Love him or hate him, Donald Trump is not just another politician. He doesn’t play the game. I could go on and on about how the big problem in democracy right now is campaign finance, and that corporations have essentially bought both parties. But Donald Trump is the first guy who can honestly say they haven’t bought him. If he had a mind to, he could finance his entire campaign out of pocket and he honestly might.
All true. And he’s still as horrible as anybody or worse. “Not another politician” who is not beholden to anybody else is not a hope for everything good and wonderful. It’s a total nightmare. If the doctors in this country suck (and they mostly do), taking an ill relative to a witch or a soothsayer whose only qualification is that he’s never seen the inside of a medical school is – shockingly – not a solution.
Clarissa's Blog 
Well the entire election is turning into a mess. Hillary’s campaign is in meltdown — largely self-inflicted but with some assistance from Obama. (Its his investigators who started the ruckus, not the GOP.)
Jeb Bush is having trouble with fund raising, usually a kiss of death, especially when paired with people with deep pockets.
Chaney going on CNN today and blaming Obama for ISIS is going to stir up all sorts of ugly things for Bush to explain or disavow. It’s like Chaney doesn’t want Jeb to have a chance.
So which ham-handed ideologist do you want in the White House?
Of course the election isn’t the only mess. We have the Iran deal. We have Ukraine. Both Ukraine and Israel should have realized by now that the US will not commit to a nuclear war to defend either of them. Iran is a key player in stopping ISIS, so attack Iran and strengthens ISIS.
However, the UAE and Sauds are in the process of purging Iranian-backed militants from Yemen. The UAE military has taken back the capital, most of two provinces and a major port city — they seem to be very effective. I didn’t even know the UAE had a military, and it seems to be quite good. Letting Arabs solve Arab problems also solves a lot of issues for the US and Israel.
If the treaty fails, the North Koreans will ensure that Iran has nuclear arms within nanoseconds.
My take is that there are a bunch of people rooting for Armegeddon.
What I don’t know is which of these politicians might be able to derail the slide. Hillary could, but her campaign appears to be of life support.
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Vic, you look about my age, old and wise enough to know that Armageddon never quite gets here. The sumless tale of madness goes on forever, and will manage to outlive our grandchildren. The human race missed its chance for a quick nuclear annihilation back in the 1950s and 60s, and will now have to tolerate a slow death over centuries.
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Consider the term, “arrogant complacency.” When good people do nothing, bad things happen. The power to do evil is much greater now than in 1962 or the 1950s.
My wife and I look at our grandchildren with sadness. We believe their lives will be shorter and more painful than ours.
The US is doing a wonderful rendition of the Weimar Republic. I see the current set of would-be political leaders as petty and inept (including Obama). However, I am very sure that worse is waiting in the wings. (Remember David Duke, who is very much still around. How about the leader of the KKK as President?)
When good people are complacent and do nothing, evil happens. The US has no immunity to it.
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Actually, Vic, I look on the world with considerably more hope that your 02:44 post suggests. Yes, I believe that the world is slowly going crazy for a number of reasons — but like evolution, major mutations won’t happen in a single or even two or three generations. Your grandchildren will be smart enough to repel the Trumps (and the vastly more odious David Duke types as their various incarnations appear), and hold off the final destruction, until mankind is ultimately overwhelmed by something far beyond it’s control, like overwhelming climate change or a killer asteroid.
Sure, the end is coming — but it’s generations away. No reason that, with a little common sense, your great-great grandchildren won’t be able to enjoy a life as long and fruitful as as that of you and your wife.
(Wow, guess I’m not as cynical as I thought I was. after all.)
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I just want to mention that the belief that the world is going crazy and is about to end has accompanied humanity throughout every stage of its existence. There is not a single generation that was not absolutely convinced that things are getting dramatically worse and the next generations will face apocalypse.
