Random New Year's Thoughts

My next column in The Everett Herald:

Some random thoughts to begin the year. As of this writing, I’m cavorting with the grandkids, so my usual high-quality, suitable-for-syndication, deep-dive commentary will be lacking.

·      Most people missed the fact that last week’s poem was an acrostic. Perhaps just as well. It does, however, change things.

·      The more we learn about Edward Gallagher, the Navy Seal whose criminality Trump pardoned and extolled, the more we understand what a craven move it was and what an insult to honorable service-people. How long before Trump brings him to his rallies? How loud will be the cheers?

·      The more we learn about what went on behind the scenes with the Ukraine travesty (thanks, failing New York Times, enemy of the people), particularly the shock and machinations among Trump’s people as they realized what he was planning to do, the more we understand what a craven move it was. And the more we realize how smart Speaker Pelosi is to be delaying sending impeachment over to Moscow Mitch. Important players should be required to testify. In fact, if any of them had concern for the rule of law and the survival of the republic, they’d DEMAND to testify. If any do, Trumpists will dismiss them as “deep state” liars.

·      Speaking of which, the election of Trump will be remembered as the end of truth as a universally-valued commodity in American politics; when a formerly-respectable party decided they preferred lies and liars over truth and truth-tellers; and when we learned the Constitution doesn’t hold if legislators ignore it en masse.

·      There sure is a lot of Stage Four pancreatic cancer going around, and it seems to be choosing the best of humanity as hosts.

·      The Republican campaign to purge and inhibit voters and spread disinformation is into full swing. They fear fair elections.

·      That proposed law in Ohio that’d require doctors to re-implant into the uterus an embryo from an ectopic pregnancy “when possible,” or face prison. (It’s never possible.)

·      That proposed law in Pennsylvania requiring death certificates for all fertilized eggs that don’t survive. (It’s impossible.)

·      The preceding two tell us that, at its extremes, the “pro-life” movement is mostly pro-punishment. And as in other things, they’re irrational science-deniers.

·      When did “conservatives” stop caring about budget deficits?

·      Trump’s response to the spate of anti-Semitic attacks: thanking a Jewish “leader” for saying nice things about him. What a self-involved, deplorable, narcissistic child. Defend it, Trumpists. Tell us why it’s okay.

·      It’s not happenstance that the increase in such events follows Trump claiming that neo-Nazi marchers included some “very fine people,” and hiring white supremacists. Looking like a hostage video, he reads words he doesn’t believe (neither do his writers) when such things happen; and not just to Jews. Nor is it unrelated to his unrelenting spewing of division and hatred of “others” at his rallies and in his corrosive tweets. That his self-described “Christian” supporters haven’t had enough tells us everything about which Christians accept Jesus’ teachings and which don’t. Starting with the fake one at the top.

·      One of Trump’s people blamed the rise of anti-Semitism on immigrants. Another (a former mayor) blamed it on Mayor de Blasio. It’s obvious what they’re trying to do.

·      I’m glad there was an armed firearms instructor in that Texas church.

·      If school shootings happen because “God was banned” from schools, what explains church shootings?

·      If you share Trump’s view of climate change, consider Australia. If you care for your children’s future, vote him out. He’s deliberately making it worse. That alone calls for impeachment. It’s dereliction of his oath to protect Americans. Except oil producers.

·      Kim is building nukes, firing off missiles, and laughing at Trump. (Trump’s not worried: “He likes me.”) Putin is building unstoppable missiles and praising Trump, snickering, with his fingers crossed. Assad is gaining more power in Syria. Iraqis are attacking our embassy, Trump is wagging the dog while China, Russia, and Iran plan joint military exercises (remember that treaty Trump abandoned while Iran was honoring it?) South Korea and Japan are on the outs. The only consistency in Trump’s foreign “policy” is being played by leaders who recognize his weaknesses (did I mention the “He likes me” thing?) That, and fulfilling Putin’s dreams by taking down NATO, helping to destroy the EU, and turning the Middle East over to him.

·      But, hey, Happy New Year. November, if we survive to see it, presents an opportunity to make America great again.

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