New Website, Brother’s Death, Homeless Unwelcome, Climate Change, Hot Cars, Gun Toll Beyond Deaths, Trump in Trouble, Latin America, Hong Kong/China, Examiner Notes

After Sept. 27, 2019, when I last posted on my blog honduraspeacecorps.blogspot.com, I was unable to make any more posts there after more than 10 years. My daughter Stephanie, in helping set up the original blog, had invented a different g-mail address which neither she nor I could remember, only that it seemed that bjoe was part of it. It used to come up automatically when I clicked on the blogger icon from my regular g-mail account, but, suddenly, no more. I had never committed that address to memory nor did I ever send a message from it. Maybe g-mail eliminated it because it was inactive, except for getting into my blog? A computer savvy guy and I searched diligently for an hour and half but could find no sign of that address. Nor does g-mail allow online chats that might have resolved the issue. So, I invented this successor honduraspeacecorps2.blogspot.com which references the previous, but the previous cannot reference this one, and the old address is still imprinted in my books. So, we are starting over again here and much has happened in the meantime, making this post extra long. Because almost 2 months have elapsed since my past posting and because I usually add to the blog draft over time, this version at the new site is inevitably long and rambling. In the future, I promise to be more organized and concise. The way this posting is going so far, the margins throughout look like they will all be wavy, though not so on on my draft. Sorry about that.

On October 12, I lost my brother Bob Currie, only one year younger, so from my earliest memories, he was always there. When I called him before his 80^th birthday 3 months earlier, he thought the chemo for his cancer had been successful. Alas, it was not. He had a very abrupt and short decline, working at his Florida architectural firm until 2 weeks before his death.

Brother Bob with his girlfriend and beloved Tesla last time I saw him.

Bob at his 80th birthday party 3 months before his death.  

           Family photo, still in the frame, of Bob and me with our parents.

If you would want to see more photos of our family history or of the events honoring my brother, my daughter Stephanie Joe and my brother’s oldest son John Currie have made numerous postings on Facebook available there. I did not stop to see my brother in south Florida as usual on my return last Feb. from my volunteer medical mission to Honduras, my former Peace Corps country. He was not feeling so well then after chemo and I needed to get home quickly, so I’d planned to stop next time. 

Just before attending my brother’s funeral, daughter Melanie and I visited my son who marched as a Hawaiian ukulele player in the Berkeley Springs, W Va., annual Apple Butter Festival parade, which this year, unlike last time, took place on a drizzly, cloudy morning.  

Fall finally arrived. 

And Halloween has come and gone. Trick or treating ended early because of wind and rain. 

 And we went back on standard time, though many of us would just as soon stay on Daylight Saving time. Maybe there are good reasons to change, but the change is disruptive.

Back on Pennsylvania Ave. SE, near my home, an office building houses the Amnesty Int’l office on the 5^th floor, so as volunteer coordinator for the Caribbean, I often go there. The building has had a graceful welcoming entrance, curved archways overhanging an outdoor space leading to the various front doors of first-floor enterprises including the post office. At night, because of the protective overhang, homeless people would congregate underneath, leaving a big mess by morning to be hosed down and cleaned up daily.  Evidently, the building’s paying occupants got tired of the nighttime visitors, who might have saved their communal roofed sleeping space had they simply pitched in to clean it up themselves at dawn. Now they must seek shelter elsewhere, as all the archway openings have been boarded up and we have yet to see a more permanent fix.

 

A local homeless man, Roger, someone I’d always greeted by name, was reported by a neighborhood website to have died. A few years ago, he lost a foot to frostbite and had used a wheelchair ever since. I don’t know where he laid his head at night, but when I asked him if he had a place to stay, he nodded. Roger was a man of few words. Then, after his reported demise, I greeted Roger again in his wheelchair outside Eastern Market, so that report was premature. I tried to post a correction on the neighborhood website, but my various efforts were rejected, so I’m informing any neighborhood readers here that I either saw him alive or his ghost.

