Trump/Johnson Libertarianism vs. It Takes A Village/Clinton

The 2016 Campaign embodies the classical American conflict between Liberalism and Conservatism, Democratic values vs. Libertarian values.  This is really nothing new.  It's just louder and more extreme today than perhaps yesteryear's conflicts and political contests.

On the domestic front  the Trump version of Republicanism is nearly identical to the Gary Johnson version of Libertarianism.  The only difference of consequence is that Johnson is less crass, less noisy and less bombastic.

Those shared values, in contrast to Liberalism and the Democratic Party's values, are about me, myself and I.  I, me and mine.  This strain of Americanism is all about rugged individualism.  I'll take care of mine, you take care of yours.  We have heard it every day, thanks to a lapdog media from Trump.  How great he is.  How wonderful his family is.  How beautiful the women in his life are.  And how he knows how to "make America great again" just like he and his family are.  Greatly wealthy.  Greatly successful.  Greatly white.  Greatly smart and really good at helping themselves at the trough of life,  taking as much as possible.  Woe is the business associate who gets in Trump's way or threatens his bottom line.  Ruthless is good because it helps me and mine.  Greed is good as expropriated from the Reagan era.  This is just the Reagan era on steroids.  You're on your own out there, buddy, good luck.  But don't get in my way.

Read Atlas Shrugged.  Listen to Paul Ryan.  Hear Ron Paul and his Senator son.  It is the same tune, different singers.  Gary Johnson is the soft Irish tenor of the song; Trump the heavy metal version.
Johnson-government with a soft touch on our lives, letting us do it our way, regardless of public/social consequence.  Keeping the immigrants in line so as to not interfere.  Weed is OK, very appealing to the millennials.  Let the market do its thing without a cleanup crew following behind, this kind of stuff.
Trump is just more harsh, more intemperate, with chest beating and loud bellowing.

The people this message and life-vision appeals to are those who see themselves as captains of their own ship, owing no one for their success or failure, loyal to their family members who they see as their only responsibility.  If they experience failure, it is usually a government or government policy to blame, not themselves.  They take care of  themselves and their own and deplore those whose performance in that area is less than theirs.   If others fail then they're usually deserving of their failure.  Thus worthy of being cut loose or disenfranchised, lesser beings.

Now contrast that with the first major Party nominee who is a woman who authored a book entitled It Takes a Village.  In spite of being vilified for decades for being a liberal, a bleeding heart liberal who endured a humiliation on a massive scale before the world by her spouse and summoned the energy and self confidence to write this amazing book to share with her countrymen.  This book and this woman of many imperfections (like all of us) gives us the core message of her life.  And the core message of her political tribe, the Democrats.  Both are about taking care of oneself, taking care of one's family but also making a life which shares its abundance and grief with the village, the village of the United States of America.

This is the core difference between Democrats and Republicans.  The core difference between liberalism and conservatism and Libertarianism.   Some times liberalism is expressed this way...."we are all in this together." In my view, and if you have heart, you view this as the glue that binds a workable society.  The alternative is dog eat dog.  Here are a couple of examples:  Some in our society are excluded because of race.  Some among the excluded adopt a dog eat dog lifestyle out of desperation and rejection, shooting it out on the streets in drug deals gone bad.  This is nothing more than Libertarianism taken to a Trump extreme.  Or, as I so well remember in my first trip in Mexico in the 60's, affluent people living behind concrete walls and electrified iron gates to keep out the rabble.  American developers adopted this lifestyle in the Reagan era.....they called them gated communities.
Or in rural areas,  people who buy acreage surrounding theirs to prevent neighbors from being too close.  It is the same mindset.   People preferring to go it alone, without the village.  This is their right.

But when things go wrong, it is usually the village who comes to their rescue.  So they too ultimately reap the benefit of the village but don't pay the price by contributing back to the village.  These are the people who do not volunteer, do not run for office or work in political campaigns.  They isolate.  Many do not vote.   Or if they do--that is all they do in the political order.  And if all they do is vote, they make a big deal out of the lousy choices they had. But they'd done nothing to put forth better candidates in the village.  Usually their excuse is that they are too busy taking care of their own.

