It’s no secret that multi-billionaire Elon Musk bought the presidency and has allowed billionaire Donald Trump to merely act as President. As of this writing, every cabinet member of the new administration is at least a millionaire. Trump received overwhelming support from those Americans in MAGA who considered him one of their own who supported their interests.
Surprise! You’ve been had!
Trump has named Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to be the heads of a new agency that will oversee government spending. According to Rolling Stone Musk has announced one of their top priorities is to cut Social Security and Medicare, so Trump will be able to give his promised tax cuts for millionaires.
For all of you MAGA members who voted for Trump because he understood your needs, now you know he may have understood your needs, but he doesn’t care. It looks like you’ll never get that invitation to Mar-a-Lago.
Have you ever wondered how much one billion dollars is? If you had a billion dollars and you spent $1000 each day, it would take 2,740 years before you went broke,
Now, let’s look at how much Elon Musk is worth. Musk is worth 449.5 billion dollars! He could never be able to spend his fortune. But he could make life better for millions of poor and suffering people all over the world. Unfortunately, that is not how Elon Musk is wired.
I think if most people had a million dollars, they would spend a lot on themselves, but they would spend much of the money helping others. It’s hard for me to comprehend how a person is so greedy that he is willing to make others suffer so he can acquire more wealth. But I guess that’s just me.
Millions of people voted against their best interests in the last elections, believing a con man would give them a better life. They voted for a man because he hated the same people they did. But what they didn’t know was that he hated them too.
We may be in for four years of economic distress while the ultra-wealthy pillage the Treasury and force us into poverty. We can only hope our billionaire masters will not have taken away our right to vote. But, I am not sure many Americans will have learned their lesson if there is another election.
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It’s the 1930s in Germany, and Adolf Hitler has come to power. You see nazi stormtroopers goose-stepping in the streets. You see the swastikas hanging from buildings and lamposts all over where you live. You know Hitler is firmly in power.
You see massive rallies with Hitler spouting hatred against Jews, blaming them for everything that is wrong with Germany. You have listened to him call for the extermination of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, and the handicapped. You’ve heard him proudly proclaim the purity of the Aryan race as the superior race.
You have seen massive bonfires where books that the Nazi regime has banned are summarily burned. You have seen The words “Juden” painted on the storefronts and homes of your fellow citizens of the Jewish faith. You have seen some Jewish-owned businesses destroyed by your German neighbors.
You have seen fewer and fewer of your Jewish neighbors and friends. You know where they have gone because you have seen them loaded on cattle cars heading towards concentration camps, never to be seen again. The few Jewish people you have seen are forced to wear a large yellow Star of David that identifies them as Jews.
You have seen young members of Hitler’s Youth acting like their adult counterparts, proudly displaying the Nazi salute and screaming “Heil Hitler,” parading in front of Hitler as he smiles and salutes the future of Germany. You knew these little Nazis would soon turn in their parents, teachers, or neighbors to the Gestapo for the slightest indiscretion.
You have seen smoke rising from the concentration camps, but even though you suspected what was burning, you didn’t want to know. You once again ignored the trains, full of your Jewish neighbors, constantly arriving at the camps outside your town. Let’s face it: you knew what was happening.
It is now the 1940s and Hitler’s war is not going well. The Allies were moving toward Germany, but Hitler only ramped up his plan to eradicate the Jews and other undesirables. How much longer can this genocide go on?
You knew about the assassination attempt at Wolf’s Lair in 1943 by some of Hitler’s staff that was meant to kill him and bring an end to the war. You knew the war was lost, and the longer it dragged on, millions more innocent people would be killed. Could you do anything about it?
Even though you supported Hitler, you now realize he was a monster. You and millions of ordinary German citizens allowed him to take power and carry on his mass exterminations. Better late than never, you decided you must do something.
