VOTING AT A CROSSROADS
It is seldom that the fate of a nation can be traced to what happened on one particular day. But that may be what happens in the United States of America today, Tuesday, March 15, 2016.
That is because the front-runners in both political parties are not merely inadequate but appalling -- and the vote in today’s primaries in Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, and North Carolina may be the last chance for the voters to unite behind someone else.
The trends that brought us to this crucial day go back for years. But whatever the paths that led to this crossroads, we are in fact at a crossroads and our future, and our children's futures, depend on whether we can come up with some presidential candidate better than either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.
In other times and in other conditions, one bad president could not ruin a great nation. We survived Jimmy Carter and we may survive Barack Obama, but there is no guarantee that we can survive an unlimited amount of reckless decisions in a dangerous world.
Charismatic leaders like Trump who articulated the just grievances of the people have often risen to power on the basis of that talent alone. And those who put them in power have often paid a catastrophic price afterwards. That story was repeated in countries around the world in the 20th century.
Will that story be repeated in America in the 21st century? The vote today may give us a clue.
Join the forum discussion on this postWHY WOULD TRUMP QUOTE MUSSOLINI?
Donald Trump recently picked an interesting quote of Benito Mussolini’s to re-tweet on Twitter:
On one hand, I can understand the sentiment. I myself have often quoted Emiliano Zapata’s famous line “Better to die on your feet, than live on your knees” and it doesn’t necessarily mean I know much about Zapata (which I don’t), much less whether I would have agreed with him about much else.
Still, Trump’s use of “Ilduce2016” in his tweet hashtag caught my eye as somehow strange, almost a little too enthusiastic. So I found myself wondering, if Trump finds this historical figure inspiring, perhaps we should study the other teachings of the “Duce” to see whether there are other areas where their philosophies are similar.
TYRANNY AND FREE SPEECH
Do you support free speech? How about free speech for climate change skeptics? For homophobes? For racists? For sexists? For white males? For even Donald Trump?
Those who defend free speech, as did the American Founding Fathers, understand it is not about defending speech you agree with, but defending speech you disagree with. Without free speech, there is no liberty.
The State Department diversity officer, John Robinson, has just warned the staff that they may be penalized for engaging in "microaggressions," which include jokes or other comments that someone who hears them may find offensive.
In a recent letter, he referred to a definition of microaggressions as "everyday verbal, nonverbal and environmental slights, snubs or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory or negative messages to target persons." In other words, whatever you hear may be considered a microaggression if you choose to be offended.
Such vague and infinitely elastic laws and regulations are the bread and butter of all totalitarian regimes.
DOES THE RSCOIN SUPERCURRENCY MEAN THE DEATH OF BITCOIN?
British computer scientists have devised a digital crypto-currency in league with the Bank of England that could pose a devastating threat to large tranches of the financial industry, and profoundly change the management of monetary policy.
The proto-currency known as RSCoin has vastly greater scope than Bitcoin, used for peer-to-peer transactions by libertarians across the world, and beyond the control of any political authority.
The purpose would be turned upside down. RSCoin would be a tool of state control, allowing the central bank to keep a tight grip on the money supply and respond to crises. It would erode the exorbitant privilege of commercial banks of creating money out of thin air under a fractional reserve financial system.
“Whoever reacts too slowly to these developments is going to take it on the chin. They will lose their businesses,” said Dr. George Danezis, who is working on the design at University College London.
"My advice is that companies should play very close attention to what is happening, because this will not go away," he said. Layers of middlemen in payments systems face a creeping threat across the nexus of commerce, stockbroking, currency trading or derivatives. Many risk extinction over time.
HUNGARIAN ROADBLOCK
Who needs a wall? Hungary has come up with a brilliant, incredibly cheap, and amazingly simple way to stop the invasion of Moslem welfare migrants into Europe.
Whoever thought of this is a Hungarian patriot genius.
HALF-FULL REPORT 03/11/16
Marco scored home runs in the Miami debate last night, but does he have a chance to win Florida on Tuesday? Cruz obliterated Trump, so how will he do on Super Tuesday 3? What advice did Jeb Bush give Rubio, Cruz, and Kasich in private meetings yesterday?
What is a far greater worry than a brokered Pub convention to both Trump and Hillary? You’ll get the chills finding out.
What’s killing the whales dying en masse on English Channel beaches? Why are so many Iranians converting to Christianity? Who’s the hot young blonde that the HFR Hero of the Week? You’ll laugh your head off seeing what’s she’s done.
