Trump's September Survey: No Wriggle Room, Here He Stands

A "Make America Great Again" survey dated September 30th,
2016, graced my mailbox. I've kept it to demonstrate Trump's
positions and opinions, literally delineated  in black and white
which he can't deny or walk back, as he tried to do during the
three debates:

(1) In question 1, the Donald attempts to be all things to all
people, claiming he'll create jobs, boost business, while
castigating Mr. Obama, who handled the Great Recession
(2007-2010) very responsibly. Mr. Trump, with FOUR
bankruptcies, seems scarcely a business model to emulate.

(2) Trump makes promises like traditional conservatives,
pledging to reduce the federal debt and downsize
government.   Naturally, no specifics are offered here,
as usual.

(3) The Donald,  swaggering strongly, states he will take
on China, Russia, ISIS and North Korea-- all by
himself. Again, the plan to accomplish making the USA
great again (number one) is absent.

(4) RE: the Supreme Court: Mr. Trump admires Scalia
and Alito, saying he'll nominate similarly inclined judges
who  enforce, not make, law, quite conveniently
forgetting every SCOTUS  decision DOES "make"
law, one way or another.

(5) Now to our nation's borders: he'll build a Wall,
but in the survey, he omits his impossible demand that
Mexico pay for it. Don didn't get any acquiescence when
he visited Mexico-- the Mexican president, exercising  his
understanding of national sovereignty, said "no", televised
to the world.

(6) He brags that he has earned the approval of the NRA,
reassuring them he'll support their Second Amendment
freedoms. As always, he has no details.

(7) Donald Trump, clearly knowing nothing about the
environment, toxicities to humans, and/or medicine,
promises to weaken the EPA, implying he denies the
reality of Climate Change. Donald, read a book!
You might then learn business and job creation is
possible pursuing environmentally sound policies.

(8) Regarding the ACA ("Obamacare"), Trump
trumpets he can and will  immediately rescind the laws
that made it national policy. Presidential Executive Orders
can only go so far; this is probably a bridge too far, even
for him. Yes, the ACA has its flaws, but now people can
get insurance who were ineligible before, an important
humane accomplishment that Donald ignores, of course.

(9) This item merely asks for donations to the Trump
campaign. Further down, the survey taker is asked
to supply phone numbers and email addresses; there
are privacy issues related to such requests, which I
would never honor.

All nine of the "questions" pillory Ms. Clinton, frequently
positing that she had the authority to make law and/or policy
all by herself either as Senator or Secretary of State or as
the next president, which is just plain wrong; there are 100
U.S. Senators, 435 U.S. House Reps, all of whom possess
a vote. Secretaries of state carry out a president's policy
directives, period. The accompanying pix  are flattering to
Trump (--a difficult task to be sure) while Secretary Clinton's
is one of the worst of her I've ever seen.

Finally, whoever wrote this piece certainly writes in a cogent,
grammatically accurate manner. Trump couldn't have composed
such prose, if  one recalls the few tired, repetitious phrases he
beats to death at every opportunity. We HAVE had presidents
who were capable of distinguishing themselves  with the written
word; President Eisenhower, a moderate Republican, comes to
mind, not ever forgetting another Republican, President Lincoln.

Candidate Trump, here he stands, with no wriggle room, in black
and white on a cardboard flyer. I think I'll hold on to it; someday
soon he'll be called to account, and I'll be ready.

Wells Fargo's CEO Stumpf Steps Down, Platinum Parachute Intact Despite Some Givebacks

--after the scandal about ethics-plagued "sales techniques"
utilized by employees burst over the media world wide.
Mr. Stumpf, haled before the U.S. Congress, shamed and
exposed, could not remain CEO of the nation's largest
mortgage banker, especially after his sales staff fell on their
swords, 5,300 of them summarily fired. Either way, these
hapless workers were doomed, obeying OR disobeying
orders to carry out the massive illegal scheme.

The disgraced CEO walks away with ~130 million big
ones, reported by money.cnn.com. He can presumably
avoid the nation's righteous indignation/opprobrium by
coloring his hair and flying to another nation, retiring
from American business altogether. Will he?

Platinum parachute at the ready, anything is possible;
problematic indeed, however, is the restoration of his
good name. Only  "objectivist" followers of Laissez Faire
(the Ayn Rand version) can  approve of this man's
method, therefore, him.

