Robert Pacilio's Blog, page 8

“Living on a Prayer” from Paycheck to Paycheck (with apologies to Bon Jovi)

In the last few weeks, I have been working on the publication of my newest novel Meet Me at Moonlight Beach; however, during this time, the topics for my Metaphor Café Blog have been piling up. So in the interest of time and brevity, here is what I’ve been reading about that old political slogan “It’s the the economy, Stupid”:
First, let’s talk jobs, specifically the jobs at the Carrier plant. The NY Times business section of 8/12/18 did an in depth story on those folks who have still have their jobs. Remember, Indiana gave tax credits to Carrier (due to Pence’s appeal as its former governor) in return for keeping some of the jobs that were going to be outsourced to Mexico. Most jobs were still heading south. One might think those who still have jobs would be happy. 
Truth be told, “…the factory which Mr. Trump is credited with saving is plagued with rising absenteeism and low moral.”  Writer Nelson Schwartz concluded, “Instead, employees share a looming sense that a factory shutdown is inevitable—that Carrier has merely postponed the closing until a more politically opportune time.” 
This is despite growing demand for air conditioners for the company. “No one feels secure or hopeful…’People still don’t trust Carrier,’ said Paul Roeli, who has worked there for 19 years.”

Generally speaking, blue collar workers see a tad more in their pay but inflation is eating that away and with the trade wars starting to have impact in the coming months, the workers are the most likely to feel the brunt; meanwhile, the shareholders keep seeing their profits rise…for now.

Second, let’s discuss the wage gap and the difference between the haves and the have-not-so-much folks. Steven Brill’s newest book is chock full of data about how my generation has rigged economic growth for ourselves. (Well, not all of my generation, but hear me out.) For example, in 1975 the average CEO pay was 1.2M and the worker pay was 46K; in 2016 it’s 15M for the CEO team and 53K for the worker bees. 
So in 40+ years, worker pay has risen microscopically, and I do not need to tell you that insurance coverage has gotten worse, inflation has zoomed up and up. Needless to say, even though the job situation in terms of having a job under President Obama and Trump has improved, nobody on the ground floor has much hope of seeing the American Dream that some in my generation have inherited.

Brill concludes “The result is a divided America. On one side the protected few—the winners—who don’t need government for much and even have a stake in sabotaging the government’s responsibility to all its citizens. For them, the new broken America works fine….” They have private schools, gated communities, private security, and the gold standard of medical care with the insurance coverage that few can afford. So they say, who needs government—Obamacare, public schools, etc.?

And Brill points out that it’s likely to stay that way since the cost of running for higher office has risen with 6.4B spent per election cycle overall. So the interests of the average Joe or Josie working paycheck to paycheck depends on, as Tennessee Williams once wrote, “The kindness of strangers.”

Yes, in 2008 all hell broke loose economically for the Bush administration and the thousands upon thousands of folks who lost their jobs, their homes, and their dreams in the Great Recession. And, yes, President Obama steadied the ship in his eight years in office. That is a fact. Even the anti-Obama folks cannot argue that the USA was on the verge of financial disaster, and it was averted—but not without pain and decades of suffering.


Beware those who now feel that the economy is “just doing great”—chances are, it is for some, but for a far larger audience and their children…not so much. A steady hand will be needed at the helm to keep America from harm’s way. I could say more…and I will, but sometimes one has to accept the reality, acknowledge the truth, and set a course for more “domestic tranquility”…
I am confident that “Yes, We Still Can.”

John McCain: For Whom America's Bell Tolls

This will be the shortest but possibly the most important blog that I write.

I simply want to encourage, with all my heart and soul, each person to take the time to watch HBO's documentary on Senator John McCain entitled "For Whom the Bell Tolls."

It is the examination of the hardships and triumphs of a true American hero. People of my 'vintage' know some of the story of this heroic man--but this telling, by politicians of all political stripes including President Obama, paints the picture of what it is to serve this country, first and foremost. And for the younger generations, this is a profile in courage and a lesson drenched in American valor.

His is a lifetime of sacrifice. It is a tale of love, loss, grit ...and a few other choice four letter words that this maverick experiences all in the service of truth, honor, and always in the positive values that makes America "the last and best hope for the Earth" of which we live.

He is a fan of Hemingway. He is the grandson of an admiral. His ancestors fought for the Confederacy. He survived torture that is beyond comprehension as a POW in the "Hanoi Hilton."

The pity for me personally is that he did not win the presidency in 1999 when he ran against George W. Bush. The documentary explains why.I wonder what shape our nation would have been had he not been so viciously attacked in that 'political race.'

