Raccoons and Voting

The following is in response to this letter that a friend forwarded to me.

http://100percentfedup.com/dear-rnc-an-everyday-american-writes-a-letter-to-explain-the-trump-phenomenon-to-the-washington-elite/


The funny thing about this letter is that it is full of the same lies Trump is spewing and his supporters really don’t seem to care about. YOU are an intelligent and critical thinker, your success in a very difficult program proves it, dig deeper and analyze the evidence; Google “countering Trump’s lies” (I know you are drowning in school but just as your degree will bring long term affects so too will this election).

  1. Illegal aliens have been allowed to invade our country.

Of the more than 41 million foreign-born people living in the United States in 2013, about 30 million were naturalized citizens, permanent residents and legal residents. Eleven million were unauthorized immigrants. Of those who did not have authorization to be here, about 40 percent entered the country legally and then let their visas expire.
http://www.tolerance.org/immigration-myths
***These are Europeans too. I was friends with many English nanny’s who came here that way and worked in Greenwich, Westport, Darien for cash.


 2. This country is weak, bankrupt.

“The country is weak”, if referring to our ‘war machine’, is way off base. 
“In fiscal year 2015, military spending is projected to account for 54 percent of all federal discretionary spending, a total of $598.5 billion. Military spending includes: all regular activities of the Department of Defense; war spending; nuclear weapons spending; international military assistance; and other Pentagon-related spending.”
“U.S. military expenditures are roughly the size of the next nine largest military budgets around the world, combined.”
The following has several links that relate to the issue.
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/campaigns/military-spending-united-states/

“If the U.S. Treasury went bankrupt, America would experience the largest depression in the history of the country.”
http://thelawdictionary.org/article/what-would-happen-if-the-us-treasury-goes-bankrupt/

“If there’s one article of faith in Washington (and elsewhere), it’s the idea that the United States might get into a debt crisis if it doesn’t get its fiscal house in order.
This is not true.
The reason why it’s not true is because we live in a fiat currency system, where the United States government can create an infinite number of dollars at no cost to meet its obligations. A Treasury bill is a promise that the government will give you US dollars–something that the United States government can produce infinitely and at no cost.
That’s the reason why interest rates on United States debt have only gone down even as the debt has ballooned.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/pascalemmanuelgobry/2012/10/19/no-the-united-states-will-not-go-into-a-debt-crisis-not-now-not-ever/#197c57f257ee

 3. We are becoming a nation of victims where every Tom, Ricardo and Hasid is part of a special group with special rights, to the point where we don’t even recognize the country we were born and raised in.

Actually we are the nation we were always meant to be. Various peoples from all over the world, an amalgamation of many colors, races, religions. The United States has a bumpy record of “Treating All Men Equally” but that is our mainstay and we do our best to abide by it. We must admit that we ALL have the same "inalienable rights" making no distinction for race, skin color, religion(or none), sexual orientation, gender, disability or whatever other difference that makes us this great melting pot.
At the base of the Statue of Liberty a plaque reads, in part, 
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" 

4. ...bringing tens of thousands of Muslim refugees to America, while leaving Christians behind to be persecuted.

“More than 43 million people worldwide are now forcibly displaced as a result of conflict and persecution, the highest number since the mid-1990s.
…
Major refugee populations include Palestinians (4.8 million), Afghans (2.9 million), Iraqis (1.8 million), Somalis (700,000), Congolese (456,000),  Myanmarese (407,000), Colombians (390,000), Sudanese (370,000).
…
Children constitute about 41 percent of the world’s refugees, and about half of all refugees are women.
About two-thirds of the world’s refugees have been in exile for more than five years, many of them with no end in sight.”
http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/refugees/

“A total of 2,290 Syrian refugees have arrived in the United States since fiscal year 2011, which is when the Syrian civil war began, through Nov. 20, 2015, according to the State Department’s Refugee Processing Center. Of those, only 62 were identified in the center’s database as Christian. That’s 2.7 percent, even though the Christian population in Syria is about 10 percent, according to the CIA World Factbook.
…
It’s important to note that the Syrian refugees are referred to the U.S. by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
From 2013 though Nov. 17,2015,  the U.N. says it has referred 22,427 Syrian refugees to the U.S. for “resettlement consideration.” The U.N. could not tell us how many of the 22,427 U.N. referrals were Christian, and the State Department did not know how many Christian Syrians may have been rejected by the U.S. But we know the U.S. is drawing from a limited pool of applicants provided by the U.N. from a predominately Muslim country.
…
Chris Boian, a spokesman for the UNHCR, told us the refugees crossing into Europe are typically not registered with the U.N. and will not be referred to the U.S.
“It’s very important for people to know there’s a big, big difference between the relative chaotic scene we’ve seen played out in Europe and the resettlement process in the United States,” Boian said.
…
One last thing to consider: Not all 23,826(current #) refugees referred to the U.S. will be admitted to the U.S. The Congressional Research Service says in a February 2015 report that the U.S. typically “aims to consider for resettlement at least half of the refugees” referred by the U.N.”
http://www.factcheck.org/2015/11/facts-about-the-syrian-refugees/

