The tRump shutdown is over. 35 days total.
Yes, it is the longest in US history.
Yes, it caused a lot of damage to our economy.
And, no, it's not likely to be the last time the poser prez pulls a stunt like this one.
There's not a shred of doubt that tRump would like to do it all over again. And very little doubt that his sycophantic minions in Congress and in his cult followers would happily go along in spite of the very serious damage it would do to our economy.
Not to mention the damage done to Americans' confidence in our Government.
So it's over, but it's not!
Round two is coming. It's coming in 18 days.
We'll see what happens then.
"Bulldog Ben" Basile
Monday, January 28, 2019
Monday, January 21, 2019
MLK Day and honoring Dr King
Today is Martin Luther King Day. A Federal holiday I look forward to each year.
The things that Dr King had to say came from a different context, a different time. Nevertheless, his speeches and his writings are very relevant today.
If you're looking to get beyond the handful of well-known speeches by MLK and get deeper into his writings, this article by Katie Dupere is a good place to start:
Setting aside a day for Americans to honor Dr King is one of the best things to have come out of the Reagan Administration.
And it's a good time for all Americans to focus attention on this giant in the history of our Nation and to resolve to help carry forward his life's work.
"Bulldog Ben" Basile
© 2019 Ben Lawrence Basile
The things that Dr King had to say came from a different context, a different time. Nevertheless, his speeches and his writings are very relevant today.
If you're looking to get beyond the handful of well-known speeches by MLK and get deeper into his writings, this article by Katie Dupere is a good place to start:
Setting aside a day for Americans to honor Dr King is one of the best things to have come out of the Reagan Administration.
And it's a good time for all Americans to focus attention on this giant in the history of our Nation and to resolve to help carry forward his life's work.
"Bulldog Ben" Basile
© 2019 Ben Lawrence Basile
Sunday, January 20, 2019
The tRump Shutdown continues with no end in sight
Well, the tRump shutdown continues!
Yeah, what a shocker that is! This is now day 29, for those of you keeping score at home.
It's funny how, even though tRump is on video saying he's the one doing the shutting down, he and his merry band of Rethuglican sycophants are now hard at work, waging a PR campaign to say it's all the Democrats' doing.
Mark my words, the spinning and the shutting down will both go on until the political cost of continuing on with it becomes so high that it outweighs the benefit to the Poser Prez.
It's working for him in that it helps to keep his cult followers engaged. They love his stunts, and this is one. Another dog-and-pony-show. Complete with American troops hanging out at the border. Hanging out on our dime with nothing to do.
Nothing to do, that is, except to help the Tangerine Tyrant perpetuate his bullshit story about brown people swarming over the border en masse, hell-bent of raping and murdering good, God-fearing Americans--meaning white people--and bankrupting the country as they all get subsidized rent, a free, taxpayer-funded cell phone and food stamps.
This shutdown and all the lying, spinning and gas lighting will go on for a while. It's causing great harm to our economy and imposing a terrible burden on Federal employees and many others whose well-being and livelihoods depend on a functioning Federal government.
The shut down--and the tRump presidency--will only end when the outrage of Americans who clearly see the horrible cost of continuing with business as usual becomes so intense, so all-consuming that it will penetrate the edifice of cruelty and lies that tRump has constructed.
That day cannot come soon enough.
"Bulldog Ben" Basile
© 2019 Ben Lawrence Basile
Yeah, what a shocker that is! This is now day 29, for those of you keeping score at home.
It's funny how, even though tRump is on video saying he's the one doing the shutting down, he and his merry band of Rethuglican sycophants are now hard at work, waging a PR campaign to say it's all the Democrats' doing.
Mark my words, the spinning and the shutting down will both go on until the political cost of continuing on with it becomes so high that it outweighs the benefit to the Poser Prez.
It's working for him in that it helps to keep his cult followers engaged. They love his stunts, and this is one. Another dog-and-pony-show. Complete with American troops hanging out at the border. Hanging out on our dime with nothing to do.
Nothing to do, that is, except to help the Tangerine Tyrant perpetuate his bullshit story about brown people swarming over the border en masse, hell-bent of raping and murdering good, God-fearing Americans--meaning white people--and bankrupting the country as they all get subsidized rent, a free, taxpayer-funded cell phone and food stamps.
This shutdown and all the lying, spinning and gas lighting will go on for a while. It's causing great harm to our economy and imposing a terrible burden on Federal employees and many others whose well-being and livelihoods depend on a functioning Federal government.
The shut down--and the tRump presidency--will only end when the outrage of Americans who clearly see the horrible cost of continuing with business as usual becomes so intense, so all-consuming that it will penetrate the edifice of cruelty and lies that tRump has constructed.
That day cannot come soon enough.
"Bulldog Ben" Basile
© 2019 Ben Lawrence Basile
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Our FBI: is Trump a Russian asset?
Those bizarre and vaguely-troubling sounds you've been hearing in the last few days are tRump lovers' heads exploding up one side of the USA and down the other!
Yeah, some folks just can't understand how in the world our FBI opened an investigation to try to answer this very important question: is Donald tRump a Russian asset? Is he working to promote the interests of Vladimir Putin and Russia?
We've heard lots of drivel from the Reich Wing talking heads about how the fact that such a probe was opened proves their point about the "Deep State" trying to bring down their boy. On and on they drone...
Anyone, whether an intelligence/law enforcement professional, all the way down to the guy on the street, anyone who can't see why beginning such an investigation was necessary has either chugged a bucket of tRump's filthy Kool Aid or is so stupid or partisan that it doesn't penetrate their skull.
I knew something sinister was up after watching the video of tRump saying this:
“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” tRump said. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.
