The Paper Tiger King

The dog whistles turn into bugle calls as the beat towards Civil War goes on. Trump’s bellows to liberate Democrat controlled states but the latest attempt. All Americans must understand who Trump is and what we as a nation and the vast majority of our citizenry are up against. We must come to grips that Trump has never been more than the paper tiger king in this battle. The Joe Exotic of American politics propped up by a supporting cast of deplorable characters.

Trump of course is the perfect rube. A literal caricature of every villain of every film ever made. A billionaire product of affluent affirmative action who sells himself as a man of the people. A self proclaimed tycoon who was placed directly at the top of the business pyramid. Never understanding what it means to actually lead. To advance on merit, not name. Able to skip the lessons of middle management, the art of empathy, humility, accountability and communication. A genius only in his own mind who was so poor at business he literally bankrupted both casinos and real estate conglomerates at the height of the economy. In every way the opposite of a man who embodies the original American dream.

As if it wasn’t obvious before, Trump’s lack of response to the global pandemic that is the Coronavirus has stripped the emperor of all remaining undergarments to expose that Donald Trump is a man of flawed character. The embodiment of the 21st century American dream. A child of the 1% with no discernible talent, skills or virtue beyond that of self promotion. A self aggrandizing narcissistic sycophant with an unhealthy obsession for celebrity and fame. A self hating man child who overcompensates for his shortcomings by bullying, intimidating and surrounding himself with “yes men.”

A man in constant need of validation because deep down he fears he will never live up to daddy’s expectations, never be truly loved. A man with an ego so fragile he can’t deal with dissent or opposition. Who spent a lifetime avoiding accountability and consequences by silencing critics with bribes, quid pro quos and empty promises. Who justifies his deplorable behavior through incredible displays of cognitive dissonance; scapegoating, and otherwise shifting blame to the underprivileged, the disenfranchised, and those less able to defend themselves.

Like most bullies our so called President stands for nothing. He is driven by vengeance, looking only for the next score to settle, fight to win. All he knows is how to marginalize, belittle, conflate, de-legitimize and, when necessary, squash dissent and opposition. Each evening press conference allows him to continue to present alternative facts, only now without the alternatives. Lies then become truth, and perception reality.

Donald Trump is not the cause of America’s ails. He is simply its most recognizable symptom. A permanent oligarchy hides behind this act and is being erected under our noses. Each day we report on his words we help spread the poison and not only does the body count rise but we choke what little life remains of our system of checks and balances.

A Confederacy Of Hate

A confederacy of hate and white supremacy exists in America and within our most sacred institutions. They hide behind the cloak of religion or patriotism to prey on minorities, the underprivileged and those who dare challenge their superiority. They rely on conspiracy theory, fear and alternative facts to connect with constituents who previously sat on the fringe of society and lacked a mainstream voice.

This caravan of deplorables use tried and true methods of organized dogma, scape goating, propaganda and slogan to radicalize new members. They encourage recruits to arm themselves with military grade arsenals and practically dare them to try out their new toys on the deep state, disenfranchised minorities and radical liberals who seek to prevent their ascension.

The time has come for all Americans to protect their standing in the world. To make clear that this group of radical domestic terrorists do not define this great nation or her people. We are the land of the free and home of the brave. Let’s act it.

We cannot wait for a far off Election Day. The constitutional cris is here. The time has come to reconcile America’s identity crisis. To call out and differentiate the majority of us from those who now seek to define our values. Who wish to hit a pause on the progress button and redefine a once great nation’s dreams and ideals.

Crisis Leadership

As anger spills into the streets and protests erupt over racial injustice and systemic racism that corrodes the American dream the importance of strong leadership is magnified. It’s no surprise but in times of crisis constituents look to their leaders not only for solutions but for a clear message. They rally around flag, extend trust and offer approval even when it may not have existed beforehand. They tune in and long to hear transparent communication that transcends party lines.

A key element of crisis leadership is to offer a clear message that reinforces a sense of safety and security in the listener. It lets them know that the sacrifice they feel today is temporary; that there is a better tomorrow on the horizon. Words are carefully chosen with themes and sound bites to convey confidence that there is a clear plan forward, a light at the end of the tunnel for all to see. Without that, chaos ensues and institutions crumble.

