The Artful use of Words in Political Discourse.A dying Artform?

One thing this current election cycle has shown us,thanks to Donald Trump,is that words matter but so does a well rounded attention span that includes more then self indulgence and short sighted focus.Comics have lamented political correctness as killing their art form especially among the young college set.Well that may be true,but the art form of saying what you don’t mean is on the rise.When I first heard a country song “If I said you have a beautiful body”recorded by The Bellamy Brothers back in 1979,I got a taste for “double entendre”definition below,thanks to Google

dou·ble en·ten·dre

ˌdo͞obl änˈtändrə,ˌdəbl änˈtändrə/

noun

a word or phrase open to two interpretations, one of which is usually risqué or indecent.

synonyms: ambiguity, double meaning, innuendo, play on words

"much of the comedy is derived from racy double entendres"

humor using double entendres.

Today it would be difficult at best to record that song for mass release.

That brings me back to my subject of “The Artful use of Words in Political Discourse.A dying Artform?”When a Donald Trump said things like

“Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish the Second Amendment. If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people—maybe there is, I don’t know.” 

Everyone on the left goes nuts that Trump wants here killed.Folks you can’t call him a moron or baboon and then credit him for the most “Machiavellian”of statements yet in this election cycle.See Google definition again below.

Mach·i·a·vel·li·an

ˌmakēəˈvelēən,ˌmäk-/

adjective

1.

cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous, especially in politics or in advancing one's career.

synonyms: devious, cunning, crafty, artful, wily, sly, scheming, treacherous, two-faced, Janus-faced, tricky, double-dealing, unscrupulous, deceitful, dishonest; More

2.

of or relating to Niccolò Machiavelli.

noun

1.

a person who schemes in a Machiavellian way.

Most of what is said is lost on the general electorate including the “Trump-isms”as well as more subtile liberal attempts to denigrate Trump by videos culled from a the HBO series “Newsroom”starring Jeff Daniels as anchor Will McAvoy.There is a clip from that show that went viral,“Is America the greatest country - answer | rant - Newsroom” Jeff Daniels as well as

“Newsroom Rebuttal: America Is Not The Greatest Country In the World by Steven Crowder”I enjoyed both clips because for me it was a affirmation of Americas continued greatness but a warning of dangers to come if Trump or any Republican is elected while never mentioning him or them directly.This is basically because of the years of:”NO”against the current president and so its a failed plea to keep it going with Hillary.For me Mr Crowder misses that point and continues on the old talking points of America is NOT in decline and Obamas presidency has failed to  made it so by apologizing  for everything in the past and we are still great and a Conservative will make it better still.

For me both sides miss the point and the arguments go above the casual voter who never pays attention unless they know it will directly effect them.Todays play on words are lost on those who would run to a Human resource department when another employee would say”If I said you have a beautiful body / Would you hold it against me / If I swore you were an angel, / Would you treat me like the devil tonight”What passes for romance and poetry today in a world of safe places multi cultural,dare I say,confusion??? Sometimes I think political correctness is just a excuse for lack of education however I realize they say just the opposite that a lack of respect FOR their multi cultural spins is lack of education on my part.Who knows who’s right? But ain’t that America??Perhaps not as the years go on.  

No people are not “with it”anymore and yet this may be the most important election ever.We are still the greatest country in the world but getting dumb and dumber each year.

What I do know is that Trumps “directness”is reaching the great “unwashed masses”in this country and they still vote,the “cool,selfe,smart ones who are easily offended”show no history of voting unless they feel directly effected,as for the “First Black President”.

I fear November and beyond……….

