The Gentle Breeze of Liberty

Once again gentle breeze flows from atop the Rocky Mountains down over the plains and out each ocean shore into the world from the US. The breeze, an image of a endless flow of liberty to all men has once again been restored to the United States of America. Those the love or seek freedom can hold their hand up and feel the winds of liberty flowing through their open hands gently tapping at their skin as it curls around their fingers.

Open Hand Monument of Chandigarh. The Open Hand Monument symbolizes “the hand to give and the hand to take; peace and prosperity, and the unity of mankind”

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

The erasure of the horrors of Donald Trump as President of the United States and the reversal of so many damaging policies of his nationalistic movement to destroy the good will and prosperity of the United States has begun. The final attack of his on the US Capital, that caused the sad deaths of five persons, failed to stop the Democracy in the US from thriving once again.

Already under the Biden-Harris stewardship the US has re-entered the Paris Climate Agreement and stopped the hated symbol of nationalism Trump’s wall. The US re-enters into a committed effort of the health of the world population in the World Health Organization and along with it an effort to help vaccinate the poor nations against the COVID pandemic with the support of COVAX

America is once again a nation that unblinkingly thinks of those less fortunate than her. Those that supported Trump thought they were advancing a Christian cause and were blinded by Trump’s Medicine Man spell as he attacked the world saying that other poorer nations were evil places stealing riches from America.

“Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and becomes judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?” James 2:2-6

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” Matthew 25:35

The United States once again looks at Liberty as a citizen’s of the world rights. No longer thinking of only itself in a nationalistic sense but as a leader of world freedom.

To hold Trump accountable –

would be divisive.

President Trump, left, greets House Ways And Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, the lead author of Republicans’ tax reform plans, before a meeting to discuss the American Health Care Act on March 10 at the White House. Analysts say the GOP’s failure to pass its Obamacare alternative bodes poorly for Brady’s tax package.

A reason for not impeaching Trump

by Congressman Brady


Kevin Brady
Member of Congress
8th District of Texas
Deputy Whip
Ranking Member, Committee on
Ways and Means

Joint Committee on Taxation

January 15, 2021

Thank you for sharing your thoughts regarding impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. I condemn the violent events that took place at the Capitol building on January 6, 2021 and individuals who participated in these events should be prosecuted to the fullest extent under the law. However, any effort to remove President Trump from office will only further divide our country in ways the proponents have failed to fully consider. I will not support impeachment of President Donald Trump.

On January 6, 2021, tens of thousands protested what they perceived to have been election fraud and the failure of so many states to conduct an election in accordance with their own laws. Of the over 100,000 protesters who came to Washington that day to show support for the President, most were peaceful. They gathered near the White House, listened to the President speak and returned to their homes. Unfortunately, a significant number made their way to the Capitol and once there, several hundred rioters, looters, and vandals breached the barriers, broke windows and violently forced their way past police officers injuring many in the process. The violent events that took place were unacceptable and shameful and led to the death of five individuals. One of those who died was U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who valiantly and courageously gave his life to protect the men and women in the United States Capitol. In response to this tragedy, Speaker Pelosi has urged Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment on the grounds that President Trump is unfit to serve as the President of the United States. Further, Speaker Pelosi introduced one article of impeachment, asking for the removal of President Trump for inciting an insurrection.

Those calling for impeachment or invoking the 25th Amendment in response to President Trump’s statements this week are themselves engaging in intemperate and inflammatory language and calling for action that is not only irresponsible but could well incite further violence. President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to bring America together and be the President of all Americans. With less than eight days until his inauguration, President Trump cannot be removed from office in the next week. President-elect Biden should lead, and he should reject calls to go down this ill-considered path which will only serve to further divide the country.  

We have great and important tasks to accomplish soon. We must focus on defeating Covid, rebuilding our economy, and uniting Americans around our shared ideals and principles. I am committed to working together with President-elect Biden to do just that. Thank you for letting me know your opinion. Let’s keep in touch, and if I can be of help in the future, don’t hesitate to let me know.

