Follow the Money

Posted on May 31, 2018 by admin

This just in: I thought I would take a look at several key issues and try to see if it looks like “money” is the root cause of certain behaviors, politically.

Stricter gun regulation: This is favored by 66% of Americans. The Democrat party routinely favors this and takes virtually no money from the NRA. The Republican party routinely opposes this and takes millions of dollars from the NRA. My position: The number of guns we have differentiates us from other countries that have virtually no gun deaths.

Obamacare or Single Payer healthcare: This is favored by a slim majority. Notable is the fact that nearly half of Americans don’t understand these options. The Democrats support this while the Republicans don’t. The Republicans take millions of dollars from people like the Koch brothers who stand to save millions by the repeal of Obamacare. My position: Single Payer healthcare works far, far better than anything we have tried in every industrialized country that uses it, and they all use it.

Deregulation: 59% of Americans believe that we should be strengthening our environmental regulations. Democrats tend to favor regulations that protect the public and the environment. Republicans are anti-regulation, specifically when it comes to environmental protection. The Republicans take millions of dollars from people like the Koch brothers who stand to save millions by the repeal of environmental regulations. My position: Companies don’t have souls, although many are led by people of character. This is not a critique. It’s just the way of the world. Companies exist to make profits for their owners/investors. It’s in their interest to eliminate those things that raise their costs. We need regulation to keep that from happening in any way that damages our people or environment.

Tax Reform: Most Americans favor tax reform that eliminates wasteful spending and spurs economic growth without increasing the debt. The Democrats favor tax reform but not in a way that will exacerbate the unequal distribution of wealth in our country. The Republican party passed a tax law that has actually seen growth shrink to 2.2% even though they advertised 5%. Nearly all of the benefits went to the most wealth donors to the Republican party while the national debt (which belongs to all Americans) is now growing at record rates. My position: The only justification I can come up with for this tax law is that the Republican Party was paying back their donors.

Trump: Most Americans are appalled by the daily doings of Trump. Democrats tend to oppose nearly every action taken by the president. Republicans either support or remain silent when Trump behaves badly. Republican donors love Trump. He will pass any law put in front of him and these donors pay Republicans to put laws in front of him. These laws are bad for the environment, bad for the health/wealth of the average American, bad for banking safeguards and bad for international relations. But they make millions for the donors. My position: The Republican party is representing their big donors, not the interests of our country.

If I seem to be picking on Republicans, I am. I was a Republican for about 20 years. The Republican party of today is not the same as the Party of Lincoln or even Reagan. To me, they are in the money-grab game as deeply as the president that they are supporting.

It’s a matter of public record that when it comes to limiting campaign contributions for single donors, Democrats vote yes and Republicans vote no. In short, the GOP wants to continue to rely on single billionaire donors for their marching orders.

It’s a matter of public record that when it comes to revealing the names of campaign contributors, Democrats vote yes and Republicans vote no. In short, the GOP wants to continue to protect the identity of their billionaire donors.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

You have 3 choices

Posted on May 30, 2018 by admin

This just in: Racism, to me, is discrimination and/or belief against or about someone because of the color of their skin or their choice of religion/lifestyle. That’s quite a mouthful but that’s what I get when trying to put a broadband issue into a single sentence.

Let’s simplify this issue and then see what we have.

Situation: A black man is more likely to be arrested for a crime than a white man.

Why is this?

I have 3 possible choices for you to consider…

Choice #1: Black people are genetically predisposed to crime.

I want to state right up front that this is nonsense but…let me continue.

This option rests entirely on the idea that black people are inferior and there is nothing that can be done about it since this inferiority is at the DNA level. Their genetics give imbue them with traits that lead to crime. These include: A predisposition to be lazy, to lie, to cheat. They are not smart enough to make it through life abiding by the law. Their DNA makes them take drugs at a higher rate. They are irresponsible etc.

Genetically Predisposed says the racists are correct: Black people are inferior because God made them that way.

Choice #2: Alien or unknown influence.

