There Is a Disturbed Man in the White House

3/8/2018

The General gets it

I was going to write about a heinous new development in baseball -- but other events intruded.

As the Mueller investigation demands records from the Trump business, and the porno queen heads to court, the President shows signs of unraveling.
In his pull-the-wings-off-flies mode, Trump had his garden-gnome Attorney General dismiss an FBI official just before his pension was official.

On Friday evening, the retired general Barry McCaffrey issued a statement that Trump is a “serious threat to US national security.”

Gen. McCaffrey fought in Vietnam, whatever we think of that war; Trump had spurious bone spurs. McCaffrey was later the so-called drug czar for the federal government, which is how I came to value his knowledge.

So instead of writing about baseball, I am placing this note atop my recent posting because the ongoing comments are fascinating – from the Panglossian to the dystopian.

I think it is important and life-affirming to be able to spot danger. Gen. McCaffrey has it. The majority members of Congress seem to have lost that ability.

Meanwhile, Trump’s Russian pals keep pummeling the soft midsection of the U.S. while the President tweets and fires people long-distance, the coward.

These mugs don't get it

(This was my previous posting; comments ongoing.)

I haven’t posted anything in 12 days.
Been busy. One thing after another.

On Wednesday I stayed with the Mets-Yankees exhibition from Florida, even when people I never heard of were hitting home runs off people who won’t be around on opening day.

But it was baseball, and really, in ugly times like this, isn't that what matters?

Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling were going on delightful tangents after Darling said Kevin Mitchell had just emailed him.

Kevin Mitchell – the guy the front office blamed for leading poor Doc Gooden and poor Daryl Strawberry astray? That guy. Terrible trade, Hernandez said.

Ron and Keith meandered into tales of a nasty fight in Pittsburgh, started by my friend Bill Robinson, the first-base coach.

The broadcasters recalled how Mitchell was destroying some Pirate, and both teams had to stop their usual jostling and flailing to save a life. The good old days.

I loved the filibustering about 1986. The best impression I took from the three hours was the sight of Juan Lagares playing the sun, the wind and the ball with knowledge, grace, speed and touch.

“That’s a real center fielder!” I blurted.

Curt Flood. Paul Blair. Andruw Jones. Dare I say it, Willie Mays?
Baseball. I was happy.
              *                       *                   *
I need to write something but I keep getting distracted.

I turn on the tube and think I see a traffic cam of an addled old man trying to cross Queens Boulevard -- the 300-foot-wideBoulevard of Death -- in my home borough of Queens.

Is he carrying a baby as he lurches across 10 lanes of danger?

The wind picks up. His comb-over flies up.
Wait, that’s not any addled old man from Queens.

What’s he carrying?
It’s not a baby. He’s got the whole world in his hands.
I watch with morbid fascination as he lumbers into danger.
                  *                    *                   *
I need to write something but I keep getting distracted.

We’ve had two March snowstorms in a week. On Wednesday we lost power for five hours but my wife made instant coffee via the gas stove, and put together a nice supper, and we listened to the news on a battery-operated radio and then we found Victoria de los Angeles and “Songs Of the Auvergne," one of the most beautiful recordings we know.

The juice went on in time for us to catch up with latest news about the porno queen and the Leader of the Free World.

Gee, we didn’t have scandals like this with George W. Bush or Barack Obama.
I watched for hours.
*                *           *
I need to write something but I keep reading instead.

My old Hofstra friend, basketball star Ted Jackson, recommended I read “Blood at the Root: A Racial Cleansing in America,” by Patrick Phillips about rape charges and lynching and the forced exodus of blacks from Forsyth County, Ga., in 1912.

As it happens, I have relatives, including some of color, who live just south of that county, now re-integrated in the northward sprawl of Atlanta.

The denizens of that county in 1912 sound like the great grand-parents of the “very fine people” who flocked to Charlottesville last summer. It never goes away, does it?
*                    *             *
I need to write something but I keep following the news.

At the White House press briefing Wednesday, Sarah Huckabee Sanders spat out, with her usual contempt, the little nugget that the President had won a very, very big arbitration hearing involving the porno queen and $130,000 the President's lawyer shelled out from the goodness of his heart.

Oops, the jackals of the press did not know about that. Thanks to Sanders, now they do. I got the feeling Sanders might be leaving on the midnight train for Arkansas.

I envision Sanders trying to hail a ride on Pennsylvania Ave. but a stylish woman with a teen-age boy in tow beats her to the cab.

That woman is leaving on the midnight plane for Slovenia.
                                 *                   *           *
I need to write something, but stuff keeps happening.

