by Barry Hastings
By Wednesday mornin
g (less than a week ago) pollsters were reporting fully 25% of Republican office-holders around the nation have dumped Donald Trump into their personal, “Not fit to hold the presidency,” barrel. There are so many factors playing into this (almost) unprecedented turn of events, all pointing toward the total collapse of the GOP I predicted more than a year ago, and have been adding information on the collapse, month after month after month, in this column.
Trump failed (miserably) to make a dent in Clinton’s well-organized, well studied, and well-delivered arguments about what the nation needs now, domestically, and internationally, during the first debate. The second was not the slightest bit more successful, though he brought out every thing he could possibly use, including many attempts to intimidate Clinton by sliding into her space as she spoke and appearing right behind her.
Of course, the horse’s ass was also, as in debate Number One, constantly raising his voice to high (loud) levels, hoping to unnerve her. The first time out he was sniffing like the coke-head he likely is. He said when he’s elected, he’ll appoint a special prosecutor to, “put her in jail” (a line his thousands of admirers go bonkers over). None of it’s going to happen, because Americans will never, NEVER, elect such a scuzzy, sorry, cocky, filthy-mouthed, bragging voluptuary, to the high office of the presidency.
Let me tell you it won’t happen — ever. First of all, the racist, sexist, know-nothing can’t speak to foreign affairs with any authority, whatsoever. Nor can he speak to the nation’s need to come together, but rather tries to stir-up fear among blacks, Mexicans, Arabs, other mid-Easterners, Asians. There are very few people of (any) color who don’t share a deep fear of the man, his idiot wall (which won’t be built, and which Mexico definitely will NOT ever pay for)
And as for putting Ms. Clinton in jail, my guess is we’re much more likely to see the nit-wit Trump incarcerated (he thinks he’s bullet-proof), than the candidate who’s whole life’s work has been in assisting the impoverished children and adult populations so long ignored by men like Trump. Elected twice as U.S. Senator from New York; and she did particularly good work as U.S. Secretary of State. Every new election-cycle brings further attempts by many states (the usual suspects – and ours is one of them) to further curtail voting rights of the poor, the black, the brown, and folks of nearly every hue but white. What the hell does Trump’s resume offer that remotely compares? Nothing. Nada. Zilch
He’s lost the Latino vote, (a year ago), the black vote, the women’s vote, the veterans vote (Capt. Kahn), and, in fact, the votes of every person who loves the nation. All that’s left for him is a basket-full of Mrs. Clinton’s “deplorables.” Their response to his most outlandish proposals, confirms the verity of Hillary Clinton’s blanket label.
And, we now know that 25 percent of Republicans do still love the Republic, and will not take part in a campaign of racism and sexism, isolationism, and ham-handed groping of women — you know, he says it was just “locker room talk.” But hundreds of athletes, from every imaginable sport, (golf, basketball, baseball, football, hockey, tennis, log-rolling, dog-sled racing, (need I continue?) have come forward to say phrases like, “If you’re a star, they’ll let you do anything, even grab ’em by their (private parts),” are unlike anything they’ve ever heard in any locker- oom.”
That’s the real D.T, and frankly, he gives me a bad case of the political D.T.’s. The remaining 75 per cent of the Grand Old Party are the same old thousand-dollar suits filled with hot gas, Medieval values, and belief in lily-white government, regular people excluded. They believe we are not fit to make important decisions. Turn the page.
A superpower war in Syria? Very possible, many say ‘likely’
Just days ago, fairly hot on the heels of Syrian peace negotiations, Vladimir Putin announced Russia will soon begin enlarging its Naval base in Syria, expanding it so they can keep a permanent Naval presence in the Mediterranean Sea. While they’ve long expended many rubles, and much effort harassing their neighbors to the North (Scandinavians, Baltic States – Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and on down the continent to the Black Sea, Red Sea and Med areas.
But now they’re back in a “cold war/hot war” mode, making “mock attacks” on U.S. Naval vessels in the Baltic Sea, and on U.S aircraft in the mid-East. This not like piddling around with states such as Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark, Crimea; They are screwing around with ships and aircraft empowered — and well-armed — to defend themselves. In the Baltic, a few weeks ago, two Russian fighter-jets harassed a U.S. Navy vessel, buzzing a fully armed (and ready for combat) American warship. Secretary of State John Kerrey, after viewing film of the told the world Press Corps, the vessel’s captain, would have been justified, “in opening fire” on the cocky bastards.
Within 10 days of your reading these facts, Arussian jet-fighter flew within ten (10) feet of a U.S. Recon aircraft. Hillary says this kind of crap “must stop, and will stop.” She hints U.S air power and sea power will be used to impose no flight zones over hard-hit areas of Syria.
Without such help, there is no longer any hope for an agreement between “us” and “them” easing conditions for Syrians trapped in Aleppo, and others cities across the no-longer viable Syrian state (the whole Syrian show is completely Russian controlled at this point). The USA, and several European nations are calling for War-crimes investigation into Russia’s mass murder of Syrians by Russian troops, flyers, and commanders in the region. Columnist Dmitri Trenin made the point, “Mutual respect between the former Soviet secret policeman and American officials is almost gone,” and this development should be keeping Muscovite and America officials awake nights.
Russians, counting on their belief Obama will not engage in military action in the last days of his term, are emboldened to the point they’d like to seek a military decision. Mr. Trenin believes a suitable strategy would be somewhat like our strategy/tactic of the Russian-Afghan conflict in the 1980s; that is, to arm Syrian rebels with missile capable of knocking out Russian aircraft and tanks. The equation would certainly change once Afghans got the “Stingers” and a bit of financial aid, Russians wasted no time in leaving, “tails between their legs.”
Do it, Hillary. Carefully thought through assistance, will do a lot more toward halting Russian adventurism, than 13 months of Trump bluster, blunder, bullying.
