Governing vs. Dictatorship

You have all seen this pattern from me before.  First let's define some words using a reputable source, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, so we can all agree on what these words mean.  Of course there are those that might say that Merriam-Webster Dictionary is 'fake' knowledge.  Those same people might suggest that there is alternate knowledge......you know, like breibart dictionary.  Anyway, enough humor for now, let's get statrted.

- Definition of govern
transitive verb

1a : to exercise continuous sovereign authority over; especially : to control and direct the making and administration of policy in <The country was governed by a king.>b : to rule without sovereign power and usually without having the authority to determine basic policy

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/govern

- Definition of dictate
transitive verb

1: to speak or read for a person to transcribe or for a machine to record <dictating a letter to her secretary>

2a : to issue as an order b : to impose, pronounce, or specify authoritatively <dictate the terms of surrender> < … the league will dictate policy for all teams … — Alex Yannis>c : to require or determine necessarily <injuries dictated the choice of players> <The weather will dictate how long we stay.>

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictate

- Definition of dictatorship

1: the office of dictator

2: autocratic rule, control, or leadership <people suffering under his dictatorship>

3a : a form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator or a small cliqueclique <Communism and dictatorship>b : a government organization or group in which absolute power is so concentrated<rising up against a military dictatorship>c : a despotic state <establishing a dictatorship>

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictatorship

- Definition of dictator

1a : a person granted absolute emergency power; especially, history : one appointed by the senate (see senate 1a) of ancient Romeb : one holding complete autocratic control : a person with unlimited governmental powerc : one ruling in an absolute (see absolute 2) and often oppressive way <fascist dictators>

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictator

When I read the definition for govern, I see a fine line within its definition   Definition 1a) points out that governing involves "sovereign authority" and that authority has the responsibility to "control and direct the making and administration of policy".  Then, definition 1b) points out that it also means "to rule without sovereign power and usually without having the authority to determine basic policy".  As you can see a) defines authority to make and administer policy, while b) notes that it does not mean that there is sovereign "power" and that it does not give authority to "determine basic policy".  So......as I noted there is a fine line to be walked when governing.

Looking at the concept of dictatorship, I believe it is very telling to read that it is " a form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator or a small clique clique".  The real concern here is the "small clique".  I gotta tell you, between trump and the goebbels twins (steve bannon and kelly whatever her name is) I'm feeling like I'm back in high school.  These three people are emotionally  immature. They are bullies and as such they are attempting to dictate, as bullies do.

My reading and comparison of these two words, of these two styles of exercising authority indicate to me that governing is nuanced, it requires care so that authority does not become autocratic power.  Our constitution was designed to help us prevent autocratic rule, but nothing that humans produce is perfect because we are not perfect.  If, we have a confluence of circumstances, where all three branches of government become complicit in handing power over to the administrative branch, then we can throw The Constitution out the window.  Reality is that The Constitution is a guide for reasonable people.  If people become unreasonable at certaiin positions in our government then the Constitution can be disregarded.

Yesterday, two high level employees of our government were fired by trump. Sally Yates, the acting Attorney general until a trump nominee is approved by the Senate, and shortly after, the acting head of Immagration, Daniel Ragsdale.  This behavior on trump's part is leaving me feeling very unsafe.  These are actions that we saw in the USSR and in other dictatorships around the world.  In my 61 years, I don't recall anything like this in our country, in my country.

trump has fired these public servants because they would not uphold his "PROTECTING THE NATION FROM FOREIGN TERRORIST ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES" executive order. Yates and Ragsdale believed the order to be unConstitutional.  I have already started to read the full text of the order and will report on my findings in the next day or two.  I am not a lawyer, but I can read and understand the English language.  I also can follow the paths that are spelled out in legal documents.

The world is watching.  America has always been a beacon of light and hope, but trump and his clique are turning the light off. We have, in our past, gone through some xenophobic periods.  We will move past this, but as the world becomes a more global culture and watches the U.S., they will shut us out and isolate us, and for good reason.  We must fight to keep our standing as the moral high ground on our planet and not allow whatever elements of a dictatorship to take hold.  trump, either consciously or unconsciously wants to be a dictator and used to being a dictator.  We, the decent people of America will continue to resist the issues that trump is bringing to our nation.

A Letter to Warren Buffett

As per yesterday's post "Fractured Opposition".  I am posting the letter that I am sending to Mr. Buffett, below.  It will be sent as certified mail in order to indicate the gravity of the envelope's contents.