The Trumps' Anti-Women War: Ugly Americans are Legion

The latest reveals re: the Trumps and their anti-women
wars plainly show two sad, salient facts:

(1) The Donald Trumps, pe're et fils, do not respect
women; both are on electronic record bragging about
their right to demean, insult, intimidate, objectify and
rate females in the workplace where employees are
trapped. Such toxic behaviors ought to be permitted,
opined several males including DT JR. broadcast over
a recent Buzzfeed "bull session".

(2) Apparently, American men share the Trumps'
misogyny, shown via a very recent poll: men will
vote for Trump overwhelmingly on November 8,
while a majority of  women are voting for Clinton.
--The gender wars continue, down the centuries to
today! (England's Queen Elizabeth I was wise to
remain unmarried, wasn't she, girls? Henry VIII's
daughter, she lived long, prospered, remaining large
and in charge for decades....)

Even with better laws and the "civilizing", tempering
effects of education, far too little has changed. The
Trumps, father and son, are actually to be thanked for
exposing their own contempt for women so openly--
while allowing all to see support for the anti-women
wars is far from minor.

Ugly Americans in 2016: they are legion.

The USA's Favorite Ferengi, Donald Trump

If you've never seen the TV free series "Deep Space
Nine" ( a Star Trek franchise) you'll not know how
apt this "Ferengi" comparison really is. The several
hundred "Rules of Acquisition" (distilled down to
anything for a buck, no holds barred) are ruthless,
immoral and amoral, actually criminal in many
places boasting a concerted rule of law, to say
little of plain consideration of others.

I imagine the Donald watching Quark, the most
ambitious and greedy of the lot, largely sympathizing
with the Ferengi bar owner when many of his nefarious
and ill-thought out schemes come to naught. Like
Quark, Trump experiences many failures, but manages
to scramble up from them employing every tactic
available on Earth (legal loopholes). Quark utilizes
his planet's "rules", which are simply more hidey
holes and justifications for the rich and aspiring.
Peals of laughter accompany any successful gambits,
never any remorse. Ruinous or harmful fallout  (AKA
collateral damage) seems so much sweeter AND
amusing.

Trump and fictional Ferengi Quark both say it's
smart to get a leg up on everybody else;
witness the first face-to-face a few days
back between the Don and the Hill. Lies,
obfuscations, deleting relevant facts, denials--
all to get rich quick, buy ostentatious but
tasteless property to regale friend and foe
alike, hosted in a semi-social setting.

Trump has strange facial expressions many
have noticed; Quark's are actually more
normal, alien physiology notwithstanding.
Both are amusing and amused in one stroke,
if one can shunt aside the dangers to the
rest of us, unwary or not...

Wait, wait, I've got it! How about a
"Saturday Night" TV episode with Quark
and Donald, sitting side by side, relishing
all their canny, money-making tricks, busily
applauding each other on their splendid business
acumen. I might just call the producers there in
NYC and forward a suggestion for just such
a skit.

The USA's favorite Ferengi, Donald Trump:
oblivious to the obvious as well as to the
profound, or to what's generally deemed
decent. May he never gain the White House.
 

October 3rd, 2016: Sen. Kirk and U.S. House Rep Duckworth--A Civilized Debate at Last!

The hour and a half spent watching the candidates
vying for the Illinois U.S. Senate seat via the
Chicago Tribune's video was well worth it. The
only flaw occurred with the Trib's mike placement;
the two candidates' comments were adequately
audible, whereas the Tribune editorial board's
interviewers could barely be heard.

What I wished for so ardently but failed to see
during the 2016 Presidential Primaries DID
happen at the IL state level: the two U.S. Senate
candidates behaved with dignity, largely steered
clear of personal attack, sticking substantially to
the issues. Yes, Tammy hammered hard on "wrongs"
she identified in Kirk's record, but kept it a civil
critique all the same.

I'll be voting for Ms. Duckworth, as she appears
more capable; she's younger, survived being shot
down and captured in Iraq, while Sen. Kirk sadly
shows hallmarks of his physical and mental challenges.
His survival and progress toward normalcy is quite
remarkable indeed, yet the stroke adversely affects
him even now, which the Tribune video plainly
illustrates. Tammy could speak at length, cogently
with detail and extempore'; Mr. Kirk seemed far
more subdued...still, he acquitted himself admirably.

We would have seen a similarly civilized exchange
between Gov. O'Malley (D) and Gov. Kasich (R)
if the media and our electorate had allowed it--
to our detriment, we've gotten circuses and
scandals instead.

Thank you both, Mark and Tammy, for letting
us see sanity, dignity, demeanor and respect
resonate with you--as it does with some of us.