Opuscula Trump done in By own mouth, Foolish tweets

THERE IS AN OLD EXPRESSION: a foolish person “shot himself in the foot.”

In Donald Trump’s case, he shot himself in the tongue.

While the Yellow Pages — anyone remember THEM? — suggested to “Let your fingers do the walking,” Trump’s fingers were busy tweeting.

Unfortunately, both his unscripted spoken words and his often outrageous tweets ended his political career and damaged his professional life as well.

Fair weather friends — financing organizations — abandoned him like rats leaving a sinking ship.

The monster companies that control so-called “social media” have banned Trump, effectively silencing him and making a mockery of the Constitution’s First Amendment.

The media, which long ago gave up objective reporting for politically biased screeds, largely twisted everything Trump said or did to suit those opposing Trump.

 

TRUMP WAS HIS OWN WORST ENEMY, especially in his final days in office.

Even staunch supporters — this scrivener included — were embarrassed by him and for him.

Mike Huckabee (right), an ardent supporter of Trump since dropping his own 2016 Republican bid for the White House, has also criticized the president for his rhetoric in recent days.

The former governor told Just the News (https://tinyurl.com/yx8m73ee) last week, “We have to be honest, the last month has not been a good one for President Trump, he has sullied his own good reputation.

“Instead of using the last few weeks to celebrate the successes of his administration, and make the country really wish he was still going to be president, I think some of the rhetoric — and some of it wasn’t all his fault, but still, he’s being blamed, and the net result is people are going to be glad that he’s not on the stage, creating the kind of the discord.

“So he’s going to have to do some work of repair before he can come back and lead,” Huckabee continued. “Could he run again? I don’t know. Only if he can sort of show that he can be that above-it-all leader and not just deal with his hurts. And I have said to him personally, and I’ve said this about him, when he is at his best is when he’s fighting for the people. When he is at his worst, it’s when he’s fighting for himself.”

If the Democrats win the day and manage to convict Trump of something, anything in the now Democrat senate, he will be precluded from ever running for president again.

Trump has many accomplishments.

He would have had many more had his efforts not been blocked by the “progressives” of the Democrat party.

Is it “Democrat” or “Democratic” party? A quick search of “Democrat or Democratic Party” suggests that even they don’t know. Is it a noun (democrat) or a verb (democratic)?

Trump never was known for diplomatic speech. He is crude and pugnacious. But then, in private, most presidents, at least dating back to Harry S have had their “crude” and “impolitic” moments.

But, to be fair, the media in the days of Harry S, Ike, and JFK tended to turn a blind eye to presidential peccadilloes. Likewise, “important families” misdemeanors and felonies quickly went from “below the fold on Page 1” to being buried some place near advertisements for tvs and used cars. (How long did Chappaquiddick remain a Page 1 story? Does the name William Kennedy Smith ring a bell?)

It might be said that the media — both social and allegedly professional — turned on Trump after the 2016 election, but that would be untrue — “fake news.”

One would have thought ! that Trump would have been the darling of the liberal media when he told the Justice Department NOT to prosecute Hillary Clinton for her illegal server or her role in the death of four Americans in Benghazi during a “spontaneous” attack that evidence determined was well planned.

As I was searching for Clinton’s quote (ibid.) I stumbled across the Snopes entry (https://tinyurl.com/yyxtq4cs) about Mrs. Clinton claiming that we (the U.S.) "didn't lose a single person in Libya." Snopes ruled that the claim was Mostly False

Why was it “mostly false”? Because she “forgot” or “declined to mention” the four American’s murdered in the attack on the U.S. facility in Benghazi.

Snopes excusing Clinton’s faux pas about four murdered Americans in Benghazi Libya (https://tinyurl.com/yyxtq4cs)

I’M NOT SURE I would have managed my composure as well as Trump against the many proven false accusations, but then I am not POTUS (nor would I want to be). Likewise, I am sure my composure would have slipped when the crimes Trump allegedly committed were proven to be crimes committed by Biden et Fil for which there appears to be ample evidence, e.g., China, Ukraine.