  

Our Political Systems conversion to made for Reality TV sit-com

Its being stated that this years “hold your nose over the choices” is the worse Presidential election in our county’s history.Not being a historian or having researched very early elections,like now out of favor,Andrew Jackson,or obscure Millard Fillmore, this may or may not be true.However what I do believe IS true is that conversion to a made for reality TV sit com is happening before our eyes and at our own behest.
Examine the two candidates.Hillary Clinton has a history as a US Senator and US Secretary of State and Donald Trump.Business man with no history of Public Office.Why is this even a contest??Ah lets examine the reality TV aspects.Hillary has a controversial history of being a enabler to a philandering husband and innuendos over fraud and coverups,never proven,and inaccuracies caught on tape and  interpreted as lying at the worse and confusion at the least.Not so good.Now to Mister Trump.His confusion over what he thinks he has seen and his inabilities to apologize when shown his errors along with his abuses to any and all critics verbally as well as a merchant for infighting to violence  urgings at rallies are comical at the least and tragic at the worse.So yes,its a hold your nose choice but what is the relevance to reality TV??
    Lets examine what reality TV is before we go to the influence on the elective process.Per you typical “Google”search

re·al·i·ty TV
noun
television programs in which real people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative.

The key here is “to be entertaining rather than informative”.Now we can list many of these shows but I will list just a few with my own explanation of how its fits into the political discourse.First I must add a disclaimer,like that liberal comic Bill Maher,I do believes most americans these days are dumb and dumber.That however is a far broader and meaningful issue to discuss at a later date.Assuming that to be the truth for THIS discussion we can now go on to the reality TV aspects.
The earliest corruption was “Family Feud”,a quiz show bringing a group of family members to compete with another family in a contest to identify answers a studio audience had given to questions.Innocent and silly enough but it allowed you the viewer to believe this is what is “real” because people like you were doing it.
Next we go to “Survivor”a series about contestants from the new healthy “FIT”narcissist  generation who compete in a dangerous out door meet while”looking good”
Finally the current shows that show whatever your talents or knowledge or appearance there is a place for you on TV or at least to watch someone LIKE that.Think”Pawn brokers”,”Duck Dynasty”,”Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”to name just a few.So what does this mean.
      Historically after a lackluster 8 years in office,the next presidential election is usually a referendum for change or status quo.That would usually mean the out of power party candidate,in this case Trump,would have the advantage.However he has show,in a traditional way,he is unfit and thus it should be Hillary.But wait !! She just might be the worse”traditional candidate”ever !!! Here in lies my premise and thus the dumbing down of America dangers therein. Criminal possible candidate vs a possibly mentally deranged one?Reality TV has narrowly focused our attentions on what we want for ourselves and NOT the grater good.Wht not a rich guy with good looking kids and the ability to get married and “trade up”each time?After all isn’t that what we want as we sit on a couch watching TV with a beer in a neighborhood of others just like us OR we wished were?
OR those we watch are SO different we laugh and feel better about our own short comings that are not nearly so bad.Over time reality fades and the fantasies of TV take over.We begin to act and dress and talk like some while quoting others as if they we “teachers”.Scary !!!
     So when we get to a election that is ripe for change and the ruling party puts up a VERY flawed candidate,Hillary,the vast unhappy reality TV crowd leaps at the man who made”Your fired”a household saying,with joy !! After all its,”designed to be entertaining rather than informative”TV sit com/election and if Trump wins,the world as  we know it will be CANCELLED.















   

Take a look inside the new Sandy Hook Elementary School - With thanks to FOX 59 news AND The Daily News

With a new new debate about guns on college campuses simmering I think we should step back and remember tragedy as a new school reopens before we choose sides in a new debate.Those who forget the past will repeat  it as sure a you read this.

