July
14, is Bastille Day. It is the day when the common people of France,
despairing their grievances would never be addressed, stormed the
Bastille. It was a turning point for the French Revolution, and is
celebrated annually with parades, fireworks and general festivity.
This
year the salute at the military parade down the Champs Elysees was
taken jointly by the new President of France Emmanuel Macron and U.S.
President Donald Trump. France is the U.S.'s oldest ally -- the French
navy and French troops helped American colonists defeat the British and
achieve independence over 240 years ago.
The
two leaders have one significant fact in common: both took on their
political establishment and won; Trump even took on the media. Both now
are happy to partner against ISIS in Syria, and both also favor better
relations with Russia. Trump had a two-hour meeting with Putin at the
G-20 meeting; Macron met with Putin twice, first at Versailles and then
again at the G-20.
Does
anyone remember 'the October surprise', the 1980 election scandal where
the Reagan campaign is purported to have struck a deal with Iran's
Ayatollah Khomeini to delay the release of American hostages until after the
election. It sabotaged President Jimmy Carter's own deal with Iran's
moderate president Banisadr. In comparison, Trump returned home to another storm in a teacup.
Some
Russian promised dirt on Hillary Clinton. He met with Donald Trump Jr.
and had little to offer. As these things go, the Russian was probably
enhancing his own business status by appearing close to the Trump
family. The Democrats are back screaming Russian interference in the
election. Question: Would Hillary's people have followed up on such an
offer?
Meanwhile, the long trail of corruption reaching back to Arkansas and how Hillary miraculously turned $1,000 into $100,000 trading commodities, a significant figure when her husband was earning about a third of that amount, and many other questions, will continue to dog her. How about the trade confirmations necessary for tax purposes, and something anyone with a spouse in politics would keep to establish propriety. These would surely prove her claims.
Hillary and Bill Clinton have earned $153 million from speech making. In a July 31, 2015 Rolling Stone article, former President Jimmy Carter is quoted as saying, the U.S. "is an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery." They pay their money and get what they want. It is no longer the democracy that made this nation great.
By the way, the Jimmy Carter Center is not sitting on billions collected for a foundation. It has nearly eradicated river blindness (Guinea worm) in Africa, and is fighting other neglected tropical diseases like trachoma. It also monitors foreign elections when asked to, fights for human rights, and for peaceful conflict resolution.
While one can disagree strongly with Trump's policies on health care and climate change and a lot more, one knows they are his policies. He is not beholden to large donors. And while he is constrained in trying to improve relations with Russia, he is trying. It is the only country that can blow us up ending life as we know it, and no one wants that Doomsday Clock edging still closer to midnight.
One also remembers what the hacking did -- it exposed the Democratic establishment as thoroughly corrupt -- so dirty it needs a ton of Clorox bleach. Shouldn't the Democrats pursue some substantive legislation to win back disgruntled supporters?