For all that, Trump’s end-of-term histrionics are not just “unfortunate” but “deplorable.” Unpresidential.

As POTUS, Trump accomplished many things; things his predecessors repeatedly failed to even try.

Not only was Trump “robbed” of a second term in White House, he also was “robbed” of a well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize.

A “social worker” who became president got the Nobel (right) because the prize committee wanted to promote him (Politics in the Nobel committee? Never.) Trump, on the other hand, DID get a peace agreement between warring European nations (Serbia and Kosovo) and “normalization” agreements between Israel and several of its Muslim neighbors. He accomplished the Middle East agreements by ignoring the Democrat’s darlings, the terrorists PFLP and Hamas.

He moved the U.S. embassy to Israel’s capital to confirm with all other embassies. This move was authorized by Congress in October 25, 1995 but all president’s since were in bed with terrorists Arafat and Abu Mazen.

When it was obvious Iran failed to comply with international agreements, Trump pulled the U.S. out and instituted sanctions against the war-mongering country, a country whose leaders attacked U.S. “assets” with impunity prior to Trump’s election.

Trump seemed to make progress with North Korea.

Trump also had the “chutzpah” to insist European NATO members pick up more of the financial load.

Obama over two terms failed to do any of these things.

Trump also managed to draw-down the number of troops on foreign soil, unlike his predecessors.

ON THE OTHER HAND, Obama DID put juvenile illegal immigrants in cages (ignored by the media) and provided support to Mexico to shore up its southern border with Guatemala (yet he did nothing to halt illegal entry from Mexico nor did he propose laws to punish the people employing the immigrants, often at sub-standard wages). Again, nothing in the media.

Trump HAS a case against the media.

But Trump also is his own worst enemy. I hoped Mike Pence could mitigate Trump’s bellicose behavior. He either could not or would not control his boss. Because of this, Pence may have put “30” to his political career.

Trump DID accomplish a lot. He COULD have accomplished more in a second term.

Unfortunately, his lack of control has cost him the election and the support of many of America’s conservative majority.

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PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on Trump’s life

Opuscula Mike Pence Let me down

I VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP BECAUSE I trusted VP Mike Pence to control Trump’s mouth and twitter finger.

He failed me.

 

PENCE (right), former governor of the Hoosier State, should have had a “calming” effect on Donald Trump.

We — voters — knew that The Donald was a loose cannon with his mouth and tweeter fingers.

Trump, to his credit, tried to fulfill his campaign promises. He was stymied by the same Democrats that allowed Trump’s predecessor to

Fund security on Mexico’s SOUTHERN border to reduce illegal entry from Guatemala
Build detention centers for illegal aliens’ children

The Democrats prevented him from improving the 2,700 page federal health care program his predecessor snuck through Congress by not allowing time for it to be properly reviewed.

UNLIKE his predecessor who gave millions to the terrorist PFLP on his last day in office, Trump

Cut off funds to the PFLP and other terrorists
Managed to achieve “normalization” agreements between Israel and at least four Muslim countries in the region (and arrange a peace agreement between Serbia and Kosovo in Europe)
Got the U.S. out of an Iran deal that was blatantly violated by the Iranians
Drew down troops in foreign wars
Returned jobs exported during the predecessor’s administration back to the U.S. and reduced unemployment to levels unheard of since World War 2
among other things.

Also unlike his predecessor, Trump — despite his accomplishments ! — he was denied the Nobel Peace Prize that his predecessor got for winning an election a few days after the results were counted.

BUT Trump responded badly to continuing attacks from the Democrats — even though he foolishly elected not to allow the Democrat presidential candidate to be prosecuted for her illegal server or her role in the “spontaneous” attack on the American consulate in Benghazi Libya in which four Americans were murdered.

Results of “spontaneous” attack on U.S. facility in Benghazi
(WashPost https://tinyurl.com/yxnb3df3)

Unlike almost all previous elections, the Democrats continued to demonize Trump at every turn.

Trump, unfortunately for American conservatives, responded with multiple unscripted talks and with non-thought-out tweets that offended not only the “progressives,” but many Republicans as well.

Trump may be a negotiator — a skill he proved many times over — but he is not a diplomat.