Brian Savin

3/8/2018 07:53:47 pm

Thanks so much, George, for reminding us that spring training has begun and for those of us able to make sure we see the games I’m the Mets network.

I’m also terribly sad to see you are still bottom fishing for irrationally negative things to say about our President. Give it up. He’s doing a brilliant job. Today he gave hope to the half of our population living in poverty.

Best
Brian

bruce

3/9/2018 01:08:37 am

brian,

i've almost convinced myself you're funnin' us when you post trump adulation.

the last time when i cited the us trade representative figures--they're the keeper of american guvmint trade with other countries--you responded as if you hadn't read or understood it.

said something similar to believing bogus numbers or they were from the canadian government or some nonsense.

i repeat again. the AMERICAN government stats say canada was $12,000,000,000+ in the hole with the usa.

canada is, it seems, the largest exporter of steel to the usa. however, the usa exports more steel to the north than canada does to the south.

i guess the canada should've gone to the wto or started the appeal process thru nafta.

you, and your boy trump, seem to be fact fallacious.

do you believe unless the usa has a trade surplus that it's being brutalized by some bully?

what about canada and the 100 or so countries--or so i read--that have trade deficits with the usa?

trump lies about his business, about cheating on his wiveS, about politics, his policies, in the face of cold hard facts hitting him in the face from his own aides or stats, if he's caught on tape lying or says something in an interview--he just denies he said what he said.

if the trade war really happens do you think the 'folks' you mention won't be the hardest hit by tariffs.

finally, do you remember what happened when bush2 tried tariffs in 1992. after being pummeled he decided he'd had enough and yielded in 1993.

i'm a reasonable person so i will agree with you that it's nice spring training is here and the regular season starts in three weeks or so.

bruce

George Vecsey

3/9/2018 08:42:03 am

Hey, Brian, good to hear from you. Don't be terribly sad.,
You don't think deviousness about an affair is a serious character flaw?

Plus, I didn't mention the growing evidence of Russia connections, Trump's financial problems, the emptying out of the White House and the Mueller investigation.

I missed the part about half the population living in poverty. Trump exists to make money for himself and for the Wilburs and Mnuchins and Devoses of the world. That makes me terribly sad.
GV

Brian Savin

3/9/2018 09:02:03 am

This morning the jobs report was issued and the numbers are spectacular. Strong manufacturing and retail job growth, and across the board. What’s most important was that the numbers aren’t explainable unless one understands that workers have come out of the woodwork. In other words there has been a reawakening stirring among the many who have dropped out of the workforce and thus out of statistics. Honest (I.e. non political) analysts have put the non participation rate among 25-54 year old males as much as 40%. Black unemployment has again declined to another record low. My observation is that the “Bubble People” who live outside the reality of America today are declining in numbers and we are beginning to have substantive discussion again about the issues that truly are important. Lin’s way still to go.
Best
Brian

bruce

3/9/2018 09:02:47 am

George,

i expect el trumpo to be holding up an agreement with north korea and yelling 'it's peace in our time'.

and saying, 'that's the first time anybody has ever said that'.....

it should just be enough to ensure his re-election.

only impeachment or Melania disembowelling him could stop it from happening.

unless her pre-nup allows the greatest potus in history to filander (as he might spell it) any old time.

bruce

Mendel

3/8/2018 10:35:47 pm

There you are, George. I was starting to worry.

bruce

3/9/2018 12:51:21 am

mendel,

it's known as the universe is unfolding as it should.

i commented, but for some reason, i couldn't post my original response.

bruce

bruce

3/9/2018 09:24:15 am

brian,

so your point is that if the job numbers are good that trump's behaviour is acceptable?

the sleazy personal life, lying non stop, bullying, belittling, cheating in business and on his wives is all ok.

if trump goes thru with his tariff nonsense, it'll be interesting to see if the figures change.

did you happen to notice that it's the 89th consecutive month for job growth.

seems to have started under the previous guy in office. the man who trump lied about and disparaged about his nonsense about bugging the trump, about being born in kenya and more.

the man who didn't have a whiff of scandal professionally or in his personal life.

bruce

Ed Martin

3/13/2018 03:18:09 pm

Brian, I’m with Bruce. In 2008-2009 unemployment peaked and market bottomed, both after many years. Beginning in 2009 And that trend has continued. The same is true for the Dow. It seems fair to say that the current administration has allowed that growth to continue, although conservative and more liberal economists fear tariffs may end both, we shall see. Tariffs are already being walked back by WH. One last question, did you write complimenting President Obama for that job, market growth, I don’t recall?

bruce

3/13/2018 04:10:06 pm

ed,

re your last sentence.

we musta missed it.

bruce

Brian Savin

3/13/2018 08:32:15 pm

Dear Ed and Bruce,

When I tell you something is a fact, you can depend upon it.