Dear Mr. Buffett,

First, I need to thank you for the email string that is currently being passed around the nation with the title "The BUFFETT Rule".  I was not aware of the lifetime salaries for the members of Congress that you listed.  Truly upsetting.

Our opposition to a Congress that serves their own self interests to the degree that our current representatives do, is fractured.  There are many dispirit groups of many political philosophies that are working to bring Congress under control.  These groups do not have the name recognition or the national scope to address this and other dysfunctional behaviors in our government effectively.

I am writing to you about these issues in what for me is a novel way of presenting my concerns.  Please note that this is not tongue in cheek, this is a serious proposal.  Also, please know that I am not a "nut case", or a "radical", I am simply a blade of grass in the American lawn.

1.) The 'acquisition' that I am proposing is nothing less then the decency and morality of our country.  I am not suggesting that these qualities can be bought or legislated, but rather influenced.  Currently, the decency and morals of many Americans is being manipulated in a way that is turning the American ideal into a nightmare.

2.) The business of The United States has clearly had the greatest ROI in human history.   I am  confident that returns will remain strong as long as the American people have a 'can do' mind set.  I believe that our collective state of mind is currently being eroded.  We, as a nation, need a rudder that is true to guide our ship.  Our current steering mechanism is far from being true.  You, Mr. Buffett may very well be that person.  Not as President of our country of course, we currently have one and the next election is four long years off.  Rather, as either a grass roots organizer or the person who makes a true investment in a powerful grass roots organization.  An organization that will wield serious resources; human, computer and monetary.  One that can bring together the dispirit groups that are all working inefficiently and ineffectively towards the same goal.

3.)America is a Nation that was built on equity.  I am referring to equity as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary; "justice according to natural law or right; specifically :  freedom from bias or favoritism"  as well as a financial definition, "a risk interest or ownership right in property".  Financially, America has an enormous amount of equity and also a considerable amount of debt.  With reference to "natural law or right", Our country was founded on this principle and it is what has made this country the greatest nation in history.  "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  Although these words are not law, they are the basis for our country's founding and have been a beacon to the world.  We currently run the great risk of turning off that light, of reneging on the deal, to be trumped if you will.

4.) The management is not currently in place for this 'venture'.  but i do see a path forward that would require minimal funding.  I would be honored to discuss my thoughts on an organizational structure with you or a representative of yours.

5.) This business couldn't be more simple.  Again, I would sincerely appreciate, in the true sense of that word, the opportunity to discuss how this work can be done.

6.) The offering price?  Well that depends on how you look at the proposition.  I see the offering price as the highest its ever been.  I believe our union has not been in this much peril since the Civil War.  We do not have states attempting to secede from the Union, but we do have an enormous schism in our culture.  This divide has been present and growing for decades, but this past election has brought the boil to the surface.  We must begin the process of healing.  Our current government, especially the administrative branch, but the highly partisan Congress also, is serving to keep the divide in place.  If you want to talk about the cost of running such an operation until the desired result is achieved, I could only give you a guess.  I do not have an estimate at this time, but will certainly be prepared to present an educated number if we should discuss this further.

In closing, I am not a high powered business person.  I am not a politician and have no desire to be one, therefore I can speak my mind freely and reasonably as I have no political capital to lose.  I do not have a lot of money, in fact I believe you would be very surprised to learn how little I have at sixty one years of age.  I am not proposing this venture to you in the hopes of making money.  I am, as I noted above, a blade of grass in the American lawn.  What I am, is concerned about the direction of our country and believe you are as well.  

I appreciate your staff's time, while reading this letter and hope that they bring it to your attention.  I am serious about what I have written above and believe that you can play a major role in healing the divide in our country.

Sincerely and with respect,

William R. Sherman

Fractured Opposition

For a few months, I have been wrestling with the 'how', of presenting a solid opposition to the current administration.  What I have been seeing is many groups and many individuals attempting to push back on trump.  Some of the groups are larger than others, but none have the name recognition on a national scale to rally all of the dispirit groups that we now have into one coordinated force.  Our efforts are being diluted and minimized by not speaking with one voice.

What we currently have reminds me of Monty Python's "The Life of Brian".  There is a scene where Brian is selling concessions (dried ears and noses, lol) at The Colosseum during a gladiator match.  Different resistance groups are meeting in the stands with similar names.  Although they all had the same goals, they remained separate and fought over who was the true resistance group, or the better.  Later in the movie, two of the groups break into the emperors palace and defeat each others actions, simply because of the disorganization.  Sound familiar?