He did deal with North Korea’s despot and managed, for awhile it seemed, to lower the caustic rhetoric from that source.

He did not get the U.S. involved in any new foreign escapades that put American lives in danger.

But his words and his tweets.

Trump in Chinese finger cuffs (Bruce Plante, tulsaworld.com)

I really don’t care WHAT the Europeans think about his personality. Europe is a has been.

Of course, the leaders of the NATO nations are unhappy with Trump; he insisted that they start paying their fair share of the costs. Imagine!

Still, he is perceived as a buffoon, and Pence should have used whatever powers of persuasion he had with Trump and Trump’s family to moderate the president’s off-the-cuff remarks and his embarrassing tweets. For Trump, Twitter was “UNsocial” media.

Social media proved it and its “progressive” controllers were more powerful than the President of the United States by banning him from their services.

Trump is a racist. That’s obvious since he canceled a plan by the newly named POTUS to incarcerate black criminals, a plan that its originator now admits was a mistake. He also lowered minority unemployment and had more minorities in government that presidents before him. But he’s a racist; the Democrats say so. Truth is not allowed to get in the way of fabrication.

Trump is xenophobic. That’s why he allowed passengers from Asia and Europe into the U.S. even when there was strong evidence they carried the Chinese virus. The Democrats pilloried him for daring to demand that citizens of 11 predominately Muslim countries — out of 49 countries with a Muslim population of 50 percent or more (https://tinyurl.com/yam352ly) — be carefully vetted. Imagine, trying to protect American citizens. (https://tinyurl.com/yam352ly)

Islamic States

Even after moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem — approved by Congress on October 23, 1995 (https://tinyurl.com/y8wpy7ff) Trump managed to arrange “normalization” between Israel and several Muslim countries; it remains to be seen if, under the new administration in Washington, the trend will continue.

Trump was slow to get on the Chinese virus — oops, that’s not “politically correct” in “progressive speech” — bandwagon, but he did mobilize U.S. pharmaceuticals to develop, manufacture, and distribute vaccine. In a “damned if he does and damned if he does not” action, he allowed the U.S. firms to sell vaccine to foreign nations. Great foreign policy, lousy domestic policy and many seniors — this scrivener included — still are waiting to get on a list to be vaccinated! Not enough vaccine.

Meanwhile, the governor of my state is allowing snowbirds to be vaccinated in front of full-time residents who are 65 and more.

The incoming administration promised to do exactly what Trump already did — but that surely will earn the incoming president a Nobel Peace Price.

MEANWHILE the Democrats — with less than a week left in his administration — are trying to convict him of something, anything.

Trump’s main crime is being impolitic, of failing to be a gentleman and allowing the Democrats to railroad him with unfounded and, indeed proven to be sans value claims. Meanwhile, there are allegations that the new president (and his son) has committed felony-level crimes, crimes that likely will cause him to resign before his first year in office ends. Harris-Emhoff is waiting — impatiently? — for her chance.

If only Pence had reined in the president the Democrats undoubtedly would put aside their anger at losing in 2016.

Bottom line: It is all Mike Pence’s fault.

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PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on Blame It on Mike

Bob Dylan was right The times They are A-changin’

I’M FAIRLY CERTAIN ROBERT ALLEN ZIMMERMAN was not thinking about writing news, AP Stylebook, or even the NYT Manual of Style and Usage when he penned the song in the headline. ^{Lyrics Note 1}

As an old (in all respects) reporter and editor, I am saddened by the amateurs now plaguing the web and tube.

 

BACK IN THE DAY, if a reporter wrote, Rev. So-n-so (pick a verb), the editor, if the editor was any good at all (I was) would challenge the reporter: “Who said so-n-so was reverend?”

According to Merriam-Webster (now owned by Britannica — is anything American anymore?),

Reverend definition is - worthy of reverence : revered.²

The editor would tell the obviously novice reporter that when referring to a preacher, a pastor, a priest, rabbi or other ordained or self-proclaimed minister that the article THE must precede the title “reverend.”

We all know “reverends” who are NOT reverend.

All religions have them.