I do not do other people's homework for them, but I will tell you that I would be terribly embarrassed to regurgitate the nonsense you two have baselessly opined. Boys, do your homework on the subject of non participants in American employment statistics. Even many of the Obama economic apologists have had to admit there is an issue that seems to indicate a huge number of nonparticipants coming back into the statistics out of "nowhere." That means we are far worse off as a country than the Obama apologists would have had us believe while he was in office.

This is not a political forum. My frustration is with George, and it is personal, because I have read and appreciated, and learned from him since I was a young adult.

My political comments are not for you; I want to communicate as best I can with George within proper bounds given that this is his blog but it is also public and requires honest rebuttal.

If you guys want to participate in arguing with me, then you better take the time to learn what you want to talk about. Sorry, but forgive me.

Brian

bruce

3/15/2018 09:50:56 am

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/15/donald-trump-admits-made-up-facts-justin-trudeau

bruce

3/13/2018 08:52:23 pm

dear brian,

well, nice try, but you still haven't answered my question about the stats from the official site for American trade with other countries.

nor did you respond when i asked why you talked about propaganda--or words to that affect--about getting my trade info from Canadian figures.

and i'm not an Obama apologist.

i'm from the great white north and Obama's positions, especially in his first term, placed him firmly as a right winger--pro capital punishment, anti gay marriage, pro gun and, by my country's terms, wearing his religion on his sleeve.

hardly a godless socialist.

if you're writing for George, you'd better find a more private way because you're posting on a public forum.

your blind support for trump--no matter how often he lies, misleads, bullies, behaves in a revoltingly classless and coarse manner, sexually assaults women, talks in ways about his oldest daughter that are disgusting--well what can explain it?

bruce

George Vecsey

3/14/2018 08:51:52 am

boyz, boyz, boyz.
I enjoy reading all this, tired as I am from staying up way beyond my bedtime watching the results from western PA.
I cannot process the economic claims. Economics are not my strong point (under-statement, my wife would say.) I only know that Ed, Bruce and Brian are all smart people who know stuff.
But this I know: there is a disturbed human being in the White House. He is dangerous because he is so damaged and so malicious and so ignorant. He is lashing out, even getting rid of an Eagle Scout who began to get a glimmer of world reality outside the Exxon bubble -- and was fired for acting like a relatively sane and intelligent adult.
Trump is out of control. His 75-minute rant probably cost that schlub from western PA the election. That much I know. Best, GV

sam Toperoff

3/15/2018 03:53:43 am

This seems like an appropriate time to share why I remain so interested in George Vecsey's blog. I've lived in a land across the ocean for the last seven years. It's become my home.
America has allowed me to have much of what I have, especially my G.I. Bill education, which in turn has created a great many other successes. So I'm deeply grateful to America; I don't believe, however, that I will ever return.
I read this blog daily to try to understand, without a media filter, what is happening and has happened there, culturally, psychologically and politically. The most helpful contributor to my understanding is Brian Savin.
I believe that if I can understand what motivates and informs him, I might discover something in the newly revealed American psyche I might discover something in the American psyche that would tell me why the country has taken the turn it has. A committed supporter of the President is stereotypically presented as an embattled, resentful and poorly educated. Mr.Savin is clearly no such person. He is obviously well educated and as privileged as George and I and some others on the blog have been. As a result, I believe that if I can ever comprehend what motivated him, I might be able to understand America's incomprehensible and seemingly irrational turn.
My reading of Savin's motive and objective thus far is sketchy. Clearly, he is a contrarian by nature, perhaps even a provocateur, but in many ways, so am I, and those qualities wouldn't fully explain my politics either. But even my own contrariness would never allow me to support at every single turn anyone who was so obviously gross and cruel and unstable as Savin's champion. So there must be something more at work.
I feel from my distant perspective that something's up in America that I cannot understand and that Savin somehow holds the key to that understanding, something I cannot find in conventional media analysis. So each morning I wake up and go on line and check currency rates; I see how my team is doing, bring up this blog and hope that Savin has something to contribute. Maybe, just maybe, if I can pick up a clue here, a trace of something there, I can extrapolate a core native American philosophy that tells me more truly what has happened to the country I once served in wartime. For I truly would like to understand. Not for myself, for America has, as an immigrant ballplayer once said, been berry, berry good to me. But for my grandchildren, just in case they would ever like to return some day.

Ed Martin

3/15/2018 11:12:23 am

Amomg the reasons I read GV, first is I admire him as a human being with wonderful humanistic values, intelligent—and a Brooklyn Dodger fan, although in “the dugout” for professional reasons while working. Second, the intelligent community, of readers and commenters, an international group. Add Sam Topperoff, as articulate and thoughtful as one could hope for.

