Thursday, November 17, 2016
Saturday, November 12, 2016
There's a sucker born every minute
That's one of PT Barnum's memorable quotes. Barnum famously created "the greatest show on earth" and relied on people's curiosity and gullibility to have success.
The Donald admires Barnum at least in part because he was a showman. And these articles help to understand the connection. It's not quite as simple as he makes it out to be...
Here's why we grieve today
I don't think you understand us right now.
I think you think this is about politics.
I think you believe this is all just sour grapes; the crocodile tears of the losing locker room with the scoreboard going against us at the buzzer.
I can only tell you that you're wrong. This is not about losing an election. This isn't about not winning a contest. This is about two very different ways of seeing the world.
Hillary supporters believe in a diverse America; one where religion or skin color or sexual orientation or place of birth aren't liabilities or deficiencies or moral defects.Her campaign was one of inclusion and connection and interdependency. It was about building bridges and breaking ceilings. It was about going high.
Trump supporters believe in a very selective America; one that is largely white and straight and Christian, and the voting verified this. Donald Trump has never made any assertions otherwise. He ran a campaign of fear and exclusion and isolation—and that's the vision of the world those who voted for him have endorsed.
They have aligned with the wall-builder and the professed p*ssy-grabber, and they have co-signed his body of work, regardless of the reasons they give for their vote:
Every horrible thing Donald Trump ever said about women or Muslims or people of color has now been validated.
Every profanity-laced press conference and every call to bully protestors and every ignorant diatribe has been endorsed.
Every piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation Mike Pence has championed has been signed-off on.Half of our country has declared these things acceptable, noble, American.
This is the disconnect and the source of our grief today. It isn't a political defeat that we're lamenting, it's a defeat for Humanity.
We're not angry that our candidate lost. We're angry because our candidate's losing means this country will be less safe, less kind, and less available to a huge segment of its population, and that's just the truth.
Those who have always felt vulnerable are now left more so. Those whose voices have been silenced will be further quieted. Those who always felt marginalized will be pushed further to the periphery. Those who feared they were seen as inferior now have confirmation in actual percentages.
Those things have essentially been campaign promises of Donald Trump, and so many of our fellow citizens have said this is what they want too.
This has never been about politics.
This is not about one candidate over the other.
It's not about one's ideas over another's.
It is not blue vs. red.
It's not her emails vs. his bad language.
It's not her dishonesty vs. his indecency.
It's about overt racism and hostility toward minorities.
It's about religion being weaponized.
It's about crassness and vulgarity and disregard for women.
It's about a barricaded, militarized, bully nation.
It's about an unapologetic, open-faced ugliness.
And it is not only that these things have been ratified by our nation that grieve us; all this hatred, fear, racism, bigotry, and intolerance—it's knowing that these things have been amen-ed by our neighbors, our families, our friends, those we work with and worship alongside. That is the most horrific thing of all. We now know how close this is.
It feels like living in enemy territory being here now, and there's no way around that.We wake up today in a home we no longer recognize. We are grieving the loss of a place we used to love but no longer do. This may be America today but it is not the America we believe in or recognize or want.
This is not about a difference of political opinion, as that's far too small to mourn over.It's about a fundamental difference in how we view the worth of all people—not just those who look or talk or think or vote the way we do.
Grief always laments what might have been, the future we were robbed of, the tomorrow that we won't get to see, and that is what we walk through today. As a nation we had an opportunity to affirm the beauty of our diversity this day, to choose ideas over sound bytes, to let everyone know they had a place at the table, to be the beacon of goodness and decency we imagine that we are—and we said no.
The Scriptures say that weeping endures for a night but joy comes in the morning. We can't see that dawn coming any time soon.
And this is why we grieve.
We are Ferenginar
And the Donald is the grand Nagus.
Ferenginar is the Star Trek created world that is motivated by profit. Their leader is the Nagus, who helps guide them to profitability.
All Ferengi live by a series of "Rules of Acquisition." On the show, they'd sprinkle them in from time to time, mostly via a character named Quark, who ran a bar and was quite the nefarious one.
Here are a few of those rules that the Donald may use in his everyday life:
"Once you have their money you never give it back."
"A woman wearing clothes is like a man in the kitchen."
"Always exaggerate your estimates."
"Nothing is more important than your health...except for your money."
"Keep your lies consistent."
"Ask not what you can do for your profits, but what your profits can do for you."
"There are many paths to profit."
"Enough...is never enough."
"Trust is the biggest liability of all."
"When it's good for business, tell the truth."
"Everything is for sale - even friendship."
"There's nothing wrong with charity... as long as it winds up in your pocket."
"Sell the sizzle, not the steak."
"Let others keep their reputation. You keep their money."
"A good lie is easier to believe than the truth."
"A wife is [a] luxury... a smart accountant a neccessity."
"A man is only worth the sum of his possessions."
And of course, the Donald looks suspiciously like the Nagus. Well except maybe the ears. No umax for him!
Friday, October 28, 2016
Monday, October 3, 2016
Follow the money
Follow the money. For many years, this was the mantra of new outlets. If you wanted to get to the root of any issue, you would just follow the trail of money - whether it was moved between and among people or use to pay for things, it always told a story.
"Trump isn't and was never a smart businessman. He was and is smart at gaming the system. There's a difference."
Over the years this fell away as a means to find answers. It was due to three things: shrinking budgets at news outlets, so they didn't have time to focus on investigative journalism. Two, more opaqueness in an evolving world-wide banking system, and more laws that allowed for companies to shield their business dealings. And three, the shift to less news and more entertainment. People want to hear about the latest celebrity breakup more than financial missteps.
But in the case of our cure to candidates, I hope the news does follow the money. You know where this is going, but before I get them let me suggest that they should look into how Clinton has managed her wealth, her charities, and her campaign contributions. Go at it.
Now as for trump, I was reading a comment earlier from a financial type who posted out that trump either took an actual loss of $916 million, or he owes it to someone - and that someone is most likely himself. He suggests that someone figure out the details of it. You can read more here:
Go on. Follow the money.
And I'll end with this quote from
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)