Esoteric Meandering Shouting Into the Void

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

A government’s basic functions are providing leadership, maintaining order, providing public services, providing national security, providing economic security, and providing economic assistance.

This is what I was taught in Political Science but in our current political environment those functions differ based on party in our 2 party system. I genuinely believe that the Democratic Party accepts all these responsibilities and does its best to govern in a manner that is equitable to all citizens. Of course that point could be contested based on one point of view and our nations tumultuous history. I have Republican friends and have asked then pointedly, what the function of Government is, and how their party proposed to govern. Most of them walk way telling me to stop asking “Stupid” questions. I honestly do not believe it is a stupid question.

The current republican party continues scream to the masses that government doesn’t work… then follows that up with, “Elect me and I will prove it.” Lobbyist Grover Norquist is a well-known proponent of the strategy and has famously said, “My goal is to cut government in half in twenty-five years, to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub.”  That statement is humorous because historically when they are in control taxes on the rich go down, but the size of the debt and government grow. Many tell me that the only functions of government are to levy taxes and provide for the defense of the nation. To wit I understand that as impose taxes on the working and working poor to support an armed forces that only the lower and middle class will serve in order to defend the spoils of the wealthy. Maybe I am being heavy handed in my interpretation of their intention.

Historically republicans want less regulations on corporations The rules for business, they contend, should be left to the market. The free market will always do what is best. That is complete BS, business and untethered capitalism will always do what is best for profit not the public.

Let’s look at current messy situation in Palestine OH. An Obama regulation stating trains carrying hazardous material should have their braking systems upgraded from the 19^th century technology they had in order to protect the public. When the regulation was put in place the railway lobbyist threw so many provisos in the law based on number of cars carrying dangerous material and a cost benefit stipulation. The rail owners need not improve the braking systems if the cost exceed or equaled the benefit of doing so… i.e., if the cost of litigation was less than the upgrade cost then it was a net gain so no need for the improvements to be done. Trump totally rescinded this law, not that many rail owners had done the upgrades to begin with. Prime example of letting the market control itself.

On the same subject the republicans and Fox (Faux) news are crying that neither Biden or his Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has visited Palistine in the wake of the train derailment. They are also not mentioning that Biden did contact the Governor of Ohio immediately to offer assistance or that during 45’s administration there were more than 1500 derailments, some resulting in loss of life, and that neither Donald or his Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chow ever visited. In fact, this derailment is the first one Donald made an effort to visit, but as a 2024 candidate not the President.  

Today’s elected republican’s are the party of grievance and seem to have zero inclination to govern unless it is to control what teachers can say in the classroom, women’s bodies, and revising history to support their personal version of events. Nikki Haley’s comments typify the party when asked about the Civil War,  “I think you have one side of the Civil War that was fighting for tradition, and I think you have another side of the Civil War that was fighting for change.” Gee that’s a nice way to say slavery was a tradition.

The way most Republican Governors treat their states is that they want to Rule not to Govern, trust me there is a difference. That is exactly what Donald wanted to do, Rule, only he could fix it, was his stance in the 2016 campaign. He was very disappointed that he wasn’t able to do that, and we all say the blow back.

A Democratically elected Government is elected to Govern not to Rule, we all need to remember that.

Govern

verb

1. 1.

conduct the policy, actions, and affairs of (a state, organization, or people).

“he was incapable of governing the country”

Rule

verb

1. 1.

exercise ultimate power or authority over (an area and its people).

“the region today is ruled by elected politicians”

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and sense of attachment to one’s country. This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings, language relating to one’s own homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political or historical aspects.

Jingoism, an attitude of belligerent nationalism, or a blind adherence to the rightness or virtue of one’s own nation, society, or group, simply because it is one’s own.

Fanaticism is a state of excessive, unreasonable, uncritical, and often irrational zeal about or interest in a particular subject. It often is attributed to highly and intensely religious zealots, but it also can refer to intense interest in a matter, such as consumer or sports fanaticism.

Here are 3 words in our lexicon, 1 that has been hi-jacked, 1 that isn’t used often, and 1 that doesn’t get refenced in our current political environment but should be.

