Week of 04/30/2018

Is Michael Cohen The Designated Fall Guy?
– by David Matthews 2

My best friend and adopted older brother RJ Evans said it best when he said that “The hypocrisy always reveals the lie.”

It is with this in mind that I’m going to tell you something about the orange-skinned narcissist inhabiting the White House that you probably will not like and certainly will not want to hear, but it still needs to be said.

No matter how much Donald Trump complains about “the swamp” or the mythical “deep state”, no matter how many times he promises to “drain the swamp” or “end the deep state”, no matter how many times his acolytes and soothsayers and propagandists promise to get rid of these things, it will never happen.  And it will never happen because it is the best tool that Donald Trump has as President of the United States to stay in office.

Yes, this is the man who campaigned for President by complaining that it is a “rigged system” that he then won, and then he gets upset when people try to find out just how rigged it was, which would verify everything that he said about it on the campaign trail.  Think about that.  Why would Trump complain when people try to verify what he had openly and gladly complained about on the campaign trail?  They’re proving him right.  Why is that, then, the “wrong” thing to do according to Trump?

The only logical reason why is because Trump used the very “rigged system” that he complained about to get in the White House, and he will need it to stay in the White House.

I strongly believe, with history on my side, that President Donald J. Trump will not be forced out of office, barring any sudden manic episodes where he would try to instigate a full-scale nuclear attack.  It doesn’t matter who wins in the 2018 mid-term hoax in November.  It doesn’t matter if the partisan control of the Congress flips one way or the other.  It doesn’t matter what the Russia investigations reveal.  It doesn’t matter how many Twitter-tantrums he throws or abuses of office he commits, that very “rigged system” and mythical “deep state” that he complains about will keep him in power.

No, I don’t believe that Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi would allow Trump to be impeached should she become Speaker of the House again.  I know this because she’s done this the first time she became Speaker.  With allegations of violating federal laws being floated about, then-Speaker Pelosi said arrogantly that “impeachment is off the table” when it came to the White House under President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

She said it then, and I believe she would say it again should she become Speaker again under Trump’s kakistocric rule.

From what I’ve observed, Pelosi is a Machiavellian power-monger.  She seems to be fixated on power and what she can leverage behind-the-scenes.  That’s why she is where she is today.  That’s why nobody has managed to unseat her sorry bony ass from her current position.  She wouldn’t want to get rid of Trump, because she could use his flaws and defects as leverage, just like she used what she can leverage to stay where she is today.

Let’s not forget as well that the Democrats are always fixated on “the next election” so much so that they will never do what is right.  Why get rid of Trump when they can use him as the poster boy for their next campaigns?  The GOP campaigned against Jimmy Carter even after he left office.  They never stopped until Bill Clinton got elected.  The GOP still uses Pelosi as the straw candidate in every election in America outside of her district.  For every day that the orange-stained preening narcissistic man-child stays in office and throws his Walmart-level tantrums, that’s another day that the Democrats can use as their own campaign prop.

But that still leaves us with a glaring problem.  What do to with all of the scandals that surround the narcissist Trump?

That’s where the “swamp” comes in.  All they have to do is find a fall guy.

Enter Michael Cohen, Trump’s attorney and alleged “fixer”, only this time not in the way that he would imagine.

Mr. Cohen has been outed as the point man for so many things gone wrong with Trump.  He was supposedly behind hushing up of alleged infidelities with porn stars and Playboy models, and that could be just the tiny tip of the iceberg of wrongdoing.  He’s already despised by the public, and it doesn’t help that he resembles the stereotypical lawyer-weasel every time he’s seen in the open.

Mr. Cohen could very well be the answer to all of Trump’s current problems.  All Cohen has to do is take the fall for his client.  In fact, it seems, as of this article’s posting, that things are setting up for it to happen just like that.

We’ve seen this before.