I will not debate with Brian, I have an FB Page which receives many comments and have tried reasoned debate, without even a whisper of any willingness to meet part way. So, I now express my view and move on with those whose views are similar to his.

Best to the Sams, by many names, including George and Bruce.

bruce

3/15/2018 01:25:59 pm

ed,

i posted something this morning about trump lying to Trudeau about the non existent trade deficit with Canada.

the other day i asked for response to my posting several weeks ago about the us trade representative's stats that prove trump was lying about being in a deficit situation with Canada. it was, i think, the third time.

no response.

i decided not to engage with brian savin anymore.

fanaticism in defence of hate, bullying, lying, coarseness, boorishness, serial adultery, sexual and emotional abuse is not a crime, but it is defending the indefensible.

bruce

bruce

3/15/2018 01:22:29 pm

sam,

i have a question for you about living in france.

you must be in your 70s and moved to france seven years ago.

i'm curious, given your age, how easy/difficult it was to get permanent resident status.

the older you are, the more difficult is usually the case.

or do you have a family connection?

personal question so obviously you don't have to answer, but.....

i tried to post a response for both ed and you a few minutes ago, but there's been a problem with this site when I've tried to post.

posted something for mr savin earlier today about el trumpo lying to Justin Trudeau about having a trade deficit with Canada--north America's bully--and it went thru tho.

bruce

Sam Toperoff

3/17/2018 03:34:41 pm

You are not the only one trying to understand how people continue to support the man in the presidency. I believe he grabbed them by their prejudices when he first came down that escalator and then they turned off any reasoning they may have had.

They listen to Fox News and other conservative outlets, just accept what they hear/read and do no checking on anything. They go back to yelling Obama or Hillary whenever you try to talk reasonably to them.

They won’t accept his personality traits. Won’t agree he is a racist, misogynist, bully, uninformed, or a narcissist because then they have to admit that they are racists, also.

It is a sad state that we are in because Trump is the catalyst for so much of the devision in the country. He feeds the animosity every time he speaks.

Congress does not help when they remain silent or support the man. I hope our democracy will survive this man, but I wake up every day and am concerned and angry. I hate feeling like this, but can’t turn off or stop reading the news. I keep hoping that the next horrible thing Trump does will open the eyes of his grass roots supporters. But he just goes lower and lower and they just keep applauding him.

It will be something if the porn actress is the reason he has to leave office. Meanwhile he denigrates the media and law enforcement and his supporters think that is just fine. It is a mess!

Brian Savin

3/18/2018 08:16:28 pm

Sam, I think you are missing our country's reality. Anyone truly deserving of the contumely expressed in these untoward blog posts penned in recent days by George and others could not possibly have been elected President. If you think otherwise, it is appropriate for you to posit your explanation of whatever counter-reality you think exists. Rather, I think you need to search for a much different and more logical explanation. I suggest you start with thinking about our traditional press and their attempted influence on public opinion. Our current American Jeremiah is the ultra Progressive former NYT Pulitzer winning war correspondent, Chris Hedges. Here is what he says about many things, but what he says about our establishment press is most important to this thread:

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/empty-piety-american-press/

Brian

John McDermott

3/22/2018 02:04:43 am

Wow. "Contumely". I need to go look that one up.

Brian Savin

3/16/2018 09:42:28 pm

Yesterday I went to a wonderful local high school production of the King and I. Earlier in the day I had read these recent emails and decided I had nothing to add; this was a complete waste of my time.

Interestingly to me, every line of that play echoed something in these blog entries. I was virtually moved to tears when "Anna" sang about the King:

"This is a man who thinks with his heart
His heart is not always wise
This is a man who stumbles and falls.
But this is a man who tries.
This is a man you'll forgive
And forgive
And help and protect...
...as long as you'll live.
He will not always say.
What you would have him say
But now and then he'll say...
...something wonderful."

Of course, this coincides with my assessment of our President Trump. I am so very grateful that he was elected because my assessment of -- and my knowledge about -- the last Administration concluded that if Trump hadn't been elected, I believe the United States was (and still is) on the verge of a violent rebellion. As a miserable past President nevertheless accurately said, "It's the economy, stupid."

Sam, if you are truly interested, please ask George for my email address and I will unravel for you a documented and I think quite fascinating story that will fully respond to your interests. George's last response to me is a dagger in my heart. He has decided, adamantly and with false conviction, to cultivate ignorance. I have given him much in private emails and he doesn't pick up on anything. George, if you don't pay attention to the real economics of people, and what it is doing to our society, then you have given up on life in my opinion.

