7/10/2018: BreakingNews: Trump nominates Kavanaugh

As “progressive” Democrats like Cory Booker  (D, NJ) decry the nomination as an affront to Civil Rights (to unionize, and to seek “abortion care”, freedom from “gun violence”etc…) and “conservative” Republicans aren’t happy because his determination to overturn Rowe v. Wade isn’t zealous enough. I think abortion is a red herring, anyway- useful to the corrupt political parties to “divide and conquer” the electorate, rile women up. The Court has a lot more important issues to deal with. Nothing big is going to change about abortion, or guns. Arguing about it is only political theater, a distraction from the real issues.

In my pea brain, the purpose of the Supreme Court is to determine if a State or Federal law is Constitutional, or not. I think the U.S. Founding Documents elaborated a very progressive ideal- emphasizing liberty, first of its kind in history- which two centuries later remains unrealized. Jefferson could write “…self-evident truth that all men are created equal…” but it took centuries to evolve the definition of “men” to even begin to include black people and women in that definition.  They’ve always been “men”, even before that fact was accepted. Republicans think I’m a “radical”, Democrats think I’m a “reactionary”.

I’m a Libertarian, and the Constitution is the Libertarian guidebook. I like it when a Supreme Court justice cares more about the original intent of the Constitution than the layers of corruption piled on it over years of “precedence”… because I think that’s their job. Merely following precedence, determined by centuries of corrupt party politics, isn’t- in my opinion. 

BreakingNews: 7/6/2018: Trump Rallies Montana

If I hadn’t got a Media Pass, I would have been one of the thousand people turned away from Thursday’s Republican rally in Great Falls, MT to oust Jon Tester (D) and replace him with Matt Rosendale (R) as U.S. Senator from Montana. It was a happy, excited and friendly crowd, everyone was dressed in bright colors. There were lots of red hats and shirts, and the spectacle reminded me of a kid’s birthday party. The music- old feel-good favorites- put the crowd in a festive and happy frame of mind. In spite of Donald Trump, Jr, Greg Gianforte (House candidate) Steve Daines (Senate incumbent) and Matt Rosedale’s clumsy efforts to incite anger and hostility, and convince a crowd which knew better that they represented “real” Montanans-  the overflowing throng insisted on having a good time, anyway. The only ugliness we saw came from the (very) few protestors, who called me (little old me) FAKE NEWS and the would-be Gestapo assigned to “keep the peace” strutting in their brand new uniforms with their shiny, black fresh-out-of-the box-guns and scowling faces trying to look menacing.

The only people of color we saw were black hucksters selling Trump shirts, hats, other paraphernalia outside. Inside that job was done by white women. I grabbed a “Drain the Swamp” sign. There were lots of women with young children brightly dressed for the party, and the crowd played along with a little “bison stomp” of the stands and mild “boos” on cue when the “Democrat Party” and their minions were derided. I throughly enjoyed myself, and took as many pictures as I could. I went there to shoot the crowd, knowing others in the professional media had far better equipment than mine and so I tried to shoot something different, not better, than they did. I’ll have some up in the next days.

President Trump was by far the best speaker- the others did themselves and the GOP no service with their “pep rally” blather and their inane attempts to appear “local”- and his recurrent themes (no Russia collusion, Mexican crime, Fake News, villainous Democrats…) were joyfully anticipated and the suspension of disbelief was adequate to guarantee everyone there had a fine time. I learned a new word, from Donald, Jr…. “gophering”. It’s a good word for what out of state hunters do when they come to Montana to eat, drink and party in hunting camp- they “gopher” elk. If they want to shoot off their magnum guns, kill something, and come home with a purple shoulder to show their wives… it’s usually at gophers. Hunting elk is too much like work for most people who don’t need the meat.

People laughed good naturally when he brought up his “fake news” inauguration crowd. He certainly had a nice crowd- more than any local venue could handle in Great Falls, or likely any other town in Montana- and would have done better to talk about that.Trump’s biggest blunder was bringing up Pocahontas … in his world it’s Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, someone he hopes will be his 2020 Democratic opponent. In Montana, her name brings to mind another Indian woman who helped white people survive and prosper, Sacajawea- who made the Lewis and Clark expedition successful- by serving as translator and diplomat with the tribes they met (and didn’t kill them…) and a big part of Montana history- especially for the white people Trump wants to represent. Trump senior, Trump Jr., Gianforte, Daines, and especially Rosendale proved only that they haven’t a clue about what it means to be a “local” in Montana.

I’d like to think he talked to somebody from Montana besides Ryan Zinke, and learned how much Montanans care about our public lands and waters… and that caused him to call up rogue Scott Pruitt and tell him, “You’re Fired!”.

I’d like to mention here that Rick Breckenridge is running for U.S. Senate from Montana, too. He’s a good man- a surveyor, with a good reputation for honesty, precision and fair prices… and a Libertarian, too. You don’t have to choose between the lesser of two evils- Twiddle Dum and Twiddle Dee. There’s a Libertarian on the ballot and you won’t go wrong voting for him this year.

BreakingNews: Obrador wins Mexico

Tired of the corruption, the murders, the drug cartels and the impotence of Mexican law to keep domestic tranquility, The People of Mexico chose to do the same thing America did when we elected Trump, Britain did when they elected May and did Brexit… they voted to “throw the bums out”.  Although Obrador is promoted as a “Progressive Populist”, and Trump was promoted as a “Conservative Populist” the reasons for their election were the same- to upset the status quo, the bureaucracy, the corruption.

Nobody with a straight face can claim Mexico’s government to be anything less than completely corrupt. I feel the same way about the American system, as it was when Trump was elected – and as it still is. The difference is that there is so much money available to grease the gears in America, that fewer people can hear them grind. In Mexico it’s obvious to everybody. I hope he seizes the opportunity- as Trump has- to shake things up. Then we’ll see where the dust settles back down.