You are a crack shot with a rifle, and you can easily obtain a high-powered rifle with a scope. Hitler is speaking at a rally near where you live, and you have easy access to the stands surrounding the podium where Hitler will speak. You know you have an easy shot. You also know you may not escape alive.
You were raised a Christian by your parents, and you know it’s a sin to take the life of another person. You know, according to your religion, you will go to hell if you kill people. But you also know Hitler was responsible for killing millions of people.
Hitler begins to speak as you raise your rifle and have him in your crosshairs. You pray and think of the Fifth Commandment, “Thou Shall Not Kill.” Your finger is on the trigger. What would you have done?
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I spent many years in pathology, as a Cytologist, searching for cancer cells in a variety of specimens. I saw cancer every day, but fortunately, I didn’t connect the cancer to a person, just a name I was not familiar with most of the time. I knew I would always have a job, as long as I wanted one because there was no cure in sight.
I have been retired for many years, and since then, I have seen many advances in the treatment of various types of cancer. Notice I said treatment, not cure.
I am sure many have seen several ads from various pharmaceutical companies touting their newest drugs that promise a longer life living with cancer. That longer life is a matter of months or perhaps five years, at tops. The ads always show patients swimming, hiking, dancing, or being involved in other physical activities, suggesting that someone suffering from this particular type of cancer could do the same. There is no mention of the tens of thousands of dollars in cost to get the drug.
For those suffering from cancer, being able to live a few months more is worth the cost or the side effects. I am sure thousands of patients would love to spend just a bit more time with their families.
In a way, these advances and this type of advertising seem cruel. If you can’t afford the drug, you don’t get a little extra time to live. I wonder, if a drug company can develop a drug that will allow a cancer patient to live a few months longer, why can’t they develop a drug that will eradicate the cancer for good?
The answer to my question can be associated with the legislation signed by Biden last year, which lowered the cost of insulin to no more than $35 a month. Every single Republican voted against it. Republicans have promised to repeal that bill once they take over Congress and the Presidency. Why? Millions of Americans depend on insulin to stay alive; thus, drug companies can rake in billions of dollars at higher prices.
In recent Congressional hearings, a question asked in 2018 by Goldman Sachs analysts in a report to biotech companies was referenced in a discussion of high prescription drug costs. That question was, “Is curing patients a sustainable business model?”
Do drug companies value profits over human life? And do some politicians value drug company donations over the lives of their fellow Americans? I think the evidence from the past actions of both politicians and big pharma is a resounding yes.
Just a couple of days ago, Donald Trump and Elon Musk wanted a proposed spending bill to avert a government shutdown that would eliminate spending for childhood cancer research. Luckily, every Democrat in the House and 34 Republicans voted against it. What can we expect in the future regarding drug costs and healthcare?
I have long felt that there has been a cure for some types of cancer, but the pharmaceutical companies have managed to silence the science behind the cures. People dying from cancer put a lot of money into the pockets of big pharma. If everyone lived longer, drug companies would make millions instead of billions.
As long as we allow the drug companies to buy and maintain politicians, we will not have cheaper drugs, and there will be no cures for cancer or other diseases affecting millions of people.
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Trump won the election by one of the lowest margins in history, but like he always does, he says he won in a landslide. Except for the MAGA cult and others who are not aware that there is any other news network than Fox News, everyone knew that Trump had two reasons for running for President: to stay out of prison and to steal as much money as he could from the government and his supporters.
What none of us suspected, though, was the lengths Trump would go to for a second term. But he realized that he could sell the Presidency to the highest bidder. And that was the wealthiest man in the world, Elon Musk. According to CNN, Musk spent $260 million to help Trump win the election. In return, Musk received a promise from Trump to name him to head the non-existent advisory board called DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), which would determine where the government would spend its money.
Musk has moved into Mar-a-Lago and been by Trump’s side since the election. He has appeared at news conferences with Trump and has participated with him in calls with Vladimir Putin. Interestingly, Trump’s Vice-President Elect, JD Vance, has been missing in action.