This is the man Mr. Trump insulted. This is a man who gave more to this nation in a day than Mr. Trump could ever give in a lifetime. Mr. Trump cannot possibly embody even a molecule of the Senator's character and nobility. McCain is repulsed by what he sees today in the political partisanship of Congress.

To all those people rallying at Trump's shows...take to time to see what a real hero stands for. You will be humbled and, frankly, embarrassed by the buffoon you are idolizing.

Senator McCain speaks of how government is supposed to work because it used to be that way.   

Joe Biden was one of his best friends. Almost everyone who speaks of Senator McCain chokes up when trying to take the measure of the man.

God Speed Senator John McCain. Gid Speed.

Today’s Lesson: "False Equivalence"

There have been a lot of folks comparing all sorts of people and actions and claiming they are one and the same. If you know much about “false equivalence,” then you know that there may be one attribute (or a few) that is similar between two seemingly relatable things, but that in no way makes them equal.
Let’s take the obvious. Trump is the next Hitler. Not true. Not close. Yes, both are ego driven. But one killed 6 million people in the Holocaust and believed that one race was superior to others; thus. genocide ensued. No matter what you think of Mr. Trump—it’s not close. Not in the same discussion. Separating children from families seeking asylum is an awful, despicable means to an end. Not equivalence by any standard and the mainstream media knows it and they do not argue that it is.
However, Fox News (Faux News to some) was not so charitable to President Obama and NPR. They along with others made this comparison: “Recall that Fox News chief Roger Ailes accused the management of National Public Radio of having "a kind of Nazi attitude" when it fired commentator Juan Williams. Former Fox host Glenn Beck immersed himself in odious Hitler rhetoric during Obama's first years in office, while the then-burgeoning Tea Party movement did the same. (See photo) And so did Rush Limbaugh, who obsessed over Obama-Nazi comparisons in 2009: "Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, also ruled by dictate." Hmm.
Even a sitting U.S. Congressman said in 2015: “Criticizing President Obama for not attended the Sunday solidarity march in Paris in the wake of last week's terror attacks, Republican Congressman Randy Weber (R-TX) yesterday took the debate to absurd and offensive levels when he tweeted that "Even Adolph Hitler thought it more important than Obama to get to Paris. (For all the wrong reasons.) Obama couldn't do it for right reasons." See. The two events have NOTHING to do with the other.
Then there is the Obama is just like Nixon --wiretapping Trump. (See Photo)Or the criticism that President Obama was a Muslim and was part of the terrorist plot to destroy America according to many far right media heads. Why? Because he bowed to the Saudi King. They were mute when this picture came across their TV. (See photo)





You may be thinking, well, all this is obvious. Let’s try on some new editions of “False Equivalence: Today.”
The Huffington Postwrote about climate change: “False equivalence is what happens when you are led to believe that two things should be given equal weight in your considerations as you come to any given decision, while those two things are not in any way actually equivalent. For example, let us consider the matter of climate change. John Oliver, on his HBO program Last Week With John Oliver, debunked the usual cable TV false equivalence in this issue dramatically last year. While today’s media tends to have one ‘expert’ present each ‘side’ of an argument, Oliver pointed out that, in the case of climate change, where 99/100 scientists agree that it is real and caused by humans, this one vs. one presentation creates a clear misconception for the viewer: a false equivalence. So he did the truly ‘fair and balanced’ thing: he had 99 scientists argue against 1 in favor of man-made climate change.
Interesting note. E, J. Dionne penned this: “Conservatives who have refused to break decisively with Trump ought to be ashamed of themselves because in doing so, they are violating the core principles laid down by one of their heroes, Jeane Kirkpatrick, who was President Reagan’s ambassador to the United Nations. It was Kirkpatrick who in 1985 wrote an essay revered on the right called, “The Myth of Moral Equivalence.” Yes, she was writing about the old Soviet Union, not today’s Russia, but her points on false equivalences resonate still, given the nature of Putin’s rule.”
Ms. Kirkpatrick knew then, as we know now, that saying that US intelligence’s opinions are equal to Putin’s “strong” words of denial. Only Mr. Trump does not get it.  Or he refuses to get it for reasons only he (and Putin) knows. However, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), gets Putin. He “offered these wonderfully acerbic and direct comments: ‘Other than destroying every instrument of democracy in his own country, having opposition people killed, dismembering neighbors through military force and being the benefactor of the butcher of Damascus, he’s a good guy.’”  So what is a real equivalence? Try copying Michelle Obama’s speech to the Press. (See photo)


