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Exactly!

I was reading the Washington Post article “Blackwaterfounder held secret Seychelles meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel” about Trump’s team trying to have backdoor meetings with Russia.  Really, since these were events that happened after the election, I could care less.  Who cares the Trump wants to get into Putin’s backdoor anyway.  Those are some photos I NEVER want to see.
 
Still the thing I found most disturbing about the article wasn’t the story about Trump and Putin’s ongoing love affair and possible pee fest.  The thing that alarmed me was this:

“Prince is best known as the founder of Blackwater, a security firm that became a symbol of U.S. abuses in Iraq after a series of incidents, including one in 2007 in which the company’s guards were accused — and later criminally convicted — of killing civilians in a crowded Iraqi square. Prince sold the firm, which was subsequently re-branded, but has continued building a private paramilitary empire with contracts across the Middle East and Asia. He now heads a Hong Kong-based company known as the Frontier Services Group.“

Is anyone else worried about this?  I think someone needs to have a conversation with the Washington Post’s Editorial Board.  Seriously…who gives a shit about Trump and Putin when you have a guy with a private army carrying on wars for profit.  We already know Prince is more than happy to gun down unarmed civilians for money.  What’s to keep him from coming here and doing it to Americans?

Now you might think I’m being a little alarmist here, but hold on.  First off, the guy already thinks he’s above any law domestically or internationally.  This was proven time and again in Iraq and Afghanistan.  His personal army was responsible for so many atrocities, that even Dick Cheney couldn’t condone him.  Add to the fact that Trump has little regard for juris prudence, and a tenuous connection with Civil Rights in general and you have a definite possibility that one day we might see Erik’s troops walking the streets here in the U.S. very soon.  Think I’m kidding?  Just wait till they tell the Orange wonder that he has to leave the white house in a few years and see what happens. 

Erik already has influence directly within the Trump Administration not only through himself, but through his sister Betsy, I think Jesus rode dinosaurs, DeVos.  Put Trump’s and Erik’s massive egos together, along with the real-life sense of entitlement Trump and his kids have and you have the makings of a military coup the likes of which we haven’t seen since Saddam Hussein.  Add to all this that Erik already thinks he’s a Viking warlord (I mean seriously…who spells Eric with a K?) and you have the makings of a disaster that would normally only present itself in an episode of Homeland (I can’t wait to see what happens next week). 

Right now I would say there is a 50/50 chance that Trump will be impeached in the next four years.  I’m 90% positive that a Republican will run against him in four years if the Orange idiot makes it through his term and wants to run again.  This guy will not go quietly.  There will be conversations with Erik’s private army on possibilities of going up against the U.S. Military.  Erik isn’t large enough yet, but he’s doing his best to get there.  Suffice it to say that any movement in that direction would be a disaster for everyone, not just Erik and Trump, but our country as well. 

This is a new age in Politics and Business.  The power brokers that have usually make moves behind the scenes are now out on the open.  They don’t like it much.  This is why many of them are trying to turn the clocks back to 1950.  For decades they’ve remained in the shadows directing the world from behind closed doors.  Now that we can see their movements it’s getting a little scary.  Make no mistake, every decision made at the Republican political level is in direct relation to how someone will make a profit.  It has absolutely nothing to do with the wellbeing of the general population.  If you think I’m wrong, then I will ask you two questions: 

  • How many decisions or executive order made by the current administration that has or will directly help you in the near future?
  • How many will help the rich?

Exactly!

Rex

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Snowflake

Someone just called me a snowflake.  They don’t know me very well.  Therefore, I’m starting from there to begin this rant.  First off, I’m by no means a snowflake on anything.  I believe that everyone should work for what they want.  However, I also believe that everyone should be given the opportunity to pursue the goals they wish to pursue.  If that makes me a snowflake, well…bring on the storm!

I understand that conservatives get annoyed by all the political correctness on the left.  I really do.  There are real problems in the world and some idiot gets all offended if someone uses the wrong term to describe someone’s nationality.  No one cares!  As long as a guy’s not being racist who gives a fuck?  But if someone calls an Hispanic Mexican you get all butt hurt.  Listen you tight-wad white middle-classed sweater tied around your neck metrosexual.  No one has time for you to look for something to be a victim about.  We have enough real victims in the world without your fake pansy ass taking up space.

Liberals aren’t alone on their island though.  You don’t have to look any farther than the Orange wonder to see someone who’s panties get all in a bunch when someone doesn’t agree with him.  He’s the leader of the most whiny set of jackasses that ever graced the political stage.  How a group of the most power set of rich white guys can suddenly paint themselves as being victims is beyond any human rationalization.  Seriously…you won the election!  You hold power in all three branches of government.  How in the world can you still say that you’re a victim?

If you are not as successful in this life as you want to be then I can point to at least 90% of that being your own fault.  Not one of us, rich, poor, old, young, gay, straight, black, brown, red, white, Asian, or Orange has gotten through this life without having something they have had to overcome.  This is why when you come out into the world and tell people how bad life has been for you, most of us don’t give a shit.  We don’t.  Life his hard.  Get over it.