Occasionally they do something so disgusting or illegal that their actions are closely examined by the constabulary.

Because “reverend” is only an honorific, it should follow the article the.

This screed about amateur writing was prompted by articles about THE Rev. Raphael Warnock’s election to the U.S. Senate from Georgia.

THE Rev. Mr. Warnock apparently appreciates the wisdom of ex-President Obama’s preacher, THE Rev. Jeremiah Wright .

Ignorance at “name” media

MSN editors either don’t understand the word “reverend” or believe anyone who claims to be a “reverend” is, indeed, “reverend. It’s web site includes

A new Georgia GOP ad attacking Raphael Warnock shows the Democratic hopeful praising Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a controversial pastor who has been scrutinized for preaching criticism against the United States.³

FoxNews is no better.

A newly-resurfaced video shows Rev. Raphael Warnock defending Rev. Jeremiah Wright's controversial "God Damn America" sermon, arguing that it was "Christian preaching at its best."⁴

The Washington Examiner reports that

Hours of Democratic Rev. Raphael Warnock's sermons are being put under the political microscope as he seeks to oust appointed Georgia Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler.⁵

Smaller organizations can be forgiven for what this scrivener considers poor editing.

The Christian Post notes that

Reverend Raphael Warnock has preached that Jesus was a “poor Palestinian prophet.” This is not only false, it is targeted hate speech that only touches the surface of what he believes.⁶

It’s funny, but the late Johnny Cash knew better than MSN, and FoxNews.

Cash sang about The Reverend Mr. Black.⁷

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Sources

1. Lyrics to The times they are a-changin: https://tinyurl.com/y6g9lshn

2. Reverend definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverend

3. MSN: https://tinyurl.com/yxr4rrc3

4. FoxNews: https://tinyurl.com/yyqlyxc7

5. Washington Examiner: https://tinyurl.com/y52jmjot

6. Christian Post: https://tinyurl.com/y5zzylt8

7. Lyrics to The Reverend Mr. Black: https://tinyurl.com/y5rdbtlq

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on Changing Times

Opuscula Offers of help Welcome, but Not if forced

I AM A GEEZER. I lived a long time to gain that designation; I wear it proudly.

I also have a balance problem. Those who know me will insist I have been “unbalanced” mentally for some time, but my real balance problem is physical, not mental.

 

Good intentions pave the road to hell¹

PEOPLE MEAN WELL, but when a person says “I can manage,” LET THEM MANAGE.

I know it is tempting for well-brought-up people to “step in” where they perceive there is a problem, but there are times when “help” is not wanted.

For example, we had visitors and a chair was brought over to accommodate a visitor. Not a big deal. One of the guests moved the chair on his own initiative.

When it was time to leave, I started to return the chair to its place.

Before I could accomplish this I was accosted by a “volunteer” who offered, and when rebuffed, insisted to the point of coming between this geezer and the chair.

That interference could have ended with me on my posterior on the floor.

I know this person meant well, but the interference was not appreciated.

I am old, but not helpless, and it is my pleasure to do what I can do.

The right amount of help when requested

Help when asked, not before

Unless a person has fallen and obviously — “obviously” being the operative word — has trouble recovering, ASK if the person needs or wants help.

If told “I’m OK,” you might linger in the vicinity — that does not mean hover like an eagle eyeing a rabbit — to be assured that the person IS capable of recovering.

If an offer of assistance is accepted, provide what is needed, not more..

In other words, if you are able to help a person by literally “lending a hand,” do so. Don’t try, for example, to lift a fallen person unless the person on the ground asks for that level of assistance.

Consider consequences

Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was a well-known British philosopher, writer and speaker, best known for his interpretation of Eastern philosophy for Western audiences offers a nearly 13 minute video of “the road to hell.”²

Screen capture on Alan Watts video

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Sources

1. Multiple assumptions on the origin or the phrase, including
    Wikipedia: https://tinyurl.com/ppjyq36
   Phrase Finder: https://tinyurl.com/y9lrb2eg

2. Alan Wilson Watts video: https://youtu.be/cegl1BZ-0tI

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on Offer – Don’t insist