Or the opinion of the “average” Joe Willmore: “Right now, Fox News is the US equivalent of the old Soviet state news channels, throwing out propaganda on many of its broadcasts, issuing orders to journalists to use phrases like ‘disputed theory of climate change.’”[ Only a few commentators like Chris Wallace and Shepard Smith seem to miss the memo recently.]
Even the argument that Obama was wasting taxpayers ‘ money or not wearing the right clothing became a comparison to his being among the worst presidents to serve according to Fox. Robert Hinklin, again just an ordinary American and not a media personality, explains: “Faux News got butt-hurt when Obama wore a tan suit. Was absolutely disgusted when a photo showed him at work in shirtsleeves with his feet placed on the desk. Was appalled when he was exiting the Marine One chopper with his hands full and returned a salute with the hand holding his coffee cup. And they were steadily dismayed at the waste of taxpayer money involved with Obama’s vacations and golf (most of which took place on military bases and cost the government nothing). Faux News seems not to have noticed that the Secret Service budget has been shattered by Trump’s golf outings, almost ALL of which have taken place on Trump owned properties, where the POTUS charges the government full tilt for room and board and golf carts for his SS protection.”
Perhaps one of the worst examples of false equivalence was the Nazi/ KKK march in Charlottesville. E.J. Dionne put it into perspective: “Trump's initial response on Saturday, in which he acknowledged there were "many sides," left many of us feeling unsatisfied. We wanted him to act presidential. We wanted him to clearly enunciate the threat and condemn it in the strongest and most unequivocal language. And he let us down. A White House e-mail to reporters sent out more than 36 hours after the assembly began was a pathetic excuse for a clear and swift condemnation of bigotry.” Both sides were not wrong. One side was. One side murdered a protester by ramming a car into her and running away like the coward he is.
He wasn’t the only coward.

America’s Greatest Challenge: Progress or Regress?

“Progress has never been bargain. You have to pay for it.” These are the words of the fictional Inherit the Wind. The play’s authors fashioned the real life Scopes Monkey Trial into a courtroom drama about education vs. myth. Fact vs. faith. Did man evolve from ape? Is evolution a scientific fact? Is it at least worth studying, or are the words of The Bible enough to satisfy the curiosity of mankind on the “Origin of the Species” as Darwin wrote? character Henry Drummond in the play

You may be wondering what all this has to do with the latest unmasking of Donald Trump’s blind faith in the words of Mr. Putin in Helsinki. Spiritual faith is a good thing; blind faith in our leader who shows utter disregard for the facts--well, that kind of "loyalty" can get destroy world order and get a lot of people killed. The question is simple: Is America in a state of progress or regress? To answer this one must look at what Mr. Trump would have you believe.There are two basic tenets of Trumpism: 1. “Believe me” and 2. “Make America Great again”. Believing Mr. Trump is an act of trust. MAGA implies that the nation isn’t great and the question remains what will make it so. Trumpism longs for the ‘days of yesteryear” when were oh-so-great.
And what were those days? Were they post WWII when the USA saved the world from the clenches of Hitler’s Nazi regime? Was that the time of “The Greatest Generation”? Let’s assume those years were a tipping point for all of mankind in which good vs. evil—progress, by definition, was won. How was it accomplished? Sacrifice. The cemeteries at Normandy are just one small snapshot of the “payment.” Hiroshima was another. Death and destruction was the price we paid for destroying the belief that one race, one man, one ideology was singularly the purest.
As for the Trumpism MAGA, one must have a blind eye to the fact that America at that time pulled together in crisis, but shortly thereafter the seeds of America’s original sin of slavery sprouted into the overt Jim Crow racism. Woman’s rights were deemed pointless. The Cold War erected the Berlin Wall. The Korean War slipped into the Vietnam conflict and the 60’s were both turbulent and tragic. And if your sexual orientation did not comport with ‘norms’—well, you lied to world and lived in the shadows.
Only if you lived in an isolated ‘country club world’ in which blacks did not swim in your pool, your children slipped out of service to the military, the public schools were scoffed and private boarding schools educated your children in the proper way to follow in your father’s footsteps, and you hired the ‘help’ to clean your house and cook your meals, only then did you see these days as “Good Ol’ Days”. That is the vision that of Trumpism. Of course, very few really lived in this world.
Donald Trump did. And we know that. I am not going to remind my readers of his background. If you are not aware of it by now, you are not paying attention.As for “Believe me,” can we in good faith trust a man who has countless lawsuits against him, numerous bankruptcies, 19 women accusing him of sexual assault, his school defunct, products imported from those nations that he claims “take our jobs”? Mr. Trump is man who claimed bone spurs kept him from the field of battle but not the fairway of the golf course. Did his first wife believe him? Did his second? Does his third?

