Category: Uncategorized

 

When something happens unexpected, bang, out of the blue
Events that statisticians call outliers, or black swans
Events that beggar precedent, revealing something new
Something growing there unnoticed, suddenly it dawns

When world events are true black swans they alter history’s course
As though their happenings were needed, forcing major change
Experiencing of such events disturbs us at our source
We then are moved to join in actions past our normal range

The Trump election fits the mold of black-swan happenings
Republicans, most fall in line, ramrodding Trump’s appointments
To hell with conflicts, laws, traditions, they’ll approve all things
Whatever Trump will dictate, bowing down to Trump’s anointment

Meanwhile the Dems are organizing up and down each State
They’re shedding their complacencies, connecting with their roots
This black swan has awakened them to take charge of their fate
And history will record that Dems Trumpism did refute

1/9/17

 

It’s true that campaign promises that politicians make
Are mostly of the category labeled: “news that’s fake”
Be that as may, supporters do expect their man to act
On promises that they had made, to transform them to facts

So let’s examine where Trump stands on promises he voiced
“We’ll build a wall!”, he shouted while his followers rejoiced
“To keep those raping Mexicans from pouring ‘cross our border!”
“And Mexico will pay for it; its back to law and order!”

Republicans are working up a bill: the wall to build
But net flow now is negative, so who’s the wall to shield?
Who’s paying? You and I! But Mexico will later pay
Fool us once, don’t fool us twice, we’ll never see that day

Trump’s cutting taxes drastically to increase work employment
It’s trickle down which only helps the rich for more enjoyment
But stocks have soared on promises that won’t come to fruition
It’s middle-class demand that drives economy’s positions

One promise made, Trump might succeed, to fund more infrastructure
A trillion dollars o’er ten years, that seems to be the picture
Which averages some fifty billion added yearly, say,
And that’s about one fifth of what is spent on it today

Obama Care, repeal it, yes, replace it, there’s much doubt
On Social Sec and Medicare, no change, the jury’s out
On immigration, banning Muslims, he’ll disclaim he said it
Deporting all undocumented, he’ll, perhaps, forget it

No matter how things do turn out, the truth he’ll always edit
To make it look most positive so he can take the credit

1/8/17

I am forwarding this poelitic to my email list of people mainly to broadcast the websites referenced in the poem. Please do the same. Thank you, Sabba Rabba

Our politics, frustrating and discouraging they be
We feel deep pangs of helplessness at news we hear and see
To Hell in Satan’s basket, we all watch our world descend
And wonder whether all we fought for suddenly will end

Trump lies with every utterance, trustworthy, that’s not he
And reckless with his inane tweets, he’s on a power spree
His Cabinet appointments are disastrous every way
In thirteen days he’ll be sworn in, and we will rue the day

But deep despair and helplessness give in to our defeat
There’s plenty we can do to counter Trump, his lies, his tweets
Grass-roots projects o’er the nation have materialized
Practical, informative, resistance realized

Let’s start with “Indivisible”; they’ve drafted up a Guide
A handy-dandy set of insights, insights from inside
The offices of Congressmen, their former staffers’ views
They tell what works and what does not. It’s something to be used

And then there’s “Daily Grab Back”, posts an action, one each day
These are actions we can do to lobby for our way
This focuses our efforts when together we all act
The more of us, the stronger we, to make our wishes fact

Another group is “Wall-Of-Us”, posts actions, four per week
They’re similar but often different in the goals they seek
“Flippable” is, too, a group that offers things to do
That’s focused on state legislatures, flipping red to blue

So click on the blue wordings of the groups that interest you
You’ll see there is a host of actions waiting there to do
These are actions tried and proven, they produce results
It’s you and those who think like you can bring Trump to a halt

1/7/17

 

We’ve heard it from the horse’s mouth, it all was Clinton’s doing
Way back in year eleven Putin stole his State’s election
‘Twas Hillary that called him out, his people he was screwing
So Putin then decided he would sully her selection

He aimed his hacking Bears against our government and parties
Selectively releasing stuff that’s negative on Hillary
And instituted strong campaigns of fake news ’bout her body
Which Trump then amplified wth lies, that she, the more be pilloried

Intelligence in their report deliberately refrained
From looking or concluding whether Putin’s schemes held sway
Affecting undecideds swinging back and forth again
But I believe their propaganda swung the vote Trump’s way

But Trump, discussing the report, came out with blatant lies
He said the document reported no effects about
His getting votes enough to win the White House by and by
But that is simply not the case; Trump’s office is in doubt

1/6/17

Trump’s Cabinet Choices
To the tune of “Sweet Betsy of Pike”

Trump’s Cabinet choices leave much to desire
With many opposing what their charge requires
They’re scheduled for hearings all on the same day
That’s how the Republicans push through their way
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, Democrats have no say

Rex Tillerson’s picked for Department of State
He ran Exxon Mobil, his life’s work to date
He’s buddies with Putin who hacked U.S. sites
To alter election results where they might
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, Putin’s puppet all right

