The Trump Fiasco in Brussels
July 11, 2018
Today, Donald Trump was in Brussels representing the U.S. at a NATO summit.
His documented behavior was at best, rude. Some have called his actions to be “obnoxious and uncivilized.” Others have said, “…consistently appalling and despicable behavior.”
Trump continues to test the lower boundaries of bad behavior, creating an internationally negative aura against the people of the United States.
How to explain this immature and puerile public conduct by a man who is currently serving as the President of the U.S.?
Here is one clue: In his 1987 book, The Art of the Deal, Trump states, “Even in elementary school, I was a very assertive, aggressive kid. In the second grade I actually gave a teacher a black eye. I punched my music teacher because I didn’t think he knew anything about music and I almost got expelled. I’m not proud of that, but it’s clear evidence that even early on I had a tendency to stand up and make my opinions known in a forceful way.”
The Donald attended an exclusive private elementary school (Kew-Forest) from 1950 to 1959.
Ann Trees, one of Trump’s elementary school teachers (now retired), was quoted in a 2016 Washington Post article as saying, “Who could forget him? He was headstrong and determined. He would sit with his arms folded with this look on his face — I use the word surly — almost daring you to say one thing or another that wouldn’t settle with him.”
Sound familiar?
An unsubstantiated story from Trump’s youth adds some additional credence to the potentially negative effects of a weak upbringing. The story dates to the early 1950’s (likely 1954) when The Donald would have been in 3rd grade.
Donald’s father, Fred, entered young Donny into a contest, ‘King of the Playground Bullies’. Despite being one of the youngest contestants, The Donald took second prize.
Donald’s father was quite disappointed, and from that point forward, Donald himself vowed to become the best and meanest bully the world would ever know.
———————————————————————-
Fast forward 65 years, and The Donald proved his mettle today on the world stage in Brussels. Let’s hope his father Fred is proud of his progeny.
A Real Tragedy of the Bush-Cheney Regime
April 18, 2013
Some of us who survived the Vietnam tragedy (either by serving and returning or by another means) viewed U.S. involvement in the various Middle East wars as tragedy of epic proportions.
During the most recent Reign of Terror (Bush-Cheney) — just 9 months into his Presidency, Bushy – using the slogan “War on Terror” — got us into a religious war in the Middle East through a combination of lies, subterfuge and self-dealing financial benefit contracts.
About 6,700 Americans have died in those two wars, as have about 1,400 allied personnel, Canadians prominent among them.
That is a dreadfully huge number. The roster of the slain would have stretched even longer, but for the amazing advances in military armor and military medicine over the past generation.
More than 50,000 Americans have been wounded in battle since 9/11 — 16,000 of them so seriously that they would certainly have died had they suffered an equivalent wound in any prior conflict.
So, in addition to the huge loss of life and human potential among our young adults who were called to serve in this senseless and stupid war(s), we have the diversion of taxpayer dollars into an abyss; the incredible human and financial costs of caring for wounded warriors who battled in vain; and the continued high terror threats to the U.S. due to religious zealots who – for the next 7 generations, or so – will equate the entire U.S. to the terrible decisions and evil intentions of the Bush-Cheney Reign of Terror Regime.
When Bill Clinton had a momentary loss of judgment and allowed an over-zealous female intern to get under his desk, Congress pounced and after spending countless millions and wasting scarce federal resources, came very close to impeachment.
The Bush-Cheney Reign of Terror Regime created a false and fully egregious story which led to the launch of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) on October 7, 2001, followed by a further fairy tale which opened up Operation Iraqi Freedom, beginning with the invasion of Iraq on March 19, 2003.
In the dozen years since, the U.S. — and the world — has seen zero benefit, plenty of costs.
I’ve heard no call for impeachment, no accusations of impropriety.
When will we draw the line and hold these domestic terrorists – Bush & Cheney – accountable for their evil deeds?
A Letter to Hon. John Boehner
December 28, 2012
Hon. John Boehner
Office of the Speaker
H-232 The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr. Boehner:
I’ve been following the saga of ‘the fiscal cliff’ since the end of summer 2012.
It was made very clear to us outside the Beltway (commonly known as citizens, voters and taxpayers) that our elected officials in Congress would take no action until after the November elections.
As disappointing as that news was, it seemed reasonable and appropriate to many of us on the outside to expect that our elected officials would do some talking behind the scenes in preparation for a call to action after the election at which time our elected officials would work together in the best interest of the overall U.S. economy — business, commerce, education and the citizens of the United States.
Now – several months later and just a few days from the ‘tipping point’ a.k.a the ‘fiscal cliff’– we seem to have a continuation of the petty, partisan and puerile drama that has come to categorize our Congress following the national elections of 2010.
November 2010 marked the point in time when a number of conservative tea party candidates were elected to the House of Representatives. The infusion of passionate but neophyte tea party representatives — all of whom signed the Grover Norquist Pledge — precipitated your election as Speaker in January 2011, which coincidently seems to mark the beginning of extreme dysfunction in our nation’s capital.
I have listened to you and some of the ‘young rascals’ who were elected in 2010 under the tea party platform.
When I listen, I hear some really great sound bites, focused almost entirely on the federal government.
There is no one I’ve met who wouldn’t like to see smaller government and reduced government spending — sweetened by the magic elixir of reduced taxes.
The real problem seems to be: Government (as we see and interact with it from outside the Beltway) includes federal, state, county, local, schools and a vast number of entities which operate in the public sector as ‘quasi-government’ agencies.
As a citizen, voter and taxpayer in the U.S., I know I pay: federal income taxes; federal excise taxes; state income taxes; state sales taxes; county property taxes; county sales taxes; city property taxes; city sales taxes; city sewer taxes; city library taxes; and property taxes levied by my local school district. I can quantify the majority of those taxes: what I can’t quantify is the amount of other government and quasi-government fees and taxes I pay daily, weekly monthly or annually: highway and bridge tolls, parking fees, hotel occupancy fees, motor vehicle fees, MTA fees, license fees, daily use fees, and park access fees, most of which are invisible to me.
You and the ‘young rascals’ have some great rhetoric: What I don’t hear from you and your tea party cabal is dialogue, discussion, research or new ideas about re-engineering our overall government in the U.S. for enhanced efficiency and longer term sustainability.
Mr. Boehner: With your intractable and rigid focus on cutting spending at the margins and continued tax breaks for the ultra-rich, I think you and your tea party followers may be threatening the very essence of the United States and our economy as a going concern.
That thought leads me to believe that you and some (or all) of your tea party cabal may be guilty of treason because your actions are diametrically opposed to the best interests of my fellow citizens, voters and taxpayer of the United States of America.
It is my hope, Mr. Boehner, that come Monday, December 31, 2012, you and your followers will move away from treason to align with the majority of American citizens, businesses and American society to ensure a rational, sensible and sustainable solution to the ‘fiscal cliff’ dilemma which currently threatens our country.
Thank you in advance for considering my opinions, and hopefully, for adjusting your posture to a more inclusive and mainstream position.
Sincerly,
The Walrus
Mount Vernon, NY 10552
walrus51 