And so now we are to believe he misspoke. I think not. Did he ‘misspoke’ when he claimed he grabs p***y whenever he wants because he is a star? Did he ‘misspoke’ when he insisted and had proof that Obama was not a US born citizen? Did he ‘misspoke’ last week on audio tape when he chastised the Theresa May’s decisions because “she didn’t listen to me” because he would have made a better deal? Did he ‘misspoke’ when he “guaranteed” that Mexico will pay for the Wall? The number of lies has soared into the thousands according to news agencies. When will Americans utter the words, “We won’t get fooled again”?
So do we make progress or do we regress? Do we abandon our NATO allies? Abandon the European Union? Do we do this because they have not met a 2% military quota? Do we put up barriers with our closest ally Canada because they are getting “more out of the deal”—if you believe Trump’s calculus? Do we believe him when he says he doesn’t favor children “ripped” from their parents when he and his subordinates ordered it? Do we believe him when faced with the greatest threat to man’s existence when he claims “Global warming is a hoax China created.” Whom do we trust? The FBI, CIA, NSA, those who negotiated the Iran nuclear treaty. Or do we trust Mr. Putin who “was very strong” in his denial of Russian interference.  Or do we trust North Korea’s “Great Leader” who has already started increasing its nuclear fuel production and claimed that the USA has not met their terms.
Naturally, Trumpism will dismiss every critique with two words: “fake news” and that anthem will be played over and over on its megaphone Fox news. However, even some of those journalists are finally seeing the light—Chris Wallace, Brett Bier (and others who have been fired).A newer iteration is that Trump speaks to his base saying "Witch Hunt!"; then walks it back and does (or demands) a fairly 'soft' interview on CBS, and (after his handlers tell him he has made serious errors), Trump tries to sound more reasonable. The result: the Republicans in Congress say--"Well, see. He isn't so bad." *Note: I wish Jeff Glor and CBS had asked him "Why didn't you allow anyone else in the room with you and Putin so we could hear you talk tough? But that question and many others were not posed for some reason?
Progress is not a bargain. Perhaps the price we must pay in the shortest of terms is that Trumpism shows us how fragile our democracy can be. It will take another Great Generation to start to win it back this November and in the months that follow. How? VOTE. Support those who support democracy and are true patriots. Only then will we know just how “great” we can be.

Trump's Report Card--Part 2: And then things got worse...

That was then. This is now. July 10th, 2018. The President has his own agenda regarding what matters and how he has handled the issues he believes are most threatening:
 Unilaterally announcing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel: Most diplomats suggested dividing the city up as a capital for Israel and the Palestinians, but not an outright declaration by the USA. Riots have ensued throughout the Arab world.This contradicted his policy of working with the Saudi’s (despite their destruction of Yemen!) and reignited Iran intransigence and may increase ISIS’s dwindling influence. Grade F
He still believes that building ‘the Wall.’ This is so the scary “criminal” immigrants will not get their drugs to USA and bring “rape and crime” to our cities. After all, “they are not bringing their best.” That’s for sure. “They” are people of Latin America who are fleeing gangs, drugs, rape, and murder. These are the things America is guarding against. Ironic, huh? How to stop drugs and crime—separating children from the poorest and most vulnerable people seeking asylum is the worst, ost inhuman action so far by Mr. Trump.  Oh, and who pays for it? USA…USA…USA… Grade F-
As for the immigrants, they are themselves so dangerous that he takes their children away even when they are pleading for asylum. Then he reverses his policywhen he is seen as cruel. He never builds into his “plan” how to reunite these children with the parents. Now “less than 3,000 children have been taken Lord knows where and the tracking of these children to parents was…um…an after-after thought. Now with the 20 day court demand for reunification, the numbers will grow as children must be released. In case you missed it, the parents are then deported and the children are kept in the USA under the “care of HHS.” I In the words of Kevin Hart, “You can’t make this s*** up.” Grade F-
He claims the “Media is ‘Fake News’”: The most disturbing part of this priority is how it obliterates fact from fiction and credible from incredible. A Free Press is the hallmark of democracy—that’s Thomas Jefferson’s opinion, not just mine. The great truth of “following the facts” is so obliterated that facts do not matter’ instead, there are now “alternate facts”—in the words of Kelly Conway and the Fox/ Trump network. Grade F
Finally—the Mueller Investigation. This could have been a turning point in American history.  Firingthe special prosecutor will be the likely end to Trump’s reign and the beginning of Pence’s presidency. If the Congress ignores Mueller’s findings that Trump is guilty of colluding with a foreign power, etc.; well, then the Blue Wave would be the correction that democracy demands.
All of this may be undone now that Mr. Trump has selected a new Supreme Court Judge who is opposed to allowing a sitting President to be indicted of any criminal or civil action, which is exactly why Judge Kavanaugh was selected. Grade Incomplete



Sorry, again for the low grades. But I gotta call ‘em as I see ‘em. So the most important thing all Americans must do is vote. “Don’t boo. VOTE,” said President Obama.