I'm certainly not that unifying force and I don't believe that any of the groups I've run into are either.  I'm not in love with the Democratic party.  I believe, though, that until some other entity comes to the fore, the Democratic party is what we have to work with.

There is someone that definitely has clout, but that doesn't mean that he will or wants to step up.  This morning I got an email from my niece.  It was a message from Warren Buffett.  The light went off in my head.  Here was someone that has the clout to gather together all of, or at least most of the pieces.

His note and what he has requested of Americans seems to indicate that he wants to be involved with the level of visibility necessary, but is it a one time shot or will he continue to be politically active in this way.   Certainly he has been politically active, but this is a grass roots  involvement.  Below, please see Mr. Buffett's call to action.  I have already emailed it to you, my readers, but I am placing it in the text of this post so my thoughts are fleshed out.

Warren Buffett said send this to 20 people. You are my 20. Please keep this going to your 20.

The BUFFETT Rule Let's see if these idiots understand what people pressure is all about. Salary of retired US Presidents .. . . . .. . . . . .. . $180,000 FOR LIFE. Salary of House/Senate members .. . . . .. . . . $174,000 FOR LIFE. This is stupid Salary of Speaker of the House .. . . . .. . . . . $223,500 FOR LIFE. This is really stupid Salary of Majority / Minority Leaders . . .. . . . . $193,400 FOR LIFE. Stupid Average Salary of a teacher . . .. . . . .. . . . . .. .$40,065 Average Salary of a deployed Soldier . . .. . . .. $38,000 Here’s where the cuts should be made! Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling: "I could end the deficit in five minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election". The 26th Amendment ( granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds ) took only three months and eight days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc. Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure. Warren Buffett is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise. In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around. Congressional Reform Act of 2017 1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman / woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office. 2. Congress (past, present, & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose. 3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. 4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. 5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. 6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. 7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 3/1/17. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and go back to work. If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people, then it will only take three days for most people in the U.S. to receive the message. It's time! THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS! If you agree, pass it on.

You know.......I don't care how we fix Congress, as long we fix it.  There are obviously other issues that need to be 'fixed' and we need a notional platform with name recognition and clout to get traction on all fronts.

With that in mind, I searched for possible ways to contact Warren Buffett so I could write him a letter.  Although it has not been the case throughout my life, I have become quite the letter writer recently.  I was pleased to find the followiing site:

http://www.wikihow.com/Contact-Warren-Buffett

The site had very good information.  Rather than re-print the entire site, I will just present a few of the suggestions on the site:

1

Write him a letter. The only mailing address available to the public is the address of his company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. He is the company's chairman, president, and CEO.
Mail your letter to:

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
3555 Farnam Street
Suite 1440
Omaha, NE 68131

Address Warren Buffett in the greeting of your actual letter. He will not open the letter directly, but staff members who may open and read your letter first will at least know that you intend to reach Mr. Buffett directly.

4

Know what to write. The only way you might have your letter read and replied to is if you write an investment proposal that meets all the investment criteria set by Warren Buffett in his annual letter to shareholders.

You can find the letter to shareholders here:http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/letters.html
While the acquisition criteria can change from year to year, often times, business representatives must adhere to the following standards when they write:

The acquisition must be a large purchase.
The business must have demonstrated consistent earning power.
The business must earn good returns on equity with little to no debt.
The management must already be in place.
The business must be simple.
The proposal must come with an offering price

I was impressed with this information.  It seems to me that Mr. Buffett is a transparent person who is trying to be accessible rather than making communication with him difficult.  I am heartened and encouraged and therefore will be writing him a letter which i will share with all of you tomorrow.

Voter Fraud and Cake

Again, d.j[ackass]. trump and those he pays to be loyal to him want their cake and they want to eat it too.  trump and his minions may think the world works this way if trump throws enough money at it, but in the long run it doesn't.

Yesterday I noted that "It's all about 'winning' for trump.  If he believes he 'lost' by any method of counting up the marbles, then he cries."  Using his favorite form of communication,  donnie boy  tweeted this week, 

Donald J. Trump ‏@realDonaldTrump Jan 25
I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and....

Donald J. Trump ‏@realDonaldTrump Jan 25
even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!