The extent of Musk’s involvement with the Presidency became evident recently when a bipartisan agreement to avert a government shutdown over the holidays was set to be voted on. Musk, with Trump at his side, led the opposition to the bill, warning any Republican who voted for it that they would be primaried in the next election.
Musk insisted the bill could wait until Trump took office on January 20th. He disregarded the fact that millions of seniors, the disabled, military personnel, veterans, and government employees would financially suffer over the holidays. And MAGA thought Trump was one of them!
Trump hasn’t even been sworn in yet, and Musk is taking the reigns of office. As long as Trump can fly on Air Force One, sit in the Oval Office, stand for Hail to the Chief, and be called “Mr. President” while avoiding prison, that’s all he cares about. He sold the United States to Elon Musk, who, with the help of Vladimir Putin, will determine the future direction the country will take.
MAGA voted for Donald Trump, but elected Elon Musk as President, but we all will suffer.
At three o’clock in the morning, most sane people are sleeping, but not Donald Trump. The pathological narcissist cannot forget that someone would dare criticize him or attempt to hold him accountable for the crimes he has committed. It was at this time, in the middle of the night, that Trump chose to threaten Liz Cheney for her part in uncovering the truth behind the January 6th insurrection.
Throughout Trump’s campaign, he emphasized his desire for retribution on his perceived enemies more than what he would do for the country. He has continued to promise that his political opponents, the media, those public officials who dared to prosecute him for his crimes, and anyone who criticized him would face justice under his Justice Department. He had even called for military tribunals to carry out his revenge,
Anyone who is this obsessed with taking revenge on his perceived enemies is not a sane person. Such a person should never be in a position of power or authority. But sadly, he will be the next President in a month. Thanks to a fascist Supreme Court, he will yield almost unlimited power over everyone, including those who criticize him. He can even order his political opponents to be killed as long as he does so as one of his official duties.
Former GOP Congresswoman Liz Cheney has been at the top of his list ever since she began investigating Trump for his part in fomenting the January 6th insurrection as Vice Chairman of the January 6 select committee of the House.
She further stoked his hatred for her as she publicly supported and campaigned for Kamala Harris in the election. He has previously called for a televised military tribunal to prosecute Cheney for treason. Last year, Trump suggested that the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Mark Milley, be executed for meeting with his Chinese counterpart.
Cheney is arguably at the top of Trump’s hit list for his next administration, but there are others who Trump has promised to “bring to justice.” Among them are Kamala Harris, Joe Biden and his family, Barack and Michelle Obama, New York’s AG Letitia James, and the list goes on.
Trump has already started his revenge on the media with lawsuits against ABC News. The major media outlets are bending over backward to kiss up to Trump, as he has promised lawsuits against them or revoking their broadcast licenses. The First Amendment is definitely in big trouble, and it doesn’t appear that the media is willing to fight for their rights.
If anyone had doubts that Trump was kidding, all they have to do is look at the sycophants he has nominated for his Cabinet positions. Not one of them possesses any qualifications except for blind loyalty to Trump and their determination to assist Trump in his reign of retribution.
In a normal democracy, one would think Trump could carry out the revengeful prosecution of his enemies with an effective judicial system in place. However, with the highest court in the land aiding and abetting Trump’s fascist behavior, there may be no way of preventing Trump from carrying out his revenge.
How far will he go? Will he seek jail time for his detractors? Or, God forbid, will he execute them, as he has suggested? The only people who can stop him are the GOP members of Congress, who so far have signaled they are willing to follow him in lockstep. We’re in for another Inquisition!
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A few days ago, I was in the Department of Motor Vehicles tending to some unfinished business when the clerk asked me if I was registered to vote. I told her I was. I noticed a sign saying you can register to vote or change your registration online. At first, I didn’t think anything of it, so I ignored it.
