EXPAND ARTICLES to SHOW a PATTERN

Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and congressional Democrats made a risky decision to build only two articles of impeachment based on one cumulative event.  I cautioned about this before in my recent post titled “Presidents Are Not Kings”, saying:

“While it is believable that simple and clearly defined charges related to one instance of ‘high crime’ will be more understandable to the average voter, the Democrats missed the point that such simplicity under constant attack by emotional rantings and confusing conspiracy theories might leave the average voter with a SO WHAT?  (see next-to-last post by that title) attitude that could carry the day in November of 2020.  

“What is missing are charges that demonstrate the breadth and depth of the criminality of this excuse for a president.  For instance, why is the separation of children from their families at our southern border, and subsequent mistreatment of them, not part of ‘abuse of power?’  It is a charge that voters would quickly understand as they already have in their past negative reactions forcing the administration to take some corrective action.  The actions of the president and his administrators (constitute) child abuse by responsible caretakers (see my posts of 10/10/2017, 6/19/2018 and 7/6/2019) .  It was a clear abuse of power and a clear instance of a charge that disturbed people greatly. The Ukraine incident does not show a PATTERN of actions that exemplifies the depth of this president’s corruption.”  

Another factor about the electorate that the Democrats seem to have missed is that a sizable number of American voters often allow a candidate a bit of slack if they think that the “offense” is a one-time occurrence.  And, that is why I stated in my posting of 11/3/2019 titled “The Gravity of Depravity” that:

“It is of major importance for impeachment charges to be brought that show a PATTERN of offenses that also speaks to intent.  That is what the Mueller Report tried to do in relation to obstruction of justice, but it was blunted by the way in which that report was presented to the viewing public. 

“Thus, we are left with two articles of impeachment which will not sway many minds toward ouster of this imperial president.  As he has done all his business life, Trump will once again escape accountability for his actions by using strategies such as the Big Lie, perverse propaganda, politicizing the courts, and capturing the fawning loyalty of believers in his decadent agenda and his scurrilous ambitions.”

“What I propose is that several charges of impeachment be brought indicating the pattern of criminality that this man has wrought.  Show the depth of his depravity, and the gravity of his lawlessness.  Help the public understand that this is someone who poses a threat to our national security and to our very uniqueness as a representative democracy. 

“He has committed high crimes and misdemeanors of all sorts and they should not be minimized.  Together they paint the picture of a criminal mind and despotic character who is intent on destroying democratic values in order to promote the unlimited authority of a rogue president.”

 Here is just a sample of what might be included (sources for some of these elements, include the Washington Post and NBC News).

In opposition to the untruth sponsored by Republicans, it is important to emphasize here that impeachment does not require breaking of a law.  “High Crimes and Misdemeanors” does not refer to the breaking of laws but to behavior/acts that rise to the level of abuse of the presidential oath and the responsibility of the President “to see that the laws are faithfully executed.”

1)     Violations of the Emoluments Clause (Article I, Sec. 9; Article II, Sec. 1)

2)     Conflicts of interest

The director of the US Office of Government Ethics tried to get Trump to divest from his business interests to avoid such conflicts, but Trump refused. Director Walter Shaub, Jr. saw so many Trump ethics violations and conflicts of interest that he ultimately resigned in protest. 

NPR.org mentions that “Ethics experts have criticized his frequent taxpayer-funded trips to his own hotels and golf courses, which give the properties free publicity. Watchdog groups have filed lawsuits alleging violations of anti-corruption provisions in the U.S. Constitution. Questions continue to be raised about the influence of Trump's financial interests overseas on his foreign policy decisions.

3)     Obstruction of Justice

·         The Mueller Report citations ranged “from efforts to remove the Special Counsel and to reverse the effect of the Attorney General’s recusal; to the attempted use of official power to limit the scope of the investigation; to direct and indirect contacts with witnesses with the potential to influence their testimony.” (npr.org)

4)     Abuse of Power

·    abuse of children (a felony) at the southern border; denial of adequate budgetary and other protections for children’s health and well-being

·      abuse of immigrants

·      discrimination against a religious group (Islam)

·      delay and denial of amnesty (a universal agreed-upon human right)

·      attempt to deport those here for special medical treatment thus threatening their lives

·      separation of families by deportation orders

·      abuse of women, union workers, LBGTQ community, and anyone who criticizes or opposes him, including the media

·      appointment of family members to WH positions and usurpation of security clearance and classification

·      Impoundment or movement of funds in violation of congressional appropriation for specific uses

5)     Violations of Campaign Finance Laws

During the 2016 campaign, Trump had his lawyer make illegal hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up their sexual relationship, then Trump and his lawyer lied about it. This is a blatant violation of campaign finance laws. And, there are other violations for which some administration appointees have been disciplined or punished.

6)     Financial Activities that may Include laundering, bribery, non-payment of taxes, acting as an agent for other governments.  We do not have a lot of detail about this aspect, but we do know that the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York continues to investigate charges, such as “falsification of financial worth and tax amounts owed.”

Believing two articles of impeachment built around one cumulative event would keep people informed and interested is like thinking that the Mueller report made public before a congressional committee would excite the people. (On what data did they base that belief?) Given the percentages of voter turnout for most general elections, it appears that a large plurality of citizens are not excited about being informed and interested.   Adding unimaginative presentation to the mix certainly did not enhance the prospect of excitement being generated.

What it did do was to offer a way for Republicans to blunt both the Mueller Report and the impeachment process, as well as the impeachment charges.  Since the Republicans essentially spelled-out for the Democrats how they would create confusion and chaos about the process and the “flimsy” charges in a letter to Speaker Pelosi from White House lawyer Pat Cipolone dated  October 8, 2019, it seems foolhardy for the Democrats to have  continued with the one event/two articles strategy.  But they did; and now face a Senate trial that has little to no chance of presenting the depth of the impeachable behavior of this excuse for a President, no matter how many new pieces of email become available.

