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Stephen Altschuler

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Archives for May 2020

A Plea to Return to Non-Violent Civil Disobedience

May 30, 2020 by Stephen Altschuler2 Comments

As did Thoreau, Gandhi, and the Rev. MLK Jr., I firmly believe in non-violent, civil disobedience to accomplish social and political change. Violent rioting, arson, vandalism, people getting injured or killed don’t accomplish much in the long run. MLK Jr. said “Fill the jails”, advocating a strict tactic of non violence, involving large numbers of protesters sitting passively in the streets, blocking traffic in the process, or blocking entrances to key buildings, thus forcing police to carry their purposely-made limp bodies to paddy wagons and then to jail. Eventually the jails fill and the cops run out of places to house those arrested. And since they’re not resisting, the only charge would probably be trespassing or non compliance with a police order, which eventually will be dismissed. It’s a win-win: the demonstrators get their point across along with gaining the sympathy and support of many in the community at large.And instigators of violence like Donald Trump are disarmed in this process. It would be tough to write a nasty tweet against a few hundred peaceful citizens who’ve just been carried off to jail, literally, for their justified, principled grievances and for trespassing.

With violent protests, as we’re seeing in some cities now, you feed into the hands of people like Trump who [Read more…] about A Plea to Return to Non-Violent Civil Disobedience

Filed Under: UncategorizedTagged With: Great Britain, India

As with Trump, Twitter Must Go

May 26, 2020 by Stephen Altschuler6 Comments

If Twitter persists in allowing citizen Trump to use its giant media forum as his personal venue for lies, misrepresentations, bullying, conspiracy theories, encouragement to break the law, instigation to violence, and fake news, then Twitter’s license to operate should be revoked. The first amendment allows freedom of speech, but not without condition. For the most obvious, you cannot yell “fire” in a crowded place if there is no fire. And Trump figuratively yells fire when there is no fire. He is therefore a menace to society. His morals and scruples are warped. He lies compulsively. He deceives. He distorts. He accuses. He demands. He threatens. He obfuscates. He bloviates. He bullies. He shames. He calls people names as a tween might in a junior high schoolyard at lunchtime.

Donald Trump is an embarrassment to this country. He has not made this country great again as he and his followers profess. Indeed, they fit the definition of a cult–a cult of narcissists–allowing the Narcissist in Chief free rein [Read more…] about As with Trump, Twitter Must Go

Filed Under: Donald TrumpTagged With: Bolsonaro, Brazil, China, City by the Bay, Democrats, Europe, FCC, pandemic, President Obama, SF, Twitter

Follow up Letter to President Trump

May 13, 2020 by Stephen Altschuler4 Comments

Hey, Mr. President,

 

Stephen, here again. The golfer guy from Vancouver who recently advised you to resign and turn the executive branch over to Mike Pence (although now I’m not so sure that Meek Mike could handle the job). I haven’t heard back from you, and, being Jewish, I was worried. Also wondering if you enjoyed the book I sent. That was the one I wrote called The Mindful Golfer (or did someone in the mail room shortstop it for themselves?). Anyway, given all the added stresses and strains of the virus, the press, the poll numbers, and the germ ridden White House, I’m wondering if you had a chance to consider my suggestion from my previous letter. This could be an ideal time for your resignation what with lovely golf weather ahead and the country opening up again, and consequently the potential for a surge in the virus. Seems to me you could effectively cut your losses and come out looking more and more like Lincoln.

 

Anywho, I don’t want to be a nudge but how about it? Makes a whole lot of sense to get out of Dodge while the gettin’ out is good. Think of it: No more press briefings with those nasty questions from CNN reporters, no more meeting with Tony Fauci who may well be a Chinese agent, no more mask wearing staff members who probably are making faces at you behind those masks, no more White House meals that are likely laced with Lysol, no more watching those traitors and government infiltrators at Fox News every night, no more Tweeting at 3 AM, and no more son in law running around like a chicken in a poultry plant pretending he’s Nostradamus.

 

Think of how life might be in retirement. My model is that 111 year old African American vet who when asked his secret to long life answered, “ I smoke about 12-14 cigars a day, drink good whiskey, and have a bowl of Butter Pecan ice cream before bed every night.” He just died recently but I understand with a smile on his face , which, I understand, was not masked.

 

Anywhichway, I just thought I’d touch base and make another pitch for my most excellent suggestion, one of the GREATEST suggestions ever. When you get a chance, let me know what you think….between you and I, of course. As you might say, “Let’s try it out. What have we got to lose?”

 

Oh, and be extra careful of that NASTY coronavirus. I heard it’s skulking about and creating quite a stir in the White House.

 

Yours truly,

 

Stephen A.

