January 23, 2018

2018 Golden Gloves

My son's next bout is on March 18, in the semi-finals of the NYS Golden Gloves. I've moved him from light heavyweight last year, to heavyweight this year. I'm also training a young man who fights that day, in the super heavyweight division.

I gave them today off. Starting tomorrow, we resume. With eight weeks of hard training, I'm confident both will be in the finals in May.

January 18, 2018

Beyond Good and Evil

“I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a 'thing-oriented' society to a 'person-oriented' society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.; April 4, 1967


I think that Monday was an extremely important point in current history. At a time when many Americans were thinking about the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., his memory was juxtaposed with that of the vile racist Donald Trump. The stark contrast in their characters was obvious for all to see.

It's not just the difference in character between King and Trump that is important, of course. In the larger sense, it's the impact that they have upon other people. Those who respect and honor Dr. King's message are distinct from those who follow and support Trump. Thus, our society is currently experiencing great tension. For that reason, it is important that we fully understand and appreciate the vast differences between “creative tensions,” of which Dr. King mastered, and “negative tensions,” which define Trump.

In their formative years, both men grew up in the shadow of a successful father. The elder King was a prominent minister, and the elder Trump was a “successful” speculator and thief. King's father worked for making a more just society, while Trump's father was a racist Klu Klux Klan member. Both Dr. King and Donald Trump would opt to follow in the footsteps of their fathers' careers. Both experienced some tensions with their fathers as they began to be successful. Both would become national figures, rather than the parochial statuses that their fathers were.

King was a complex man. In his early life, he struggled with serious depression. He sought to identify the “meaning of life” through his early and extraordinary education. Though he was raised in a republican, middle class home, he was fascinated with radical “liberation theology,” as documented in John Ansbro's “Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Making of a Mind” (Maryknoll; 1990). As a result, King would never seek great material wealth.

Trump is a simpleton. He sought his father's approval, but never really obtained it. Hence, his never-ending quest for the admiration of others. More, he defined “success” in terms of crushing opposition on his path to obtaining material wealth.

King was a registered republican, until the 1960 presidential election. When Senator Kennedy responded to Mrs. King's concerns about her incarcerated husband's safety, the extended King family would become Democrats. In particular, Dr. King worked with President Johnson to achieve the historic Civil Rights legislation successes.

Trump, on the other hand, has been a Democrat, an independent, a third-party member, and a republican – all depending upon what position he felt was most beneficial to him as an individual. With the election of Barack Obama, Trump would chose to identify with the racist right-wing of the republican party. In doing so, he was being as true to his nature as he ever had been as an adult. For Donald Trump is nothing, if not racist scum.

When Dr. King delivered his “A Time to Break Silence (Beyond Vietnam)” speech on April 4, 1967, at the Riverside Church in NYC, it marked a break from LBJ's White House. By the end of the year, King was outlining a plan for a “Poor Persons March,” to occupy Washington, DC. That was an unacceptable level of “creative tension” for politicians. Senator Robert Byrd would infamously call for the “preventive” detention of Dr. King on the floor of the US Senate, should the planned occupation appear to be moving forward.

As King continued to openly oppose US “policy” in Vietnam, as well as violence in the Middle East, many of those who previously viewed him as a “responsible” Civil Rights leader tuened on him viciously. This is well-documented in Taylor Branch's “At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years 1965-68” (Simon & Schuster; 2006). Indeed, as Branch shows, King's progressive stance resulted in the formation of “neoconservatism” – liberal social policy, military might foreign policy – a mutant splinter of the Democratic Party.

King did not endorse any candidate for the 1968 presidential contest. One can only speculate if he might have endorsed anyone, had he lived. There was an effort to convince him to run on a third-party ticket with anti-war pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock, though there is no evidence he seriously considered that option. What is evident is that the final year of his life was extremely painful for King as a man. Yet he was willing to sacrifice for the greater good.

Trump had previously flirted with the idea of running for president, but took the first actual step in 1988, when he contacted Bush the Elder to say he was interested in running as vice president. (See: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush; John Meacham; Random House; 2015) In the years to come, Trump found that by appealing to the racist instincts of white people, he could form a political base for a future run for the presidency.