But later, while driving home, I began thinking of maybe changing my registration. I have been a registered Democrat since I was 18 and never considered changing that. My parents and all my family members were part of the working middle class and never once thought of becoming a Republican, much less voting for one.
I had friends who were Republican and felt the same way about their party. But we were still friends. Politics were hardly ever mentioned once every election was over, except sometimes when applying for a job when being a Republican assured your success. I’m sure there were places where being a Democrat assured others job success.
I have always been told that anyone could grow up to be President, but I never believed it. If you want to be elected, you must be rich, come from a wealthy family, and have very wealthy connections. Today, even a convicted felon can be elected, but he must still be rich.
I began thinking of the 2016 election and how hard the Republicans fought to change the results, even though they knew they lost. Then I thought of this past election, where Trump won by a very narrow margin. There were many irregularities and discrepancies in vote counts, yet the Democrats laid down and rolled over. There were no challenges. What the hell is wrong with them?
Our presidential elections have never been democratic, thanks to the racist antiquated Electoral College. It has been years since the majority of American people have elected the President.
This was the first year a billionaire, lock, stock, and barrel purchased the Presidency. Millionaires have been bankrolling presidential candidates for years. Once elected, the candidates serve their donors, not the citizens.
No other country in the world has political campaigns lasting months and even years. No other country spends billions of dollars on every campaign. This incoming administration will consist of billionaires and millionaires dedicated to serving their own interests and those of other wealthy businessmen. We will officially be an oligarchy.
Should I change my registration? The answer is, what’s the use? I am a non-religious, retired, white, middle-class, gay man married to a male immigrant. Who represents my interests? There is no way in hell Republicans do. Some want to invalidate my marriage, take away my rights, deport my husband, decrease my Medicare and Social Security, and force Christian nationalism on me.
The reason why I have always supported the Democratic Party is because I believed they would protect me and defend my rights. For many years, they have done just that. But lately, it seems they are afraid to anger Trump and his extreme right-wing supporters. They have missed many opportunities to codify LGBTQ rights, as well as women’s reproductive rights. They wanted to wait for bipartisan support from the very people who have declared their intentions to destroy both LGBTQ and women’s rights.
They appeared to have lost their collective spines in the past four years. Under the leadership of AG Merrick Garland, they have failed to hold accountable Trump and the members of Congress who attempted a coup on January 6th, 2021. Now, the coup has almost been completed.
In deciding the Democratic Party leadership for the next Congress, the Party has shown they have not learned anything from their recent loss. They are still going with the same old, white, sickly male Democrats instead of handing the party over to the younger generation.
I have lost faith in the Democratic Party and have no faith in the Republican Party, so what do I do? The only option is to become an Independent. But, really, what good is that? Big-money donors will still support and elect either a Democrat or a Republican.
What we need is an effective and popular alternative party or parties. But that will never happen because everyone is pathologically attached to the party they now belong to. Wealthy donors will never allow a third party to exist, especially if it has the support of the poor and middle class.
Political parties are becoming a thing of the past. The grassroots members of the party are no longer of any importance. Their votes won’t matter anymore. During the last campaign, Trump even admitted that he did not need people’s votes. They can be bought or technologically manipulated.
I won’t bother to change my registration because it will make no difference in my future. I can only hope there are some politicians of either party who have the courage to take our country from the oligarchs and give it back to the people. It’s “We the People”, not “We the Wealthy.”
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I was in the kitchen the other day preparing my lunch. I had the television on to catch up with the news of an upcoming storm. I began hearing the familiar tunes of Christmas carols, which reminded me Christmas was quickly approaching.
But as the carols continued, I listened more carefully to the words; I realized that the words had nothing to do with the Christmas holiday. They were about choosing the right gifts to make your pets happy this time of year!
Later that afternoon, my husband and I continued to decorate the Christmas tree in our living room while Christmas music continued on the TV. No, there wasn’t a program playing Christmas carols—they were commercials.