"Each year the President, in consultation with Congress, determines the numerical ceiling for refugee admissions. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, the proposed ceiling is 85,000.
 - Over one-third of all refugee arrivals (35.1 percent, or 24,579) in FY 2015 came from the Near East/South Asia—a region that includes Iraq, Iran, Bhutan, and Afghanistan.
 - Another third of all refugee arrivals (32.1 percent, or 22,472) in FY 2015 came from Africa.
 - Over a quarter of all refugee arrivals (26.4 percent, or 18,469) in FY 2015 came from East Asia — a region that includes China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

There are many conditions and variables to a refugee being admitted to the United States, for the full description go to the link below.
“If a person is accepted as a refugee for admission to the United States, it is conditioned upon the individual passing a medical examination and all security checks.
According to a Human Rights First report, the processing times of the U.S. refugee resettlement program “can be quite prolonged, leaving some refugees stranded in dangerous locations or in difficult circumstances.” According to the Department of State the entire process can take an average of 18-24 months to complete.”
 http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/refugees-fact-sheet

 5. Our enemies are making fun of us.

No. No, they are not. They are making fun of the Presidential race, specifically the Republican side. The “debates” are not debates they are embarrassing displays of who can yell the loudest and lie the most. Check with the fact check sites:
“Trump's statements were awarded PolitiFact's 2015 Lie of the Year.
He has a 61% FALSE and PANTS ON FIRE total rating and another 17% MOSTLY FALSE rating from Politifact (that's 78% lies).”
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/ 

Other countries are cautious of what a Trump presidency in the United States of America will mean in a broader sense to the world.
“Republican front-runner and avowed racist Donald Trump has recently stepped up his xenophobic rhetoric against Mexico and Hispanic immigrants as he draws closer to white supremacist groups, doubling down on his absurd proposal to "make Mexico pay for a border wall." In response, the legislators of Mexico City have unanimously passed a bill that bans Trump from entering the city.”
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/2016/03/03/payback-mexicans-officials-approve-proposal-to-ban-trump-from-their-country/
“Scottish freelance journalist and activist Suzanne Kelly launched a petition last month to block the former reality TV star from British shores, which led to the debate. The petition accuses the 69-year-old of "hate speech" for calling for a travel ban on Muslims entering the United States. It has received more than 574,000 signatures.
Any petition that gets more than 100,000 signatures is considered by Parliament's Petitions Committee, which weighs whether to send the petition for debate by lawmakers in Parliament.”
 http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/18/europe/uk-parliament-debates-trump-ban/
"America's Agitator: Donald Trump Is the World's Most Dangerous Man
Donald Trump is the leader of a new, hate-filled authoritarian movement. Nothing would be more harmful to the idea of the West and world peace than if he were to be elected president. George W. Bush's America would seem like a place of logic and reason in comparison." - English translation of German magazine De Spiegel
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/donald-trump-is-the-most-dangerous-man-in-the-world-a-1075060.html

 6.  There is this one guy however, who guarantees you he will get rid of them, so you hire him. You don’t care if the guy smells, you don’t care if the guy swears, you don’t care how many times he’s been married, you don’t care if he was friends with liberals, you don’t care if he has plumber’s crack…you simply want those raccoons gone! You want your problem fixed!”

"Donald Trump may not be as brilliant as he claims he is, but he's not stupid. He understands who he is attracting." - Joy Ann Reid”
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-dog-whistles-heard-clearly-by-racists-635481667632?cid=sm_fb_maddow

"The New York Times described Trump University as "not a real university at all, but a series of seminars held in hotels across the country." The now-defunct Trump University is currently facing multiple pending lawsuits brought by former students and by the state of New York, alleging misrepresentation."
http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/03/04/fact-checkers-slam-trumps-latest-false-and-lite/209041 

"Trump’s bad bet: How too much debt drove his biggest casino aground
Trump received the approvals he needed for the Taj, but the prime-rate loans never materialized. Determined to move forward, he turned to the very junk bonds he had derided in the hearing. He agreed to pay the bond lenders 14 percent interest, roughly 50 percent more than he had projected, to raise $675 million. It was the biggest gamble of his career.
In April 1990, the Taj opened as the world’s largest casino-hotel complex, joining Trump’s other holdings already operating in Atlantic City, the Trump Plaza and Trump’s Castle. But Trump could not keep pace with his debts on the three casinos. Six months later, the Taj defaulted on interest payments to bondholders as his finances went into a tailspin. In July 1991, Trump’s Taj Mahal filed for bankruptcy, the first and most significant of the four that his companies have experienced."
In this interview with the Washington Post "Trump vehemently denied that the deal represented a personal failing or affected his personal wealth.
“This was not personal. This was a corporate deal,” he said. “If you write this one, I’m suing you.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/trumps-bad-bet-how-too-much-debt-drove-his-biggest-casino-aground/2016/01/18/f67cedc2-9ac8-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html

