America's Next President?

“But the fact that lots of voters hated the Clintons, Sean Penn, the Dixie Chicks and whomever else, did not, ever, mean that they believed in the principle of Detroit carmakers being able to costlessly move American jobs overseas by the thousands.” 

This is the essence of the Republican Party and the rise of Trump. Their ideas are rubbish and they always have been. Their main policies are disingenuous at best and a sham to mask the bigger lies behind them which is why they have hidden behind “social issues” for years, things like abortion and guns and immigration or whatever. The guys pulling the strings in the party couldn’t give a shit about these things but without this form of leverage they have nothing. The white trash hillbillies lining up to get selfies with Trump don’t understand or don’t care about things like anti-regulation and lowering taxes for rich assholes but Republicans seem to have a knack for fueling class resentment. It’s hilarious when they are the ones claiming the other side is engaging in class warfare because without it they’d be a room full of rich, very old white men jerking each other off instead of a party that controls 50% of the populace. 

I think Trump has a better chance of being president than Bernie Sanders. Hilary just doesn't have what it takes. She may get the nomination. She may even become president but she doesn't really seem to get it. She'll be serving her second term and still asking her advisers what she should be doing at every step. She's no leader no matter how smart or competent she may be. Sanders isn't much of a leader for that matter. And Señor Comb-Over? Forget it. Trump reminds me of a 16 year old boy who just got his driver's license and now wants a Formula 1 car. Will his dad buy it for him? Wait until November to find out.

I don’t think that I’m being overly dramatic when I say that we don’t have a lot of time to right the course in American political life. Just look at how we have come to accept the hyper-rich in our society. 30 years ago it would have been ludicrous to portray a character like the dude on Billions. Sherman McCoy was a mere millionaire…and barely that. The rich today would hire Sherman McCoy to clean the pool on their fifth home. The only thing that keeps us from dusting off the guillotines is that most of us think that we’re one scratch ticket away from having a private jet and a third wife who was a Slovenian model. Instead of resentment and a well-deserved anger all our poor and down-trodden middle class can muster is envy, wishful thinking, and a huge inferiority complex.

Betrayed by a Modern Convenience

This is the world’s worst toaster. How shitty is it? I gave it as a gift to someone and they gave it back when they left the country. A slice of bread got stuck inside and it was probably easier to rescue those 32 Chilean miners. I don’t remember how that story ended but I’m pretty sure they didn’t have to cut them all up into little pieces to bring them out. I'd buy a new model but I still have five payments to make on this one.

There was way too much profanity in this episode to interest CNN or any other news agency. The toaster ruined half of what was to be a steak sandwich so the swearing was justified.

I know that I'm assimilating because my knee-jerk profanity leaves my mouth in the Spanish version, at least some times. I really was trying to be a better person in Spanish and leave my potty mouth behind. As it turns out it just took me a while to learn all the good stuff; I blame movies from Argentina—those dudes can swear with the best of them, almost as good as Arabs.

Old habits die hard...or will probably die with me.

Adios, Antonin Scalia

“I have never killed any one, but I have read some obituary notices with great satisfaction.”

Turns out that Clarence Darrow said that and not Mark Twain, so thanks Clarence.  If Scalia had wanted me to be sad upon reading of his death he shouldn’t have offended me with his every decision (and dissent) on the court. Societies are judged on how they treat the most powerless among the citizenry—not exactly Scalia’s strong suit.

I haven’t fact-checked this but I’m pretty sure this is from the U.S. Constitution:

"…he shall (the president) nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint ... Judges of the Supreme Court"

Some Republicans are calling for the new SCOTUS appointment to be put off until after Obama leaves office and allow for the American people to decide. Here’s the thing, the American people decided two times who they wanted to appoint Supreme Court justices from 2009-2016.

Fighting for Respect

I had to take my case all the way to an international tribunal in The Hague but I’ve finally gained the coveted “Spanish Grandmother” status for my tortilla over the rather petty objections that I am neither Spanish nor a grandmother. Remember: winners never quit and quitters…well, quitters can just order this in a restaurant and it will probably be better than mine.