What is Racism?

I no longer understand what constitutes “racism.” Is it what you say or why you say it? If it’s the former does that mean whenever I criticize a black person or black culture I’m being racist? That’s ridiculous.

It makes much more sense to me to say that “racism” is determined by WHY you say things. If I criticize someone BECAUSE they’re black then that’s racism.

I suppose that if I apply the negative behavior or stereotypes of individuals or small groups to everyone of a given race, that’s racism as well. You know, like black people say all whites are racist.

I don’t give a crap what color you are or where you come from but I reserve the right to criticize things I don’t like regardless of what color you are or where you come from.

Let’s talk about Baltimore for a second. Like many large urban areas it’s a tale of two cities. When I take the train from Newark down to Fort Meade or Washington it passes through areas of Baltimore that are seriously in need of work, The buildings look like they’re falling apart and there is trash all over the streets. This needs to be addressed. People should not have to live in such conditions.

Then you go to the Inner Harbor and the area is gorgeous. Everything looks clean and new. It’s difficult to believe that the two areas are part of the same town. Yet such contrasts are not that unusual in American cities.

So am I a racist because I think some areas of Baltimore look run down?

Now let's talk about "the Squad." I would gladly pay for a ticket to send Ilhan Omar anywhere she wants to go as long as it's outside the US. I hear Antarctica is nice this time of year. I might also be persuaded to buy a ticket for Tlaib.

I don't care for their opinions and I certainly would never vote for either of them.

I have my doubts about AOC but I'm not ready to give up on her just yet and I don't really know enough about Pressley to have an opinion.

So, does this make me a racist? If so, then so be it.

Charles Sykes on How to Guarantee Trump's Re-election

According to Sykes, in Polico Magazine, there are eleven ways the Democrats could blow the 2020 election.

1. Hold firmly to the idea that Twitter is the beating heart of the real Democratic Party. — That’s not going to happen in any event. Candidates and the party have pollsters working behind the scenes. But Trump could provide some nuggets on twitter.

2. Embrace the weird. — Of course Sykes labels “weird” anything he doesn’t agree with. I haven’t heard anything “weird” yet. I’ve heard some things I don’t agree with but nothing weird.

3. Keep promising lots of free stuff and don’t sweat paying for it. — I haven’t heard any of this either. Every candidate has clearly shown that they understand things need to be paid for. The issue has usually been is the proposed approach going to raise enough revenue.

4. Go ahead and abolish private health insurance. — He’s actually right about this one. There are far too many people content with their current plans. Medicare for All should provide a public option but shouldn’t require everyone to be a part of it.

5. Spend time talking about reparations. — He’s right about this one as well. First win the election and then look at reparations. I wouldn’t make it a big issue even during the primaries.

6. Trump thinks that immigration and the crisis at the border are winning issues for him. They aren’t. But you can turn that around. — I could shoot myself in the foot too but it’s not going to happen and neither is this.

7. Lots more focus on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. —  Yes AOC is extremely unpopular with some segments of the electorate. The focus should and will be on the candidates and not a freshman congress member anyway. I think it’s safe to say she’ll win her seat in 2020. I’m putting in a stock of popcorn in the hope we’ll have AOC and a Democratic president because that’s going to be entertaining as hell.

8. Socialism. — Socialism is a toxic term in this country. People hate Socialism but love Socialist programs. Focus on the programs and not the label.

9. Turn the abortion issue from a winner into a loser. — No Democrat with any reasonable chance of getting the nomination is this dumb.

10. You can also turn a winner into a loser on the issue of guns. — See answer to #9 above. Even someone as radical on guns as I am knows better than to push too hard on this one.

11. As you try to get Americans more alarmed about Trump’s attacks on democratic norms, make sure you talk as much as possible about your support for court-packing. — Is anyone with more than half a brain still talking about this? How about we consider impeaching Kavanaugh instead?

Abortion Support Hits Highest Level Since 1995

An ABC/Washington Post poll puts support for legal abortion in all or most cases at 60% and support for legal abortion in all cases at 27%.

If this were the sole issue for the 2020 election it would be no contest.

Most people, there are some exceptions, are complex animals. They’re loyalties and concerns are split between social issues and economic issues.

If the election only rested upon fundamental social issues such as abortion access and LGBTQ rights, it would be no contest.

But the economic issues have to be dealt with as well.

At the moment the economy is good, very good. There are some rumblings and the deficit and the debt are way out of control (please don’t respond to that with Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) because my economics degree tells me that’s just the Laffer curve of the left) but unemployment is at 3.6%, the Dow is flirting with 27,000, the S&P 500 is flirting with 3,000 and the NASDAQ is over 8,000.

The rumblings, the deficit and the debt are just not on most people’s radar.

These are VERY good economic numbers. The economy is probably the battlefield upon which the 2020 election will be fought. Trump has already fired the first salvo by predicting a stock market crash if he loses the election.