By abruptly withdrawing American troops from northern Syria, allowing Turkish forces to attacks civilians and the Kurds, Donald Trump arguably became a war criminal responsible for many civilian deaths. He has blood on his hands. His staunchest Republican allies and many evangelical supporters, even Pat Robertson, decried his decision. As impeachment and voter backlash corner him, Trump himself is lashing out indiscriminately, taking the world and the nation down with him. Only those willing to drink the Kool-Aid are still staunchly sticking with him. Meanwhile the deficit and national debt are soaring. The federal deficit has reportedly doubled on Trump’s watch.

Pundits have warned that since Trump won before via the Electoral College, he could win again with even fewer votes than last time. If that happened, there would be little or no chance of resurrecting of our country, as the guy is so destructive and just plain inept. After even 4 years of Trump, so many noxious and harmful government actions will need to be undone, So if he should get a second term, our nation’s slide toward ruin will be almost impossible to reverse. Putin has succeeded already beyond his wildest dreams.

Republicans had been complaining about impeachment inquiries taking place behind closed doors. Now the hearings are open—so will that satisfy them?

While DC was still basking or sweltering in summer heat, Montana had record snow. Climate change is unpredictable. The whole world is confronting climate change with the US sitting on the sidelines, disparaging the effort. Wild fires in California and Australia are consequences.

During this record hot summer, many babies and little children died after being left for hours inside hot cars, even two sets of twins had died. Can you imagine an arduous twin pregnancy, then the effort involved in feeding, bathing, and diapering newborn twins, getting them to the point of sitting in car seats, then just leaving them there alone in a hot car for hours while they suffered and died? It isn’tas though the danger is unknown, as we’ve heard or read about it almost daily, so parents cannot be unaware of the risks. Still, they continued to gamble with their little children’s lives. Next will leaving babies to freeze in cold cars.

Some 200 people in the US are shot daily, a number by accident, others on purpose. Most don’t die, but may still be left with lifelong injuries. We don’t hear much about them. My son Jon, accidently shot in the foot at age 11 by another boy, still has trouble with his foot more than 30 years later. There are many more serious cases. I know one young man here in DC, shot at age 17, still alive 20 years later, but quadriplegic, needing daily help in eating, dressing, bathing, and simply getting in and out of an electric wheelchair. His life was inexorably changed just on the cusp of his adulthood. Some 900,000 American women have been shot or shot at by a domestic partner, leaving them with lifelong emotional and physical problems. Having fewer guns in circulation would certainly help. Once a gun is fired, it’s too late to pull the bullet back.

US average life expectancy has dropped slightly in the last two years, attributable partly to gun violence, but even more to the opioid crisis, although life expectancy is still too long for many enterprises to guarantee life-time pensions. I know a handful of lucky retirees who still have pensions, but fewer people now retire with pensions. Back in the 1990’s when I was working for a professional association, it subtly switched from a pension system to a 401K/IRA. As long as the stock market remains strong, we do OK under this system, but during the 2008 crash, not so well. Let’s see what awaits us next year. Fortunately, many of us also have social security, which is more reliable, though Donald Trump apparently wants to cut that too.

I joined the Kaiser health system in part because it is less costly, also to support a closed system despite its inconveniences. “Medicare for All” would be preferable to what we have now, but a major obstacle is the existence of so many stakeholders, not only insurance companies, but doctors, nurses, and therapists who have relentlessly pressed for their economic interests, catapulting compensation well beyond that afforded health professionals in other developed countries. So if we ever manage to create a more centralized, publicly monitored health system in the US, we will have to start out with higher pay scales than in Canada and Europe, though curbing future escalation.   

Trump’s abrupt pulling away protections for the Kurds in Syria is Trump’s gift to Erdogan, perhaps to protect Trump’s own hotel interests in Turkey? He no longer tries to hide his blatant personal economic self-interest, apparently figuring that he may as well be open because his base allows him to do anything he wants. Trump’s always erratic behavior is getting increasingly scary. Some of his stalwarts have continued to cling to him despite misgivings, reluctant to admit they were wrong or that he has duped them.