Mr. Trump's Report Card

Back on Sept 10th of 2016, these were the “Top Ten” issues I felt should be the priorities for
President-Elect Trump:
10) Decreasing the deficit by decreasing the Military Industrial Complex (Congress and Trump have blown a huge $1.4 trillion hole in the deficit with the massive tax cut primarily to the wealthy. Ryan’s congress will try to cut Medicare and Food Stamps to attempt to try to get back some of the money …so grade--F
9) Defeat ISIS: (Well, some progress, but Syria remains a tragic war zone. However in Yemen, the Houthis, a Shia militia backed by Iran, invaded north Yemen and have been in an all out war with the Saudi’s,  backed by USA. Why is the Saudi Arabia involved? Because Yemen is too close to their border. It has become a total human rights catastrophe. “UNICEF officials in Yemen that within 15 days, some 100,000 people across the country were dislocated, while Oxfam said that more than 10 million Yemenis did not have enough food to eat, in addition to 850,000 half-starved children. Over 13 million civilians were without access to clean water.” Remember, the Saudis taught Mr. Trump the “Sword Dance” and have wooed him. Grade D
8) Deal with tragedy in Syria (Not happening; Putin in control, and Trump not. Syrian refugees are also not welcome by Mr. Trump.) Grade F…[Note: President Obama could do little with the Syrian situation, buthe did not shun their refugees.]
7) Diplomacy with North Korea (On the surface, the situation seems better until we read yesterday that Kim is enriching nuclear materials, and he has not eliminating his nuclear weapons. His only actions were to close missile sites that were of no use to him. Meanwhile, Trump concedes an end to South Korean war games. Trumps own generals advised against this in the strongest terms. But Mr. Trump knows “more than the generals.”)…Grade Incomplete because talk is cheap, and Trump talks big yet nothing is in writing.
6) Polarization in Politics = Gridlock (Trump blames Democrats for every problem imaginable [despite the fact that his party has control of all levers of government], and Trump sees every policy President Obama pursued as an affront to his ego. He insults any democrat that he feels threatened by. This is no way to be a leader. In foreign affairs, he has alienated himself from our NATO allies and aligned himself with dictators. He cannot get his own Republicans to agree on a immigration bill [ which he also blames on the democrats])…Grade F


5) Discrimination and Black Lives Matter (Not to Trump. Money matters. His base matters. Over 40% of Americans polled say he is a racist. He may not be out of the closet on racism, but claiming “both sides” were at fault in Charlotte protest, he made a moral equivalency between the KKK/Nazis and protesters who objected to them…  Grade F
4) Putin Rising(And rising …and rising. Trump believes Putin on Russia’s interference in the election, not his own CIA, FBI and NSA. Three days ago, the U. S. Senate investigation agreed with the U.S. investigating organizations… Grade F
3) Income Inequality Rising, too (The unemployment rate keeps falling, as it did with President Obama. 3.9% is fantastic. Wall Street is at 24,000 pts. All seems good, but the income gap is yet to have had any significant impact and the trade war with China, Europe and Canada and Mexico is the iceberg we are about to hit. It will be titanic.) Grade…C- 
2) Public Schools Failing (Betsy Devos wants teachers quitting unions and the Supreme Court gave that a push. Trump decides to combine the Dept. Of Ed with the Labor Dept. For whatever reason remains a mystery. Strikes and wages for teacher are abysmal in many states. Striking teachers seem to have won concessions, but the States have to deal with the economic costs…another iceberg.) Grade F…unless Trump wants public schools to fail, then he gets Grade A
1) Global Warming and Worldwide Destruction (“China hoax.” “Increase coal production.” “Extract oil from Alaska and California’s coast.” EPA under Pruitt curtails emission standards. (He just resigned amid dozens of investigations.) Meanwhile 2018 will be the next hottest year on record. He unilaterally pulled out of the Paris Climate Accords. Remember, President Obama said it was the most important thing that the nations of the world could do “to save the planet.” (California tells Trump to go jump in a lake …if he can find one.) Grade a big fat F-
Stay tuned for the extended version of the Trump Report Card Coming soon…

Rick Blaine::" I stick my neck out for nobody." Neither does Donald Trump

The lesson Rick Blaine learned from Victor Laszlo is a simple one, and one that means as muchCasablanca was set.today as it did in December 1941, when the film

