Juggling Dynamite

Raúl Ilargi Meijer of the Automatic Earth has written one of the best context pieces I have found on why status quo systems are losing power and substantive change is mandatory.  This is not partisan, forces underway are our human reality.  Worth the time to read in full and reflect.  See No more flyover country, here is a flavor:

The transition we find ourselves in, into an era as profoundly different as it will be from the one that preceded it, can only possibly be chaotic. Smooth is not an option. Because it takes much time for people to recognize let alone accept that there is such a transition to begin with, and not everyone acknowledges or accepts it at the same time. Many never will at all, they will be left behind in their own realities tied down by the chains of what once was.

This transition is the one away from economic growth and globalization -centralization in general- and towards smaller, less centered and grandiose, politics and markets. It is not an idealistic transition towards self-sufficiency, it’s simply and inevitably what’s left once unfettered growth hits the skids. It doesn’t have to be anywhere near as bad as people would have you believe, or at least not necessarily so. What could make it real bad, though, is the widespread resistance and denial which seem certain to meet it.

Our entire worldviews and ‘philosophies’ are based on ever more and ever bigger and then some, and our entire economies are built upon it. That has already made us ignore the decline of our real markets for many years now. We focus on data about stock markets and the like, and ignore the demise of our respective heartlands and flyover countries, even as we experience Brexit and Trump and similar movements set to come to many more countries.

Not in the best interests of America.

CNN’s Brian Todd reports on potential conflicts of interest surrounding the adult children of President-elect Donald Trump. Here is a direct video link.

No human can serve two masters equally, and even if they could, to be an effective leader one must steer clear of all appearance of conflicts. Trump is not making the grade, and so far he is saying no one minds; which is wrong. Thinking people must demand higher ethics of our leaders and not keep allowing elites to play those they serve as fools.

The author who wrote a book alleging corruption between the Clintons and their philanthropy now says he sees similar conflicts of interest between Donald Trump and his business now that he’s President-elect.

Peter Schweizer, whose book, “Clinton Cash,” sent the Clinton campaign into damage control as she kicked off her bid in spring 2015, said he foresaw attempts by foreign actors to ingratiate themselves to Trump’s children, who will take over the President-elect’s business empire. That could be an attempt to curry favor with the White House.  Here is a direct video link.

Also see: Trump not doing enough to avoid conflicts of interest

The poll found that 59% of people say Trump’s plan isn’t enough, compared with 39% who say it is.

Trump owns or has a position in more than 500 companies, according to a CNN analysis. That includes about 150 that have done business in at least 25 foreign countries, including Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Ethics experts say no previous president has been so exposed to conflicts and allegations of political corruption because of business interests. They say that remains true even if he hands control to the children.