GOP goes all in on theater over substance

Great leaders combine theater in messaging with substance in policies.

A prime example is FDR who launched his 12 year presidency in 1932 with his ‘nothing to fear except fear itself’ inaugural speech. Then he proceeded to tackle catastrophic Depression with a blizzard of polices that both inspired the depressed masses and alleviated much of their pain. He followed that up with ‘fireside chats’ explaining those polices in simple, heartfelt terms understandable by everyday folks. All this from a wealthy patrician light years removed from those suffering.

Some are comparing Joe Biden’s first hundred days to that of FDR, even down to his ability to be straight forward and empathetic in dealing with current travails. Biden appears to have struck a good balance of theater and substance, initiating polices that will transform the commons and social safety net if enacted.

But the GOP remains stuck in an ideology wholly dependent on theater. Donald Trump, the most theatrically gifted but substance free candidate in their 167 year history, captured the 2016 election solely on theater.

He preceded to govern in theater, allowing the nation’s financial and physical health to degenerate under ignored pandemic and ignored investment.

The electorate responded by turning him out by 7.1 million votes in the ballot box and 74 votes in the Electoral College.

Trump responded with theatrical hysteria worthy of an Academy Award, had it been a movie. Alas, it was the reality of inspired insurrection, getting 5 killed, hundreds injured, nearly overturning his election loss.

At the 1952 Republican Convention, conservative stalwart Everett Dirksen of Illinois, looked down at 1948 defeated GOP candidate Thomas Dewey, shook his finger and bellowed "We followed you before and you took us down the path to defeat.” No more Dewey for the ’52 GOP.

If a conservative stalwart like Ted Cruz or Josh Hawley would reprise that moment at the 2024 convention, it may sadly be something like “We followed you before and you took us down the path to defeat and insurrection. Let’s do it again.”

International rules based order to U.S.: Our way or highway

The U.S. loves to portray itself as the guardian of the ‘international rules based order.’ We can bomb any country, we can sanction any country, we can toss out negotiated agreements at will in order to preserve it.

Essentially, it is the arrogance of unlimited U.S. power, both militarily and financially, to ruin any country that does not toe our line of American exceptionalism. 

Ask the Afghans, subjected to 20 years of war over the 911 attacks even tho most of the planning was done in other countries and most of the financial and moral support came from Saudi Arabia.

Ask the Iraqis who got rid of their nuclear program but bombed into a failed state nonetheless by ruthless American warmongers.

Ask the Syrians, who were on the brink of ending their civil war in 2013 till U.S. intervened on behalf of jihadists, prolonging the war and adding another hundred thousand dead.  

Ask the Libyans, who also got rid of their nuclear program and were also turned into a failed state by U.S. lust to remove leader Ghaddafi.  

Ask the Yemenis, being bombed and blockaded into starvation and rubble by Saudi Arabia with Uncle Sam’s bombs and good cheer.

Ask the Iranians. Murderous regime change in 1953 was not enough. We’ve abrogated the best peace saving measure this century, the 5 + 1 nuclear agreement, to change out the current Iranian regime.

Ask the Ukrainians, subjected to near failed state status by U.S. backed coup in 2014 that has led to tens of thousands of deaths and loss of Crimea due to fanatical Ukrainian nationalists we still support.

Ask the Cubans, subjected to invasion in 1961 to overturn the Cuban revolution. When that failed the U.S. continued to its inhumane embargo for seven decades now to punish the Cubans for not doing U.S. bidding.

There is more…but I think you get the drift.

Stefanik’s cool with Trump’s sedition, falsified election fraud in rise to power

Few Americans outside her upstate NY district heard of Congresswoman Elise Stefanik before this week.

That changed when she jumped into the spotlight to oust No. 3 House Republican Liz Cheney, who is also Chair of the House Republican Conference.

The Harvard educated Stefanik, 36, in her seventh year representing upstate NY, is no dummy. But her lust for power, maybe even a presidential run someday, has caused her to check her responsibility to American democracy at the door of unbridled ambition.  