NEWTOWN  — Sandy Hook Elementary School will reopen for a new school year on August 29, nearly four years after 20 first-graders and six educators were killed.
On Friday, media outlets and residents got a first look at the $50 million school that was built to replace the original building, where 26 people were shot and killed in December 2012. The new school is in the same location as the old one.
Senator Chris Murphy was touched by the new building, tweeting, "This town deserves this palace."
Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra said during a press conference in the new building that she expects students to be upset and anxious in the new school, but also excited.
“Our role now, as adults and leaders, is to bring this new, beautiful place into its rightful status as the SHS of the present and the future. Despite its birth from a horrible tragedy, SHS will be a place full of laughter, love, and learning.”
The school looks completely different. Gone is the brick facade, replaced with wood paneling and a unique rain garden. Inside, the forest theme is complete with classroom wings created to resemble tree houses. Officials say it was designed to be attractive, environmentally friendly, conducive to learning and, above all, safe.
It will include a gated driveway, state-of-the art video monitoring and bulletproof windows and doors. It will have two police officers stationed there.
Superintendent Joseph Erardi says the district hopes that allowing everyone a look at the school this week will give students a "quiet, respectful, and appropriate opening as teachers and students return to the new school year" on August 29.
“Sandy Hook will have a quiet opening in September,” said Dr. Erardi. “We’re asking everyone to give us the space we need to focus entirely on teaching and learning when we return for our first day of school.”
“From the very first day, we were aware of just how important it was to build the best possible building for the students and the Newtown community. Its powerful purpose was never lost on us,” said Matthew Consigli, president of Consigli Construction Co., Inc. “This has truly been an honor for us to be a partner in this special project.”
“As architects, we aspire to opportunities like this: to be involved in the design of a building like the Sandy Hook School, a meaningful and symbolic building that truly serves a community on so many levels, today and for generations to come,” said Jay Brotman, Managing Partner at Svigals + Partners Architects. “A building that has become a national and even global emblem of what communities can achieve when working together for a common cause.”
First Selectman Llodra added that while the new school is exciting, everyone "would trade in a minute this beautiful new school for the more familiar and aged sandy hook school, built in the 50s, if we could just change the past."

Take a look inside the new Sandy Hook Elementary School - With thanks to FOX 59 news

With a new new debate about guns on college campuses simmering I think we should step back and remember tragedy as a new school reopens before we choose sides in a new debate.Those who forget the past will repeat  it as sure a you read this.

NEWTOWN  — Sandy Hook Elementary School will reopen for a new school year on August 29, nearly four years after 20 first-graders and six educators were killed.
On Friday, media outlets and residents got a first look at the $50 million school that was built to replace the original building, where 26 people were shot and killed in December 2012. The new school is in the same location as the old one.
Senator Chris Murphy was touched by the new building, tweeting, "This town deserves this palace."
Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra said during a press conference in the new building that she expects students to be upset and anxious in the new school, but also excited.
“Our role now, as adults and leaders, is to bring this new, beautiful place into its rightful status as the SHS of the present and the future. Despite its birth from a horrible tragedy, SHS will be a place full of laughter, love, and learning.”
The school looks completely different. Gone is the brick facade, replaced with wood paneling and a unique rain garden. Inside, the forest theme is complete with classroom wings created to resemble tree houses. Officials say it was designed to be attractive, environmentally friendly, conducive to learning and, above all, safe.
It will include a gated driveway, state-of-the art video monitoring and bulletproof windows and doors. It will have two police officers stationed there.
Superintendent Joseph Erardi says the district hopes that allowing everyone a look at the school this week will give students a "quiet, respectful, and appropriate opening as teachers and students return to the new school year" on August 29.
“Sandy Hook will have a quiet opening in September,” said Dr. Erardi. “We’re asking everyone to give us the space we need to focus entirely on teaching and learning when we return for our first day of school.”
“From the very first day, we were aware of just how important it was to build the best possible building for the students and the Newtown community. Its powerful purpose was never lost on us,” said Matthew Consigli, president of Consigli Construction Co., Inc. “This has truly been an honor for us to be a partner in this special project.”
“As architects, we aspire to opportunities like this: to be involved in the design of a building like the Sandy Hook School, a meaningful and symbolic building that truly serves a community on so many levels, today and for generations to come,” said Jay Brotman, Managing Partner at Svigals + Partners Architects. “A building that has become a national and even global emblem of what communities can achieve when working together for a common cause.”
First Selectman Llodra added that while the new school is exciting, everyone "would trade in a minute this beautiful new school for the more familiar and aged sandy hook school, built in the 50s, if we could just change the past."

What the new school looks like

Todays new daily rant is about Lunatic Trump using Quotes from History’s repeated leaders that fit to a “T”

Here are some famous quotes that fit this clear and present danger below.Read and tremble in fear or tears.

Thomas Jefferson, Who Said; ‘The Government You Elect Is The Government You Deserve.’”