King believed that by appealing to the public's basic decency and sense of justice, America could reach its potential. Trump believed that by appealing to Russian mobsters, he could bring America back to a point where minorities had no power, and that he could gain financially at the same time. This reminds me of Malcolm X's teaching that society has a choice between a sparkling clean glass of water, and a filthy glass of sludge.

Perhaps the most significant achievement of Dr. King's life is that he inspired everyday people to join him in the effort to, in his words, “save America's soul.” The strength of his example still holds power today. We saw that in the Occupy Movement, and in numerous other selfless social and political movements. We saw it last year in the Women's March on Washington. We need to see a lot more of it now.

While Trump is extremely dangerous, as a malignant narcissist in the White House, it is evident that he also has encouraged his alt-right/ KKK base to take more threatening actions. We saw that in their recent march, in which it is accurate to say there were not “good people on both sides.” We see it in the gross responses to virtually every hateful utterance that comes out of the shit-hole that is Donald Trump's mouth.

We face a clear choice as a nation. Dr. King and Diaper Don represent the two choices, but it goes well beyond those two individuals. Our future – immediate and long-term – depend upon which glass that each of us decides to drink from.

Peace,
H2O Man

January 15, 2018

State of the Union

“A million zeros joined together do not, unfortunately, add up to one. Ultimately everything depends on the quality of the individual, but our fatally shortsighted age thinks only in terms of large numbers and mass organizations, though one would think that the world had seen more than enough of what a well-disciplined mob can do in the hands of a single madman. Unfortunately, this realization does not seem to have penetrated very far - and our blindness is extremely dangerous.” 
C.G. Jung.



I can't think of anyone I know who cares what Donald Trump will have to say in his State of the Union address. Quite the opposite: the tang-colored, scrotum-faced compulsive liar lacks any and all credibility. Thus, I thought that I'd take a few moments to list some of the issues that face the nation here, and to encourage others to do the same. For we are at the beginning of a historic year.

It's good to see that several of the republican rats are abandoning ship. It creates good openings for the elections in November. It is encouraging that a discredited lunatic like Sheriff Joe is running. Essential that he loses in a humiliating manner, of course. And it's nice to see Bannon lose his job, due to the Mercer staff infection at Breitbart.

The book “Fire and Fury” has flaws: initially, after the election, the author had urged people to keep an open mind about Trump, and was on good terms with Steve Bannon and others. Also, among the several errors he made in writing the book, he expresses his belief that there's nothing to the Trump-Russian scandal. More, he falsely claims that Team Mueller is leaking to the press. This is curious, because he documents three sub-groups in the White House that frequently leaked to journalists, and any careful person can identify that recent leaks come primarily, if not exclusively, from the legal teams representing various current and former administration officials. (The leaks from the intelligent community have stopped, as there is no current need for them. Likewise, congressional staff have stopped, and it appears Democrats are willing to openly release transcripts.)

Still, the book is a gift that keeps giving. The coverage reinforces the growing awareness among the general public that Trump is an unstable man, incapable of functioning as president. It also speaks frequently about Trump's “thin skin,” and the information in the book is surely upsetting him. Thus, an unbalanced man becomes further unbalanced.

Trump's attempts to self-define as a “stable genius” was an attempt to counter the book's narrative. His staff set up a meeting with some legislators, to try to show the president could hold it together for an hour. Trump went so far as to try to reach agreement with Democrats on DACA. The result was that his alt-right base, including some jackasses in the White House and Congress, increased pressure on the president to remain unreasonably rigid.

Within days, Trump's core racism came shining through with his “shit hole” comments. The global response was that Trump himself is the “shit hole.” To borrow from Abbie Hoffman, I would suggest that Trump is not actually the muscle known as the sphincter, but rather the noxious gas that at times creates a socially embarrassing noise as it passes through.

Then came the news about the expensive payment to a actress of the “adult film” industry. Additional reports indicate that he requested another actress to join them. This suggests, of course, that there just may be a bit more to the story about the orange scrotum-faced president and the Russian hookers than the White House has admitted.

Can any good come from all of this? And what – if anything – can an individual do?