Maybe black people get arrested at a higher rate because some outside influence reached out and made them more likely to be criminal. By “outside influence” I am relieving society of all guilt. I’m saying, “It’s not genetics and its not society but rather some unseen and unknown force that is the cause of the black man being arrested at a higher rate than the white man.”

So, the people of Mars have reached out to their Earth experiment and said, “Let’s make black people inferior or more criminal and see what happens.”

Before I get to Choice #3, let me recap. The black man is inferior because he is genetically created that way, or some unknowable influence is making him that way.

Choice #3: Society

Suppose that black man is somehow held back by society. He starts his life with a single mother that is unable to feed or clothe him. He grows up in a neighborhood where crime is not only prevalent but an acceptable way of “getting by.” His school is rundown and underfunded. When he is old enough to look towards his future, he sees little hope for himself in a society that sees and treats him as an inferior.

Reason #3 says that the black man being arrested is our fault; that racism is our fault.

Someone will now stand up and say, “Hey! That man had all the same opportunities that I had and yet I am not a criminal. I worked hard and got an education. He could do the same”

My response is, “You are wrong. He did have opportunities but when you were choosing your college, he was trying to keep his younger siblings out of gangs. While you were studying in school, he was home wondering where his next meal was going to come from. When you moved to a nicer neighborhood, he was told that blacks were not wanted there. When you applied for your job, you were interviewed by a white man…as was he.”

Yes, there are plenty of whites that grew up poor and made a success of their life. This can also be said of some blacks.

But…We do not all have the same opportunities. Life is not fair. Some of us are smart and others, less so. Some of us are tall and some are not. Some are wealthy while others are poor. Some are black and some are white.

Let’s look at it another way….A white man and a black man are going to run a 100 yard race. They both have to run fast to win. They both have to run the same distance. They both had the opportunity to train and to learn how to run. But only one of them has his shoelaces tied together.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

Do Something to Stop Trump

Posted on May 29, 2018 by admin

This just in: Cub reporter Jim H. challenged me yesterday in a comment. He wanted to know what I meant about “doing nothing” or “doing something” about Trump. I’m taking up the challenge today with a little brainstorming session. This list will come off the top of my head (much like my list on how to fix gun problems). The point I hope to make is not “see how much I just solved” but rather, “If I can come up with a list of ideas, imagine what we could do if everyone tried to come up with ideas.”

In other words, I have faith in large numbers.

But first, before I go on another “list of stuff”, I want to pause for a breath. There is good in the world and we should at least spend as much time appreciating that as we do being disappointed in the bad.

For example, in an underprivileged, minority community, there is an organization that mows the lawns of the local elderly…for free.

There is also a barber that takes $2 off of a haircut for a child that reads to him as his hair is being cut.