I began to pay more attention to what I was hearing. I learned that if you really were concerned about the safety of your children while driving this holiday season, you should buy them a $50,000 Subaru. I guess if you can’t afford this, you don’t give a damn about your kids.
One of my favorite TV ads shows a beautiful snowy Christmas Eve, with a woman opening her gift and finding the keys to a $100,000 Mercedez Benz, which is all wrapped up in the driveway. Not to be outdone, Lexus will wrap one of their very expensive cars, complete with a big red bow, to show your spouse how much they are loved and appreciated.
During this time of year, you can’t watch a single television commercial playing a different rendition of traditional Christmas carols that isn’t begging you to buy something, ranging from air fresheners to furniture. The more expensive the product is, the more beautiful the music is, and the more they try to shame you into buying it.
I’m not a religious person, even though I was raised Catholic. But I do like to see the traditions of the holiday and the messages that Christmas attempts to teach us. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines Christmas as “the Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus.” Somewhere along the way, that meaning was lost. Now, it is the celebration of Capitalism fleecing the public.
When I lived in Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country with few Christians, Christmas was celebrated with Christmas trees, Santa, and the exchange of gifts. Jesus had nothing to do with it. Oddly, Christmas Day was a national holiday, but Muslims regarded it as a religious holiday that Muslims were not allowed to celebrate. The government isn’t stupid; the holiday brings in a lot of money.
Some people keep alive the traditions of caring for the less fortunate and sharing good tidings with their neighbors, but unfortunately, this only lasts a few days during this time of year.
I don’t think we, as a country, will ever go back to the days when Christmas was a celebration of Christ’s birth and a time to adhere to His teachings of love and acceptance. Christmas has gone the way of other holidays, like St. Patrick’s Day, which is no longer a celebration of Irish pride and tradition but a day where people can get as drunk as possible.
Chrismas has become a celebration where corporations and big businesses reap their largest profits of the year while making us believe we are doing something for our families, friends, and neighbors in the spirit of giving.
You don’t have to be religious or even a Christian to be kind to people. We can still reject the commercialism of the holidays and practice what Christmas was supposed to be in our hearts, families, and communities. We can continue this feeling of goodwill all year long. Capitalism will still survive without our financial contribution.
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Since the election, I have received many more unwanted emails in my personal email account. Most are from right-wing media outlets, financial or investment websites, or Conservative PACs. And most ask for money.
As a liberal, I am sure I have never been on such sites and certainly have not subscribed to receive emails from them. At first, I simply deleted them or marked them as junk mail and then moved on. But as they continued to appear in my inbox, I began to get angry and decided to click on their “Unsubscribe” button. This led me to a page where I encountered a second “Unsubscribe to All Emails” button, which I promptly clicked on. Problem solved.
Nope. Not even close. The more of these sites I “Unsubscribed” to, the more new sites with similar content began to appear. Clicking on the button set off a chain reaction that sent out more and more unwanted emails. Now, what do I do?
Do I ignore them and delete them as I receive them? Or do I continue to “Unsubscribe” to them and receive even more? Either way, I feel as though they have defeated me. As angry as I get when I receive this junk mail, I’ll just have to accept it as a downside of our modern technology.
Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon? If so, how do you deal with the non-stop chain reaction?
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It seems like the older I get, the more body parts fail or wear out, like an old junker car. The whole disgusting process is gradual and comes when you least expect it. I think my body is getting even with me for all the abuse I subjected it to in my younger years.
This past week, I had the final medical procedure in a series of tests to determine the cause of three bowel blockages I had over 18 months. Nothing abnormal was discovered. I hadn’t had any troubles in the 8 months since my last hospitalization. So, I was feeling both relieved and encouraged about my prognosis.