Thus, not only will the House Democrats lose the trial in the Senate, they will have failed to enumerate and inculcate the broad array of charges that could have educated the public while also serving to indict on the broad-based offenses of this so-called president.  Trump will simply propagandize his “not-guilty” (or “non-ouster”) result as complete exoneration along with a charge of defeat for ‘do-nothing Democrats'.  Placed in tandem with his supposed record-breaking economic indicators – plus rigging of the election process in 2020 (already begun) -- Trump may very well eke out another four-year term.

What we needed all along was the establishment of a pattern of high crimes and misdemeanors (some listed  above) under a list of charges (including financial misconduct) that would have unquestionably shown a pattern that existed from the beginning of this presidency, and which also preceded it.  More importantly, such a strategy would have cemented the concept that further tolerance of this pattern constituted more than a measurable threat to this nation and its Constitution.  Establishing that concept using this one instance connected with Ukraine is not viable.  It simply will not fly and has already given Republican sycophants the ammunition they require to make Democrats look even more like the over-turners of the 2016 elections they have been accused of being.

So, what are we left with after the Senate trial is over?  Some possibilities for consideration:

• continue using oversight to investigate presidential abuse of power
•    using the power of censure that does not require Senate approval, have the House censure Donald Trump for the wrongs he has committed
• supporting further investigation of Trump’s wrongdoing, especially the efforts of the New York southern district in their examination of financial matters
• start working vigorously on the 2020 election, preparing to register new voters, galvanizing the support of young people both in and out of college, going after voters who are usually ignored or forgotten, like: those who are homeless, those who live in poverty, those who rarely vote, new citizens, and those who live in rural areas. 
• get national and State workers from the DNC and the DCCC (and non-profit organizations) into support roles on-the-ground in critical electoral districts;
• of crucial importance to the outcome of this 2020 election are voters within minority groups: African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, etc. Each of these communities contains natural and elected leadership which must be supported in their efforts.  National and State Democratic organizations must see to it that such support is given, and that, importantly, ongoing future support of the members of these communities is clear, precise, and spelled-out in actions to be taken.  

In other words, it is advisable for national and state Party leaders to meet with leaders (and others) from minority communities to solicit their input on what is needed in terms of resources and training, how people see their roles in this election and in the future, and what is needed to address community needs on an on-going basis.

We will not win removal of Donald Trump from office in the Senate trial as things stand right now.  Thus, our attention must turn to winning back the majority in that body.  It is not enough just to beat Trump – we must defeat the men and women who have supported him no matter what he has done.  We must look at certain Senate seats (and maybe all of them) as national elections, not just state elections.  As we have seen, a Republican-controlled Senate has blocked national legislation and taken other actions that threaten our defense and our freedom -- like hijacking middle-class tax payments as subsidies for the rich or approving judicial appointments of Trump loyalists (some of whom were deemed unacceptable by the ABA).

If the Senate stays in Republican hands, national health care, a national emergency approach to climate change, comprehensive immigration and naturalization reform, attention to crumbling infrastructure, attention to the legitimate social welfare needs of millions, plus our defense and safety as to guns, food, water, air, regional conflicts, (and much more) will be devastated.

Our national life and our individual lives are at stake if the Senate remains in the do-nothing, hypocritical, conspiratorial hands of Republicans.  Democrats and Independents must unite and individually send monetary, technical and logistical support (if possible) to Democrats and Independents in places like Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina.  It is critical that we restore the integrity of the Senate, and we can’t unless we treat every open Senate seat as a national as much as a state contest.

This is not a normal election in 2020; it is a crucial election to determine Who We Are?  What We Are Meant to Do Now and Where We Want to Go In the Future?  Those fundamental questions were addressed by our Founders in our Constitution and we were given a legacy that will endure only if we maintain a strong central government, apply proper reforms and maintain an ever-broadening perspective of equality and justice. 

Our duty is to defend that Constitution, and to uphold our democratic and humanitarian values; not to defend corrupt or malignant officeholders.  We approach an election where the answers to those fundamental questions have been squelched by lies and false narratives known as conspiracy theories.  Proposed answers are skewed along authoritarian lines that ask us to follow with blind obedience and loyalty what the leader (Fuhrer) says and does. 

   

If you’re anything like me, you never expected to have to deal with such propaganda and with the overt destruction of our constitution and our government, so reminiscent of the scourge of European fascism in the 1930s and ‘40s.  

Our cherished Constitutional Republic and representative democracy is under siege and being threatened.  Impeachment is not the end of resistance.  We must continue to engage by making this 2020 election speak louder than ‘normal’ and in the clearest terms:  

DONALD TRUMP MUST GO

along with HIS PUPPETS in CONGRESS!

THE GIFT of MENTORING

A mentor is a wise, loyal adviser like a teacher, tutor or coach.  In Greek Myth, Mentor is the loyal friend and adviser of Odysseus and teacher of his son, Telemachus.  Mentoring usually involves a relationship that may well require some form of personal advocacy on behalf of the one being mentored.  An advocate is one who pleads another’s cause, who speaks and writes in support of something or someone.  There is even a National Mentoring Partnership which serves as an advocate and resource for mentoring in these United States, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. 

“There are two broad types of mentoring relationships: formal and informal.  Formal mentoring relationships are set up by an administrative unit or office in a company or organization, which solicits and recruits qualified individuals…provides training, and then helps to match each mentor with a person in need of mentoring. Informal mentoring occurs without the use of structured services. Informal mentoring arrangements can develop naturally...(and) develop on their own.  In addition to these broad types, there are also peer, situational and supervisory mentoring relationships… (that) tend to fall under the categories of formal and informal relationships.” (Wikipedia)

Mentoring has a long and quite distinguished history in our nation, as it has found various ways in which to be both helpful and useful, especially in addressing certain special needs as well as more common needs.  Here are a few examples:

A.     In our country, being a teacher is looked upon as more than books and lectures. “Mentoring in education involves a relationship between two people where the mentor plays a supportive and advisory role for the student, the mentee. This relationship promotes ‘the development and growth of the latter's skills and knowledge through the former's experience.’ Teacher mentoring has also involved relating to students in ways that promote student confidence, curiosity, creativeness, and human charity toward others.”  Here is what one teacher has said about mentoring and advocacy: 

     

     “When I think of my “get out of bed” issues, I think about my core identity as a teacher.   Teaching is not just what I do; it’s who I am. I am a teacher because I believe in social justice. I am a teacher because I believe in relationships.  I am a teacher because I believe in voice.  I am a teacher because I believe in community. 

