What's Next?

Just a few short weeks ago, the House of Representatives in Washington was captured by Democratic members for the first time in 8 years. It's only been hardly 3 weeks, Congress isn't even in session, and the question lies - what's next? Trump's presidency has been chugging along since exactly 2 years ago with a favorable legislative branch; media scrutiny has been biting at the heels of Republicans and now Americans may see some real conflict within our national government.

With a quick Google search for the phrase "democratic house", the bias can be seen immediately. Headlines read:

• "Democrats seize House, power to probe Trump"
• "Why House Democrats must vigorously investigate Trump"
• "House will investigate Trump's attacks on democracy"

Anger, frustration, and general uneasiness with the Trump Administration has left a bitter taste in the mouths of left-leaning media sources. Although these headlines are certainly true - House democrats certainly plan to lay a slew of investigations on the president in 2019 - the anger and heat can be felt through a computer screen. Dems have a plan to investigate Trump's tax record, obstruction of justice in the Russia probe, and apparent betrayal of the emoluments clause.

In short for things to come - Trump fired back at the Democrats on Twitter saying "If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level. Two can play that game!". 2019 will be very interesting.

                                  

A Century Later: The Great War and Today

Sunday November 11, 2018: 100 years since the armistice to end the War of all Wars was signed and enacted. From a traincar, north of Paris, world leaders agreed to stop the fighting - ending the bloodiest conflict that had ever taken place on earth. For a brutal 4 years, almost every major power engaged on mainland Europe (and some in the Pacific) - amassing some 40 million casualties. Today, we recognize the sheer horror that was endured by men and women across the globe, and we take great steps to study and prevent the causes of the second war that was created in the wake of the destruction. On the centennial anniversary of the armistice, we look at the world in comparison to the one our great grandfathers and grandmothers experienced.

The armistice on 11/11/1918 was not the conclusion of the war - but the conclusion of fighting. The Treaty of Versailles was enacted months later, in June of 1919, to iron-out the details of German/Austro-Hungarian surrender. We today know now that the League of Nations, the reparations required by the defeated, and the shaky alliances formed in the aftermath of the war were all flawed and led directly to WW2. Careful steps to ensure international peace were taken in 1945 - these steps were overlooked in June 1919. 70 years later, the world continues to enjoy peace; but for how long?

As every first world observer has seen, the inclusion of global communication has brought society together. Unfortunately, it has also isolated nations and created a hotbed for new nationalism, propaganda, and a slew of 21st century problems - eerily similar to the early 20th century kindling that ignited global conflict. We should look back and be incredibly grateful of the brave men and women who gave us the infrastructure of peace. Years of proud men holding their truce with other proud men to ensure a conflict like this doesn't occur for our children have given us stability and prosperity. We can only hope that the future holds sustainability and cooperation, instead of death and devastation.

Lest We Forget

                                   

MAGA Bombs & Midterms

Yesterday morning, several explosive devices were sent via mail and courier delivery to prominent liberal personalities - many of us have been following the news on this. The homes of former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as the homes of sitting members of congress Maxine Waters and Debbie W. Schultz were targeted. None of the explosives were detonated, fortunately, but this heinous crime has been circulated and heavily speculated-on for the past 24 hours - let's see what we know so far.

Since Monday night, 5+ packages have been intercepted by Secret Service and law enforcement - confirming that each one contained a live explosive, most in the form of a "pipe bomb". CNN headquarters also received a device, leading to the complete evacuation of their New York offices. These acts of domestic terrorism highlight a dangerous time in American politics - especially in regard to free press and ideological conflicts.

Many of us can remember the immediate effects of 9/11: patriotism, uniformity, and togetherness. When terror strikes today, social media has helped influence the dark side of tragedy - lunacy and unhinged finger-pointing. With social media allowing instantaneous communication, like-minded individuals can form a plot and narrative before the story even gains traction. Today, the attempted bombings are labelled as left-wing false-flag conspiracies, implemented to influence voters before the midterms elections in 12 days. False-flag drills certainly have occurred in the past, but the reactionary finger-pointing of the left & right has made a potential act of terrorism against ALL Americans into another divisive milestone towards a cold civil war.

                                                            

Saudi Friends without the R

Saudi Arabia, one of our nation's strongest allies, has been under severe scrutiny this week - for notably good reason. Weeks ago, Saudi journalist and American resident Jamal Khashoggi was reported missing; bringing a wave of speculation of murder, kidnapping, and overall foul-play. Speculation seems to have been warranted because this morning, Turkish officials claim to have evidence that the journalist was murdered (and dismembered) at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Officials from the Saudi regime have claimed no wrongdoing; however, the royal family has been found guilty of involvement in supporting dictatorial actions and even terror attacks worldwide (including 9/11). Needless to say, the veil of innocence has been lifted from in-front of the Arabian peninsula - the atrocities committed have been exposed with modern-day mass media coverage. Social media has been firing off the extensive stories and hearsay that has circulated in the past week - American senators, foreign leaders, and human rights' activists have been shining a very, very bright light on Saudi Arabia.