And now…here is an oldie but a goodie…

Now for my list on what to do to fix our political system…

Vote. Your vote counts. I recommend voting by mail. You will get the ballot in the mail and can mail it back postage-free.
Find your soapbox. Let people know what you think. This blog is my soapbox. It can be yours as well. Post comments. Don’t let my thoughts be the only thoughts. Repost those posts that strike home with you.
Write to your congressman. I send Diane Feinstein an email about once every 6 months. I try to be polite, patient and fact based. Contacting your congressman is as easy as googling their name, going to their website and hitting the “contact” button.
Attend rallies. If you are pro-NRA, go to one of their rallies. If you think the NRA is a terrorist organization, then go to the anti-NRA rallies (I’ll see you there.)
Turn your back on Fox News, Breitbart and the like. You won’t get rid of them because, hey…”haters gotta hate.” However, you don’t need to let them into your front door.
Look for ways to attack the root causes. For me, this means supporting (1) any measure that takes money out of politics, (2) any measure that takes your religious beliefs out of my life, (3) any measure that criminalizes racism and intolerance.
Pay attention. Is the Mueller investigation a witch hunt? If you think it is, then you’re not paying attention. Do you think Trump is bailing out Chinese companies out of the goodness of his heart? If you say “yes”, then you’re not paying attention.
Question yourself. If you saw a post that said, “Incredible tape shows Trump talking to Putin about overthrowing the U.S. Government”, don’t immediately assume it’s true and start reposting it.
Fact check the Haters on Facebook that continually post divisive memes. In the comment section of their post, clearly state the facts and your source. They hate that as much as they hate everything else.
Support local and state government. California is a shield between Trump and the people of the state. Trump wants to let cars pollute. California says, “Fine, but not in our state.”
Vote for women. I don’t know about you but I’ve about had enough of old, white and wealthy men running the show. Now, some men are good politicians but my motto is “If I’m in doubt, I vote the man out.”
Challenge racism on the spot. There are a lot of recent incidents where a racist is behaving badly in public and people confront him right then and there.
Pick your battles. If you try to fight every battle you will lose them all. Choose what is important to you and then, arm yourself with facts and associate with those that think similarly. I am pro-life (for a lot of reasons) however, I don’t care if you are anti-abortion. If you are, then good for you. I’m not going to fight that battle. I think guns cause gun deaths. If you don’t agree, then we are going to do battle (Not literally. Remember, arm yourself with facts.)
Boycott. If you are anti-NRA, then vote against those that support them and don’t buy products from companies that associate with them. In other words, vote with your wallet whenever you can.
Nothing to excess. This is always a good idea. For me, I struggle with this constantly. I can get very frustrated watching the daily “Trump Fucked Something Else Up” show. Sometimes, it’s best to just sit back and watch a video of a dubbed seal.

or….you can do nothing….that is always an option.

But for me, I choose to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

Trump – America’s Hitler

Posted on May 28, 2018 by admin

This just in: Growing up, I wondered how someone like Hitler was able to rise to power. It seemed unlikely that everyone would just stand around and do nothing.

Now I understand. I understand because Trump is our very own version of Hitler. He’s consolidating his power.

And…we just stand around doing nothing.

Now I know that the term “Hitler” is a bit overused but I think it’s appropriate for Trump. Yes, there are some differences. Trump hasn’t invaded Poland, yet. Trump has not killed 6 million Jews.

However, if you view the “Hitler” reference as someone that a nation’s leader, is highly corrupt, extremely nationalistic, preaches populist propaganda, blames other (specifically, non-whites and non-Christians) for the country’s problems….then Trump is very Hitler.

Within the last couple of weeks, China granted Trump’s daughter “5 valuable trademarks”. China also agreed to finance $500,000,000 of a Trump resort in Indonesia. Then…in what Trump calls an unrelated event, he lifts sanctions on a China telecom company that was spying on the United States. He gives no reason for this other than “saving jobs in China.”

People have marvelled that Trump’s claim of being able to stand on 5th Ave. in New York and shooting a person would not cost him votes. Turns out this is true. Why? Because racists see him as their legitimizer. He makes their hate real and mainstream. He hates along with them and for this…they will forgive anything.

If Trump did a press conference and spoke for the heart about the evils of racism, that would cost him more votes than if he had every third person in Congress hung.

He got into office, not on his policies but on the promise that he would purge the country of non-white and and non-Christian people.

I could right a book about the corruption but that has already been done; several times.

He’s openly racist.

He’s openly corrupt.

We all know this. In fact, everyone in the world knows this.

And, we stand by and do nothing.

Alas…

Up, up and away…

Jim

Basking in the Glory of “Words”

Posted on May 24, 2018 by admin

This just in: I see that Trump allowed himself to get played by North Korea; today, stepping out of the proposed summit so that “He could do it before they did.”

Just in case you missed it, Trump has accomplished virtually nothing since taking office. Yes, some things have happened but nothing that would (or should) be considered an accomplishment.

Trump is very big on making a bold promise and then basking in the adulation. Here’s the deal…he actually doesn’t do anything other than say the words. I’m going to post a list of things that Trump has claimed credit for doing simple because he “says he’s going to do it.”

First, a couple of footnotes: (1) Trump recently told Leslie Stahl of 60 minutes that he calls news fake so that people will not believe it when bad stories are written about him and (2) In his book, The Art of the Deal, he says you can lie to people and then do whatever you want to do.

