POTPOURRI

     We have all used a version of potpourri sometime or another, a mix of various dried and pleasant smelling aromatic items. But what happens when the potpourri turns renegade in its assigned job and the odor turns from pleasant to reeking and destructive, harmful even to breathe.
     That toxic mix is what we have going on today in our administration and in fact, all over the world. It is frightening when one reads that in Hungary, in addition to forcefully muzzling the press and destroying the judiciary, there is now a law that the people call the "slave law" as it orders employees, workers, to work more than 400 overtime hours a year. Where does it go from here? Who the hell knows, but be afraid, my friends, be very afraid.
     The rush to the right or to the extreme left, leaving almost no middle and nowhere to turn nor find reasonable minds willing to talk and come to a compromise, to serve the people rather than themselves, is here in our own country. When there is talk of a war or revolt - by the President- and retiring  Senators talk of the danger to and in the Senate, as in the words of McCaskill,

“The United States Senate is no longer the world’s greatest deliberative body and everybody needs to quit saying it until we recover from this period of polarization and the fear of the political consequences of tough votes,”...We have too many embarrassing uncles in the United States Senate.” - watch out!!

     There is a rotten reek coming from the potpourri of our government and next year will not truly be a cure. While the House will be better, the Senate will still be controlled by Republicans, with most being of the spineless type or the rabid conservative type and they will continue to strive to destroy our judiciary and stymie any process which will attempt to heal our country. And in the meanwhile, we kill children, be it through our aid to Saudi Arabia to fight in Yemen where children are starving and dying by the hundreds or even thousands, or right here in our own country as we continue to mistreat migrants and now a 7 year old little girl has died due to lack of care and hyper dehydration, after hours in the care or custody rather, of the Border Patrol. What the hell are we doing? Why have we allowed this potpourri to be placed in a dish rather than fresh and clean smelling potpourri? Why have we allowed this rot to permeate our very soul as a nation?

     Meanwhile, chew on this one, coming from Trump's ghostwriter. "He doesn't feel the ordinary human emotions most of us do," he said. "For example, he's free of shame because he has no conscience, nor any self-awareness. So while his behavior certainly suggests he feels increasing fear and isolation, he would be the last one to know it." 

     The stench is almost overwhelming and we must plug our noses and continue into the fray. We must beat back these attempts by unfeeling  and uncaring individuals who have concern only for their wallets and their power. Chris Christie for Chief of Staff indeed!! How much longer do we keep retreading past failures and liars and cheats and infants of the soul? How long? How long?

     Mueller has more to reveal. The House will demand tax returns and issue subpoenas galore and we will be overcome with a darkness that will be difficult indeed to find a way through. But we must. We must hitch up minds and souls and efforts to doing this and to at least make the very strongest attempt to get our country back on track, improve the election system, improve investigations and standards for appointments and runs for office, install a competent and non partisan judiciary, remember that a nation is judged, as one writer said, by how it treats its children and we are doing  a nasty job at that, are we not?

     Potpourri. Choose your fragrances and keep them fresh. Keep them clean. It takes a huge and continuous effort but what is the alternative?