Today's MOZEN: When Will It End

Illustration by Kaya Mar

 After so many months of dealing with the chaos created by the Covid-19 virus, virtually all of us are suffering from some version of so-called Pandemic Fatigue. It has been so taxing in one form or another to everyone that we just want it to be over.

However, we cannot simply close our eyes, think hard and true, and make this horrible malady go away. We may be tired, but the virus is NOT. It is relentless in its attacks. Therefore, we must remain vigilant. However, if we do remain so and practice what science tells us we must do to survive, we will get our lives back.

The same can be said for lame duck President Donald J. Trump and his entire corrupt administration.

I am so fucking sick and tired of his relentless bullshit that I'm finding it difficult to wait and see him booted out of the White House, kicking and screaming if necessary, on 1/20/2021.

I want him/them gone NOW.

Mr. Trump's mendacity knows no bounds. And, I use the word mendacity because it means more than simply lying - calling it just lying would be like saying the Titanic was merely a cruise ship. We all tell small white lies. It makes us human. But, mendacity is willful lying to the point where it becomes a way of life, a means to an end, any end, just as long as it benefits only you.

And, his constant fabrication of election law misdeeds with NO supporting facts is ripped right from the pages of the Joseph Goebbels' handbook:

 “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”*

I have resisted from the beginning of this corrupt administration's origins to compare them to the Nazis. Although there was sufficient evidence to at least suggest a connection I felt it, perhaps, too great a leap. Well, not any more!!

If the god damned shoe fits, they must wear it.

This abhorrent man, nothing more that a Reality TV Show Host, is mustering every falsehood, every exaggeration, every flat out fabrication in a desperate effort to hold on to power - a power that was NEVER his to begin with. THAT power belongs to the people and it's time to GIVE IT BACK.

Trump supporters, if you have ANY decency left, you will demand that this sham of a leader cease his indiscriminate assault on OUR DEMOCRACY. It's simply a disgrace from a man history will label as such.

*https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/joseph-goebbels-on-the-quot-big-lie-quot

Today's MOZEN: GET THE FUCK OUT!

 

Illustration by Kaya Mar

Have you ever been in a relationship that became so toxic the only words left to say were; get the fuck out - just get the fuck out!? Perhaps, the vitriol was accompanied by a gentle shove towards the closest door. I know that I have been - more than once.

Now, I don't see myself as a cruel person and I think that most folks who know me would tend to agree. However, there comes a point where, unfortunately, every reasonable attempt at reconciliation has failed and you're left with an emptiness that is often replaced by anger. The only recourse left is separation - by any non-violent means necessary.

Well, that can be easily used as a metaphor for what is happening with lame duck President Donald J. Trump and his attempts at hanging on to what he now longer has. All of his crying, whining, tweeting, and frivolous lawsuits can no longer save him. Despite his cadre of duped minions, his relationship with over 77 million of his fellow Americans is permanently fractured. And, it can never be repaired.

So, Mr. FORMER President, I will say to you and your entire entourage of toxic flunkies and phonies:

IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GET THE FUCK OUT!

That is all . . . 

Today's MOZEN: The Clown Show

 

Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

During a press conference the other day, soon to be ex-President Donald Trump's lead attorney for post election affairs, Rudy Giuliani's hair was actually bleeding. Two black lines were running down from the hair around each of his temples to below his chin. REALLY!!

It was SO embarrassing that it was actually painful to watch. It was so pathetic that I really felt kind of sorry for him (well, sort of, anyway). It was obvious that he was sweating profusely, diluting the dark colored dye he must use in his hair, causing it to run down his face.

Just how far can the mighty fall?

Well, obviously pretty friggin' far!

Rudolph Giuliani, former Federal Prosecutor, was also once so lauded as he led a devastated New York City through the dark days after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center that he became known as not just the Mayor of New York City but as AMERICA'S MAYOR.

Then he joined the Clown Show that is also known as the Trump Administration. In addition to the latest embarrassing incident, Mr. Giuliani was also recently punked by the slap-stick comedian, Sacha Baron Cohen, a.k.a. Borat , in Mr. Cohen's latest madcap film. How he could so easily fall prey to a comic who makes a living by exposing charlatans speaks to the fool that Giuliani has become. And, this doesn't even take into account the ridiculous press conference he held at The Four Seasons - no, not the glamorous hotel but the landscaping company between the adult book store and the crematorium.

Now, take it one step further -

Mr. Giuliani is the LEAD attorney for the President, as Mr. Trump makes a desperate attempt to hold off the inevitable, i.e. that he LOST the election. Think about that. The President is so delusional that the man most responsible for these efforts has hair dye leaking down his face as he addresses the world.

