Why I rarely listen to PBS news

The Octogenarians

RMV writes:Taken from Marvin Kalb, Trump’s troubling relationship with the press;www.Brookings .edu.blog 2/22/17

Eric Sevareid once said “Our rigid formulas of so-called objectivity have given the lie the same prominence and impact that the truth is given;they have elevated the influence of fools to that of wise men;the ignorant to the the level of the learned;the evil to the level of the good.’Kalb goes on to add that in a reporter’s quest for fairness,he or she often tends to balance the good against the bad thereby risking the creation of a false symmetry or balance.               Why is this concept both valid and vital to the survival of democracy? my(RMV)opinion is that the news media,particularly cable,Public Television and the networks reach out to us by presenting “The News”in the form of two or three commentators discussing a critical issue on the basis that each…

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The Low Hanging Fruit POTUS Option & Its Overdetermined Basis

The Octogenarians

About a month ago the victorious Trumpeter addressed his followers by announcing that he was appointing people who would get things done and he didn’t need them until the next election.
Suddenly he’s on the trail again acting like the candidate Trolling Trumpeter.let me suggest that he can’t function without his family acting in their usual protective roles and he is discovering that despite his numerous protocol violations the family is being limited.The spate of distrustful psychological analyses including Russian evaluations are forcing him back toward a tough guy posture with a campaign promises substrate.Conspiracy theorists suggest that a power elite from both parties is paying for high powered lawyers to prepare impeachment scenarios.which will go to congressional committee lawyers and the NSC when his unpredictability becomes dangerous.He heard Bill O’Reilly’s warning and he is using his version of storm troopers(ICE)and adding to them where he can by ensnaring local…

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The Retrospectoscope Moves Again.

The Octogenarians

As the retrospectoscope reviews Yale’s decision to rename Calhoun College to Grace Murray Hooper College( as Calhoun was too onerous a figure),and the refusal of the House Oversight Committee to relent on recommending charges for Karen Ann Conway,McConnell’s silencing of Elizabeth Warren(she persisted),the lack of apparent intent to pursue Flynn for treason and reluctant looking at his lying to the FBI,the discovery that Comey reported the investigation of Clinton but did not report the concurrent investigation of Flynn and the GOP…The elderly instrument brings back an episode involving an inebriated woman back in the mid 60s being ordered out of the bar car of the New Haven R.R. and off the train at 8:30 p.m.without money (and cell phones were not available)for unsuitable behavior while hypocritical (white) males clucked their approval.The scope scores present and past misogyny 3 Fairness (late)1.

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Syllogisms Part Two

The Octogenarians

So much fun! Let’s try some more.
Trump’s Temporary Ban is based on information previously processed by security operatives of the Obama administration.

Trump’s ban is based on information that was not available to the Obama administration.

Except for the top politicized jobs the data gatherers are the same.

Why do these experts agree that nothing significant has changed.
Why are they quitting in droves?

If radical Islam is the problem and the Obama effort was incompetent,why limit the ban to countries Obama has selected.

Why is the ban temporary if the threat isn’t ?

It is a coincidence that Trump has no financial interests in those 7 countries.

I.C.E. activity has not increased since the inauguration.
I.C E.activity is sweeping up only people who are illegal and who are also criminals.

We will have to permanently restrict individual liberties and constitutional rights in order to cope with the perpetual…

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Syllogisms To Build A Dream On

The Octogenarians

Flynn acted on his own in briefing the Russian ambassador the day of Obama’s Sanctions.
POTUS has been concerned for weeks about Flynn’s discretion.

Why was he concerned.

There are daily briefings held by the administration involving classified data in which Flynn and Pence were present.

Classified material was discussed in front of someone whom POTUS had concerns about leaking data.

Why was he kept in attendance?

Pence was unaware of Trump’s reservations.

His defense of Flynn was casual but resonating.

Why didn’t he say he didn’t know ?

DOJ didn’t warn about Flynn until last Thursday?

Where then did Trump’s concerns come from?

