It's Been Awhile, But I'm Still Here

 

Mount Denali May 2025

It's been quite a while since I posted on this blog, but don't worry, I'm still here. I took the vacation of a lifetime in May, when I took a cruise and land tour of Alaska with my husband. It was magnificent, but a little tiring. It was well worth it. When I returned home, I had to make a few decisions about my writing. 

Before I left on vacation, I was just getting started putting in more effort on my Substack newsletter, and pondering my future writing on Medium, trying to decide what I wanted to do with my YouTube Channel, as well as how much effort I should put into this blog. Well, I've finally made up my mind what to do.

My original purpose in starting to write online was to earn a little extra money, and that hasn't changed much. My main focus is not making a lot of money, but enough to pay the expenses involved in writing, such as Internet fees, electricity, and grammar software, when I can afford it. Even if I can't make any money, I'll keep writing, but maybe not that enthusiastically,  ha ha. 

Writing on Medium, up until last January, spoiled me with earnings well over a hundred dollars a month. Then, drastically, it all changed. Medium wasn't distributing my work and most other writers' work, so people could read them. Then, Medium decided to pay about 1 cent per read for each article read.  This dramatically reduced almost everyone's earnings to a mere pittance. Writers left the platform in droves. A few weeks ago, I decided that I'm not going to publish every day or more, when no one can see my work, in hopes of earning a few cents. I am still on the platform, but no longer a paying member or contributor.

I have been spending more time writing my Substack newsletter. I offer my subscribers the choice of a free or a paid subscription. The paid subscription does not include any special benefits, other than the ability to show their support. I also accept one-time donations. I feel that what I have to offer in my newsletter articles is more important than earning a lot of money.

I also recently started a YouTube channel, where I can share some of my Substack videos or anything else I want to say. I never thought I could be able to do this, but once I started, I enjoyed it. I know I will never make any money, as you have to have at least 1000 subscribers to your channel to be able to monetize it. I currently have 33😂.

As I had previously said, I spend the majority of my time writing on my Substack newsletter. I predominantly write about politics and social issues, with a liberal leaning. I don't offer any "breaking news" or "investigative reporting", but what I do offer are my thoughts and opinions on what is happening to our country, from a gay, retired senior citizen - an average American like you. I feel it is important for people like me to get the word out, so we can save our democracy. Making big bucks from the newsletter is less important.

Finally, I am getting to this blog. Like I have said, I haven't spent much time on here, and I apologize to those few followers I have for not being more productive. I have decided that since politics is my main focus on Substack, I will use Steve Sovie's World, for everything else I want to share. Occasionally, I will share some material from Substack and my YouTube channel. If you notice, the title of this blog is Steve Sovie's World, while both my Substack newsletter and YouTube channel are titled Stepehen Sovie's World. My Substack link is Stephen Sovie's World. My YouTube channel is Stephen Sovie's World.

I hope you can visit each of my sites and subscribe if you like what I have to say. And if you are feeling generous and can afford to, please consider making a one-time donation or becoming a paid subscriber on my Substack newsletter.

I apologize for any mistakes you may have found in this post.  I used to use Grammarly Pro as an editing software, but I can't see paying the high price they are asking for. Hey, I'm on a fixed income!

Thank you for reading.

This Isn’t the First Time Bishop Budde Showed Her Christianity

Do you remember Matthew Shepard?

Photo Courtesy of Washington National Cathedral

During the Inaugural Prayer service at Washington’s National Cathedral, Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde looked Donald Trump directly in the eye and asked him “ to have mercy” on people who are scared. She particularly mentioned the LGBTQ community, transgendered children, and immigrants. The transcript of her sermon can be found here.

Trump was stunned and fired back an angry, childish response to her, as he does every time someone says something he doesn’t like. Naturally, Trump-world exploded, attacking the Bishop with derogatory names and, in some cases, even death threats. Republicans referred to her as “a so-called bishop” of a “so-called church” in their typical hypocritical Christian fashion.