Hmmmmmm?  Those registered in two states.  You mean like his son-in-law, jared kushner, who is jewish and thinks that steve bannon is acceptable at the very least?  Kushner, on November 8, 2016 was registered to vote  in New Jersey and New York.  You mean like steve goebbels bannon, who on 11/8/16 was registered to vote in Florida and  New York?  How about tiffany trump, registered in Pennsylvania and New York?  Would you believe sean spicer, in Virginia and Rhode Island?  Then there's steve mnunchin, treasury secretary nominee, in New York and California.  These instances are all reported by reputable sources, after appropriate research; The Washington Post, NBC News, The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and CNN.

I want to point out that being registered in multiple states is not a criminal offense.  Stuff happens.  People move and forget to remove themselves from their old voting precinct.  As much as I don't like saying something positive about goebbels (bannon), I always try to be honest, so it is necessary that I note that he actively was attempting to get himself removed from the voter rolls in Florida.  So the very first item in donnie boys tweet is irrelevant.

The facts are (not alternative facts, mind you) that time after time and study after study it has been shown that there is no wide spread voter fraud in U.S. elections.   The following Studies, listed in a Washington Post Article dated 1/25/17, clearly show that each study is unable to find any significant voter fraud.  Certainly not on the scale that trump is claiming.  I feel sure that this list is far from exhaustive.

- In one of the most comprehensive investigations of fraud, Justin Levitt of Loyola Law School, Los Angeles turned up 31 credible instances of voter impersonation out of more than 1 billion votes cast between 2000 and 2014. Some of those cases may have been because of clerical errors. Levitt's investigation suggests that while voter impersonation does indeed happen, it happens so rarely that the rate is approximately one instance out of ever 32 million ballots cast. 

- A five-year voter fraud investigation conducted by the George W. Bush administration “turned up virtually no evidence” of organized fraud.....While the investigation did yield 86 criminal convictions as of 2006, many of those appear to have been linked to people misunderstanding eligibility rules or filling out paperwork incorrectly.

- In 2014, a two-year investigation into voter fraud by Iowa's Republican secretary of state yielded 27 criminal charges, a number of which, again, were apparently related to mistakes or misunderstandings of voting rules.

- In December [2016], a Washington Post analysis of news reports found four documented cases of voter fraud out of about 136 million votes cast. That would yield a voter fraud rate of one instance per every 34 million ballots, close to what Levitt's investigation turned up. Two of those fraud cases involved Trump voters trying to vote twice, one involved a Republican election judge trying to fill out a ballot on behalf of her dead husband, and the last involved a poll worker filling in bubbles for a mayoral candidate in absentee ballots in Florida.

- A team of Dartmouth researchers undertook a comprehensive statistical investigation of the 2016 results, looking for evidence of abnormal voting patterns. They checked for evidence of noncitizen voting, dead people voting and tampering by election officials. They didn't find any. “Our findings do strongly suggest, however, that voter fraud concerns fomented by the Trump campaign are not grounded in any observable features of the 2016 presidential election,” they concluded (emphasis theirs). “There is no evidence of millions of fraudulent votes.”

- The National Association of Secretaries of State, which represents most of the nation's top election officials (most of whom happen to be Republican), released a statement Tuesday [1/24/17] saying, “We are not aware of any evidence that supports the voter fraud claims made by President Trump.”

- In Kansas, the Republican secretary of state examined 84 million votes cast in 22 states to look for cases of duplicate registration. The project yielded 14 prosecutions, representing 0.000017 percent of the votes cast.

There are various Republicans that, in essence, call this dribble running out of trump's mouth and down his chin, nonsense. Paul Ryan the Republican Speaker of the House, on 1/24/17, when asked about trump's continued assertions of massive voter fraud said (looking very serious until the question was asked and then a big smirk came over his face), “I’ve seen no evidence to that effect. I’ve made that very, very clear,” 

Lindsey Grahm, the ultra conservative Senator from South Carolina, said in an interview on 1/24/17 "I wasn't there [at the meeting last night at the White House], but if the President of the United States is claiming that 3.5 million people voted illegally, that shakes confidence in our democracy — he needs to disclose why he believes that.  I would urge the President to knock this off.  This is the greatest democracy on Earth, we're the leader of the free world, and people are going to start doubting you as a person if you keep making accusations against our electoral system without justification.  This is going to erode his ability to govern this country if he does not stop it."And lastly, the cake eaters who want to have their cake and .......  ooooooooops, sorry, you already ate it! All gone! trump's campaign lawyers, who obviously were paid to do and say whatever trump told them to do and say, said the following in December of 2016 when Jill Stein called for a recount in Michigan:
“all available evidence suggests that the 2016 general election was not tainted by fraud or mistake.”

