By Barry Hastings

I’m pleased to see Hillary Clinton getting some sound effort from a pretty good group (far more than Trump) “Flag” officers, retired and active. These are people well aware of the (many) threats we face. I guess I’m most likely to get into much of what’s “trending.” A lot of it’s a “bunch a’ baloney,” no truth to it at all. It’s uncannily playing-out the plot of the (poor), former post-card painter’s Mein Kampf. Feed them lies, fantastic lies; and repeat them interminably, add to them daily.

But it’s worse. Quite worse.

Stripped to the skin, Trumps’s the antithesis of everything preceding generations of Americans (through their much varied folk) have worked, fought, bled and died for. I see Americans as broad-minded, open-armed, generous, determined on our nation’s survival. Trump’s minions come across as narrow-minded, bloody-minded, know-nothings, intent on making America groan, again. Huge numbers of them are downright ignorant. I have a full plate, and I’m in a sharing state of mind, with an early reminder. Trump’s a snake-oil salesman, and a sleazy, slimy (figurative) Coral snake of a person. Up, up, and away-y-y-y-y!

When Hillary referred to half of Trump’s supporters as being in her “deplorable basket,” she hit the nail right on the head. A very large portion of them, according to a recent study, cannot read at a ninth grade level. More than half of them, in fact. It’s the reason we’re bombarded daily by preposterous lies from the preposterous liar, with the preposterous hair, and preposterous pursed lips (like an angry little girl). And isn’t it something how many who claimed they’d “never” have now joined his circus. No, not all of them, but enough of them to make me very uncomfortable — you know who I mean.

They’re the poisonous reptile handlers who do it as religious worship, others of similar ilk, who’ve progressed only a short way from stone-age savagery, intolerance, butchery, fear of the future, and fear of others different from themselves. They come dressed in jeans and expensive suits, but share a common goal to ‘whiten’ America, and as soon as they possibly can.

She was speaking of Republicans as far back as Richard Nixon’s administration, where Nixon aides spoke “seriously” in the White House offices of killing liberal columnist Jack Anderson; and of kidnapping young leaders of the vocal, and growing, anti-Vietnam war movement, holding them in captive in Mexico ’til the war ended. It was the beginning of a major GOP shift to the extreme right of U.S. politics (Joe McCarthy and his sorry -and cowardly- associated Republicans), one that’s continued, and narrowed their world -view ever since. Just look at what they’ve given us.

Let’s see, now…, Ronald Reagan, a phony tough-guy whose answer to Khadafy was a weak-willed cruise missile attack killing the dictator’s daughter-in-law, but doing no damage to him, or to his murderous regime. To demonstrate his toughness to his true believers, Reagan launched attacks on super powers, Granada and Panama, results of which resembled a hastily-made-up “soup sandwich.”

World War II naval aviator G.H.W. Bush did better, organizing a huge coalition to run Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait — probably the best-planned military action on the part of the U.S. since WWII, though little of his skill seems to have rubbed off on two of his moronic sons, George Dubya, and JEB! The pathetic Dubya opened a war in Irag that’s got the whole world in the worse mess it’s witnessed since WWII.

Now they’re trying to saddle us with a businessman known among businessmen as a cheat, a thief, a con man; To wit; a snake-oil salesman. If a candidate is unwilling to reveal his tax returns, he’s not fit to be president; If a candidate suggests (twice) the possibility of his opposite being shot, he’s not fit to be president; If a candidate has opened a “university,” collected funds from those he’s promised to educate, then failed to return anything of value for tuition collected, definitely, not fit to be president!

Frankly, I’d rather have Lucifer (himself) leading the nation’s sons, daughters, husbands, fathers into combat, than this frightening phony who believes he can hire an expert for any occasion. My guess is he has one lined up to manage the mass funeral of the late, great, United States of America. The “Ugly Americans” cross-bred by Joe McCarthy, and his successors in Senate and House of Representatives currently hold us, our armed forces, our Government (and indeed, the whole world), hostage to Sequestration, pandemonium, double-talk, “newspeak” and the aura (if not the fact) of ignorance and know-nothingness. A very chaotic and dangerous situation.