I understand that being a woman or minority brings special challenges for you in the world.  Guess what…we all have challenges.  Some are harder than others.  Work through it and shut the fuck up.  If you decide that you’re going to wallow in your own pity, you will never be anything but a victim.  If you take someone else’s opinions of you to heart you’re wasting too much energy.  Someone’s opinion of you doesn’t matter a tinker’s damn.  The only opinion that matters is yours.

If you dress with your pants down around your ass and get followed in stores it ain’t because we’re black.  It’s because disgusting.  Not everyone is out to get you because you’re of some race.  I’m a 51 year old white guy.  If I dressed with my pants around my ass and walked into the local Sears I’d be followed around too.  The opposite is true as well.  If I’m presentable, then I get assistance.  The same goes for minorities.  Also keep this in mind, just because someone comes up to you and asks if they can help doesn’t mean they think you’re a thief.  Sometimes it means they want a commission.  Cut them a brake.

Don’t get me wrong.  There certainly is racism and sexism in the world.  Avoid that at all costs.  Ask yourself, if you think you didn’t get the job because you were of some other race, religion, or sex, do you really want to work with that asshole?  If someone yells racial slurs out of their car window, what do you care?  They’re the ones with the job at Carl’s Junior.  Pick your ass up and go to your real job.  The only time you should have any reaction is if they threaten to physically harm you.  At that point you have my blessing to beat the ever loving shit out of them!

On the conservative side, why are all you rednecks so hell bent on sending Mexicans back to Mexico and blaming Muslims for taking jobs that you either wouldn’t or couldn’t do?  Are you all of a sudden hell bent on putting down the Pabst and going to college or something?  Come on!  Let’s be serious Jethro.  If you had the physical ability to pick fruit all day, or the mental capacity to solve complex math equations, you would have traded in the double-wide for a real foundation 20 years ago!

Now, one last thing to everyone.  Donald Trump is OUR President.  When one is elected, you don’t get to choose to not play along.  That was tried in 1861 and we see how that turned out.  If you didn’t want the great Orange Julius, you should have gotten your lazy ass out in November and voted for the other side.  With that said we’re in this pickle now and we are stuck with it for four years or until someone finds any REAL evidence that something is amiss.  If you want a change, then show up to the polls a year from this November and vote.  If you’re not willing to do that, then shut the fuck up and let the grownups get back to work.

Snowflake
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More Than They Deserve

Anyone who thinks the reason that Obama was so hated was because of his economic and insurance policies, needs to think again.  A new poll published by the National Journal has a different take.  It turns out that the reason Trump supporters are so vigilantly opposed to the Democrats and their policies, even those policies they are so generously connected, is because…wait for it…they think anyone who isn’t white and Christian just isn’t worth their time.

This is why I have no desire to come together with a Trump supporter.  It’s a waste of time.  It’s not about jobs, the economy, war, or anything.  It’s about race and culture.  They want a culture that is homogenous like a gallon of whole milk.  If it ain’t white, flying a rebel flag and molesting its cousin they don’t want it. 

Democrats will never win over Trump supporters.  Nor do they need to.  What they need to do is win over their own voters and independents.  This is how you will win the next election.  Democrats have a terrible time getting their members out to vote.  Why is that?  We have a reputation of wanting to join anything that requires community involvement.  If that was the case then why can’t they get involved to spend 30 minutes of their day to ensure a crazy person isn’t voted into office?

Politicians will start campaigning for the mid-terms in a few months.  If we are going to save the country we need to make sure that we vote.  We shouldn’t spend one second of our time trying to convince some backwater that voting for someone other than a racist, sexist, lying, sexual assaulting deviant that likes women to pee on him is in their best interest.  They don’t care.  They’re a lost cause.  We need to send them back to the backwater swamp from which they rose.

Say what you want about liberals, but a single liberal cares more for the wellbeing of every individual in this country than a bucked of conservatives.  All the ones in office want to do is ensure their power base.  All the ones out of office want to do is turn the country back to 1950.  Well…1950 sucked.  It wasn’t the end all beat all you thought it was.  We were at war with Korea, minorities were in constant fear of their lives, and women were regularly raped by known and unknown individuals.  Mostly by their husbands because in the 1950s they were considered property. 

If we are to move on to a country that is focused on science, not corruption, education, not stupidity, clean air, not coal, abundantly, non-depleting renewable energy, not limited fossil fuels, medicine, not wishful thinking, and finally civility, not racism, then we need to get the vote out.  If we don’t then all this bitching is just a waste of time.  It’s time to take the bull by the horns and make the people who put Donald pussy grabber Trump into office a footnote in history.  In reality…it’s more than they deserve.
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Iowa!?! What the Hell?