      “It is in these core beliefs that my practice of passion lives. For me, my passion is ensuring that students from low-income backgrounds achieve at high levels in a joyful and creative community.  My teacher advocacy practice can be heard in the conversations I have with colleagues at our data meetings about how we can better support our most struggling students through better instruction.  It is practiced in a meeting I had with a principal about how the band schedule design meant that my students missed 70 minutes of math a month.  It lives in my unwavering belief that, given the appropriate support, my students can and will (and have!) achieve at exceptionally high levels–even when they’re hungry, even when they’re tired, even when they’re stressed—and that their achievement can happen through engaging, authentic experiences.  

      “Teacher advocacy is the practice of what makes us come alive.  It’s not ‘one more thing’ that we have to do; it’s who we are and why we do what we do… what the world needs is people who have come alive.  What education needs is educators who have come alive in their practice.  What our students need is teachers who will advocate for the issues that make them come alive.  This is no small task. it’s important work.  It’s worthy work.  It’s the work that keeps us alive.” 

B.     Although they differ in some respects, we have for a long time, praised the role of coaches as advocates and mentors.  We have many examples of the character-building that has been attributable to coaches over the years.  There are many stories of this from schools, colleges, universities, and even from professional athletes. I have chosen a famous coach to exemplify some of the important characteristics of mentoring in coaching (with the help of an article on forbes.com by Karl Moore and Devin Bigoness, Contributors).  

      “Leaders are measured not just on what they achieve personally but also on what the people they mentored go on to do as leaders in their own right. Sports provides many examples, one of the best is Duke’s head Coach Mike Krzyzewski.   Below are a few tips and techniques that can potentially help direct mentees grow and improve: 

1. Give your direct mentees small wins to prepare for the future  

     “Chris Collins, one of Coach K’s assistant coaches and former players, has taken on some roles…that will help him if/when he becomes a head coach. For example, at half time of a basketball game, the head coach is normally interviewed by the media about potential adjustments for the second half. However, in Duke’s case, Collins is the coach that usually takes the interview rather than Coach K. This allows Collins some additional camera time but more importantly it is preparing him for the media attention that comes from being a head coach. Other examples include letting an assistant coach handle the head coaching responsibilities. These instances of delegation by Coach K… allow assistant coaches to achieve small wins in their current role that can be strong lessons to learn for when they have their own program.” 

2. Have the Mentor Discussions 

     “Coach K has spent significant time individually with these (assistant) coaches to act as a mentor to develop them as they grow in the profession. These development conversations…allow Coach K to truly understand and establish relationships with his assistant coaches…(they) are something that he is known for. Through these deep relationships, he can mentor these individuals in their current roles but also as they grow in the profession. 

      Former Assistant Coach Tommy Amaker said ‘…Coach K always made sure all of us knew where we stood in our progress and I always respected his honesty and his care.’ These mentoring sessions should also be part of an ongoing, regular conversation throughout the year, rather than just taking place around formal review or development planning sessions.” 

3. Stay connected with your team over time 

     “Many former Duke…players have been quoted saying that they do not make a major life decision without reaching out to Coach K…for advice. The mentoring relationship does not end when one person moves on to a different job. Rather, these strong relationships can go on for a lifetime. Tommy Amaker was just one example of a player who has stayed closely connected with his ‘Coach’ from his days as a player to an assistant coach to running his own program. Relationships are one of the main ways we grow, stay connected and make progress in both our personal and professional lives.”  

C.     Rejuvenation is a good word to describe the concept of apprenticeship.  The concept and practice of ‘learning a trade’ or profession through apprenticeship was a staple of the way in which the knowledge, skills and even ‘secrets’ of a trade or profession were passed from one generation to another during earlier centuries.  A bit of historical perspective may be useful at this point: 

“The system of apprenticeship first developed in the later Middle Ages and came to be supervised by craft guilds and town governments. A master craftsman was entitled to employ young people as an inexpensive form of labor in exchange for providing food, lodging and formal training in the craft. Most apprentices were males, but female apprentices were found in crafts such as seamstress, tailor, cordwainer, baker and stationer. Apprentices usually began at ten to fifteen years of age and would live in the master craftsman's household. Most apprentices aspired to becoming master craftsmen themselves on completion of their contract (usually a term of seven years), but some would spend time as a journeyman and a significant proportion would never acquire their own workshop” or become a Master craftsman. (Wikipedia article)

This well describes the apprenticeship practice of a certain span of time in England (and much of Europe).  I can personally attest to the importance of this system in England during the 18^th and 19^th centuries, as my own paternal ancestors were involved in the system as apprentices, journeymen or Masters in various fields of endeavor: farming, shop-keeping, lock-making, gun-making,  teaching/tutoring, home decorating, real estate and printing, to name a few.  With the general lack of access to private (or public) school education – which didn’t often provide vocational training anyway – apprenticeship was the only way for many members of the middle and lower classes to move into some sort of trade or profession. 

And now, we see something of a reversal of that system.  In the past, it was the main way to become a craftsman or professional.  In more modern times, vocational schools became the preferred method of training for trades, using colleges and universities for most other professions. But a distinct movement has occurred, starting in the 20th century and following into the 21^st, of a need to train people in skills most needed in a particular vocation or area, with the bonus of learning while working and being paid a wage.  Examples include auto mechanics/sales, particular areas of data technology/programming, and in older established areas like plumbing, carpentry, electricity – all requiring up-to-date techno skills.  Apprenticing now even has a federal office in the Labor Department and various state agencies promoting (and even regulating) the apprenticeship system. 

