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Lot's to cover from last week's events, so let's get right to it. First, the United States opened its embassy in Jerusalem in an area close to the existing Israeli governmental offices while the border with Gaza underwent attacks and violence. The trade war sought by President Trump appears to be petering out while feted negotiations with North Korea appear to be "cooling". On top of this, the Supreme Court all but stomped out the life of ordinary workers to seek a level playing field when seeking redress for employer wrongs and (if that was not enough), we had another mass shooting at a school while our president under investigation for shady campaign activities now proclaims the Justice Department will work solely on his behalf by investigating whether the FBI "improperly" spied upon the campaign.
Seems the president and his advisors admit they have no evidence to suggest any such activity took place, but by raising the issue, Fox news and his supporters decided to "run with it" whether it is another lie from the Liar-In-Chief or not. A lot of "IF's" seem to be enough to blur the separation of the Justice Department from the Executive Department and Conservative supporters short-sightedly see no problem with a president using the institution to investigate his political opponents. Wasn't that enough for the week? And guess what, the games will not end anytime soon!
So let's get right to it. Even though Hamas, the oppressive and ruthless rulers of Gaza publicly planned attacks on Israel's border with Gaza for months, the media (and Hamas) conveniently used moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem as great cover for Hamas' iron-clad and ruthless treatment of its citizens. Except one had nothing to do with the other. How so? As I said, Hamas publicly had been planning the border attacks for months and engaged in the border attacks before the Embassy dedication. Yet, this did nothing to slow down the Left-Wing Media from condemning Trump and Israel for the deaths of "civilians peacefully" protesting their internment in what is frequently referred to as the "Open Air Prison" known as Gaza. When the news reported the deaths of so-called "civilians", those on the Left went insane - hurling anti-Israel slogans and demands. Seems a lot of those on the Far-Left fell for the very same trap they see those on the Far Right fall for - Fake News. Once the "dust cleared", Hamas admitted that over 80% of those "massacred" (favorite word used by the Left) innocents were admittedly active members of Hamas - intent on crossing the border and killing as many Jews as possible. Even the Media admitted its mistake (after the fact) that no women and children or elderly were "slaughtered" at the border. When this evidence was disclosed in the Media, the Left's answer? Crickets. Seems the Left is just as guilty as the Right when it comes to over-reacting to news they find worthy of their angst and when proven wrong, provide neither an apology nor an explanation. We can bet they will now keep their "powder dry" until they hear more against Israel so they can re-engage in their Anti-Israel (and for many Anti-Semitic) rhetoric. (See: www.foxnews.com/world/2018/05/16/hamas-admits-most-killed-in-gaza-violence-were-its-members.html, 12newsonline.com/hamas-admits-most-killed-in-gaza-violence-were-its-members/).
To top this off, headlines in many newspapers took the position that by moving the Embassy to Jerusalem, the United States has shown a bias towards Israel. What? It could just as easily be said that forcing the embassy to remain outside of Jerusalem reveals an actual bias against Israel. Israel has maintained the center of its government in Jerusalem since shortly after Statehood (1959). The Parliament (Knesset) has stood in Jerusalem since the early 1960's in an area of Jerusalem the entire World recognizes as Israel and not subject to negotiation with the Palestinians. (See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knesset). Even Palestinian "demands" (except those of Hamas) have always allowed for the western section of Jerusalem to be Israel's. So why the controversy over moving our Embassy to that area of Jerusalem? It still leaves the opportunity for a US Embassy to be established in the areas the Palestinians demand. Yet Hamas refuses to recognize Israel and the political Left can't seem to see the "forest from the trees" if the news doesn't fit their narratives (profoundly pro-Palestinian). In other words, the Left sees the Palestinians as victims and they are. Except they see them as victims of Israeli policies instead of mistreatment by their heavy-handed rulers (Hamas) who have a Charter calling for the death of Israel (and the elimination of all Jews).
When you ask a Conservative what Trump has accomplished they get tongue-tied, except when it comes to the successful nomination and confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court (while ignoring the fact the GOP abdicated its Constitutional responsibilities by refusing to grant any confirmation hearings for Justice Garland, the man originally nominated to the position by President Obama). Now that the Right-Wing is thrilled with having their man on the High Court, can we look to them to explain his rulings as the "new guy?" I mean, in his recent vote and response to the dissenting minority in the matter of Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, Gorsuch railed for employer rights by establishing that employees not subject to a collective bargaining agreement (not part of a union) can not collectively seek redress for all sorts of wrongs caused by employers. Instead, they must each independently seek redress through arbitration (where the employers control the entire process). In other words, citizens raising complaints against employer wrongdoing must seek redress by themselves, including shouldering the the vast expense of suing a large employer. Guess we can see where Conservatives sit on employee rights? And many Trump supporters approve of this? Far too many continue to vote against their own self-interests. The Court's demand? Congress must address this issue to rectify confusion between conflicting employee-employer statutes. You can bet as long as the GOP controls Congress, this ruling will not be dealt with. I hope Trumplings are proud that they have assisted in making America less great for the working class. (See: www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/epic-systems-corp-v-lewis/).