She jettisoned her early moderate career ties to George W. Bush and Paul Ryan to go all Trump all the time, starting with her fervent defense of the indefensible during his first impeachment trial.  

In tossing her bonnet into the ring to replace Cheney, who’s put democracy ahead of sedition, Stefanik argues the only path to regain Republican control of Congress is to speak with a united voice with the anti-democratic authoritarian Trump leading the way.

Stefanik appears oblivious to the fact that if the insurrectionists had breached the congresspersons’ safe room, they would likely have mistaken her for a Democrat and done her grievous harm.

While a lock to achieve the power she craves, Elise Stefanik has soiled her reputation as a patriot at a pivotal moment in U.S. history. That, no matter how high she rises, will be her legacy.

Biden's words encourage Yemenis; his actions kill them

Three months ago President Biden promised to end support for Saudi Arabia’s murderous war in Yemen. Over a quarter million dead since the March, 2015 offensive by the Saudis which combined murderous bombing with a blockade that turned Yemen into the world’s greatest humanitarian crisis.

And right alongside the Saudis in their war was Uncle Sam, sending them bombs galore, refueling their death planes, and proving moral

support for their immoral devastation. The UN reports nearly 400,000 Yemeni kids will die from starvation this year from the offensive.

Obama and Trump both offered this support believing the war was a proxy fight against Saudi Arabia's enemy Iran, which they said supported the Yemeni rebels being targeted. To America, the enemy of my enemy Iran is my friend.

Biden’s February pledge brought hope to Yemen and supporters of peace everywhere. Sadly, Biden has largely reneged on his promise. The drop in support to Saudi Arabia has been a trickle. We claim any arms sent are defensive only, for use against Al Qaeda in Yemen. We also say their Saudi blockade isn’t a blockade.

Both excuses are bunk. The U.S. continues to placate Saudi Arabia with physical and moral support to deflect Saudi criticism from Biden’s effort to re-enter the Iran nuclear deal. Ironically, brokering the first Iran nuclear deal in 2015 was the reason Obama supported Saudi Arabia’s murderous war in the first place

Here we are six years later and the U.S. continues help Saudi Arabia kill hundreds of thousands of Yemenis so it can keep Saudi Arabia from sabotaging a second Iran nuclear agreement.

If President Biden pulled the plug on the Saudis' grotesque war, it would collapse in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, Biden’s heart is missing that peaceful beat.

LSD forever

 

I've never been a fan of naming streets and buildings for famous (or infamous as we've come to know) dead people. But with so much to agonize about, I don't pay such frivolity much attention. Must admit, however, I'm a bit bummed about renaming Lake Shore Drive for Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, the Haitian native credited with founding Chicago nearly 250 years ago.

DuSable hasn't exactify been ignored. Besides famed DuSable High, we got the DuSable Museum, DuSable Bridge; even a bust of DuSable adoring Michigan Avenue nearby the bridge. Additionally, Mayor Lightfoot is moving ahead to complete DuSable Park and renaming the Riverwalk for our founder.

But whatever happens, it will or me, as I'm sure for many, forever be Lake Shore Drive, or even more affectionally, LSD. Took many mind blowing trips on LDS in my wasted youth, and not a single one chemically induced. The 2 most fascinating were on my trusty 21 speed along with about 50,000 others without a car in sight and gasoline fume free.

Aliotta Hanes & Jeremiah's ode to Lake Shore Drive is among my favorite songs of the rock era, Whenever I hear it, like just now, I get a flashback.....of 'slippin' on by on LSD'.

Afghan war by the numbers

$2,700,000,000,000 - cost

4,000,000 - Afghans displaced within country

2,700,000 - Afghans fled from Afghanistan

68.000 - Afghan soldiers killed

47,200 - Afghan civilians killed

3,800 - U.S. contractors killed

2,442 - U.S. soldiers killed

1,144 - Other coalition soldiers killed

444 - Aid workers killed

72 - Journalists killed

20 - Years war has lasted

0 - Chances of U.S. preventing Taliban from

re-assuming power after we leave

Worth it?