Saturday, March 25, 2017

Politics -- who needs it?

Hey, I'd prefer NOT to be political. But things have gotten too weird.
After years of reporting on local and state politics for small-town newspapers -- which was fun at times -- I pretty much gave up politics when I retired. I didn't even bother voting from 1998 to 2016, because I figured Washington state (being liberal) had my interests covered. Of course, Washington sometimes goes way TOO liberal. In Wyoming, I voted to keep up my end as The Loyal Opposition so the state didn't go too far to the Right.
I wasn't thrilled with Obama. I thought his health-care plan was too damn expensive and the penalties if you didn't join up were ridiculous. I was to the point where I didn't believe a word he said.
But now things are even weirder.
Why is it so hard to come up with an affordable health-care plan that works for everybody, covers everybody, doesn't include outrageous premiums and big penalties -- and doesn't lead to a bunch of men sitting around trying to decide which women's health concerns SHOULDN'T be included in a package of health-care essentials?
Given enough time, the problem could be solved. If everybody involved could stop being so GREEDY and maybe try to do something GOOD for the country. Why is that so hard?
Why are we so judgmental about people we've never met, don't know, can't imagine what their lives are like? When did Americans become so hateful? Any country that would consider separating parents and kids at a border crossing would be OK with putting seniors out on a chunk of ice to fend for themselves, or hauling off anyone we don't like to a prison camp.
I thought we were better than this.
OK, so tighten entries and visas, fine. We're already in charge of that. But have you ever seen a wall people couldn't climb over or find their way around? Did it help the Chinese that much when the Mongols came to visit? People still got out of East Germany.... People are still getting out of North Korea....
Muslim ban? Hmmm. Interesting that Saudi Arabia isn't on that list, when a dozen of the 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. But it makes a good list for focusing anger -- identify the group, criticize the group, segregate the group, make the group disappear.
And where are YOU from?
Tighten vetting for visas? OK. But I've seen how tough and expensive it can be to get into this country legally, and how long you have to wait. How could we make it tougher for people seeking asylum or just relief and freedom? Do we have to waterboard them to prove their allegiance to the U.S.?
And I am stunned by how many people think that pompous blowhard in the White House is working for THEIR interests. What do you have in common with that vain, self-centered millionaire, "the deal-maker"? Get it into your heads, folks -- he's only working for HIS OWN interests. Unless you're a white guy with lots of money, or a woman he can grab, the Prez has NO USE for you. You're just getting in his way. I'm sure he thanks you for your support. But if you stop supporting him, watch out for the backlash.
I don't see how the Prez supports any Republican agenda. Except maybe for more jobs (?), lower taxes (? we'll see), and keep the strangers out. Oh yes, and let's ID and segregate anyone we don't like, anyone we think is Different. Blacks, Hispanics, Muslims. Women too? LGBTQ?
I'm looking forward to his tax-reform plan, which I'm sure will include big cuts for his corporate cronies. Then who's gonna pay for that $54-billion increase to the military? We are.
Haven't seen much in the way of more jobs. That Carrier AC and heating plant he crowed about is laying people off. And if you think the economy's recovering -- it's a damn slow recovery. It was under Obama, too. Keep saying it will happen and maybe it will...?
I want to hear more about his infrastructure rebuilding plan, too -- it's long overdue. Obama wanted to do the same thing, but of course Congress shot him in the face on that one. You can only do so much by presidential order, without the help of Congress. And right now Congress can't agree that the sun's going to come up tomorrow.
That's about it for now -- except for all you folks who think the new Prez is just great and he's doing exactly what you wanted. Or at least he WOULD be if the Evil Liberal Media would stop giving him such a hard time.
If you think the media is the enemy of the people, who are you gonna turn to when you want to know what's really going on? The Prez? Oh yeah. You're SURE to get the real story there.
To those who support this self-centered money-grubbing moron and his Nazi advisers, you'll still be saying he's your man and it's all for the best when they haul you off in trucks to that relocation camp that's probably in all of our futures. You're all a bunch of Let's Pretenders from straight out of the 1950's, and I wish you'd all shut up and THINK. For at least a minute or two. That's more than you've thought up to now.
Hate mail can be left in the comments section below.

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