Once again we all witnessed another mass school shooting and yet we still only hear "thoughts and prayers" from elected officials unwilling to do anything to prevent future shootings. The NRA went so far as to claim guns have nothing to do with the shootings but Ritalin, poor parenting and a loss of morals due to abortion are to be blamed. (See: www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/05/21/things-blamed-for-the-deadly-texas-school-shooting-ritalin-abortion-the-media-schools-and-doors/?utm_term=.94cf780fddff). And the Right Wing media machine and its supporters jumped in line to support "gun rights" guaranteed by the Second Amendment. But what about the rights of those killed and affected by these shootings? Do gun owners perceived Constitutional rights supersede the rights of the innocent to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness?" John Lennon (murdered by a gunman) sarcastically once penned the lyric; "happiness is a warm gun." Now you could use that as the banner for today's NRA and its supporters. Can we at least have a discussion about gun violence? Probably not until the Left stops demonizing legitimate gun owners and those on the Right guided by the NRA realize we as a nation all have a problem and ignoring it clearly is not finding a resolution to it.
And now we have the president, feeling the "heat" of the Mueller investigation demanding the Justice Department "investigate" whether the FBI planted a "spy" in the Trump Campaign for "political purposes." And as predicted in their skewed strategy, the Right jumped all over the claims of the president to justify the claim of a "Deep State" dedicated to ruin Trump's presidency. Except there is NO deep state anything and when the president and his counsel are pressed to provide evidence of such activity, they readily admit there is none (but does it sure play well to their base of supporters). Seems too many on the Right are just as guilty as so many on the Left of embracing bias confirming rhetoric that is more satisfying than actual facts. Who needs to think anymore when it is easier to just "react?" Hear's an idea. How about Trump allow the facts to come out into the open about his campaign instead of challenging every institution and those sworn to uphold the rule of law? If he is so innocent, why the incessant effort to diminish the work of the FBI, the CIA and the DOJ? Witch hunt? Hypocrisy and irony sure seems to fit his demand for blurring the line between Justice Department independence and interference from the president - especially for political purposes. (See: www.nytimes.com/2018/05/21/us/politics/trump-mueller-strategy-russia-inquiry.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news).
And to end this week's blog, have you heard about the mother who ordered a cake for their son celebrating her son's graduating Summa Cum Laude? Seems the Publix Bakery (they do make great cakes), couldn't allow the word "cum" (Latin for "with") to be written on the cake. Seems they felt "uncomfortable" with the word "cum"? And we wonder why our country is so messed up? All I can say to Publix for their obvious mistake -"Res Ipsa Loquitur!" (See: www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/05/22/proud-mom-orders-summa-cum-laude-cake-online-publix-censors-it-to-summa-laude/?utm_term=.d33a7921daef).
So as we head into another week in Trumplandia, allow the words of President Abraham Lincoln to ring clear; "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Try to have a great week!
Seems the president and his advisors admit they have no evidence to suggest any such activity took place, but by raising the issue, Fox news and his supporters decided to "run with it" whether it is another lie from the Liar-In-Chief or not. A lot of "IF's" seem to be enough to blur the separation of the Justice Department from the Executive Department and Conservative supporters short-sightedly see no problem with a president using the institution to investigate his political opponents. Wasn't that enough for the week? And guess what, the games will not end anytime soon!
So let's get right to it. Even though Hamas, the oppressive and ruthless rulers of Gaza publicly planned attacks on Israel's border with Gaza for months, the media (and Hamas) conveniently used moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem as great cover for Hamas' iron-clad and ruthless treatment of its citizens. Except one had nothing to do with the other. How so? As I said, Hamas publicly had been planning the border attacks for months and engaged in the border attacks before the Embassy dedication. Yet, this did nothing to slow down the Left-Wing Media from condemning Trump and Israel for the deaths of "civilians peacefully" protesting their internment in what is frequently referred to as the "Open Air Prison" known as Gaza. When the news reported the deaths of so-called "civilians", those on the Left went insane - hurling anti-Israel slogans and demands. Seems a lot of those on the Far-Left fell for the very same trap they see those on the Far Right fall for - Fake News. Once the "dust cleared", Hamas admitted that over 80% of those "massacred" (favorite word used by the Left) innocents were admittedly active members of Hamas - intent on crossing the border and killing as many Jews as possible. Even the Media admitted its mistake (after the fact) that no women and children or elderly were "slaughtered" at the border. When this evidence was disclosed in the Media, the Left's answer? Crickets. Seems the Left is just as guilty as the Right when it comes to over-reacting to news they find worthy of their angst and when proven wrong, provide neither an apology nor an explanation. We can bet they will now keep their "powder dry" until they hear more against Israel so they can re-engage in their Anti-Israel (and for many Anti-Semitic) rhetoric. (See: www.foxnews.com/world/2018/05/16/hamas-admits-most-killed-in-gaza-violence-were-its-members.html, 12newsonline.com/hamas-admits-most-killed-in-gaza-violence-were-its-members/).