Mentoring and advocacy are built into many of these apprentice relationships, but the quality of relationships can vary depending on the teacher or master, or on the company involved in on-the-job-training.  What we do know is modern-day apprenticeship is growing.  Here’s a fact you may not know:

 “The number of American apprentices has increased from 375,000 in 2014 to 500,000 in 2016, while the federal government intends to see 750,000 by 2019, particularly by expanding the apprenticeship model to include white-collar occupations such as information technology” (Wikipedia)

 D. Mentoring is enshrined in many non-profit organizations that train and assign mentors to meet special needs (mostly of children).  Excellent examples include: Big Brothers Big Sisters, Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose goal is “to help all children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with volunteer mentors.” 
I have mentioned in another Blog posting (“Garrett’s Passport” – 7/19/2015) -- that my own brother is Garrett’s Big Brother.  For around 13 years, my brother has complemented and supplemented Garrett’s single, hard-working mother’s efforts to:  make sure homework is correctly done, to explore new interests (music, sports, self-defense program, socialization techniques, a myriad of new experiences (driving a speedboat, and planning a trip to Germany, for examples), trying new behaviors, etc.  It requires a large investment to raise or to mentor a child to be all that he or she can be; to steer them in the right paths and ultimately to have them contribute something meaningful to life and to humanity. 

 I was privileged to join my brother for Garrett’s high school graduation and was thoroughly impressed with this fine young man who was looking forward to college and more new experiences.  Let me provide a quote from one of his German language teachers in relation to his application for a German exchange program and as back-up to my own assessment:

“I am Garrett’s German teacher and one of the two teachers who helped Garrett enroll in the German American Partnership Program (GAAP) exchange program.  When my German teacher colleague talked about a candidate who might earn a scholarship to go on the almost 4-week trip Garrett’s name was the first and only student discussed.  He is a stellar example of a student who deserves this award. You will never find a more likeable, kind, considerate, polite, helpful student.  Garrett stands out!  He had his doubts about German when I had him in 7th and 8th grade.   I now have Garrett in my honors Level 3 German class.  Let me repeat:  HONORS LEVEL 3!   This is a huge leap!  Garrett was a wonderful student and as committed to success as they come. He is a serious student and an ambassador for our country (emphasis mine).” 

One of the learnings from this brief exploration of four examples of mentoring above is that mentoring can occur in varied settings involving different kinds of relationships.  It is not necessarily formal in its manner or mode and may not always be recognized for what it is, such as in family relationships.  But, most importantly:  mentoring is at the heart of our human nature and our human need.  It stands out as a common ground on which most of us might tread if we recognized the need and applied ourselves to the tasks involved.

 And what is the need?  The need for the gift of mentoring is world-wide and ocean-deep.  It is difficult to name an area of life in which mentoring or advocacy or coaching or some form of personal support is not needed in some measure. 

 During the past decade, mentoring has proliferated as an intervention strategy for addressing the needs that young people have for adult support and guidance throughout their development. Currently, more than 5,000 mentoring programs serve an estimated three million youths in the United States. Funding and growth imperatives continue to fuel the expansion of programs as well as the diversification of mentoring approaches and applications.

 “It appears that mentoring is… able to affect multiple domains of youth functioning simultaneously and to improve selected outcomes of policy interest (e.g., academic achievement test scores). From a developmental standpoint, benefits of participation in mentoring programs are apparent from early childhood to adolescence and thus not confined to a particular stage of development. Similarly, although programs typically have utilized adult volunteers and focused on cultivating one-to-one relationships, those that have engaged older peers as mentors or used group formats show comparable levels of effectiveness. Collectively, these findings point toward the flexibility and broad applicability of mentoring as an approach for supporting positive youth development.”
https://www.mentspot.com/?entry=mentor&src=ba3_so_best&ck=mentoring

 Some interesting data for your consideration come from an in-depth article on mentoring at the following link.  I highly recommend exploration of that essay in its entirety.  https://www.legacyproject.org/guides/mentors.html

·      Research shows children need 4-6 involved, caring adults in their life to fully develop emotionally and socially. One of the challenges today is that children receive too much peer socialization and not enough contact with mature adults.

·      Anthropologists William Kornblum and Terry Williams followed 900 children in urban and rural poverty across the US, concluding that "the most significant factor" determining whether teenagers would end up on the corner or in a stable job was "the presence or absence of adult mentors."

·      Children need adults in their lives. And older adults need children, too. Recent findings from the MacArthur Foundation study on successful aging have indicated the two conditions most closely tied to prolonged physical and mental well-being in later life are productive engagement and strong social networks. When older adults volunteer in schools and youth programs, they achieve both these goals.

·      The most-requested form of help from older volunteers is tutoring on a one-on-one basis, often in the area of reading skills. Older adult mentors can also serve as surrogate grandparents for children.

·      Above all, mentors can provide nurturing and support, someone to talk to and who will listen. Mentees have repeatedly reported that their favorite "activity" with their mentor is just being able to talk with a caring adult who can offer them advice and help them with problems.

·      the most effective mentors tend to be those that focus on the mentee as a person and on building a relationship.

 We are telling only part of the story if we do not at least mention adult need for mentoring.  In so many ways, often related to skill development at work, at recreation, in meeting the challenges of socialization and obligations, or in areas left undeveloped or because of errors made in younger years, adults find that they need someone to help them achieve beyond their current level.  To get somewhere in life, business, study, relationships or anything else, it's important to have guidance from a mentor.

Mentoring is a gift – one that brings goodness and enhancement to both mentor and mentee. For those afraid to jump into that role full-blown, a much-needed start would entail the giving of positive feedback to others.  Try it – simply compliment people for who they are or what they do.  You will see a certain glow appear.  People rarely expect to receive the gift of recognition from others for being themselves or for just doing their jobs.  So, why not take time to express gratitude, appreciation, approval, or encouragement to others when they least expect it? Try it – you’ll like it! (and our culture desperately needs it!).

  Much more might be said, but perhaps the best conclusion is found on that link above.

