promote rebuilding for the massive destruction that has become the greatest urban and suburban disaster ever seen in American history.

If Trump and the Republicans play hardball and refuse to face reality, the nation will suffer from an economic downturn of major proportions, with massive suffering of untold experience, with the need to rebuild whole neighborhoods and communities, that have no infrastructure, and no schools, churches, businesses and everything else that makes a community prosper!

With everything else that people fear Donald Trump and the Republicans will do once the inauguration has occurred in 11 days, we are now faced with a catastrophe worsened by evil and hatred.

And this will also undermine our national security and foreign policy, if the worst intentions and motivations of Trump and his party are pursued without concern for their impact on all Americans!

Donald Trump Is A Convicted Felon, First Time In American History!

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Donald Trump finally could not completely escape justice, as today, he became a convicted felon in the Hush Money Case involving Stormy Daniels in New York City, including his illegal business dealings, which led to a 34 count conviction.

For all time, Donald Trump will be part of history as a convicted felon, even though he should have been further prosecuted for the January 6 2021 US Capitol Insurrection and the taking of sensitive government documents to his estate at Mar a Lago in Florida.

But Trump was able, by legal maneuvering, to delay and prevent further action on these crucial matters.

But history will show that he was involved in corrupt actions, not only in his business dealings, but also in the Presidential campaigns of 2016 and 2020, leading to convictions for multiple defendants.

It is sad that Trump was able to avoid prison time or any other penalty, due to his being about to take the oath of office as President of the United States once again.

But future generations will know that Trump was easily the most corrupt President in American history, and sadly, may add to that in his new term, although there must be actions to make him accountable over the next four years when he violates his oath of office.

It will be a long four years, and the nation must be ready to face the challenge of the corruption of Donald Trump, and fight tooth and nail within legal boundaries against any further transgressions!

A Sense Of Doom Ahead, After Terrorism In New Orleans And Las Vegas, And Wildfire Tragedy In Los Angeles!

Ronald 9 Comments

There is a growing sense of doom ahead of us in the year 2025, with the horrendous beginning with the terrorist attack in New Orleans, the explosion of an automobile outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas by an active duty soldier who committed suicide, and now the cataclysmic wildfire tragedy in Los Angeles and surrounding communities in Southern California.

It is made worse by Donald Trump, claiming wrongfully that both the New Orleans and Las Vegas incidents were conducted by migrants, illegal aliens, a totally despicable lie, but one that he has not withdrawn.

Also, Trump has blamed President Joe Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom for the Los Angeles Wildfires tragedy, which is act of nature caused by climate change and global warming, for which Trump has renounced the need for any action, as he asserts it is not real!

In eleven days, the nation is faced by a very unstable, immoral, unethical man returning to the White House, as too many Americans were living in a dream world, forgetting the many horrors of the first Trump Presidency.

The thought of drastic moves on immigration and tariffs, and the pardoning of criminals who attacked the US Capitol four years ago, sets a mood of total despair and a sense of helplessness at what the future of America is going to be, and whether American democracy can remain strong, with the dangers that lie ahead in both domestic and foreign policy!

Jimmy Carter’s funeral today is a sad reminder of the loss of innocence, how much the ethics, morality, and decency of the 39th President, has been wiped away with the ethical lapses of Bill Clinton, the policy lapses of George W. Bush, and the multipled horrors of the Trump Presidency, now returning!

Civil Liberties of Speech And Press Under Attack By Trump!

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It is extremely alarming that Donald Trump is mounting an attack on the basic civil liberties of the First Amendment, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Trump has launched lawsuits against major news organizations, both print and electronic, and major players in social media, including Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook most prominently, are bowing to Trump, and agreeing to stop monitoring the truth level of published material, afraid otherwise of being prosecuted.

And the Washington Post publisher, Jeff Bezos, who is also owner of Amazon, would not allow an endorsement of Kamala Harris by the journalism staff, and the same with the Los Angeles Times.

The most powerful and wealthy oligarchs of technology, including Zuckerberg, Bezos, and Elon Musk, also the three wealthiest billionaires in the world, are sacrificing the freedoms of all of us for their own selfish, and ego centered protection.

So Disinformation is now in, propaganda and lies, rather than truth telling, a very dangerous move toward authoritarianism!

Alarming Trump Press Conference: Signs Of American Imperialism And War Mongering Expansion!