Sincerely,
(signed)
Kevin Brady
U.S. Representative
Eighth District of Texas


Official Kevin Brady photograph


The Response to Congressman Brady January 17, 2021


For a man who wins his district by 90%,  I am astounded in your statements of who has divisive rhetoric.  For four years, because certain Americans have wished for equal justice or medical care equity,  the man you are defending , as well as many who supported him in the Legislature,  have divided the nation by vilifying fellow Americans calling them radical leftists and communists.  This to condition, hold close and incite Trump’s base of voters.  Those very voters he threatens to and has unleashed against any GOP politician that would dare to temper him as he desires more power.

Those who have been arrested for storming and attacking the Capital in support of Trump we find are not just  fringe loners or isolated white power radicals.  They are Real Estate Agents, State Legislatures, ex-military officers, active duty police officers, corporate lawyers and Olympic gold medal winners.  Calling these  Republican voters as just  ‘rioters, looters, and vandals’ and dismissing the underlying reasons that they found themselves breaking the law is at best ingenuous.

My original discussion was not that Trump needed to be removed for political reasons.  It was because I realized and even wrote about it in my blog back in 2015, the warning signs of this ‘Man who would be King.’   He used the political process for personal gain and has himself become hypnotized with his power.  He turned decent Republicans, some maybe even in your district in support of his cause for this power, into criminals with his destructive rhetoric.

Trump has become the ‘ mystical medicine man’ to Republicans as Carl Jung’s depiction of Hitler was for the Germans.  You likely do not agree but ask yourself  how such upstanding individuals found themselves marching to the Capital and rushing police officers?  Why did they find themselves justified in walking past the broken glass and  destroyed doors into the Capitol while others were yelling for the hanging of Vice President Pence.  Why did they not do as you termed, just listened ‘to the President speak and returned to their homes?’  They were asked to march of the Capitol by Trump and said in his mystical way, He would protect them ; ‘I will be there with you’

It was because of this ability to propagandize destructive rhetoric and the effects on the  Republican party with its 72 million voters that I asked for his removal from the ability to hold office.  The continuation of turning the Republican party into this violent arm of his must not be allowed to progress over the next four years.  Trump must not be allowed to gather campaign money for his persona profit in a feign for a 2024 election run. 

Republican party policies over the years have benefitted myself, no doubt.  I would live peacefully as my office colleagues would extol the benefits of Republican policies and senior management would support benefits for Republican candidates including yourself.   It was part of the process of growing American values and our democratic nation.   Of course, I do not agree with some of the Republican social policies from a standpoint of how God interacts with individuals and that the Government cannot and should not attempt to make that choice for the individual in some vain attempt to provide for their salvation.  I do believe in the right of the individual to pursue their own life and their own happiness in the liberty of our Democratic Republic.   I do believe this is best done by the representative government of the people of this nation as a whole.

In closing, let me rephrase my original correspondence.   I do fear for the destruction of the Republican party, even if you do not, and with it the danger to our Democratic Republic by this man’s quest for power.   The most vivid example might be found in the difference between the 2016 Republican platform and that of 2020.

We affirm — as did the Declaration of Independence: that all are created equal, endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

 Vs

 …had the Platform Committee been able to convene in 2020, would have undoubtedly unanimously agreed to reassert the Party’s strong support for President Donald Trump and his Administration

The Republican Party cannot become the party of one man.

Carl Jung ; The other one un-named other ‘Medicine Man.’ leader

We have seen it before

January 6, 2021 The Trumpian Putsch


US Capital under assault by Trumpian forces January 6, 2021

“I would know by what power I am called hither “

Charles I at his trial January 1649


You attacked the sovereignty of the people by suspending the assemblies of its representatives and by driving them by violence from the place of their sessions. . .

Indictment of Louis XVI December 1792

The trial of Louis XVI, King of France 1792

Donald J. Trump thinks of himself or rather imagines himself as King of the United States. He has talked of his powers to his followers as he has honed them into a personal army that was loyal to him alone. It was on January 6th 2021 when the co-equal branch of government, the US Legislative branch was in session to count and certify the electoral votes certified and submitted by each of 50 states that Trump called upon that army to march upon the legislative branch in an effort to disrupt, stop and overturn his lost election to Joe Biden. The subsequent violence invaded the capital building breaking doors and windows to gain illegal access and sending the legislature including the Vice President running under the cover of guns and gas masks. The Trumpian Army retired from the Capital to return to their homes having succeeded for a few hours in the end in keeping their King without a certified electoral loss however, five people lost their lives from the violence.

