Upset

I was talking, or rather ranting, this morning to a friend about the election.  My first vote I ever did cast was for George McGovern.  When Nixon won I was disappointed but I did not fear for the Republic.  When Bush, both 41 and 43, won I did not fear for the Republic.  This time, however, there is a whiff of grapeshot in the air as I do fear for our Republic. I recall as a teenager not wanting to stand for the national anthem as I was embarrassed by our role in the Vietnam War.  I feel the same embarrassment now.  Here's what I don't understand.  How can so many people vote against their own self interests.  Trump won on a platform of bringing jobs back but the truth of the matter is there is no longer a manufacturing sector that depends solely on the strong backs of laborers without a college degree.  Robotics and automation have taken the jobs, not NAFTA,  We live in a global economy now.  We live together on a planet and we are all in this together.  Anymore a college degree is the equivalent of a high school diploma.  Service sector jobs exist but the pay is crap and many studies has shown that men don't like and don't apply for these types of job.  Sure, if we can get a comprehensive infrastructure plan in place there will be jobs that are strictly speaking manual labor, but that is short term solution.  Just as we had universal free public education. Now we need to expand that to Colleges and Universities.  Twelve years of school might be a lifetime to some but to get better jobs a college degree is needed.  And whereas a BA or BS was sufficient before now you really need an advanced degree to achieve any economic security beyond the minimum wage.

Trump is a con man and a liar.  He promised jobs but what he is taking credit for, like the SoftBank/Sprint deal was in the works long before he on the scene.  The same is true of the Carrier deal and Ford Motor deal.  And his followers are gullible enough to belief him.  When he is called out on the deceptions and outright lies he like a lizard coated in Vaseline; it just slides off without any effect.  He promised to "drain the swamp" and outlaw pay for play but he has done just the opposite.  The swamp is now a cesspool and his major donors have prominent positions in his cabinet.

During the election I was being trolled on Face Book by Trump supporters, most notable Sophie's estranged grandson Tim.  Not so much now.  The trolling is getting less and less and I can only hope some folks are waking up to the fact that Trump is all smoke and mirrors.  If you are interested there is a pamphlet put together by former congressional aides entitled Indivisible.  Get your copy here by clicking this link. 

The big thing now is the Republicans trying to repeal the ACA, without putting anything in its place.  OMG, wait until the shit hits the fan when 20,000,000 are once again without insurance and the emergency rooms deal less with emergencies and more with people without insurance, which will really drive up the cost of health care and that we will all pay for.  Talk about reviving the Death Panels of years gone by.  Eliminate the clause for preexisting conditions and you doom a whole class of people to the scrapheap.  Single payer is the way to go, like the Medicare model.  Let's work on that!

The second big Republican agenda item is to reduce the debt by slashing Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security.  What the dummies don't realize, maybe because they get free health care and a lovely pension, is that you and I paid into these funds.  The monies are there for us to use...in fact it is my money.  It's not, strictly speaking, an entitlement.  The real welfare queens are in the House and Senate, working less that 150 days a year for a lovely salary, health benefits and retirement exclusive of what is available to you or I.

What I will propose to you is that we need a flat tax, say 10%.  EVERYBODY PAYS.  No loopholes, no excuses.  This is an idea that dates back to the 19th century, Henry George.  But it is a sound plan. This would pay for infrastructure, pay down the national debt, have universal college and health care.  10% isn't a great deal to me and I would be willing to pay a bigger share as long as The Donald pays his share, without pleading that he is being audited probably because he hasn't paid any taxes in year.  This great patriot who wants to make America great (and regressive) can't seem to pony up his fair share while we, the great unwashed, pay year in and out and get less bang for our buck.

Some days I am upset about the hatred that is Trump and his cesspool has unleashed, like a Pandora's box of hate.  Some days the stupidity of it all weighs the heaviest upon me.  It is time for my self-imposed mourning to end and to begin resisting with all I am worth the agenda being put forward by the Republicans.  Please get a copy of Indivisible. Resistance is not futile.  I am getting my sea legs back.  MSNBC here I come.