Ed, learn about the issue of labor non participation -- the multitude of real losers who live beneath the unemployment numbers.

Bruce, you are a victim of Fake News. I responded to you months ago and you still don't accept the facts, preferring to hold on to your illusion. The audio transcript of the President said he told his aid to go figure it out with Trudeau's aid and they agreed that the figure your guys were citing did not include energy and timber and that the deficit was real and they put it at $17Billion.

This week there was the great news that Larry Kudlow was appointed by the President to be the new Chair of the National Economic Council. That is a position that acts as gatekeeper to the President every bit as much as John Kelly's position as Chief of Staff. Larry Summers was in that position in the Obama Administration. If Larry had served in the old China, I surmise he might have been shot.

bruce

3/17/2018 08:41:50 am

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/upshot/most-americans-produce-services-not-stuff-trump-ignores-that-in-talking-about-trade.html?hpw&rref=upshot&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

bruce

3/16/2018 10:33:35 pm

brian,

i responded, but got the red V1 thing and it disappeared.

i'm formally giving up. you are too irrational.

you keep on mentioning fake news which it seems to me was covered by samuel johnson when he said, 'Patriotism (fake news) is the last refuge of a scoundrel.'

as for trump's BS with trudeau.....trudeau's people have no record of that conversation. could it be possible trump pulled out of his ass?

i'm guessing the majority of americans would agree with that.

finally, for the last time.....the figures i mentioned are from the americans' US trade representative, the agency that keeps track of america's surplus and deficit figures with the world.

you have yet to respond to that fact.

bruce

Ed Martin

3/17/2018 11:20:22 am

Meanwhile back in the sports world, (mostly). My NCAA bracket is about as accurate as a trump tweet.

George Vecsey

3/17/2018 01:22:19 pm

Ed: I love the first Thurs-Fri. All those hopeful teams. I was watching Bucknell for a few minutes, hanging in there, but then switched the dial to catch the Trump Frolics. Love the 16-v-1 i upset. Seen some great 15s. Richmond. Princeton...Eastern Michigan. (I think all 15s) First round is the best.
GV

Ed Martin

3/17/2018 02:32:22 pm

UPDATE: just got my standing in Bracket poll. 977,000+

Well it’s better than being millionth. Remember “What’s a Hoya.” Well now it’s “What’s a UMBC?”

John McDermott

3/17/2018 11:54:10 am

I find Trump deeply embarrassing on a daily basis. He exhibits multiple character defects and is in no way the kind of person who should be leading anything, let alone our country. My message to conservatives is that if you want to be listened to and respected then find a candidate to represent your views who is not a sociopath, a liar, a social boor, someone who is thoughtful and articulate and who doesn't act like his main concern is achieving TV ratings by appealing to the lowest common denominator. I live in Europe where Trump is widely considered a shocking aberration, where President Obama was admired and is greatly missed, and where people used to looking up to the USA express to me regularly their astonishment, their sympathy and their regret at the current situation in the United States. To those of you pointing to economic indicators...they are not the only measure of success, and however it is going, well or poorly, is not due entirely to Trump but just as much to the policies of his predecessor(s). Mussolini made the trains run on time...Hitler built the autobahns...Castro established universal education and health care. Great achievements which did not in the least excuse their many bad deeds. Trump is well on his way to becoming the worst President in the history of our country. Write whatever you want. I won't be making any responses.

George Vecsey

3/17/2018 01:26:05 pm

John: This guy has built nothing. His family and friends are filling their gunnysacks. "on his way" indeed.

Spero che vi piaccia il giorno di st. patrick

GV

John McDermott

3/18/2018 05:02:37 am

He is the man who stripped integrity, dignity and decency from the office he regrettably holds. He is a despicable man and that has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with character and personal behavior.

Brian Savin

3/17/2018 12:24:01 pm

George, is this the best you could come up with to mask the bigger news of the firing of high ranking FBI politico McCabe upon the recommendation of the FBI ethics office and the inspector general's referral? McCaffrey's Tweet? Well, this long time NBC-paid talking head will assuredly get more paid speaking engagements to supplement is income from his other employer - the Washington Speakers Bureau.

George Vecsey

3/17/2018 01:29:01 pm

Brian: I believe I mentioned the Mueller inquiry into Trump' corporate links to government.
And I believe I mentioned, oh, what's her name again?
And Trump's Russian pals hacking away. I think I did.
GV

Ed Martin

3/17/2018 02:22:19 pm

GV. Since I still support the First Amendment, I will not suggest a ban, but as one who has worked with chidren with control problems, may I suggest a “time out”- a quiet period for reflection for Brian, self imposed if possible, or by the moderator.