Remember Scooter Libby?  Libby was the fall guy for Vice President Cheney when the White House was accused of violating a Reagan-era federal law when “someone” outed Valerie Plame Wilson as a CIA officer.  A serious breach of trust was committed, a federal law broken, and a lot of people had bloody hands over it, and all because Wilson’s husband dared to publicly question sixteen words of Bush Junior’s State of the Union speech about Iraq.

The problem was that the people who would be thrown in prison for this sucked up to the special council like the bitches that they were so they wouldn’t be held to account, and the ones on top were considered “untouchable”.  Someone still needed to take the fall for it, and they didn’t want it to be Cheney.  He was a “too big to fail” person.  So he let his Chief of Staff, Mr. Libby, fall on the sword.

And that, supposedly, ended the whole matter.  Sure, Valerie Plame Wilson’s career was terminated.  Sure, her name and her reputation were sullied in the name of war-making partisan politics.  Sure, countless American lives were maimed and lost on a war based on lies.  But at least “someone” paid the price for that.

Oh, and by the way, President Trump recently gave Scooter Libby a full pardon.

So now Trump is in trouble.  He has all these possible illegal activities going on around him and in his name, and he can scream “fake news” and “no collusion” until his orange-skinned fake Jersey tan turns blue, and it won’t do him any good.  Someone will still need to take the fall for it before it can go away, and Trump doesn’t want that “someone” to be himself.

The easy fix would be for Cohen to take the fall for everything.  The infidelity fixing, the Russia thing, all of it.  He takes the fall, he goes away for a little while in Scooter Libby’s old comfy cell at Club Fed, and the “swamp” washes their collective hands clean of it all.  The media moves on to find something else to bitch about.  Case closed.  And then, as a farewell “present”, an outgoing Trump pardons Cohen.  And if he doesn’t, then the “swamp” makes sure that the next person in the White House does.

That’s how the game is played, people.  That’s why, for all of his public complaining about “the swamp”, Trump still needs it to keep his sorry fat ass in office and out of prison.

Let’s get brutally honest here... one of the reasons why the “swamp” is so notorious, and what makes the Trump election so devastating to our political system, is that once you’re in it, you become part of it, and it will do everything in its power to protect itself and everything in it.  Even the worst of the bunch get protected if they’re in high enough of a position. 

For all the claims of being an “outsider”, Trump stopped being that the moment he got the GOP nomination in 2016.  He has been part of the “swamp” since then.  Sure, some of his choices end up being embarrassments, but they don’t matter as much as the narcissist or his Veep.  As long as Trump keeps protecting his new friends and allies, albeit away from microphones, they’ll do everything to protect him.

“The hypocrisy always reveals the lie.”  All it takes is a little time to see just how right I will be about Cohen for you to see just how that applies to Trump.

I’m sure that makes some of you a bit uneasy, especially if you voted for Trump under the belief that he really would “drain the swamp” like he promised.  You may even feel a little betrayed at some point, even if you don’t want to admit to it.  Don’t worry; you’re not going crazy.  You’ve just been Trumped.  That’s what he is really good at doing, and you’ll find that you’re in great company, too.

Week of 04/23/2018

The 420 Hypocrisy
– by David Matthews 2

Let’s get this out of the way so there is no misunderstanding.

I do not smoke either marijuana or tobacco.  Not now, never have, and probably never will.  I’ve known plenty of people who did either, including my parents when it came to tobacco, but I’ve never partaken in either.

Having said that, I cannot help but notice a glaring hypocrisy of late when it comes to marijuana.

April 20^th is the annual push to glorify marijuana in all of its forms.  Whether it is for medicinal oil, edibles, or out-and-out smoking, people treat 420 like it’s free reign to partake, and they talk about it in the traditional media and showcase it on social media.  And now that several states have either legalized it outright, or legalized it only for medicinal purposes, or just decriminalized it, it seems to be more of a thing to show it off.