Trump and his cohorts plotted well their physical attack by the Executive Branch followers against the Legislature Branch. Trump for weeks sent out messages on Twitter for the army to assemble. He stoked lie after lie about a stolen election even though he failed in court case after court case to present any evidence. It was his word alone that carried his Trumpian army into battle with Congress. Trump had a booth set up in front of the White House as a gathering place where he could speak to them and send them marching on the Capital not unlike Hitler’s march from the Bürgerbräukeller beer hall in the Munich Putsch.

The Munich Putsch 1923

Trump and his supporters, Rudy Giuliani, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Trump’s own son Donald Trump Jr. gave speeches of defiance and fighting the legislature. They used words like ‘trial by Combat’, ‘we will not quit fighting’ and ‘fight to the end’ to bless their followers into a patriotic fervor and saying only way to save their freedom and their country was to stop the Legislature in its efforts to certify the electors. They demonized the duly elected President-elect and Vice President-elect for months prior and used their powers to voice cries of being mistreated and lied to their followers about evidence they had obtained. They spent speeches in Georgia employing their last desperate hope would be for Vice President Pence to use powers he did not have to declare the States’ election documents false and anoint Trump as the true president.

Then Trump himself directed to crowd to march upon the Capital. He assured their safety as he lied to the crowd saying he would be marching with them. Then unlike Mussolini and his march on Rome, Trump got in his armored limousine and headed the opposite direction back to the safety of the White House under armed security. He would watch events of his attack on the legislature unfold on television in safety as if he had nothing to do with it.

generic limo photo

The result was a crowd whipped into frenzy believing they were under the protection of the President of the United States along their side. They were ready for a fight thinking they were patriots. Even called as such by the President’s Daughter Ivanka on her Twitter note as they began to storm the Capital looking to stop the Legislature from doing its duty under the law. Chants of ‘find (Vice President) Pence’ rang from the crowd as they broke into the Capital through smashed windows and doors.

So this is not a news story of the event it is a Blog post but the scene on this Putsch set out by Trump in his loss to Biden. It failed as Hitler’s but without the force found in Munich in 1923. Yet, the danger of the event is no less serious both in the reality that it happened and the political danger to the Democratic Republic of the United States. Trump has set the scene for years in exile and for him to build on his struggle against the unjust secret powers that removed him from office after one 4 year term. He as already called for his entire voting base of 72 million to look in the future and not give up hope on the struggle to save their democracy. Twitter removed his account calling that a call to arms.

Left alone for the next four years Trump will write his struggles in rants and posts. He will wield enormous political power as he claims he was wrongly removed from office. He has already begun to set the seed for his return re-election and for the end of the 22nd Amendment term limits on a President.

This danger is why Trump must be treated as Louis XVI or James I in a political sense, not the physical. He must be removed and banned not just from Twitter but from holding federal office ever again.

The Legislature cannot fight over it’s petty political scramble for any political power being left by the lost election by Trump. He is not going to anoint/approve a successor as long as he can claim the throne. That is not in his nature as his jailed personal lawyer Cohen explained to Congress a year ago. Despite the efforts of Mr. Hawley to usurp the Trump power, he cannot and now has blood on his hands for enabling the Putsch event. Hawley will become a pawn in Trump’s return by remaining a loyal officer in his guard of the patriotic army.

The Legislative Branch founded this Country in the 1700’s. Those in it participated in the writing revision and approval of the Constitution. Let’s pray that the Legislative Branch of the 2000’s has not lost sight of the true sense of Freedom and Democracy. Those founding members of the Legislative Branch formed the Presidency out of the need for a fluid Government. They fought hard to put in protections against a fraudulent demagogue who fools the common man. So now is the time for men to put Democracy and Country above party. The Legislature must protect our Democracy from these demagogues. The revolution is not in the streets but in the Congress.