Brian Savin

3/17/2018 02:58:46 pm

Ed,
There is actually very big news today on the matters George touches upon but doesn't provide all the details about. How these matters are treated in the press and how they register with citizens are important to our civic discussion:

-- The internal FBI review has been completed and last night Andrew McCabe was fired from his once-senior FBI job (he was, until demotion, essentially Director Comey's right hand man) as was recommended to the Attorney General by career FBI personnel. Much of his and similar activity by others was brought to public light by Wikileaks and not our press.

-- The President's personal lawyers today have called on Assistant Attorney General Rosenstein to end of Mueller investigation based on political bias in its very initiation, demonstrably biased personnel and lack of any evidence as documented by the House Intelligence Committee. It does not appear to be a PR move, but a serious request. It is based on the allegations of a Deep State put in place during the last Administration that you have probably dismissed. Don't.

3. The President's lawyers have just sued the silicone lady for $20 million and rising. Let's see if media moguls' poison pens can save the fair damsel.

And I'll end with the today's message from President Trump on his own behalf:

"As the House Intelligence Committee has concluded, there was no collusion between Russia and the Trump Campaign. As many are now finding out, however, there was tremendous leaking, lying and corruption at the highest levels of the FBI, Justice & State."

bruce

3/17/2018 04:38:45 pm

brian,

i don't have the patience to rebut your last comment.

i'll just say that anybody that quotes the house intelligence committee--have you heard of nunes running to the WH to get info they provided for him?--has lot any tiny bit of credibility they had.

bruce

Alan Rubin link

3/18/2018 10:28:17 am

I believe that the Tooth Fairy is still above suspicion.

bruce

3/18/2018 11:11:23 am

alan,
nah.
trump attacked the tooth fairy for not leaving enough money when he (trump, not the tooth fairy) reached under his pillow and felt coins, not paper.
also, you'd have to believe in the tooth fairy to believe anything--and i mean anything--that congenital liar says.
bruce

bruce

3/18/2018 08:33:23 pm

brian,

trump was elected potus because of the antiquated electoral college system which might've fit a few centuries ago.

as was dubya the first time with the help of the judicial coup by the scotus.

he was several million votes behind Clinton and had something like 46% of the total ballots cast.

hardly an overwhelming mandate.

and i never could be potus because i'm Canadian.

oddly enough when americans say, or used to, only in America can anybody grow to be potus,

it was never true especially during the first 140 years or so of the republic.

you could move to Canada, become a Canadian citizen and become PM of the country. it's happened at least three times in the country's history. the last time in the 1980s.

i couldn't run for potus even if i became a citizen.

i won't debate trump anymore with you.

the man is a monster and he's going to devour the usa if he isn't stopped.

i can see him losing the election in 2020--if he is't impeached first--and refusing to step down. he'll claim election fraud even if he got clobbered or some sort of fake news nonsense.

bruce

Brian Savin

3/18/2018 09:24:41 pm

Bruce,

How many times will you keep saying you will not reply to me and yet still do? You seem to be addicted to replying to me. Instead of reacting to anything I post within seconds, try reading what I post for comprehension and think about my references. Let's see if Sam does. Let's see if George does, I hope they both do, and I hope you as well. Ed chooses to be be insulting, inappropriate and consequently self satisfied in what he won't think about. Everyone has his choice and is entitled to it.

bruce

3/18/2018 10:38:00 pm

brian,

i know i do.

the obvious reason is because i can't believe you truly believe what you're saying.

you're trying to justify Donald trump....a man who has a life long history of lying, bullying, humiliating, bragging publicly about his sexual conquests before/during his marriages, walking into teen aged beauty pageant contestants' dressing rooms so he can have a look or cop a feel, makes my--and others--skin crawl about the way he's talked about Ivanka, his policies hurt the working class 'folks' he's allegedly helping, who is morbidly obese--managed to add an inch to his height so he wouldn't be classified as such--yet comments on and insults others' appearance, uses his office to belittle people without the power to stand up to him, who changes his mind as often as a six year old...

dubya was in over his head but he was only incompetent.

trump is a malignant forced both inside the usa and a threat to the planet.

can you imagine what would've happened during the Cuban missile crisis if trump had been potus instead of jfk?

also, he's a classic chicken hawk. he had his chance to serve in Vietnam, but managed to avoid it with BS deferments as did cheney, bush et al.

if he'd been a CO, i could've respected him because that war was a disgrace but he didn't.

i'll stop there or i'll use all of my computer's memory.

bruce

Ed Martin

3/22/2018 10:49:02 am

Is it Nov. 11, yet?