First, Trump “won” the most corrupt presidential election in our nation's history. And it took a lot to be worse than the 2000 theft. Trump is the least-qualified person ever to serve as president. Our long-term goal has to be electing a good Democratic Party leader in 2020. I'm confident that there are several high-quality potential candidates in the Senate, the House, and among the Democratic governors, to make a strong ticket. I do not think that our candidates will be facing the current Trump-Pence team.

However, the executive branch isn't the only problem. Our party has lost far too many elections at other levels, resulting in it being in the worst shape it has been in since 1920. Obviously, there need to be some changes. This created the environment that allowed the Trump campaign, aided by Russia, to “win” in 2016. Yet, even had either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders defeated Trump, not only would it have been unlikely they could have been effective with the current House and Senate, but either one's presidency would served as a lightening rod for republicans in the mid-terms.

The Democratic Party needs to change to master the changing realities in America. This includes the need for those in the leadership positions within the party to think outside the box that the party has been put in. That doesn't mean getting rid of everyone currently in leadership ,positions. Nor does it mean challenging every Democrat in primary election contests. But it does include new thinking, and some new blood.

An example of the type of candidate I like is Tim Canova, a law professor who specializes economic issues. He's strong in other areas, too, such as the environment. He has progressive values on social issues. Tim is running in the primary for a House seat in Florida, against incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Though I'm not from FL, I have previous experience working for another Democrat who ran for the House in 2016, and network with friends and associates across the state. Tim Canova is exactly the type of candidate that I like, and believe we need in Washington today. Hence, the small amount of money I have to invest in the primaries will go directly to Tim Canova.

I recognize that others, including on this forum, believe that DWS is a better candidate. And I appreciate that they have as much right to their beliefs, as I do to mine. That's the way it should be. Hopefully, this forum will provide for meaningful discussions on various candidates, and why it is essential that there be primaries in some states, and not in others. For that is necessary, in order for the Democratic Party to regain its power.

Peace,
H2O Man

January 6, 2018

Tantrum-in-Chief

If one sees a two- or three-year old having a tantrum, it's no big deal. Most little ones will have at least one episode in which frustration leads to their becoming angry, crying, yelling, and resistance to following adult directions. They are attempting to get what they identify as their needs met. In my experience as a parent, such tantrums tend to happen while in public (specifically in the toy or candy isle of a store), or when the toddler's psychic radar indicates that the parental unit is tired. Yet, with consistent parenting, the child learns that tantrums do not result in the desired result, and finds better ways of communicating.

When an older child engages in tantrums (“melt-downs”), my experience as a psychiatric social worker leads me to believe that the concept that such behaviors will result in their self-identified needs being met has been reinforced. This is a problem, as school teachers can attest. Unless dealt with, it is generally a sign that this person will have problems in relationships, and society in general.

If an adult engages in tantrums (“hissy fits”), normal people tend to find it rather uncomfortable to be around and witness. The person is, quite literally, attempting to get his or her self-identified needs met, specifically by controlling the behaviors of those around him/her. It is especially toxic in the context of an intimate relationship, for it slowly but surely results in the sane person being forced to agree that what is real is not real, and that which is not real is indeed real. Note: such behaviors serve as flashing red lights to end dating relationships, and “find a good attorney” in marriages.

Such behaviors in adults tends to indicate one of several possibilities. The person may have been raised in a dysfunctional family, where one or both parents communicated anger and frustration in a sick manner. Or, as a toddler and child, this person's outbursts were reinforced. Both of these are indicators of a serious personality disorder. And there is also a possibility that the person has organic brain damage, perhaps from a blow to the front of their head, or possibly a type of mental illness.

In my experience, such failure to master impulse control results in many, probably most, of these individuals to reach their potential as human beings, and lead successful lives. I encountered numerous such examples in the domestic abuse and county jail groups that I facilitated. To assess the level of danger in these, I looked for – among other factors – if the person tended to carry a weapon, and/or if they choked their victim. Both are flashing red lights, that suggest that “treatment” is unlikely to have a long-term positive result.