From thinking proceeds speaking, thence to acting is often but a single step. But how irrevocable and tremendous! What a triumph for the advocates of despotism to find that we are incapable of governing ourselves, and that systems founded on the basis of equal liberty are merely ideal and fallacious! Would to God that wise measures may be taken in time to avert the consequences we have but too much reason to apprehend

George Washington 1786

Death of the Republic

There is little to no representation in the US Republic for any minority viewpoint. There is nothing but winner take all and suppressive denial of the minority. This may sound like a harsh judgement but in fact it has become the very nature of a country built on a concept of the good nature and joint ideals of a not so diverse populace. This type of Republic set forth by the founders has created an evil and terrible menace upon the people of the United States. It has set them up for continual conflict and division. Nobody that votes against the majority in their area has any representation of their idea of freedom, values or views.

I have for the majority of my adult life been in an area that votes approximately 20% for one party while the 80% win every election and set every policy based on their viewpoint regardless of the 20% needs, values or requirements. I have by this fact never had a political viewpoint of mine represented in the US government. It is this type of government that has all but destroyed the notion of democracy in the United States. It is a tyranny of the winner against the minority view. There is no reason for the majority to listen or acquiesce to the need of the minority. There is no proportional voice for the minority voters. The winners get the only voice and all decisions.

This phenomenon is true down to the smallest level of political office in US politics. It has become even more acute as the ruling parties change the rules locally to support themselves (i.e. gerrymandering of districts to support their party’s dominance) and as an example the US Senate to only require a simple majority for most votes. They therefore, do not have to listen to the minority at all to decide judicial direction as well as legislative direction. This winner take all has led to a Civil War as well as several destructive periods in US civil life. One of which is currently appearing to be driven towards becoming almost fatal to the Republic.

Segmentation of political thought in US Politics.

The United States are in fact no longer united. It has become so factional and to a point almost directly in half that it has created a volatile scenario of us versus them. The left-right political spectrum has become defined in a prismatic division of clear political loyalty lines with unclear definition of policy. President Trump in his efforts to stay in power has create an even higher level of division with his voter fraud stranglehold on one of the more powerful US political parties. All aligned political thought, actions and funding of this party is driving towards the goal of remaining in power despite the loss at the polls by claiming fraud and dishonesty of the opposition thereby creating a disenfranchisement of voter’s good political sportsmanship. The power in the US is absolute either win the election or have no voice is the nature of the American political system.

The struggle for a political view to win in this all or nothing US Republic is no less than having the ability, as in the French Revolution, to cut the King’s head off or be vanquished then imprisoned by a state. A state that does not look at you as a valuable contributor to society but rather as a danger to it.

So as with the original colonies and depicted in the 1745 Benjamin Franklin cartoon of a snake cut into colonial segments, the colonies had to unite to express its political view against the British King and parliament or die . So too does political thought in the US have to align to win representation in the US or die with no political power to have it’s viewpoint affect the political nature of the United States.

The Founding Fathers had no idea of the flawed corrupting system they created . Their political viewpoints though varied in nature were united in the creation of a new country. They were united in the common history of the struggle to leave the United Kingdom. They were united in a extremely similar ethnic, religious and social viewpoint. Something that has not been the case in an America of the 20th and 21st Centuries that has seen decades of migratory, social and financial class dilution.

This dilution has pushed political thought in America to review and compensate because of the social upheaval caused by the political majority’s ignoring the issues faced by the diverse population. In some cases, a political party can ignore the viewpoint because of their political power and face civil unrest and in others they can enjoin the political viewpoints to link up the body of the snake so that a particular party can win and rule.

This linking of the political viewpoint snake to win political representation is often thought to be a democratic process but it is not. It is worse, as the larger of the parties very often ignores the representation of political viewpoints of the political viewpoint allies. The ally’s political viewpoint gains no voice in the government directly and must remain subordinate to have any hope of influencing the viewpoint narrative. This is not a democracy but a political view dictatorship without consequences for the ruling party. There is little or no repercussions for the dominant party ignoring the minorities political views. The ally political view can be quickly disavowed and disenfranchised if it comes under attack by the opposition. No vote needs to be won or lost to affect any change during a party’s term in power of their singular viewpoint being presented into governing. There is no coalition, oversight or balance required to maintain a varied political view of all those represented during governance.