As most of you know, I’m very critical of President Trump- I’m particularly distressed about the lies and the conflicting and seemingly irrational tweets. But it could be a calculated strategy to “herd the cats”. The Facebook/Cambridge Analytica/Russian bots story unfolding in Mueller’s office points to a well thought out strategy to do exactly that. It’s hard to know where his disruptions will lead.  But, I’m starting to see a pattern emerging which is very interesting to me, and it could be exactly the right thing at the right moment.

There ARE big problems in the world America should address.

China DOES steal American intellectual property- as much as they can by theft, but also often by outright robbery. Trump’s targeting ZTE was a surgical move, a strike in the right place. The Russian oligarchs who back Putin’s “kleptocracy” are getting targeted sanctions (aluminum, for example) which might actually accomplish something. North Korea now knows we (and everyone else) know their promises to “denuclearize” were simply lies- and so if more intrusive sanctions follow as the result- nobody will be surprised or be able to claim Trump didn’t give them a fair opportunity to do what they said they would.

The elections of 2018 will call for a New Congress to step in to back Trump when he’s right, oppose him when he’s wrong. One man can’t do it alone, hard as he may try. What we need is a truly independent Congress of honest representatives of their constituencies- not party partizans protecting their corruption and their Plutocrat sponsors with engineered gridlock. Progressive or conservative, male or female, black or white, Protestant, Catholic, Jew or Moslem, queer or straight… we need to throw all the bums out, put in new people with a mandate to serve the people, with the promise to throw them all out if they don’t- in 2020.

BreakingNews: 6/30/2018: Trump Rallies Montana

There’s been a lot of news in the last week, but it’s hard to say if much of it is important as some people think. Supreme Court Justice Kennedy’s retirement and Trump’s being able to appoint his successor is seen by some as a catastrophe- but I think Trump will nominate someone like Neal Gorsuch or John Roberts- who won’t be a corrupt party patsy like the rest of the Court, and (like Kennedy) will be an independent mind who’ll judge on the arguments, and the Constitution- not bound to follow the “party line” to benefit core constituencies. The “Anti-Muslim Travel Ban” isn’t going to change anything much, either.  The big game is the upcoming 2018 midterm elections, something most Americans will skip for lack of interest.

President Trump, however, will be in Great Falls, Montana, on July 5 for a rally to support the Republican Senate candidate in his bid to unseat the two-term Democratic incumbent- Jon Tester. For Trump and the Republicans, this is a key race to keep control of the Senate. Trump won Montana in 2016 by a wide margin, but we have a long history of splitting our ticket. Our governor is Democrat, one U.S.Senator from each party. The State House is dominated by the Republicans, our one U.S. Representative (who represents more people than any other) is Republican. Montanans are very independent, and our political alliances shift. For Trump to come to Montana to influence the Senate race is a wise move, since we have just as many Senators as New York, California, or Texas- with a lot fewer people electing them. In this mid-term election, this rally could be crucial to Trump’s political survival- let alone his agenda. I think it will be exciting.

Montana has a proud political history. We had the first woman U.S. House Representative, Jeanette Rankin. Butte is the birthplace of America’s Labor Movement, Joe Hill’s Miners’ Local #1 is in Butte. Mike Mansfield helped LBJ push through the Voting Rights Act. Max Baucus spearheaded the Affordable Care Act. Montana passed legislation to make it difficult for the Copper Kings to buy elections, which held almost 100 years until Citizens United overturned it in (perhaps) the worst decision the most corrupt Supreme Court ever made.

Montana is roughly 1/3 Democrat, 1/3 Republican and 1/3 Libertarian. We’re the most Libertarian State in America, and where a Libertarian future for the USA has already begun. Bernie Sanders won the Democratic Primary in 2016, for Libertarian (not “socialistic”) reasons. Montanans are used to enduring and persevering in tough jobs, a tough climate, a tough economy- and tough politics. We’re not afraid of disruption, or change. We’re hard-nosed, realistic and resilient.  I’ll be there in Great Falls 7/5/2018, with my camera, another photographer- and will come back with a full and colorful report.

BreakingNews, 6/21/2018:  Immigration Debate

Trump is right, the Congress should do its job and address the issues of borders, immigration, migrant labor, smuggling, sanctuary, naturalization. Problem is, the Congressmen are too busy pandering to their donors, and trying to avoid controversy (which might lose them votes) to perform their function required by the Constitution. Instead, they’d rather let the President make the decisions, and then decide how they feel about it.

Libertarians have historically opposed borders which inhibit the free flow of commerce, people and money, as well as tariffs and sanctions. They also oppose prohibitions, especially ones as counterproductive as “The War on Drugs”, but also prostitution, pornography, “hate speech”- as well as coercions, like mass incarceration, curfews, vagrancy laws, “stop and frisk”, and military conscription to fight unnecessary wars between nations.  Libertarians see international free and unrestricted trade as the road to world peace, liberty, human rights, democracy. Some of their beliefs seem untenable-“frisbetarian”- or at least unrealistic at the present time.

Today’s world involves borders with legal and economic systems which change at the border, prohibitions which change at the border which offer opportunities and incentives in smuggling and human trafficking, as well as millions seeking sanctuary and opportunity across those borders. Then, those borders must be defended against crime (terrorism, etc), spread of communicable disease… and the futility of it becomes increasingly apparent as the flood of moving people threatens to overwhelm all defenses.

We create and spread war worldwide- the U.S.Army is engaged in conflicts in over 100 nations, to protect the assets of the international Plutocracy. War creates refugees, and then we have to fortify our borders against this “refugee problem” which we have created. But the Plutocracy wants the working people of America to pay for it, in addition to all the rest of the taxes they pay for everything else, too- and they end up borrowing from the future of the children of American workers to be able to spend what they can’t collect in taxes. This can’t last forever- and America is starting to figure it out.

