Author: coastcontact

I am a somewhat cranky but mostly optimistic 65 plus who refuses to give up on this maddening world. The purpose of this BLOG is to express my feelings, thoughts.

Succession may be in America’s Future

On this past Presidents’ Day, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted:

We need a national divorce. We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government. Everyone I talk to says this. From the sick and disgusting woke culture issues shoved down our throats to the Democrat’s traitorous America Last policies, we are done.

On Monday September 11, 2023, Greene (R-Ga.) wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that “if the Biden admin refuses to stop the invasion of cartel led human and drug trafficking into our country, states should consider seceding from the union.”

Greene is not alone in her views. She is giving voice to a widespread and growing sentiment in the Republican Party. Among Republicans in the South, for example, support for secession was 66 percent in June 2021, according to a Bright Line Watch/YouGov poll. (The poll found support for secession growing among every partisan group in the months following the January 6 riot at the Capitol.)

Personally, I have believed for years that Abraham Lincoln made a mistake in fighting the succession of the South. The United States fought to keep the people of the South against their will. The consequence has been the never ending display of Civil War flags to this day.

The 13 colonies themselves also faught for freedom in the American Revolution. The British couldn’t win because they were fighting to hold the colonies against their will.

Unless we have leadership in the United States that convinces Americans to stay united succession is in the future of this country.

Key takeaways from the 2023 G20 summit in New Delhi

The G20 summit proved that the largest economies in the world could agree on lots of mundane things. Essentially nothing of consequence was accomplished.

Leaders of the world’s 20 big economies ended a summit in the Indian capital on Sunday overcoming deep divisions over the war in Ukraine to produce a consensus document and move forward on issues such overhauling institutions like the World Bank.

They also formally admitted the African Union to the bloc to make the grouping more representative.

SOFTER LANGUAGE ON UKRAINE WAR

G20 nations agreed that states cannot grab territory by force and highlighted the suffering of the people of Ukraine, but avoided direct criticism of Russia for the war. The declaration was seen as an apparent softening from the position that the G20 took last year when it condemned Russia for the war and demanded that it withdraw from Ukraine.

AFRICAN UNION INSIDE THE CLUB

The 55-member African Union was formally made permanent member of the G20, on par with the European Union, in order to make the grouping more representative. Until now only South Africa was a member of the G20. The entry of the AU would provide greater voice to the Global South within the G20 where the G7 countries have long played a dominant role.

U.S., SAUDI, INDIA JOIN HANDS FOR TRANSPORT CORRIDOR

Leaders of the United States, India and Saudi Arabia among others announced plans to set up rail and ports links between the Middle East and South Asia and eventually to Europe which U.S. President Joe Biden said was a “real big deal.”

INCREMENTAL PROGRESS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

The G20 leaders agreed to pursue tripling renewable energy capacity globally by 2030 and accepted the need to phase-down unabated coal power, but stopped short of setting major climate goals.

There Should be an Age Limit for our Government Leaders

If you are an old news reporter (Andrea Mitchell is 76, Wolf Blitzer is 75), an old entertainer (Mick Jagger is 80) or an old plumber some might say things like “Why don’t you call it a day and retire?”   Of course there is no harm if you continue to work.

But there are jobs that you are not allowed to have due to age. Commercial airlines cannot employ pilots after they reach the age of 65. Firefighters, law enforcement, and air traffic controllers have maximum age limits due to the stress in those jobs.  What about those elected to office in government?

2024 Republican presidential candidate, former Governor Nikki Haley, weighed in on Senator Mitch McConnell’s recent health scare on Thursday, saying “It’s sad. No one should feel good about seeing that.” Haley went on to say that the Senate was the most privileged nursing home in the country, and she reiterated her support for mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75.

Senator Mitch McConnell is 81. Senator Dianne Feinstein is 90. Senator Charles Grassley is 89. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi is 83. There are three members of the House of Representatives over 80 years old.  President Joe Biden is 80.

While all of these people have the perspective of many years of experience they also live sheltered lives today. Photo Ops do not make them knowledgeable about the impact of natural disasters.  Nor do visits to factories and schools make them knowledgeable.

This report about Biden is concerning

“I have no home to go to,” said Biden, who lives at the White House on weekdays and spends most weekends in Delaware, where he has two homes.

Asked Sunday if he was saying that he’s homeless, Biden said that was not the case.

“No, I’m not homeless,” he said. “I just have one home. I have a beautiful home. I’m down here for the day because I can’t go home home.”

Donald Trump is 77.  He will be 78 if elected in 2024. That is too old for the job of leader of the free world!