“For mentoring programs to work and to make a difference over the long term, we need to develop a mentoring culture. Mentoring is a desire to inspire hope, to share success, to enrich your own life and the lives of those around you. It involves having a sense of responsibility for others and the world we are creating and passing that on to the generations that follow us. A mentoring culture is a culture of mutual support – which is really the definition of community.”

The best gift is the gift of oneself for others!

Have a Christmas filled with the Joy of giving

and a New Year filled with the rewards of mutual support!

PRESIDENTS ARE NOT KINGS

Today, I am concerned with abuse of Power, specifically with the power of the presidency. We cannot avoid this matter because it lies at the heart of the questions and concerns with which we are currently struggling.  There are perhaps three main points that should occupy our minds as we move closer to impeachment charges, and to the 2020 elections. They are found in the 159-page decision recently released by federal judge, Ketanji Brown Jackson, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who said former White House counsel Don McGahn must appear before Congress. Judge Jackson made the following very clear points about the power of the presidency:

Presidents Are Not Kings 

The Founding Fathers who gathered in Philadelphia in Summer 1787, to decide how a new government might look, were people who had a difficult experience with a young king, George III, who upon the death of his father, ascended to the throne at age 22 in 1760.  In addition to the crown, he inherited an ongoing world war, religious strife and changing social issues.  

With the British Empire deeply in debt at the end of the Seven Years' War, George Grenville, Prime Minister (and the King’s advisor), looked to the American colonies as a source of revenue. He reasoned that since the colonies had benefited from the outcome of the war and British troops were needed in North America to protect them, they should pay for it.

King George agreed with his reasoning and supported the Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765.  

In the colonies, the Stamp Act was met with outrage, contempt and, for some tax collectors, violence. Claims of “no taxation without representation!” rang out in Boston, Massachusetts, and in other colonies. King George and Parliament were well on their way to being regarded as heads of a despotic government as far as the colonists were concerned.

Though the Stamp Act was repealed, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act in 1766, stating the colonies were subordinate to Parliament and subject to British Law. Parliament then proceeded to pass more tax laws.   

The strife between the Colonies and the Crown deepened, leading to the Declaration of Independence in 1776 that spelled-out “a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.”  

That stated list of ‘usurpations’ reads like similar objections to despotism and authoritarianism that have come to the fore in many despotic countries and colonial lands. Some of those objections that relate directly to the establishment of ‘tyranny’ may look all too familiar to many of us.   

v  “Has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good” (see my post of 10/2/2019 for some ‘necessary’ laws being buried in the Senate right now because Leader Mitch McConnell will not bring them to a vote without having presidential approval!)

v  “He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states…obstructing the laws of Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing…to encourage their migration hither” (Islamic countries, African “s…h… countries” and countries of Central and South America know all-too-well the Trump manipulation of immigration, asylum and naturalization)

v  “He has made Judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices” (Not on original preferred lists, Bret Cavanaugh was chosen by Trump for SCOTUS because he would do his bidding; now Trump is populating lower courts with nominees for judgeships who have little legal experience but have absolute loyalty to their President)

v  “He has obstructed the Administration of Justice” (Obstruction of justice, especially regarding his own administration, constitutes one of Trump’s major abuses of presidential power)

v  “He has erected a multitude of new Offices” (Trump has turned Office missions upside-down)

v  For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world (scuttled trade deals dot this administration’s list of actions; plus, tariffs have widened trade conflicts)

v  For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments’ (Trump has abandoned world-wide agreements such as the Paris Accords on Climate Change; struck down regulations of all kinds that affect manufacturing and financial businesses; and is currently altering public education to be privately run, along with prisons)

v   For suspending our own legislature (Trump has shut-down the government over trumped-up ‘national emergencies’, and continues to threaten such action when Congress does not give him what he wants)

v  “He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us” (Trump incites his rabid followers to violence by his rhetoric; Charlottesville was indicative; Walmart shooter in Texas left a message indicating just such a connection)

v  “He has refused for a long time after dissolution…to cause others to be elected (appointed?) (Trump loves to leave positions vacant or to fill them with temporary appointees in order to reduce central government control while enhancing his own control)

v  “For protecting them (armed officers)… from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these States” (Trump does nothing about killings of presumed innocent children and adults by rogue cops; recently, he also protected a Navy Seal from prosecution by a military court)

"Stated simply, the primary takeaway from the past 250 years of recorded American history is that presidents are not kings," Jackson said in her ruling. "This means that they do not have subjects, bound by loyalty or blood, whose destiny they are entitled to control."

That conclusion from her pen leads us directly to another point that is equally straightforward and substantial. 

No One is Above the Law – Absolute Immunity is a Myth

The White House has asserted that senior advisers who work with the president have absolute immunity from subpoenas issued by the House of Representatives. In short, they can ignore subpoenas that relate to the adviser’s official duties.

That same doctrine was raised to another level in the House lawsuit against former White House Counsel Don McGahn.  The case argued in federal court last month, had the Justice Department contending that courts have no power to act in a dispute between Congress and the president. In other words, the House can never invoke the power of the courts against the executive branch because of absolute immunity. (NEWSDAY)

“In a sweepingly worded decision, federal Judge Jackson…ruled Monday that there was no legal or constitutional basis for the Trump administration’s claim that top White House aides have “absolute immunity” from being compelled to testify before Congress.as she denied the absolute immunity of White House aides.  Here is what she said:

““It is clear to this Court for the reasons explained above that, with respect to senior-level presidential aides, absolute immunity from compelled congressional process simply does not exist,”

““That is to say, however busy or essential a presidential aide might be, and whatever their proximity to sensitive domestic and national-security projects, the President does not have the power to excuse him or her” from complying with a valid congressional subpoena. (quoted in Yahoo News)

This decision has far greater repercussions than its relationship to this one case.  In conjunction with the bold statement that “Presidents are not Kings,” it flies in the face of all the absolutes that Donald Trump has trumpeted.  He claims absolute rights and privileges on a regular basis, and here are just a few of his many claims (some according to DailyKos.com): 

·       refusal to provide his tax returns to the American people, as every other modern POTUS since Richard M. Nixon has done

·       to appoint anyone he wants to the Executive Branch and the Judiciary

·       to classify and un-classify documents as he sees fit

·       to grant pardons (presumably even to himself)

·       to grant high security clearance to relatives and others

·       claims he has the constitutional authority to absolutely refuse to provide any information to any entity seeking oversight of the Executive Branch including but not limited to the federal courts; the US Congress or anyone else authorized by the US Constitution under the Rule of Law to effectuate oversight of his presidency.