George Vecsey

3/22/2018 12:59:04 pm

Armistice Day? Five days after this year's election day.
My deadline is July 20., When this guy won with a minority vote, knowing him from NYC, I predicted he would be out in 18 months.
If Howard Baker and Barry Goldwater were still alive, he'd be gone by now but that party now consist of moral ciphers. I may have to sweat the 18-month deadline but Trump cannot last.
GV

bruce

3/22/2018 02:45:27 pm

George,

i thought remembrance day which is what it's called in Canada and, perhaps, another country or two.

as for july 20....that's the 49th anniversary of Armstrong's landing on the moon.

maybe the usa could mark it by sending el trumpo back on a one way ticket.

bruce

Brian Savin

3/22/2018 01:42:03 pm

To: John McDermott
And the period goes INSIDE the quotation mark.

To GV: Give it up, George. I'll assume if you say something nice, or even objective, about the President, the Times will revoke your pension. (Today's tariff signings were brilliant.)

bruce

3/22/2018 02:41:37 pm

brian,

i tried to refrain, but your comment about a misplaced period is beyond the pale,

cheesy shite.

believe it or not, I've noticed errors in your posts mr. perfection.

cheap shot at George too.

usa was punished during the last steel BS in 1992-93.

and it seems the usa is in a surplus situation with more countries than vice versa.

finally, your hero's comment about a trade deficit with Canada only included goods. services were, conveniently, not included because the figures would show a surplus.

bruce

George Vecsey

3/22/2018 03:00:30 pm

Brian: I know only one good thing about Trump -- the way he honors his older brother by not drinking, etc. I actually believe that. I knew the brother, had a problem, loved his brother. Only time Trump does not sound like a jackass is when he talks about Freddy.
NYT won't take my pension away -- but his showoff tariffs did whack our retirement stocks today. I bet Trump's cabinet people filled their gunnysacks in advance. GV

bruce

3/22/2018 05:45:11 pm

George,

a bit disappointed in your last sentence.

you make it sound like trump's cabinet might not be above reproach.

almost dishonest or somethin'.

if el trumpo knew, he'd put a stop to it.

i'm sure of it.

bruce

3/22/2018 03:10:08 pm

George, I was thinking that Armistice on this string. Brian feels my comment was insulting and I would plead that it is a serious observation by a trained observer, in the faint hope of denting what appears to be an impervious cognitive process, surrounded by emotion. Brian is clearly bright and that is what is so disappointing. One might expect a kind of give and take discussion, where some concessions to reality would be in order on both sides. For example he might argue about tariffs being good, e.g. today’s post, but, at the same time acknowledge that many knowledgeable economists fear a trade war will hurt our economy. A rational response would be to acknowledge both sides and take a “attitude.” Now, this sounds “and it is. I dare to do it, because it might allow the basic message of this column to move forward, an Armistice, so to speak.

3/22/2018 03:16:23 pm

Certain words omitted in my last transmission, I was trying to say, “an attitude of compromise or .conciliation. The next missing word is “preachey” as in sounds preachey and it is.

Alan Rubin link

3/22/2018 04:18:35 pm

I enjoy a good political discussion where there is give and take and respect for each other's views. Although I have stayed out of this blog, I feel that the rebuttals to Brian's comments have be fair and respectful.

I participate in a website call Living Room Conversations where people of differing views can have discussions on a whole range of topics. https://livingroomconversations.org/

The object is to understand another's point of view and NOT to try to change their mind. It works quite well.

Disagreement is normal and healthy.

An exercise that I do with the high school and Community College students that I mentor is to ask them what is is like to be a majority of one. If they are the only one in the room of an opinion, then it is important to determine whether you are right or wrong. This leads to an interesting discussion on self-behavior and group dynamics.

My experience is that the youngsters appear more capable of handling disagreement than too many adults.

Brian Savin

3/22/2018 09:30:45 pm

Gentlemen,

The political discussion on this, poor George's blog, is not in the least intelligent, informed, moderate, or even nice. It has been mostly annoying, disappointing, and certainly obnoxious, but I am curious about just how far It can go. I'm beginning to conclude that it demonstrates that our culture has devolved into a third world sub-social discourse. This thread echoes, disturbingly, the recent great Lebanese movie, "Insult." In the middle of that movie, I turned to my wife and whispered, "This movie is Exhibit A in the case of why women should rule the world." She tried vainly to hold her laughter to smiling nods of agreement. If any of my fellow commentators here have seen that movie, you know what I am talking about and how it relates to this "discussion."

