Democracy

The New Colossus

I just returned

from

the land

of the Golem,

(a sort of 

Frankenstein,

that predates

the Shelley

tale),

where 

the Soviet

and Nazi

lost to

democracy,

and memory

is preserved

not erased.

The Golem

of medieval

fantasy

was initially

created

as a magical

protector.

It (he)

was large

and clumsy,

slow-witted,

and soulless;

immune

to conventional

weapons

or pain.

(Sound familiar?)

It would become

eventual

that this 

folk hero

would grow

fearsome

and violent,

which meant

its destruction;

a lesson

we keep

needing

to learn.

We tend

to yearn

for 

a protector

and champion:

strong-

even masculine-

forgetting

that subletting

power

weakens

us.

“The New Colossus”,

by Emma Lazarus,

was the poem

befitting

Lady Liberty.

The Mother

of Exiles

whose torch

is a beacon

of light

for the weary-

quite

a contrast

to the dreary

giant man.

Trump is a

hulking,

clumsy,

dimwitted,

soulless

(faux)

protector,

whose power’s

run

amok

with endless

luck;

a new colossus

for us

in the worst

way.

But for America’s

semi-

quincentennial

birthday,

I say,

remember

anew

“The New

Colossus”:

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”

as us.

Our strengths

are not

artificial intelligence

(though with regulation,

such sensation

could be transformational).

By 250,

we

need to

grow up!

The New Colossus

is not this monstrous

idiot.

It’s the generous,

creative spirit

that is 

inspired by

and of 

liberty;

not irresponsibility,

but human

dignity,

integrity,

and decency,

with liberty,

and justice

for all.

Strait Talking

In memory

of those 

who died

in the name

of our 

freedom,

we pause

for their

cause,

US.

May

their 

memory

be 

for a 

blessing-

not messing

around

to the sound

of patriotism.

Now,

war hawks

are in peace

talks

with Iran,

and this

administration

is desperate

for this

to end

well

after it fell

into the trap

of trying

to sell

a war

of his own

making.

Faking

progress

in this mess

is,

by now,

expected.

Remember

how

he directed

that bleach

injected

would cure

those affected

by COVID?

I’m not sure

who said

he puts 

the ID

in idiot,

but the 

shoe 

does fit.

So

I have no

expectation

of consolation

on this 

sad

Memorial Day.

He’ll lay

a wreath

in Arlington

Cemetery

as is 

customary,

while

the rest 

of the country

mourns

the loss

of each

daughter

and son,

and no one

in particular,

just the vast

number

who have

died

for the legacy

of American

democracy,

that now feels

like almost

a memory.

Mourning

in America

turns

the sunny

phrase

dark,

in stark

contrast

to days

of strength.

The length

of this aberration,

a scourge

on our nation,

long

beyond

sensation,

will someday

be a bad

memory.

When will

Memorial

Day

be 

only

for the past,

not a forecast?

I hope

that at

last

the Strait

of Hormuz

opens

and continues

to be 

a conduit

and we 

don’t forget

how we got

in this situation.

Memorial Day

should remind

us 

that the wars

behind us

are warnings

not just 

of mournings

but of what

all those

young people

died for.

The Friends and Family Plan

His Friends

and Family Plan,

paid for

by each 

American

citizen,

will be

a slush fund

of $1.8 billion

for those 

who have

suffered

“weaponization”,

is his

master plan

of corruption.

It may be

in his DNA,

and this is

the ultimate

NDA,

the ultimate

American

exceptionalism

for him.

His slush

fund

to shield

him

from any

audit or tax

tracks

with 

everything

he’s tried

so far:

Enriching

himself

and his allies

as he tries

to use 

the Justice 

Department

to enforce

his lies

and schemes,

while continuing

the rewriting

of history,

encouraging

and enabling

attacks 

on Congress,

physically,

verbally,

and ideologically,

while circumventing

governing.

A one-man

weapon

of mass

destruction,

whose

corruption

knows

no bounds.

And what

happens

when

the violent

men-

Proud Boys

and Oath

Keepers

having

been convicted

after having

inflicted

violence

without 

penitence

some having

started

to serve

a sentence,

get paid

a reward

for their

subservience

to him?

Will he

have

a private

militia?

The ex-cons

and The Con Man

need his 

Friends and Family

Plan

to keep

themselves

protected.

With a cadre

of the rejected,

disaffected,

and closely

connected

he’d like

this corrected

permanently

so that he

will never

pay,

and those

who opposed

him

will

foot 

the bill.

Only

a criminal

would

devise

such

a scheme

to make it

seem

like 

he is all

powerful.

