Trump tweets, market falls 8-27-2019

27, August 2019                   Trump tweets, market falls

It is becoming increasingly apparent to many Americans that Donald Trump is becoming more and more delusional. His bizarre tweets have little to do with market stability and everything to do with trying to project a “tough guy” persona. The wild gyrations of the market are a direct reflection of his trade wars with China which show no signs of abating. President Xi Jinping is unlikely to back down and appear weak to his domestic audience especially given the increasing turmoil in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Trump has flip/flopped repeatedly unable to cobble together a coherent policy. In a rare of truth he admitted having second thoughts about his trade policy but then abruptly changed his mind promising more punishing tariffs.

Meanwhile Democrats have seized the opportunity and hammered his trade policy which is rooted in pure vindictiveness and anger.

At the G7 meeting world leaders, with the exception of Prime Minister of Britain, Boris Johnson, shunned Trump uncomfortable with his unpredictable behavior.

His relationship to world leaders follows a familiar pattern. Great admiration (Kim Jon Un of North Korea, President Macron of France, Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada, Teresa May of Britain, . .)   quickly followed by harsh criticism.

Apocalyptic with China’s response to his tariff wars, he ordered all U.S. companies to leave China citing an obscure law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977.

The law’s original intent was to isolate companies engaged in criminal activities not break economic ties with a major trading partner over a tariff dispute.  Recently, the thin skinned Trump has ordered his staff to “dig dirt” and shame reporters critical of his policies, hallmark of an autocratic ruler.

Medical professionals are expressing major concerns over Trump’s declining mental state summarized in the New York Times best seller, by Dr. Brady Lee “The dangerous case of Donald Trump.”

Israel’s war crimes 8-23-2019

23, August 2019                        Israel’s war crimes

Jane Ferguson, one of the most courageous and trusted reporters in the world, was on assignment in Gaza for the PBS Newshour and filed a most disturbing report.

For the past several months Palestinians in Gaza have protested their appalling conditions along the border fence with Israel. For the most part the protests have been peaceful but international observers have reported devastating injuries inflicted on Palestinians by Israeli sniper fire. Many have suffered broken legs which appear to be a deliberate effort to inflict maximum pain and injury.

A staggering seven thousand have been shot by the Israeli army while taking part in protests in the last 15 months. Dozens have lost a limb.

On May 14, 2018, Gazans took part in a march of return to demonstrate for the right to return to their family's ancestral homes inside Israel, homes their forbearers were forced to flee when Israel was formed in 1948.

The Gaza Strip has been under blockade by Israel since June 2007. It is one of the most densely populated places in the world, with nearly two million people packed into a sliver of land 25 miles long and five miles wide.

Unemployment is at a staggering 52 percent, leaving young men helpless and desperate.

Palestinians have long declared Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state. That hope was dashed by the autocratic Donald Trump who “gifted” the city to Israel. Prior U.S. administrations stated unequivocally that Jerusalem would stay neutral pending final negotiations. During the peaceful protests 73 Palestinians were killed and 2,500 injured almost all in the legs. As lead surgeon in Gaza's main hospital, Dr. Adnan Al Borsh told Jane Ferguson that the hospital was overwhelmed unable to cope with all the injured. Lack of instruments, antibiotics and anesthesia intensified the suffering of the injured and resulted in complete fatigue of the medical staff, some of who were also shot and killed.

It was the nature of the wounds that most disturbed Dr. Al Borsh. The bullets measured 1 centimeter on entry but exploded more than 15 to 20 centimeters on exit inflicting enormous damage shattering everything in their path forcing surgeons to amputate limbs.  Doctors Without Borders surgeons made similar observations.

Many of the simpers were recorded laughing while shooting at unarmed protestors. This massacre seemed to be a carefully orchestrated effort to terrorize the population to a state of impotence. As Israel’s largest supplier of military aid, America is complicit in these war crimes.

Saleh Hijazi who heads Amnesty International in Israel and the Palestinian territories stated, “The willful cause of injury and death is a war crime and therefore Israel has violated international law.”

In another damning report, the United Nations' independent commission of inquiry stated “the Israeli military sniping at protesters was unlawful and unjustified, and should be referred to the International Criminal Court at The Hague”. Unless members of Congress and the American public raise their collective voices and demand an immediate halt to all military and economic aid to Israel, these crimes will continue. Finally, we must demand Israel lift the siege of Gaza and end its suffocating occupation.

Anger over trade policies intensifies 8-20-2019

20, August 2019                Anger over trade policies intensifies

Farmers are voicing mounting anger over Trumps erratic trade policies. Many Midwestern farmers have slipped into bankruptcies unable to sell their products in established markets like China. Widespread flooding has killed cattle and left many fields waterlogged. Once again Trump has trapped himself and our nation into a proverbial cul-de-sac unable to admit his trade policies are a failure. Many fruit farmers in California have slid into bankruptcy unable to sell their products blocked by new tariff barriers. A chronic shortage of fruit pickers caused by Trump’s draconian immigration policies has driven up food prices.  Unpicked fruit is allowed to rot on trees.