Here is my list….

Trump promised better healthcare at a much, much lower price. “The best healthcare you have ever seen.” He got lots of applause for this on the campaign trail…then did nothing. That’s not quite true. He actually made it worse by eliminating the “individual mandate”; a move that is supposed to add $1,000 to the average medical bill next year.
Trump promised to cut taxes which will bring jobs back to America, lower the debt and spur grow “like we’ve never seen before.” He claimed, without evidence, that GDP would grow at a rate above 5% under his plan. Again, people ate this up on the campaign trail believing that Trump could turn water into wine. As it turns out, he had no plan. This allowed the GOP to cut taxes for their billionaire donors, leaving the rest of the 99% to foot the bill of the largest deficit ever.
Trump promised to deal with North Korea. So far, his strongest action has been a tweet calling the leader of North Korea “rocket man.” On his watch, North Korea has developed the ability to strike North America with a nuclear tipped ballistic missile.
Trump said he would deal with the Iran threat. Instead, he reneged on a treaty with Iran and 5 other countries; opening the door for Iran to once again pursue the development of nuclear weapons.
Trump claimed that he would renegotiate the TransPacific Partnership trade deal. Instead, we dropped out and the deal moved forward without us; effectively reducing our ability to trade with about half the world.
Trump claimed that he would renegotiate NAFTA. Instead, both Canada and Mexico are looking for trading partners to replace us with.
Trump claimed he was going to “deal with China”. Instead, China claimed the South China Sea as their own. Economically, they have outplayed him in every way. China knows that Trump responds to flattery and bribes so they use both to great effect.
Trump claimed he would build a Mexico wall and have them pay for this. His supporters (those that fear we will become a non-Christian, non-white country) loved this idea. Mexico has told him to pack sand.
The biggest one is simply Trump getting on television and saying, “We have been the most productive administration of all time.” His followers believe this and applaud wildly.

Sadly, this too is just words. He brags. People hear what they want to hear. He retains his power.

Sad.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

What I Believe About Trump

Posted on May 23, 2018 by admin

This just in: I just wanted to take an opportunity to put down what I think about Trump. This way I can look back in the future and see how right…or wrong I was.

My beliefs, as stated will not be accompanied by any facts or anecdotal evidence. My assumption is that you have the same access to information as I do. This is basically just my interpretation of that data.

Interpretations can be wrong. For example, suppose a guy walked into a restaurant and started grabbing food off of everyone’s plate and shoved that food into his mouth as fast as he could. What would you assume? I might guess that he’s hungry or maybe just behaving this way on a dare. However, it could be that he is from outer space and has never tasted food. Maybe he was on the last flight in from the deep Amazon and his tribe had a tradition of sharing food.

Could be anything…but it’s more likely that he was hungry.

That’s how I view the following list with regards to Trump. I could be wrong but I don’t think I am.

Here we go…

Trump is a white supremacist.
Trump is a misogynist.
Trump is a compulsive liar.
Trump made his fortune laundering money for Russia (and others)
Trump makes decisions while in office based on how much they will either (1) enrich himself or (2) how they will get high television ratings.
Trump is a narcissist.
Trump does not care about the Constitution.
Trump does not care about Civil Rights.
Trump fears those that are not white and not Christian.
Trump is a bully.
Trump can be manipulated by praise.
Trump has no idea how to make a deal.
Trump will make friends and then toss them under a bus without a second thought.
Trump is extremely fearful of what Mueller is discovering.
Trump has a below level intelligence.
Trump is a coward.
Trump has tantrums like a baby.
Trump does not understand Healthcare, Taxes, International Trade, Treaties or Alliances.
Trump is being knowingly manipulated by Putin. This is money related.
Trump’s family know all about Trump and are in bed with him.
Trump knows that the Republican Party needs him because they are unpopular nationally.
Trump does and says things that embarrass me as an American
Trump has no firm beliefs about anything. He does not care either way about abortion or gun rights or legalization of marijuana. He pretends he does.
Trump is morbidly obese.
Trump thinks his wife is a hood ornament.
Trump is a failure at business several times over.
Trump believes he is above the law.
Trump’s biggest fear is never having enough.