Hmmmmmmmmm!!!??!!!!??

p.s. - So, if trump's Department of Justice finds massive voter fraud, that would be an unbiased study, right?  Suuuuuuuure!!!!!!!

Alternative Fact

Here's an 'alternative fact' for you, Hillary Clinton won the Presidential election on November 8, 2016 by 2.8 million votes.  Wait.......how can this be, you ask?  This must be 'fake news' Bill.  You wouldn't pull our collective legs, would you Bill?  Well, to that, I say go ask Sean Spicer.  I'm sure we all know who he is by now.  You know, the puppet for the goebbels twins, steve and kelly.

When reporting on sean spicer's press conference on January 25, 2017, Pam Fessler of  National Public Radio noted that sean spicer "defended the need for a new  investigation [into voter fraud].  He said it would help to ensure that everyone's vote is counted equally".

Wow!  In essence, this currently would be un-Constitutional.  Everyone's vote is not counted equally and that is how our Constitution is written.  No amendment has rescinded this stipulation in the Constitution and therefore everyone's vote is not counted equally for The President of the United States.

Why in the world would spicer march his ass out in front of the press and spew this falsehood, this 'alternative fact'.  Oh........I get it,  the 2.8 million votes that trump LOST by were fraudulently cast, but the FACT that trump became the head admin of our country based on the current Constitution isn't enough for this narcissist, this megalomaniac.  It's all about 'winning' for trump.  If he believes he 'lost' by any method of counting up the marbles, then he cries.  Waaaaaaaaaa!  There's voter fraud.  Actual facts clearly show that according to MANY and almost all studies, it simply isn't true.  Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House doesn't buy it.  Hard core republican Lidsey Grahm not only doesn't buy it, he is demanding that trump make a statement that all votes cast were done so legally.  A study in the G.W. Bush Administration clearly showed there is no voter fraud.  A bi-partisan Congressional Investigation shows no voter fraud.  And best of all, trump is unable to present any evidence that there is voter fraud.  Simply because this jack ass says it's so, does not make it so.  (That is unless you follow the goebbels model......say it enough times and loud enough and people will believe it).

Of course this post is completely tongue in cheek and due to the ridiculous subject matter, will be a short one.  BUT, there is one real concern here; the way we as a country will decide to count votes, going forward.  Even puppet boy spicer can't seem to get away from the American ideal that we were all raised with; 'one person, one vote'.  I strongly support a Constitutional Amendment that abolishes the Electoral College.  To this end,  I have sent a "Proposed 28th  Amendment to the U.S. Constitution" on 1/8/17 to the majority and minority leaders of both houses as follows:

"So that each citizen's vote for The President of the United States  will be counted with equal weight, We the People of the United States hereby abolish the Electoral College in its entirety."

Although it makes me feel somewhat sick, it seems that spicer and I are on the same page.

Intellectual Elite

There has been a lot of talk about the 'intellectual elite' and how trump's election, in part, was a result of a populist distaste for the intellectual elite.  I've been chewing on this for months.  I have to admit that this type of 'thinking' has me pretty darn angry.

Last night while taking my walk, it became clear to me how I wanted to approach this subject.  I decided a good starting point would be some definitions.  I always use the  Merriam Webster Dictionary.  I looked up three words and they are listed below:


- Definition of intellect

1a : the power of knowing as distinguished from the power to feel and to will : the capacity for knowledgeb : the capacity for rational or intelligent thought especially when highly developed

2: a person with great intellectual powers

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intellect

- Definition of intellectual

1a : of or relating to the intellect or its useb : developed or chiefly guided by the intellect rather than by emotion or experience : rationalc : requiring use of the intellect <intellectual games>

2a : given to study, reflection, and speculationb : engaged in activity requiring the creative use of the intellect <intellectual playwrights>

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intellectual

- Definition of elite

1a singular or plural in construction : the choice part : cream <the elite of the entertainment world>b singular or plural in construction : the best of a class <superachievers who dominate the computer elite — Marilyn Chase>c singular or plural in construction : the socially superior part of society <how the French-speaking elite … was changing — Economist>d : a group of persons who by virtue of position or education exercise much power or influence <members of the ruling elite>e : a member of such an elite —usually used in plural <the elites … , pursuing their studies in Europe — Robert Wernick>

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elite

Now let's compress these definitions into one easily digestible phrase; the best of the smart.  I believe we can all agree on this. 