Patriotism has been hi-jacked by the Right as well as the Stars and Stripes, they claim to be the only group that has the right to them. I have even been told that if I am not a republican I have no right to fly the flag. That is outrageous, I personally served in the Armed Forces as did my Father, many of the same individuals that tell me I have no standing as a “Real American” did not do the same. Many of those fly flags upside down, which in a time of war indicates distress, or flag that are torn and damaged.

In my opinion the current Republican party should be referred to as Jingoistic not Patriotic and there devotion to the orange faced menace is definitely Fanaticism. We cannot let a radical group co-opt the language or symbols that have defined our nation.

This is the Flag Code: I assume most the fly the banner have never read this.

The Flag Code Title 4, United States Code,

Chapter 1 As Adopted by the National Flag Conference, Washington, D.C., June 14-15, 1923, and Revised and Endorsed by the Second National Flag Conference, Washington, D.C., May 15, 1924. Revised and adopted at P.L. 623, 77th Congress, Second Session, June 22, 1942; as Amended by P.L. 829, 77th Congress, Second Session, December 22, 1942; P.L. 107 83rd Congress, 1st Session, July 9, 1953; P.L. 396, 83rd Congress, Second Session, June 14, 1954; P.L. 363, 90th Congress, Second Session, June 28, 1968; P.L. 344, 94th Congress, Second Session, July 7, 1976; P.L. 322, 103rd Congress, Second Session, September 13, 1994; P.L. 225, 105th Congress, Second Session, August 12, 1998; and P.L. 80, 106th Congress, First Session, October 25, 1999.

§ 4. Pledge of Allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, ”I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”, should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.

 § 5. Display and use of flag by civilians; codification of rules and customs; definition The following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the United States of America is established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or organizations as may not be required to conform with regulations promulgated by one or more executive departments of the Government of the United States. The flag of the United States for the purpose of this chapter shall be defined according to sections 1 and 2 of this title and Executive Order 10834 issued pursuant thereto.

 § 6. Time and occasions for display

 (a) It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.    

 (b) The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

(c) The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all weather flag is displayed.

(d) The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on New Year’s Day, January 1; Inauguration Day, January 20; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, the third Monday in January; Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12; Washington’s Birthday, third Monday in February; Easter Sunday (variable); Mother’s Day, second Sunday in May; Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May; Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May; Flag Day, June 14; Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day, first Monday in September; Constitution Day, September 17; Columbus Day, second Monday in October; Navy Day, October 27; Veterans Day, November 11; Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November; Christmas Day, December 25; and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States; the birthdays of States (date of admission); and on State holidays.

 (e) The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution.

(f) The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.

(g) The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

 § 7. Position and manner of display The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag or flags, should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag’s own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.

(a) The flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except from a staff, or as provided in subsection (i) of this section.

(b) The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle or of a railroad train or a boat. When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.

 (c) No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof: Provided, That nothing in this section shall make unlawful the continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the flag of the United Nations in a position of superior prominence or honor, and other national flags in positions of equal prominence or honor, with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the United Nations.

(d) The flag of the United States of America, when it is displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on the right, the flag’s own right, and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.

(e) The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.

(f) When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed above the flag of the United States or to the United States flag’s right.

(g) When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.

(h) When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the window sill, balcony, or front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half-staff. When the flag is suspended over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first, from the building.

(i) When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag’s own right, that is, to the observer’s left. When displayed in a window, the flag should be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street.

(j) When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it should be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an east and west street or to the east in a north and south street.

(k) When used on a speaker’s platform, the flag, if displayed flat, should be displayed above and behind the speaker. When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag of the United States of America should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergyman’s or speaker’s right as he faces the audience. Any other flag so displayed should be placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker or to the right of the audience.

(l) The flag should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony of unveiling a statue or monument, but it should never be used as the covering for the statue or monument.