And yet this is coming from the same basic groups that are demonizing tobacco and are doing everything in their power to ban or otherwise eliminate it from social discourse.

That, my friends, is a glaring hypocrisy.

Now, I’m sure some of you are reading this and would tell me that I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.  That tobacco is a “far more dangerous drug” than marijuana because of all of the proven health threats of the plant combined with all of the dangerous toxic chemicals added to tobacco by big tobacco corporations.  There’s “science” that proves this.  People have died from tobacco-related diseases.  Yes, I know.  I have family that died because of it.

And… what?  Marijuana is just full of herbal goodness and vitamin C and has nothing but rainbows and unicorns?

The truth of the matter is that we don’t really know the full extent of marijuana on the human body outside of what negative stories exist because the United States government prohibits research on substances deemed “illegal” like marijuana… mostly in the fear that it could reveal something beneficial and be used to overturn such bans.

And, yes, a lot of the research of tobacco and what it can do came from the tobacco companies themselves and they hid that research for so very long because they didn’t want to lose customers and money.  And that was wrong and they have been taken to the cleaners because of it.  I’m not dismissing the wrongness of what the tobacco companies did, but I also can’t buy the delusion that one addictive plant is better than another simply because one’s been co-opted by big corporations.

Here’s a news flash for you… now that marijuana is becoming legal in states, guess who’s taking a look at it?  That’s right… big corporations.  They’re seeing the potential billions at stake and now they want in on the “wacky weed”.  John Boehner, the chain-smoking crybaby former Speaker of the House with the fake Donald Trump tan and an avowed anti-drug chickenhawk has just joined the “advisory board” of one of the big pot-companies.  He would not be doing that if there wasn’t serious corporate money to be made.

So how long do you think it would take before “Big Pot” would do what “Big Tobacco” did to the product?  How long before they would start to introduce new “additives” and “enhancements” to make the product more “enjoyable” and, coincidentally, more addictive?  How long before they put pressure on the pot shops to only peddle their product?  How long before they bring in their friend Boehner to put pressure in the legislature to make the home-grown and small-time growers illegal, so that only “Big Pot” would be the “official producers and distributors” of the product?

In other words, how long before “Big Pot” becomes no different than “Big Tobacco”?

But I’m sure that doesn’t factor in your brains right now because you’re too busy enjoying the high.

Let’s get brutally honest here... there is really no difference between pot smokers and tobacco smokers other than one is still illegal in several states and in the United States in general, and the other is heavily marketed, heavily regulated, heavily taxed, and there is a continual heavy push to demonize it.  But both are partaken for a common reason, namely to alleviate the pains of the world.  Some because of medical complications, others because the world is just too damn cruel.

The people who push for pot legalization – either for medicinal purposes, or to decriminalize it, or to outright legalize it and regulate and tax the hell out of it – need to make sure they’re on the same page on this as they are with tobacco.  They sure as hell cannot say that one plant substance is “better” than the other simply because there is more research on the latter than there is on the former.

It’s important to note that marijuana is still considered a crime according to the U.S. government, and there are plenty of chickenhawk drug warriors in Washington who want to keep it that way.  So until the matter of legalization can be settled nationwide, those who do partake in the “wacky weed”, either legally or not in their state, should really keep a low profile of it.

But until it is, here’s a thought... would you be so flippant about the weed if it was allowed under the exact same restrictions as tobacco users?  Keep it out of kids, taxed like there’s no tomorrow, with glaring warning signs about what “could” happen to you on the package, prohibited from advertising or being seen on TV and movies, and told you can only partake outside and far away from any door or window... would that be something you would support?  Probably not.  And yet tobacco users face that every day, and that’s considered legal!

As a practical libertarian with nothing to gain or lose on this subject, this is a matter of freedom for me.  And from what I can see, pot advocates really should be nervous about what happens should they ultimately prevail.   It’s not going to be “High Times” for anyone except for big corporations... the very groups that made tobacco so despised.

