CHILDREN, CHILDREN

     It is annoying when adults act like children, throwing temper tantrums, playing games of chicken, yelling past each other, and just not hearing or seeing the truth of the situation. What makes the issue hard to resolve, to fix, to get some adult interaction, is when one side totally detests and despises the other side - and rightfully so. But there must be a care not to fall to the level of the infant in the debate.
     Prime example? The confrontation between Trump and Pelosi and Schumer. The distaste that Schumer had for even being in that room was evident in his body language. He did not want to be anywhere near the other guy in the room. He answered Trump's callouts of lies, waving his index cards around - to no avail - for a lie is a lie, be it oral only or written.
     Pelosi spoke up and out but with a quieter voice, trying - why, I do not know - to get through to the infant with his ugly pouting faces and moues. She reminded him that 
“What the president is representing in terms of his cards over there are not factual. We have to have an evidence-based conversation about what does work and what money has been spent and how effective it is.”
     In other words, she tried logic, a useless effort to a man shouting how he would shutdown the government, "own" it, cause disaster to many people, including thousands of his base. Once she was back in home territory she let loose a bit with
this -

"the wall was “like a manhood thing for him.

“As if manhood could ever be associated with him,”

     If this were the only thing wrong, perhaps it could be worked out, but how to deal with a supposed grownup who persists in lying, taking the lie back and saying it was not such a big deal and then shouting out at everyone, accusing them of misdeeds. Never taking responsibility for anything and trying to cover it all up.
     And worse than that is the corruption that is stinking up the very air in the capital. His two little dollies, Ivanka and Jared, are standing ready, willing and able, to benefit hugely from a real estate tax break that they mightily pushed for and never having divested of their real estate holdings, well....you fill in the blanks, but remember to put in all those zeros. And watch out for his friends!!
     The hotel rooms are filled with lobbyists who boast of contacts with Trump and his administration - even shrinking the way it is! - and the filth of the swamp is threatening to swamp the country! We would have to go way back to even try to find a matching administration with this degree of corruption, incompetence, bribery, veniality, greed, nepotism, cronyism, and just add in your choices here.
     The rest of the world sees this, hears this, boos us when a representative speaks at a conference in pure nonsensical manner, denying reality. We are being more and more isolated within and from the world. We ignore the issues at hand - decent and proper immigration policy, an economy that ain't as good as the man shouts and for proof of that,  just go to your stock account and take notice of the thousands you have lost! We are encouraging employees who leave their sense of right, of humanity, at home as they yank infants, tase people for no reason or with too much power, and all the good we have achieved over the past centuries is lost in the miasma of Trump's lack of morality and goodness, for the garbage does slide downhill! For sure!
     The big elephant in the room, or rather the herd of elephants in the room, must be addressed, be they pink or any other color. Why have we elected this man? Why have we allowed an antiquated and unnecessary electoral system to install a man who LOST the popular vote and that problem continues with the most recent elections. When did ALL the politicians regress in age and refuse to work with each other, preferring to argue and fight like rutting stags in the forest? How are we allowing a Senate full of spineless, immoral Republicans who have shed their morality in a quest to keep their power, to install judges deemed INCOMPETENT by the Bar Association, their only qualifying trait being that they are heedless, rabid conservatives and will follow that playbook to the ends of the earth! 
     The world seems to be on the brink of another war, and not necessarily only a Cold One. We are playing with very dangerous building blocks and weapons here. We have allowed the rise of nationalism once again, even into countries of the west. We are allowing by omission or commission, the violent display and acts of prejudice, with anti Semitism on the rise from the left and the right. Jews always seem to make good targets.
     And yet, there is some hope, a bit. We can bind together and work for a better country, a softer and kinder country, without giving up any of our strength. In fact, it would increase it as we once again stood as an example to the world for good, rather than for dangerous idiocy!
     Children, children! Behave!! No recess, no snacks, no screen time, no toys until you behave. Grow up, for the whole world is watching and waiting.