(m)The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. · On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. · By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. · In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. · In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, or the death of a member of the Armed Forces from any State, territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty the Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff, and the same authority is provided to the Mayor of the District of Columbia with respect to present or former officials of the District of Columbia and members of the Armed Forces from the District of Columbia. · When the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, or the Mayor of the District of Columbia, issues a proclamation under the preceding sentence that the National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, or possession or in the District of Columbia because of the death of a member of the armed forces, the National flag flown at any Federal installation or facility in the area covered by that proclamation shall be flown at half-staff consistent with that proclamation. · The flag shall be flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a former President; 10 days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress. · The flag shall be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. As used in this subsection: 1) the term ”half-staff” means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff; 2) the term ”executive or military department” means any agency listed under sections 101 and 102 of title 5, United States Code; and 3) the term ”Member of Congress” means a Senator, a Representative, a Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico. (n) When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should be so placed that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground. (o) When the flag is suspended across a corridor or lobby in a building with only one main entrance, it should be suspended vertically with the union of the flag to the observer’s left upon entering. If the building has more than one main entrance, the flag should be suspended vertically near the center of the corridor or lobby with the union to the north, when entrances are to the east and west or to the east when entrances are to the north and south. If there are entrances in more than two directions, the union should be to the east.

§ 8. Respect for flag No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.

(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning. § 9. Conduct during hoisting, lowering or passing of flag During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in review, all present except those in uniform should face the flag and stand at attention with the right hand over the heart. Those present in uniform should render the military salute. When not in uniform, men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Aliens should stand at attention. The salute to the flag in a moving column should be rendered at the moment the flag passes.

§ 10. Modification of rules and customs by President Any rule or custom pertaining to the display of the flag of the United States of America, set forth herein, may be altered, modified, or repealed, or additional rules with respect thereto may be prescribed, by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, whenever he deems it to be appropriate or desirable; and any such alteration or additional rule shall be set forth in a proclamation.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

This may be a multipart examination of humanities rise and fall, I want to be very up front that this is my opinion, just my slightly, or depending on your view, obscenely twisted observations.

There are times when I am not 100% sure that all the advancements MAN has made are all for the best. In reality if you look at earth as a living object our rise and advancements have only resulted in destruction of the environment  in which we live. Point in fact for every monumental construction a dismantling of natural resources occurred. The Great Pyramids are one of the 7 wonders but no one thinks about where all the stone came from to construct them. For a great as those structures are the is a whole in the planet that is for greater than the pyramids themselves.

To this point in our evolution even the revolution of power has been at the expense of natural resources, yes as a (thinking) species we became aware that there were other ways for harnessing power without consuming a resource. Great minds imagined that with the correct gearing wind energy could be exploited to pump water or grind wheat and for centuries it was. Sadly this wasn’t fast enough for the impatient man so utilizing the same action the wind had provided more consistent means of production were invented. These advances made life easier for man, but this was where consumption of resources began. First came the revelation that burning wood created heat, great for cooking and not freezing to death but also that water when boiled created steam that could turn a turbine just like the wind or running water had done.  Hurray for MAN.

Again, this method wasn’t efficient enough for the advancement of civilization, although for millennia it was. Eventually wood was supplemented with oils, early on derived from plants but eventually from petroleum pulled from the earth. The first big energy transition was from wood and charcoal to coal, beginning in the iron industry in the early 1700s. By 1900, coal was the primary industrial fuel, taking over to make up half the world’s fuel use. Thus began our contribution to pollution, and we have only increased the industrialization burring more carbon and pumping it into the atmosphere.

When the first humans burned wood and saw smoke that had no realization that the biproduct of their heat did anything other than warm them. In retrospect it wasn’t harming them, unless it got out of control, because the scale that small groups exploited the resource had minimal impact on the environment in which they lived. That changed as nomadic tribes became larger more stationary settlements, I believe that in the beginning they were very aware that their resources were limited. As time advanced and settlements became cities that recognition, by the masses, because less because of the illusion of abundance. It’s absolutely reasonable to presume that the elders knew that there was a limit to some resources but some, they assumed, where nearly unlimited.