Bishop Budde has become somewhat of a hero for having the courage to stand up to the malevolent Trump, something that very few males in Congress or any other “religious leader dared to do. But this isn’t the first time Bishop Budde has stood up against hate and shown what a real Christian is all about.

Do you remember Matthew Sheppard, the teenager who was beaten, tortured, and left to die on a barbed wire fence near Laramie, Wyoming, in October of 1998? He died as a result of the attack. He was murdered because he was gay. You can read Matthew’s story in The Guardian.

After Matthew’s death, he was never given a final resting place, as his family feared it would face desecration by hate groups. Ten years after his death, Bishop Budde granted Matthew’s parent’s request to have his ashes interred at Washington’s National Cathedral, where he now lies in peace, finally.

Bishop Budde is truly an American and Christian hero whose faith and love for humanity should be exemplified. If you have ever asked, “What would Jesus do”? Your answer would be, as Bishop Budde has done.

I’m moving to Substack. Please join me in Stephen Sovie’s World newsletter by clicking on the link.

I Fear It May Already Be Too Late to Save Our Democracy

Our descent into hell has commenced

Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash

Like many Americans, I was shocked when Trump won the election, But what shocked me even more was the reaction of the Democrats. There were no lawsuits, no investigations, and no questions asked. They waived the white flag, rolled over, and gave up.

Since then, there have been some issues regarding the election that have called into question the validity of the election. During the campaign, people remember Trump telling his supporters he did not need their votes. Did he know something we didn’t? Two days ago, Trump made this odd statement about Musk, “He knows those computers better than anybody all those computers those vote counting computers”. Trump was thanking Musk for his help in winning Pennsylvania. The video may be viewed here.

I’m not saying the election was rigged, but I am wondering what would happen if it was. What would happen if there was sound, irrefutable truth that Musk tampered with the voting machines to change the votes in favor of Trump? And what would happen if there was indisputable evidence that this was done at the direction of Trump and his campaign staff? What if it could be proven that Trump was never shot in that supposed assassination attempt where the alleged shooter was killed and that Trump orchestrated the entire incident?

Sure, everyone would say impeach him. That wouldn’t work. The Republicans in the Senate blocked an impeachment in his first term. This time, his MAGA Republicans control both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

So, how about the Department of Justice and the judicial system investigating, charging, and indicting him? That won’t work because Trump will have his hand-picked Attorney General, who has pledged loyalty to him, block any such actions. The last refuge of hope would be the Supreme Court. But we are in this position today because SCOTUS allowed a person who planned an insurrection to run for office and then granted him almost complete immunity.

If, by some miracle, Trump was impeached and removed from office, we will still be left with an autocratic style of government. Every single person in the line of accession to the presidency has been hand-picked for their loyalty to Trump. The entire Trump regime, the Supreme Court, and numerous Congressional Republicans would have to be impeached, removed from office, and imprisoned. It will never happen.

We will never get to a point where, if there were abundant damaging evidence against Trump and Musk, the public would never know. Fox News, the official propaganda arm of the Trump syndicate, would never allow anything negative about Trump to be reported. The major cable and network news organizations are under the control of wealthy Trump supporters, and they would never jeopardize their relationship with Trump.

The Constitution has no provision for dealing with an entirely corrupt and treasonous government. Our Founding Fathers never in their wildest imaginations could have envisioned such a dangerous and disastrous situation.

I do not hold out much hope that Trump or anyone in his Reich will allow another fair presidential election. Otherwise, we are doomed. I hope I am wrong.

I’m moving to Substack. Please join me in Stephen Sovie’s World newsletter by clicking the link.

It’s Only Day One, and He’s Screwing the Very People Who Supported Him

It’s Only Day One, and He’s Screwing the Very People Who Supported Him

I told you so

Photo by taylor on Unsplash

Here we are on day two of the Trump oligarchy, which is actually the first full day since his anointing. He didn’t wait for today to start his reign of terror, though. Yesterday, he began firing off executive orders like he was ordering Big Macs at McDonalds.