About Putin’s plan to rebuild the KGB

Just this last week the news was released. He plans to rebuild the security apparatus of the old Stalinist state security to all of its former power in Russia. He should wake up to the fact he’ll never lead a truly dynamic nation until he cuts the country’s alcohol consumption by half, and (very firmly) limit political power of the Russian Orthodox Church (a reactionary influence on the whole Russian state since time immemorial). (Note: Americans take notice)

Chris Crisco, bridge-closing, illustrative of the outfit

So, this is the story of how Republicans manage party power struggles, among themselves, and with Democrats, for slights real, or perceived. They have one end in view — to get control of Congress, the courts, the White House, and milk each and every one of them, three times a day, ’til their teats are too sore to bear human touch. YIP! (Make America Groan, Again.) And this guy thought Republicans would nominate him for the White House, and pay to bring back President Taft’s over-size bathtub. Here’s a guy who’s done, f-i-n-i-s-h-e-d. A lard-assed loser. Sit down, and shut-up!

The scourge of opiod suicide

I’m sad, (but pleased) to have been among the very first Michigan journalists to call your attention to the epidemic of opiods, and related killers of (mostly) self-destructive citizens sweepingour state, and many (if not most) others. It’s a sad situation – these folks expect to die every time they ‘shoot-up’. I wonder what percentage of them were looking for a slightly less messy way outa here than a hollow-point bullet? Strange it is, indeed, how people’s lives are bent and twisted by the damnedest events, and stupid acts.

Speaking of “messy ways out”

Recent research (and resultant commentary) indicates half the guns in America are owned by slightly more than 7.7 million people. Indications are that gun ownership is neither as broad or as deep as the National Rifle Association would like you to believe. I know I can’t count on all my fingers and toes the number of people I know who own 20 (or more) firearms. Even so, some ten thousand of us commit suicide by firearm, every year. And as you know, roughly the same number are murdered by firearms annually. Approximately 10 thousand more are killed by firearm accidents each year, as well. I assume you can add-up the total.

Let’s get back to Donald Trump

The Donald Trump phenomenon, boiled down to an essence, is built on a foundation as shaky as we’re likely to see again, ever, in American politics. Take his Trump University, for example, or his endless (tireless) bilking of small businesses, tradespeople, and investors – everywhere he’s operated as a businessman. The whole structure provides a perfect dwelling for the whole GOP – a sleazy side­show at rural southern county fair and slave auction.

When Hillary said she filed half Trump’s supporters in her “deplorable” basket, everyone whined. But it’s far more than half of them — the whole bunch is out of touch with America, American values, human decency, and humanity as a whole. Their leader makes oblique remarks hinting someone should shoot his coming democrat conqueror. I don’t pray, but I surely hope to see a demonstration of public condemnation of the most shallow intellect ever to seek the office (“oh, I’ll hire an expert to handle it”).

It should be of great concern to all of us the Russian and Chinese governments are taking early (baby) steps toward cooperation in trade, foreign relations, military matters (of utmost concern), and the shaky (dangerous) conditions/relations prevailing around the globe. There’s no safe place, anywhere.

Trump’s dangerous because after you’ve spent years gambling for billions, what’s left? People? He’s a man who’d take election to the Presidency as confirmation he can do anything he feels like doing; and his life history is one of doing exactly that, no matter who is harmed (or ruined) in the process. America and England are the only democracies with long histories (Brits have a long lead). Revelations of the American Patriot Edward Snowden have exposed the unstable basis of our own young democracy, and brought out into the sunshine actions of the GOP since founding of NSA (and some 17 other intel agencies), the eating away of our constitutional roots and values (like forcing “God” down our throats in the pledge of allegiance), and giving religion a far more prominent role in everyday life than the founding fathers ever intended.)

You know, “No state religion,” and “no religious tests to hold public office.” Or have you forgotten? Or didn’t you ever know? Obviously, Republicans have forgotten, or have never known.

C’mon, America, you’ve slipped badly over the last seventy years, but surely, surely, you can do better than Donald J(udas) Trump.