Good leaders inherently understand the need for reassurance in times of crisis. They avoid sarcasm and conjecture during such times. Unfortunately it comes as no surprise that our current Commander in Chief is incapable of such. He is in every way the opposite of a transcendent leader capable of rallying a diverse nation through times of crisis. His agenda extends no farther than his own bedroom mirror and the sycophants who cheer him on.

Our country has been tested countless times before. In those moments both Republicans and Democrats have used their bully pulpit to successfully guide this nation through the turbulence. They did so by adhering to basic leadership principles. To a man (they all had that in common too) each leader embraced the following during such times,

They do not think perception is reality. They rely on facts, science and logic to shape perception to match reality.

They emphasize collaboration and inclusiveness. They do not fear diversity. They embrace it.

They do not suppress feedback, free speech or dissent. They open their doors, listen and learn from it.

They do not finger point or deny accountability for their decisions. They own their choices and know the buck stops with them. Always.

They do not act a prisoner of circumstance or scream about how unfair life is. They innovate and experiment with new paradigms to limit or remove obstacles.

They do not view empathy as a weakness, but as a strength.

They do not bully. They nurture.

They do not ostracize, belittle, or build walls. They instill confidence, promote commonalities, break barriers and build bridges.

They do not rule by negativity and fear. They grow consensus through transparency and hope.

They do not surround themselves with “yes men” and seek to be the smartest person in the room. They challenge themselves with diversity and grow through failure.

In the course of history there have been countless examples of leaders who chose to rule otherwise. Who ruled through fear mongering, authoritarian accountability and slogans. Who preyed on the weakness of the disenfranchised to promote their own agenda. Who sent out thinly veiled code and dog whistles to call upon the deplorables of society to do their dirty work.

But riddle me this? Has such a leader ever been on the right side of history? Have they ever progressed our collective interests? Brought us closer to that more perfect union our founders dreamed of?

The answer, I fear is obvious.

Patriot or Deplorable

There are not “many sides” to America. You either believe we are a nation in which all men, regardless of race, gender, religion or national origin are free and equal, or you don’t. You either believe in the Bill of Rights that put the great American experiment in motion, or you don’t. You either believe in “we, the people” and all the freedoms that follow are bestowed on ALL Americans, or you don’t. You’re either a patriot or deplorable.

That’s right. Those who chastised HRC for placing the label “deplorable” on Trump supporters pay attention today. These are the people Donald Trump spoke to today. The dregs of society who play victim and whine that life handed them a tough break because America has progressed enough to where you actually have to compete with overqualified minorities and women in life. The wife beaters, alcoholics, small dicked pistol packing mouth breathers who think the color of their skin grant them special privilege in life. To hell with the words of our founding fathers! Hillary Clinton knew who our so called President is and she tried to warn you.

That said I still believe most of us, regardless of political party, stand on the right side of the battles that lay ahead. That most believe in the ideals this country stands for and understand its great history. That we unequivocally condemn white nationalists, police brutality and systemic racism.

The majority of us recognize how we came to be the most powerful nation in the world. We take pride in the knowledge that America IS a great melting pot. That diversity IS the American identity. We can’t change that anymore than a tiger can change its stripes. A list of all the great contributions immigrants, refugees, and minorities have made to this country would dwarf a list of their misdeeds a million times over. Americans are waking. We know who we are. And we like it that way.

Those who continue to support our current POTUS understand this. All you are doing is publicly identifying yourself as a dinosaur. Painting a scarlet letter on your sleeve that your way of thinking and very belief system will soon be relegated to the history books. Think carefully about your next move.

Whatever your choice, know this. We are the majority and will act as such! We will not be divided or tore down. We will continue to protest and resist hate. We will not be silenced or ignored. We will continue to engage and speak out against false equivalents. We will not be intimidated or bullied. We will remain active but peaceful. We will not be stilled or marginalized. We will demand transparency, justice and accountability.

Dinosaurs fight hardest the nearer to extinction they are, but make no mistake. The war is won. Progress is perpetual and by definition it doesn’t include the word “again!” It knows but one direction #Forward

Empathy Lost

My heart aches for George Floyd and the minority community in this country. Empathy is not supposed to a political trait, but a human one. Yet here we stand in the year 2020 and it is clear that the greatest difference between progressives and conservative lay not in policy but in the ability to empathize with all humanity.