“What also doesn't help is when you have a Presidential candidate spewing bigotry and racism among people that are already twisted with fear and hate. He allows them to think that it is ok to release their repressed hostility because he, a "respectable" businessman and Presidential front-runner, not only speaks to their fears of the "others" but encourages their brutality as well. Mr Trump puts forth statements, conjecture, assumed to be true by his supporters and the persons that are the focus of his diatribes are demonized and sometimes physically attacked. The color-bar seen at his rallies is a darker mindset that is giving a new face to Jim Crow. It is a Jim Crow that does not just disparage blacks, this Jim Crow diminishes all people of color, gays, women, Muslims - anyone who is not fitting into the image of ‘real’ Americans. Or as former Grand Wizard David Duke said “Voting against Trump is 'treason to your heritage'” - JMG

  7. “You’ve been on vacation for two weeks, you come home, and your basement is infested with raccoons. Hundreds of rabid, messy, mean raccoons have overtaken your basement. You want them gone immediately.” 

As to this analogy I do agree but with one caveat. The American people who are so upset about this situation have forgotten one thing - they never secured their house and they let the raccoons in. By not voting and voting against their interests they allowed the corporations to decimate the American workforce and workplace, the lobbyists to get their way, the unchecked politicians to not represent their constituents and also those who allowed racism to undermine the leadership of the President of the United States.
A vote for Trump may be a vote against “the establishment” but it is also a vote against what the people say they really want - accountability and a decent future. 
Donald Trump is accountable to no one but himself, he never has been because he is a businessman first and foremost(go back to his bankruptcies). He is most definitely not going to be accountable to the people of this country. He is climbing on the backs of voters to get what he wants - power. He has said over and over that the military, Congress and other countries WILL DO WHAT HE WANTS. That is not how a real leader leads, diplomacy is the way it is done, think of other leaders who have eschewed diplomacy…
To go to an example from a psychological viewpoint who is the better parent: the one who beats and berates or the one who loves and nurtures?
I put forth this essay in the hopes you will consider even a fraction of what I’ve written and think of what your hopes, wants and desires are for your future. People often do what they feel is best for themselves without thinking of permanent ramifications, realize that by settling for the fast talker now you sell yourself short in the long-term.

Values In Politics Survey

I just created a survey (10 quick, easy questions) on SurveyMonkey because I'm curious as to what is influencing people as to "Values in Politics" 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W297956

Anyone can participate in survey, feel free to forward the link too.

- you can change your answers on any survey page until you complete the survey

- your responses will be anonymous - no one, not even me, will know who took this or their answers

- SSL to encrypt data sent to and from SurveyMonkey

- cutoff date and time when this collector will close and stop accepting responses.

     Date: 3/31/2016    Time: 08:15 PM

I will post results the 1st week in June.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W297956

The Bitch & The Lunatic

I read on Facebook people not liking Hillary Clinton because she is a bitch. Is she a bitch because she is a capable woman? She was a successful Senator and Secretary of State. She did her best at her jobs - better than some men have done. She was tough and took no crap - that's a bitch? However, a man with the same attitude is considered powerful, a leader. I will be the first to admit her corporate ties bother me but her ties are less than Trumps - he IS corporate America. Supporters of Trump speak to the fact that he is beholden to no one, this is true, he is not even bound to his supporters. He is beholden to only himself and that is a dangerous thing. According to Politifact "The vast majority of Trump’s contributions to his own campaign — about $12.6 million — are loans rather than donations. This means he could expect to eventually recoup these funds.
Further, of the approximately $12 million Trump’s campaign spent in 2015, about $2.7 million went toward reimbursing Trump-affiliated companies for services provided to the campaign, such as traveling in his own plane and helicopter, according to a New York Times analysis." - http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/feb/10/donald-trump/donald-trump-self-funding-his-campaign-sort/
Does America want someone who has no experience in dealing diplomatically with others? Someone who is divisive, racist, classist, misogynistic, xenophobic - who is basically a jack-booted thug? Someone who proves he does not understand American greatness. America's greatness is compiled of many things, not the least is our diversity. We are a melting pot of many races, religions and life experiences. We reach out and help those in need, whether our own citizens or those of the world. We want the best for future generations and I do not believe we will find that in selling our souls for slogans that make us feel good and included in the moment. Trump is selling an illusion of prosperity and greatness that comes at a steep price, the rights and safety of our friends and and neighbors - the ones he tags as "the others" and "them". He promotes violence at his rally's as if it is the norm and he is not willing to disavow the white supremacy that has latched onto his unspoken message.
I would rather have Hillary "the bitch" knowing that she is a capable leader, that she will never be an embarrassment to our country and will not segregate our population into "us" and "them". Mr Trump needs to understand it is "We the People" and this is a world community where ranting like a lunatic does not gain you respect.


This was originally posted to Facebook and below is my follow-up to a comment.
It holds true here as well - if you read this please comment.

"So what are your reasons for disliking her? I am curious. No one is willing to state their cases for liking/disliking the above. I am just curious - not looking to debate - I spell out clearly above (and elsewhere) the pros & cons for myself.
I WANT to understand what is the attraction and repulsion. What makes racism and no policies avail over diplomacy and experience?
I REALLY WANT TO KNOW."