Even as impeachment looms and Trump’s true believers cling to him, in New York City, the man’s former home town, his name is toxic, taken off buildings and, even, more recently, skating rinks. After he is out of office, will his worldwide empire completely collapse? He was booed amid chants of “Lock him up!” at a World Series playoff baseball game in DC and later at a sports’ arena in NYC, which he and Melania left early. Turnabout is fair play.

According to Christopher Wylie, a whistleblower who worked for Cambridge Analytica, sophisticated techniques were used by the Russians to play on the fears and prejudices of both Brexit and Trump voters, helping sway close elections that turned out to be harmful overall to citizens of both the US and the UK. Such propaganda and manipulation are the real Deep State and Fake News. And all whistleblowers must be highly protected from a vicious and vindictive Donald Trump. He does manage to dominate every news cycle.

Wow! Is it possible that through impeachment that we may now actually be able to get rid of Donald Trump? Has he finally gone too far? It seems that even Republican office holders will start to pull away for their own survival. Jared and Ivanka are laying low. Besides whistleblowers, there are leaks all over the administration, perhaps being made by concerned staffers. Trump is acting like an enraged bull, attacking everywhere. The prospect of a Mike Pence presidency is not enticing, especially as he might actually have a better chance of winning in 2020 despite Trump’s own slavish followers being less enthusiastic. Still, there is cause for hope. Trump is digging himself into a deeper hole by threatening the whistleblower and Congress. If Trump should be impeached, even though he is guilty and has put so many people through untold grief, whoever succeeds him, Republican or Democrat, should pardon him to avoid further division of the citizenry.

It has also been revealed that there is a top-secret server guarding Trump’s conversations with the Saudis and Putin. Of course, he is still Teflon for his true believers. And recently another inquiry is being launched by Trump into Hillary’s e-mails. Give me a break!

Is party affiliation driving evaluation of Trump’s Ukraine gambit or does opinion on his Ukraine behavior help drive party affiliation? That is, do most who view his actions critically identify as Democrats, but what came first and what’s the main driver, opinions about his erratic and defensive behavior, then party affiliation, or vice versa? It’s the old question of the chicken or the egg. Meanwhile, Joe Biden is getting a free boost of publicity from Trump. And poor Bernie Sanders’ heart attack and cardiac stent procedure are a setback for him, highlighting his age and health and, also, by implication, both Trump’s and Biden’s ages.

I don’t know what the Conways’ game is. Are they deliberately taking opposite sides on Trump for publicity and to maintain Kellyanne’s White House salary? Do the Conways sleep at night in the same bed? Is Kellyanne perhaps today’s “deep throat,” the secret author of insider info? I wouldn’t be surprised.

It’s disconcerting to see so many Democratic candidates throwing their hat into the ring, any of whom would probably make a competent president. How to choose among them? But it’s unfortunate to see them all running against each other and trying to bring the others down, as there can only be one president and one vice president

It’s rather puzzling that the Trump administration would ask the leaders of Central American countries, whose people are fleeing in droves from danger, to take on asylum seekers from elsewhere seeking safety. And, if it’s really happening, how is Trump getting those presidents to consent? By bribing them with aid?

Trump's plan for those seeking safe haven: a ticket to the violent heart of Central America https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-plan-those-seeking-safe-142147714.html

Narco testifies he gave $100k to Honduran candidates in 2009, AP

https://www.yahoo.com/news/narco-testifies-gave-100k-honduran-190307075.html

Protesters in Haiti burn businesses in push to oust leader

ttps://www.yahoo.com/sports/protesters-haiti-burn-businesses-Swtiching to asia, push-145726915.html

Barricades burn as Haiti enters 4th week of deadly protests, AP

https://www.yahoo.com/news/barricades-burn-haiti-enters-4th-121516824.html

At Amnesty Int’L, we have issued a press release on verified instances of excess use of force by the police in Haiti, in the context of on-going protests.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/10/haiti-amnesty-verifies-evidence-excessive-force-against-protesters/

I once visited the DC AI USA office with this Cuban dissident.
Amnesty calls for release of leading Cuban dissident, Reuters

https://www.yahoo.com/news/amnesty-calls-release-leadingcuban-235134402.html

Trump administration ramps up deportations to Cuba, AP https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-policy-trump-rules-leads-050323336.html