So the contrast and choice is really clear for me.  A perfect village? Of course not.  A mayor of the village with imperfections?  Sure.  A village idiot here and there?  Sure.  But it beats living it out on an island or behind a really big wall alone, in my humble opinion.

Assault Weapons Assault Logic

So, Orlando, here we go again.  In addition to the massacre of native populations by our ancestors, we Americans have now achieved a new milestone in our killing culture.  This is public madness achieving new heights exceeded only by our record as the only culture ever having used nuclear weapons on other human beings.  This is our killing culture and we are damned proud of it.

Little kids are given toy guns at the earliest age.  They are frequently seen in film cartoons.  Oh, it is only childhood fun we say.  Just stretching little imaginations.  TV shows and action adventure movies aimed at more adult populations, loaded with firearms and killing so to speak.

Gun shows, gun shops everywhere.  War movies galore, glorifying people discharging firearms and much, much more.  Oh, it is just fantasy we say.  Or story telling for amusement.  But the images of armed soldiers and cowboys are everywhere.  Video games with characters shooting one another?  Just more of a healthy fantasy outlet?  This is totally nuts.

Come on, people.  We display the killing culture everywhere from infancy onto decrepit old age in America.  2nd Amendment?  We fantasize that this translates into a basic human right to bear arms when the real historic intention of this language so obvious and so clear.   The reinterpretation of this Amendment is very recent in our history in the interest of maximizing our distorted sense of liberty and freedom to do whatever the hell we want to whomsoever we want.

This is a killing culture and we all know it.  But it is now time to put aside the fantasy and myth and address this madness.  We rolled back a perfectly reasonable automatic weapons ban not too many years ago in the interest of some whacked out sense of liberty.  Some actually think a brigade of patriots armed with AR 15's can save us from a tyrannical government armed with every conceivable form of weapon by land, sea and air.  Get real.  This is total fantasy.  Peddled by a twisted bunch of armed self appointed militia members and supported by a totally sold out Congress and a gun lobby loaded for bear.  Or is it bare?  It doesn't matter linguistically.  It matters financially to Congressional campaign coffers.

Yea, sure, sport shooting, target practice.  How the hell do you know how accurate you are when dozens of rounds shred your target with an AR 15.  This is a weapon of war.  Darts are a much more accurate measure of target accuracy.  This is a weapon designed not only to kill, but shred a human body.  It is a killing machine and you using them are a killing people.  Sick.  Disturbed.  Delusional and not in touch with humanity or reality.   A hunting weapon?  Oh, you say you do it for sport and the meat to consume.  But you know an animal doesn't have any sporting chance to get out alive.  And you know, if you spent any time thinking, that AR 15's shred a carcass and render it inedible.


We've been sold a fantasy, people.  Get your feet on the ground and heads screwed on and do a moment of thinking, not feeling.  We are killing one another.  Congress, it is way past time to restore some sanity and get us some gun control.  You are pledged to keep us safe.  This is not safe and you know it.  Yes, smart guns, thorough background checks, gun registration and ownership tracking and stiff penalties for not reporting change of ownership when you sell it to a similarly crazed buddy.  And for sure, banning of all automatic weapons of war.  Maybe even a requirement to keep semi automatic long guns and high capacity magazine revolvers registered and stored at the local National Guard Armory, not your hall closet.  And qualify and insure people for their use just like we are required to do with automobiles.  That seems reasonable, doesn't it?  Get on this people. 

Getting A Trivial Matter Off My Chest.

This will be quick.  Much is made of fashion trends of our youth and racists like to equate course behaviors with "ghetto culture".  Well let me tell you, especially readers under fifty that not much really changes over the decades in my experience.

This really pisses people off today.  But I hate to pop your comfortable bubble but when I was growing up in the 50, a very similar fashion trend hit at least my home town of San Francisco and I suspect many other areas.