Ronald 23 Comments

One day after the Electoral College counting in Washington DC that officially confirmed the victory of Donald Trump for the Presidency, Trump has held a press conference at Mar a Lago, and is stirring up elements of imperialism, militarism, and expansionism as his plans after the Presidential Inauguration on January 20.

Trump’s earlier statements and assertions regarding the Panama Canal, Greenland, and Canada were emphasized, making clear his intentions to promote expansion of American territory, in the name of “national security”.

Trump issued what could be considered threats against Panama, with his assertion, wrongfully, that Panama mistreats American ships as compared to other foreign vessels, and making it clear that he believes America should never have agreed to President Jimmy Carter’s pursuit of the Panama Canal treaty a half century ago. He emphasized the financial cost and loss of lives of Americans in building and sustaining that canal over a century. He implied that American military force might be utilized.

Trump also made it clear, that in his mind, Greenland is essential for American national security, and seems ready to use pressure on NATO ally Denmark to agree to allow America gaining control of that vast area of land, no matter how Denmark may feel about the matter, including possible use of military force. Greenland is the largest island in the world, at 836,000 square miles, which if added to the total area of the US (3 million, 532 thousand square miles), would make America have a total of 4 million 368 thousand square miles), putting America ahead of Canada and China, and only behind Russia in land area. Of course, if Canada, crazily were to become part of the US, the total land area would be 7 million 879 thousand square miles, putting the US first, ahead of Russia with 6 million 323 thousand square miles.

Trump said economic pressure might be brought on Canada, as he pursues the mission of making Canada the 51st state, a totally crazy idea, undermining the close relationship of our northern neighbor and the stability of the boundary line, which has been stable since the early 19th century by treaties. It is the longest border between two nations, at 5,525 miles long, including both the border with the mainland United States, and also with the state of Alaska.

And to top it off, Trump stated that the Gulf of Mexico should be renamed the Gulf of America, therefore creating an issue with our southern neighbor, that we share a boundary of 1,954 miles.

Trump’s threat to wage tariff increases against both Canada and Mexico are bound to undermine relations with both of our neighbors, and will cause vast inflation if allowed to be pursued.

We are faced with a person who could be considered a “madman”, who could be a danger both to America and world stability, particularly with our neighbors in the hemisphere, and with our NATO allies, which include Denmark!

Fourth Anniversary Of January 6 2021 Insurrection, And Kamala Harris Presiding Over Electoral Vote Count!

Ronald 5 Comments

Today is the 4th Anniversary of the US Capitol Insurrection, which will NEVER be forgotten, and any attempt at Donald Trump to make it go away as a FACT of history will fail, and will, permanently, put him in the basement of rankings of American Presidents, no matter what he does in his second term!

It is a sad day also for Kamala Harris, who has to certify her own defeat as the losing Presidential candidate but being the Vice President in the term ending in two weeks, and having the responsibility of counting the Electoral Votes in a joint session of Congress.

This has only occurred before for Richard Nixon in 1961, Hubert Humphrey in 1969, and Al Gore in 2001.

This is a very depressing day, due to the circumstances, but in the long run of history, Donald Trump will always be condemned, even if he has not been held accountable with a criminal penalty due to circumstances and timing.

Growing Crisis Over Mass Deportations And Panama Canal As Donald Trump Becomes President In Two Weeks!

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With about two weeks before the beginning of the second Donald Trump Presidency, it is clear the issues of mass deportations and the Panama Canal will cause a major rift between the United States and its Central American neighbors.

The female Presidents of Mexico and Honduras have made it clear that they are not happy with the concept of mass deportations of their nationals in the United States.

Also, Trump’s veiled threat to Panama that the US might break the Panama Canal Treaty accomplished by Jimmy Carter, leading to the turnover of the Canal to Panama’s control in the year 2000, is an alarm bell in the night!

Trump seems ready to create new crises in the Western Hemisphere, and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, soon to be Secretary of State, seems part of the whole strategy to make any opposition in Central America as a threat to the US, similar to Cuba and Venezuela.

This is not the right strategy for the US to be following, but seeems inevitable under Donald Trump’s leadership!

Jimmy Carter’s Legacy Could Be Affected By Donald Trump!

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Jimmy Carter’s legacy could be affected by Donald Trump, becoming President in 16 days.

Trump is threatening Panama over the control of the Canal Zone, which by treaty was agreed to be handed back to Panama during the Carter Presidency, and occurring peacefully in the year 2000.

Carter presided over the creation of the Department of Education, but ever since, Republicans have called for the closing of a federal agency on education, and now, it is a real threat to the survival of the cabinet agency during the Trump Administration.