I think that is about it. Not a very long list really. I suppose it’s because the statements are so broad. I could write 10,000 words on his lying only and still only touch what’s happened in recent weeks.

This is our president; the one we deserve.

Hopefully, we’ll deserve something better next time around.

Up, up and away…

Jim

I looked in the mirror and came away…disapointed

Posted on May 21, 2018 by admin

This just in: Some things really get to me and others just roll off my shoulders, unnoticed.

I woke up this morning and checked my news feed and felt like our country is crumbling before my eyes as I stand by and do nothing – other than pound my chest via this blog.

There are three things that really bothered me in the news today, but first…I want to start with a quote:

“Every country has the government it deserves.” – Joseph de Maistre

In short, what I am about to complain about is my fault. Rather, its our fault. It’s our fault because we allow it. It’s our fault because we feel helpless. It’s our fault because we do nothing. It’s our fault because we ignore it. It’s our fault because we think it’s not.

Item #1: Guns

I’m not going to make an argument about gun control. I won’t because it won’t change a single mind. But, I need to be clear…Without guns, the United States wouldn’t have 36,000 gun deaths a year. I’m tired of hearing things like “We, in congress, will do whatever it takes to make this stop…even if it means sending twice as many thoughts and prayers as normal.”

We have gun deaths because we allow it. We don’t need to pull triggers to be culpable in every preventable gun death.

Item #2: Religion

I don’t care if you are Christian, Muslim or belong to the Order of the Jedi. The only thing I truly believe is that if there is a supreme being, it would either be (1) indifferent about us or (2) a total asshole or (3) deeply disappointed in the fact that we use religion like we do.

I think the Pope is a great guy. I also think he has as much of a direct line to God as my Labrador. None of us knows the will of God. Those that tell you they do are just making a power grab.

The biggest problem with religion in the United States is that the same people that don’t think gun deaths are related to guns, also fear that Christianity is going to become a minority “belief system” in the United States. They think that guy over there will convince someone to believe that he knows the will of God instead of the charlatan that is currently telling you that very same thing. The biggest problem is that these people vote…in droves.

Item #3: Racism

In the last week, a lawyer went off script in New York because people around him were speaking Spanish. Two dark skinned guys were detained by an ICE officer because they were speaking Spanish in public (both were U.S. citizens). A black man was pulled over for not using his turn signal. They noticed leaves on his windshield and said, “That looks like vegetation” and used that as an excuse to search his car. Black people are being shot and threatened daily.

Historically, in our country, steps forward in Civil Liberties have always come by way of legislation. Left to our own devices, we would still have laws that say, “You can’t eat here because the color of your skin if offensive to me.”

Living in a system where Civil Liberties are Legislated, allows me to pretend that we are not racist. The racism is hidden because that type of behavior is illegal.

Now that we have a racist president, it has become okay to be racist again. You can call the cops because there is a black man walking down “your” street. You can call the FBI because a Muslim is talking into a cell phone in “your” mall.

So there you have it…my morning rant.

We don’t have to be country that puts up with any of this. In fact, we were born into the world were these behaviors would have been unthinkable. I can’t see our Forefathers writing a Constitution that says: (1) Unlimited and unregulated guns will make us great or (2) To be a citizen you must first pledge allegiance to a Christian sect of your choice or (3) Only white people will have rights.

I you disagree with me, I’d love to hear about it. If you agree, then I suggest you start doing something about it….Something like voting in November.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

“We will do whatever is humanly possible…” – Ted Cruz

Posted on May 19, 2018 by admin

This just in: So, big surprise, there was another shooting at another school, this time in Texas.

Three things happened immediately: (1) Thoughts and prayer were sent out by the politicians, (2) Promises from everyone to fix the problem and (3) Announcing fixes that have nothing to do with gun control.

Ted Cruz even made the title quote above. He has absolutely no plan to fix anything but this make it look like for the first time…He’s going to get to the bottom of this. Right?