Levi's were made there and very popular among particularly anglo pre-teens and teens.  But we modified them by cutting off the belt loops,  folding the waist band in half and pulling the somewhat oversized jeans down our butt.  Yes, right over the butt crack.  We thought that made us look cool and tough.  Couldn't find butt pictures of this era to show you but to assist your imagination, a parallel fashion trend usually went along with this.  That was the flat top, but with long sides combed into a "duck tail" with a "widows peak" in the front.  Most of us kept this in place with a greasy petroleum jelly type hair dressing.  Here is what it looked like, accompanying the but crack Levi's.



The point?  I suppose just to piss off older people.  Nothing really changes, now does it?
 

The Horror of Terror War In Perspective

 

The horrific San Bernardino slaughter of innocents has dominated our news now for a couple of weeks.  And horrific it was, given the families devastated and communities moved to stark terror in our nation.  Presidential candidates are now stoking that bone-chilling terror.

This unjustified act by a seemingly quiet young California couple was the eighth of terror attacks  tied to sympathizers/supporters of Jihad  with ties to  foreign Islamic groups on our soil including 2001 and 9-11.  Eight.  Let that sink in.  It is a lot.  The toll of 25 innocent lives taken in San Bernardino bring the grand total on our soil to 3,270.  A fear inducing number for sure.

Now put these tragedies we have experienced on our soil in perspective to others resulting from what we Americans perceive as justified retaliation, excluding the endless war we launched in Afghanistan.   Take that in for a minute.  We'll now discuss retaliation which some characterize as actions to keep our homeland safe from other slaughters of American innocents.  Those not counted in the horrific cost of all lives lost resulting in our invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. 

Let's first talk drone attacks we have initiated in Pakistan, Afghanistan and other African/middle eastern lands.  There have been 421 U.S. drone strikes through Dec. of 2015 from their origination several years back, starting with Bush and now continuing with Obama.  Human rights organizations have reported 5,700 civilians/non-combatants  killed and maimed by those attacks.  Let that soak in for a minute. 

Nearly twice the body count of innocent civilians killed and maimed  on our soil by Jihad related
terrorists.  Not a bad ratio I presume in the mind of those seeking retribution.  Though experts are projecting that such drone killings aren't having much positive impact on our homeland security.

So, in terms of impact, let's now examine the results of bombings in Iraq and Syria, exclusive of our earlier Iraq invasion.  Here we are talking about 2014 and 2015, the so called air war against ISIL.

We have launched since inception 8,786 air strikes in Iraq and Syria.  Let that soak in, up to Dec. 7 2015, 8,786 air strikes.  Pretty big number, especially when compared to the 8 strikes including 9-11 forward on our soil.  Over a thousand times as many.  Do you see any significant impact on homeland security with that immense ratio difference?  Maybe it makes some of you feel safer.   Not me.

What have 8,786 air strikes in Iraq and Syria produced? CENTCOM estimates say about 20,000 ISIL warriors vaporized.   See any homeland security results here?  How about results on their land and victim acquisition there?  Not so much, eh? 

Now, their victim count compared to ours at 3,270.  Civilians alone, not including ISIL warriors, stand at 2,104, according to Airwars.com, up through December 7, 2015 for the past two years. Over  three times as many of this total in 2015 to date compared to  2014 when the bombs started raining down on them. 

So, drones plus bombs equals 7,804 civilians killed or maimed there compared to our 3,270.  Retribution seekers, how about that over two to one ratio in our favor?  Satisfied yet?  How about enhanced homeland security results?  Not so much, eh?  Attacks here seem to be escalating in recent months. 

Now, when you hear or read devotees to Islamic fundamentalism claim that they feel Islamic people as whole are under assault by the west, does it seem that though twisted, they might have a point?
Even if you don't agree they have a point, are we getting the desired result?  Eliminating the twisted among them?  Not so much.  Reducing the flow of recruits into ISIL ranks?  Not so much.  Stemming the flow of funding from sympathizers?  Not so much.  Stopping them from their building their twisted Caliphate?  Not so much.  World peace?  Not so much.  Homeland security?   Not so much either.  To keep up with the ever growing carnage, I urge you to visit Airwars.com.

