Congress Circus returns

November 30 2019

CIRCUS RETURNING TO TOWN!

After a peaceful week off from Impeachment hearings, the Circus (aka Congress) is back!  Returning next Wednesday to this dirty job which, directly because of things trump has said and done, somebody has to do.  [FUN FACT: Without dissent it is agreed many members of Congress are always “off”]



Having found the prior Circus performances a bit disconcerting, thought it best to prepare for the upcoming acts by attempting to separate facts so far known from the fiction that is political entrenchment, these are knowable facts as of date above:

1.     A Circus has to make money for the performers.  There is oil beneath the ground of Ukraine, lots of it.  This means there is money to be made in Ukraine, lot of it.  Money is Always the Overture.

2.     Two ne’er-do-wells, Lev Parnas & Igor Furman, paid Rudy Giuliani $500,000 retainer; also paid $300,000 to trump campaign organization; and paid $25,000 to sitting Republican congressman to write a letter condemning American Ambassador to Ukraine.  [FUN FACT: No venture ‘fronts’ this much cash without expectation of greater return]

3.     Where Lev and Igor got the seed-money is not real clear.  It is known they were taken into custody by FBI with one-way tickets to Vienna, where a Russian oligarch connected to Giuliani is living under house arrest while avoiding extradition to U.S.  When apprehended Lev & Igor had been subpoenaed by Congress.

4.     No later than October 2018 Giuliani was spreading false rumors among “corrupt” Ukraine officials about American Ambassador.  An Ambassador who -- being widely regarded as honest -- was actively opposing corruption in Ukraine.  [FUN FACT: Can’t steal money when cop watches]

5.     The first trump congratulatory call to new President of Ukraine was made April 21st.  A summary was released November 15^th.  Nothing in released summary refers to corruption, Biden, or Burisma.

6.     At some point State Department, Pentagon, and White House became concerned the Congress mandated $400-million Ukraine aid was being withheld contrary to law, best interests, and for political reasons.

7.     On July 25th the infamous call was made to new President of Ukraine.  When that call became public a summary was released which is not a complete transcript:  Timestamps indicates call was approximately 30 minutes, summary has been slowly read in about 10.  Also, two credible witnesses who listened-in have independently testified there was more to the call not included in summary.

8.     A “Whistleblower” report and efforts to block it from Congress and public were made known to trump.  The $200-million hold, designated State Department aid funds were subsequently released.  Also released were $200-million in weapons required by Ukraine, including Vanguard missiles which came with proviso they could not be used against Russia.

9.     State Department documents released under Freedom of Information Act confirm high-level trump-appointed officials were aware of the hold and circumstances surrounding July 25th call.

10.   No exculpatory [defensive] evidence or testimony has been provided by White House. [FUN FACT: Wittingly or unwittingly this is portraying “consciousness of guilt”]  

11.  There has been no compliance with legal subpoenas for documentation which might contain exculpatory evidence. 

12.   Defenses offered have so-far been limited to: Opposition to agreed procedures; and complaints about “second-hand” testimony. [FUN FACT: Lack of fact-witnesses an affect of White House blocking]

Questions as the Circus comes again to the nation’s capital:

1.     Would aid have been released if holds had not been made public?

2.     Would Ukraine have done agreed CNN interview if aid had not been released?

3.     And, most vitally, has anything been done by trump justifying removal from office?

GOD SAVE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Trump theology of history

my trump theology of history



First, Theology, as described to me, is search for the truth of what God has done, is doing, and would do in the earth.  The wise theologian, it is suggested, never knows “everything” about the study undertaken (they who so know are the most frightening).  My personal policy has always been to state clearly that I speak neither for God nor man, nor for any known doctrine of any known religion.  I can speak only for where I am in my study.  What follows is a take on one of the innumerable problems I’d suspect God is dealing with on the earth on any given day.

Second, as Mark Twain is quoted, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes”.  That is, there is rarely an exact duplication of what has happened before. Rather, ignorance of history leads to each new generation into unknowingly doing what they would not have done if they knew the knowable consequences.

Third, my own somewhat cursory observation of history leads to this proposal:

God, as described in what Christians call the Bible, raises up a people who faithfully fulfill His purposes; then a new generation arises who “know not” what God wroth in bringing them into His land and “each man does that which is right in his own eyes”.  Sooner or later these unlearned generations reject God’s rulebook, and He gives them what they ask for.  In time the consequences of getting what is demanded most often leads to yet another generation crying out for God; and, as history rhymes, God’s people return back to Him.