This failure to represent the political views of the entire nation has fragmented US politics very similarly to the pre-World War II Weimar Republic. The Germans solved this political viewpoint problem when they formed their government after WWII. They did not follow the American system created by the US founders of a winner take all system that required extremely strong political parties. This is what they had and failed miserably in the 1930s. Germany formed a coalition style government. This allows political parties with more than 5% of the vote to have an direct representation of their viewpoint in the government. The individual voter gets true proportional representation. The larger party cannot ignore the viewpoints of the smaller parties and with it the viewpoints of the people who voted for them if the lager party needs the party to create the larger united snake to rule.

Without true representation, each American finds that he suffers from no representation by this Congressman, Senator, Governor or President. The large American parties have become de facto kings, who are fighting over a crown. They fail to represent the political viewpoints fairly and diversely enough to truely represent the people in the US. The voters have limited choices of two kings to represent their viewpoints. This becomes similar to the War of the Roses in English history. The two kings fight and fail to govern until one is vanquished and the opponents slain. This is not Democracy but political viewpoint Autocracy in the US. It is time to change the US to a representative Republic before it dies.

On the RNC use of the White House

Republicans have turned the

White House Red.

The use of the White House by the Republican has indicted the entire party. The Republican Party is glorifying Trump using a house built with the use of enslaved Blacks. He angrily yells “we are here and they are not” and in that the White House was now owned by the Republicans and not remaining Americans walking on the Street. The Republican are practicing Schadenfreude almost calling for more riots to make their case. Republicans hide behind authoritarianism and IL-Liberalism while they fail to ask their elected party leader to pass legislation to change the local prejudice policies that militarize police, give them freedom from legal scrutiny after they commit violent acts and fails to provide for the environment that achieves equity of treatment. The Republicans have turned the White House Red

Trump’s failure at a Great America

There are four things that George Washington famously wrote, June 8 1783, that were essential to the well being of The United States of America.

  1. The indissoluble union of the states under one federal head
  2. A sacred regard to public justice
  3. The adoption of a proper peace establishment
  4. The prevalence of that pacific and friendly disposition among the people of the United States which will induce them to forget their local prejudices and policies; to make those mutual concessions which are requisite to the general prosperity; and, in some instances, to sacrifice their individual advantages to the interest of the community.

Washington pointed out that these were needed for the existence of the United States as an independent power. He further declared that these pillars were the fabric of the United States independent national character. Whoever, “would dare to sap the foundation, or overrun the structure, under whatever specious pretext he may attempt it, will merit the bitterest excretions and the severest punishment which can be inflicted by his injured country”

The words stand on their own in condemnation of Trump and his efforts to destroy these pillars of our union as the United States. Trump’s attacks, for reason of personal power, use the individual prejudices within the nation to divide and further undermine the foundations upon which these pillars stand is self evident.

The current state of attacks and looting that occur alongside marches for general prosperity of Black people and protests against federal troops in Portland are only examples of the bitterest excretions and severest punishment on Trump who has injured our country with his disregard to care for these pillars while president.

White Privilege

During a conversation of how to discuss what White Privilege means, I reminded myself that the term may put the individual you are trying to discuss this with on the defensive. Especially, if they are white. Their first reaction to bringing up the conversation was usually, “Well I had to work hard for what I have. Nobody gave what I have achieved to me.” This defense is undoubtedly true in almost all cases. Their are very few, if any, persons that have not overcome some difficulty whether it has been emotionally, physical, financial or societal.

So in understanding the differences and create a conversation, one must think of life as a running track. Everyone begins with the same distance to run. Everyone has to wait for the gun to start. Yet, in some lanes there are hurdles and in some lanes there are, maybe not zero, but fewer. It is this concept that one can bring into the conversation the effort to remove hurdles burdening the lane runner that are placed there by the color of one’s skin or the visual proportions of their eyelids. These are always differences from the society majority no matter what nation but we can limit this conversation to those in the United States.

The privilege of running in the lane with less hurdles set up provides for a quicker finish for that runner. What is the finish? Well, anything like a good job, a good school district for your children, a happy retirement, better advancement career and even nicer neighborhoods for your children to play. All things found in the pursuit of happiness, that truly American ideal.

The effort of a just society should be to reduce those impediments that are not based on the opportunity itself. Lessen the obstacles placed there by ethnological protectionism within a diverse society. But moreover, there should be an unmitigated realization within a free people that such ethnological protectionism exists.