Its now the 21^st century and we have industrialized nearly every land mass on the planet, our numbers have nearly exceeded that of the resources required to sustain us. (That isn’t completely true because there is enough food to feed every mouth but some nations discard more than they consume, but that’s another rant.) Finally we have acknowledged, well most of us, that burning of carbon is creating more issues and count result in our downfall. Climate change has happened in the past but our continual pumping of carbon into the atmosphere is contributing to that change. Many on the side that believes we are responsible for this say we are killing the planet but I don’t believe that. Earth, the Gaia hypothesis says that Earth is a living system, was around before us and will be here after we are gone, we are a virus that is killing itself. I said at the beginning of this rant, “if you look at the earth as a living object”, well I truly believe it is and we are just a blip in her existence, we should preserve and resect her presence and just maybe she will continue to let us continue our existence.      

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

We live in an information era of outrage and both-sidesism (I know it not word). What do I mean by both-sidesism, it’s a trap the mainstream media has fallen into so that they don’t get labeled as liberal. Stephan Colber said, “The truth has a liberal bias.” I believe that is true, but the media has a way of comparing truth to fiction and claiming that they are equal.

Let’s look at the documents issue…

Donald left the White House with boxes of classified documents , not unintentionally but by design. When the National Archives asked for them back (repeatedly) he claimed he didn’t have any. Not believing him because the National Archives was well aware of what was missing and after over a year of asking politely a lawful search warrant was issued and a lawful search of the Mara Largo property resulted in hundreds of highly sensitive documents being recovered.

Donald screamed that his beautiful property was RAIDED, not that a lawful warrant was issued. Then he claimed that the FBI planted the documents, when that didn’t work, he said they were his property and tried to negotiate with the Archives for their return.

Fox (so called news) went right along with the outrage and amplified it.

Some months later President Bidens offices at the Biden Center were being cleared when his lawyer discovered a few documents marked SECRET, the immediately contacted the Archives and they were returned. President Biden without question or coercion had the FBI search his subsequent properties where a limited number of documents were found. There was in no way a dispute over the papers and they were returned to the Archives.

The news covered these events as equal in fact Fox covered the Biden documents as more egregious because they were from his time as VP and he had no right to be in possession of these documents. The fact that Donald had troves of docs was inconsequential because the dear  leader had declassified them with a wave of is stubby finger.

Both the same right?

Now when VP Pence was found to have documents as well, Fox had very little to say in fact to was a non-issue.

Now the outrage MTG want a national divorce because its just not fare the way the Republicans are being treated. She and the Republicans lost their minds over President Bidens trip to Ukraine crying that we will not send our boys to fight in a war to defend a non UN nation. I guess they are unaware or willfully ignorant that we do not have any boots on the ground in Ukraine. The GOP and FOX continue to spout Putin’s propaganda like it is the gospel and when they are challenged they are either mute or change the subject to an issue that essentially no value, i.e. the M&M debate.

Let’s go back to the Walter Cronkite days when news had no bias, it was just news.

Jimmy Carter served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. He was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for work to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.

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Jimmy Carter aspired to make Government “competent and compassionate,” responsive to the American people and their expectations. His achievements were notable, but in an era of rising energy costs, mounting inflation, and continuing tensions, it was impossible for his administration to meet these high expectations.

Carter, who has rarely used his full name–James Earl Carter, Jr.–was born October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. Peanut farming, talk of politics, and devotion to the Baptist faith were mainstays of his upbringing. Upon graduation in 1946 from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Carter married Rosalynn Smith. The Carters have three sons, John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), and a daughter, Amy Lynn.

After seven years’ service as a naval officer, Carter returned to Plains. In 1962 he entered state politics, and eight years later he was elected Governor of Georgia. Among the new young southern governors, he attracted attention by emphasizing ecology, efficiency in government, and the removal of racial barriers.

Carter announced his candidacy for President in December 1974 and began a two-year campaign that gradually gained momentum. At the Democratic Convention, he was nominated on the first ballot. He chose Senator Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota as his running mate. Carter campaigned hard against President Gerald R. Ford, debating with him three times. Carter won by 297 electoral votes to 241 for Ford.