Rick: Don't you sometimes wonder if it's worth all this? I mean what you're fighting for.Victor Laszlo: You might as well question why we breathe. If we stop breathing, we'll die. If we stop fighting our enemies, the world will die.Rick: Well, what of it? It'll be out of its misery.Victor Laszlo:You know how you sound, Mr. Blaine? Like a man who's trying to convince himself of something he doesn't believe in his heart.
They are, of course, speaking of the atrocities of Hitler's Nazi Germany. Laszlo is one of the thousands of refuges fleeing from the Gestapo. 
As the saying goes, "If one does not learn from history, then one is bound to repeat it."Here is the situation as of June 2018 according to CBC Radio::“World leaders have yet to develop an effective, coordinated response to the crisis. But the refugees continue to arrive. UNHCR estimates that more than 30,000 refugees have already attempted the Mediterranean crossing into Europe this year alone.”
I sit just miles from the Mexican border in San Diego, California, and thousands of children have been taken from their parents because their parents are trying to escape the violence of their home countries. They are in the eyes of the Trump administration—criminals. And thus must be treated as such.

According to film historian Noah Isenberg, the classic 1942 Hollywood film Casablanca could teach us all a thing or two about how to respond to this refugee disaster. "Percolating beneath the surface is this … story of those stranded refugees languishing in Europe — and in fact, that's the experience that I think resonates so powerfully with the refugee situation today."
When the film’s anti-hero Rick Blaine finally realizes that his own small minded, selfish interests “Don’t add up to a hill of beans in this crazy world,” he has both a change of heart and a moment that stands for the ideals that all Americans fought for during World War Two.

Isenberg says the film is as much a refugee saga as it is a Hollywood romance. He believes it's equally relevant today as a commentary on the experiences of refugees during war."In many ways, Rick Blaine really enacts the political arc of American foreign policy, that moves from isolationism — you know, 'I stick my neck out for nobody' — to committed and principled engagement."
Isenberg sees clear echoes of the isolationism that prevailed in the late 1930s and early 1940s in the current U.S. political climate.
But today’s American selfishness and isolation is just what Mr. Trump, Stephen Miller and his ilk play to. They are only worried about their little part of the world. One that is insulated from those whose lives and livelihoods are threatened by forces beyond their control. “What’s in it for me?” That is their question. "What will these refugees take from me?" That is what some Americans fear. The answer is: your soul.

Clearly, many ideas have been floated about how to deal with a very complicated immigration that has been the bane of past Presidents Bush and Obama’s existence. There are no simple, silver bullet answers; however, we are not even trying. American politicians in control of the House and Senate won’t even bring any of the ideas to a vote on the floor in either house. 
The E-Verify system is one such compromise. No, it is not perfect. Yes, both business and civil liberty advocates do not like it, but according to columnist Ross Douthat, “work place enforcement is the less cruel way. {Politicians should} Mandate some version of the E-Verify program that makes it harder for illegal immigrants { to get jobs), and somewhat more people would leave voluntarily and somewhat fewer would arrive illegally in the first place….”
As for taking children away from parents—simply put, that has never been moral. Laura Bush made that clear, as has every living First Lady. 
And the deterrent argument, these people are taking, as even Mr. Trump admits, is a terribly dangerous journey, and they are not doing this on a lark. They are taking this dangerous journey because what they face back home is far more dangerous and deadly.
In many ways it is about whom these people are—Hispanic. Brown skinned. In the 1940’s, they were Jews. They were not English speakers either. But they were white: Bulgaria. Germany. Holland. France. Italy. Czechoslovakia. Historian Noah Isenberg again,”We're dealing with a moment in time that I think really calls to mind Casablanca to think about what it is that we can do to help the cause."
"I think it was in 1938 … that Groucho Marx made the claim that Warner Bros. is 'the only studio with any guts' in Hollywood."
I wonder what the Greatest Generation who fought to stop the Holocaust would think of American cowardice and selfishness today. Rick Blaine realizes what was happening in December of 1941--days before Pearl Harbor. He laments,“I'd bet they're asleep in New York. I'd bet they're asleep all over America.”
Let’s hope America wakes up now.

Robert Mueller Should Have Run for President!

To all Americans--R's ,D's, I's and those who don't vote (let's call them ?'s)

I just want to make it perfectly clear why Mr. Mueller is the most trusted man in government. We know he is the Special Prosecutor, and he had bi-partisan approval (except those individuals who suddenly have popped off about him). Here is all you need to know: {I am quoting Time magazine and the author is Preet Bharara, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.}

"Robert S. Mueller III doesn't seek deferments. After a classmate died in Vietnam, this well-to-do-Princeton athlete traded his lacrosse stick for a military rifle and volunteered for war.He returned with a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and a gunshot wound.