·       that he cannot even be investigated by any entity while he serves as POTUS let alone be indicted and/or prosecuted for such crimes. White House Lawyers have literally argued this position in Federal Courts to prevent congressional oversight (based upon the somewhat nebulous assertion in a document from the Office of Legal Counsel [OLC] within the US Justice Department; a memo, that asserts a “sitting POTUS cannot be indicted for crimes while actively serving as POTUS.”  Of course, it must be pointed out, that the OLC “memo” is merely an opinion expressed by legal entities within the OLC). 

Conclusion drawn by DailyKos:

“According to the concept of the “Rule of Law”, everyone in our Constitutional Republic, including the President of the United States, is subject to the law and due process of law. In our Constitutional Republic no one is above the law, most particularly the President of the United States.

Such an assertion by President Trump that he is effectively “above the law” and therefore an Imperial President, is absurd on its face.

Claims of “absolute executive privilege” and “absolute executive immunity” can be found nowhere in the US Constitution.  Such assertions simply do not exist.  It exists only in the deranged and delusional imagination of President Trump and the sycophantic people who submit to his imperial will.

If President Trump is deemed to be “above the law”, we are now living in a dictatorship wherein we must submit to his “imperial presidency”.

Such an imperial presidency is in keeping with totalitarian, fascist states such as China; Russia; Syria; Iran or Saudi Arabia and other third world dictatorships.

No such claim of “absolute power” has ever been asserted before in the history of the United States of America.

No other President has ever asserted such a claim of absolute immunity; privilege or power.”

Abuse of Power has Many Facets

My own conclusion based on the above is that the narrow articles of impeachment that the House Judiciary Committee will recommend to the full House of Representatives are appropriate, but inadequate.  The Republicans on that Committee, and their sycophantic partners in the Senate will have little problem conveying the message that the charges:

1.    are puny and have no fact witnesses

2.    do not rise to the standard of high crimes and misdemeanors

3.    are based on political motives (of losing an election) and not on constitutional concerns and therefore should be settled by the next election

4.    have been concocted by prejudiced investigative bodies and restrictive committee rules that abrogated due process

5.    are more related to disagreement with policies than are charges of high crimes

The Democrats have chosen to pursue a simple set of charges based on one incident involving the solicitation of a foreign government’s interference in our 2020 presidential election that will not convince the necessary number of Senators, nor possible voters, to concur in the ouster of Trump as President. 

While it is believable that simple and clearly defined charges related to one instance of “high crime” will be more understandable to the average voter, the Democrats missed the point that such simplicity attacked by emotional rantings and confusing conspiracy theories might leave the average voter with a SO WHAT? attitude that will simply carry the day in November of 2020.   

What is missing are charges that demonstrate the breadth and depth of the criminality of this excuse for a president.  For instance, why is the separation of children from their families at our southern border, and subsequent mistreatment of them not part of ‘abuse of power.’  It is a charge that voters would quickly understand as they already have in their past negative reactions forcing the administration to take some corrective action.  The actions of the president and his administrators go to child abuse by responsible caretakers.  It was a clear abuse of power and a clear instance of a charge that disturbed people greatly.  Ukraine does not meet that double effect.  Ukraine does not show a PATTERN of actions that exemplify the depth of this president’s corruption.     

Another factor about the electorate that the Dems have missed is that a reasonable number of American voters probably more often than not allow a candidate a bit of slack if they think that the “offense” is a one-time occurrence.  And, that is why I stated in my posting of 11/3/2019 that it is of major importance for impeachment charges to be brought that show a PATTERN of offenses that speaks to intent.  That is what the Mueller Report tried to do in relation to obstruction of justice, but it was blunted by the way in which that report was presented to the viewing public.   

Thus, we are left with two articles of impeachment which will not sway many minds toward ouster of this imperial president.  As he has done all his business life, Trump will once again escape accountability for his actions by using strategies such as the Big Lie, prurient propaganda, politicizing the courts, and capturing the fawning loyalty of believers in his decadent agenda and his scurrilous ambitions.  He has already broken or at least damaged most of our democratic values, ideals and institutions, and now he will have the upper hand in approaching what he has desired all along: absolute power over others and absolute immunity from any repercussions.  He who would be King has moved into position to become King Donald I, despite Judge Brown Jackson’s statement of historical truth that “Presidents are not Kings”!

SO WHAT?

How many people watched the first impeachment hearing Wednesday, Nov. 13th? 

According to MSN News and the Nielson ratings:

·      FOX had 2.9 million between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.;

·      MSNBC – 2.7 million;

·      NBC – 1.7 million;

·      ABC and CBS – 2 million each. 

·      CNN – averaged 1.8 million. 

·      PBS and C-span also broadcast parts of the hearing and online streaming received about average viewership, but there is no way Nielson is able to measure the latter. 

So, the final estimate is somewhere around 13 million viewers on the main channels; not unlike the number that watched the Mueller hearing in July.

These numbers seem to have been maintained into this week, and what’s more, 8.3 million watched the Democrats debate on Wednesday evening Nov. 20^th after the hearings on the same day.

 However, the vast majority of Americans didn’t watch, although some more may have caught up later through social media or nightly newscasts.

SO WHAT…? 

That question is probably the premier question for it goes to the heart of current events. However, it gets little attention from the mass media or on social media which is why it deserves this Blogger’s attention.  