Be careful what you wish for, people.  You may not like what you get.

Week of 04/16/2018

You Broke Syria, President Trump.  Now It Is Your Mess.
– By David Matthews 2

There’s an old saying in the business world that goes something like this: you break it, you bought it.

That means that you can look at and criticize and “play around” with a product all you want, but the minute you damage or break it, it’s automatically yours.  You now own it.

For years, Donald Trump has enjoyed the luxury of sitting back and criticizing how the affairs of the world are conducted.  He has relished in his role of armchair quarterback over how President Barack Obama handled things both domestic and internationally.  He bloviated on Twitter like the twit that he is about what Obama should and should not do, and always under the presumption that whatever Obama did was wrong and that Trump would do things differently.

For instance, in 2012, when Obama was running for his second term, Trump threw a Twitter-tantrum about a possible air strike against Syria.

Now that Obama’s poll numbers are in tailspin – watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate.

5:39 PM - Oct 9, 2012

He also demanded that Obama run any possible action against Syria with the GOP-controlled Congress, knowing full well that the sociopathic chickenhawks would reject it out of partisan spite.

The President must get Congressional approval before attacking Syria-big mistake if he does not!

7:02 PM - Aug 30, 2013

And then there’s my favorite…

President Obama, do not attack Syria. There is no upside and tremendous downside. Save your "powder" for another (and more important) day!

9:21 AM - Sep 7, 2013

His words, folks, from his own Twitter-Twit-thumbs!

Well now Donald Trump is the President of the United States, and on April 13^th, 2018, he did the exact opposite of his previous Twitter-tantrums and launched a missile strike on Syria.

A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!

April 14, 2018

He did not appear to consult with Congress, as he previously lectured Obama about needing to do.  And he ignored his own words that there would be “no upside and a tremendous downside”.  In true GOP fashion, it’s only “good” and “right” and “just” if he does it, and absolutely wrong if anyone else does.

We should probably point out that Trump is facing some personal challenges as well.  His past infidelities are now coming out.  He’s fearing Special Council Robert Muller could bring indictments at any time.  Even his longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, had his offices and home searched and evidence seized that could potentially hurt Trump… as well as several others.  Oh, and Wall Street has become bipolar, not to mention that most people are not seeing that “Trump Tax Cut” that they were promised.  Things are not going well for Ol’ Orange Stain… which makes launching a military attack on someone... anyone… a quick pick-me-up for someone like Trump.

You know… the very thing that Trump told Obama not to do six years ago.

Oh, and it also comes after Syria’s thug, Bashir al-Assad, supposedly used chemical weapons on his own people following Trump’s own declaration that America was “getting out” of Syria.  You know, I seem to recall Trump had complained about that as well in the past.  You know, that whole bit about emboldening your enemies.

Let’s get brutally honest here… President Trump, Syria is now completely your mess.  You broke it, sir, and now you bought it.  Everything that happens concerning that country is now on your hair-sprayed head.  Whether or not things escalate is on you, sir.  Whether or not more lives are lost is on you.  Whether or not terrorist supporting Syria attack is on you.  Whether or not we have to stay in Syria like we have to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan is now on you, sir.

You no longer have the luxury of blaming it on Barack Obama or George W. Bush or on your former Secretary of State… you know, that “top talent” guy that you fired, or on Hillary Clinton.  You forfeited the luxury of blaming others when you took military action.

Oh, and all of the things that you said in the past about what Obama or Bush Junior or Clinton or your “top talent” guy at the State Department should or should not have done?  Those apply to you as well, Donnie!  Just like that Miranda Warning that you fear being told, everything that you said in the past can and will be used against you in the court of world opinion.  And, yes, that especially includes your Twitter-tantrums.

It’s really easy being an armchair quarterback when you don’t have to bear the consequences of those actions.  But once you start down the path of being the one in charge, then you better reconcile those past statements, lest you undermine your own credibility.