In brief progressives lead and respond to crisis and events with a “what if that was my child” approach while our conservative minded brethren respond to each crisis with a “that would never be my child” mindset. It has evolved to the point where such philosophy extends beyond the individual and is now institutionalized. Our police, judicial system, military, education and economic institutions have all been hardwired to discriminate first. They withhold trust from those most in need of a helping hand. They require the victims of society prove their worthiness first before they extend the compassion and freedoms that all members of humanity are inherently entitled to enjoy.

This is not the America our founders envisioned. The prejudices of their day were real and borne of ignorance and hate. It also fueled the experiment in self governance and social justice they set in motion 250 years ago. By now it was meant to evolve to erase the sins of our ancestors and create a land where all men and women were afforded equal opportunity regardless of skin color, gender or national origin.

Of course some progress has been made in this area but that one national party still exists that fans the fuel of hate is inexcusable. That they fan the flames of hate with false equivalents, stereotypes and outright lies a stain on our Republic. How can our Black men and women trust a society that so clearly does not trust them? That turns a blind eye to the institutionalized ignorance and prejudice that they are forced to endure? How do we move forward when our leaders refuse to face reality? As they knowingly fail to confront and drain the swamp of these small minded men and women who seek nothing more than an extension of the status quo in which the white Christian male reigns supreme?

As a nation we are only as strong as our weakest link. It is shameful but we truly have become a country of deplorables.

The Summer of Discontent

The summer of our discontent is upon us and Deplorable Donald is leading the charge. Our country is being ripped apart at the seams. Torn asunder by a so called President who finds security in the chaos and division he stokes.

To Trump’s credit he’s been quite transparent all along. Review his twitter feed from a different perspective and it almost reads as if it is both a self confession to treason and a whistleblower report (the good kind). In many conversations from “Russia, if you’re listening” right up to his present day cries of “Obamagate!” Trump openly flaunts his treasonous behavior for all to see. It’s what makes his threats to shoot unarmed protestors, shut down social media and cries of a coup, and accusations of deep state treason so dangerous.

When you see the completed puzzle you realize that these are not random pieces, projections or the rants and raves of a lunatic. Trump’s words are more than empty threats, but part of a greater design. They are the culmination of the best laid plans. Years of careful planning and coordinated efforts by those who do not hold America’s best interests at heart.

Enemies both foreign and domestic whose agendas and values do not thrive in a representative republic such as that envisioned by our founding fathers. The consolidation of God before country Raptureheads, Russia enabled military hawks and the racist status quo dependent deplorables all under the GOP big tent. Donald Trump nothing more than a golden calf to shepherd the message; a Trojan horse in which to deliver the troops and a Midas god to deliver the gold to his puppeteers.

Trump made his fortune as a CEO and reality show producer. Effective messaging and storytelling are two areas he actually does well. This attempt to divide America is no accident. Trump knows an indictment awaits his return to civilian life. His best hope to avoid prosecution is to hide behind the shield of executive immunity. To use the resources of the 1%, the blind faith of the Raptureheads and the insecurity driven hate filled strength of the deplorables to silence public dissent and suppress any efforts to otherwise remove him from office.

He seeks their approval and blindly advances their agenda with no questions asked. After all what’s a few dog whistles, conspiracy theory shout outs, executive orders and race baiting tweets in exchange for a loyalty oath from the majority of this nation’s gun owners, billionaires and private militias.

Even a domesticated dog’s behavior grows unpredictable when they sense the end is near. This isn’t a political fight, it’s a moral one. Brace yourself for the storms to come

Violence Is Not The Answer

“Violence is not the answer.” The safe and typical common ground that both supporters of the protests and supporters of the status quo spout off in their media interviews.

They’re right off course, violence does beget violence.

When our uniformed officers use excessive force and act with apparent disregard for black lives, it begets violence.

When racist vigilantes shoot first and ask questions later, it begets violence.

When laws are enacted that excuse those who “stand their ground” for reasons borne of ignorance and hate, it begets violence.

When unarmed children are systematically caged and forcibly removed from their guardians, it begets violence.

When minority fathers are disproportionately cuffed and sentenced to multiple years in prison for victimless crimes, it begets violence.

The problem with the statement “violence is not the answer” is not that it’s incorrect, but that it is only used reactively to condemn the victims of violence instead of the perpetrators. It’s utterance the very essence of systemic racism. We need every police academy, every uniformed officer, every teacher, judge and elected official to be trained in this simple concept from the day they enter their desired vocation.

The fires in our streets today are not being fueled by protestors but by systemic ignorance and lack of training. The vast majority of European officers do not carry lethal force weapons on them for a reason. They are trained in non-violent deescalation and apprehension techniques first.