I had just finished a lunch of sushi and was ready to continue putting the finishing touches on our inside Christmas decorations when suddenly I was doubled over in pain.” OMG. Not again,” I thought. I didn’t want to end up in the Emergency Room or the hospital again. It gets rather costly, especially when you never find out what’s wrong.
I hoped it was just gas, which I frequently get along with bloating, as I have IBS, (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). I began eating anti-gas tablets in hopes of easing the pain. It helped for a while, but the epigastric pain returned, this time in waves. Oddly, I felt hungry, but there was no way I was going to eat anything. I still feared another bowel blockage, even though the pain was not the same.
As the evening progressed, the pain subsided to a dull ache in my upper abdomen. It felt familiar, as if I had experienced these pains a few years ago. That’s when I had frequent gallbladder attacks, which finally resulted in the removal of my gallbladder.
During the night, I only experienced slight soreness in my stomach and intestines. In the middle of the night, I developed a fever, and when that broke, all my pain was gone. Strangely, I had to get up and pee at least 5 times during the night, which destroyed my good night’s rest.
Upon waking, my stomach was a little sore, like someone had punched me in the gut, but otherwise, I felt back to normal but tired. Thinking about what had happened, I don’t feel what bothered me last evening had anything to do with my prior bowel blockages. I think I passed a bile duct stone. Even though I no longer have a gallbladder, I can still have bile duct stones. Aren’t I lucky?
It’s discouraging to have my body attack me in this way, even though I have done my best to eat a nutritious, healthy diet. I guess our bodies never forget the wild, carefree days of our youth.
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If any of my readers remember, I was hospitalized three times with a bowel blockage in 18 months. To determine the cause, I’ve had an MRI, tried the FODMAP diet, and attempted a video capsule endoscopy. The MRI showed nothing. The FODMAP diet helped decrease diarrhea, bloating, and stomach pain.
But before I could have a video capsule endoscopy, I first had to swallow a capsule without a camera to ensure the capsule would not get stuck. This failed, but luckily, the capsule dissolved after three days.
My doctors said it would be too dangerous to do the endoscopy for fear the camera would get stuck and need to be surgically removed. The last option was to have a diagnostic colonoscopy. And tomorrow is the day.
If no one has had a colonoscopy before, the actual procedure is not bad at all. It’s the preparation that’s a killer!
Four days before the procedure, I had to quit eating high-fiber food. Two days before the procedure, I had to stop eating solid food at 9 pm. The day before is the worst.
Today, I can only have clear liquids, such as tea, coffee, apple juice, broth, or jello. At noon, I took two laxative pills and prepared two 28-oz. bottles of Gatorade mixed with 8 oz. of Miralax laxative. Starting at 5 o’clock, I have to start drinking one of these bottles every 15 minutes until it is gone.
At 5 am tomorrow, I have to begin drinking the second bottle until that bottle is gone. I have to arrive at the hospital at 10:15 for the procedure. Shortly after this, I should be out like a light and wake up with the procedure finished, hungry as hell.
Needless to say, I won’t be doing much today. That is why I am spending the day on my laptop, engaging on Medium, and being as close to the bathroom as possible.
After this procedure, I hope I will find some answers as to why I have had three bowel blockages. If the colonoscopy reveals nothing abnormal, it will be good news. There is the possibility that the Ibuprofen I had been taking for my arthritis pains caused a stricture in my large bowel. I no longer take Ibuprofen, so hopefully, that stricture, if it existed, has disappeared.
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Goodbye
November. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is looking
forward to the Christmas and New Year holidays. For some of us, we also
look forward to a long, cold, and snowy winter.
This
past week, I wrote articles on Thanksgiving, of course, especially an
unpleasant surprise after my Thanksgiving meal, Writing on Medium and
Politics. I also republished a personal story from 2019. I hope you
enjoy them.
Thank
you for subscribing to my newsletter. If you are not a Member of Medium
or cannot open the above links to my articles, you can click on the
link to my blog, Steve Sovie’s World, where you can read them for free.
