INCUMBENT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP presents his Middle east “peace plan” that forget to ask what the PEOPLE in the plan want.
Presidential contender Mike Bloomberg is going to “Get it done,” even if the people to whom “it” will be done don’t want it.
TRUMP, TO THE DEMOCRATS’ lingering embarrassment, offered what the media termed the “Plan of the Century.” A plan to shuffle Israeli towns to create an artificial “country” to be called “Palestine.”
Admittedly Trump did not consult the PLO leadership.
He tried, but Abu Mazen rejected contact; even refusing a phone call from Trump.
The leftist media, of course, only reported that Trump never talked to Abu Mazen. A half-truth is as bad as a lie.
Trump and his representatives also never talked to the people in the communities that would be most effected by his proposal.
Because we say so
The plan calls for several Arab-dominated communities in Israel to be transferred by Trump fiat to the PLO.
The problem is that the Israeli Arab citizens of those communities WANT to remain Israeli citizens.
Several polls have indicated the majority of these communities’ citizens want to keep their Israeli citizenship.
But “polls” always are of questionable value.
What needs to be done is to hold a plebiscite to determine the will of the majority of the residents in those communities. The election could be monitored by representatives from Israel and from the PLO, or from the U.S. and Russia, both of which are experienced at influencing elections.
Trump also did not ask the Israelis in the Sinai if they want to have Hamas terrorists living next to them. (He obviously did not speak with Hamas leaders since, like Abu Mazen, they only talk to Iran’s “Supreme Leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.) There is no indication that Trump consulted with the Egyptians before expanding Hamas rule over more land along the Egyptian border.
Egypt, in order to deter Hamas’ air attacks, cleared a wide swath of land on which Hamas balloons, kites, and other items can land sans damage to property or crops.
Pipe dream
Part of the plan is to “demilitarize” the future “Palestine” and, as part of “Palestine,” Gaza.
Who will guarantee that “Palestine” will be demilitarized?
Who will guarantee “Palestine’s” defense from its neighbors?
There is talk of an airport in Gaza. There IS an airport in Gaza: Arafat International.
It was ruined in retaliation for attacks on Israel and to reduce war materiels from entering Gaza by air.
What guarantee will Israel have that “demilitarized” Gaza won’t be the same, albeit on a smaller scale, as was a demilitarized nazi Germany. Does anyone REMEMBER nazi Germany?
Healthcare at what cost?
Bloomberg is going to give us healthcare a la Obama (who is endorsing him).
“Medicare for all.” (Amusing that Obama won’t endorse his own vice president.)
OK; will everyone then pay what Medicare beneficiaries pay into Medicare every month? What about co-pays?
This scrivener’s Spouse works and pays into Medicare. She also is a Medicare recipient and pays her monthly fee. For her, Medicare is double jeopardy.
I never understood: I paid into Medicare from Day 1. Now, as a recipient, I STILL pay into Medicare?
If a Medicare-like plan is put into place, will people be obliged to see their personal physician on a regular schedule for “preventive medicine”?
Regular, candid, visits with primary care physicians and nurses DO reduce emergency room visits and reduce hospital stays. The military has known this for decades.
No one knows what the Trump health care plan would be like since the Democrats blocked it at every turn. Is Bloomberg’s plan Obamacare on steroids or is it closer to what Trump tried to implement?
More jobs, higher pay
Bloomberg promises to create jobs (as Trump has done) and to raise pay. Great.
Does anyone consider what a raise in pay sans increased responsibility causes?
Raised pay means higher prices (higher cost of living for everyone).
Raised pay means fewer jobs as employers cut costs (that, bottom line, increase owner/share holder profits).
My first few jobs paid minimum wage — then $1/hour — but I could buy gasoline for anywhere from 17 cents/gallon (gas “wars”) to 50 cents/gallon. Milk and bread were much less than a dollar and cigarettes went for 50 cents/pack from a machine. Newspapers from a rack were a dime weekdays and 25 cents on Sundays.
But higher pay is a good election promise. In the end it is meaningless, as it drives up the cost-of-living, but it SOUNDS good.
Making America safer
Reasonable gun control needs to be implemented.
Is it “reasonable” for a privately-owned rifle to have a 30-round magazine? Why would a hunter need THIRTY ROUNDS to kill one animal? Even a lousy shooter should be able to bring down the target with two or three rounds.
True, there never is a LEO (Law Enforcement Officer, cop) when you need one. My First Born, a LEO, frequently reminds me of that fact.
So let’s say a person buys a firearm for home defense. Is that person expecting a fire fight, something out of a war movie? A 10-round magazine for a rifle or pistol should be enough. If not, buy another 10-round magazine.
(My revolver holds seven rounds but for safety, I only load 6 rounds. If I can’t hit my target with 6 rounds, I’ll throw the gun at my attacker.)
I see no reason for noise suppressors/silencers. Maybe in the world of James Bond they are sexy, but in the real world where most of us live, there is no justification.
Get serious about background checks
Background checks? Absolutely; serious checks using on local and national databases. The state did a cursory check when I bought my first side arm. When I applied for a concealed carry license, the check was much more stringent.
No more instant delivery for guns bought at a gun show. Gun show purchases must be the same as gun store purchases.
Still, until gun laws are enforced, what’s the use?
Most criminals who committed crimes with guns did not buy their weapons at the local gun store.
It is not xenophobic to believe a lot of crime is committed by illegal immigrants. If a person is illegal, he or she may have a hard time finding a liberal scofflaw to hire them, and then cheat them on their wages. The alternative: crime.
Meanwhile, why are the scofflaws — the illegals’ employers — allowed to go free with, worst case, a “slap on the wrist”? Punish them with the inconvenience of jail time, 30 days minimum. Then led the Feds add money penalties for lack of I-9 forms.
Silence kills
Many of the recent spate of school shootings have been at the hands of students. Many of these shooters’ plans were obvious long before the murders. Social media were ignored. Classroom behavior was ignored. Psychological warnings (e.g., tormenting weaker kids, animal cruelty) were dismissed. When there WAS information, it often was not shared. The FBI is notorious for failing to share information with locals.
Making America safer is not just about gun control; that is only a small part of the effort.
What cannot be legislated in the feeling of entitlement many criminals possess. Why else would someone kill another for a pair of sneakers or car hubcaps. Why else would young people with semi-automatic rifles randomly shoot at houses in their own neighborhoods?
People hit the streets and call for their neighbors to “see something, say something,” to work with LEOs to get the killers off the streets, but in the end, rarely does anyone say anything, especially to the LEOs.
Is there anything any president can do to instill respect for others?
Parents, for whatever reasons, have abrogated responsibility for their child’s behavior.
Schools have failed.
LEOs look the other way at minor crimes.
Courts either will not, or cannot sentence juveniles for their crimes.
I’m entitled to that gold chain you stupidly are flashing; give it to me or ...
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