Ryan blaming 21st century, not Trump for nation's divide, ludicrous

You got to give retiring House Speaker credit for chutzpah. He came to impoverished Pilsen yesterday to tout his deficit busting, tax giveaway to the rich, as the cure for the area's poverty. Forget all the New Deal and War On Poverty programs that prevented economic collapse in the 30's and provided a decent social safety net in the 60's, Ryan claimed; just watch as our wealthy man's tax incentives inspire those fat cats use that extra loot to invest in your community. What utter nonsense.

But Ryan's poverty delusions pail to his delusions about the grotesque Divider In Chief whom Ryan's silence and support helped reach the White House. Ryan claimed our current polarization is "not necessarily due to one particular person or personality...but to the 21st Century, in that with digital and the internet, it has weaponized polarization.” Ryan omits that no political polarization emanated from the White house between 2009 and 2016. Blaming Trump's degradation of American political discourse on the 21st century since then is as ludicrous as blaming WWII on the technology of the 20th century, not the guy with the funny mustache.

Paul Ryan has done immense damage to America with his Ayn Rand inspired economic and social philosophy. He compound that philosophy by enabling an utterly unfit demagogue to achieve the presidency to enact Ryan's cruel economic and social agenda. Ryan cannot leave Congress soon enough.

Trib trivializes Bush era torture in supporting Gina Haspel nomination

It was not surprising, but disappointing nonetheless the Trib Editorial Board supports confirmation of Gina Haspel to head the CIA. Haspel's conduct in overseeing a CIA black site in Thailand conducting torture, her drafting of a memo to destroy 92 tapes of the torture and her repeated lies to CIA bosses, Congress and two presidents about torture's effectiveness make her morally unfit for any job in government, much less heading the CIA. The Board goes to great length to both minimize America's descent into criminal war and torture in the aftermath of 911 and Haspel's role in it. The times were "perilous"; "nothing about the CIA is easy to understand"; Haspel was "extremely good at her job"; "Haspel... is a proven administrator."; the torture was only "one part of her record". Haspel may get "rave reviews from national security advisers from former national security officials from Republican and Democratic administrations", but she sure doesn't get high fives from torture victims, including Sen. John McCain who opposes her nomination with words the Board chose to ignore: "Ms. Haspel's role in overseeing the use of torture by Americans is disturbing. Her refusal to acknowledge torture's immorality is disqualifying. I believe the Senate should exercise its duty of advice and consent and reject this nomination,"

The CIA will survive Haspel's rejection by a Senate that can find its moral compass. America's tattered reputation from the last 17 years of senseless perpetual war, regime change and, yes, torture, likely will not.

Promoting torturer bad way to empower women

Trump Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted this shameful support for Bush era torturer Gina Haspel's nomination to become CIA chief: "There is no one more qualified to be the first woman to lead the CIA than 30+ year CIA veteran Gina Haspel. Any Democrat who claims to support women’s empowerment and our national security but opposes her nomination is a total hypocrite".

Haspel is a documented torturer for her ten year reign overseeing America's vast network of black site torture prisons around the world after the 911 attacks. Haspel compounded her crimes by deliberately destroying 92 tapes of the torture she oversaw in violation of a Justice Department order to preserve them.

Haspel not only escaped censure, loss of her job, even prosecution for immoral and criminal conduct that shames America's cherished values, she's up for confirmation to head the agency of her wrongdoing.

Empowering women is a worthy goal. Promoting torturers to achieve that goal is not.

Trump on verge of sabotaging North Korea nuclear talks

North Korea's Kim Jong-un wants three things in return for giving up his nukes:

1. Guarantee US won't attack or undermine his regime
2. Normalize US - North Korea diplomatic relations
3. End economic sanctions against North Korea

But Kim is watching The Donald closely as in just five days he may withdraw from the 5 + 1 Iran nuclear deal President Obama negotiated with China, Russia, France, the UK and Germany in 2015 which ended the path to war with Iran. The other signatories are aghast at Trump's likely move motivated by his sabotaging any Obama accomplishment, and serving his masters in Israel's Likud party. If he does so Iran will be the third country double crossed by the US for giving up their flimsy, if not imaginary nuclear weapons programs, on heels of Iraq and Libya. Iran's leaders will kick out the 5 + 1 nuclear inspectors and start up a real nuclear program so they don't suffer the same fate to US treachery as Saddam Hussein or Muammar Gaddafi. 

The lesson for Kim is clear: don't negotiate with a reckless and foolhardy man masquerading as a US president. if that happens the US may be heading to war on two sides of the world...and the Doomsday Clock will tick to a minute to Midnight. Your move, Mr. President.   

Why is John McCain so revered?

Why is John McCain so revered?

Nearing his end after 82 years, the last 36 in Congress, John McCain is already being eulogized by many in government and the media while still alive. As a severe critic of McCain since he became one of the 'Keating Five' senators who took big contributions from corrupt S & L owner Charles Keating in return for Senate protection, I demur. McCain brilliantly played the tortured war prisoner and maverick cards to avoid Senate censure in 1989, won re-election five times and ran for president twice, once as the Republican nominee. During the ensuing 30 years McCain disgraced himself as being one of America's most virulent warmongers, cheerleading every senseless war and regime change policy. The number of innocents killed in wars he's promoted dwarfs the number he killed dropping bombs on his 23 combat missions over North Vietnam. McCain was a 'win in Vietnam' deadender, railing over civilian control that kept the military from killing enough Vietnamese to win the war. That alone made him unfit for Congress, much less the presidency. Aside from promoting self destructive war, McCain never advocated or achieved anything in domestic policy that helped Americans in need; opposing the Affordable Care Act, ignoring global warming and LGBT rights, among others. In what will be his last year, he supported Trump and the deficit busting tax giveaway to the rich, supporting the cruel, heartless Republican agenda to the end.

I mourn McCain's impending demise as I do every human, knowing the bell will toll for me one day in the not too distant future. I also mourn that any man squanders his opportunity to do good for mankind when given the privilege of public service.