Carter worked hard to combat the continuing economic woes of inflation and unemployment. By the end of his administration, he could claim an increase of nearly eight million jobs and a decrease in the budget deficit, measured in percentage of the gross national product. Unfortunately, inflation and interest rates were at near record highs, and efforts to reduce them caused a short recession.

Carter could point to a number of achievements in domestic affairs. He dealt with the energy shortage by establishing a national energy policy and by decontrolling domestic petroleum prices to stimulate production. He prompted Government efficiency through civil service reform and proceeded with deregulation of the trucking and airline industries. He sought to improve the environment. His expansion of the national park system included protection of 103 million acres of Alaskan lands. To increase human and social services, he created the Department of Education, bolstered the Social Security system, and appointed record numbers of women, blacks, and Hispanics to Government jobs.

In foreign affairs, Carter set his own style. His championing of human rights was coldly received by the Soviet Union and some other nations. In the Middle East, through the Camp David agreement of 1978, he helped bring amity between Egypt and Israel. He succeeded in obtaining ratification of the Panama Canal treaties. Building upon the work of predecessors, he established full diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and completed negotiation of the SALT II nuclear limitation treaty with the Soviet Union.

There were serious setbacks, however. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the suspension of plans for ratification of the SALT II pact. The seizure as hostages of the U. S. embassy staff in Iran dominated the news during the last 14 months of the administration. The consequences of Iran’s holding Americans captive, together with continuing inflation at home, contributed to Carter’s defeat in 1980. Even then, he continued the difficult negotiations over the hostages. Iran finally released the 52 Americans the same day Carter left office.

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For more information about President Carter, please visit The Jimmy Carter Library and The Carter Center.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

For the past week the cries of, “The Sky is Falling”, have littered the press. Well not literally the stories have been about the Russian balloon that floated over the continental U.S. and was shot down in the Atlantic. The intrepid or should I say insipid Congress Person Margorie (Traitor) Green has been screeching that Biden should have taken in down sooner, this was after prophesying that the balloon could have had nuclear warheads or chemical bio weapons. It would be nice if she thought before she spoke, if there had been any dangerous payload onboard, President Biden had ordered it shot down and subsequently lives were lost I can’t even imagine the volume of the outrage machine.

The facts of the story that MTG and her ilk don’t disclose is that 3 such balloons floated over the U.S. during dear Donald’s reign, or the fact that the first one Biden had shot down was blocked from sending any signals and actual data was harvested before it was destroyed.

Now the White House has stated that any discovered unidentified floating object will be safely and promptly dispatched. Thus, ending the story, right?  Oh NO not a chance… Now Fox opinion is just asking the question, “Is this an alien invasion?” Great now the moronic masses will be playing “War of the Worlds” scenarios out in there feeble minds.

I don’t believe we are being invaded and if we were, lets be honest we are screwed!! No movie plot where we are the victors is plausible because first as a species, we couldn’t get on the same page to mount a defense.

I do have a suggestion for the spy balloons, I suggest that we track them, hi-jack any data they have and upload a spyware virus and send them on there way. They get nothing except the bug in their system that forwards valuable intel back to us then corrupts their data completely. There you go problem solved… you are welcome.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

We all complain about the Radical Right and their apparent desire, as of late, to turn the clock back to the 1850’s or the Loud Left that some seem to think is taking the country on the road to socialism but neither if these are entirely correct about either end of the continuum. Yes there are shrill voices on the extreme edges and lately those opinions are the only ones that are heard. There used to be  middle ground but sadly that middle no longer exists, we have been push so far to the right that the current right wing would call Reagan, union busting corporatist Reagan, a lefty socialist.

In the 20th century in the 1930’s FDR was considered a leftist we he proposed the rich paying their far share and establishing a social security that would allow people to retire with some level of dignity instead of the destitution and squaller that had been the unfortunate norm for many during the early industrial revolution. The conservative Dwight D. Eisenhower after Truman upheld these afore mentioned social views and even held the corporate and ultra-rich to a top tax rate of 91%, and believe it or not they were still rich. Eisenhower supported unions and expanded the federal highway system. At the time these were the conservative policies, support the working man and American families and above all else build it in the United States. The democrats wanted to do more and move faster to an equalization of shared resources, the republicans weren’t totally against these ideals they just wanted to go slower.

