Camden and the main debate

ONE
Imagine a little fish...swimming in the Atlantic waters off the New Jersey coast. He happens to be a Portuguese Trout, but his parents emigrated to New Jersey before he was even born. All his life, he has always wanted to visit the "Old Country". 

Fortunately, Portugal is exactly due East of New Jersey...straight shot. He knows it's gonna take a long time, but he begins his journey eastwards. He is a good fish and a good swimmer and he has a good goal.

But there is a current...from south to north. It is inexorable. Unlike the little trout, it never sleeps, never varies. The current is slow...in fact, it is a bit slower than the fish swims...but the real hell of it is, the current is vast. It is hundreds of miles wide. The fish cannot see it or feel it. He cannot use his "free will" to swim against it. It is his moving frame of reference...except...he doesn't know it is moving. He doesn't even know it exists.

After a very long time of swimming due East towards Portugal, he finally arrives in the waters off the coast of...Norway. The Norwegian fish eat him and that's the end of it.

TWO
I took a walk through the streets of Camden yesterday. I did it on Google Street View...because...I would be petrified to walk the streets of Camden in real life. I urge you to do the same...in Camden, or Detroit, Oakland, or Cleveland. There's only one way that I would not be afraid to walk the streets of Camden...if I was born there...if it were my undetectable frame of reference.

THREE
Obesity has exploded. There is no other way to say it. The increase is exponential. The American obesity rate has more than tripled since 1950. Why? Oh I don't know, maybe:

• The average restaurant meal is four times larger than it was in the 1950s. 
• Fast food is cheap and readily available. Vegetables are not.
• Sugar, salt, empty carbs...arranged in row after row in grocery stores. Processed foods take up the vast majority of space at the store and the advertising bandwidth on TV.
• Soda manufacturers are prominent at the most expensive of all advertising venues...the Super Bowl.

But all of these factors are oceanic currents. We are not fatter because we have suddenly and inexplicably lost our moral compass en masse.

THE MAIN DEBATE
The main debate between Republicans and Democrats is how much we should weigh the factors of individual responsibility versus social currents.

Pick any issue...like the banning of 64 ounce soda drinks in New York City...the Democrats will always support a ban or a tax...and the Republicans will always oppose...appealing to LIBERTY and RESPONSIBILITY.


Isn't it funny how these moral notions always seem to dovetail so well with...PROFIT?

The beginning of the end for President Con-Don

Sometimes, I think my purpose in this blog is just to extract and summarize what is most relevant in the daily flood of news. This is one of those posts and the topic is the "flipping of Gates".

I owe a lot to the fine writers at Politico. (Jack Shafer)

Gates and Manafort launder money for the Russians and have done so for years...prior to the 2016 election.

Manafort was $17M in debt to Russian oligarchs at the time that he became Trump's campaign manager. (this alone is stunning and the blog post could end here)

(just as an aside...what do you think it feels like to be $17 MILLION DOLLARS in debt to billionaire Russian Mafia guys? Would that...like...influence you...at all?)

In 2010, Manafort and Gates rigged the Ukrainian election to install a Russian puppet as president of Ukraine. (so they know how to rig an election)

Manafort's level of access in Russia is quite high. He is the close friend of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska...who is a close friend of Putin.

In 2014, Russia launched a massive and prolonged effort to manipulate public opinion in favor of Trump. This expensive and extensive operation continued all thru the campaign and election and in fact...has not stopped.

Is it reasonable to believe that the shockingly long list of Trump associates with substantive and illegal involvement with shady Russians...over a stretch of many years...is completely separate from the election meddling launched by those same Russians?

One of the things that Trump does that just infuriates me is...he just says stuff. He just says that there was no Russian meddling...and then, when that becomes ludicrous even to his base...he then just says...okay there was meddling, but it had no effect on the election. How the hell does he know that? How can anyone ever know that?

Jared Kushner did what exactly during the campaign? Oh that's right, he managed the campaign's entire digital presence...facebook, twitter, and dozens of other social media platforms. Was that effective in influencing voters?

You can't say that what you were doing was effective, but what the Russians were doing wasn't effective. (Republican Consultant—Rick Tyler)

And don't forget...This pronouncement about the futility of the Russian meddling is coming from a man who told us that the election was tampered with by millions of illegal immigrant voters...which of course is false...fake news.

Trump is illegitimate!

Although Trump lost the popular tally by nearly 3 million votes nationally, he won three states that most observers expected to go to Clinton by a total margin of 77,744. Were the Russian efforts enough to have moved 77,744 votes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania?—Huffington Post

And we know that the Russian meddling campaign specifically targeted...Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

We will never prove that Trump is illegitimate...but...it will be proven that he and his most trusted associates actively colluded with Russia to steal the election and undermine our democracy.

President Con-Don won't get away with it. No honor among thieves. His days are numbered.

A$$ault Rifles

I watched the President's "listening session" at the White House. 

I also watched Jake Tapper's Town Hall event on CNN.

And...sorry...but I have to say this: The White House event was about 80% bump stock and background check and 20% assault rifle ban. In the CNN event, these percentages were reversed.