Come on, Trumpsters - just how bad does it have to get to realize that you not only backed the wrong horse - it ain't even a horse - it's a JACKASS.

That is all . . .

Today's MOZEN: What Do YOU See?

F LoBuono

Perhaps, if by some bizarre chance, an actual Trump supporter is reading this, may I ask a few questions:

What is it that you actually see in Donald Trump so that you would CONTINUE to support him?

Is it his appearance?

I see an obese figure, with a bouffant hairdo that looks like a dead animal sitting on his head, fake teeth, and a spray-on tan that gives him an unearthly orange glow.

Is it his personality?

I see an egomaniac who identifies with bullying, bluster, belligerence, mendacity, and bullshit as leadership skills.

Is it his communication?

I see a bumbling fool who can't spell, doesn't write well, and doesn't speak with any level of intelligence.

Is it his policy?

I see no Health Care plan, no great Border Wall, no environmental protections, a raging, unchecked Covid pandemic, and no tax break for the Middle Class.

Is it his plan for the future?

I see a man without any coherent plan to lead us forward. In fact, despite the fact that he lost the election convincingly, he is keeping the ENTIRE Country from moving forward with a NEW President for his own selfish means.

So, someone, please refute my assessment of this horrible man. I'm willing to listen to any reasonable, fact-based retort. After all, over 70 million of you STILL voted for him. There must be one who can adequately explain WHY.

Thank you. 

Today's MOZEN: Taking It To The Streets

 

F LoBuono

Because of my position with a major news outlet, I have had the great privilege to witness some of the most important political events in our Country's history. To name just 2, I was front row-center to experience the joy when Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for President in 2008. I was also at the Javits Center in New York when Hillary Clinton got the heartbreaking news that she had lost the 2016 Presidential election to Donald Trump.

However, I must admit that I've never seen the unadulterated joy of millions of people, not only in this Country but from around the world, at the defeat of our current (but, not for much longer) President, Donald J. Trump. Bells were ringing, horns were blaring, and people were dancing in the streets. It was as if a huge, debilitating weight had been lifted off the collective shoulders of so many Americans. After 4 years of a President and Administration that I'm confident history will declare as the worst since the inception of America, The People could once again breath the clean, fresh air of a new birth of freedom!

I was in the lounge, taking a lunch break from working in our the newsroom on W57th St. in Manhattan when I heard a mighty commotion. It surprised me because it was SO loud. Cars were beeping their horns, people were flooding the streets, cheering and banging on pots and pans. I couldn't imagine what it might me. That was until my phone started ringing to alert me to return to the newsroom ASAP: Joe Biden had broken through to become the President-elect. As you can imagine, the newsroom exploded with activity!

Of course, the newsroom chaos lasted well into the night. However, so did the street celebrations. In my little village of Nyack, NY, Main Street had to be literally shut down to accommodate all of the revelers!

Now, I know that 70 million people actually voted for Mr. Trump. That's a number simply too large to ignore. I may NEVER fully understand exactly WHY they did so, but that's irrelevant for this post. Over 74 million Americans DID vote for Joe Biden and their joy was made most apparent in the most celebratory of ways - the American way - taking it to the streets - with NO hint of violence. Perhaps, NOW we can truly Make America Great Again.

Because the Country has been so wounded by Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden's road will not be an easy one. We are still seriously fractured and Republican opposition, led by the likes of Mitch McConnel, is bound to be fierce. But, if the conciliatory tone taken by President-elect Biden in his speech made immediately after he was officially declared the winner is any indication of what we can expect over the next 4 years, we are most certainly in good hands. And, as he said in that speech:

If Americans come together, there is nothing we cannot do.

Order will be restored.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Today's MOZEN: 1/20/2021

Illustration by Kaya Mar

OH MY FRIGGIN' GOD!!! WHEN WILL IT EVER END????

 - the lying, the cheating, the willful ignorance . . . 

Perhaps, one day, after years of study by social scientists, someone will be able to adequately explain how 60 MILLION PEOPLE voted for a man with the character of a snake oil salesman. That is the approximate amount of Americans who continue to support soon-to-be EX-President Donald J. Trump. What bewilders me is that after 4 failed, miserable years where Mr. Trump talked and talked so much and yet accomplished so little, so many still buy his line of shit.

If that isn't enough, he is contesting the election by making outrageous, baseless claims of fraud and deliberate malfeasance on the part of those who had the audacity to exercise their rights as Americans, i.e. VOTE for the candidate of THEIR choice!!! And, in doing so he is, once again, fragmenting our society and incited his most fanatic minions to violence.