For all his followers who are on Medicare and Medicaid and have difficulty affording their prescription drugs, you must be thrilled. When Biden lowered the cost of insulin and other prescription drugs for people on Medicare and Medicaid, you were excited, but you didn’t give Biden credit for helping you. No, instead, you believed Trump’s lies promising you better healthcare. Yesterday, Trump rescinded Biden’s order. You now have lost your prescription drug savings so Trump could put more money in the pockets of his big pharma buddies.

Now that your prescription drug costs will remain high, you must be careful not to get sick. Don’t worry; Trump withdrew the US from the World Health Organization, so if there is another pandemic, you’re on your own, left only with bleach and heartworm medication. It must be comforting to hear Trump say he knows so much about health issues!

Yesterday, Trump also withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement to protect his wealthy cronies in the oil industry. I’m sure this doesn’t mean anything to you MAGA supporters, who think the weather and the climate are the same thing. Maybe you’ll discover the difference when your home is blown away in a hurricane or left in ashes after a wildfire. But climate change is a hoax.

Thank God all of you Trump followers are straight, white Christians. Yesterday, he rolled back policies protecting gay and transgender rights and supporting equality and diversity. If your son or daughter loses their job or faces discrimination over their gender or sexual identity, you can proudly tell them you voted for that.

I doubt that any of you MAGA people have relatives who are children granted US citizenship through birthright citizenship because Trump is trying to eliminate that right. However, it will be next to impossible because it is a Constitutional Amendment. So forget about turning in your neighborhood children because they look Mexican.

These are just a few of Trump's executive orders issued on his first day as President. Wait until he places a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada! I’m sure you won’t have any problems paying 25% extra for your cars, fruits and vegetables, and beer. After all, your fearless leader said you weren’t better off with Biden.

This is only the beginning of Trump’s reign of terror, and there will be many, many more to come. Since he and wealthy white supremacist Christian nationalists have more in store to return the country to the days when the robber barons ruled and minorities existed in the shadows. For now, I will refrain from saying I told you so. I am sure you will get everything you deserve.

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January 20, 2025, A Felonious First

Let the raping and pillaging begin

Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash

In three days, for the first time in American history, the first convicted felon will be inaugurated President of The United States. He will take an oath with his hand on a Bible he has never read to defend the Constitution, a document he has never read nor understood or respected. He will, as usual, make a speech filled with gibberish, accusations, lies, and promises he does not intend to keep.

So now he is being inaugurated for his second term. His goal was not to “Make America great again”, as his branded slogan asserts, because America has always been kind of great. He doesn’t want to unite the country because his campaign was formulated to divide it with “us” versus “them.”

He has no intention of making life better for the poor and middle class, the workers, the aged, and the infirmed. He doesn’t care about voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, the climate, or the economy. He doesn’t care about crime, the rule of law, or democracy.

He has two main goals: to stay out of prison and to bring unprecedented wealth to himself, his family, and his fellow millionaires. To achieve his goals, he plans on being the exalted and feared leader of an authoritarian government, in the style of his idol Vladimir Putin.

He did not win the election in a landslide, as he has proclaimed. He does not have a mandate from the American people, as tens of millions stayed home instead of voting. People who did not want a Black woman as president and those glued to Fox News voted for him. With those votes and hundreds of millions of dollars, Elon Musk was able to purchase the Office of the President for his puppet, Donald Trump. No doubt Putin also had a hand in the win. Trump will be President in name only.

During Trump’s campaign, he promised his MAGA followers that he would do many things on day one of his presidency if elected. According to NBC News, they are as follows:

1. Begin a mass deportation program.
2. End birthright citizenship.
3. End Biden-era policies.
4. Pardon the January 6 defendants.
5. Ending the war in Ukraine.
6. Implement tariffs.
7. Cancel the electric vehicle mandate.
8. Drill, Drill, Drill.
9. Made in America auto industry.
10. Limiting transgender participation in women’s sports.
11. End gender-affirming care practices.