Even during our grief and frustration...especially during our grief and frustration...we must not allow the NRA and Trump to manipulate the discussion.

The self-serving gun lobby "solution" is:

1. Ban bump stocks
2. Focus on mental illness
3. Arm teachers

Bump Stocks are a giveaway...a negotiation trick. They are not financially important to the NRA or the gun makers. Of course they should be banned! They are GAGA CRAZY! And I am sure that the righteous folks at the NRA also support a ban on hand grenades, dynamite sticks, sarin gas, and mortars in school. But don't let them feel good about this. Bump stocks are not a point of negotiation. They should be banned before the gun control discussion even begins.

Focus on Mental Illness. Now the NRA strategy is combining giveaway with another trick: distraction. Of course mentally ill people should not have weapons. Again, it is clear that mentally ill people are not a significant source of $revenue$ for the gun makers. Giving up this slice of the market does not hurt them. 
The real NRA gain here is to seductively, imperceptibly introduce the idea that guns are not the problem. This is the same tired and false slogan that we have been hearing for years! "Guns don't kill. People do." The NRA wants to base our safety on the slender reed of an inadequate mental healthcare system rather than attack the obvious problem of A$$ault rifles. If we allow ourselves to be fooled by this nonsense, then we might as well start saying, "Nuclear weapons don't kill. People do."

Put it this way...

The USA has way more guns than Germany. WAY MORE.  

The USA has way more deaths from guns than Germany. WAY MORE. 

Those two facts correlate and if we include the same measurements from dozens of other countries...then those two facts correlate massively. 

The NRA wants you to believe that the USA is WAY MORE mentally ill than Germany (or any other country), even though NOTHING backs up that claim.

The NRA is hoping that we are not smart enough to understand that mental illness is a problem AND guns are a problem. 

Clarification of the "gun show" loophole. 

Guns are sold in three ways: Dealers, Gun Shows, Personal Sales. Only dealers are required to do background checks (and even that varies). But it is misleading to say "gun show" and "loophole". It makes the problem seem much smaller. Most people have never been to a gun show...but we all have neighbors. Personal sales require no background checks. Personal sales need not be recorded anywhere. Anyone who currently owns a gun can sell it...to anyone...with no record of any kind. And, in many states, it is legal for a private citizen to buy weapons in bulk. And then resell them one at a time. 

(The NRA recently protested a proposed bill in Virginia that would have limited the number of firearms that a private citizen could buy in a month...taking the number down from 500 to only 100! The NRA blocked this bill!!!!) 

This is not a "loophole" and it is not limited to "gun shows". This is a pervasive super highway of gun sales...this is TOTAL FREEDOM to sell any gun to anybody at any time with no risk or record or responsibility. There are private citizens in America whose primary career and income source is selling guns by means of this "loophole".

And finally, the advice from President Covfefe: Arming Teachers

His tweets:

History shows that a school shooting lasts, on average, 3 minutes. It takes police & first responders approximately 5 to 8 minutes to get to site of crime. Highly trained, gun adept, teachers/coaches would solve the problem instantly, before police arrive. GREAT DETERRENT! 

....immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions. Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this. Far more assets at much less cost than guards. A “gun free” school is a magnet for bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END!

Have I mentioned that Trump is dim-witted?

Headline for President dim-don, most correctional officers do not carry firearms while they are in close contact with inmates. dim-don...do you think there is a reason for that? Arming teachers would make it easier for shooting incidents to occur.

In the second tweet, he is suggesting that "sickos" would employ a rather logical selection process based on research and analysis. 

"Hmmm...hey! how's about I attack the Mayberry Middle School two hours away from here...oh no wait...no good...it says here on google that they have armed teachers. Bummer!" 

As usual dim-don, you are oblivious to human emotions...completely unable to relate. 

Headline for President dim-don, school shootings happen almost overwhelmingly at the school the shooter attended and frequently involve the element of actual or perceived bullying. If you arm the teachers, the shootings could simply happen at the popular burger joint hangout two blocks away.

Oops! I know what you're thinking dim-don.

Highly trained hamburger-flippers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this. Far more assets at much less cost than guards. A “gun free” burger joint is a magnet for bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END!

Give guns to everybody! The NRA loves you dim-don.

Call out the militia!

Let me begin with a premise...out of respect for the Constitution.

The second amendment is not about:

• hunting
• tradition
• home defense
• personal defense

The second amendment is all about resisting a government that has become tyrannical and unlawful. That is the spirit of this amendment. The fact that weapons are used to honor tradition, go hunting, and to protect home and person is...secondary.

The constitutional literalists are not much different from biblical literalists...in that...they cherry pick.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

This does not translate into "Anybody can have any kind of weapon, at any time, for any purpose, without any restrictions or qualifications whatsoever." 

In this regard, the second amendment is similar to the first amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The first amendment does not translate into "Anybody can say anything they want in any circumstance or place no matter what the consequences may be."

The cherry-pickers always quote the second amendment after the first comma. 

