I have spent too much time on Facebook rather than blogging. Here is the result.
Facebook Foolishness
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Tag Archives: politics
The Helsinki Summit – Before and After
BEFORE
AFTER
Presidential Curmudgeon Portraits
A man can dream, can’t he?
If the United States can elect its oldest president, a man with no political background or experience, why can’t it elect a true elderly curmudgeon? I can envision the day when, despite the (incorrect) prognoses of all the pundits, I sit in the Oval Office and determine whicih presidential portraits I get to hang on the walls.
I decided that I would pick a curmudgeonly president from each century.
The eighteenth century gives me only two choices – George Washington and John Adams. Adams is the obvious choice. He had no slaves; he considered his wife, Abigail, as his equal and he was, by all accounts, a true pain-in-the-ass. The result is immediate elevation to curmudgeon status.
Although the nineteenth century has many choices, there really is only one: Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was affected by depression, had a true black sense of humor and was, as I have often said, the greatest prose poet of the nineteenth century. Alternate choices may include Jackson, Cleveland and McKinley but these pale in comparison. Nope, Lincoln is my choice.
The twentieth century also has many choices. Perhaps TR or Coolidge or LBJ but, again, they really don’t qualify as curmudgeons (in my humble opinion). My first and clear choice is Harry S Truman (no period after the S. The S stood for nothing; Truman felt the need to have a middle initial.) Despite the critics who point to his dropping of the A-bomb on Hiroshima, Truman accomplished many achievements during his presidency (or presidentiary, as Will Ferrell pointed out playing the role of George W. Bush);
- Creation of the UN and NATO
- The Truman Doctrine (which stopped the communist threat to Greece and Turkey)
- The Marshall Plan
- The Berlin Airlift
- Establishment of the NSC, CIA and NSA
- Ended racial segregation in the US armed forces
- Legislation to allow immigration of 200,000 refugees from World War II
He also had time to pen and mail (by hand) a letter to Paul Hume, who was critical of his daughter’s concert performance.
“Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you’ll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!”
Immediate elevation to curmudgeon status.
For the twentieth-first century, we have only three choices – George W. Bush, Barak Obama and Donald Trump. The first two are disqualified as being too cheerful. The third is disqualified, period. The Donald is many things but being a curmudgeon is not among them. We have only started the century so we will have to wait on the fourth portrait. It could be mine.
In the meantime, let me say to my fellow Americans…
Election Postmortem
“Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.”
-Thomas Jefferson
“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”
-W. B. Yeats
“Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”
-H. L. Mencken
For this election, I’ve got a little list.
With apologies to Gilbert & Sullivan. To the tune of I’ve Got a Little List from The Mikado. Chorus is in Bold Italics.
Martyn Green as Ko-Ko, 1930s
As someday it may happen that a victim must be found, I’ve got a little list — I’ve got a little list.
Of society offenders who might well be underground, and who never would be missed — who never would be missed!
The lady whose email servers have problems of their own
Thirty-three thousand disappear like a stone.
There’s the party outsider who praises in raucous tones
Every party but his and every country but his own.
And the election outcome denialists,
They’d none of ’em be missed — they’d none of ’em be missed!
He’s got ’em on the list — he’s got ’em on the list;
And they’ll none of ’em be missed — they’ll none of ’em be missed.
Apologists, deniers, spin room activists,
Irrational supporters who get me really pissed.
All TV journalists who speaks as though listeners care
And the other ones who claim to be balanced and fair.
The dead who vote Democrat but that theory is not sound,
For you see, Mayor Giuliani, they are already underground.
WikiLeaks, tax returns, foundation donations and grants
And all those fanatics who substitute enthusiasm for facts.
And that singular anomaly, the lady plagiarist — I don’t think she’d be missed — I’m sure she’d not he missed!
He’s got her on the list — he’s got her on the list;
And I don’t think she’ll be missed — I’m sure she’ll not be missed!
There’s the pestilential congressmen who give democracy a pass.
The judicial obstructionists who are running out of gas.
And apologetic statesmen of a compromising kind,
Who defend outrageous statements by saying – “Oh, never mind.”
Third party candidates without a world view
The little, lyin’, disgusting, crooked, low-energy crew
Bad hombres, nasty women and also you-know-who
The task of filling up the blanks I’d rather leave to you.
But it really doesn’t matter whom you put upon the list,
For they’d none of ’em be missed — they’d none of ’em be missed!
You may put ’em on the list — you may put ’em on the list;
And they’ll none of ’em be missed — they’ll none of ’em be missed!
Curmudgeon at Large 