One obvious example of this observation comes from I Samuel 8.7-9. Here the children of Israel have come to the man of God and demanded a king.  Sam knows that’s not what they really need, but God knows history rhymes and He says: 

… “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” New International Version (NIV)

 What follows is a long history of God’s people being defeated by both external and internal enemies, a new generation rediscovering Him, He responds, and the rhymes begins again.

Finally, it is this opinion that the current generation of America has rejected the rule of God Almighty over the life of our nation.  As Dr. Francis Schaeffer might have put it:  Broken free of the anchor which held tightly a spiritual-philosophical foundation.  If any readers disagree, I can only submit they watch American television.  If America has indeed rejected God and demanded a king, if history is any guide, if God truly is in control, the conclusion I draw is that He has given America a choice.  What ought most frighten both theologian and historian is that the choice appears on the surface to be solely among not-all-that-good options, none of which is the lesser evil. 

PROFILES IN POLITICS

Profiles in Politics

[Following was first published as a blog in 2012 on Brazil Times website]

“Democracy is the worst form of government – except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” (Sir Winston Churchill)

Every generation should be required to read John F. Kennedy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Profiles in Courage” -- or at least something very much like it.  Reading Kennedy reassures us that the country has been in worse shape, our division deeper and opposing sides more vehement.

At a time when polling says Congress is less popular than, say, Communism, we can take heart in knowing things have been a lot worse for past generations of voters and politicians.  If things today are not as good as it gets, neither are they as bad as it got.

Though primarily addressed to the situations in the Senate, Kennedy gives a good overview of what the legislative process has been like over the years.  There has been vote trading almost from the beginning, such vile epithets expressed by foes as to be unusable on network TV, and even resorting to physical violence during legislative sessions.

If you think office holders holding allegiance to big business is news, Kennedy relates that the great Senator and orator Daniel Webster “could see nothing improper in writing to the president of the Bank of the United States – at the very time when the Senate was engaged in debate over a renewal of the Bank’s charter – noting that ‘my retainer has not been received or refreshed as usual.’”

The much less theatrical actions of our elected representatives these past two years have not inspired much confidence, either.  When either Party turns on or devours even its own proposals merely to destroy a sitting President or Governor, such turns must be taken as non-American and to some degree lacking in moral turpitude.



In attempting to define what he means by “Courage”, Kennedy writes:

“The true democracy, living and growing and inspiring, puts its faith in the people – faith that the people will not simply elect men who will represent their views ably and faithfully, but also elect men who will exercise their conscientious judgment – faith that the people will not condemn those who devotion to principle leads them to unpopular courses, but will reward courage, respect honor and ultimately recognize right.”  Pg. 253f



As we approach yet another election, we must admit that a number of those whom we’ve sent to Congress or the State House or Clay County Court House have been fabricators, weak-hearted, or downright scallywags. 

Which begs the question each candidate need answer:  With all that has gone before, why should we put our faith in you?

THE WITNESS

The Witness



Here lately been hearing a lot about witnesses subpoenaed to tell what they know under penalty of perjury.  Unfortunately, honorable and heroic people so subpoenaed find themselves besieged.  They are besieged by those committed to covering-up facts and to the placement of those facts into the whole picture. And, they are besieged by those hating anything seen as opposition to their personal “truth”.  Hating, it must be noted, which puts each witness and their family in danger of death.  Presumably, if available, any exculpatory witnesses should fear no such besiegement.



All I know about it is all I know about it:

At the end of some now otherwise forgotten day I drove home by way of Tower Grove Park in St. Louis and stopped fourth in line waiting for the traffic light to change.  My view of what lay in front was clear and un-obstructed.

The light turned green.  Reading to move forward, I noticed the driver first in line did it right -- a slight pause to be sure cross-traffic cleared.  Then she pulled forward.  From her left came a car at a speed excessive for the situation.  One can only assume this vehicle was trying to get through on yellow, but that’s an presumption.  As my daddy said, “there is ALWAYS somebody on your blind side trying to get through on the yellow”.

The vehicle from the left slammed into the woman having right of way.  A cop said her death was probably instantaneous.

It was too cold to stand around; I was late getting home (cell phones undreamt of).  Considering it my duty to do so, I flagged down a policeman, told him what I’d seen, and gave contact information.  I was never called.

Asked today of the month, day, even year of the event, I could not say.  Asked today of the make or color of the cars involved, I would not recall. 

Might it make my testimony false, however, if told today others saw the event differently, from other perspectives, reached other conclusions, or some present saw nothing?  A witness can only testify to what they see and hear, and the impressions made.  Witnesses are not “lying” if merely wrong or have forgotten details, but only if other facts prove they actually knew else wise.

As always, memory is an unmapped minefield, and often the minutia fails.  Humans easily recall only that which seemed important at the time, another witness may have other priority.  However, in most human experiences witnessing a life-affecting event is not a memory which easily fails the witness. 

