Quotes from Toni Morrison and Michael Corleone, Two Fine Columns and the President Speaks to Pennsylvanians and to BIbi

Yes, Words Matter!

As an addendum to the ”Words Matter” theme of the August 14 posting on this blog, here is a quote from David Remnick, writing in “The Talk of the Town” column in the August 19 issue of the New Yorker magazine.  (Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison passed away on August 5.)

Morrison

“In December, 1993, Toni Morrison flew to Stockholm to deliver the lecture required of those awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.  Her subject was the power of language.  Words, she said, have the capacity to liberate, empower, imagine, and heal, but, cruelly employed, they can ‘render the suffering of millions mute.’  Morrison was unsparing in her depiction of people who would use language to evil ends.  Pointing to ‘infantile heads of state’ who speak only ‘to those who obey, or in order to force obedience,’ she warned of the virulence of the demagogue.  ‘Oppressive language does more than represent violence,’ she said.  ‘It is violence.”

What Morrison said is indeed applicable to Donald Trump and she later went on to say so in no uncertain terms.  In that vein, here are two columns about the President which are important.

Dowd

One is by Maureen Dowd (New York Times) and the other is by Michael Gerson (Washington Post).  Read them both.  They are enlightening. (I don't go to the trouble of including them in Jackspotpourri without good reason!!)

To read the Dowd column, CLICK HERE.   To read the Gerson column, CLICK HERE.

Gerson

Jack Lippman

Send These, the Homeless, Tempest-Tossed to me

"Hating" Trump?

Whomever ends up with the Democratic presidential nomination will make it clear for reasons such as those stated in these two columns, and because of the opinions of many others, that the President must be defeated in 2020.  To know Donald Trump may be to "hate" him.  Sometimes I feel that way.  But actually “hating” him may not be such a good idea.

Depending on such negative campaigning carries a risk.  Pause.  Stop and think.  Don't let it help him solidify his base.  Don't let it enable him to declare himself a a 'victim' of some 'deep state' plot or of the liberal media's "fake news."

Al Pacino as Michael Corleone

Some advice, albeit fictional, comes from the film,“Godfather - Part III” (1990), in which “Godfather” Michael Corleone advises “Don’t hate your enemies.  It affects your judgement.”   And that is precisely where Democrats must position themselves today.  I know that will be difficult, but hatred of the President must not eclipse the issues.  

Americans know now and knew then what a vile person the President is, yet enough voters in crucial states still voted for him in 2016 because they were not satisfied with what the Democrats had given them and decided they would take up Trump’s ‘promises’ to do better, despite their awareness of his defects in character and total lack of qualifications for the job.  They knew, and still know, that the Democrats were, and are, more qualified to sit in the White House and be given Congressional majorities, but it was, and still is, a matter of “what have you done for me lately, and what will you do for me if we put you in office?” Politically, that is a bottom line.

So let’s go there!  Here’s the roadmap to victory for Democrats.

Health Care:  The Affordable Care Act has made health care available to millions of Americans who otherwise would not have any.  It needs to be improved, as does Medicare and Medicaid, but only Democrats, who brought these programs to the American people, can do that job.  All the Republicans want to do is dismantle these programs, so taxes on the wealthy can be reduced.

Gun Violence:  Most Americans are for laws on the federal and local levels to reduce gun violence by such steps as universal background checks for ALL gun purchasers and banning military style weapons.  Only Republicans, nourished by years of donations from the NRA, oppose the people on this issue.

Social Security:  Guaranteeing benefits to those who have paid into the plan over the years is vital.  The income ceiling up to which Social Security contributions are  made should be raised or eliminated in order to balance the growing disparity between the number of those receiving benefits and those contributing to the program.  Republicans, on the other hand, talk of cutting benefits.

The Economy:  G.O.P tax breaks for business, did not "trickle down." (They used the money to buy back stock.)  What the nation needs to benefit all Americans is Keynesian government pump-priming where necessary, job creation through investment in the infrastructure, retraining for today's jobs, a realistic minimum living wage, respect for the Federal Reserve as guardian of monetary solvency, and a balance between globalization and government safety nets to provide protection for workers who might be hurt by foreign trade, which is necessary for our economy and that of the world of which we are a part.  The problem of wealth redistribution must be addressed through tax reform. A successful economy that doesn't benefit all Americans is not a successful economy.

Foreign Affairs:  Economic alliances and military alliances with our traditional friends must be rebuilt, if our country is to be trusted by the world. Our military, our space program and our nuclear program must not be shortchanged if we are to remain a world power. Other nations watch us and look to us for leadership! Objective and professional decision makers must be allowed to create realistic programs to deal with Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and to restore respect for us in the Middle East.  Our participation in the Iran nuclear treaty must be restored and the weapons limitation treaties with Russia must be re-negotiated. Our State Department must be fully staffed once more.