Just as we amended the constitution to limit presidents to two terms we now need to limit the number of terms someone can serve in the House of Representatives and the Senate.  We also need an age limit for members of the Supreme Court, congress and the presidency. 75 seems like a reasonable limit.

This can only be done when congress rises above its own self interest.  

Drug Company Greed

I am totally surprised that so little has been written about a new law that permits Medicare to negotiate the prices of 10 commonly used drugs that are a major expense for senior citizens.

Topping the list Eliquis, Jardiance, Xarelto, Januvia, Farxiga, Entresto, Enbrel, Imbruvica. Eliquis alone is used by over 3 million people. For my wife, on Medicare, until she reached the Donut Hole the price was about $50 for a 30 day supply of Eliquis. Then it jumped to about $250 as she was partially in the Hole. YIKES! As I understand the billing structure the next month the cost would be about $500. The doctor changed the prescription to Pradaxa and assured us that this alternative would work. BTW The drugs on the list announced Tuesday accounted for $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs for Medicare patients last year.

Meanwhile drugmakers and trade associations have filed eight lawsuits challenging the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare drug price negotiation program. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. makes Eliquis. Their gross profit for the twelve months ending June 30, 2023 was $34.799 Billion.

Bitter and Stunned

Reported on USA Today on this date.

Trump gets brutal news as a Florida lawyer files a federal lawsuit to disqualify Trump from the 2024 presidential race due to the “disqualification clause” in the Constitution’s 14th Amendment than bans “insurrectionists” from office.

But it gets WORSE for Trump…

The lawyer declared in his lawsuit that it is “crystal clear” that Trump’s actions leading up to, on, and after January 6 show that he “both engaged in an insurrection and also gave aid and comfort to other individuals who were engaging in such actions, within the clear meaning of those terms as defined in Section Three of the 14th Amendment.”

The lawyer also argues that “the 800-plus page report issued last year by the congressional committee that investigated Trump’s role in alleged efforts to thwart the electoral process, as well as accusations he incited the violence on Capitol Hill that day, are grounds for disqualification.”

The amendment was ratified in 1868 after the Civil War, during Reconstruction, and also addressed the citizenship status of freed slaves and the re-integration of the defeated Confederate states back into the Union.

Applying the 14th Amendment’s disqualification rule to Trump has been a rising talking point this month.

The lawyer and a growing chorus of legal scholars, even prominent conservative ones, say that the amendment does not even require a conviction in the courts — but simply a finding that he violated the clause.

This lawsuit will end up in the Supreme Court. If Trump is barred from running for president will that result in a civil war? After all millions of people love the man. Six of the eight GOP candidates would support his candidacy even if he is found guilty in the obstruction trials.

GOP First Debate

I watched the entire debate.  There were just a few significant take aways.

First was the fact that six of the eight candidates said they would support Trump for president even if he was found guilty of trying to overturn the results of the election.

Second Ron Destantis remained mostly quiet.  Where as Chris Christie stood for honoring the constitution rather than honoring Donald Trump.

Vivek Ramaswamy said that Donald Trump was the greatest president of the United States and supported Trump at every opportunity.  He is an unlikely winner of the GOP nomination but his love of Trump makes him the leading candidate for Vice President under Trump.

Finally the candidates offered no consequential plans if they were elected president.

Demagogue

The Los Angeles Times in an editorial (printed August 16, 2023) calls Donald Trump a dangerous demagogue.  But what is a demagogue?

The Oxford Dictionary says “a political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument. Merriam-Webster says “a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power.”

Do these definitions describe Donald Trump? False claims and promises were trademarks of his presidency and he continues the same strategy to win a second term as president.  His lies about the 2020 election results have been repeated over and over to this day.  There was no faulty election equipment.  Thousands of dead people were not entered as voters.  Each state had the power to determine its results and did so.

There are other demagogues in our midst today.  Alex Jones who has a large following.  You remember. He is the one who said that said the Sandy Hook killing was a lie and the killing was a staged act.

During his presidency Trump over saw the building of new border wall that was for the most part a replacement of pre- existing barrier. It was all based on the fear that millions of illegal migrants were coming into the country to spread drugs and mayhem.

Tucker Carlson is a demagogue.

Historically Adolph Hitler and Mao Zedong were demagogues.

We always have to hang up on conspiracy theorists.

Patriot

How do you define Patriot?  Donald Trump brought up the question in both words and behavior. Is it hugging the flag?

Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) February 29, 2020

Does this picture make Trump a patriot? The Oxford dictionary definition is “a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors.”  He is conveying that he loves the flag and what it stands for.

Merriam-Webster definition is “a person who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests”

The United States creates a missile system and titles it the “Patriot System” that is meant to defend the country.

What about those of us that love the country and attack its laws and regulations that we see as harmful?  Are we too patriots?