As I pointed out in my last Post on this Blog, a White House letter to Chairman Schiff of the House Intelligence Committee spelled out the talking points that the Trump puppets (Republicans) on the Committee could use to befuddle and confuse the main issue.  And, that’s just what they did, never once addressing the issue of whether Trump tried to extort an investigation of the Bidens for his personal benefit by withholding appropriated funds for military purposes (needed by Ukraine for defense against the invading Russians) along with delaying a meeting of the new Ukrainian president with Mr. Trump. 

Like viewership of the hearings, the general approach of most of the voting public will apparently be-- SO WHAT?  Interest in political matters and untrustworthy politicians is simply not on everyone’s radar and exists somewhere beyond the limited confines within which many live.  So, let us put that question into a slightly different context and try to find what it could mean for all of us.

This last April 20th marked the 130th anniversary of the birth of Adolf Hitler, “the unremarkable artist who would rise to become the dictator of Germany and the instigator of the Holocaust.  Given the devastation left in Hitler's wake, a major question for historians of the 20th century has been how Hitler captured the German imagination and came to power. He was not, as a person, a charismatic character; biographer Ian Kershaw described him as an "empty vessel outside his political life." He had few genuine friends, an overinflated view of his own intellect and no inborn connections to propel him to the top.” 

“Nor did Hitler have especially original ideas; the German Workers' Party he joined in 1919, which would become the Nazi Party under his leadership, was just one of approximately 70 right-wing groups in Germany after World War I, (Kershaw biography "Hitler: 1889-1936 Hubris" (W.W. Norton & Company, 1998).

But in the chaos of post-World War I Germany, it was Hitler's group that would gain dominance — and that was not a matter of luck:

“the chaos and resentment of Germany at the time were the soil that made his growth possible. The German people were in shock after losing World War I. They faced food and coal shortages and ended the war with millions killed and wounded.”

“Hitler lost the 1932 election but gained the support of many influential industrial interests. When the parliamentary elections failed to establish a majority government, Germany's president Paul von Hindenburg caved to outside pressure and named Hitler chancellor (the role of chancellor in Germany is similar to that of Prime Minister in other parliamentary systems, and Germany had both a president elected by the people and a chancellor representing the majority party in the government).

“In 1933, the Reichstag building was set on fire, which Hitler used as a pretext to seize emergency powers and detain his political enemies. With communists and other leftists under arrest, he was able to push a law called the Enabling Act through parliament. The Enabling Act allowed Hitler's cabinet to institute legislation without parliamentary consent.”  (LiveScience.com 4/18/2016)

.

 So here you have "this sociopathic, violent regime,” but many minds were either deluded by constant propaganda or diverted from the danger by unrelated matters.    

And, therein lies the most vexing problem confronting us in our current situation.  Yes, democracy is at stake.  Yes, the presidency will never be the same.  Yes, Trump has violated his oath and abused the powers of his office.  Yes, he should be impeached, and he will be by the House Democratic majority, but he will not be found guilty in the trial which the Republican-controlled Senate will undertake.  While a substantial slice of our populace will follow this process through to its conclusion, the SO WHAT? attitude of the vast majority of the citizenry will prevent justice from being accomplished.  That segment of the American people,  including the fluctuating 40% listed often in support of Trump and Trumpian ideology, are diverted or deluded day in and day out from the reality of what can happen to this nation and to its people if a president gets away with flouting, ignoring or abrogating the laws of the land.

The National Socialist Party seized control of the German government under the leadership of an over-inflated egomaniacal dictator who believed he knew better than anyone else what his country needed to become “great” again; “greatness” built around power and intimidation; not around peace and good will.  He did that while the majority of the German people went about their business, ignoring what was happening, and being utterly confused by what it could mean for their daily lives.

In fact, according to Wikipedia: “ Both within Germany and abroad initially there were few fears that Hitler could use his position to establish his later dictatorial single-party regime. Rather, the conservatives that helped to make him chancellor were convinced that they could control Hitler and "tame" the Nazi Party while setting the relevant impulses in the government themselves; foreign ambassadors played down worries by emphasizing that Hitler was "mediocre" if not a bad copy of Mussolini.

“German newspapers wrote that, without doubt, the Hitler-led government would try to fight its political enemies (the left-wing parties), but that it would be impossible to establish a dictatorship in Germany because there was "a barrier, over which violence cannot proceed" and because of the German nation being proud of "the freedom of speech and thought".

“It is a hopeless misjudgment to think that one could force a dictatorial regime upon the German nation. [...] The diversity of the German people calls for democracy.”  (Theodor Wolff in Frankfurter Zeitung, Jan 1933)

“Even within the Jewish German community, in spite of Hitler not hiding his ardent antisemitism, the worries appear to have been limited.  “The Jewish community faces the new government "with the largest mistrust", but at the same time they were convinced that "nobody would dare to touch [their] constitutional rights". The Jewish German newspaper Jüdische Rundschau [de] wrote on Jan 31^st, 1933: “... that also within the German nation still the forces are active that would turn against a barbarian anti-Jewish policy.”

Let me simply list with brief explanation and examples, some of the consequences that American citizens and others will inevitably face if the SO WHAT? attitude prevails in our country, as it did in Germany (and other European nations) of the 1930s.  Let me be clear:  Much of this is already in progress; some has not begun, but all are possibilities under an authoritarian regime because history has shown that regimes of that type follow a similar pattern of behavior and outcomes. 

So here is what you can expect to happen to YOUR COUNTRY as this authoritarian JUGGERNAUT of deception and diversion rolls on and too many say SO WHAT?

The Republican Party has essentially yielded to Donald Trump as its cult leader, and therefore its principles are changing to a national socialist agenda-- a radical right-wing movement that believes in and works toward elements from “Nazism”(the word ‘Nazi’ comes from the German name for national socialism: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche), including:

§  ultra-nationalism (white supremacy),

§  racism (denigration and prejudice toward other races),

§  xenophobia (prejudice and dislike of persons from other countries),

§  homophobia  (prejudice and dislike toward all LBGTQ),

§  antisemitism (opposition and discrimination toward Jews),

§  anti-communist in theory (hatred of liberals, socialists, communists),

§  alliance with other autocratic nations;

§  rejuvenation of a supposed past time of glory (the Third Reich or “America the Great” when government seemingly embraced much of their ideology).

