Tuesday, November 22, 2016

This is Maddening


By Fred Owens
This is Maddening. Alec Baldwin does a mock imitation of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live. Trump challenges Alec Baldwin with a Twitter blast. So what will happen this Saturday? Alec Baldwin will spoof on Trump again, in spades, and ratings will go through the roof.... Trump Twitters and the ratings soar. They try to hate Trump at the networks, but he's good for business. This is maddening -- Trump wins again.
Freedom of the Press.
The President has no obligation to talk to the press.... No legal obligation, as far as I know ... It is in the best interest of the nation if he does talk to the press, of course, but I think he is not legally obliged ..... Trump can say whatever he wants to say, he can meet with whomever he chooses and the NYTimes is free to write whatever they choose to write about him ..... Is that correct?
What law says Trump has to talk with the NYTimes? It seems I understand freedom of the press in a different way than some other people...... No one can compel me, or the President or any other citizen to talk with a journalist. Journalists do not have the power to subpoena and compel testimony, It's all voluntary. And the journalist is free to write anything he or she chooses. For instance, I have the right to say that Trump is a jerk, an idiot and a threat to our democracy. The NYTimes might choose to publish words just like that, if they choose, and Trump could not stop them.. ... that's the freedom ...

A Part-Time President. We have only ourselves to blame for this -- how often have we praised multi-tasking? How often have we praised bringing the home to work and bring work to the home? So our new President will be occupying the White House for several days a week, flying in for a few meetings, and then off to one of his golf courses or resorts.
I support this. If he only works twenty hours a week being President, then he does less damage. The less the better. If he makes a few billion on the side, that is the least of his potential crimes.
Forgive me. I'm trying to approach the whole topic in a light-hearted manner. A lot of people are vigorously upset by the Trump Ascendancy and don't see the humor. Maybe there is no humor.

The Mexican Gardener. This morning I was doing some yard work for the neighbors. It's a part-time occupation for me. I charge by the hour. Vicente was working across the street. I wave hello to him. He waves back. He seems so friendly these days -- because he's afraid he might get deported? Maybe. I might ask him where he's from and he would tell me. When I meet someone I often ask where are they from, but I would not ask him if he was here legally. 
I want to calculate my self interest. Vicente and I are competing for the same dollars. I would get a $5 an hour raise if he goes back to Mexico due to the scarcity of labor. And I would like to make more money. That is my self interest, short term,  if the Mexican gardeners would leave Santa Barbara.
But the homeowner who hires Vicente would prefer to keep him, because he works hard for small dollars. The restaurant owner knows that half his serving staff is undocumented, but he wants to keep them working. The farmer wants to keep his field hands. This is not humanitarian, this is self interest and we can calculate that.
So I don't know what will happen to Vicente. In the long term and in the bigger picture we have room for him here. In the short term, if he leaves, I make more money.

Out with the Old, in with the New. For the first time in 24 years there are no Clintons on the horizon. Their day is done. This is a great opportunity for new people in the Democratic Party. The national media will surely notice California's new senator, Kamala Harris, age 52.
Identity Politics. Identity politics is a big mistake for the Democrats. One of my own beloved relatives praised the election of a Somali woman to the Minnesota legislature.... That's all my relative knew about the candidate, that she was female and that she was Somali and therefore that was a good thing .... That is identity politics in a nutshell and not a good thing..... Then I am tagged with an identity....older white low income male ... I'm sorry to not qualify as uneducated ... But I am a close fit to Trump's ideal demographic  -- he's pitching it right at me .... None of this is any good ...

Judge me on my behavior and my words and not for anything else.  ...

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Fred Owens
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My gardening blog is  Fred Owens
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