Víctima como pocos y mentiroso como otros

El Presidente de la Generalidad de Cataluña (Generalitat de Catalunya) llevó su campaña pro independencia a la Universidad de Harvard. La prensa española lo  cubrió muy bien, y la norteamericana lo ignoró. Para los detalles vaya a Puigdemonte en Harvard y lo leeré. Lo he hecho y me he quedado asombrado de la vileza mentirosa y victimista de uno que se exije el tratamiento de Excelente Señor (Honorable…).

Primero, El honorable no atrajo ni a las moscas. No sabremos nunca ni nosotros ni los catalanes cuánto ha costado esta excursion a orillas del Charles (río bostoniano) para promocionar la causa de los que, según el Honorable, sufren más a manos de los crueles españoles de otras regions de España,  que los afroamericanos de Misisipi en los 50 y los 60.  Para que entendiéran las cuatro moscas que acudieron a la cita,  comparó la realidad democrática española con el autoritarismo posdemocrático  de Erdogan. Así llamando a la memoria de sus poco oyentes  la verdadera tragedia en millones en Atlanta, Selma, Alabama por un lado y la de los armenios, los kurdos y los opositores al sueño de Erdoban en la actualidad, pudo justificar sus lágrimas de pobre victim de la opresión, la tiranía, la sangria económica  constante de Cataluña a manos del odiado espanyol. Francamente, leyendo como leemos hoy que el gobierno central dejará sin blanco a Andalucía para entregar miles de millones para infraestructuras en Catalaña ya basta de cinismo y mentiras. Don Muy Honorable, usted es muchísimas cosas pero víctima no es una de ellas, … ni honorable tampoco. A propósito de su victimismo, ¿porqué no se quejan nunca de las mega-cantidades de dinero  que les obligó Franco a aceptar para desarrollar (ustedes menos que solitos) la Catalunya de la postguerra?

I told you so!

The President has named members of his family to his inner circle of advisors. So? Remember JFK? He had a brother named Robert. Was there a problem? Not really. So, friends, let´s get off the moan and groan trail about everything Donald Trump does. It may be that the daughter and her husband are moderating influences on him. Let´s give them a chance. If things go wrong, just think how happy we will be with our I told you so. Besides, they work free. So DT is really reducing jobs in Washington.

The battle for Health Care

 

The decision by Republicans and Trumpeters to retire their health care bill was a major victory for the popular will over the special interests supported by Republicans of the deep right who are determined that anything post-Thomas Jefferson is evil. Mr. Trump´s first reaction was to blame the Democrats. Although many of us agree that Obamacrare has grave flaws, the legislation proposed had just as many. Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Ryan both tried to serve too many interests. People´s health was side tracked in favor of forces like insurance companies and pharmaceutical lobbies. For them and their Republican supporters we the people are here to foster their economic benefits.  The campaign of organizations like AARP  woke tens of thousands of us up to the real danger Mr. Trump and Mr. Ryan pretended to submit us to in the name of better health care. It wasn´t the Democrats. It was Republicans running scared to the rage of voters that denied the Washington establishment the votes of moderate Republicans at the final hour. Now Mr. Trump plans to let the people stew in the reality of a poor system until it collapses so that he can put in Trumpcare. That attitude belies his claim to leadership. A statesman foresees and plans for disasters. Why not lock Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Ryan in a closed room with the order to produce a bill most Democrats and Republicans can support, or abstain on?  Of course insurance companies and the drug producers have a role to pay in health care but it must be a subservient one where they are important instruments to be used in the benefit of the people. To wait for hell to fall on peoples´ lives is a cynical and cruel thing for Mr. Trump and Mr. Ryan to do.

In the future we will surely be called upon again to stand firm against establishment pampered aggression against us. We have seen what we can do with a call, a postcard, a letter or an e-mail. Let´s make it a habit!

Rally around Trump

Watching the Trump show down in Kentucky, I dare to wonder out loud what on earth do these people have to conserve? Many of them are obviously trapped in or part of the population living in some of the most abandoned and backward parts of the country. Can they afford the medical care that Trump and the Caucus crowd want to give them? Can they profit from reductions in educational advantage in the Land of Trump? Is cutting off your own leg and swinging it over your head at a Trump rally a show of smarts? Frankly, Trump´s supporters seem to enjoy the pit of mediocrity they call the Saved America that Trump asks his supporters  to build for all of us. Well, not for all of us….

Late, but not too late

Today AARP on-line informs us that our  tens of thousands  of post cards, letters, calls and/or e-mails to senators and representatives are working. Many Republican representatives are bolting party discipline and are refusing to vote in favor of the health care debacle that  Mr. Trump´s agents and Paul Ryan are championing . Like most of you, I could  care less is they call it Obamacare, Donaldcare or Republicansloveuscare! What so many of AARP´s 38,000,000 members want is a system that protects us at a cost people of limited income can afford. Yesterday I was heartened by a wonderful letter of support for the AARP cause from Vermont´s senior senator. It is late but we are awake! Write!