Things I think I think.

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so sure of themselves, and wiser people are so full of doubts...Bertrand Russell.

  To my horror I found this week that I could lose a lifelong friend really easily just by continuing a political discussion. Thankfully we both decided to back off because our friendship was more important than scoring political points. I mean Donald Trump isn't going to talk about the Crimson Tide or the Atlanta Braves with my pal and Joe Biden isn't going to talk Bama football or Braves baseball with me. So, at the end of the day we kept things calm. That seems to be getting harder these days and this political season will be one of "gotcha" on both sides. So, with that said I thought I would civilly list things that "I think" right now.

 There is a scientist who I really like and respect named Michu Kako who if you google him is a well known Physicist. Anyway one of the things he often says that I can appreciate when speaking of scientific knowledge is "This is what we know  right now." That means that as more knowledge is provided and discovered that we will perhaps know more or even differently than we do right now. So, when I say this is what I think. I do so with the right to think something else later on if I discover I'm wrong or incomplete in my current thinking.

I say that because people tend to come back at you and say "you said something different last year or yesterday or just a minute ago" as if that makes your current thoughts a lie at best or crazy at worst. So, from my over six decade journey so far this go around (life is a wheel) are some of my thoughts on as Douglass Adams author of "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" said "Life the Universe and Everything."

Donald Trump: Love him or hate him you have to admit that he is extreme. I think he is of low intelligence, obnoxious and a liar. I also think he's narcissistic. Everything is about him. He takes no responsibility for anything he has ever done wrong. Then he takes responsibility for hard work by other people. For instance telling his supporters how smart he is while talking about how the doctors are amazed at how much he knows.

 Calling for someone to punch somebody out during a campaign rally or making fun of a handicapped reporter. What made the last part so bad to me was his gutless response when challenged. Instead of manning up and saying "Yeah I did it." which at least would have been true. He started making excuses and people who know better (you know who you are) started defending him and saying "he didn't mean it that way." Shame on you! If you give him a pass for his cruelty that's your right. You feel his politics are the important part. I get that. But, don't lie for him. He's a shit person as a human being. As a president? Well he's not very inspiring but he's not a nazi either. Despite the left wing media's insistence that he is.

 I wouldn't vote for him as dog catcher. But, hey if you do and you honestly support him on strict political policy or as the lesser of two evils then that's your opinion and I can live with that and still love you. But, I will never respect "The Donald."

Donald Trump Part Deuce: First I have zero sympathy for people who think other people shouldn't be able to criticize the president. We have lost countless men and women in war for our right as a free people to let our voices be heard. One of the biggest freedoms we have is freedom of speech. The right as a citizen to voice our displeasure at the rulers and those responsible for the welfare of our nation. I remember Rush Limbaugh (no friend of liberals to say the least) talking about Bill Clinton in the 90's. He caught some push back from the left on his Clinton Bashing. But, he said (and I agree) that Bill Clinton (now Donald Trump) is the most powerful ruler on earth.

So, it's silly for somebody to  think Rush limbaugh could hurt Bill Clinton by not agreeing with his policies and speaking out. Now, Rush and other's think that I shouldn't have the same right to speak out against Trump that they had to speak against Clinton.

It's silly. It's also dangerous to our liberty to have a man like Trump now or Clinton then placed above the law. To see poor people and struggling working people who are one pay check away from disaster crying about "poor Donald Trump" is pathetic. So, yeah I reserve my right to criticise the president. No matter who they are. Don't worry my little ass isn't big enough to hurt your precious Donald. So, Chill y'all. He will still be rich and powerful when this is all over and you will still be living paycheck to paycheck. Same with the people who didn't want Clinton criticised. Hold em all accountable.

Republicans: I'm from Alabama. that means that I have had an up close and personal view of GOP politics. So, just from that I will say this. We are among the last in health care, birth mortality rates and education. We spend thousands of tax dollars a year over the state line in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi supporting the state lotteries there.

We lost and are losing hospitals over not accepting millions of dollars in Medicaid funds from the federal government while the governor at that time "Mr. Doctor Governor Bentley" went to Vegas to gamble and have sex with his mistress on the state tax payers dime. But, he's a "gawdly" man don'tcha know? Not like those sinful democrats.

I grew up at a time when conservative Republican actually meant responsible government. But, right now it seems to mean feeding the corporations and the big pharma drug and insurance companies while the people live in mobile homes and wave Confederate flags and vote for people that wouldn't spit on them.

Let me ask y'all this. I'm being serious so please understand I can't understand this. You say you are pro life and you vote for people who rob you simply on the basis of them being anti abortion. Okay, I get that. Abortion is a nasty business and I'm not a fan.

But, then you vote for people who cut Medicaid and cause nursing home cuts and hospital failures and cause poor folks not to be able to afford to raise a child. You don't care if kid's on the border are put in cages and you begrudge a person getting food stamps. Yet, you have no problem with going to church and acting like the God of the whole universe blesses the American Flag and is more concerned with your latest war than he or she is with the hungry and cold.

 How many of you (and I admit I don't know) you can search your own heart. But, how many of you think about the children and the mothers and the elderly who die under the bombs of war that you celebrate on the Fourth of July or the times that you brag about American firepower. Now, don't come at me and say I'm anti 4th of July or anti American. That's not true. I just can't look at a weapon of war and not be aware that the rich rulers in Iraq or Afghanistan or Iran are in their bunkers while the rubble and bodies you see on the nightly news often belong  to women and children who had no place to hide from war.

So, if you want to guard the border and wage war on our enemies I understand. I honestly do. But, if you can look at a family coming across the border (even if you feel they are illegal) and not care about the hunger and poverty that drives many of them then you may be a lot of things But, you are not following the heart of Jesus Christ. That does't mean I think you are wrong for wanting border security. It does mean that I think you are wrong if you worry more about a rich Donald Trump than a poor Mexican kid on the border.

Donald Trump Part Tres: Finally and I'm asking my friends and anybody who honors me by reading this. Please don't come back and start trying to take this apart and asking me to do your research for you. I'm not going to try and point you to every time the GOP has cut Medicaid in Bama or the number of food stamps vs the number who deserve them. I'm just asking you to look into your own heart and think about it. You might disagree with me and that's fine. But, don't be knee jerk to demonise the Democrats and I will try not to be knee jerk to demonize the Republicans.

Finally, and then I'm done with "The Donald." I remember being on a forum back in the day of the Gadsden Times which was my old hometown paper and I was delighted to be able to connect though the technology of the web.

 I was in Colorado at the time. Anyway, there was this young atheist who was also a liberal. I disagreed with him on religion but agreed with some of his politics.

Well, he made some comments about Jesus (not really nasty just not real reverent either) I knew a guy who was also discussing in the forum and I thought "Oh boy, he's gonna jump in with both feet now because he is a devout Christian." Well, he didn't. He didn't challenge the young man on any point and let it go. But, then the young atheist said something bad about the Republican party and the Republican President (Would have been Bush at that time.) OMG! This Christian jumped in with both feet to defend the honor of the GOP and the Republican Prez. I have noticed that alot. I don't know when being a person of faith started meaning you had to defend corrupt politicians. But, it said a lot to me on what some of these so called devout people put first. And it wasn't the love of Christ by any stretch. It was the love of a political party and political power. Just sayin'.

This was going to be a longer blog on my thoughts. But, this went way longer than I intended. So, for now I'll end it and do another blog later. Cause I've go more stuff I've "thunk" about y'all. 😆

So, if you read Part one to the end I'm honored. Even if you disagree I thank you for reading.

Peace.