The previously strange Libertarian ideas are taking on a new sense of inevitability as our world becomes increasingly interconnected, and police and military efforts to suppress liberty and increase taxation on the poor worldwide are becoming increasingly futile. Tariffs, sanctions, and prohibitions are found to serve corrupt purposes rather than their advertised ones, and a real labor shortage in America together with cultural changes which have led to declining birth rates below replacement have made immigration an important need to the American economy, and made Libertarian ideas relevant to the debate, today.

Our goal at New Libertarians is to substitute reason for emotion, reality for ideology- in making these difficult decisions. We have to live in the world as it is- but we have to have plans for the future, too.

BreakingNews, 6/13/2018:  A picture’s worth a thousand words.

The flag of the National Sheriff’s Association, before which Jeff Sessions invoked the authority of the Bible to justify his “No Tolerance” policy, wresting children from their mothers and sending them off to separate jails, depicts the Roman “fasces”- the symbol of Authority of the Emperor. Fasces is the base word of the better known word-“Fascism”- something some sheriffs may not be aware of- or they might have picked something else, lest freedom loving Americans think they do the dirty work of tyrants.

Did you ever notice when right wing “Christians” quote the Bible, it’s never the words of Jesus? I’d suggest to Jeff Sessions he reread the synoptic gospels -Matthew, Mark and Luke- the story of Jesus, told three times…and take special notice of Jesus’ words often displayed in italics.  Or shut up about the Bible.

BreakingNews, 6/13/2018:  The virtues of lying.

I was raised to believe that lying was a character defect. For my father, there was little trouble I could get into which was worse than lying about it- whatever it was, that I’d done. It made sense to me. If I had a good reason to cut down the cherry tree- or even if it was a stupid reason- it taught me there needs to be a reason for whatever you do- and you needed to be able to defend that reason with a rational argument.  Lying about it only breaks the bond of communication with someone who might guide me to make better decisions, removes an opportunity to think about and explain why I did what I did.

But then I grew up, and learned that most people are raised differently. If a lie gets you an advantage, and that advantage helps you get what you want- then people are willing to let your lies slide. They lie, too- and like it when others let their lies slide. “Caveat Emptor”,they say- “let the buyer beware”- is the admonition to expect to be lied to, and be prepared to protect yourself.

A “good” liar can defend his lie, make an argument that it was a “white lie”, something which might be done for a good reason- like not to hurt someone else’s feelings, or as a means to a good end. In “Game Theory”, deception is part of the strategy- and anyone who is bound to the truth is at a substantial disadvantage in the game. People differ about whether there is a difference between the truth, and The Truth- some claim that a lie can actually be a “Higher Truth”.

Trump lies continually, faster than the “fact checkers” can follow and correct.  For people like me, it’s excruciating to listen to Trump lie, lie and lie. I find it amazing he gets away with it- that so many of those we elect to represent us tolerate it, even try to use it to their advantage. It’s frightening, because it reminds me of another famous liar/leader who led his nation to its ruin- Adolf Hitler- and killed 70 million people and destroyed half the world in the process. Trump has at his fingertips power Hitler could only dream of.

Liars usually run out of believers, sooner or later. People quit listening, the liar loses his credibility and his influence. I think It’s time for America to demand an end to the lying, and if the only way to accomplish that is to be rid of the liar- so be it. Sadly, the second in the line of succession, Mike Pence, is also a liar- albeit a weaker one, and is neck-deep in the same scandals. The third in line-Paul Ryan- just quit, without a good explanation. Only two years ago he wanted to be President, now he wants to retire. There is a potentially dangerous leadership vacuum which ironically protects Trump from impeachment. Who’ll take over after he’s gone?.

I think Trump’s lying and Republican House acquiescence to it should determine the midterm vote of 2018. All House seats are in play. All candidates who defend Trump’s lies should be replaced by others, for that reason alone. If they don’t perform, they can be replaced in 2020. Borrowing money to go on a spending spree makes you look good- for awhile, but not for long.

BreakingNews, 6/13/2018:  Voting Rights Decision

The Supreme Court made an important decision about voting rights, strictly politically divided on party lines. The Republicans, the “Party of the Rich” want to restrict voting rights because wealthy, well educated people ALWAYS vote (usually absentee, so they can vote at their leisure)- because they know how important it is. But most Americans aren’t rich and well educated- so more difficult, restricted voting favors the Republicans. Long lines at the polls in poor neighborhoods discourage poor voters, too- so they vote irregularly. The Democrats want to make it easier to include the poor, uneducated, even the undocumented- because they more often vote Democrat.

So, the Republicans got the upper hand this time. States can pass laws which create problems for infrequent voters- essentially purging them from the voting rolls if they fail to vote. It is what it is. We can wring our hands about it, or we can do something about it. Democrats should make it their business to register voters (absentee if possible) amongst their constituencies if they want to compete with the Republicans.

Both parties are really “Party of the Rich”, competing for the spoils of corruption. They just pander to different constituencies. The decision was a good one (in my opinion) for several reasons. First, it shows how politically corrupt the Supreme Court is. Second, it motivates the Democrats to encourage their constituents to vote, absentee when possible. Third, it gives marginalized groups of people a real motive to organize to agitate against the corrupt status quo. Fourth (and most important to us at NewLibertarians.com) it shows everyone there needs to be a political rearrangement which wrests loose the stranglehold the Democratic and the Republican parties have on America’s political process.

BreakingNews, 6/8/2018:  Canada to Singapore

Those of you who read this column know I regard Trump with a mixture of admiration and derision. I admire how he managed to go from 5% in the first Republican primary to President, running an apparently nonsensical campaign on comparably little money, telling continuous boldface lies, offending almost everyone along the way- and then winning! I hate the lying, consider it an insult to my intelligence- and I have a hard time understanding why more Americans aren’t equally offended by it. But it’s been effective, I must admit. As the story unfolds, Trump’s election was no fluke. It was masterful use of all available resources- domestic and foreign, and especially data and the Internet-  to accomplish an almost miraculous feat.