He may

be 

a Strongman

but he is

a weak,

weak

person.

Final Exam

This isn’t

the apocalypse

now.

From crisis

to crisis,

it’s obvious

that the matrix

of destructive

forces

forces

us

to confront

the unimaginable,

uninhabitable

once-impossible-

except 

in the bible-

series

of conditions

that some

claim

to be 

premonitions

in the name 

of “The Lord”.

If this

is the end,

it sure is 

slow moving,

and improving

is still

within reach.

It’s our 

judgement

and reckoning,

not super-natural

beckoning

that alters

reality,

really.

The broken

covenant

between

government

and constituent

has us

almost drowning

in the flood

of mud

slung

at the innocent,

guilty

of being

a participant

in

the American

experiment.

The fear

that the end

is near,

if not

already here,

is not

unreasonable.

It’s not 

infeasible

with the 

Artificial

Intelligence

emergence

and the

resurgence

of the popularity

of populism

and faux

democracy-

or democracy

practically

in name 

only.

And the changing

climate

for the worse

only adds

the worst

verse

to this

curse

of bad poetry

where

history

rhymes.

Crimes

are normal

for the dictatorial

and other

abusers

with greed.

But their

end days

are near,

despite

the fear

they impose

upon us. 

I suppose

any crisis

could be

a catastrophe

like you see

in a movie,

but the apocalypse

is a partial,

if not

total,

eclipse

of the good

that still

exists.

Horror

insists;

but good

persists

in spite

of it.

And there

are more

of us

than

there are

of them.

So,

sure,

condemn

the mayhem,

but be part

of a solution

to this pollution

that makes

it so hard

to breathe

freely.

This test

is really

challenging,

and managing

is arduous.

But I believe

the best

of us

is not

past,

but passed

generationally

intentionally,

representationally,

changing

from an ending

to finally

remembering

the right

questions.

El Niño

A marine

heat-wave

seen

forming 

in

the Pacific

Ocean

confuses

global 

weather systems

and produces

more intense

drought,

rain,

and flooding,

disrupting hurricane

and monsoon 

seasons-

reasons

for extreme

heat

and agricultural

retreat

and failure.

With the coming

Super

El Niño-

the fear

this year

is that a 

warming

climate

will exacerbate

an already

monstrous

El Niño fate,

already difficult

to navigate.

With higher

temperatures

expected

this summer,

and weather

systems

becoming

chaotic,

our sclerotic

governmental

attempt

to preempt

disaster

will be tested

faster

than expected.

What to expect

when you’re

expecting

El Niño

in an already

overheated,

defeated,

depleted,

political

climate?

When 

an 

over reliance

on business

to lead us

without

government

to co-invent

a clean

energy

environment,

we are left

with 

insufficient

preparation.

Meanwhile,

AI Data Centers

are being built

without

regulation

as their demand

for water

and electricity

hurts

each nearby

community,

as tech companies

seem to have

immunity

from everything.

Nurturing

is not just

for mothers.

For Mothers’

Day,

I say,

start to be

a citizen

who takes

action

beyond

a ballot.

The climate

is in crisis.

Think of it

like Isis:

we can’t

just

be victims

in waiting.

I know

the threats

to democracy

are 

an emergency

we see

playing out

each day.

But this 

El Niño

on the way,

is a brutal

warning

of what

global

warming

plus natural

disaster

at a rate

much

faster

than expected

means

when unprotected.

The El Niño 

prediction

of infliction

of serious

threat

should get

you to do

what you can

for collective

action.

Building

political will

will require

your energy

and money

for green energy

policies,

and government

assurance

that insurance

will be there

when

and where

it’s needed.

This Mothers’ Day,

I say,

write a letter

to the editor

and/or

your 

legislator.

Connect with

another 

activator.

Here’s a toolkit

that could fit

most any

climate

issue:

https://www.beyondplastics.org/tools

And here’s a way

(for Mother’s Day)

to contribute

to candidates

to flip the house

towards

climate stewards

(and other helpful

policies):

https://app.oath.vote/

And working

to pass 

reasonable legislation

is the 

Citizens Climate

Lobby 

organization:

Homepage

These are just 

a few

I hope 

you

will explore,

but I implore 

you to 

do something

for Mothers’ Day,

as 

El Niño

is on the way

and the climate

crisis

is already

here.

The antidote

to fear

is action.

Please,

in honor of 

your mother

and earth,

your actions

are worth

it.

We can

make progress-

even now,

despite

that monster

threat.

Resiliency

and sustainability

are a possibility

but require

communal responsibility.