Let’s start with this: Texas is a “gun state.” They like their guns and I think they should have all the guns they want. They don’t need my permission. The NRA, last year, gave $73,000 to Republican politicians in the state, all of whom got NRA grades of A or A+. They did give $3,000 to Democrats but nearly all Texas Democrats got a grade of F.

Now, if I was running for political office, I would tattoo the “F” on my forehead. I would want everyone to know that I think the NRA is a Russian sponsored terrorist organization that only wants your money and the money they get from selling guns (actually, promoting gun ownership so their sponsors can sell guns.)

Texas Lt. Governor was on the news laying out his plan which includes (1) faster background checks (2) better mental health screening and (3) arm teachers. So, if we know people have a history of gun violence, we can keep them from getting guns. A couple of notes on this…it currently takes about 3 minutes to run a background check. I’m not sure the ability to do this in 2 minutes will make much of a difference.

The “mental health” issue seems to imply that we have more mental health problems that drive people to mass killings than every other industrialized nation. I find this logic astoundingly flawed. The only thing more amazing that an educated person would say this is that other educated people believe it.

There is also the argument that laws to control guns will not be followed by people that don’t want to follow them. What follows from this logic is “Therefore, we should not make gun laws.” What is interesting to me is that this “Let’s not make laws because they don’t work” is the main argument for no gun control by lawmakers.

That’s right, if the NRA pays you enough money, you, a lawmaker, will stand up and tell people that laws don’t work.

On a completely unrelated note…

Did you know that kids in the United States between the ages of 15 and 18 are 82 times more likely to die from gun violence that kids of the same age in the other industrialized nations?

Here is the bottom line: Our guns are out of control. We don’t need to take away everyone’s guns to fix this. If you are a Republican that takes money from the NRA, you are guilty of murder about 36,000 times a year. If you vote for Republicans that support the NRA you are just as guilty.

Take a look at the gun control link in my toolbar at the top of this page. I made up that list with no experience and no deep thought….in about 5 minutes. Maybe none of those ideas are good. But it does tell me that there are options besides relying on “Thoughts and Prayers.”

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

Perspective

Posted on May 18, 2018 by admin

This just in: For those of you that read my blogs, you may remember that my favorite quote is from Wayne Dyer and reads, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

I mention this because a few days ago, I wrote about the idea that Conservative Views are not so much based on “longing for the past” as much as they are about “fearing the future.”

For me, this cleared up a lot of things. Why would they long for the past? Did they not like the internet, airconditioning and computers? Did they prefer covered wagons? What was it?

As I said, they really were longing for a past where America, in their minds, was a White, Christian nation. They see the tide turning to where we have Muslims and non-white immigrants in increasing numbers.

Their Conservatism gives way to racism and its all based on FEAR.

I am restating this because of the man in NY that went on a racist rant in a restaurant. Here is a link to the video. Turns out that the man is a lawyer. He has been kicked out of his office and a petition with more than 10,000 signatures has already been generated seeking to have him disbarred.

I could look at him as a racist; a person that hates others simply because of the color of their skin and their non-english speaking ways.

Instead, I see a man overwhelmed with fear. Fear of a change that is coming; that has always been coming. Fear of a condition that he cannot control. Fear of a condition that his “future eyes” see but that does not, and may not ever come to be.

This does not justify his actions. It does not make him less racist. But it does help me to understand the root cause of his behavior.

In the end, I don’t get mad at him. Instead, I pity him.

That is how my perspective changed when I looked at this situation differently.

Now…a word about Vinegar…

I started taking 2 tablespoons of apple vinegar in the morning and again at night. I feel great! Could be the Placebo Effect or I could be onto something. Turns out I am not alone. Here is a link to 6 proven health benefits of vinegar.

While I’m on the “secrets of good health” wagon…

Do you have arthritis? I know a guy that went on disability at the age of 50 because his was so bad. He tried everything. Eventually, he tried becoming a Vegan. Once he did this, he quickly recovered and is completely pain free. Has been for years.