Hence, I find it particularly unsettling that we now have a tantrum-in-chief serving as president. He has access to the most destructive weapons in human history. More, he has both questioned why we have them if we don't use them, and has threatened to use them several times. Add to that reports that in his daily briefings, no mention of the Russian scandal can be made – for it might result in a tantrum. The White House staff has to pretend that what is real is unreal, and what is unreal is real – the surest way to insure the president doesn't have a melt-down. And watching the news often results in Trump's engaging in a hissy fit. There is a definite pattern here.

The new Wolff book documents that which other journalists have hinted at: that those around Trump view him as “acting like a child.” In this case, it is acting like a spoiled brat, who bends others' behaviors by way of threatened tantrums. Thus, at first, the infamous Trump Tower meeting had to be desribed as all about adoption, despite the knowledge that the New York Times had the e-mail chain that exposed this as a lie. Even his legal team has had to lie to him about the Russian scandal investigation, to keep him “stable.” Trump shows no indication that he has the capacity to change his behaviors, much less any desire to do so.

The Oval Office has become the nation's red light district.

Peace,
H2O Man

January 4, 2018

Fired and Furious

“There's danger on the edge of town ….”
Jim Morrison; The End



Michael Wolff's book is being released at a perfect time. It not only creates tensions between the Trump White House and the alt-right, but it makes the administration the world's laughingstock at a time when we all need a good laugh. Despite my previous decision, made 14 months ago, not to have any books on Trump in my presidential library, it will join Malcolm Nance's “The Plot to Hack America” and Bandy Lee's “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump” next week.

I have talked to two associates in the past 24 hours. One believes that the book will have little impact overall, and none in the long run. The second told me that it is causing much more of a melt-down in the White House than even the top journalists are reporting. Trump, he said, was already furious because his legal team didn't have good news (or a letter) from their meeting with Mr. Mueller. Add to that the fact that the North Korean Trump had just played him, and Trump is enraged.

The difference between Nixon at his absolute worst and Trump is that Nixon believed the portraits of President Lincoln and others might respond to his requests for sage advice, while Trump tries to convince them that he is the smartest man in the room (or hall).

As humorous as it is, it is important to keep in mind that Trump poses an increased risk of dangerous behaviors now. The Mueller investigation haunts him. The North Korean Trump out-maneuvered him very publicly in terms of relations with South Korea, thus making China a more-recognized “leader” on the global stage. And then this new book, which paints an accurately pathetic picture of Trump and his family.

In Dr. Lee's book, several of the contributors mention my favorite psychologist-sociologist, Erich Fromm. Craig Malkin notes that Fromm coined the term “malignant narcissism” to describe those who have Narcissistic Personality Disorder and psychopathy. (page 58)

John Gartner quotes Fromm's writing that “malignant narcissism” is “the quintessence of evil ….the most severe pathology. The root of the most vicious destructiveness and inhumanity.” (page 94) Fromm was describing the severe dangers associated with individuals of Trump-like personality types obtaining political power.

Now, let's consider an important personality trait that this type is commonly noted for: paranoia. Such a person may believe, for example, that there is a risk of someone poisoning their food. One sees the strangeness of this obsessive fear in Trump's preference for McDonald's meals, rather than anything prepared at the White House. (Speaking of consuming “poison”!) And that's a result of simply the average pressures of the presidency.

The current pressures will continue to increase the level of paranoia that Trump is experiencing. This leads to more and increasingly unhinged tweets on his part. It becomes essential, in his tiny mind, to both claim total greatness and power for himself, and to totally devastate the reputations of his perceived enemies. It frequently involves projection, such as Trump's focus on Hillary Clinton and James Comey.

The synergy of his failure to take the spot light off of himself, the humiliating media reports on the new book, and the increasing pressure from the Mueller investigation, will make the coming two months both fascinating and dangerous. As citizens, we have the responsibility to be active participants at this time. Part of that, of course, means preparing to campaign for Democrats in this year's election, for there has never been a more important time and urgent need to win back the House and Senate. It also includes making frequent contact with elected representatives in DC, and voicing our demand that they release the transcripts of the interviews various committees have conducted regarding money laundering. Making this information public will be a huge step in removing the Trumps from the White House, as it is an essential part of the Trump-Russian scandal.

Peace,
H2O Man