"He later brought the same gritty courage to battling crime at the Department of Justice. Eventually, he went into private practice, but moved by violence sweeping Washington, DC., Mueller quit his law firm to work in the trenches as a homicide prosecutor.

"When a 10-year term as FBI director expired, a notoriously gridlocked Congress changed the law--just for him--and, once again, Mueller forfeited comfort for continued service."

 Mr. Mueller is described as a "by-the-book lawman who, with nothing to prove and a lifetime of service behind him, agreed to lead the most fraught, least understood, highest-stakes investigation of our time."

I wrote this because the forces that ignore, condemn, and circumvent justice will do everything to attack  Mr. Mueller, just as Mr. Trump ridiculed another American icon, John McCain. 



Please, no matter your party preferences, this is one man who is above reproach--and by the way, Mr. Mueller is a Republican.

Now if he had only run for president on the Republican ticket, I would have voted for him!

The Eulogy to My Uncle Joe and Aunt Lillian May 19, 2018

Today I speak at the Celebration of Life for a man, my Uncle Joe who was known by those who
loved him as "The Legend." These are a portion of my remarks (if I can get through them). For all of my loyal readers, I hope that you have had Aunts and Uncles like Joe and Lillian Cantone.


Joe and Lillian headed west to California…My folks, Louie and Tessie followed…They encouraged Benny and Rosie……And thus began “Brooklyn’s Glenmore Avenue Trek” to find the California Dream.
They have all passed now. And their children and their children’s children continue their legacy… following in the footsteps of my Uncle Joe and Aunt Lillian.With my Uncle Joe’s passing yesterday, it made for a tossing-and-turning night of sleep, as my mind kept trying to find the words to take the measure of a man, as I recalled the memories of the patriarch of the Cantone family.*          *Joe Cantone and “his bride” Lillian were no frills, but plenty of thrills, kinda folks. Joe would tell me that he might be the brawn, but Lillian was the brains of the operation. Joe was a talker; Lillian a listener. Both were wise, humble and, most of all, generous. These were qualities passed down to the Fab Five: Joe, Doreen, Joyce, Janet, and Neal.
The Cantone’s are all about family. Inclusion. Love. They follow the lead of their mom and dad: hard working, multi-gifted, and kind. Even though I saw them occasionally, I always sensed that their “second cousin” was blood. They went out of their way to see me speak in schools, and my wife Pam and I were proud to be in their circle of love when Uncle Joe flew past his 85th birthday in style—even dancing the hula in a grass skirt with coconut shells adorning his chest. He cracked everyone up. I will forever be grateful for their embrace.
Joe was a master of many trades, but his greatest accomplishment was to put five children on his back, make sure they understood that “Christ, ya gotta be smart and work your ass off to make it.” And make it they all did. It was never easy for Joe, but it was never dull, and it was always, always loud in their house. Whether it was singing at Christmas or just a get together on a birthday, you had to adjust the volume on your own headset as your ears would ring—and when you left you always knew that your own voice would be happily strained.
There were special moments between me and my Uncle Joe. One such moment was on the morning my father passed away, Joe came up the steps of their mobile home, and said to me, “Son of a Bitch, Bobby—well, if you ya gotta go, Christ, Louie went the right way.”
One thing you had to understand was Uncle Joe had his own vocabulary and style of speaking to you. He reminded me visually of the actor James Cagney, with that “Listen to me, Kid” style as his shoulders often lifted, and he poised himself to make a point. He always called me “Bobby”—and I liked that. He often started sentences with “Christ”—to Joe, the word “Christ” was a variation of “Okay” or “Well” or just “Geeze”—as in “Christ, Tessie anytime you need me I’m just down the street.” “Jesus Christ” was reserved for when he was mad…but I won’t go there.
All of us “kids” knew that we always saw the best of our uncles and aunts at get togethers. My cousins always thought Aunt Tessie and Uncle Louie were funny and caring. But we also knew that when the party was over, all of the aunts and uncles could face hard times, too. Nevertheless, when we were all together, it brought out the best in all of us.
Uncle Joe was a larger than life character. We all referred to him as “The Legend.” But he was real; his smile wide; his eyes would twinkle behind his wrap-around shades (so Italian); and his laugh so hearty that all those around him were sucked into the laughter, as well. And his dreams, his California dreams of a lasting legacy, were realized by the generations he witnessed with his own two eyes.No greater accolade can be said of a man than that he made his family’s dreams come true.
That is what I most admire about him.God Bless,“Bobby”

I Stand as “the Loyal Opposition.”