Examples already in play:  changes to Republican platform in favor of Russia; Charlottesville response; directive to ban immigrants from Muslim countries; voting restrictions and lack of attention to voter interference from Russia; racial ‘dog whistles’ and no action on police shootings of innocent black youth; school shootings that go unaddressed.  Tax deductions negatively affected for middle class workers while an “elite” is provided with outrageous “welfare subsidies” through the tax system.  A president who believes he is above the Law and able to demand anything he desires and get away with it because he owns the Senate and the Judiciary.  Invitation to foreign nations to interfere in our elections. 

Expect to happen: more walls built to keep out “criminal immigrants”; more voting restrictions; undermining of “mixed marriages”; more social programs cut from federal budgets. DACA decision to be decided in the administration’s favor and deportations to begin, affecting every level of society.  Roe vs. Wade overturned, abortion outlawed; reproduction control (including destruction of Planned Parenthood and outlawing of abortion).  Use of private information to propagandize the population and to control behaviors.  Restrictions on freedoms that interfere with or slow down the spread of state control and enrichment of loyal industries and manufacturers.

SO WHAT?  Will it affect you?  Yes; what affects one group will eventually affect you. 

1)     Take the vote, for instance – how long will it take for YOU to be caught in the web of false “updating” of registrations, or IDs that don’t count

2)     Taxes and fees of all kinds will eventually have to be levied against YOU to pay for the subsidies going to the wealthiest less than 1% (already increased the national debt by at least $2 trillion since 2017 -- now at a total of $22 trillion);  

3)     City schools are not occupied only by minorities, so all people are being discriminated against when schools lose funding because of racialism or any kind of discrimination.  More importantly, public money flowing to private schools will soon begin to affect what rural and suburban public schools are receiving. 

Then the crunch begins: on our society:

1.      Profound effects upon the Court system

2.      Loss of checks and balances

3.      One unstable man in charge

4.      Absolute power – no checks or oversight

5.      Use of ‘Smear campaigns’ against individuals, groups and businesses that do not adhere to party line

6.      Corruption – makes money on every governmental enterprise he chooses

7.      Citizen rights and freedoms at risk if they become obstacles to Fuhrer power

8.      War-like conflict is inevitable

9.      Isolation and separation are side effects

10. Use of government as a tool to enhance personal fortune and status inevitable

11. Citizens take on role of loyalists or losers – to be used, abused, and screwed

SO WHAT? Trump is about to escape guilt in the Senate for a charge of abusing the power of his office by bribing the Ukrainian president and extorting a personal favor in the form of announcing an investigation of the Biden relation to a national fossil fuel industry known as Burisma.  His exoneration by a Republican Senate will spell freedom for him to act as the unrestrained absolute ruler of this country for the next four years (longer, if he decides to extend that term by means of declaring a “national emergency” which I predict he will do if re-elected).

For those who just don’t understand what this means, let me be perfectly clear.  This is a turning point in our history.  We are about to allow a president to erase all the checks upon Executive power.  Once that happens, no one and I mean NO ONE is safe from being a target, and no one will have any recourse to overturn unfair actions, bad behavior, unjust decisions.  Everything that happens will happen at the pleasure and the whim of the leader (Fuhrer) who will have captured every branch of the government and directed those branches to act as he deems fit.  Every aspect of our lives will be affected, from wages to schools to recreational events.  Nothing will be the same.

SO WHAT?  A Despotic ruler is not restrained; nor are his henchmen; nor his local followers.  It means that;

ü  no one is safe from being targeted for “disloyalty” as defined by the henchmen

ü  no one will be free to undertake what our Constitution currently provides; instead, all actions will be determined by the wishes and decrees of the Leader or his Party

ü  Local followers are the most cruel and unjust – they advance according to how strongly they show their loyalty to the Leader in their behaviors toward the local populace

ü  There are no protections left to the populace – they have been destroyed so don’t try to get help or support from government because that is not what they will be dispensing

ü  All government officials will do is please the Leader and feather their own nests as best they can – bribery becomes a way of life

ü  Any perceived opposition will be stopped in its tracks – violence an accepted remedy

ü  Since regulations and other restrictions will be eschewed, there will be no protection against poisoned air, water, land, or food.

ü  Your life and that of your family will no longer be yours, but will belong to an authoritarian state

ü  If you are concerned about your privacy, your concern will not matter.  As with many aspects of government and the private sector, much will be weaponized to keep the people within the guidelines set by the Leader.  For example, the enormous amount of private information collected and stored by vendors and social media will become a weapon to ensure your loyalty and your obeisance. 

SO WHAT?  is a dangerous attitude.  It leads to a destructive apathy that ignores the consequences of anti-democratic attitudes, behaviors and unquestioning loyalty to persons instead of to just Laws. This is no time to be a SO WHAT-TER or a Trump-er.  It is the time to understand that:

SO WHAT? was the doorway to Nazi domination of the German people in the 1930s and 1940s.  It gave us the Nazi State, the holocaust, concentration camps for perceived outcasts, opponents and weaklings.  It gave us experimentation on human beings that destroyed lives.  It gave us attempted extermination of a religious minority.  It gave us Storm Troopers who acted to oppress and to eliminate opposition.  It gave us a Propaganda Ministry that made sure the people heard only their “truth.”   It gave us a people vulnerable to another authoritarian state- Communist East Germany.  It gave us a second world war because the Fuhrer desired unlimited world power. 

We need desperately to close that SO WHAT? doorway in this country.  That is why impeachment matters, and so does every vote for other than Trump Republicans in 2020!  Find new voters in every community and every grouping; educate new voters; register new voters; get new voters to the polls!  Concentrate on young people, ages 18-24, and on college students; on single women, men and women of color; on new citizens. (And, don't neglect to remind past voters to update their voter records).  The SO WHAT? attitude is widespread; let your recruitment of new voters be more widespread.  
Let's Get to Work!

TURN HIM OUT and LOCK HIM UP!