This is a very common, very human reaction to the fear of human mortality. In the meanwhile, objectively everything is getting better all of the time. 🙂
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Yes. I was going to say something similar to Clarissa. Overall the world is a better place than it was 200 years, 100 years, and even 50 years ago. There are some notable exceptions to this of course but generally the world and the country is improving. Just think how far civil rights have come: we have a Black president, women participate fully in public life/the work force, gay people can get married etc. etc.
This isn’t to say that we all should have blinders on and ignore all problems of course. I for instance am very concerned about some changes I have seen in higher ed and K-12 public education. I also think that environmental destruction/massive pollution is a real threat that need to be dealt with. I am concerned about income inequality and worker’s rights. But, on balance, I think Vic’s grandchildren and the other children of today, will have long lives ahead of them as they navigate our complicated, frustrating, but ultimately beautiful world. 🙂
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“Overall the world is a better place than it was 200 years, 100 years, and even 50 years ago. There are some notable exceptions to this of course but generally the world and the country is improving. Just think how far civil rights have come: we have a Black president, women participate fully in public life/the work force, gay people can get married etc. etc.”
“But, on balance, I think Vic’s grandchildren and the other children of today, will have long lives ahead of them as they navigate our complicated, frustrating, but ultimately beautiful world.”
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\ Overall the world is a better place than it was 200 years, 100 years, and even 50 years ago.
Not for millions of refugees from the Middle East trying to enter Germany.
Is life better in Syria, Iraq or Afganistan?
Middle East is going to hell when states fall apart one after another.
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“Not for millions of refugees from the Middle East trying to enter Germany.”
“Middle East is going to hell when states fall apart one after another.”
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When this election cycle’s insane season is over, both the Republicans and the Democrats will nominate someone they believe can win in the general election — probably (sigh) a re-match of Bush and Clinton, although I keep hoping the Dems will select an über-lefty like Sanders or Warren, either of whom might scare the uninspired Republican base into the voting booth on Nov 2016.
Take my word for it (Can I say that? Not a tone problem, I promise 🙂 I genuinely respect the freedom of opinion allowed on this website), Trump will be ancient history come election day, like the clown act in the three-ring traveling circus that dazzled the townfolk for a week, and then moved on.
Shakespeare described him well — “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” snow on a desert that evaporates into nothingness. Yes, I despise him, but Trump’s no Hitler wannabe. He poses a very real danger — but only to the Republican Party.
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“taking an ill relative to a witch or a soothsayer whose only qualification is that he’s never seen the inside of a medical school is – shockingly – not a solution.”
LMAO. What a great metaphor.
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I’m gonna blame Obama a little bit for the mess on the democratic side.
A candidate in his position in 2008 should have chosen a running mate who would be a viable successor candidate on their own. Biden is not that. I understand him not picking Clinton (would you want your heartbeat to be the one between her and the presidency?) but Biden seemed like a dull choice and talk of a Biden candidacy now is pure panic setting in among the PTB.
W did the same thing (though I presume that wasn’t his choice at all) by choosing Dick “I have no pulse” Cheney.
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Bernie Sanders (FEEL THE BERN) has not been bought by the corporations. He truly believes everything he says and most of what he says is anathema to corporations.
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Is that a feature or a bug?
Apart from issues I think Bernie’s unelectable because he’s terminally unpresidential (a position which does occasionally call for taking a tough stance and making some people unhappy).
He let two infantile “activists” chase him off his own stage. How is he going to ever be tough when that’s called for?
One reason (not recognized enough here) for Trump’s current popularity is just that – there’s no way anyone could chase him off his stage. He’s the only candidate on either side who consistently projects any kind of real toughness (not that I think that’s an entirely good thing either, it’s impossible to imagine him being diplomatic which is also a necessary function of the presidency).
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And now substitute the name with “Trump.” 🙂 🙂
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The argumentation that very rich businessmen will be more honest politicians makes zero sense. Just look at Berlusconi. It never works out, perhaps because you have to be a dangerously selfish person in the first place to become this rich and powerful in the businessworld.
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