What are those documents on Public display at Mar A Lago?
(All below relates to Mar A Lago)
Does an increased membership fee( doubled) insure security?

Why are those documents on display when Japanese Prime Minister Abe is being briefed by Trump on the N.Korean missile…

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Thanatos & Destruido

The Octogenarians

There appears to be a race going on between the moral and structural disintegration of the country and the destruction of Trump’s administration.Voices are being raised nationwide expressing some kind of dissatisfaction.Health care and the ACA as an resiss double talk.The nation is alarmed by indications of collaboration between the Trump campaign and Putin’s Russia with promises made to undo sanctions imposed by President Obama and likely to be maintained if not expanded by Hillary Clinton.While party loyalty determines action nothing will be done, but true patriotism is beginning to appear in Republican ranks.People like McCain and Linsey Graham will not let this alone nor the Senate Ethic committee leader from Utah.
The ban on Muslims will not subside as an issue.Academics are abandoning their ivory towers to band together to protect their sciences.How much damage can be done by even a temporary ban? Of course if the reason for…

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POTUS Launches Attack On California

The Octogenarians

Yesterday 136 residents of California mostly Angelinos were rounded up by agents of I.C.E.,the Immigration & Customs Enforcement agency which is one arm of the Department of Homeland Security created in 2002.These illegal immigrants are perpetrators of felony level crimes and thus instantly deportable. In fact many of the felonies are being disputed in court or are trivial or consequences of trying to work despite illegal status.The trolling Trumpeter turned pugnacious POTUS has thrown down the gauntlet to states that harbor Sanctuary Cities.He has also attacked the Californian Gubernator(Schwarzenegger) and is still smarting from the refusal of the (probably republican)California beach city of Rancho Palos Verdes to rename a street approaching his golf course, Trump Boulevard.The first person to be deported by Trump under this new/old initiative was a 35 year old Arizonan woman who had lived in this country for 11 years and had three citizen children,her violation was…

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A Business Strategy Born Of Desperation

The Octogenarians

In a discussion on Business News Tonight this evening,Michael Farr of Farr, Miller&Rasthogton(?)in noting increasing opposition to Trump by leaders in the tech and science industry,seriously suggested that a task force be set up to study the Trump-Putin relationship for clues as to how to work with Trump….O Mi God! What if the key turns out to be recorded Golden Shower blackmail Mr.Farr? Bill O’reilly’s impeachment warning to the Trumpeter may not be so outrageous.

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Bradymania May Be Justified

The Octogenarians

The New England Patriots came storming from behind to bring off a Super Bowl victory after appearing to be dead at halftime.Maybe the dazzling half time performance by Lady Gaga put something in the air,but I’m sure they didn’t watch.

The game wan’t a political event since Rachel Maddow and Mike Pence were rooting for the Patriots but Brady and Belichek are Trump supporters.It’s the old story of a young team reaching for too much when just enough would have won.(The third quarter sack and 15 yard loss trying to pass when a running play would have gotten them to winning field goal distance is the case in point.) They also need a defense where holding receivers is not standard modus operandi.There is something relevant to the political scene however you; need a running game,and ability to modify a game plan when consistency can’t stem momentum shift.A world class quarterback,and…

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14 Days And We Are Closer To War

The Octogenarians

The Trumpeter has become Pugnacious POTUS intoning the possibility of imposing America’s military might in the South China Seas and intensifying once again the war in the Middle East.All this while disavowing NATO and stating that we cannot condemn Putin as a killer since our own moral posture is a sham.Netanyahu is demanding that Theresa May follow Trump in imposing more sanctions on Iran despite the precariousness of the UK’s post Brexit economic status but hasn’t responded yet to the wobbly reversal on endorsement of more building on historical Palestinian land or the backing away from moving our embassy to Jerusalem.Maybe someone has gotten into his head that the two state solution is what’s at stake.
Either the Trumpeter doesn’t understand the meaning of AMD,the economic and political power of China,that Putin is Iran’s ally or Putin has him mesmerized.The devil’s gold of the Trump rally is beginning to turn…

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