I grew up on the east side of Des Moines less than a mile from the State capital.  It was a good neighborhood with a lot of families that had been there for decades and longer, passing their homes down from family member to family member.  I went to the same elementary school, middle school, and high school as many of my friends because no one ever moved away.  We were a very tight community.  It didn’t matter what our religion, or race was.  I had black friends, white friends, Asian, Hispanic, Jewish, Jehova’s Witness friends, Catholic Friends, Protestant friends, and all manner of law abiding and non-law abiding friends.  Given all that I have a question:  When did Iowa become a racist cesspool? 

I just listened to an interview with Steve King (R) of Iowa http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/13/politics/steve-king-babies-tweet-cnntv/index.html.  Where did you dig this guy up?  He’s an embarrassment not only to the State but to the country.  With people like this leading the State I’m not surprised Trump won Iowa during the last election.  Admittedly I’ve been gone from the State for a few years.  The last major event I want to was an Ice Cream Social at First Lutheran Church (now Capitol Hill Lutheran) in 1993.  By the looks of it, things  have changed and I may have missed a few of the cross burnings. 

It turns out that there are problems all over the State.  In Dubuque last year they had cross burnings http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/kyle-munson/2016/04/22/cross-burnings-dubuque-show-city-still-turmoil-over-race/83229444/.  Really Dubuque?  Seriously!  What has happened to you people?  I thought all this was done back in the 1970s.  I guess not.  It looks like stupidity is making a comeback.  Call it what you like, racism, sexism, hate, bigotry, it’s all the same thing, it’s stupidity. It’s ignorant people making stupid decisions, based on ridiculous notions that they are better than someone else.

I’m old enough to remember riots that started at East High School and then migrated down to Amos Hiatt.  It terrified me.  It terrified my friends as well, black and white.  We stood on our playground asking ourselves and each other what the big deal was.  Why was everyone so pissed off?  What on earth could have happened that made everyone want to beat the hell out of each other? 

I’m not sure what is going on in Iowa these days.  I’m not sure I want to know.  However, I have a feeling that allowing a few people with a little power to control a narrative that is filled with hate, bigotry, and the aforementioned stupidity then you will end up with people like Steve King.  I’m not sure where he came from, or what his background might be, but I am sure of one thing.  He’s racist.  He’s a bigot, and the only person more ignorant than himself are the people that voted for him.

Rex
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U.S. Healthcare is a Criminal Enterprise

My wife and I were debating the billing practices of physicians today.  I am constantly annoyed about going to the doctor and getting bills for the next year for services I had no idea I received.  This is due to the fact that medical providers have hidden costs and collection practices that in any other industry would be completely illegal.  But if you say it’s under the auspices of healthcare, it’s alright.

Let me if I can summarize the particulars:

Say you take your car to a mechanic for a transmission problem. The mechanic doesn’t actually work on transmissions, they just remove them and send it out to another shop for work and then put it back in your car. When you get the bill, you pay the mechanic and he pays the other shop.  If the other shop isn’t paid, that’s between the two parties, not you.  You only pay the guy with whom you had the business agreement.

Now imagine the mechanics shop was run by a physician:  

First you would have to see if the mechanic was covered under your plan. If they are, great! You go and have your car worked on.  However, that’s not the end of it!

It turns out the mechanic sent the transmission to another shop.  This shop just happens to participate with your plan, however, they contract out to a mechanic that works for another group that doesn’t contract.  So now you get a bill from the other shop AND from the mechanic who did the work.  But wait…there’s more!  The mechanic wasn’t really an expert in that type of transmission so they “consulted” with another mechanic who worked in their shop, but was actually an independent mechanic who worked for himself.  All the work was done according to spec, and you pay the mechanic for the work and go home happy as a clam.

Now several months go by.  All of a sudden you start getting bills from shops and people you’ve never heard of.  The bills are outlandish as well.  You were quoted $1200.00 for a new transmission.  You got your car and you paid it.  Now all of a sudden you have a $700.00 bill from a shop you’ve never heard of.  You throw it away because you think “who is this ass wad?”  I’ve never heard of these people this must be a mistake.  You remember that six months ago you had transmission work but you paid that and it was from a different shop.  Not only that it was on your plan and it was covered. 

Pretty soon another few months go by and you get a collection notice for the initial $700.00.  Also you get another bill from a mechanic’s group for $300.00 for the same work.  You also find that you have received another bill for $1800.00 for “consulting services” from a third mechanic who you have never heard of.  All in all your $1200.00 transmission repair is now $4000.00.  You call all these people and they say they were contracted by your original mechanic.  You say “so…go talk to him.”  “They say no, you owe us money.”  You say “well…I don’t have a contract with you and didn’t agree to this so go pound sand.”  They sue you and collect a grand total of $10,000.00 for the work.
If this happened with you getting your car fixed, you’d likely head back to the original mechanic and shove a lug wrench up his ass.  However, when it comes to medical care and their dubious business practices it is fair game.  People complain about how banks and credit card companies treat their customers.  I don’t think anyone has ever really looked at how medical professionals bill their clients.  Want to save billions on healthcare?  Make providers follow the same practices that any other profession is forced to follow.  That would be start.  Because for now, U.S. Healthcare is a criminal enterprise.

Rex