So, what then is the point of all this carnage?  Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.

Powerful Jewish Response to U.S. Muslim Registry

 


The mostly Christian right advocacy for either banning Middle Eastern Muslim immigrants from our land or the creation of a registry for them to clearly identify them to either shun or persecute has drawn a powerful response.  Was it from the Catholic hierarchy in America?  Not that I'm aware of.  Was it major Protestant denomination leadership?  Haven't seen much of that either.  Then who?

Holocaust survivors, displaying pictures of the infamous Star of David coat insignia and arm tattoos they were required to wear in numerous Nazi occupied countries in pre-WWII europe.  Wrap your mind around that.  The very victims of anti-semitism Christian fascists persecuted in that era (and still are advocating today in their enclaves) are also being vilified throughout  the middle east and much of the world of Islam.

Yet these good Jewish people, observant and non-observant alike,  speak out when the rest of humanity is mostly silent about the horrific potential of the leader of the allied forces against fascism
now practicing the same persecution  their fathers and grandfathers fought a world war to end.  That is, should the current rabid pack of Republicans have their way.

So, I for one want to applaud both the good Jewish and Muslim people speaking out against hate and thank them for their courage in doing so.  I'm no fan of organized religion in any form but occasionally rationality prevails from within their ranks and deserves recognition and praise.

These are the successors to the tradition of Jewish-Islamic collaboration exemplified by the great Spanish Jewish scholar of law and ethics Maimonides who in 12th century was revered also in Islamic circles.  Check him out via google.  He was amazing.

Don't Share Our Values? Who Do They Think They're Kidding?

One of the anthems we hear from the anti-Muslim crowd is the statement in the headline above.  Don't get me wrong.  As a secular humanist, I am equally repulsed by many religious values espoused by the major religions, as expressed in their practices.  Catholics not allowing women as priests and relegating many women religious to cooking and cleaning for all male seminaries.  Many Protestant sects not allowing women clergy and relegating women to roles only of child and spousal care.  Orthodox Jews keeping women in the back of the temple and wearing wigs.  Muslims demanding women cover heads and many body parts, with arranged marriages and separating them from men in religious services.  The list goes on.

But let's take a critical look at our secular society here in America, showing tolerance for these discriminatory and absurd practices in the name of freedom of religion.  In our public realm, it took women 80 hard fought years to vote beside men.  We failed to pass the Equal Rights Amendment.  Our courts demand more child care and support of women than equally responsible men.  Paying women something like 75% of what men are paid for equal work and expertise.  Restricting women's right to choose all across the land.  Legal sexual trafficking in some States via prostitution.  Way fewer women holding public office and high level corporate positions than men.  This list goes on too, doesn't it?

Agreed, some of our practices vis a vis women are less "extreme" than stoning them for adultery, genital mutilation, totally covered bodies, no public appearance without a male escort, denying women education, bans on driving often present in standard Muslim cultures often governed by Sharia Law.

But the similarities in second class citizenship and basically legal  ownership of women are painfully close.   All I'm sayin' is let's not get on our high horse about the righteousness of our society treatment of women.  The facts do not support our self aggrandizing superiority. 

Caliphate: Invasion and Occupation Don't Work. What Will?

I totally agree with  the Obama doctrine of containment and isolation.  The best  of lousy options.  Please think hard with me on this issue facing us and the world.  Superficial understanding will not birth good solutions.

First, regarding our longstanding economic motivation to try to influence events in the middle east, with disastrous outcomes.  Petroleum reserves experts seem to suggest we can quickly transition our middle east oil imports to other suppliers…..Canada, Mexico et al until we can get out of the oil business, or at least minimize its horrific environmental  and political impact with its use in the energy mix.