Filed Under: UncategorizedTagged With: Mike Pence, Presdent Trump

Questions and Comments for Donald Trump

May 9, 2020 by Stephen AltschulerLeave a Comment

 

The following questions, concerns, observations, suspicions, and informed comments have been culled from recent news items from reliable sources such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, The New Yorker, NPR news, The Atlantic, and CNN among others. Some of the following are my own suspicions and conclusions. My hope is that a professional investigative reporting team will pick up on some of these and dig deeper.

 

  1. Everything about this botched invasion of Venezuela points to you, Pompeo, and possibly Barr. You had put up a $15-mil reward. You wanted Maduro’s ouster or capture for extradition. And now Pompeo will do anything to get these guys back. Yet another diversionary move to get attention away from virus pandemic and your botched handling of that. Had the raid been successful, you would have taken full credit, which would have helped your reelection. Now that it failed, you deny any responsibility as is your phony and fake news strategy.
  2. The killing of a black man in Georgia looks like a white nationalist action spurred on by your tacit support of these “good people” as you call them.
  3. You have blocked proper testing to keep the Covid-19 numbers low, which you believe will help your reelection. Same with opening up the economy. People will die but your base demands opening and you will feed red meat to that base. Only thing is you’re running out of red meat, literally and figuratively.
  4. You will not wear a mask in public because you do not want to be perceived as weak or unmanly. This has created more polarization. Wear a mask and you’re perceived as a Democrat and liberal (and even a communist!). Don’t wear a mask and you’re seen as pro Trump, for the economy, and fix the economy, forget the elderly proponents.
  5. You blame China to deflect your own blame for your lame response to the virus. This has led to violence and harassment against Chinese and other oriental Americans in our country. You have said little to dissuade this kind of despicable behavior perpetrated mainly by your cult followers. Your bobblehead sycophants in Congress have also said little to stop this violence out of fear you will denigrate them.
  6. You’ve had little consolation for the relatives and friends of those who have died from the virus. This reveals your true nature, namely a lack of compassion and empathy. To compare yourself to Lincoln was among your grossest distortions yet.
  7. You have stated publicly that you only want to send virus relief money to states that are run by Republican governors and legislatures and not send money to Blue states, that it’s unfair to Red states to help out Blue states. More red meat for your cult followers. This virus does not know of political, social, ethnic, economic, or racial differences. It attacks and kills without discrimination. Only you discriminate, as do your cult followers.
  8. You have no real concern for the people of this country as a whole, as a President should have. You are only concerned with your reelection and how it will affect your family and business interests.
  9. You used the National Defense Act to keep a meat plant open in Iowa, much to the chagrin of workers there who are not given proper protection against the virus by management, but would not use it to help produce PPE for vulnerable health workers. Why?
  10. Stimulus checks are mostly delayed for one particular group: elderly who are on Social Security. What have you got against this group? Is it that you think they wouldn’t vote for you anyway since you’re on record to wanting the elimination of Social Security? And how is it that dead people have been issued checks, as well as non-citizen foreigners who were here for school and are now back living overseas? In the meantime, many Americans have not received their checks or direct deposits despite being in great need to pay their bills.
  11. The stock market went up today some 400 points despite unemployment being the highest since the 1930s. Do you have cult followers within the market? Are you trying to manipulate the market? I suspect you are. Have your family members and other cronies engaged in insider trading to pad their pocketbooks. I suspect they have.
  12. You don’t like wearing a mask, personally, even though they help prevent others from getting the virus, and you are directing the CDC to rewrite their guidelines to remove the mask requirement when in public spaces like a food market. If masks help prevent the spread of the virus, why are you trying to do away with the requirement? Is it that, like your cult followers, you don’t like the government telling you what you can and can’t do? This appeals to your base, doesn’t it, and so helps you politically, as is the motive for most of your behavior as president. So it seems that keeping your base happy and loyal is more important than protecting the rest of us from this deadly virus.
  13. Your characterization of the mainstream news media as “the lamestream media” demonizes and negates one of the truly vital aspects of a free, democratic society: a free and vibrant press. It seems your intent is to destroy that free press, and replace it with a kind of right wing, extremist state media that only flatters and sucks up to you, such as found in present day China, North Korea, and, increasingly, Russia. I won’t even pose a question since I already know the answer.
  14. You have manipulated and repressed valid Covid-19 statistics in order to cover up their implications to your reelection efforts. Why have you done this? To advance your own sordid goals at the expense of those suffering from this pandemic and those on the front lines fighting it.

***

I truly wish to see you voted out of office, then prosecuted, and sentenced to years in prison. You have professed to Make America Great Again. Instead you have polarized its people, inspired its extremist elements, and ruined its standing and image in the world with your poisonous rhetoric and your adolescent Tweets. You are an incorrigible bully, sir, and are not worthy of the office you unfortunately hold.

 

 

Filed Under: Donald TrumpTagged With: Barr, CDC, China, covid-19, Maduro, masks, Pompeo, PPE, Social Security, Stimulus checks, Virus

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