I’ve compared Trump to Adolf Hitler. His agenda was no secret. He planned his path to power for a long time, and took some big gambles with long odds along the way- and suffered setbacks but kept coming. The “Big Lie” was his trademark. Hitler could have stopped after Austria and Czechoslovakia, and maybe even Poland- and survived a national hero forever for reuniting a Greater Germany. But he kept pushing, gambling, doubling down- overreached, and fell. And took Germany down with him. Had he not persecuted the Jews, and the likes of Einstein stayed and worked for him- we might all be speaking German.

What Hitler did was huge, and his legacy is the American Century. He caused the death of 70 million people, the destruction of much of Europe, Japan, China, Russia and the aftermath of the war made America the only healthy nation left standing in a deathly ill world… Russia and China formed huge “communist” dictatorships from their ashes. What will be Trump’s legacy?

If I were Kim Jong Un I’d be terrified going into this meeting. As Trump spoke with China’s Head of State -Xi- leader of the second largest economy and rising world military power for the first time, he attacked Syria and Afghanistan as gratuitous party favors- to show what power he has and what he’s willing to do, just for effect. Neither attack accomplished anything, except to make it clear to China that Trump is a loose cannon- and it’d be wise to lay low. At G7 Trump arrived late, left early and offended all our best allies- the leaders of the seven richest nations in the world. What’s he going to do to impress the ” fat little rocket-man” from tiny, starving North Korea just to shake things up?

Trump knows his time is short. Presidents usually wait until the end is in sight to start using their Power of Pardon, and he’s using his like a child’s Magic Wand to sprinkle Pixie Dust around everywhere it seems fun. Trump’s unpredictability has become predictably gratuitous, soon America will tire of it. He’ll go down when he’s not fun to watch any more.

I think Mueller will be the party-pooper.

BreakingNews, 6/3/2018: Trump pardons himself?

Some Republicans are beginning to wonder if now is the time to abandon the sinking ship. Trump’s on-again/off-again gyrations on trade, foreign policy, immigration… attacks on his own agencies and appointments… his mounting scandals and accelerating legal problems are beginning to cause fatigue amongst his once avid supporters who never know day to day (hour to hour)  what they are actually supporting, and worry that their leader might have a screw (or two) loose, and could do something REALLY unpredictable as the pressure on him builds and he becomes ever more detached from reality… like pardon himself- for what? For everything?

The Democrats seem to think this will be a landslide year, but they’re being cautious not to appear too confident. They have their own corruption to protect, and might prefer to have a lame-duck Trump willing to make a deal to keep his “dream job” over a pitched battle which could cause some casualties on their side, too.

Trump promised to disrupt. He promised to end the wars, quit trying to police the world, take care of the veterans. De-corrupt the bureaucracy. Restore meaningful work to American labor, via fair trade. Rebuild the infrastructure. Fix the health care system. Restore American prominence on the world stage… and what’s he done? The wars are widening, and we’re losing. We’ve alienated our allies, enhanced the influence of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea who’ve filled the vacuum. The bureaucracy is more corrupt than ever, the worst offenders are his appointments, his family, insiders. No infrastructure progress, no health care progress.  We have “full” employment- with no wage gains, no new industry. Homebuilding, marriage, children, health and longevity on the decline.  A big tax cut for the international rich, paid for with debt for working Americans- is all he has to show, so far, besides chaos.

The question is where the new equilibrium will settle. Will it just be another circus of corruption, Democrat style- with Trump still ringmaster? Or will something actually change in the 2018 election? If the past is any indication of the future, nothing will change. Looking at my absentee ballot I need to mark, and send off- I can’t see much hope for anything different.

BreakingNews, 5/30/2018: Big Day in the Supreme Court, corrected

You can read the original, below. I hate to be wrong, or do an injustice to anyone- even to someone I consider to be an enemy of all I hold dear. When Bush I put Clarence Thomas into civil rights champion Thurgood Marshall’s vacant seat it was immediately apparent that the only thing they had in common was black skin. Calling himself an “originalist”, he sided with the right wing mindlessly on every decision. Taciturn to an extreme, I’ve wondered what might be in that “black box” besides darkness.

There are two black men in high positions of government I’d love to be able to mind-read. Clarence Thomas is one of them, and the other is Colin Powell. Are they just “token negros”, given privilege in return for having black skin and doing what they’re told to do? That’s a good reason for silence. Nobody wants to admit to that. Or, are they under some kind of duress, which coerces them to knuckle under like “good” slaves. How could Thomas possibly be an “originalist”? At the time the Constitution was written, he would have been property. Does he think he should still be property? He personally benefitted from “affirmative action”, how could he be so solidly against it?

As it was originally reported on NPR (which I listen to in the night, sometimes half-asleep) the decision was 7-2, with Thomas and Alito dissenting. Today, I see it was 8-1, only Alito dissenting. There’s no hope for Alito, he’s not even worthy of comment except disparagement.  Perhaps he’s just the “token Republican authoritarian”. But I’d like to know the “rest of the story” about Thomas.

Colin Powell’s book was all fluff, there was no insight into his mind. The military is known for dealing with incompetents by “kicking them upstairs”, giving them a glittery uniform, ceremonial duties, an office, a secretary and a big paycheck for keeping quiet and staying out of the way.  But the Supreme Court is something altogether different…

BreakingNews, 5/30/2018: Big Day in the Supreme Court

Editor’s note: This was written on the basis of Public Radio news last night, and there was no Wall Street Journal at the coffee shop this AM to back up my story… so this might not be 100% accurate, but I’ll fix it tomorrow,,,,CC

The Constitution wasn’t written for the convenience of law enforcement. The encroaching Police State has been eroding civil rights typically, as politicians claim to be “tough on crime” and help the profits of their political donors at the same time. Most people value safety over liberty, and it’s easy to forget (or deny) realities like The Holocaust which happen when authoritarians get too much power.