Scott Pruit’s been chosen to run E.P.A.
Denier of climate change, carbon’s okay
He’s suing his Agency as the AG
Of state Oklahoma where oil runs free
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, climate change he won’t see

Rick Perry, Gov Texas, to lead Energy
“Oops” Perry in charge of our nukes industry
Perry’s an oil man, board member too
Of those piping oil through land that’s taboo
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, Indian land that’s taboo

A. Puzder, Sec. Labor, who was CEO
Of rapid-food restaurants for those on the go
Disdainful of labor laws, it’s been his rage
And he’d like to abolish the minimum wage
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, no minimum wage

Jeff Senator Sessions to run DOJ
It’s oxymoronic is all I can say
Put Justice and Sessions together, no way!
His history of racism causes dismay
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, he causes dismay

Don Trump has named others to Cabinet posts
His appointees oppose what their Agencies boast
They’ll negate most our progress for the last hundred years
And the heart of our nation will dwell in their fears
Boodle dang fall de-die-doe, population in fear

1/5/17

 

Obama Care, Obama Care, we all oppose Obama Care
And even though we benefit
And can’t survive the end of it
Unless they mimic most of it
Which gets us to the crux of it
The ACA’s replacement is a there that really isn’t there

Republican,Republican, the Act was most Republican
Mit Romney pioneered it first
Obama copied chapter, verse
Some things were better, some things worse
The name, “Obama” was a curse
You’re damned if do, more so, if don’t; it’s tough to be Republican

Repeal, repeal, we must repeal; it was our pledge, that was the deal
Replacing it, we said we would
But would have done it, if we could
Soon voters will have understood
That they’ve been sold a bill of goods
‘Though we may kill the ACA; replacing it just isn’t real

1/4/17

 

People-power’s proven very powerful when exercised
As was the case to thwart the House’s Ethics Office exorcise
When people by the millions strongly disagreed with its demise
The Congress heard the people and chose not themselves to jeopardize

There is a lesson lurking here for Democrats to cogitate
A way that works when policies proposed they know they must negate
That Democrats at local levels organize, participate
Use social networks, telephones, join rallies, and go demonstrate

Do not partake of helplessness and sit there and commiserate
The time is now to fight against the bills you cannot tolerate
It’s people power all together that can save the county’s fate
By sending Trump a grassroots message: we will keep this country great

1/3/17

.

Did you notice Putin’s ploy in putting off retaliation
For Obama’s retribution based on Russia’s cyber war
He, of course, will wait for Trump, based on Trump’s infatuation
Trump will, maybe, end the sanctions, something well worth waiting for

Kim Jon Un of North Korea likes to threaten us with nukes
They’re attempting to develop missiles labeled for the States
Trump has tweeted he’ll not sanction North Korea’s threat of nukes
While he’s tweeting tough on China who controls Korea’s fate

These are two examples of Trump’s spastic foreign policy
Tweeting his top-headed answers to the world’s happenings
Worrying our allies that we’ll be an idiotocracy
Cheering all our enemies who witness us as weakening

1/2/17

My grandson, Michael, recommended an article by Fukuyama in the Financial Review that placed the Trump phenomenon in the context of the Western World’s retreat from internationalism. He describes how neither political party in the U.S. recognized the impact of internationalism on the older white working class and how these people were drawn to Trump. Fukuyama also discusses what is happening to our democracy (which he calls a vetocracy). It is long, but very worth reading.

Enemies and Friends

In one tick-tock of the clock, on the twentieth, that day
When the swearing-in’s complete, at that moment all things change
But among those changes stark, prominent in many ways
Is the way we’ll view the Russians, full transformative and strange

For the last six years, we’re told, Putin has been grooming Trump
Subtly implying Trump should really run for President
‘Twas a Putin long shot, with Trump’s ratings being in the dumps,
Some assistance Trump would need to be the White House resident

And some assistance Trump received from Russia’s cyber bears
And Putin’s gamble Putin won beyond his wildest dreams
Where Russia and the U.S. were on terms quite less than fare,
Now with Donald Prexy, Putin’s hands are free, it seems

But sometimes getting what you ask for doesn’t work your way
With friends one must be careful not the bond to jeopardize
With enemies there are no bonds, just thresholds held at bay
There’s evidence already Putin this has realized

1/1/17

 

What, then, might we expect, the year of twenty seventeen
The atmosphere of politics has gone from mean to mean
There is no evidence so far that next year will be better
Political uncertainty, Trumpism full unfettered

Like Hyde and Jekyll Trump is double personalities
Tweetle Trump and Twistle Trump depending whom to please
Trump tweets most in the early morn, to please his base support
Then later twists his words around to please the Press reports

Uncertainty in world affairs, uncertainty at home
Since Truth and Trump don’t get along, there’s no one in the know
So buckle seat-belts tight next year, ’twill be a Trumpy ride
Be that as may, I wish you joy with politics aside

12/29/16