“Our government needs the church, because only those humble enough to admit they're sinners can bring democracy the tolerance it requires to survive”
― Ronald Reagan

“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”
― Voltaire

“All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities.”
― Frank Herbert

“Some legislators only wish to vengeance against a particular enemy. Others only look out for themselves. They devote very little time on the consideration of any public issue. They think that no harm will come from their neglect. They act as if it is always the business of somebody else to look after this or that. When this selfish notion is entertained by all, the commonwealth slowly begins to decay. ”
― Thucydides

How to change or not,the constitution of the US.

A lot is being said thru ignorance, about changes that politicians may or may not make to this revered document.Through out this countries great history the seismic changes to our why of life have be via adds NOT subtractions and thats because the framers made it that way,Below is what amendment was added and then repealed with thanks to Wikipedia.

The Twenty-first Amendment (Amendment XXI) to the United States Constitution repealed the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which had mandated nationwide Prohibition on alcohol on January 17, 1920. The Twenty-first Amendment was ratified on December 5, 1933. It is unique among the 27 amendments of the U.S. Constitution for being the only one to repeal a prior amendment and to have been ratified by state ratifying conventions.

OK then so much for “taking away our guns”or”She will change the 1st and 2cd amendments”Its no easy task folks and it gonna happen !!!!FACT check before you rant.What MAY happen is GUN CONTROL and THAT is for the congress ,not a president to decide AND not take away the second amendments right to bear arms.Remember the amendment don’t allow no Jet Fighters or Bazooka’s or Tanks so military grade weapons is a debate that IS COMING but NOT REPEALING THE SECOND AMENDMENT !!

Now thats out of the way.Did you know 4 possible amendments are still pending to be added ??Also the LAST one added took 210 years to be added?? I did’t think so.Thanks again below to Wikipedia.

Amending process
Main article: Article Five of the United States Constitution
Amending the United States Constitution is a two-step process. Proposals to amend it must be properly Adopted and Ratified before becoming operative.
A proposed amendment may be adopted and sent to the states for ratification by either:
The United States Congress, whenever a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives deem it necessary;
OR
A national convention, called by Congress for this purpose, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds (presently 34) of the states.
To become part of the Constitution, an adopted amendment must be ratified by either (as determined by Congress):
The legislatures of three-fourths (presently 38) of the states, within the stipulated time period—if any;
OR
State ratifying conventions in three-fourths (presently 38) of the states, within the stipulated time period—if any.
Upon being properly ratified, an amendment becomes an operative addition to the Constitution.

Unratified Amendments
Six amendments adopted by Congress and sent to the states have not been ratified by the required number of states. Four of these, including one of the twelve Bill of Rights amendments, are still technically open and pending. The other two amendments are closed and no longer pending, one by terms set within the Congressional Resolution proposing it  and the other by terms set within the body of the amendment

Congressional Apportionment Amendment (pending since September 25, 1789; ratified by 11 states)
Would strictly regulate the size of congressional districts for representation in the House of Representatives.
Titles of Nobility Amendment (pending since May 1, 1810; ratified by 12 states)
Would strip citizenship from any United States citizen who accepts a title of nobility from a foreign country.
Corwin Amendment (pending since March 2, 1861; ratified by 3 states)
Would make "domestic institutions" (which in 1861 implicitly meant slavery) of the states impervious to the constitutional amendment procedures enshrined within Article Five of the United States Constitution and immune to abolition or interference even by the most compelling Congressional and popular majorities.
Child Labor Amendment (pending since June 2, 1924; ratified by 28 states)
Would empower the federal government to regulate child labor.
Equal Rights Amendment (Ratification period, March 22, 1972 to March 22, 1979/June 30, 1982, amendment failed (†); ratified by 35 states)
Would have prohibited deprivation of equality of rights (discrimination) by the federal or state governments on account of sex.
District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment (Ratification period, August 22, 1978 to August 22, 1985, amendment failed(‡); ratified by 16 states)
Would have granted the District of Columbia full representation in the United States Congress as if it were a state, repealed the 23rd Amendment and granted the District full representation in the Electoral College system in addition to full participation in the process by which the Constitution is amended.


Now as promised below the story of the 27 and last amendment to the constitution and thanks again to Wikipedia.