The Arabians are anything but clean; the funding of terrorism throughout the world is bad enough, but the regime remains a friend/business-partner to the U.S. and needs to be examined. Trump - the king of fake news - has stated that no arms agreements will be stopped and that the Saudis are "beautiful friends". Over the next few weeks, mass media will certainly play a deciding factor in world politics with the death of Khashoggi and any subsequent action/inaction.

protester depicting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman

                                               

Will Kavanaugh be on SCOTUS?

The Supreme Court of the United States is one of the most prestigious positions in our democracy - the weight of duty is a heavy burden on the Justices who sit on the court. As many are aware, President Trump's nomination, Brett Kavanaugh, was accused earlier this month of sexual misconduct against Dr. Christine Ford. After an emotional hearing and a subsequent FBI investigation, the investigative unit has found no evidence alluding to the allegations against Kav. The confirmation will remain, and the Senate is expected to take a vote next week - but the overwhelming factor of media coverage has changed the stakes. Will Kavanaugh be confirmed?

Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites have been a firestorm of political banter this week. The startling allegations against Judge Kav have created a conversation about sexual abuse and misconduct - the argument between left and right isn't weighted with fact, but rather sheer propaganda and emotion.

To be clear, I'm not insinuating that Ford's allegation was a hit-piece or that Kav is lying his pants off in order to win the seat - I'm saying the opposing sides of the discussion have used social media effectively to promote their view; VERY effectively. The #metoo movement has accumulated in a firestorm over Sen. Lindsey Graham's comments about Kavanaugh and Trump's mocking of Ford in a Mississippi rally - valid concerns for a call for basic human dignity from elected officials. On the other side, Republicans are saying that Ford lied and knew she was lying, and her use of media to share her story was solely to incriminate Kavanaugh. It has been a sheer whirlwind of political theater in the past week - thanks to Twitter and Facebook's expert political scientists (sarcasm).

Will Kavanaugh be confirmed? It's increasingly difficult to say; on one hand, there is substantial evidence that he lied to the committee - perjury. On the other hand, the FBI probe concluded he was innocent of the charges. In the end, I believe the Senate will confirm Kav. with great push-back from their constituents; which may see a large swing in November towards Democratic seats in Congress.

Florence, Irma, Maria

Earlier this week, long awaited and publicized Hurricane Florence pummeled the eastern seaboard with a swell of ocean spray and high winds. Thousands of citizens living in North and South Carolina were effected by the terrifying category 4 storm; at least 20 people have been killed. The storm has made headlines not only for the the horrible situation it has caused for families on the east coast, but because President Trump has fired up a tweet-storm that can only be matched by Florence herself.

After the devastation caused by back-to-back hurricanes Irma and Maria last year, Trump visited the island of Puerto Rico to express condolences, survey the damages, and throw paper towels. Obviously the president made efforts to clean up the island and restore electricity and normalcy - but the effort has been lambasted for its inefficiency and overall clownery. The viral video of Trump throwing paper towels to effected families was similar to T-shirt cannons at a football game. Not necessarily the presidential mood that should be exuded towards victims of a natural catastrophe.

To be fair, there were funds guaranteed to both Houston and Puerto Rico to help restore systems and provide aid - but sources claim that the help was too little, too late. Just a few weeks ago, official sources raised the death toll in Puerto Rico to nearly 3,000 fatalities - much higher than the 10-20 victim count in 2017. Trump came out hard against the Democrats for making his administration look "as bad as possible" and adding "I love Puerto Rico!" Outrage has ensued over the comments - it seems very disingenuous to claim political theater over a disaster like Irma/Maria.

With Florence reeking havoc on the Carolinas and FEMA springing into action; perhaps President Trump will provide more aid and more attention this hurricane season. If not for the sheer good-nature of helping those in need, maybe for political notches on Trump's belt.

Beto and Ted

       

This November, hundreds of House seats are up for grabs for hopeful candidates across the U.S. - same as every midterm election cycle. This year, however, the stakes are much higher than any run-of-the-mill congressional situation. Throughout social media the threat of a swelling "blue-wave" could potentially unseat House and Senate Republicans and replace them with a flood of Progressive Democrats. To counteract this social media tidal-wave, conservatives have branded the defense of Congress as the "red-wave" - a very, very unfortunate connotation for any political movement.

Across the country, Progressives are making a statement: winning districts and party candidacy in massive numbers. One hopeful, the Democratic candidate for Texas, Beto O'Rourke is fighting against the highly publicized Ted Cruz. Although Ted failed in his bid for president in 2016, Cruz is attempting at holding out in Texas as some sort of a personal (and political) redemption. Ted maintains a 4-5 point lead over Beto - but social media is playing a powerful impact as we loom closer to November.

Almost ironically, Ted Cruz's PR team circulated a photo of their guy as a badass sort of Republican gangster. Beto has had video surfaced of him skateboarding and photos of him in his 20's goofing-off with his band (in drag). No politician wants to admit it, but races are centered around personality and popularity first, platforms in a close second. The Twitterverse™ has gone wild over the Cruz posters and Beto being a "cool-kid". November is coming fast, and these next crucial weeks are important to establishing a strong base, while getting apathetic Americans to vote for you.

Needless to say, being the "cool-kid" may work out in Beto O'Rourke's favor in November - especially if Ted Cruz's PR team can't figure out how to use social media trends to their advantage.