Next, we are compelled to provide major materials/armaments/air support to middle east actors willing to rid their area of the Caliphate.  Tragically these Caliphate jihadists have probably as much right to change middle east borders as western colonialists did after the collapse of the Ottoman empire), which is one of the historic roots of our problem in that region.  Oil interests in the region largely drove this western initiative, to tragic long term effect on middle eastern populations and us.
But, somehow, we must find difficult to execute ways to incentivize our middle east allies to work on containment with us with the energy you'd hope would motivate these players as if their very survival depends on it.   Because it does depend on their aggressive engagement in the containment and ultimate Caliphate elimination project.

We must understand the failed history of military occupation, particularly in the middle east and just get out.  Engage with massive diplomatic effort, but get out of Iraq and Afghanistan.  That includes drone bases therein.  The negative results of our drone warfare far exceed its benefits. 

Yes,  we are also going to have to find ways to convince our allies, such as Turkey and the Gulf oil states to get initiatives going to reduce and neutralize the fighter recruiting efforts within their borders, including economic incentives to give hope and a future to their young populations at sufficient levels to keep them busy building a better society there rather than resort to becoming suicide bombers and military fodder for the Caliphate.  But build those better societies in their way, not ours.

To believe the fable that if only they would adopt our form of democracy is to fail to understand our own deterioration of our democratic experiment.

And, similar initiatives are vital, now, not later, to help young offspring and recent immigrants to the  EU to  integrate, prosper to some degree at least feel hope for their future in these very different societies than their families and ancestors grew up and suffered in.   This will take money and lots of creativity.

We in the U.S. must, sadly, tighten both travel (to and from) to the middle east region, immigration of middle easterners and ramp up surveillance of actors identified as potential homeland security risks within our boundaries. Also, expensively,  much more careful screening of displaced persons to whom we offer refuge with the current diaspora out of the middle east will be absolutely essential.  This will be difficult for our civil liberty and pro-immigrant traditions.

 The U.S. and all our allies must initiate severe trade and banking restrictions in addition to oil on those middle eastern countries who fail to abandon support for jihadists from within their populace; ie: Saudi Arabia and their fellow Gulf oil states.   Cutting off both funding, supply routes and arms trade with the Caliphate has to be our  highest priority.   Yes, and we'll have to starve them out of existence.

This threat must force us to address our maintenance of a twentieth century military when what is needed is a twenty first century military.  Our costly maintenance of our rusting and degrading nuclear stockpile most be virtually eliminated.  Our entire ground, air and sea forces must be rebuilt for rapid deployment and smaller, surgical strike forces to deal with guerrilla and urban warfare.   And major chunks of military funding must be diverted to building a really effective intelligence and diplomatic capability.

In the diplomatic sphere, our overemphasis on its trade promotion mission must be reprioritized to skew towards aid in counter terrorism and containment projects with our allies.

Add to this major diplomatic and aid initiatives to partner with governments where new jihadist groups are forming and operating within their borders.

Finally, way better intelligence gathering on the ground in countries of concern. This means learning from, yes, Israel who are among the best on that front.

We in the Christian and secular west must deepen our understanding of Islam.  Here, for my readers, is a start on the project from Atlantic magazine.  This is long, so take your time.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/what-isis-really-wants/384980/?utm_source=SFFB.

Along with better understanding Islam, I'd suggest we take a hard look at Christianity and Judaism, through both the new and old testaments.  There are very socially destructive notions contained in both as there are in the Koran which is driving the Caliphate.  Look at our own tolerance of fundamentalist Christianity in America and how similar  this cohort is to fundamentalist Islam.  I'd recommend we take a hard look at religions role in the social order, or disorder.  Particularly those in the social fabric who view religion/theology as a destination, rather than a search and exploration of the meaning of life as we know it.   Religious certitude drives conflict and misunderstanding, in my opinion.

Finally, we must engage the World Court to more publicly and aggressively put on trial these jihadist war criminals , including those we have taken out, as a clear statement to emulators that the world will not accept this kind of crime against humanity.

This epistle too is a search, not a destination.