7-2 the Supreme Court upheld the FourthAmendment which limits (prohibits…) warrantless searches. Alito and Thomas were the only judges who couldn’t read the plain words of the Constitution. Bravo for Gorsuch, he’s turning out to be the “originalist” I hoped he’d be. Shame on Thomas.( Note: I might be giving Clarence a bum rap on this…) Thurgood Marshall would roll over in his grave. (he’s done a lot of that since Bush I gave Thomas his seat on the Court….)

In my view, the decision didn’t go far enough. Today, with the instant communications available  24/7/365 via the internet, there is no longer any good excuse for a warrantless search of anyone’s property- not even an automobile. It’s an important safeguard to our liberty. I know it’s an uncommon view. I’m happy for what we got. (less than I thought, I’m afraid…)

BreakingNews Memorial Day, 2018

Memorial Day is a sad day for Libertarians. Devoted to liberty, peace, justice, equality, prosperity there are few (if any) parts of human experience less conducive to Libertarian ideals than war- unless it be the other Apocalyptic Horses- disease, famine, pestilence, geological, weather and other natural catastrophes which everyone would agree to prevent- if we could.

Only war is glorified as something which somehow elevates individuals and humanity. Once a year we perform solemn ceremonies to convince spouses, parents, children their loved ones were maimed and killed and lost to them forever for a purpose, and were not just as sacrificial pawns in an international power and money game engineered by people who would never consider taking that risk themselves.

When was the last president who served in a legally declared war, one authorized by Congress to defend the Nation- Bush I? Bush II was a play-flyboy. Obama never considered it. Reagan played soldier in the movies. Clinton and Trump were draft dodgers. Trump even put down John McCain as a “loser” for having been shot down in Vietnam. Bush II managed to come off as more heroic sitting safely on the sidelines than John Kerry who was wounded in combat on his swift boat. Money talks.

We should honor our war dead by ending the wars, and taking care of our wounded veterans. They sacrificed their lives, health and happiness for us, and we owe them our appreciation with action- not just ceremony.

BreakingNews 5/30/2018: Trump Cancels?

Most Americans are Democrats or Republicans, and so they assume everyone is either one or the other. It’s the same about Trump, either you like him and his agenda, or you hate him and his agenda. So, I’m pretty sure everyone reading this is trying to decide whether I’m Democrat or Republican, “Pro Trump” or “Anti Trump”- and then they can decide if I’m credible or not…depending on whether I’m one way or the other.

At the same time I predicted before he was even nominated Trump would inevitably be impeached, I’ve also said that electing him was the best thing which has happened to America since FDR. Yes, his “Make America Great Again” strategy is so uncannily (or transparently…) similar to Hitler’s “Make Germany Great Again” program ( a la Mein Kampf) from the 1930’s that there’s plenty to worry about, especially if you’re a racial or religious minority, poor, addicted to opiates, LGBTQ… but the USA of 2018 is very different from the Germany of 1933. The biggest difference is that we have a two and a half century old Constitution, which the vast majority of Americans believe in, a legal tradition to interpret it- and enough of our elected officials have (at least) read it.

What Trump’s greatest accomplishment will be (in my opinion) is that he will reawaken America to the value of our Constitution, by way of his entertaining theatrics (to get our attention) and their inevitable legal consequence- to teach us the important lessons. What is “Separation of Powers”?  “Emoluments”? “Establishment clause”?”Reconciliation”?”High Crimes and Misdemeanors”? “Obstruction of Justice”? “Nuclear Option”?

Trump isn’t afraid of impeachment, because he’s certain he won’t be convicted- it’s not easy to remove the president. It will keep him in the spotlight, where he likes to be- and make everything he does seem more important. The history books will love retelling the story, because it will sell more history books.

BreakingNews:   4/4/2018 : Stormy days ahead

Before Trump was nominated, I predicted were he to be nominated, and win the election- he would be impeached and convicted before his first term was up. The only uncertainties were who would do it, when it would happen and what would be the formal “excuse” for doing it. You can find plenty to read about “Stormy Daniels” story in all the papers, but I think it would be a shame if this turns out to be the “excuse” the anti-Trump forces have been waiting for. There are so many better reasons.

Now I have to add “Stop and Frisk” Rudi Giuliani  to the RoguesGallery.

BreakingNews 5/29/2018: Trump Cancels North Korea Summit

The North Koreans got one thing right. Pence is a “dummy”. Living up to his description as “ignorant” and “stupid”, Pence threatened Kim Jong Un with the same fate as Muhammar Khadaffi, who having conceded his nuclear weapons in an attempt to normalize relations the U.S. would create, finance and give military back-up to an insurgency which would ultimately end up shooting him trying to hide in a drainage culvert. Avoiding that is exactly why he felt he needed to develop nukes in the first place. Trump saw the big mistake, preempted Kim in cancelling first- but it was Pence who blew it.

The best argument for not impeaching Trump is that Pence would become president if he’s convicted. Trump, for all his faults, at least isn’t a “dummy”. JFK’s choice of LBJ as his running mate was a wise one, as was FDR’s Truman and Reagan’s Bush. Had Hillary Clinton chosen Bernie Sanders as her running mate, and welcomed him as a partner in her administration, I think she would have won the election in a landslide.

BreakingNews:   4/11/2018 : John McCain speaks

When John McCain ran for president against Barack Obama in 2008, I was still of the opinion there was a real difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. I didn’t always agree with him, but I admired him for his courage and his independence. I’d have voted for McCain had he been a Democrat, but I was concerned about his health and I didn’t want Sarah Palin to become president. I voted for Obama even though I was worried his presidency might be a failure- because of the color of his skin, not the content of his character. But, all in all, I was confident whoever won that election we’d have a good human being in the Oval Office.

In today’s Wall Street Journal, the Review section is McCain’s narrative about Vladimir Putin. It’s very good reading, I recommend it to everyone. In his final days, as his brain cancer threatens to bring his life to an abrupt end, I’m glad to hear his voice still strong. He lays his case on the table, for all America to see.