The Twenty-seventh Amendment (Amendment XXVII) to the United States Constitution prohibits any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress from taking effect until the start of the next set of terms of office for Representatives. It is the most recent amendment.
It was submitted by Congress to the states for ratification on September 25, 1789, along with eleven other proposed amendments. While ten of these twelve proposals were ratified in 1791 to become the Bill of Rights, what would become the Twenty-seventh Amendment and the proposed Congressional Apportionment Amendment did not get ratified by enough states for them to also come into force with the first ten amendments. The proposed congressional pay amendment was largely forgotten until 1982 when Gregory Watson researched it as a student at the University of Texas at Austin and began a new campaign for its ratification. The amendment eventually became part of the United States Constitution on May 7, 1992, completing a record-setting ratification period of 202 years, 7 months, and 12 days.[1][2]

What is “The Trans-Pacific Partnership”and why is it political ??

Legally what it is by definition.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) or Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is a trade agreement among twelve Pacific Rim countries. The finalized proposal was signed on 4 February 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand, concluding seven years of negotiations. It is currently awaiting ratification to enter into force. The 30 chapters of the agreement aim to "promote economic growth; support the creation and retention of jobs; enhance innovation, productivity and competitiveness; raise living standards; reduce poverty in the signatories' countries; and promote transparency, good governance, and enhanced labor and environmental protections."[5] The TPP contains measures to lower trade barriers, such as tariffs, and establish an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism.

The politics is far more confusing.

When you go to Walmart ( and you KNOW you do ) chances are the item,even food,comes from  a country with a pacific ocean border.We live in a global economy and WE have demanded more affordable products so if its made somewhere else,it matters not as long as it cheaper and similar quality.
Now as workers who have a standard of living much higher than the countries that we now buy these products from,we face a conundrum.We have created a demand that american business will fill,Its what yankee traders have always done through out history. There are unintended consequences however.We had factories that made these products and demands are now higher as we buy more,thus,business expands BUT demands from its stock holders to keep the bottom line are strong.Business always looks at its work force as a asset like any plant equipment and will trim that asset and substitute it will a foreign asset to maintain that bottom line.
Not to get into the whole labor/management thing,thats why plants go overseas,nothing more.Its just business nothing personnel.Simple enough,BUT thru time foreign workers see what they make and can’t afford and as in Chinas case,that government allowed a limited form of capitalism to allow its workers to buy what they made.A middle class,what a novel idea!!!

So if you follow that,China now must now complete with OTHER countries who are less labor intense than they are becoming.Mao would be turning in his grave to see how much its shifting in our direction although its still a theocracy.More counties are becoming producers and have not yet felt the demands of a growing work force into a middle class as China,Korea and Japan have felt.Vietnam oddly enough may be next.

Now with this come global terrorism.Asia is awash with Islam and the clash of western values by this new global economy is largely to blame for the internal clash within it.While this is NOT about that it is a unavailable byproduct.Within Islam a womans body must be hidden and western industry sexualizes it by nature even on TV and print,so its very complicated.Just think”Honor Killings”.
However the genie has been released and Islam struggles to live with it.

So when we say NO TPP what are we saying? When you buy a Trump tie what are you buying?
By nature its a conflicting issue.However as drug criminals around the world have said,cut the demand and they are out of business.If you want a cheaper car and better iPhone and computers and affordable fresh food,what are you to do?? To simply say bring plants and produce here IGNORES our own consumer greed that sent them overseas to begin with.The TRUTH hurts.Now we are losing jobs faster than anyone ever foresaw,that is true as well.However consumer wise we still have enough people at work with enough income to drive this global economy BUT it is shrinking and as China’s middle glass grows we lose less control,Complecated??You bet you,opps gambling term,by the way Macau China is the NEW Las Vegas and Singapore is the new New York.

What to do?? First cut through blind rhetoric and truly understand the issue.The old jobs are NEVER coming back.We have to educate our kids to develop new technologies,thats always what we really did.Industries have to realize if they continue to leave the US in shortsighted efforts to shield products and profits they risk a long term danger of nationalization or worse in a developing hostile world of angry and populous nations whose leaders must control their populations by any means available.All while WE want more STUFF.
See the problems??