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Main Stream Media Still Does Not Know What to Make of Bernie and Trump

7/17/2016

The dissociative personality disorder of the Main Stream Media (MSM) is apparent in the dual memes now being pushed by it. On the one hand, the MSM has pushed the notion Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders represent the same anger and rejection of the establishment among voters and owe the success they have achieved to that anger and rejection.
On the other hand, some elements of the MSM media seem to have delighted in pronouncing the failure of Bernie’s Progressive Movement. At the same time, other elements of the MSM express some bemusement that Trump is now leading or tied in several swing states. If Bernie’s Progressive Movement was fueled by same ingredients as Trump, then how can Trump be a success while the Progressive Movement is a failure?

Media Ignores Rape Charges against Donald Trump Like It Initially Ignored Bill Cosby Rape Charges

7/12/2016

Another lawsuit has been brought against Donald Trump, this time by a woman who claims that she was raped multiple times by Trump when she was thirteen years old. While it is certainly possible for frivolous law suits to be filed, according to attorney Lisa Bloom (Huffington Post, 6/29/2016), this one has two characteristics that warrant serious consideration. First, two other rape accusations have been made against Trump, although in both cases, settlements seems to have been reached, precluding other legal actions. Second, Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted pedophile billionaire and friend of Trump, whose party planner was responsible for procuring adolescent girls for Mr. Epstein, witnessed the rape by Trump.

Regardless of whether Trump is guilty of these charges, the Main Stream Media has decided to be extremely circumspect in reporting the law suit. It is, however, reminiscent of the media’s reluctance to report on the charges of rape made by Bill Cosby’s victims. In the Trump case, is it because it is so unlikely that the charges are true, and thus, do not warrant widespread reporting or is it to keep the Trump campaign competitive against Hillary Clinton? This case will not be tried until after the Presidential election.

Hillary Needs Joe Biden to Refute James Comey’s Negative Opinions about Her

7/12/2016

The Director of the FBI, James Comey, recommended against indicting Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information. While explaining the reasons for this recommendation—contrary to Department of Justice procedure — Mr. Comey decided to characterize Ms. Clinton’s legal behavior in various derogatory ways. Comey said that Ms. Clinton’s handling of classified information was extremely careless and she should have known when information was classified even if it was not marked as classified. Three of Ms. Clinton’s some 30,000 emails were marked as classified; at least 2 of those emails were not classified and the third was not correctly marked as classified. Other State Department employees may have sent Ms. Clinton classified information, even if it was incorrectly marked; Ms. Clinton would have had no way of knowing it. According to Comey, the security culture State Department was “lacking in the kind of care found elsewhere in the government.” Perhaps, Mr. Comey does not understand what kind of security is needed and appropriate for the State Department.

Comey’s opinion that Ms. Clinton did not commit a crime was based on legal standards; his opinion about the rectitude of Ms. Clinton’s legal behavior was not based on any consensual standard. Comey’s questionable and unprecedented assault on the Democratic Presidential candidate must be answered by the party to prevent the outcome of this election from being affected and ensure the administration is not considered soiled. Despite the Main Stream Media’s (MSM) confusion about Comey’s charges and whether they conflicted with what Hillary claimed about her use of private email, much of what Comey said can be refuted. These charges need to be refuted, but Ms. Clinton is not in a position to do it. The most suitable surrogate to combat this assault if Vice President Joe Biden.

The Political Establishment Should Disavow Armed Militias

7/12/2016

The Dallas sniper, Micah Johnson, who killed 5 law enforcement officers and wounded 7 others, was ideologically tied to the militia movement. While none of the Main Stream Media’s (MSM) narratives about Johnson acknowledge this connection it is based on two incontrovertible facts. First, the militia movement holds that when the government acts to tyrannically oppress the people, citizens have the right to use armed force to overthrow it. The act of overthrowing the government would inevitably involve killing police officers who are agents of the government.

Second, a national referendum about whether the government is acting in a tyrannical way will not be held. Instead, one or two guys sitting around with beers will decide that the time has come for insurrection. The rest of us will get the word when the insurrectionists commit some heinous act. In Dallas Johnson concluded that it was time for him to act. In Nevada Cliven Bundy decided it was time to act; in Oregon, his son, Ammon, decided it was time to act. Fortunately, no lives were lost in either of these incidents, although the possibility of violence was rife. It is time for politicians, ex-politicians, and MSM to disavow the militia movement and take robust steps to ensure that their possession of firearms does not lead to further loss of life.

Trump Needs a Vice Presidential Pick To Bring Him Money

7/5/2016

The Main Stream Media has gone to great lengths to point out that Donald Trump is having trouble raising money for his campaign. The usual wealthy Republican donors suspect that contributing to the Trump for President Campaign would be throwing their money away.

Unfortunately, but as usual, the Main Stream Media fails to connect the dots as they speculate about who Trump will select as his running mate. Newt Gingrich is a favorite of multi-billionaire Sheldon Adelson. Selecting Gingrich for his running mate will help Trump raise money.

Trade Deals and Trade Adjustment Assistance

7/5/2016

The discussion of Brexit has focused on globalization, immigration, and working class anger. What has been missing from the discussion is the political decision to invoke austerity and services like the National Health Service on which the working class rely.

Similarly, in the U.S. discussions of the role of trade deals in decimating the middle class has omitted the feebleness of any measures to mitigate the negative effects of those trade deals. Trade adjustment assistance was always supposed to be a part of these trade deals, but have generally been referred to as “feeble” at best. The level and need for trade adjustment assistance is a political decision; it need not have been feeble.

Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch - Plan or Coincidence?

7/5/2016

A fortuitous side effect of Bill Clinton inappropriately talking to Attorney General Loretta Lynch aboard her plane is that she had to distance herself from the decision not to prosecute Hillary Clinton for conducting State Department business on her private email. As a result FBI Director James Comey, a conservative favorite, will have to take their criticism, not Lynch or even President Obama. Was this outcome simply luck or planning?

A Closer Look at the US Debt

7/5/2016

Criticizing the size of the U.S. debt, now at about $19 trillion, and lamenting over the consequences of a debt for future generations has become standard practice for conservatives and the Main Stream Media (MSM). A standard rightwing gibe has been the Chinese invading the U.S. by lending money rather than landing boats.

No one, including the MSM, mentions that more than two-thirds of the national debt is held by the U.S. and most of the remaining one-third is held by countries other than China, including our allies. The two-thirds held by the U.S., and arguably the entire $19 trillion, provides stability for the global economic system. For example, some of the debt is held by individuals in the form of treasury bonds. If treasury bonds were not available, then individuals would have to put their money somewhere else, presumably at greater risk.

The question then becomes, why future generations would benefit from a world with a riskier financial system.

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