None of these, if carried out, will help bring down the price of eggs, groceries, or gas. They were promised to stir up the racism and bigotry of the far right.

Remember these promises and see how many are implemented on day one, as he promised. You can keep score if you wish. Trump has evaded prison time. He now will concentrate on enriching himself and his cronies and staying in power. He doesn’t need MAGA anymore. They are now only his subjects to be tossed aside.

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Happy New Year 2025

The year of the billionaire

Photo by Jacob Vizek on Unsplash

New Year’s Eve celebrations are many of us have made our New Year resolutions for 2025. Some have chosen to lose weight, some to stop drinking, some to join a gym, and others to work harder. In a few weeks, those resolutions will all be broken and abandoned. Oddly, these resolutions are the only parts of our future we can control.

Because almost half of all Americans thought a racist old white millionaire felon and former President would improve their lot in life more than a Black woman, they gave their future to Donald Trump. In reality, their future is in the hands of Elon Musk, who purchased the presidency and allowed Trump to be president by name only.

Trump’s choices for his new cabinet are all billionaires or, at least, millionaires. Musk, aiming to be the first and only billionaire in modern history, has already flexed his newly purchased muscle.

He attempted but failed to have Congress shut down the government and significantly shut down the government. However, he did succeed in eliminating money for research into childhood cancer and raising the salaries of Congressmen.

Musk’s latest endeavor is to significantly increase the number of H-1B Visas. This is something that Trump was dead set against during his campaign, but he has since come into complete agreement with Musk. Musk has a history of laying off workers at Tesla and hiring H-1B visa holders at a lower pay rate, who cannot ask for a raise or unionize.

American workers can now expect a somewhat shaky employment future, knowing foreign workers can easily replace them, something Trump promised he would not allow. So much for Trump’s promises.

Speaking of promises, Trump said, during the campaign, he would lower gas and grocery prices. He has since walked back that promise, admitting he couldn’t do that. This doesn’t bode well for the future many of us will be experiencing soon.

Musk and Rivik Ramaswamy, Trump’s picks to head DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, a non-existent agency to cut government spending. The billionaires naturally have targeted government spending essential for the most vulnerable Americans, such as Social Security and Medicare. By cutting these two programs, the government can give much-needed tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires.

Don’t think for a minute your healthcare will get better or cheaper. Cost reductions in some drugs, such as insulin and asthma inhalers, passed by the Biden administration, are future targets for President Musk and his loyal servant, Donald Trump.

The traditional greetings for the new year include, “Have a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!” Thanks to the idiots who voted to return to office the worst President this country has ever had, the new year will not be healthy for millions, nor will it be prosperous, except for the uber-wealthy, so I hope you’ll be happy for the choice you’ve made.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my Newsletter, click on my photo below.

How Much Money is Enough?

Will our new billionaire administration steal us blind?

Photo by Rob on Unsplash

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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Will Liz Cheney Survive Trump’s Revenge?

Photo by lilartsy on Unsplash

And will she be the first of many?

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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I Am Considering Changing My Party Registration

But will it make a difference?

Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash

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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What Will the News Media Look Like in 2025

If Trump wins the election

Photo by ThisisEngineering on Unsplash

In January 2025, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th and final President of the United States. He immediately began working on his retribution list, carrying out his promise to punish those who had been disloyal to him. He is acting with impunity thanks to his hand-picked Supreme Court, which granted him dictatorial powers.

His first official act was to nullify the Constitution and replace it with Project 2025. He has directed his Justice Department, now known as The Department of Revenge, to arrest former officials and political opponents, including Harris, Biden, Obama, Liz Cheney, and others, who are charged with treason and will be summarily executed.

He then set his sights on the media. As promised, he revoked the broadcast licenses of CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC. The Public Broadcast System was abolished. FOX News, Breitbart News, and Newsmax are designated as the only broadcast networks allowed to report the news. The Washington Post and The New York Times are no longer allowed to publish any news that Trump’s Truth Ministry has not approved. Local and hometown newspapers are under the direct control of the Truth Ministry and will function at Trump’s pleasure.