Desperate to end the trade war he started, Trump falsely claimed that ‘China was ready to talk’ prompting several newspapers to headline ‘China blinks’.

Farmers are left in the lurch unable to plan ahead with any degree of certainty.

They make up the core of Trump’s constituency.  If he loses their support his reelection prospects will likely fade.  Nancy Johnson the executive director of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association echoed what many farmers are feeling “you can’t take hope to the banker to get loans for operating.”

Many famers have become so desperate they are postponing their health coverage, others are demanding to know whether Trump is a master dealer or a master salesman.

We have only to look at the litany of his business failures to know the answer. In act of desperation Trump has even waged war on Fox News.

Barring Omar and Tlaib backfires 8-19-2019

19, August 2019                Barring Omar and Tlaib backfires


Donald Trump and Netanyahu have much in common. Both are obsessed with power, have dodgy private lives and a loose relationship with truth, principle and morality. 


In a desperate crude attempt to capture support from Jewish Americans, Trump persuaded Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu to ban the entry of US lawmakers, Omar and Tlaib in his trademark 240 characters tweet. 


He has maligned and insulted them and indulged in an appalling smear campaign to taint their reputations. The courageous voice of Bernie Sanders, a Jew,  broke through the fog of silence denouncing Israel stating “if US lawmakers are banned from visiting Israel perhaps Israel should not be receiving billions of dollars in U.S. military aid. We have a president who, tragically, is a racist, is a xenophobe, and who is a religious bigot." 


The support for BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) is growing fast. More and Americans are expressing outrage over the enormous economic and military aid given to Israel to the tune of $10 million a day while many Americans are suffering from severe economic insecurity. 


With a staggering deficit of $22 trillion we must halt all economic aid to Israel and demand an end to the suffocating occupation and siege of Gaza.


Israel’s claims to be a Jewish state and a democracy. This is absurd. A true democracy should ensure ALL its citizens, Jewish and non-Jewish the same equal rights. 41 Democrats are now visiting Israel in a carefully staged trip funded by the pro-Israel lobby, AIPAC. 

Democrats and Republicans should stand in solidarity with Bernie Sanders and decline all further visits to Israel. Furthermore, most American adults of voting age believe representatives should visit their congressional districts rather than cushy travel junkets to Israel.

Epstein & Michael Brown 8-10-2019

10, August 2019                  Epstein & Michael Brown

Epstein’s legal steam included luminaries like Watergate prosecutor Kenneth Starr and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, who boasted that his team basically “out-lawyered the locals”.

These legal sharks intimidated his victims and attempted to destroy their credibility and reputation. They were remarkably successful in crafting a sweetheart plea deal for Epstein and were also able to shield the unnamed “co-conspirators” granting them immunity!  Who are these powerful individuals? They MUST be unmasked!

Donald Trump was effusive in his praise of Epstein -“I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy”. One of their victims, Katie Johnson made a video testimonial 3-years ago describing how Trump and Epstein raped her. She was 13-years old. This is the guy the "Christian" right-wingers support. How do those hypocrites sleep at night?

The sordid Epstein saga exposes a dual system that favors the rich and well-connected and is brutal to the poor, especially people of color. In a stark contrast to the lopsided criminal justice system, on Aug 10, 2014 African American, Michael Brown was on his way to his grandmother’s house in the city of Ferguson when he was gunned down at about 2:15 p.m. by a police officer. His grieving family is still waiting for justice.

Finally, Epstein death is highly suspect. If he attempted suicide in July why was he not on a suicide watch list?  Was he negotiating a plea deal to incriminate powerful friends or politicians to reduce his sentence?

Moscow Mitch 8-4-2019

4, August 2019                         Moscow Mitch


Finally, the media has penetrated the poker face Mitch McConnell by labelling him “Moscow Mitch”, a description he richly deserves. By his inaction he has left the nation unprotected from Russian interference. 


The Republicans, bowing to their master, Donald Trump, have ignored dire warnings from special council, Bob Mueller who warned that Russia is still conducting aggressive cyber wars.


The usually placid McConnell, impervious to criticism, responded with fury when the media accused him of being a Russian asset. 


McConnell has only himself to blame for blocking federal election reform that would prevent Russian interference in our elections. He should stop whining and perform his duties as Senate Majority leader otherwise his nickname will stick. His critics rightfully accuse him of blocking stronger security measures to prevent a repeat of Russian interference in 2016. McConnell has left the door wide open hoping the other Russian asset, Donald Trump, will prevail in the 2020 election. 


More and more Americans are demanding to know why President Trump remains silent and refuses to heed such warnings. We must raise our collective voices and demand to see his tax returns which might reveal how he is being compromised by Russian oligarchs. We cannot have a Russian asset as our President.  This is no longer about party, this is a matter of national security.