BreakingNews:   4/10/2018 : The Trump Factor

The American People elected Donald Trump because he promised to disrupt the “status quo”, and he’s delivering on that promise. I didn’t like (and still don’t like) the issues he focused on during his campaign. I think he rode a tide of hate, fear and ignorance to the White House, the same way Hitler did in 1933, focused on the same points-  white supremacy, religious bigotry, xenophobia, anti-intellectualism, authoritarianism- to appeal to the masses, inspire thugs to be Brown Shirts, and they to want to be SS- but built and kept his power by pandering to the corporations and being careless of the well being of his People, and tyrannizing them.

But this is America 2018, not Germany 1933. America has a better designed political system with a longer history with The People for Trump to even imagine that the American People might vote 99.6% to give him permanent dictatorial power- as Hitler achieved. He must know that he can huff and puff, but he won’t blow the house down- no matter what he says or tries to do because the Constitution provides Separation of Powers. That gives him the liberty to bloviate as much as he wants to energize his base, knowing that the Courts will in a short time abort whatever he tries which is Unconstitutional. He has to know his time is short, that his impeachment will start in January 2019, and will reach a conclusion which will make him a one term president- maximum. I think he never planned to serve two terms, was never concerned about being re-elected.

BreakingNews: 5/19/2018: Abortion Debate

First, the facts. 40% of all children born are accidentally conceived, not planned. 2/3 of divorces are filed by the woman. Over half of children born are born out of wedlock. 90% of those who use Planned Parenthood are impoverished. 90% of those in prison come from one parent families, 95% of which are headed by women. The birth rate is declining, especially among the affluent. Young people aren’t getting married, buying homes, raising children- they’re watching porn on their cell phones. The family, as an institution, is deteriorating. The opioid epidemic, the outsourcing of jobs, the deteriorating education system, illegal immigration, corruption in all three branches of government- and in business… all contribute to the deteriorating American Dream. Few dispute the facts, or the need for change.

The Libertarians believe that free markets will solve everything, and they think government interference is the problem, and hate paying all taxes. The “Freedom Caucus”, which owes its origin to the post-schism/collapse Libertarians (when the progressives defected to the Democrats and only the “Hayek” conservatives remained and then they gave up on the Libertarians and became Republicans…) became the new face of Jim Crow and the KKK. They champion “State’s Rights”, as if The States were somehow less corrupt and oppressive than the Federal Government.

The Democrats promote the abortion debate as a “Women’s Rights” issue, pandering to women.  Their main talking point is that a woman should have complete sovereignty over her own body. The Republicans couch it in “Religious Rights” language, pandering to the religious. Their main talking point is that an embryo/fetus is an innocent child whose life can and should be saved. Both are good arguments. In reality, however, the politicians don’t really care about abortion at all. Their goal is the spoils of political power, and they’re just dividing up the electorate into core constituencies devoted to “hot button non issues”. They know that “gridlock” preserves the “status quo”, and nothing big is going to change.

I personally believe that Trump would be delighted for all poor black women to abort (or contracept) all their children- in America and everywhere else, too- and Planned Parenthood is designed to enable poor people to get contraception and abortion -among other things… but his political calculus, as a Republican, requires bloviation on the other side of the abortion debate, knowing nothing is ultimately going to change. It’s all just political theatre, playing to “The Base”, most of which is southern, fundamentalist, white supremacist, fearful and resentful of blacks, Mexicans, “liberals”, Muslims, homosexuals and foreigners (which includes northerners)- which they consider to be evil…criminal. Never mind that Trump is a northerner, doesn’t give a damn about religion…that’s Mike Pence’s job. Trump does piety ineptly.

New Libertarians propose the Original Libertarian (pre-schism/collapse- 1972 style) position that the person (male and female) have sovereignty over their own bodies -and minds, too. That means The State shouldn’t have the power to require any woman to have an abortion, nor any man to go to an undeclared war- for the same reason. However, if religious people refuse to pay taxes for health care for the poor which provides access to abortion, then those who despise war and police state should refuse to pay taxes for the military, prisons and police by the same logic. The truth is, we all should pay taxes to support our government- fairly. The only fair tax is on assets. The rich own the political parties, and increasingly regressive taxation is a fundamental goal of both corrupt political parties. But they don’t want to discuss that at election time.

Religious arguments are precluded by the First Amendment’s “Establishment Clause”, which prohibits Congress from passing laws which give religion political power. The New Libertarians are concerned with the future of America, beginning with the family- the health, education, nutrition, housing, opportunity, Rights and Liberties of our Posterity, the success of the American System. More children who are planned by healthy, educated, secure parents committed to each other and to creating a successful family which are willing to sacrifice their own instant gratifications for the long term viability of the family, community and the nation are best for the long-term viability of America. How best to enable that should be the debate, and that’s what we should be talking about. Skip the political theater.

BreakingNews: 4/28/2018 Pompeo confirmed.

It’s time for me to update RoguesGallery now that “master of corruption” Rex Tillerson is moved from “rogue’s list” to the “sacrificial pawn list”, and CIA spook/torturer Pompeo is taking his place at State as USA’s lead diplomat, and Pompeo’s assistant -also complicit in the torture/secret prison scandal- steps into his shoes. At the same time, I have to add to the “rogues list” someone I forgot to mention the first time around- Scott Pruitt- quickly, before he gets sacrificed and he escapes the honor. Michael Cohen came into the spotlight and left the stage before I could list him. This job keeps me busy.

BreakingNews: 5/18/2018: Trump’s Reversal of Fortune

Most of them Democrats, but also enough Republicans to turn the tide against him are looking at each other in panic going into the 2018 elections trying to decide what to do. Trump fights fire with fire, and as problems heat up across the globe those whose fortunes ride on the preservation of the status quo are starting to worry there might not be enough fire trucks around to save their asse(t)s. Trump, for his part, is filling up the water trucks with gasoline so as to be ready. It will be interesting.