It boggles my mind that so many people, yes, many of them presumably good people, actually drank Trump's Kool-Aid. That is until you realize where the term comes from. It refers to the Jonestown Massacre* when cult leader Jim Jones convinced 919 of his most fanatical followers to kill themselves by drinking Kool-Aid laced with cyanide. And, even more astounding and tragic is the fact that one third of the victims were children, given the elixir by their own parents.

That was 42 years ago.

Today, we have a new Cult of Personality led by Donald J. Trump whose minions appear ready to drink whatever libation he should choose to serve them. Whatever he tells them, no matter how outlandish or outrageous, they will believe simply because they want to. Facts play no role in the process. They have an endless supply of excuses to justify his mendacity. As a comedian friend of mine put it:

Trump could walk into their homes, shoot their dog, and they would STILL BLAME THE DOG!

Donald Trump is going to lose this election. And, despite his whining, crying, and bloviating, he will be going, by force if necessary. He can file all the lawsuits his tiny, little heart desires. The Constitution, you know that little article that he and his followers supposedly worship, is very clear in the procedure. It's called the 20th Amendment**.

Well, I guess I answered my own question. Yes, it WILL end:

and, Noon, 1/20/2021 can't come fast enough.

*https://time.com/longform/jonestown-aftermath/

** Section 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3rd day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.

Today's MOZEN: Dead Shark

 

F LoBuono

When I think about the state of near anarchy our Country is in, my feelings range from extreme depression to raging indignation.

I've never seen anything like it - and, I'm old enough to have experienced the deceit and heartbreak of Vietnam, the lies and deception of Nixon, and the greed and avarice of Reagan. All of those eras saw the Country nearly torn apart by the intense differences in opinions by Americans on exactly what America herself was, and is, supposed to be.

On the one hand, we have so-called Conservatives and on the other, Liberals. One group is dedicated to preserving the status quo while the other seeks more progressive change. Generally speaking, Republicans represent Conservatives while Democrats are associated with Liberals. If you would like to know the difference in the two platforms, go to a dictionary and look the two words up.

Go ahead. I'll wait.

Now, that you've done that, let me ask you this question: which description would YOU rather be defined by?

I know where my heart lies.

That's what so disturbing about where we are now. The fight is on for the very Heart AND Soul of this Country. 

In the past, our Republic has been strong enough to survive the blows inflicted upon it by people who stubbornly cling to the past as if it were some shield to protect them against the change so necessary and inevitable to keep our Country growing and, therefore, strong. To paraphrase Woody Allen in his movie Annie Hall: relationships are like sharks. They have to keep moving forward or they die. What we have on our hands is a dead shark. Just replace relationships with Country and you'll get my meaning.

Those people who continue to support Donald J. Trump and his entire Administration are dealing with a dead shark. His/their very slogan, Make America Great Again, is a harkening to the good ol' days, forgetting that often meant segregation, intimidation, degradation, and blind ignorance. These things are to be left behind, not yearned for!

We must continue to make progress (i.e. be progressive) and not cling to the past, but build a brighter future. In my mind, that is impossible under the likes of Mr. Trump who has managed to dupe so many into believing that his ethos is dedicated to improving anyone or anything besides himself and his family. In fact, convincing working people that the Republican Party is actually on their side is one of the greatest marketing feats in the history of the world. It could also be considered one of the world's greatest jokes if it wasn't so sad.

Yes, I must admit that it actually makes me angry to think what's so obvious to so many - that Mr. Trump would do and say almost ANYTHING to stay in power, even at the cost of our personal freedoms. And, yet, their are millions of others who have been blinded by his Cult of Personality. You see them in their pickup trucks, horns blaring, Trump banners proudly flowing, spitting their hateful rhetoric wherever they go.

So, let me close by repeating a popular slogan: Vote like our life depends on it. Because it does . . . 

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT: I'd Rather Be Alone

 

Now that the most important, and divisive, Presidential election in my lifetime (65+ years) is imminent, I've witnessed a surge in social media memes that are asking people to be more civil in their discourse. Of course, this is an admirable goal. Even when we vehemently disagree on policy issues, we should always keep our humanity in mind - and, that means, in the end, we need to respect one another.

However, there are limits. At least there are to me.

Disagreements on so-called political issues are one thing. There have been, and always will be room for differing points of view in my life. However, when those views express feelings of turpitude, I am going to call you on them. 

Politics are one thing. Morality is quite another.