Now go 

to your room

and do

your homework.

Happy Mothers’

Day!

The King’s Speech and Map Quest

Unlike our president,

the king 

was elegant

and eloquent,

addressing Congress

in nothing less

than a 

masterclass.

Our special

relationship

he suggested,

was born

from dispute

brutally

contested,

yet met

to create

a partnership

based on

shared

values.

Charles

charmed

and disarmed

with praise,

while reminding

listeners

of guiding 

principals

beyond each

phase 

of history.

“Not by the will

of one,

but by

the deliberation 

of many,

representing

the living

mosaic

of The United States.

In both

of our

countries,

it is the very

fact

of our vibrant,

diverse,

and free

societies

that give us

our collective

strength,

including 

to support

victims

of some of

the ills

that,

so tragically,

exist

in both

our societies

today.”

He,

so beautifully,

recounted

our shared 

history

and those

specifically

American.

Noting

our geography

that plays

significantly

in our story,

he recalled

the moments

of solemnity

and glory

that have

come

to define us

(at least

until

this Congress).

He spoke of 

his Christianity,

the opposite

of vanity,

clearly

directed

at those elected

and seated

in the chamber.

“…the essence 

of our two

nations

is a generosity

of spirit

and duty

to foster compassion,

to promote peace,

to deepen

mutual understanding

and to value

all people, 

of all faiths,

and of none.”

Take that,

Mike Johnson!

He even included

an environmental

pitch

which he connected

to our 

“glorious heritage”.

“…our generation

must decide

how to address

the collapse

of critical

natural

systems

which

threatens

far more

that the harmony

and essential

diversity

of nature.”

He mentioned

diversity

and unity

and the spirit 

of generosity

throughout

his speech.

Charles gave

his masterclass

to teach

us

not only 

of the greatness

of US,

but to bring

us back

to

E PLURIBUS

UNUM. 

Meanwhile,

The Voting

Rights Act

became

historical

fact

that the Supreme

Court

wants to remain

in the past.

At last

the Republican

map quest

passed

the test

to reconfigure

congressional

districting

restricting

minority

voting

power.

If being

color blind

was what

the Court

had in mind,

we’ll likely

find

that what

is meant

by “intent”

in their

majority

argument

is disingenuous

as the dissent

points out

to us.

The Republican

request

to suggest

new 

electoral

maps

will perhaps

change

the midterm

elections.

One

wonders

about 

the real

intent

that was 

meant,

in fact,

in chipping

away

at 

The Voting

Rights

Act.

Similar

to 

Roe V Wade,

they chipped

away 

each decade

while

the most

vulnerable

are left

weakened

still.

This week

saw a King

speak

the right 

thing

while the 

Right Wing

Court

chose

to distort

the meaning

of everything

we understood

was for

a greater

good.

The Correspondent

In a novel

attempt

to preempt

the event

of the President

and

DC

correspondents,

there were shots

fired

and lots

of confusion

over an

intrusion

at the 

White House

Correspondents’

Dinner,

making everyone 

nervous

before

salad

service.

The Secret

Service

rushed

the dais

and escorted

the POTUS,

FLOTUS,

and VIPS,

while

everyone

else,

with

unease,

exited

safely,

except

the uninvited

guest

correspondent

whose message

is not yet

clear.

Nowhere

near

the President’s

ear,

this incident

was different.

Still,

the ability 

to break

through

security

when everybody

who is

anybody

in DC

was present

as either

a correspondent

or close

to the 

President,

seems

less incredible

than inevitable

that some

violent

message

would be

deliverable.

Thankfully,

it was 

quelled

immediately

with the 

gunman

taken away

in custody.

A night 

dedicated

to freedom

of speech

began 

with

a security

breech

and then

each 

correspondent

ready

to present

a story

of the evening’s

terrifying

event.

Freedom

of speech

and press—

all there

to report

the mess.

I’m sure

the shooter’s

intent

was not

meant

to highlight

the role

of the

correspondent.

It almost

seems 

an elegant

message.

Swalwell Pulled Out

All’s well

without Swalwell,

unless

you’re his

family

or a victim.

Because of 

him

your life

is now hell.

Thanks,

Former Representative

Swalwell.

And now

Dems must

face

another

race,

this time

in the great

state-

the richest

state-

of Cali.

The tally

of men

who 

got caught

harming

women-

multiple 

women-

still shocks

and appalls,

as it should.

Who would

do this?

Men of

such 

hubris

and much

power.

I’m glad

he pulled

out 

of the race,

though he

was running

apace,

and could

have become

Newsom’s

successor

for governor.