Social media and other internet sites that previously allowed open political discourse will now be under the watchful eye of newly appointed Free Speech Czar Elon Musk. X and Truth Social will now become the official mouthpieces of the Trump Regime. The world-famous social publishing site Medium will no longer publish any articles unflattering to Trump, his family, or his handlers.

The names of anyone who has written articles considered unfriendly towards Trump or his agenda will be handed over to Musk for possible imprisonment or execution. AI-written articles will encouraged over those articles that could be regarded as woke or inclusive.

Dear Leader will continue to carry out his policies of mass deportation and denial of fundamental human rights to people of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community, and non-Christians as time, his health, and JD Vance permits. I will attempt to report on further developments here on Medium if Musk hasn’t caught up with me yet.

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We’re The Greatest Country in The World, And here’s why

And here’s why

Photo by Carlos Gilbert on Unsplash

The statement, “The United States is the greatest country in the world,” is heard everywhere at every event and gathering. It is one of the most common comments coming from the mouths of American politicians, especially those involved in a campaign. USA! USA! We are number 1!

So, how did we become the greatest? Let’s take a look at what makes us so special.

We have freedom of religion. This is true, but there are some catches; you must be Christian, especially the Evangelical or Protestant kind. Catholics are acceptable, except for that Pope thing. Jews are permissible as long as they don’t own any big businesses. Buddhists are okay because they seem to be quite docile. Muslims, well, that’s another story.

We consider no one above the law. There are some exceptions to this idea, however. If you are wealthy, politically connected, or your name is Trump, the Supreme Court guarantees that you are above the law. Also, if you are a white male and a Republican, you, too, may be considered to be above the law. If you’re a young Black male, forget it! You don’t count.

Every American citizen over the age of 18 has the right to vote. Well, that’s almost true. If you’re a white Christian Republican male, you almost certainly have the right to vote. As it stands now, white Republican women also have the right to vote. If you are white and live in a part of the country that votes Democratic, you’re on shaky ground. You can vote for now. If you are a Black man or woman, you may vote, but you may have a great deal of trouble getting to the polls, proving you are a citizen, or confirming you are registered to vote. In the future, especially if Trump is re-elected, you probably won’t be allowed to vote.

We are the land of the free and home of the brave. Yes, we have many brave veterans who served their country and many who have given their lives to preserve our democracy. However, as far as the land of the free goes, this freedom has some exceptions. In particular, women do not have the freedom to manage their healthcare and have no reproductive rights. Their gynecological decisions are not theirs; they belong to Conservative politicians.

We are a country that welcomes immigrants. Every American is, of course, a descendant of immigrants, except for our indigenous peoples. This was true long ago, but a few minor changes have occurred. We do welcome immigrants into our country, but they have to be white, Christian Europeans. Black and Brown people, known for being criminals and mental patients, are no longer welcome.

The United States has the best healthcare in the world — if you can afford it. However, it’s also the most expensive — many Americans who go without healthcare because of the high cost end up dying. Millions more go into insurmountable debt because of their overwhelming medical bills. Along with the high cost of medical procedures, we also have the highest prescription drug costs in the world. Millions of Americans have to choose between purchasing their prescription drugs or paying for rent or groceries.

America has been known to have streets paved with gold, where everyone can aspire to the American dream of owning a home or business, having a good-paying job, and raising a family. Well, maybe for rich, white guys like Elon Musk. Today, many people can’t afford the high cost of renting a home, much less buying a house. But that’s alright; they can join the thousands on the streets of our American cities. This is good for now, but some communities are making it illegal to be homeless.

Every American can tell you we have the best educational system in the world. Our high school athletic programs are unequaled. We have the best football, basketball, and soccer teams. To ensure this, our high school coaches are among the best-paid educators in the country. At the insistence of parents, students have minimal homework to devote more time to athletics. Our math and science scores are some of the worst in the world. But hay, how about that champion football team? No one wants to be called an elite by MAGA because they are educated.