       

China did not want to appear heavy-handed toward Hong Kong as the country celebrated the 70^th anniversary of the Communist Revolution. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s continuing protests are an embarrassment and a bad example for mainland citizens from a regime standpoint. Hong Kongers are fighting for their very lives and freedom. And Taiwan has been watching closely and quietly. Perhaps Britain’s leadership felt obligated to return Hong King to China, but it was an unfortunate decision. China may have held off somewhat until its 70^th anniversary celebrations, but now is clamping down harder. Hong Kong with a population of 7 million is no match for China with 1.3 billion people. Even if all those people are not fully behind the Chinese government, they are cowed. Trump congratulated China and Xi on the anniversary, making no public mention of Hong Kong.

The Chinese Communist government of the last 2 generations does deserve credit for lifting so many millions out of poverty. However, the government’s continued repression has negatively affected so many millions’ personal lives, especially during the one-child policy, which upset the nation’s gender balance and skewed intergenerational demographics. The widespread brutality of attacks on the Five Olds, the excesses of the Cultural Revolution, and the mass starvation of the Great Leap forward all are hidden now, attributable to the brutal dictatorship of Chairman Mao, a man still officially revered, but thankfully long gone. What future Chinese leader will dare to loosen the reins of censorship and personal repression to spark the counterrevolution and bring the rights of citizens of all ethnicities to full fruition?     

                                               

I sometimes read the right-leaning free weekly The Washington Examiner, just to see what the other side is saying. There are many snarky and snide remarks about “libs,” name-calling more than thoughtful analysis. However, descriptions of Donald Trump’s behavior are not all laudatory. It is acknowledged there that he is trying to run the country like he ran his businesses, which is not appropriate (and not very appropriate for a business either), and hints of chinks in the apparent solid wall of his Republican support.

An interesting factoid appearing in The Examiner (Oct. 1, 2019) is that several so-called “sanctuary cities” for the unborn have been declared, reputedly prohibiting all abortions. These are small cities, probably actually towns, located in New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah. Some birthing centers and organizations assisting women unexpectedly pregnant are now offering contraception after the women give birth, a good idea. In the same issue of The Examiner is a description of a new version of a venerable board game called Monopoly for Socialists, an apparent parody.

When I accidentally trashed most of my photos, I went back on my original blog to see if I could find some of them. I did, and kept on going all the way back to beginning in January 2009; more than 10 years ago. Many trips to Honduras have ensued since. I have always been wordy and photo-happy, judging from what I saw going back. Mine has certainly been an eventful and quirky life. When I die, if my kids want to know many details of my later life, they will find them on my blogs.

PS, Because my previous involvement with both Cuba and Venezuela, I see Evo Morales’ resignation in Bolivia the face of military pressure as an object lesson for the Venezuelan military and maybe even for the Cuban military. Though the Cuban system is long entrenched, nothing is forever. Venezuela’s Chavez and Maduro were schooled by Cuban operatives s to prevent cross communication among military leaders to prevent them from getting together to hatch a plot to overthrow them. An individual leader might have serious doubts about continuing to support the system, but he (it always is he) doesn’t know if he would be going out on a limb alone to be cut down or even killed, or whether he might find support among his fellow officers. In Cuba, military leaders still recall the execution of General Ochoa and his associates.   

As for the impeachment inquiry, l find unconvincing Republican arguments that what a magazine like Politico says (characterized by Trump supporters as “Democrat leaning”) is equivalent to what the president himself is accused of saying. Who cares what a magazine article has said? That is not a government official or the president talking. Democrats are not against Trump just because he wears the Republican label, but because of what he actually says and does--or tries to do.  And just because his Ukraine scheme was foiled does not make his efforts there OK.

Having heard her testimony live on the radio, I found former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch quite credible, 100% more articulate than Mr.Trump and 100% more truthful. Give Donald Trump a zero on both counts. He undermined his own Congressional supporters by tweeting against her while she was testifying. Take his phone away from that man!