DIALING 666 - JARED KUSHNER

Dialing 666-Jared for dollars



In 2007 the Kushner family real estate investment firm purchased an office building at 666 Fifth Avenue in New York, often referred to as the “666 Building”. Rounded-off, the widely reported debt was a $500-million “balloon” note [i.e. due on a date certain].  Fortunately the family was able to purchase it at the height of the real estate boom in New York.  Unfortunately it proved to be a less than golden goose, and became something of a financial burden on the Kushner family.  In 2016 Jared Kushner, then ostensibly head of the family, was making on-going efforts to re-loan or un-load the “investment”.

In January 2017 first son-in-law Jared Kushner was appointed consigliore of the newly installed first family.  He “sold” his interest in the Kushner Investment firm to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.  But, he still had the 666 problem to resolve.  In his defense, though, he could now pursue a solution on the U.S. dime.

In spite of his extensive more-or-less official duties in the White House, Jared was “allegedly” able to find time to seek buyers, lenders, or investors for the 666 problem.  It is public knowledge that in his pursuit of a solution he visited Canada, his good friends in Saudi Arabia, and Qatar (a small, oil rich nation which is home to the largest American military base in the Middle-East).

A short time after Jared’s last visit to the Qatar it was unexpectedly announced by trump that the U.S. would be participating in a blockade of Qatar, which is apparently populated by some very bad people.

By pure coincidence certain Qatar businessmen (unrelated to their government, of course) found they were in desperate need of very long-term office space in New York.  So desperate, in fact, they signed a 99-year lease for space in 666 – a quite rare lease for NY.  Knowing none of them would be around that long, they pre-paid the entire lease (referred to in commercial NY real estate jargon as an “unprecedented” occurrence).  [For any not keeping score, this meant the Kushner family got all the money up-front but only had to declare 1/99 of it each year as income.]  The 666 problem being solved, the building was “sold”.  And all is well.

Some more interested researcher might follow-up on this, but it seems a bit unclear whatever happened to that U.S. blockade.

No Nepotism was committed in the writing of this narrative.  Any information contained herein -- whether in public domain or officially recorded with any County Clerk -- should not be used against any potential political foe; nor should any such information be disclosed by any “pro-MAGA” media.

NIXON v NIXON

Nixon v Nixon


The other day we watched an HBO one-hour special about Richard Nixon.  It was based on excerpts from the voice-activated audio recording system Nixon had installed in the White House, and included archived video and story-advancing captions.

For those who lived through those days the documentary reminded us of President Nixon’s brilliance, beguiling exterior, and appeal to “the man on the street”. 

For those who were doing other things those days it reminded of much later realizations of a publicly unseen vile, vulgar, and vicious Richard Nixon.
Nixon should have been remembered for historical accomplishments, world changing decisions, and legislature leadership.  He is remembered for a thing called Watergate.  His problem was that President Richard Nixon brought Richard Nixon with him to the White House.

In run-up to 1972 election, which he would win by what actually was one of the largest margins in history, his downfall began with a crime that netted nothing.  An unknown night watchman saw evidence of what he thought might be a crime and called the cops.  This happened at the “Watergate”, one of those hotel/office buildings in D.C.  What followed will ever be known as the Watergate Scandal; and, though many found involved, is forever identified with one man.

Nixon responded as all would-be Autocrats respond:
     Stack the courts with the “right type” men (sorry, it was still about WASP men back then)
     Demean and denigrate the press -- particularly the lying NY Times and Washington Post
     Label it all a “witch hunt” and blame the Democrats for his problems

When all the facts were forced out, and all the evidence seen, a “cancer on the Presidency” was revealed:  A mass accumulation of crimes committed because the leader had established a climate of “anything to protect the President”.  All together the scandal resulted in the indictment of 69 people, with trials or pleas resulting in 48 being found guilty, many of whom were top Nixon officials.  Papers not unsealed until 40 years later indicate we may never know all the sins exposed by an unknown watchman who simply did his duty.

There came a point in the Watergate Scandal when duly elected Senators had to put honor, duty, and country above polls, politics, and Party.  It is certainly possible people of honor may still serve in Congress today, but that was not a subject of this documentary.

President Richard Nixon was the first -- and so far only -- President to resign the office.  But the American Presidency survived.  Survived because of things Richard Nixon did not do:
      Nixon did not force his Party to defend his un-defendable actions
      Nixon did not abandon faithful allies or armies in the field of battle
      Nixon did not make worthless the Word of the United States of America

Richard Nixon could have been remembered as a great President, but he brought Richard Nixon with him to the White House.
      So there he was.
      And here we are.

“He who has ears to hear let him hear”