Every political contest both extremes are always in a race to recruit the middle to try and control or regain a power advantage. Both parties know that there are far more centrist that those on the extremes but as I stated previously the center is no longer a choice between far left hippy communes and the gilded halls of corporate consolidation.

In the 1970s, post Nixon things changed. Media got involved Roger Ailes proposed GOP TV to the Nixon administration so that the republican party could control the narrative. Imagine if they had that in the 70s, Water Gate and Nixon’s crimes would have been whitewashed out of the public eye. Then in the 80’s the billionaire media magnate Rupert  Murdock started Fox, which initially lost money, with a plan. Reagan took away the fairness doctrine that said that both sides had to be equally represented. Then came cable TV, everyone wanted cable and Murdock knew it so he put FOX NEWs on the lowest tier of cable for no additional charge.

Can anyone guess what that accomplished? If you guessed getting his ultra-right message to the masses in the middle of the political spectrum, you would be correct.

Fox calling themselves News, although 90% of the content is opinion, flowed freely into millions of homes and business. This brand of rhetoric tipped the scales because the mute, malleable, masses took this so called news and gospel and the undeniable truth that many are too lazy to find out the real facts for themselves was a huge gift.

Why do I keep calling the masses MUTE, it is because the majority never speak up. They were taught as children that silence is the best option. Although we do have a contingent currently that is so resolute in there brand of B.S. that they will not bend from it… (this group is historically in the right)

The goal to control the middle has come down to rage vs results. Democrats try and get things done for their constituents while Republicans rage that the left are stealing and giving things away to the undeserving. It’s an Us vs Them scenario and the them is anyone that doesn’t look like they do or believe what they believe.

Time has come for the mute to speak up be less malleable, if you are left of center and believe that all should prosper, Speak up. If you are right then coherently support your position, don’t yell it someone else’s face and then refuse to listen. There is common ground we just have to be willing to find it.

Lyle Northey (Silent/Boomer)

   Another voice of elected political reason (?) on the issue of guns. This individual feels that the 2nd amendment is far more important to preserve and protect than even possibly his own life.How can anyone not see the importance of every person being able to go into a store and buy a gun without regard to training, knowledge, or mental stability be checked. 

  He does not like the idea that cars and ownership of a vehicle are likened to owning a gun. We all know that a car driven by someone that is impaired in any way can lead to an accident and possibly harm those in the immediate area of operation. A gun is a safe item that can kill depending on the type of gun miles from where the person that has that gun may accidentally or intentionally fire that weapon.

  So let us concede that the ownership of guns is a right not a privilege and that all gun owners are sane, not frothing at the mouth maniacs when someone tries to pry it out of my hands while I am still alive, and get on with the business of protecting the rest of us from this sane rational person. A license is required and a background check, and that is just so wrong. You need a license to drive a car, own a boat, get married, become a doctor, lawyer, plummer, electrician, druggist, teacher, pilot and other things as well, you do not need a license to become a politician, or a minister or an activist, all you need to able to do is know how to either relay information that has meaning and hopefully improve things, or how to shoot off your mouth and say nothing of value except that someone is trying to take something away or change the status of something and it displeases you.

   We have many among us that would limit freedom of speech because the words are offensive to someone. Destroy a book or cause a newspaper to go out of business because we do not agree with their point of view . The practice is called censorship and we have had many attempts to censor speech, literature, movies and public displays  because the content did not match the more vocal of the local populace. Words can and do hurt and harm and as a courtesy to others we should not offend just to offend, nor should we remain silent when we are assailed, but rather we should reply as best we can without being derogatory to others.

   When the issue is a gun, if you take the time and effort you will realize that the majority of gun owners view that gun as a problem solver. The use of the matter that is between the ears becomes nothing more than the reflected action of Aim and Fire. For some, using the gun is more fun than using what is between the legs, and far more exciting than using the matter between the ears.