Before Swalwell

fell,

I didn’t

like him,

though

I agreed

with his

legislative

actions.

His ubiquitous

presence

became

distractions,

and he was

overly

ambitious.

There’s

the story

that 

Dems

destroy

themselves,

but Trump

has destroyed

the US.

The biggest

messes

are MAGA

Congress’s,

as they

refuse

to hold

Trump

accountable.

Trump

and his

party

are responsible,

no doubt,

but still,

I’m glad

that Swalwell

pulled out.

No need 

to throw

the baby

out

with the

bathwater.

Just

let him

go

and show

the world

that

we can

recover

with another

Democrat

in charge.

A.I. War

American-Israeli?

America-Iran?

The Iran War

is for…..?

Nuclear

disarmament

and an intent

to change

the regime?

It may seem

a semantic

matter

what to call

all

this,

or is this

history

soon 

to be re-

defined?

Never mind

the stupidity

of no exit

strategy

from the 

unforeseen

tragedy

that always

unfolds

when

a no holds

barred 

approach

with constant 

reproach

is  the

brand of

diplomacy.

Over a

century,

there was

The Great

War,

then renamed

more

appropriately,

World War

One,

which the allies

against

Germany

eventually

won.

Or did we?

The second

World War

brought

the nuclear

age

after we

decimated

Hiroshima

and Nagaski.

Emboldened

and beholden

to the cause

of democracy

we deployed

troops

south

of the DMZ.

Then we chose

to bomb

Viet Nam

so that we

could be

free,

in case

you could 

see red

from

your bed

at home

instead

of in

the jungles.

All the bungles

of that war

and explanations

at the time

undermined

what Americans

saw.

International

law 

prohibited

the bombing

of Cambodia,

but for 

a paranoid

crook

who took

the oath,

Nixon

put the fix in,

but then

the truly

great Americans

forced 

his resignation

over the Watergate

investigation.

At home

and abroad

fraud

counts,

and when it

mounts,

citizens rebel.

The story

we tell

ourselves

about war

is for 

being

a good guy.

The 9/11

attacks on us

gave us 

a reasonable

mission:

defeat 

the seat

of the terrorist

threat

in Afganistan.

But soon

we 

got sidetracked

to Iraq

using artificial

intelligence.

A mushroom cloud

image

was the official

message

to rally

support

for invasion.

Iraqis would

welcome us,

we were told;

a slam dunk!

We were drunk

with fear

and Sadam

was an easier

target

than Osama.

And then

the Ayatollah,

because,

you know,

he’s evil.

It’s hard

to argue

with what

you know

is true,

but who

knows the 

rest?

We don’t.

And I’m

not sure

our Department

of War

or

Commander

in Chief,

who still

refuses

to brief

Americans

beyond

social media

posts,

knows

what to do

really.

Ideally,

a coalition 

of allies

tries

diplomacy,

but see,

he

alone,

can fix

it.

No congressional

approval,

ladies and gents,

just artificial

intelligence

at war

with who

we need

to be.

Gross Out

Blondie Bondi,

no longer

AG,

the chief attorney

of the country

(should be

for the country),

having been 

fired

just after

Kristi,

(now former

director 

of Homeland

Security),

joins the lists

of Trump

loyalists

who get

dumped

like finalists

in a contest

for the grossest.

Her handling

of the Epstein

stuff

was not enough

to satisfy

the guy

who knew

his crew

would be

screwed

if the files

were reviewed

and his lewd

persona

was displayed

alongside

his buddy-

a study

in how power

played

in a gross 

world-

became 

unfurled.

More men

were brought

down,

but the clown

at the top

will

never stop

taking,

making

the world

unsafe 

for democracy.

Who knew

there were

so many

gross

people?

Apparently,

Trump.

Takes one

to know

them all.

If the pattern

continues,

then Trump

will choose

someone 

grosser

in some way.

Jeff Sessions.

Bill Barr.

Pam Bondi.

Out 

with the gross,

in with the

grosser.

Unlike the Pharaoh

in the story

of Passover,

Trump

always lets

his people

go.

Creating crises

east

and west

Trump does

what he does

best:

conquest.

He is our

gross

national

product;

a man

whose

conduct

(or misconduct)

is gross

in every

way.

As Easter

Sunday

symbolizes 

victory

over sin

and even

death,

with the hope

of new life

and spiritual

renewal,

Trump

is a gross

reminder

of the need

to heed

the lessons

of power

and greed

and to become

more vigilant

and intelligent

about 

how to get

the gross

out of 

office 

for good.