There is one aspect of our American education system that no other country experiences. We are the only country in the world where a student can leave home for school and not return alive. Yes, America is number one in mass deaths due to school shootings. But that’s okay. Trump says, “Just get over it!”

But don’t worry. Students aren’t the only ones who can die in school shootings. Because of our American love affair with guns, especially assault weapons, we all are kept on our toes. You never know whether you will come home alive from your visit to Walmart, a concert, a parade, or even church.

We can’t forget that the main reason for our greatness is our democracy. We have a democratic form of government in which the citizens elect our leaders. Well, it’s not really that democratic, especially in our presidential elections. Our president is not elected by majority vote but by an antiquated institution called the Electoral College, which is a holdover from our slave-owning days. The president is elected by the votes in about four or five states, regardless of what the rest of the country says. We’ll never get rid of the Electoral College because so many Conservatives want to go back to the days of slavery.

In short, what makes our country great is that our Declaration of Independence guarantees life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Life, for those who can afford the healthcare to stay alive or can dodge the bullets from the weapons of a mass shooter while living their life.

Liberty for those seeking the freedom to love and marry whom they choose or be who they choose to be, as long as those choices refer to straight, white Christians and not members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The pursuit of happiness is for those who wish to pursue the goals of a career, family, business, or life without government interference, except for women who want control over their own bodies.

On second thought, maybe we’re not the greatest country in the world, but we could be if we eliminated all the hate and divisiveness in our country.

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Will There Be An October Surprise? And if there is, will it matter?

      Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

We are already in October in a presidential election cycle, and both candidates are in a dead heat. Older Americans are well aware of a phenomenon known as the October Surprise and are waiting to see if we will have one this year.

An October surprise is an event or scandal that is revealed in the month before the November election and can change the election results. One of the most recent and well-known October Surprises was during the 2016 election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Eleven days before the election, FBI Director James Comey announced he was reopening an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. His investigation previously found that Clinton may have been careless in using a private server, but she did not commit any crimes.

At the time of the announcement, Clinton held a substantial lead over Trump, but this quickly disappeared after the announcement. Trump went on to win the Electoral College and become President, while Clinton overwhelmingly won the popular vote.

Political pundits continue to say Clinton would have handily won the election had it not been for Comey announcing his decision to reopen the case publicly. Some say he broke the tradition of the Department of Justice to get involved in political investigations so close to an election. Others say he did it intentionally.

Yesterday, Washington, DC District Court Judge Tanya Chutkin unsealed Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s filings of evidence in Trump’s January 6th election subversion case. This is the evidence that will be introduced at Trump’s trial if and when it takes place in the future. The revelations included testimony that Trump said, “So what”? When he was told that his Vice President, Mike Pence, was taken away to a safe place in response to threats against his life.

All of the evidence presented was shown to be Trump’s actions as a private presidential candidate, not the President’s official actions. The new filings supposedly negate the Supreme Court’s declaration of immunity for Trump’s official duties.

The filings included evidence that Trump was responsible for planning, overseeing, and implementing the January 6ty attempt to overthrow the election of Joe Biden. In other words, Trump acted with criminal intent.

This is nothing new to all who are not glued to Fox News. Oddly enough, Fox News has reported these filings showed Trump acted criminally before and after the insurrection. Some pundits believe these revelations could be a real October Surprise. They reason that for many Americans with short memories, they could be a reminder of that horrible day. Those intending to vote for Trump may be influenced to have second thoughts.

I believe these new revelations will sway very few people. People who have always supported Trump, knowing he is a pathological liar, convicted felon, rapist, racist, and misogynist, will continue to support him. They are too much like him. Even if proof is revealed that Trump had viciously raped and slaughtered a kindergarten class of small children, they would still support him.

The only candidate an October Surprise could hurt would be Harris. Trump has ample time to fabricate the evidence for such an event. Be prepared for some nastiness ahead.