Mueller’s Russian election interference investigation faces a deadline, and soon the impending elections will demand a gag order on his progress, lest it “interfere” with the election. But Mueller knows that after the election his investigation will become irrelevant to its main purpose- to give the electorate the information it needs to make a wise choice at the polls. So, he’s going to be in a hurry to get as much of it out as he gan before the deadline, but not make any big mistakes which could cast doubt on his competence and the validity of the investigation altogether. It will be interesting, too.

Trump’s threatening Kim Jong Un with a rerun to Muhammar Khadaffi’s story, that the USA will overthrow his government and he’ll be shot hiding in a culvert, or hung like Saddam Hussein after being dragged from a “spider hole” to the gallows. Ebola is out in a city of over a million people. There’s a trade war with China. Cholera is overwhelming Yemen. Syria just gets worse, and worse. Food Stamps are in jeopardy, Gaza is a bloodbath following US Embassy plans in Jerusalem… there’s a lot to watch on Trump’s “Reality TV”.

Soon the camera will be on him, I predict.

BreakingNews:   4/3/2018 : Cambridge Analytica Folds

Newlibertarians.com aspires to be the “bright side” of data analytics, “The Force” behind political change in America and the world. The Engine of Democracy…

4/1/2018: BreakingNews: Resurrection day. 

People who are fearless of death are terrifying. Whether it’s Jihadist suicide bombers, Kama Kazi pilots, or even an old man like Socrates who, when given the choice of behaving in an “acceptable” manner, or going into a comfortable exile-  chose death, instead.  Achilles could have sat out the Trojan War, too. He made a choice. Jesus probably could have survived, too- had he chosen to. After he fled The Temple to the wilderness- after throwing out the moneychangers- he could have just kept going. But he didn’t.

A year ago I launched newlibertarians.com. Donald Trump had just been inaugurated president, and it seemed to me he was following Hitler’s playbook, “Mein Kampf”, a book I read as a teenager. Like Hitler’s, his agenda is no secret. He wants to Make America Great Again the same way Hitler wanted to make Germany great again- with authoritarianism, focused on “The Leader”- “Der Fuhrer”. And his campaign rides the same “zeitgeist” as Hitler’s- race and religion, and has the same scorn for democracy.

Obama was a weak leader, through no fault of his own. He had black skin, and many Americans simply will not follow a black leader. After eight years of ineffective leadership, ever widening and more confusing losing wars abroad- America was hungry for a leader. Like Hitler, Trump has been seeking the presidency for decades. When he felt his moment came, he struck. The Republicans were splintered, and he stepped in to unify The Party around Republican principles. Some people are superior to others, and deserve to lead and deserve privilege. White people and Christians, especially. Jews are OK, for now. Democracy is weakness, it doesn’t work. The biggest fear of the ruling class is that the poor will unify and set up the guillotine. Use “divide and conquer”, the age old way a privileged minority rules the majority. The Army and the Police are the saviors of civilization. Women and men argue, blacks and whites argue, Judeo-Christians and Muslims argue. Keep them arguing, and confused. Do not let them understand politics, lest they see who their real friends and their real enemies are.

Both my parents were veterans of WWII, my mother taught history (and did diplomatic research at the State Department, trying to understand Pearl Harbor) and my dad was a psychologist. My first love was a Jewess, and her parents were good to me- and I loved them, too. I was made very aware of the historical, political, religious, racial and psychological origins of WWII and the Holocaust. I saw how WWI created the Bolsheviks and the genocides of Russia, and WWII created the People’s Republic of China and their millions of deaths. Authoritarianism is not the answer. It’s never been the answer, and it will never be the answer.

Yes, it seems to work for a while- but (like the “Thousand Year Reich”) it doesn’t work for very long. It always ends up with a Lost War- lost because of corruption. Eventually “the many” oppressed unite to depose “the few” oppressors.

The U.S. Constitution is the answer.  The Preamble states the Purpose. The Rule of Law- not men, to which everyone agrees, and the Social Contract which binds us to it is the answer. Liberty, guaranteed by the Bill of Rights is the answer. Education is the only way Americans can inherit our precious birthright. Anyone who tells you you need not understand-only to obey- is your enemy. America has drifted away from our moorings, and the “Divine Wind” will blow us on the rocks unless we regain the helm and guide her to safety.

BreakingNews: 3/12/2018: Filing Day

Today’s the deadline to file to run for office in Montana. I got two calls asking if I was running, so that’s progress. One was a Libertarian, the other was a Democrat. At this rate I might have enough support to consider doing it again in 2030…if I’m around. I told them both I’m not going it alone any more. If somebody wants me to run, they need to let me know at least a week before the filing deadline.

The political process is kind of like the yearly fall roundup on a Montana cattle ranch. There are two big bidders at the auction.What they buy goes off to the feedlots on the same train- and there’s just one train. Unless you want to play the game the way they’ve arranged it- you’re on your own. Part of the purpose of newlibertarians.com is to offer an alternate route, the other part is to enable voters to vote wisely in their own best interest inside the system as it is.

The first thing a voter needs to know is that where the most money goes is what arguments are going to me made loudest and most often. For those who invest in elections (“the 1/2%”) it’s a great investment. Each $1 they invest in elections returns $900 in government spending, and they control it. As a bonus, they get to write all the laws -especially the tax laws- and control foreign policy. They give money to both sides of every important race- whichever candidate wins always gives them what they want. If you don’t want to be one of their puppet-politicians, you don’t get to play on their field.

Now that the election of 2018 is under way, we’ll devote our efforts to what we each can do inside the election system, corrupt as it is, to reform government with our votes.

BreakingNews 3/13/2018: The Kickoff

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson got canned with a tweet, so I’m going to have to rewrite RoguesGallery and move him from the “Rogues” list to the “Sacrificial Lambs”  list and add a few more “Rogues” to the list. It’s been due a rewrite for a while, now. This job keeps me very busy.