This plus videos and pics in this week’s Half-Full Report!
HOW PATRIOTIC IS MARCO RUBIO?
This question is in no way meant to disparage Rubio’s core patriotism. He obviously loves America, means it no harm, is a good decent moral person who’s solidly conservative in most ways (albeit his fatal error on Gang of 8 Amnesty).
If he were the GOP nominee I would vote for him without the slightest hesitation. He would be light years preferable to the PIAPS or Crackpot Bernie or SlowJoe.
But that’s not the issue at hand. For the reality is that, after last night (3/08) winning a total of 0 delegates – zip, zero, nada – in Michigan, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii, Rubio is a dead man walking towards the nomination. His candidacy is a busted flush (defined as “something worthless that had great potential”).
Trump, on the other hand, is a four-flusher. A phony vulgar scam-artist braggart, all hat and no cattle whether in political principles, business acumen, character and integrity, or plain moral decency. His stubby little fingers cannot – cannot as a mortal necessity – be allowed access to the presidential codes for launching nuclear weapons.
Marco Rubio is not going to be the GOP presidential nominee in 2016. It is now his patriotic duty to do whatever he can to prevent Donald Trump from being that nominee instead. That means it is his patriotic duty to do the only thing to stop Trump.
THE ORIGINS OF TRUMP NIHILISM
[This is the most eloquent and moving explanation of support for Trump I have ever seen. One caveat is that the GOP Elite does not run California, the Democrats do and totally. –JW]
During the most recent Detroit debate (3/03), even a reformed “inclusive” and “presidential” Donald Trump still was crass and vulgar. (Has a candidate ever crudely referred to the size of his phallus, and in our sick world is that a Freudian admission of doubt, or a macho reassurance in LBJ fashion?)
Trump gave more than enough evidence that his positions are liquid and change as often his perceptions of his flatterers and critics. He is a blank slate, who as president could build or tear down a southern wall with equal ease, depending on the dynamics of the political deal of the moment.
In the debate, in passive-aggressive fashion Trump pouted and pounced, furious that others had broken the Golden Rule and done unto him what he has done unto others. His entire moral universe is predicated on a preteen morality of liking those who praise him, and hating those who criticize him.
All that said, I doubt Trump will lose much of his 35-45% support in the next rounds of elections. There are quite understandable reasons why.
THE SUBVERSION OF AMERICAN EVANGELICALS
Today, Evangelical communities in the US number anywhere between 60 and 150 million people, depending on who is counting. They form the backbone of American support for the Jewish state. It is the support of the Evangelical community, rather than the Jewish community in the US that ensures that come hell or high water, no matter how Israel is demonized in the media and in academia, the majority of Americans continue to support Israel.
But will this support last?
One of the more surprising aspects of the 2016 elections is Evangelical support for businessman Donald Trump. Trump in many ways personifies everything that people who take the Bible seriously are supposed to oppose. He owns casinos. He curses and uses profanity in his public appearances. He has donated to Planned Parenthood and forcefully supported abortions on demand. Trump has also insisted repeatedly that he will be neutral toward Israel.
Perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of Evangelical support for Trump is that he takes these positions as he runs against primary opponents who all wear their faith on their sleeves. All of his opponents have records of standing with the Evangelicals on social and other salient issues – including support for Israel. What are we to make of this seemingly inexplicable phenomenon? To understand, the Christ at the Checkpoint conference taking place this week in Bethlehem is a good place to look.
RUSSIA GIVES UP ON ITS TRAGEDIES AND ITSELF
President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating is regularly accepted as a proxy measure for the level of Russia’s internal cohesion. And his support remains on a sky-high plateau, where it has stood since the explosion of jingoism caused by the annexation of Crimea in March 2014.
However, powerful and divisive forces are eroding this purported cohesion, turning Russian society into a disillusioned and apathetic crowd—resembling the nation that failed, 99 years ago, to turn the dethroning of Tsar Nicolas II into a lasting liberating moment.
Stalin’s grave on Red Square was covered with flowers last Saturday (March 5), on the day of his death; and many Russians still cherish or long for a “firm hand,” no matter the millions of destroyed lives such authoritarian leadership has historically produced (Slon.ru).
This urge to escape from the apparent dead end of the present by reliving the “glorious” past translates into a desire to ignore the disasters that mark Russia’s current decline.