It seems to me that a militia should be allowed to have a level of weaponry that makes it a credible deterrent to a possibly corrupt federal government. This would include tanks and artillery, for example. But it also seems to me that we have such a militia already and it is called the National Guard.

No? You disagree? Okay then...we need to define militia and make allowance for it in our society. But it is still true that the second amendment does not mean:

"Anybody can have any kind of weapon, at any time, for any purpose, without any restrictions or qualifications whatsoever."

And so our stunning, but obvious, conclusion is simply this: 
The current gun control debate has nothing to do with the second amendment. It has everything to do with individual gun ownership.

The current gun control debate is about how to regulate a dangerous reality...weapons owned by individuals...in a way that ensures the greater good of society. It is no different from the regulation of drugs, alcohol, driving privileges, firecrackers, or pets.

Speaking of pets...most states prohibit the trade in wild animals and restrict the kinds of animals that can be legally owned...or stipulate guidelines that must be followed if you wish to own a cobra or a tiger...for example. This is just common sense...not a violation of constitutional rights.

Guns are no different.

And finally, I think it is important to provide a very simple guide to the vocabulary of weapons. Here is a rough and ready classification so that you know what you are hearing on the news:

Automatic...means that you can squeeze and hold the trigger and the weapon keeps on firing...machine gun...rat a tat tat. 

Semi-Automatic...means that you launch a new bullet every time you squeeze the trigger. If you have a fast finger, then you can still shoot a lot of bullets in a very short time. Put this together with a high-capacity magazine...and that is called an assault rifle. AR-15 (and if you put an assault rifle together with a bump stock, then you have an automatic weapon...a machine gun) 

Manual Action...means that you squeeze the trigger and launch one bullet...and then...you gotta do some other mechanical action, like using a lever or bolt handle to discharge the empty bullet casing and then load another bullet and then you squeeze the trigger for the second time. It means that you can't do rat a tat tat or anything close to it. 

And here's a fact, Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated JFK with a manual action rifle. It is unrealistic to think about banning manual action weapons, but even manual weapons can do a lot of damage. ALL weapons are dangerous and should be carefully regulated.

Semi-automatic rifles (assault rifles) are only proper in the military and have no place in:

• hunting
• tradition
• home defense
• personal defense

BAN Assault Rifles, BAN high capacity magazines, BAN bumper stocks.

Some Enchanted Evening

This post is about gun control. Trust me...it's about gun control, but my own thinking style runs towards the metaphoric...so I have two preliminaries for you. (and two post-liminaries.)

First Preliminary—Rodgers and Hammerstein, South Pacific, Some Enchanted Evening:

     Who can explain it, who can tell you why
     Fools give you reasons, wise men never try

Second Preliminary—A great article in Politico, entitled Why the NRA always wins. 

And the takeaways are:

• It’s not the money. It’s the culture. 
• Politics is downstream from culture.

The NRA has its own channel called NRATV. It gets good ratings in flyover country. 

It uses good-looking actors and easy-to-watch shows that portray guns as: healthy, American, moral, fun, romantic, and as necessary in the fight against terrorists, godless liberals, and all sorts of bad guys that are waiting in the bushes to kill you and your family and RAPE YOUR PUPPY!

Oh for heaven's sake...click on it...you can delete your browser history later. But really...you should click on it. You need to experience it. You need to understand that political contributions and political threats are not the greatest weapon of the gun lobby. If you clicked that link, then you are looking at the greatest weapon.

So how do we fight that? It is a fact that you don't need an assault rifle to defend your puppy...let alone 20 assault rifles. You'll be fine with just a double-barreled bird gun as Joe Biden once told us. But who listened?

The gun nuts are right (kinda)...we don't need more guns laws. This is not a political fight...it is cultural. 


We need a national campaign to directly counteract NRATV. We need something like the Truth Initiative against cigarettes...remember those horrible images of yellow teeth, black lungs, wheezing old people, and images that were far, far worse?

Turns out, they worked.

We need to dramatically portray the real effects of guns in our world. 
These are: 

• The enabling of easy suicide
• The accidents involving children
• Graphic demonstrations of what military weapons do to bodies
• The escalation of domestic disturbances and trivial disputes with neighbors
• Funerals of Law Enforcement
• Lives destroyed in prison

Legislation and logic...charts and facts...agencies and programs...we should never abandon these methods, but we gotta win it on the culture front, or we lose every time...the carnage continues...people stay awake at night trying to understand what kind of sicko would RAPE A PUPPY...then they buy an AR-15 and three high-capacity mags...and a bump stock.

First Post-liminary—Check out Scott Adams latest book: Win Bigly

And the takeaways are:

• Words are less persuasive than pictures.
• Facts are less persuasive than feelings.

Second Post-liminary

Georg Cantor proved that the rational numbers are countably infinite. (this includes rational fractions like 223/1784) 

He also proved that the irrational numbers are un-countably infinite.

It is the irrationals that form the glue that holds the number line together. They are infinitely dense on the real line. They form the continuum.

The rational numbers are the mile-markers.
The irrational numbers are the road.

Roald Dahl—A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men.