Ideas, Opinions, Genealogy, and Book Reviews
After the Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen spent a bit of time yesterday attempting to defend the indefensible, I think she lost the chance to resign and preserve her reputation as a decent person.
If she had announced a resignation at that time, she might have preserved what reputation is left.
Continue reading “Defending the indefensible”
President Trump and his administration have hit a new low. Is “torturing children” too much here? He is causing children to be taken from their families. In some cases, babies and toddlers ripped from their mother’s arms.
But there is a bit of confusion about why this is being done. Is it a deterrent? Is the the fault of the law and the courts? Is it Congress’ fault? Are the Democrats to blame? Is it a bargaining chip so President Trump can get what he wants in an immigration bill ?
Continue reading “Torturing children”
Do facts matter to you?
I am reading The Death of Democracy: Hitler’s Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic
by Benjamin Carter Hett. I just started, about 10% into it according to my Kindle, but I thought this was an interesting quote from the book.
Continue reading “Facts matter, at least to some of us”
The full title is The Price of Greatness: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the Creation of American Oligarchy by Jay Cost.
I accidently posted 2 reviews of this book and so posted the last one combined the some thoughts from the earlier version. See my final review of The Price of Greatness.
Most of us say we want privacy or at least some privacy in this connected digital world. But privacy is not easy. Our inboxes are filled with notices of privacy policy updates as a result of the European General Data Protection Act (GDPR). We assume we are getting more privacy but it is not quite that simple.
Continue reading “Privacy is not easy”
Does the swamp smell? Are we succeeding in draining the swamp?
We know that AT&T paid Michael Cohen’s company $200,000 or maybe more. It is a bit unclear now exactly how much was paid and what it was for.
Continue reading “Does the swamp smell a bit worse today?”
Sorry Sarah Greer Mahan. Missed your birthday this year. 150 was a big one. Maybe I’ll remember in time next year
I am trying to learn a bit more about my Greers from Sligo and Allinghams from Leitrim. Comments welcome, especially if you think you might be related.
President Trump calls it an “attack on our country” and adds that it is disgraceful. What is he talking about?
The Russian attack on our elections certainly fits the bill. The chemical attack in Syria could be it. But no, it is the legal execution of a search warrant approved by his own Justice Department.
Sad.
Benjamin Franklin was asked after the Constitutional Convention what type of government we would have. He replied “A Republic, if you can keep it.” Now the question to us is ‘ Can we keep our republic ’ that the Constitution gave us ? .
The founders left us with a set of three competing branches that denied excessive power to any one branch since if one branch grew too strong the others would limit it. This system of checks and balances has worked well for over 200 years. However now it is being challenged as never before.
Continue reading “Can we keep our republic ?”
Just when we were starting to get used to Scott Pruitt and his crazy ideas about not protecting the environment, more news comes out about his crazy views on this and other topics.
…Scott Pruitt, the new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), espoused some pretty bizarre and goddy views on an Oklahoma radio show in 2005. Granted, that’s 13 years ago, but have his views changed? Given his faith, probably not, and they were posted on his campaign website when he ran for Oklahoma attorney general in 2010. Nobody’s talking now, but…
The blog Why Evolution Is True in an article with a somewhat lengthy title ( EPA administrator Scott Pruitt disses evolution, espouses theocracy, doubts whether carbon dioxide causes global warming, asserts that God gave us the right to have all guns ) discusses his bizarre views and right to impose them on the rest of us and lack of suitability to run a science-based agency.
It is worth reading.
I was very surprised to see The Firemaker by Peter May available as an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) on Netgalley. I thought this was an older book. But I have been a fan of Peter May since reading his Lewis trilogy so I was interested.
The Firemaker is the first book in his set of China thrillers set in the 1990 and early 2000s. I checked and this series was published between 1999 and 2004. The reason for an ARC is this is a re-release in early 2018. The best explanation for why he decided on a re-release is the Introduction by the author.
Continue reading “The Firemaker by Peter May”
A useless sentiment in response to the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Can our federal government do something useful about this?
See this
Generally, the Republican response to any mass shooting is that it is ‘too soon’ to talk about it, our ‘thoughts and prayers’ go out to victims, and then to stop anybody who tries to do something useful. Of course, this is just my opinion based on years of observation. They blocked legislation after Newtown, CT. They did nothing after Sutherland Springs, TX or Las Vegas NV. They seem ready to do nothing again. Are Republicans the Party of Death ?
Continue reading “Are Republicans the Party of Death ?”
Senator Chuck Grassley seems to be a hypocrite on the subject of guns for the mentally ill. After the recent tragic school shooing in Florida, he was asked to comment and Senator Grassley said:
It seems to be common for a lot of these shootings, in fact almost all of the shootings, is the mental state of the people. And we have not done a very good job of making sure that people that have mental reasons for not being able to handle a gun getting their name into the FBI files and we need to concentrate on that.
Continue reading “Guns for the mentally ill: Is Senator Grassley a hypocrite ?”
President Trump is busy attacking the FBI and Justice Department. Republicans used to believe in the rule of law. Are Republicans ashamed ? If not, why not?
Our intelligence agencies agreed with a high degree of certainty that Russia interfered in our 2016 election (.https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/ICA_2017_01.pdf ).
President Trump denies this. In some cases he says he knows better because he is very smart. I tend to think he has other motivations. Donald Trump’s denial is called the “2017 Lie of the Year” by Politifact .
WikiPedia has a long article on Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections for those who would like to review this and some more recent develpments in the investigations.
Recently, the President and some of his allies in Congress and on Fox news have been busy attacking the FBI and Justice Department. As President Trump says “A lot of people should be ashamed of themselves”.
Of course he seems to be thinking of those in leadership at the FBI and Justice Department but I think it is the Republicans who refuse to stand-up to this attack on the rule of law who should be ashamed.
We have heard objections from Senator John McCain and Gov. John Kasich. I may have missed a few others but I’ve heard few Republican objections or even mild disagreements.
In the words of Senator McCain:
The latest attacks on the FBI and Department of Justice serve no American interests – no party’s, no president’s, only Putin’s. The American people deserve to know all of the facts surrounding Russia’s ongoing efforts to subvert our democracy, which is why Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation must proceed unimpeded. Our nation’s elected officials, including the president, must stop looking at this investigation through the warped lens of politics and manufacturing partisan sideshows. If we continue to undermine our own rule of law, we are doing Putin’s job for him.
So where are the the Repubican politicians? Do they still believe in the rule of law? Are Republicans ashamed ?