Yeah, some folks just can't understand how in the world our FBI opened an investigation to try to answer this very important question: is Donald tRump a Russian asset? Is he working to promote the interests of Vladimir Putin and Russia?
We've heard lots of drivel from the Reich Wing talking heads about how the fact that such a probe was opened proves their point about the "Deep State" trying to bring down their boy. On and on they drone...
Anyone, whether an intelligence/law enforcement professional, all the way down to the guy on the street, anyone who can't see why beginning such an investigation was necessary has either chugged a bucket of tRump's filthy Kool Aid or is so stupid or partisan that it doesn't penetrate their skull.
I knew something sinister was up after watching the video of tRump saying this:
“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” tRump said. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.
We didn't know it at the time, but the Russian hacking of those Clinton staffers' emails began that night. The date--for tRump's remark and for the hacking--was July 27th of 2016.
I felt sure that tRump was acting on behalf of Russia when it was reported that members of his campaign staff, including Paul Manafort, cajoled the right people behind the scenes at the 2016 convention to drop the resolution condemning Russia and Putin for the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.
When it was reported that tRump had gone ahead with hiring Mike Flynn as his NSA after being warned by Sally Yates that Flynn had been compromised by the Russians, I was 100% convinced that tRump was dirty.
When it was reported that Jared Kushner had attempted to set up a back-channel for communication with Russians--with Russians whom our intelligence pros knew had ties to Russian intelligence--I was way beyond convinced.
When we learned that no fewer than 16 members of tRump's campaign or White House staff had meetings or conversations with Russians our intel pros believed to be spies, and then all lied to cover up those contacts, the evidence was completely overwhelming.
When it was reported that Jared Kushner had attempted to set up a back-channel for communication with Russians--with Russians whom our intelligence pros knew had ties to Russian intelligence--I was way beyond convinced.
When we learned that no fewer than 16 members of tRump's campaign or White House staff had meetings or conversations with Russians our intel pros believed to be spies, and then all lied to cover up those contacts, the evidence was completely overwhelming.
Throw in the fact that the Russian contractor who landed the contract to provide security for our embassy in Moscow is himself a retired Russian Army officer and a member of the GRU and it's absolutely mind-blowing that tRump supporters are outraged over the fact that the FBI started looking into the "is tRump a Russian asset" question!
By the way, there are many, many other signs that give one reason to think that tRump is dirty. We could talk about all the outrageous stuff he said and did at Helsinki, the fact that he's had no fewer than five private meetings with Putin where no one but translators have the slightest clue about what took place.
We could talk about how there have been other meetings where Russian media types--many of whom are also intelligence operatives--were present while American reporters were barred.
We could talk about how there have been other meetings where Russian media types--many of whom are also intelligence operatives--were present while American reporters were barred.
We could talk about how we now know about at least five important stories dealing with American-Russian relations and tRump's actions only because Reuters pays Russian-speaking journalists to monitor Russian state media and report back on what they've heard! This is all stunning!
There literally are so many right-out-in-the-open signs that our poser prez is on this knees before his daddy Vladdy that I can't put them all in one blog posting!
And yet the members of Cult 45 still support this traitorous scum-bag.
Yeah, folks. Our FBI and other members of our intelligence services think our president could be a Russian asset.
The fact that any of this ever happened is truly mind-blowing.
The fact that tRump supporters can't see how we got here makes them complicit in tRump's treachery.
And yet the members of Cult 45 still support this traitorous scum-bag.
Yeah, folks. Our FBI and other members of our intelligence services think our president could be a Russian asset.
The fact that any of this ever happened is truly mind-blowing.
The fact that tRump supporters can't see how we got here makes them complicit in tRump's treachery.
Chew on that for a while.
"Bulldog Ben" Basile
© 2019 Ben Lawrence Basile
Thursday, January 3, 2019
The 3rd is not too late to...
Today is the 3rd of January and that is not too late to send along New Year’s wishes to my friends here on da bulldog blog!
There’s no doubt that 2019 is going to be a very significant year. Although I don’t have a crystal ball, I think this nascent year is going to be a mixed bag, so to speak, but a year of great consequence.
I’m expecting some good things. Some really, really good things, in fact. I’m certain that the United States will have a new President in 2019. And well before year’s end.
And I’m quite sure we’re going to see some seriously bad events in the next 12 months. Many economists and pundits who cover that facet of human activity are saying that all the signs of a serious impending recession are right there for us to see.
I hasten to add that I’m hoping the economists and prognosticators are wrong about that. But the signs are not good.
Now let me get back to my original purpose for this post: I wish all my friends and folks who follow this humble blog a most happy, safe and prosperous New Year!
We will see a lot of change. I’m persuaded that a lot of those changes will be wonderfully, amazingly good.
I’m concerned that many will fall all the way on the other end of the spectrum.
But regardless of exactly how the year unfolds, I wish with all my heart that you’ll be smiling 50 weeks from now as 2019 draws to a close.
“Bulldog Ben” Basile
Ben is not the owner of the banner photo and believes it to be covered by Fair Use.
I hasten to add that I’m hoping the economists and prognosticators are wrong about that. But the signs are not good.
Now let me get back to my original purpose for this post: I wish all my friends and folks who follow this humble blog a most happy, safe and prosperous New Year!
We will see a lot of change. I’m persuaded that a lot of those changes will be wonderfully, amazingly good.
I’m concerned that many will fall all the way on the other end of the spectrum.
But regardless of exactly how the year unfolds, I wish with all my heart that you’ll be smiling 50 weeks from now as 2019 draws to a close.
“Bulldog Ben” Basile
Ben is not the owner of the banner photo and believes it to be covered by Fair Use.
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