To top this off, headlines in many newspapers took the position that by moving the Embassy to Jerusalem, the United States has shown a bias towards Israel. What? It could just as easily be said that forcing the embassy to remain outside of Jerusalem reveals an actual bias against Israel. Israel has maintained the center of its government in Jerusalem since shortly after Statehood (1959). The Parliament (Knesset) has stood in Jerusalem since the early 1960's in an area of Jerusalem the entire World recognizes as Israel and not subject to negotiation with the Palestinians. (See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knesset). Even Palestinian "demands" (except those of Hamas) have always allowed for the western section of Jerusalem to be Israel's. So why the controversy over moving our Embassy to that area of Jerusalem? It still leaves the opportunity for a US Embassy to be established in the areas the Palestinians demand. Yet Hamas refuses to recognize Israel and the political Left can't seem to see the "forest from the trees" if the news doesn't fit their narratives (profoundly pro-Palestinian). In other words, the Left sees the Palestinians as victims and they are. Except they see them as victims of Israeli policies instead of mistreatment by their heavy-handed rulers (Hamas) who have a Charter calling for the death of Israel (and the elimination of all Jews).
When you ask a Conservative what Trump has accomplished they get tongue-tied, except when it comes to the successful nomination and confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court (while ignoring the fact the GOP abdicated its Constitutional responsibilities by refusing to grant any confirmation hearings for Justice Garland, the man originally nominated to the position by President Obama). Now that the Right-Wing is thrilled with having their man on the High Court, can we look to them to explain his rulings as the "new guy?" I mean, in his recent vote and response to the dissenting minority in the matter of Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, Gorsuch railed for employer rights by establishing that employees not subject to a collective bargaining agreement (not part of a union) can not collectively seek redress for all sorts of wrongs caused by employers. Instead, they must each independently seek redress through arbitration (where the employers control the entire process). In other words, citizens raising complaints against employer wrongdoing must seek redress by themselves, including shouldering the the vast expense of suing a large employer. Guess we can see where Conservatives sit on employee rights? And many Trump supporters approve of this? Far too many continue to vote against their own self-interests. The Court's demand? Congress must address this issue to rectify confusion between conflicting employee-employer statutes. You can bet as long as the GOP controls Congress, this ruling will not be dealt with. I hope Trumplings are proud that they have assisted in making America less great for the working class. (See: www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/epic-systems-corp-v-lewis/).
Once again we all witnessed another mass school shooting and yet we still only hear "thoughts and prayers" from elected officials unwilling to do anything to prevent future shootings. The NRA went so far as to claim guns have nothing to do with the shootings but Ritalin, poor parenting and a loss of morals due to abortion are to be blamed. (See: www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/05/21/things-blamed-for-the-deadly-texas-school-shooting-ritalin-abortion-the-media-schools-and-doors/?utm_term=.94cf780fddff). And the Right Wing media machine and its supporters jumped in line to support "gun rights" guaranteed by the Second Amendment. But what about the rights of those killed and affected by these shootings? Do gun owners perceived Constitutional rights supersede the rights of the innocent to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness?" John Lennon (murdered by a gunman) sarcastically once penned the lyric; "happiness is a warm gun." Now you could use that as the banner for today's NRA and its supporters. Can we at least have a discussion about gun violence? Probably not until the Left stops demonizing legitimate gun owners and those on the Right guided by the NRA realize we as a nation all have a problem and ignoring it clearly is not finding a resolution to it.
And now we have the president, feeling the "heat" of the Mueller investigation demanding the Justice Department "investigate" whether the FBI planted a "spy" in the Trump Campaign for "political purposes." And as predicted in their skewed strategy, the Right jumped all over the claims of the president to justify the claim of a "Deep State" dedicated to ruin Trump's presidency. Except there is NO deep state anything and when the president and his counsel are pressed to provide evidence of such activity, they readily admit there is none (but does it sure play well to their base of supporters). Seems too many on the Right are just as guilty as so many on the Left of embracing bias confirming rhetoric that is more satisfying than actual facts. Who needs to think anymore when it is easier to just "react?" Hear's an idea. How about Trump allow the facts to come out into the open about his campaign instead of challenging every institution and those sworn to uphold the rule of law? If he is so innocent, why the incessant effort to diminish the work of the FBI, the CIA and the DOJ? Witch hunt? Hypocrisy and irony sure seems to fit his demand for blurring the line between Justice Department independence and interference from the president - especially for political purposes. (See: www.nytimes.com/2018/05/21/us/politics/trump-mueller-strategy-russia-inquiry.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news).
And to end this week's blog, have you heard about the mother who ordered a cake for their son celebrating her son's graduating Summa Cum Laude? Seems the Publix Bakery (they do make great cakes), couldn't allow the word "cum" (Latin for "with") to be written on the cake. Seems they felt "uncomfortable" with the word "cum"? And we wonder why our country is so messed up? All I can say to Publix for their obvious mistake -"Res Ipsa Loquitur!" (See: www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/05/22/proud-mom-orders-summa-cum-laude-cake-online-publix-censors-it-to-summa-laude/?utm_term=.d33a7921daef).
So as we head into another week in Trumplandia, allow the words of President Abraham Lincoln to ring clear; "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Try to have a great week!
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