This discussion has been extremely one sided -- viz., I have all the actual information being dispersed, and everyone else. so far, has all the wacko political opinions. I propose that we try to find a way to equal the playing field. I submit that we start a book club, perhaps on another site, and I name the first book: Ron Suskind's "Confidence Men." Ron is a liberal Democrat, a favorite of President Obama's, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and was given full White House access to write the story of the President and the financial crisis. Ignore Part I, which is Suskind's genuine homage to candidate Obama, whom he adores, and start on page 161. That's only a 300 page read. But it will give you a ton on the state of the economy in 2008, and the strange circumstance that put the Obama White House team together -- to the wonderment of our best and brightest. Then an interesting and knowledgeable discussion can be held, and I can provide some additional background that fills in some blanks.

Absent taking up my suggestion, then the hell with it. Let's play ball. Spring training is almost over and the true sporting season is about to begin!

Best
Brian

John McDermott

3/26/2018 09:35:59 am

"I have all the actual information being dispersed, and everyone else. so far, has all the wacko political opinions."

That pretty much sums up why this is such an absurd and pointless discussion. The adjective you used, "obnoxious", seems particularly appropriate.

Brian Savin

3/26/2018 07:52:17 pm

John,
Ignorance is not bliss. It is simply ignorance. Aren’t you tired of giving empty opinions and thinking them clever? You haven’t read a damn thing I’ve provided. Please take the time to do so. Thanks.
Best
Brian

Comments are closed.

QUOTES
Measuring Covid Deaths, by David Leonhardt. July 17, 2023. NYT online.
The United States has reached a milestone in the long struggle against Covid: The total number of Americans dying each day — from any cause — is no longer historically abnormal….

After three horrific years, in which Covid has killed more than one million Americans and transformed parts of daily life, the virus has turned into an ordinary illness.

The progress stems mostly from three factors:
First, about three-quarters of U.S. adults have received at least one vaccine shot.
Second, more than three-quarters of Americans have been infected with Covid, providing natural immunity from future symptoms. (About 97 percent of adults fall into at least one of those first two categories.)
Third, post-infection treatments like Paxlovid, which can reduce the severity of symptoms, became widely available last year.
“Nearly every death is preventable,” Dr. Ashish Jha, who was until recently President Biden’s top Covid adviser, told me. “We are at a point where almost everybody who’s up to date on their vaccines and gets treated if they have Covid, they rarely end up in the hospital, they almost never die.”

That is also true for most high-risk people, Jha pointed out, including older adults — like his parents, who are in their 80s — and people whose immune systems are compromised. “Even for most — not all but most —immuno-compromised people, vaccines are actually still quite effective at preventing against serious illness,” he said. “There has been a lot of bad information out there that somehow if you’re immuno-compromised that vaccines don’t work.”

That excess deaths have fallen close to zero helps make this point: If Covid were still a dire threat to large numbers of people, that would show up in the data.

One point of confusion, I think, has been the way that many Americans — including we in the media — have talked about the immuno-compromised. They are a more diverse group than casual discussion often imagines.

Most immuno-compromised people are at little additional risk from Covid — even people with serious conditions, such as multiple sclerosis or a history of many cancers. A much smaller group, such as people who have received kidney transplants or are undergoing active chemotherapy, face higher risks.

Covid’s toll, to be clear, has not fallen to zero. The C.D.C.’s main Covid webpage estimates that about 80 people per day have been dying from the virus in recent weeks, which is equal to about 1 percent of overall daily deaths.

The official number is probably an exaggeration because it includes some people who had virus when they died even though it was not the underlying cause of death. Other C.D.C. data suggests that almost one-third of official recent Covid deaths have fallen into this category. A study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases came to similar conclusions.

Dr. Shira Doron, the chief infection control officer at Tufts Medicine in Massachusetts, told me that “age is clearly the most substantial risk factor.” Covid’s victims are both older and disproportionately unvaccinated. Given the politics of vaccination, the recent victims are also disproportionately
Republican and white.

Each of these deaths is a tragedy. The deaths that were preventable — because somebody had not received available vaccines and treatments — seem particularly tragic. (Here’s a Times guide to help you think about when to get your next booster shot.)
***

From the great Maureen Dowd:

As I write this, I’m in a deserted newsroom in The Times’s D.C. office. After working at home for two years during Covid, I was elated to get back, so I could wander around and pick up the latest scoop.
But in the last year, there has been only a smattering of people whenever I’m here, with row upon row of empty desks. Sometimes a larger group gets lured in for a meeting with a platter of bagels."

--- Dowd writes about the lost world of journalists clustered in newsrooms at all hours, smoking, drinking, gossipping, making phone calls, typing, editing.
***
"Putting out the paper," we called it.
Much more than nostalgia.
---https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/29/opinion/journalism-newsroom.html

There Is a Disturbed Man in the White House

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