Violence is not the answer but save those empty words and condemnations for the perpetrators of that violence. Until then this country can expect to continue to see nights of violent unrest.

Recipe for Disaster

Chaos and division; exactly what Trump seeks. This is a recipe for disaster. Deranged Donald will continue to stir the pot until all of our nation’s frustrations boil to the surface and martial law rules the day. He senses the opportunity to declare yet another national emergency that will suspend our representative democracy as we know it. The transformation of the American dream into a nightmare near complete.

Trump’s success means everything to him. His sole source of validation that he’d do anything to protect. He’s still under multiple investigations for various financial crimes that include laundering oligarch money. He knows this and also knows that a criminal indictment awaits his return to civilian life. Perhaps the same fate as one Jeffery Epstein not far beyond. His only shield from prosecution the executive immunity offered by the Oval Office.

Is it really far fetched to believe he wouldn’t do anything to protect that reputation? Safeguard his freedom? Never in the history of this country has an incumbent President been so unpopular. The truth is Electoral College or not he will lose a national popular vote by MILLIONS to most any candidate. His chances of re-election in a free and fair vote are slim to none. In other words, Trump has no desire to leave office and will most likely take whatever means necessary to ensure that won’t be the case.

We must not allow our Divider in Chief to shape these protests, this rebellion, to be perceived as a race war. Racial injustice may have been the righteous spark that ignited the movement, but the anger and frustration which fuels the unrest runs beyond.

Scan the crowd. Look at the scenes unfold and you’ll see a cross section of our populance engaged. A nation tired of the systemic and institutionalized injustice that belies our constitutional ideals and suppresses the inalienable rights of all our citizenry.

This is not a racial fight. It’s a moral one.

The New American Exceptionalism

Another day, another tantrum by our emotionally stunted so called President. It’s a disgrace that the leader of the free world is incapable of shame or empathy but at this point it shouldn’t be a surprise. He’s proven this to be character throughout his entire life. It is no longer breaking news.

People are dying by the tens of thousands. The number of dead Americans more than those who perished on 9/11 and our past three wars combined. To expect Trump to suddenly turn self introspective and wonder what he could do differently to stem the tide is a pipe dream. It will not happen. His brain is hardwired to deflect, scapegoat and perform acrobatic feats of cognitive dissonance that enable him to project his own shortcomings on perceived enemies.

We are an ocean away from China. We are the richest most advanced nation on the planet. Early detection and controls are the keys to prevent a pandemic yet multiple Senators chose to prioritize stock sales over ramped up testing or the implementation of safeguards that would have mitigated the risk of the virus’ spread on US soil. These things are not coincidence.

Trump and his caravan of criminal conspirators and cult like enablers don’t give a shit. They prop him up on stage just to spew stream of conscious crap so that morons on the right will believe he’s trying to solve a crisis while simultaneously distracting those in the media and from the far left from discussing the only thing that is worth discussing. The fact that our President and his cronies have blood on their hand. That rather than prepare for a pandemic they removed early detection protocols and rolled out a welcome mat allowing it to enter America’s shores.

Look around the world and behold the new American exceptionalism. Exceptional at failing to protect our citizens from this pandemic’s deadly grip. Exceptional at ignoring scientific conclusion and best practices to stem its spread. Exceptional at prioritizing greed, party and profits over people and basic human rights.

Hope in Crisis

Donald Trump finds job security in the chaos and divisions he stokes. Our country is being ripped apart at the seams. Torn asunder by anger and rage. In the presence of fear people need hope to light the way.

Where is our RFK who on the eve of the horrific assassination of MLK Jr addressed the crowds with words of empathy, understanding and reassurance? Compare the words below with those tweeted tonight by our so called President and ask yourself, “is this what it means to be great again?”

Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. He died in the cause of that effort. In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it’s perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in. For those of you who are black — considering the evidence evidently is that there were white people who were responsible — you can be filled with bitterness, and with hatred, and a desire for revenge.

We can move in that direction as a country, in greater polarization — black people amongst blacks, and white amongst whites, filled with hatred toward one another. Or we can make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand, and to comprehend, and replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand, compassion, and love…

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.

So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King — yeah, it’s true — but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love — a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke.

We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times. We’ve had difficult times in the past, but we — and we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; and it’s not the end of disorder.

But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land….. -RFK, April 4,1968