Here’s the difference between me and Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s Majority leader who decides what goes to a vote in the hallowed halls of the Capitol. I want America to succeed—even under Mr. Trump. We need a vigorous Department of State, a Veterans’ Administration that continues to successfully serve our wounded soldiers, an Environmental Protection Agency that does just that and, naturally, an Immigration Service that has control of America’s borders and vets those who come to our nation in the hopes of a better and safer life. Who could be against any of these things, you ask?

Mitch McConnell. The moment Barack Obama was sworn in as our 44th President, McConnell proclaimed to the nation that he would do all in his power to make Mr. Obama a “one term President” and obstruct any and all policies that the newly minted President offered to our legislators. Thus, he was rooting for President Obama to fail.

And that is exactly what McConnell did. Obamacare only passed on a straight party vote because at that time and for two years, the President had a majority in the Senate and House. But during those two years, the forces of the right wing screamed bloody murder. “There will be death panels!” “He is a socialist!” “He is not even an American—he wasn’t born here!” “He’ll bankrupt the country!” and of course, “He’s a Muslim!”
As we know, the truth was that 24 million people were added to health care insurance market; people who had put off seeing a doctor because they could not afford it. Yes, some insurers pulled out of states because they were not making enough profit, but not all insurers. Mr. Obama said over and over that the system is not perfect, far from it, but he continued to implore the ‘loyal opposition’ to help fix it and improve it. And we know exactly what these loyalists did—they tried in vain to repeal it some 50 times. In those eight years of complaining, we learned, after the fact, they had no plan to “replace” it, not to ignore that Mr. Obama is a US citizen and Christian, there were no death panels, and the nation’s economy wasn’t bankrupted at all.  
After the mid-term elections, the impact of the lies and brazen attacks on Mr. Obama took a toll. And to be fair, most Presidents’ luster wears off after two years. And once in control, the Republicans literally shut down the government. Ted Cruz sure was happy.
Enter stage right, Mr. Trump. He claimed in his Inaugural Address that the “American carnage” was over. This was ironic, since the “carnage” to the job market, the Stock Market, and the financial institutions that Mr. Obama inherited in 2008 had been healed, treated, and the patient was recovering fairly well, all things considering—especially the US auto industry. 
The facts are evidenced of this graphic. Is there still a wealth disparity that looms over the nation?and that was a heavy lift. Clearly, America eight years of President Obama had set the ship back on course.Yes. But that is my point. One President tries to build on the next President’s accomplishments, not tear those accomplishments down. Ronald Reagan asked if we were better off in four or eight years. Not all Americans were after Mr. Obama, but the nation was on the precipice of economic catastrophe with major institutions going bankrupt. We were bleeding out hundreds of thousands of jobs a month. All of that was reversed,

I root for America. I am glad that the unemployment rate has continued to drop from Obama’s 5% to its 4% level. Good on us. I’m glad ISIS is slowly (seemingly) falling apart. The controversial drone attacks Obama authorized seemed to have a serious effect. I know that Mr. Obama deported many people who were here illegally; those whom his administration felt were a threat to our security. Mr. Obama felt this needed to happen in a humane manner.  I’m glad the economy is growing and has been growing since 2008. Good on us. All Presidents and United States legislators should advance the nation’s interest—that is their goal and their sworn oath of office.
However, that was not McConnell’s view. It is not Mr. Trump’s view. They are intent on taking anything that has the signature of President Obama on it and ripping it to shreds. DACA cancelled. Obamacare’s mandate that people pay into the system cancelled. (Only the integrity of John McCain saved the program from being completely leveled). Environmental regulations on auto emissions cancelled. The Paris Accords limiting global warming—America checks out. Soon the treaty agreed to by the United States, Europe and Iran, dismantling its nuclear program is in serious jeopardy. Why? If it is because Mr. Trump does not ‘trust them”—then why would he trust North Korea? And as for negotiations in general, the State Department has been gutted, US ambassadors in many critical nations unnamed. Even Mr. Pompeo, the new Secretary of State, realizes this disaster waiting to happen.
And finally, the incontrovertible fact confirmed by the CIA, NSA and FBI that Russia meddled in our election: hacking and subverting our most important institution, the American trust in free and fair elections. And this fact has been denied, downplayed or ignored by President Trump, who is sworn to uphold the oath of office to protect the United States… “against all enemies, foreign and domestic; ...” Even Mr. Trump’s Republican colleagues are frustrated with his feigned ignorance on this issue.
This is what discord brings. President Lincoln said “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” How divided are we as a people? Today at the Encinitas Street Fair a man strutted by me aloof to his t-shirt’s insulting bold lettered message (and I am omitting the three letters with *):
TRUMPF*** WHAT YOU FEEL.
That is not American patriotism. Not in my book. I stand as “the loyal opposition.”