Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for November 11, 2024

Some feelings never change!

And that was just the call to order with the dropping of the gavel!

“The trouble with democracy is that they let folks vote for the guy I don’t like.” – Archie Bunker

STONE HIM!

Looks more like the edge of autocracy about to become a dictatorship.

So that’s why Sisyphus wanted a rock on top of his hill.

Democracy is when two wolves and a sheep vote on what they will have for dinner.

The ‘airis-rockracy’ will not give up so easily!

God asks Reagan: “What do you believe in?” “I believe in the free market, and the strong American nation!”“Very well”, says God. “Come sit to my right.”

Next, God asks Obama: “What do you believe in?” “I believe in the power of democracy, and equal rights for all.”“Good”, says God. “You shall sit to my left.”

Finally, God asks Trump: “What do you believe in?”

Trump answers: “I believe you’re sitting in my chair.”

That roof was unprotected……It had a slight slant.

Enjoy the benefits of our democracy while you still can. On this Memorial Day, let’s be grateful for the “suckers” and “losers” who helped save it in various crises. Let’s also take some time to remember the largely faceless federal workers who keep (and kept) it ticking right along thru good times and bad.

We’ve just seen something that’s only happened once before in American history. Grover Cleveland won the presidency in 1884, lost it in 1888, and won it back again in 1892, becoming President #22 and 24. Donald Trump won in 2016, lost in 2020, and won again in 2024, becoming President #45 and 47. (Cleveland won the popular vote all 3 times, tho; Trump, only the last time.)

Besides that similarity, they share a mutual interest in the federal civil-service system. Thruout most of the 19th Century, every time the White House changed occupants, there was massive turnover in federal offices, as jobs were awarded to members of the incoming president’s party. It didn’t much matter whether the new office-holders had much experience in those jobs, or even basic competence; those weren’t the primary criteria. Party loyalty was all that mattered. This was most noticeable in the favorite political plums of all: postmasterships in every city, village, town, and hamlet in the country, where party activists could be rewarded with a spot on the federal payroll without having to leave home. Of course, it meant the mail was screwed up everywhere for a couple of months thereafter, but hey, to the victor belong the spoils, right? That’s why this approach was called the “spoils system”.

Rumor has it…trump is having the Constitution printed on toilet paper, for use in all government offices.

S-o-o-o-o-o-o Wondering about interpretation. Someone won, the population is happy, but someone isn’t?

Thankfully we live in a republic

Was hoping for a break from politics for at least a week.

A time when gravity existed but did not consider the consequences.

Or, it’s a very early depiction of Piggy’s demise in Lord of the Flies…

One of our biggest problems is the confusion between our government and our business economy. Our government is a constitutional democracy [or republic] in which our Constitution guarantees rights and freedoms to all — and free-enterprise.

Our economic system is Capitalism, an economic system where private individuals and businesses own the means of production, and the market determines prices and distribution of goods: private not government ownership and a free market, where prices are based on supply and demand, and the motivation is PROFIT.

Our government can’t set prices. It can’t interfere in private [meaning non-government entities] business except if very specific ways — it can set standards and establish laws and regulations to protect the people and the nation and create government agencies whose mission is to ensure that businesses abide by them.

Congress can pass laws requiring safe working conditions, air and water quality standards, seat belts; laws prohibiting kickbacks and insider trading; laws restricting foreign trade for national security. It can require inspections of livestock; establish tariffs to help us compete with foreign companies; provide incentives, grants, loans to encourage new businesses.

Part of protecting the nation and people is making sure that the economy remains stable. So the government set up several independent Boards [e.g., the Fed], comprised of economists, bankers, lawyers, and [big] businessmen to try to do this. The Fed’s mission is to try to stabilize prices, and max employment The only weapon they seem to have is raising/lowering the interest rate. Unfortunately, high interest rates affect people in the lower 85% than the upper 15% — which seems a pretty poor way to stabilize an economy. But, THAT’S BUSINESS. Possibly there is a slight flaw in the economical philosophy.

But government can’t solve it — We have a democracy, not a dictatorship. We can only pass laws to protect and serve.

Or someone who hates spiky hair.

So , no subject change yet huh? ;-)

Someone once said: People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. Thank God for each of those who do.

Prayers for the fallen, the wounded, and their families.

how long will Pradig keep banging Pigborn before we get a new page???

Sic semper tyrannis.