The Environment: I once knew someone who worked as a rent collector in some buildings his family owned. Sometimes, lacking the money to pay the rent, a tenant would offer him sex instead, he told me.  He never accepted such offers since he knew better than "to sh-t where he eats."  We must protect the air, the water, the forests, the oceans, animal life, all that surrounds us if our race is to survive, and this is a global concern, not just a national one.  Our species doesn't own the planet.  We are just its most recent tenants.

Climate Change: Throughout the planet's history, climate has changed.  Never before, however, has it been scientifically documented that human activity has influenced such changes to a significant extent.  The seas are warming, the ice caps are melting and as a result, the waters are rising. Storm patterns, across the world, are changing.  The use of fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, even wood) seems to be the cultprit, releasing carbon emissions into the atmosphere.  We should join the rest of the world in supporting activities to address this problem and the first step is to rejoin the Paris Accord, from which the President withdrew the United States. Our species doesn't own the planet.  We are just its most recent tenants.

Consumer Protection: Government oversight and regulation of the food we eat, the medicines we take, the water we drink, the cars we drive and the toys we give our children to play with should be strenthened and not weakened for the sake of the providers' business success. Health and safety come first.  Banking and all financial services, including investment vehicles, should be regulated so that the savings and other financial interests of individual American consumers are protected, before that of the providers of such services.

This is not to say that the President is not a liar, dishonest, incompetent and a racist.  He is all of these.  But that should not prevent Democrats from presenting meaningful programs in the areas listed above.  They are the keys to electing a Democratic President in 2020 and giving him or her a Democratic majority in both Houses of Congress.  

Democrats must keep their judgement clear, concentrate on these goals, and not let hatred of the President, however deserving it might be, cause them to take their eyes off the ball.  Remain inspired by the words of Toni Morrison, but also, don’t ignore the advice of Michael Corleone: “Don’t hate your enemies. It affects your judgement.”

If you agree with this, please pass this message on to others.  If you disagree, you can let me know.

JL

I Lift My Lamp

Online Voter Registration

Know any Floridians one who are NOT registered voters?   Refer them to a web site where they can complete the registration process online!    Every vote counts.  https://registertovoteflorida.gov/en/Registration/Index   

ALSO, YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO GET THERE.

And if you are not in Florida, do the same thing wherever you live.  It’s all on the Internet somewhere!

JL

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Following the President

President Dumbkopf at Shell Oil plant

President Dumbkopf spoke at the Shell petroleum refinement plant in Monaca, Pennsylvania, the other day, totally ignorant of the fact that the plant was brought there by his predecessor in office, Barack Obama, and reached into his well of ignorance to comment that the Democrats didn’t care about the people in Western Pennsylvania.  

Shell announced the construction of the plant, which had been in the planning stage for some years, in June of 2016, at which time Obama was President.  Dumbkopf had nothing whatsoever to do with it.  (Also, it should be noted that the Shell employees ranged behind him as he spoke were on the job at the time, collecting their salaries to be there.)   President Dumbkopf took the opportunity to refer to two of his potential opponents in 2020, *if the Republicans haven’t wised up and gotten rid of him by then, as “Pocohantas” and “Sleepy Joe,” either one of whom will easily send him into retirement or a job in one of his failing businesses next year.  

*a distinct possibility as Republicans slowly realize the President may create a disaster for their entire ticket throughout the nation.   

(Can you name one business of his which has not failed?  Once he’s out of office, his hotel in D.C., his Mar-a-Lago catering business and his golf courses will probably go out of business or be sold off to real businessmen by the Dumbkopf family.  Because Dumbkopf usually uses borrowed money in his enterprises, I would suspect that an examination of these businesses’ books might reveal a ridiculously large debt load  ... similar to that with which he has saddled the country by reducing taxes on the wealthy and on some large corporations.)
JL
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One Step Too Far

Birds of a feather

And in regard to America's relations with Israel, I am ashamed of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's acceding to the President's request not to admit Congresswomen Omar and Tlaib to Israel because of their strongly pro-Palestinian positions. Regardless of my opinion of Omar and Tlaib, that is one step too far.

Obviously, Bibi and President Dumbkopf both need every right-wing vote they can get and this is merely their joint attempt to do that.  The defeat of Bibi in Israel's upcoming repeat election (and possibly his conviction in court cases being brought against him) would reopen the possibility of a 'two state solution' there.  Hopefully, this will happen.  Meanwhile, even Republicans are criticizing the President's actiion. Similarly, It is no sin for Jews to criticize Netanyahu for buckling under to the President's ill-considered request.  His position as Israel's Prime Minister does not bestow upon him any "biblical" immunity.
JL

Beside The Golden Door.