So, if you wish to defend bigotry, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny, mendacity, greed, sloth, cruelty, malevolence, fear, loathing, and hatred as part of your political ideology, I'm going to call you on it - EVERY TIME. There is absolutely no room in my life for people who espouse these traits as part of theirs'.

People will often offer that we can agree to disagree or we can still be friends.

Well, that depends.

If your moral compass lies in my Red Zone (literally as well as figuratively), the answer to those questions is a resounding NO. I will NOT agree to abhorrent moral behavior OR ideals. And, NO, I will not accept immoral people as friends.

So, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, I'd rather live alone than be surrounded by people lacking in even the least in moral courage.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT: Reprehensible

Illustration by kaya Mar

Let's be fair and give the man his due when it is warranted. So, just when you thought the bar couldn't be set any lower, Donald J. Trump has set a new standard in abhorrent behavior.

Making ridiculous, child-like facial gestures to mock not only his political opponents but anyone who may have had the audacity to question his integrity or acumen, may be his idea of just having fun at someone else's expense. However, inciting violence against ANYONE, particularly against a sitting governor of one of the Country's largest States, is beyond deplorable - it's downright despicable.

His recent campaign rally (aka, Super-Spreader event) in Michigan set the bar lower than the *Mariana Trench. And, put in the simplest terms, that is lower than whale shit. His criticism of Michigan's Democratic, and lawfully elected governor, Gretchen Witmer, was so vitriolic in its presentation that it whipped his minions into such a frenzy that they began chanting, LOCK HER UP! And, for what - her efforts to keep her citizens safe? Really?

And, the worst part is that he not only refused to calm the crowd, his smiling, applauding approval actually encouraged them to become even more enraged! Considering the fact that the FBI just foiled a kidnapping plot by White Supremacists against Governor Witmer, the reaction was simply vile. Shame on him AND those people who roared with delight!

This man is supposed to be not only the leader of our Country, but also that of the entire Free World. And, here he is making faces and grinning like a buffoon. Worse still, his rhetoric emboldened his howling minions towards violence against not only a political adversary but a woman, wife, and mother.

So, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, Hillary Clinton was wrong; his hardcore supporters are not a basket of deplorables. It's beyond that - they are REPREHENSIBLE (and, just about any other negative adjective you care to add) - and, so is Donald J. Trump - soon to be FORMER President of the United States.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Trench

Today's MOZEN: Dead Man Walking

Illustration by Kaya Mar

This post, especially at this time, will be like virtually all of my others regarding President Donald J. Trump and his entire Administration: it will be relentlessly negative and will not change a single mind. Those vehemently opposed to Mr. Trump need no more prompting to vote his sorry ass out of office. Those in favor of rewarding him with another 4 years will exercise their right as well and cast their votes for him.

I suppose the difference with this post is that I've become more convinced than ever that Mr. Trump, despite the unwavering support among his minions, is heading for a crushing defeat on November 3rd.

My reasoning is two-fold. First, virtually every National poll has the President trailing challenger Joe Biden, often by double digits. Furthermore, he trails Biden in key, so-called swing States that delivered an Electoral College win for him in 2016. But, as we saw in that election, polls can be inaccurate or, at least, misleading. Therefore, now is not the time for complacency.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, Mr. Trump's already controversial behavior has taken an even deeper decent into the realm of the unhinged. One need not be a psychologist or social scientist to see that he has become so desperate with even the thought of his defeat that not only his words, but his actions too are those of a madman.

He and his Administration's plan (or, more accurately, LACK OF one) to deal with the COVID pandemic has backfired on him to the point that he actually became infected with the very virus he earlier called a hoax. And, his reaction to contracting COVID-19 can only be described as bizarre. His return to the White House after a short stint at Walter Reed Medical Center was right out of the Benito Mussolini handbook! And, we all know what became of il Duce.

His vicious attack on Democratic Vice President candidate, Kamala Harris, calling her a monster and a communist, is the language of a man who has lost not only his cool, but, quite possible, his mind, as well. This, on top his lack of morals and/or scruples, is the mark of a man who is losing his grip on reality.

Unfortunately, the cult of personality which guides his followers cannot be shaken. Despite his obvious meltdown, they will never leave his side. As a comedian/friend said to me, Mr. Trump could walk into one of his follower's homes, shoot their dog, and they would blame the dog. There is no reason or logic as the foundation of their support. I suppose that they are as damaged emotionally and spiritually as he is.

But, that doesn't matter. This Country still has a conscience. And, if that man has done one thing right, it has been to awaken our sense of duty, honor, and compassion - all things Mr. Trump lacks so completely and, to his lasting shame, will prove his undoing. Think of him as the proverbial dead man walking. . . 

F LoBuono