The political political season has kicked off, all the players are on the field- and the ball is in the air. The Democrats are encouraging the Libertarians- to pick off Republican votes. The Republicans are encouraging the Greens to subvert the Democrats. The big race is that for the Senate seat held by Democrat Jon Tester.

The Libertarians are running Rick Breckenridge for that Senate seat. I know and like Rick. We don’t agree about everything-but no two people agree about everything- and I plan to vote for him, and encourage others to do the same. He won’t win, but he’s a personable, intelligent, fair-minded guy with a nice wife, a son who works with him- and good reputation. He’s a surveyor- an honorable profession. George Washington was a surveyor. Doing it right is a surveyor’s trademark.

For my part, I’m going to put up a new website… UnitedThirdParty.com… (don’t click on it, it’s not up yet) to attempt to unify the opposition to the corrupt “two party” collusion. It will link to this website, be a separate “cover page” to entice those who think they’ve made up their minds about the current Libertarians to give us another look. I’ll approach the Greens, Democrats and Republicans to see if any of them would like to embrace the New Libertarian  idea, too.

4/7/2018: BreakingNews: Tariffs, Sanctions, Dow drops…

Great article today in the Wall Street Journal by Pat Buchanan, remembering the politics of 1968 from the Nixon camp. I was there, too. In 1966 I’d given a speech at my high school graduation against the Vietnam war. The local paper wouldn’t print it. In 1968 I was an East Coast college anti-war activist, but the mood of the nation was still pro-war. In 1970, after graduation, with a draft lottery draw in the low 50’s, and then being rejected at my pre-induction interview and free to choose, I decided to move to the mountains of Montana- “Back to the Earth”- as they called it, then.

In 1972, the American Libertarian Party was founded- anti-war, anti-draft, anti-police state, anti-prohibition, anti-taxes, pro-choice, pro-free trade, pro-civil rights, pro-equality.. they represented the new center of a changing America. The Democrats and the Republicans were worried they could lose their place at the feed-trough. Then came Watergate, in 1973- just before the elections.

In August, 1974 I was felling big, gnarly old-growth timber up in the granite rock piles SW Montana is famous for, trees the old timers left because they were too hard to get, too many knots, too steep, too dangerous to log… and on my truck’s radio I heard Nixon was about to resign. I climbed my truck up onto a knob where my radio got better reception to hear his speech. For the record, I was glad to see Nixon fall and for Gerald Ford to decide that Vietnam was lost. Thankfully Spiro Agnew quit first. I had a hard time understanding why it took them so long to figure it out, why they invested so much in such an obviously losing enterprise.

Pat Buchanan told the story from the Republican insider point of view, but it was amazingly evenhanded. Both sides of the “culture wars” have good people, patriots who love America- they just have different views of the same thing.  Somehow the Democrats- who started it, thoughtlessly- and the Republicans- who kept it going to defeat- had to quit when America decided we couldn’t believe them any more about why they were doing it.

Here we are, 2018, in the same place America was in 1968. Fifty years ago Nixon became president, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were shot… and in 2016 America elected Donald Trump hoping he’d alter the trajectory of the nation. He didn’t. The wars are widening. The deficits are expanding. The police state is growing. Civil rights are shrinking. Drug addiction is pandemic. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the middle class is still being taxed into poverty. The protests are growing. We know we can’t trust the government to let us know what’s going on. Trump doesn’t even try to tell a straight story. The media is bought off. The corruption is everywhere, impossible to hide. As with Nixon, it’s just a matter of time before Trump falls. It’s obvious to me he’s becoming increasingly desperate and erratic as Mueller closes in on him, his allies quit and midterm elections loom.

I think it’s time for the Libertarians to get moving, again. Just rotating the corruption back to the Democrats isn’t good enough any more.

BreakingNews: 3/9/2018: The real issues

Today is a good time to talk about the real issues facing America, the ones the politicians don’t talk about at election time. What makes today the day to start is that Trump is doing something no other president has dared to do- he immediately and without hesitation agreed to talk face to face with Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s panicky young dictator. We’ll see how that goes and comment later. Today’s column is about the OpioidEpidemic.

BreakingNews: 3/23/2018: Facebook Problems

The problem with Facebook isn’t that they are promiscuous with people’s data. Anyone with sense knows that there’s no free lunch. People love the Wild West aspect of the internet. The Internet- like guns, drugs, sex, money- offers people a frontier to explore. Yes, it can have its dangers. But the answer isn’t to turn the primordial wilderness into Disneyland, safe and sanitized.

BreakingNews: 4/21/2018: Pregnant Stories

The Wall Street Journal had several interesting stories today. Hundreds of molested gymnasts, a sudden thaw in North Korean relations, Comey’s release of (after the fact) classified documents, DNC suing Russia, Wikileaks, others for having lost the 2016 election. Two articles about bank fraud, one about the VW emissions fraud.

What do they all have in common? They’re about hiding facts from The People because somebody is making money keeping them swept under the rug. Money, and the power of Money. How about this? If somebody “classifies” something which The People have the right to know- there should be the risk of a criminal penalty as a deterrent.

Over a million people died, and our nation’s future has been irreparably damaged by LBJ’s fraudulent “Tonkin Gulf Incident”, the facts of which were kept secret 50 years! Somebody could have and should have said something THEN, when it could have made a difference.

Justice Brandeis famously said, “Sunlight is the greatest disinfectant.” There should be immediate penalties for lying to The People, for everyone… especially presidents. The more power you have, the greater the damage you do and the greater the penalties you should face. It’s preposterous that Trump can lie on average at least once every day- and nobody can do anything about it. Trump lies faster than the truth-checkers can check him.

The biggest difficulty the impeachment process has is trying to decide which offense is worth focusing on when each new day there’s another one more outrageous than yesterday’s. Trump is toast. Pence is equally implicated. Ryan’s announced his resignation. Who’s fourth in line? The next speaker, appointed by Ryan? Pelosi? Someone needs to grab the tiller before the Ship of State crashes on the rocks.