   So let us get back to basics on the ownership of weapons with the requirement to make sure the possesses of said guns are not complete fools. You don’t like it but gun ownership should require the background check with a periodic review of both mental and physical, it should require a yearly license renewal with fee to go with it. That ownership should require liability insurance just like your own policy does as or owning a business does. The use of the gun for any reason should require a trial . If the result is a not guilty verdict then a hearing on wrongful death needs to be conducted as most of the deaths that occur seem to occur from intentional effort to kill not accidental. What will it prove, accountability for one’s actions, and were you smart enough to insure yourself from yourself knowing that the gun is going to make you take actions that a thinking person would not take.

  When we reach to point of far to many carrying guns then the odds are in favor of you either being the person that keeps someone else from going home or not making it home yourself, and oh what a wonderful world it will be your 2nd amendment rights have been protected and your family gets to make it without you cause your gun got in the way of your good sense.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

I am so tired of the moral minority crying, “but what about the children…” when it is an inflated issue of drag queen story time, teaching accurate history, a conversation about same sex relationships, any LGBTQ issues. This is the height of hypocrisy because when real issues that effect children happen all we get is “Thoughts and Prayers”.

Yes, I am going to rant again about the idiocy of our gun culture.

Let’s talk about the children … anyone remember Columbine, Sandy Hook, Stoneman Douglas, Uvalde? There are so many more, but I don’t want to depress myself for naming them all. In 2022 there were 153 school shootings in the U.S. It is only February and there have been 8 counting yesterdays shooting at Michigan State. The really sad part if the Michigan story is 2 known students of this, it isn’t their first mass shooter experience.  

What do we offer these traumatized children? Oh Yea “Thoughts and Prayers”.

More than 1300 children die annually from accidental gun shots and statistically 10-20 die every day by their own hand using a firearm in the home. So you can go pound sand with your thoughts and prayers and you can stop the mock outrage about protecting the children because that story isn’t playing well with those of us who pay attention.

Do something about the guns and if  your precious right to own one is the problem then control the bullets. I will gladly have a conversation with anyone who can adequately prove to me the damage or death toll that a Drag Queen story time or the topic of Sally’s 2 Dads has done.

Thought and Prayers don’t work, they don’t comfort grieving families, and they sure as hell won’t stop this shit from continuing to happen. So if you are actually worried about the Children then lets collectively do something to protect them and address the Elephant in the room. Sadly, our children would be far safer with and actual Elephant.  

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

The 117^th House of Representative under Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a very narrow majority was able to accomplish a lot for the American people. Yes, they also held hearings to investigate January 6^th proving that when motivated the congress can walk to chew gum. Unfortunately if you are a Fox (so called news) watcher all you know about is the trial to besmirched Dear Donald the exalted messiah of the RED HAT mob.

The bills passed by the House exceed the number that Senate was able to push through to Bidens desk due to the 50/50  Senate and the Democrats having 2 spoilers in their ranks but the amount of actual work done was still impressive.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/01/democrats-congress-control-achievements-joe-biden This is a link to a Guardian article that breaks it down better than I ever could.

The question now is what will the Republican’ts under McCarthy do in the next 2 years. From what we have seen so far my prediction is absolutely nothing. So far, they have held hearing to place blame for their collective woes on others. They have an obsession with Hunter Biden, who I would like to add does not serve in the government, and the “lap top” no one seems to be able to produce. Lets what else are they crying about, CRT, which isn’t taught in any primary school curriculum, Drag Queen story time, M&Ms, and now the balloon controversy. Will any of those help their constituents? The simple answer is NO. It seems the goal is to stoke outrage and distract while by the cover of bull shit they can steal for the treasury and topple our Democracy.

Thankfully there is a majority in the Senate and President Biden, although old, with his hand firmly on the rudder steering this ship for now. Even with the minimal House majority that the Republicans currently hold my impression is that the circus has far to many clowns and now ring master. So, for the next two years not much is going to get accomplished. Sit back and watch the cavalcade of  lunacy, keep your head up, don’t give up hope.

AND FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING YOU HOLD DEAR IN 2024 VOTE!!