Carter promoted the environment as a major goal of accomplishment, and warned of the dangers of long term dependence on oil, coal and gas, advocating nuclear and solar energy. Now, Trump is declaring war on the environment, and failing to see the dangers of climate change and global warming.

Carter promoted the importance of immigration for the future growth of America, while now, Trump is preparing to deport millions of immigrants.

Carter advocated high ethical standards and the importance of compassion and empathy, and Trump is the polar opposite of that.

Even now, Trump is complaining that Carter’s death has created a 30 day period of mourning, with the flags flown at half staff until January 28, therefore including the inauguration date of Trump on January 20. Who can say that he will not, possibly, order the return of the flags to full staff at his inauguration, as unseemly as that would be?

It should be pointed out that Richard Nixon’s Second Inauguration in 1973 included the flying of the flag at half staff for former President Harry Truman, who had passed awwy on December 26, 1972, and yet, Nixon did not complain publicly or make an issue of the flag being at half staff for his second inauguration.

In these ways and more, Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump are as diametrically opposite in dramatic and sad ways as is imaginable!

Jimmy Carter’s Post Presidency Unmatched By Any Other President!

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Jimmy Carter’s post Presidency of 44 years will, forever, remain unmatched.

Carter left office at the early age of 56, and survived health challenges to reach age 100, also highly unlikely, ever to be matched or surpassed.

Carter established the Carter Center to promote human rights in 1982, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum was opened in 1986 in Atlanta, and this blogger and scholar visited the site two times, finding it a very impressive memorial to the President.

Carter also spent several years teaching at Emory University in Atlana.

Carter wrote a total of 33 books in his lifetime, more than any other President.

Carter participated in building housing for the poor through Habitat For Humanity.

Carter traveled the world, fighting disease, promoting free elections, and advocating resolution of various international conflicts.

Carter had varying relations with his successors and predecessors, becoming particularly close to President Gerald Ford, creating the closest friendship with a fellow President since John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

Other Presidents who were active after their Presidency included John Quincy Adams, who served in the House of Representatives for nearly 18 years, and wrote a diary from age 12 to age 80.

Also, Martin Van Buren, Millard Fillmore, and Theodore Roosevelt ran for the Presidency after their terms in office.

William Howard Taft served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for nine years after his Presidency.

Also, Herbert Hoover and Richard Nixon, along with Bill Clinton and Barack Obama presently, have been active, but none on the level of Jimmy Carter.

Carter’s historical ranking is sure to rise from the mid 20s to the top one third over time, as his passing makes the true Carter scholarship ever more expansive in the next generation!

Jimmy Carter-Walter Mondale: The Most Intimate Team In White House History!

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Presidents and Vice Presidents often are an awkward pair, with the Vice President chosen for electoral and regional reasons, not because of friendship or familiarity before the Presidential term.

Most Vice Presidents are ignored by the Presidents they are serving, and some have even, actively, worked against the President’s interests.

Most Vice Presidents, historically, have not been even considered as possible successors.

Often, the connection between Presidents and Vice Presidents are considered like a “shotgun marriage”!

Examples of awkward combinations are Thomas Jefferson under John Adams; Aaron Burr under Thomas Jefferson; John C. Calhoun under both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson; Charles Fairbanks under Thedodore Roosevelt; Thomas Marshall under Woodrow Wilson; Charles G. Dawes under Calvin Coolidge; John Nance Garner under Franklin D. Roosevelt; Lyndon B. Johnson under John F. Kennedy; Hubert Humphrey under Lyndon B. Johnson; Spiro Agnew under Richard Nixon; Dan Quayle under George H W Bush; and Mike Pence under Donald Trump.

The greatest and most intimate team was Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale, and their partnership lasted 45 plus years until Mondale died in April 2021. Carter made Mondale as close to a co-President as could be possible, as Mondale was in on every decision, and the two men and their wives were very close in office and for the 40 plus years of retirement together.

No other combinaton comes close, although Joe Biden under Barack Obama would rank second in closeness and intimacy.

Until the revelation of the personal scandals under Bill Clinton, Al Gore was also very close and intimate, but the Monica Lewinsky scandal created a barrier for the remainder of Clinton’s second term, causing Gore not to utilize Clinton in the 2000 Presidential race, a major factor in Gore’s defeat, despite winning the national popular vote over George W. Bush.

The extent of the closeness and intimacy of Kamala Harris with Joe Biden is not yet fully understood.