Who are some people that are or have been, in our country, that we can place in this category?  The framers and signatories of the Constitution?  Thomas Jefferson certainly had a great intellect.  George Washington?  Abraham Lincoln?  Our major Universities certainly are loaded with the 'best smart people' and they drive progress in all areas of our culture.  The technicians that work at NASA.  The doctors that we depend on for our health concerns.  Bill Gates is one and so was Steve Jobs.  The list could easily be made longer, but my point is made.

These people who do not like the 'intellectual elite' should stop buying technologically advanced cars with all  the bells and whistles.  Every one of them should throw away there 'smart phones'.  They should stop following trump's every tweet.  And most of all, when they get sick, they should forget about going to the doctor.  Again, I think my point is made.  All of these goods and services that I have mentioned are the direct result of the 'intellectual elite'.  Our country is the result of the 'intellectual elite'.  If these people are sincere about not liking the 'intellectual elite', then those in the intellectual elite should stop doing things for these people.  They cannot have their cake and eat it too; it's one or the other.

Enuf (lol) said?  Enough said!

Inclusive Politics?

Yesterday afternoon, I started to take some next steps beyond protest.  Don't worry though, I'll still be protesting in every way that I can.  I searched for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party & clicked on the first result.  The landing screen asked for my email address and my zip code.  Okay, I did that. The next screen was a bit of a surprise.   It asked for a donation.  It gave various dollar value options & one option that had a blank field for the user to define an amount.  There was no button to bypass the donation process.  I was not in a position to make a donation at this time so I placed a zero in the user definable field and pressed 'donate'.  Nope, that didn't work.  I was brought right back to the same screen.  Obviously,l I was going to have to donate money to gain access.  I was not happy!  I donated one dollar, but it will be a while before they get anymore money from me.  I'm not 'cheap'.   I donate what I can, when i can.  This is a matter of principle.  No person should need to donate money in order to gain access to the Democratic Party's web site.

Below is the first result when I 'googled' for "Pennsylvania Democratic party".  Have some fun.  Click on it and see for yourself.

Pennsylvania Democratic Party | Let's Make History Again

www.padems.com/

THE PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS DEDICATED TO ELECTING PUBLIC SERVANTS AND TO FIGHTING FOR THE DEMOCRATIC IDEAL THAT, IN ...

You visited this page on 1/24/17.

My plan is to find a way (the more ways the better) to contact individuals in the state Party apparatus

and discuss this with them.  I will still offer my services, because I believe that our current 

two Party system 

is not going to be supplanted any time soon and I believe that there is a better chance of working through 

issues of decency and morality in the Democratic party.  That being said, the PA Democratic Party needs to understand that if we're going to resolve some pressing issues, we need to be inclusive.  Forcing someone to make a donation, in order to gain access to the Party's web site is exclusionary.  

In order to gain control over our destiny, we the Democratic Party, need to work hard to gain the majority of seats in the State Legislatures.  We need to do this by 2020, because that is when the next census will be taken and then districts will be re-drawn by the Party holding the majority in the State legislatures.  This will not be an easy task in Pennsylvania.  

Pennsylvania has a well defined divide between urban and rural areas.  As uncomfortable as it may be, Democrats need to spend their time in the rural areas to attempt to sway voters.  I believe the best strategy will be to set up meetings with church groups and hammer away at their moral compass.  Our government currently has a self described Leninist whispering in the ear of trump, steve (goebbels) bannon.  bannon is vocaly endorsed by the kkk and the american nazi party.  The basic questions to these church groups is:

    - show them a nazi flag and ask if they are ok with it

    - show them a picture of a kkk member and ask them if they are ok with that

    - show them a picture of bannon and ask them if they know who it is a picture of

I doubt they will know who bannon is, so the next step is to tell the group who he is, quote him regarding his statements about Leninism and have quotes from the kkk, david duke and the american nazi party praising bannon.  Quotes from sources that these people may find more 'factual' like breitbart as well as from reputable news sources would be good.  Presenting all of this with a power point will work very nicely.  

Again, in order to gain control over our own destiny, we need to go to republican territories and work on moving votes to Democrats.  I hope to work on this with the PA Democratic Party.