On the Dog pain page…

I had an older dog that started limping. The doctor said it was because of his age and the fact that the dog walked up and down stairs at the house. He recommended trying MSM. He said it works for some dogs with some conditions. I tried it and in less than a week, my dog stopped limping.

I tried this on another dog with a different cause of leg pain and had no result.

Now, keep in mind, I’m not a doctor, but I pretend to be one on my blog so you know you can trust me.

In reality, I’m a superhero that spends a lot of time thinking about saving the world. Someday I hope to actually get around to it.

Up, up and away…

Jim

Said in my best “not fake news” voice

Posted on May 17, 2018 by admin

This just in: I saw some responses from Trump supporters when they were asked about the Mueller investigation. They used terms like “witch hunt” and “fake news”. In spite of the fact that there are about 20 indictments and 5 guilty findings so far, people seem to think this is all about nothing. My guess is that they watch Fox News. However, I watch other stations and maybe I’m being influenced as well.

So, I thought that I would report some facts and leave out the commentary. This will let you, the reader, make up your own mind without my influence.

Here we go…

Trump Lawyer Cohen set up a company that has received millions of dollars from other countries and businesses based on Cohen’s promise of access to the president.
A mysterious source of banned CFC emissions has been discovered coming from East Asia. These are the banned ozone-destroying chemicals.
Trump wants to help China save 75,000 Chinese jobs by helping a telephone manufacturing company that the United States has found to be a danger to national security.
China is providing $500,000,000 to a Trump-linked project in Indonesia. (Note: The announcement about this money and Trump saving China jobs came within about 2 days of each other).
Canada is pissed that Israeli snipers shot a Canadian doctor at the Israeli border with Palestine. The doctor was in Doctor Garb and helping a wounded man at the time he was shot. 60 Palestinian people died that day for protesting at the border. Note: Some protesters threw fire bombs at the fence/border.
Japan is planning on a $400,000,000 hit on U.S. Goods in response to Trump’s tariff.
Senate investigation concludes Russia wanted to help Trump win the election.
France complains to U.N. about Israeli killings of Palestinian protesters.
European Union President warns world the U.S. President is “A bad friend who acts with capricious assertiveness.”
Ebola outbreak in Congo
E.U. is willing to block U.S. sanctions on Iran.
Trump lawyer asked Qatari government for $1,000,000 which he claimed would be passed along the Trump family.
North Korea calls South Korea “incompetent”
Without evidence, Trump claims Obama put a spy on his campaign.
Two more women claim Trump paid them “hush” money.
China buys record amount of soy from India as they drop U.S. suppliers because of Trump tariffs.
13% of Americans consider Trump honest and trustworthy.
FBI head warns about Trump deal with China company ZTE.
The UK agrees with France and Germany that they can uphold the Iran deal without the U.S.
Ex-Secretary of State warns of “alternative realities” with Trump administration.
Steve Bannon asked Cambridge Analytica to help suppress minority voters.
Trump eliminates job of national Cyber-Security Coordinator.
Trump calls some immigrants “animals”
GOP lawmaker says oceans are rising because “rocks are falling into the water.”
The senate narrowly passed Net Neutrality Bill. 100% of those that voted against it were Republicans.
North Korea says it will not hold talks with U.S. unless concessions are made.
There are 186 things Donald Trump Jr. can’t remember of doesn’t know about the meeting with Russians in the Trump Tower.

So, there you have it. These are the top headlines for today. Just the facts. Make your own decision. For example. North Korea did say what the headline says. This is a fact. No speculation about what this means.

However, if I might be so bold as to notice some things….

It looks like Trump and Russia are wearing the same pajamas.
The world does not like that the U.S. reneged on the Iran deal.
Also, the world is against the U.S. tariffs.
China understands that Trump can be bribed.
North Korea looked like they were going to make it easy for Trump…but then changed their mind.
The GOP doesn’t believe in a lot of things that they are paid to “not believe in.”
Trump is a racist that thinks immigrants are “animals” and Africa is a “shithole.”

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim