alexanderboulton

What a difference three months make.  As Adlai Stevenson University students return to classes, Donald Trump is now the Republican Party’s nominee to be the President of the United States, and Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee.  Green party candidate, Jill Stein, and libertarian party candidate, Gary Johnson are both hoping to participate in the Presidential debates on September 26, October 9, and October 19^th, but will probably fail to garner 15% standing in the national polls to qualify.  (SU will have debate watching parties in Rockland hall, and a student debate on October 26).  Be prepared for some fireworks.

The national elections are crowding out other news stories:  A cease-fire in the war in Syria.  England leaving the European Economic Union; the spread of the Zika virus that causes microcephaly (small heads) in new-born infants.  Fires in California, Floods in Louisiana and Ellicott City.  The good news is, you can still find cute cat videos on Youtube.

One of the best classes at Adlai Stevenson University is called a History of Now, in which students research and write on recent events in the news.  The subjects they have written on so far include police brutality, Hillary’s health, and White Nationalists who support Donald Trump.

Karalyn writes:  Right now fourteen billion dollars are stranded out at sea. Hanjin Shipping Company, from South Korea, filed for bankruptcy and left eighty-five to ninety shipping vessels to fend for themselves. The company is five billion dollars in debt, and can not afford to dock the vessels which means they have the boats circling the oceans or anchored down. The crews are still aboard the ships and are running out of food, fuel, and water.

(Your Christmas presents may not arrive until next Spring.)

J.P. writes:  The human race is hunting and destroying the habitats of one of its own species. One of the world’s largest living primates (Eastern Gorilla) has been put on the critically endangered list. There have been reported illegal hunting expeditions and also the destruction of the habitats of these animals. There are many efforts to conserve the eastern gorilla population and it has been evident that these efforts are working, but there must be a continuous effort to educate people and make them aware of what is occurring in our wildlife. “To see the eastern gorilla – one of our closest cousins – slide toward extinction is truly distressing” (Inger Anderson). Today, there have been an estimated 5,000 eastern gorillas in the wild, which is a decline of nearly 70 percent over the past 20 years. The world must become more educated on how we as a human race can preserve our wild life and protect or ecosystem. It is vital for humans to understand how our planet operates. Also we must continue our efforts to preserve the world and spread awareness of this important topic. We as a human race will continue to destroy our world if we do not make changes to the environment that we live in.

What a difference three months make.  As Adlai Stevenson University students return to classes,  Donald Trump is now the Republican party’s nominee to be the President of the United States, and Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee.  Green party candidate Jill Stein, and libertarian party candidate Gary Johnson are both hoping to participate in the Presidential debates on September 26, October 9, and October 19^th, but will probably fail to garner 15% standing in the national polls to qualify.  (SU will have debate watching parties in Rockland hall, and a student debate on October 26).  Be prepared for some fireworks.

The national elections are crowding out other news stories:  Record flooding in Louisiana has left thirteen dead and thousands homeless.  Multiple fires in drought-stricken California have destroyed thousands more homes over hundreds of acres.  The smoke can be seen hundreds of miles away in Los Angeles.  290 people died in an earthquake in Amatrice, Italy.  And, a major storm may be headed up the Atlantic coast toward Maryland.

In other news: peace was declared in the Middle East, Assad in Syria has stepped down.  Andre Putin in Russia has apologized for the murders of his critics.  – – Just kidding.

The good news is that there are still lots of videos of kittens and puppies doing stupid tricks on Youtube.

People Are Saying. . .

By Alec Boulton

First daughter Malia Obama has decided not to attend Adlai Stevenson University.  In an exclusive interview at an undisclosed location she said that the decision was a hard one to make.  She said she will especially miss the Humans v. Zombie competition. Malia is planning to take a “gap year,” and then plans to attend a school in Cambridge Massachusetts.

The “Green Zone” is a heavily fortified area of nearly four square miles in the center of Bagdad.  It is famous for being the most secure location for American personnel stationed in Iraq as well as the site of the Iraqi Parliament.  Last week thousands of followers of radical Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the compound.  They left after a few hours.  There were no casualties, but the attack marks a new level of instability in Iraq which may hinder American efforts to secure peace and combat ISIS in the region.

With Ted Cruz dropping out of the race for the Republican Presidential nomination, Donald Trump has come one step closer to being the President of the United States.  It is difficult to imagine anyone less qualified by temperament or experience for the office.

ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE?

Let me know you opinion, and I will include your comments in the next “People Are Saying. . .”

(aboulton@stevenson.edu)

People Are Saying. . .

Why Ted Cruz is not newsworthy.  The butt of jokes over the last week, Cruz has been called “Lucifer in the flesh,” and a “miserable son of a b*tch” by the former Speaker of the House, John Boehner.   People have laughed at his naming Carly Fiorina as his Vice-Presidential running mate.  New rumors that he is the “Zodiac Killer” were aired at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner on Saturday.  Despite all of this, in two year’s time, people will be saying “Who is Ted Cruz?”

This Summer’s Coming Attractions:  As the semester here at Adlai Stevenson University winds down and “People Are Saying . . .” goes on a hiatus, what are the stories that we will be watching this summer?  Obviously the Republican Convention in Cleveland and the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia in July will be HUGE.   It looks like there will be a major train wreck in Cleveland, a lot of people are going to be very unhappy.  Will the Donald win the nomination?  Probably.

In Philadelphia, Bernie and Hillary will kiss and make up, but Bernie’s message of addressing grave inequalities in American society and corruption in our political system will shape the Democratic party’s agenda for years to come.

As messy as the Presidential contest has been, and will continue through the next few months, the good thing is that more people are involved in the political process.  ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE?   Many more people across the spectrum from left to right endorse a populist criticism of the way things are, and are eager for a change in direction.  Are we at the dawn of a social revolution?   If so, one of the casualties may be the Republican establishment which has successfully hindered meaningful action on climate change, health care, the economy, and education.  (If you think that your interest rates on Student Loans are too high you can thank Republicans in Congress).  For many years they have successfully obstructed progressive legislation and protected the interests of the 1% by stirring up fear and directing anger at communists, homosexuals, immigrants, women, and people of color.

Tell me why you agree or disagree, and I will include your comments in the next “People Are Saying. . .” in August.

(aboulton@stevenson.edu)

People are Saying. . .

Who said?: (A) “I’m very capable of changing to anything I want to change to.”

(B) “Every great dream begins with a dreamer.”

(C) “The most important thing is to be true to yourself, but I also like danger.”

Answers at the bottom of this page.

Is Barry Obama rethinking America’s role in the Mid-East?  His visit with the Saudi Arabian king, Salman last week comes as Congress is debating a bill that would let victims of the 9/11/2001 attacks sue the Saudi Arabian government, and only a few months after America concluded a treaty with Saudi’s rival, Iran over nuclear weapons.  Obama must find a middle ground between working for peace in the middle east, and keeping America’s finger prints off whatever happens in the future in the region.  He understands that any role that America plays in the Middle East encourages radicals and potential terrorist to blame us for any problems in the region.  Any disengagement in the Middle East would threaten US interests and security.

Obama is not as afraid to be a “buttinsky” in England as he is in the Mideast.  As England is about to vote on a plan to leave the European Economic Union, Obama made his support for England staying in the EEU clear during his visit to England last week.  In response, the mayor of London slammed Obama for meddling in the UK’s affairs.

Hillary’s and the Donald’s victories in the primaries this week have cemented their statuses as the leading candidates for their party’s nominations.  The excitement in the Republican race is now happening behind closed doors in the competition for delegates for the second and succeeding ballots should Trump not get the 1237 he needs before the convention.

Hillary can now lose every primary and win the nomination.  Before the primaries on Tuesday, Bernie would have to win over 60% of the remaining delegates to capture the nomination.  The question for Bernie is what will he do now?  Will he continue to trash Hillary, or will he work to unify the party?  Certainly, he will still work to spread his message that the U.S. economic system is rigged in favor of the wealthy.  Hillary if/when she wins will have the burden of carrying out his agenda.

Answers: (A) Donald Trump 2.0 is trying to convince voters that he can be “very presidential.” But he warns that “if I go too presidential, people are going to be very bored.”

(B). Harriet Tubman; The slave who escaped slavery in Maryland, and then returned to lead seventy other slaves to freedom. During the Civil War she worked as a spy for the U.S. Army, and later worked for women’s right to vote.  “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”  Her image will soon replace that of Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.

(C) The singer, composer, producer, and actor, Prince, who died last week. “The most important thing is to be true to yourself, but I also like danger. That’s what’s missing from pop music today. There’s no excitement or mystery.” (1982)  According to culture critic, Michelle Garcia, “Prince gave black kids permission to be weirdos.”  White kids are gonna have to wait.

People are Saying . . .

The Great Debate:  At Adlai Stevenson University last week, Larry Fort, Caitlyn Miller, Nick Kelly, and Rachel Clein took on the personas of (in order) Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and John Kasich to tell us why we should vote for their candidate (Ted Cruz was a no-show).  All of them gave excellent reasons why their candidate is most qualified to be the President of the U.S..  After which, the “candidates” and the audience had a spirited and sometimes heated exchange of views.  At a caucus at the end of the debate, 25 supported Bernie, 15 supported Trump (!?), and five each supported Hillary and Kasich.

In another debate in Brooklyn, the Democratic candidates Hillary and Bernie gave those who watched a PhD-level education in politics.  Who would you want to fix your car?  Someone who perfectly understands the theoretical physics of an internal combustion engine, or someone who had gotten her hands dirty, and grease on her face, changing the oil and adjusting the carburetor?

One of the most heated exchanges was over the Israel-Palestine conflict.  It was once American policy to attempt to be a neutral arbiter between the two.  That has been increasingly difficult after 9/11/2001, and the Iraq War of 2003 (commonly agreed to be the worst foreign policy mistake in U.S. history).  All U.S. politicians today pledge their strong support for Israel.  “Strong,” however, appears to be a relative word.  On a scale of support for Israel, Republicans generally are the most uncompromising in support of Israel, even calling for attacking suspected Iranian nuclear facilities.  Bernie’s “strong support” questions America’s apparent agreement with virtually everything that is said by Benjamin Netanyahu, the hawkish Prime Minister of Israel.  Bernie says that sometime “we are going to have to say that Netanyahu is not right all of the time.” And he argues that Israel’s response to attacks by Hamas was disproportionate to the threat.

Hillary, who, as Secretary of State, negotiated a cease-fire in 2012 with Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, defended Israel’s right to defend itself from terrorists and rocket attacks that are a constant threat to Israel.

Republicans could learn a lesson about how to debate REAL issues, without calling anyone a “looser” or a “liar,” or questioning anyone’s anatomy.

Tuesday’s primary victory in New York should mean that Hillary can put Bernie in her rear-view mirror, but Bernie is vowing to continue the fight despite the long odds.

In other news:  Earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan have killed nearly 300 people.

The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on the constitutionality of President Obama’s executive actions on immigration which offer work permits to four million people.  A decision is expected in June.

Five Biggest Things To Be Afraid Of: #1 Global Warming, #2 Zika Virus, #3 Donald Trump, #4 Terrorists, #5 Final Exams.

People are Saying . . .

The South shall rise again?  Only this time it is not African American slaves, but members of the LGBT community who are the targets of prejudice and discrimination.  North Carolina’s law preventing local governments from passing anti-gay legislation, and requiring people to use bathrooms according to the sex listed on their birth certificates, is one of many attempts to discriminate against gays and transgender people.  So far, in reaction, Bruce Springsteen has cancelled a concert, and Paypal has cancelled plans to build a 3.6 million dollar global operations center in NC.  Other businesses are following these examples.  The Tennessee legislature is considering legislation similar to that in NC.  In Mississippi, the governor has signed a “religious liberty” law that uses religion as an excuse to discriminate against LGBT people.  A similar bill passed the Georgia legislature, but when the NFL said they would not consider having a Super Bowl in Atlanta, and Walt Disney threatened to not film in the state, the Governor vetoed the legislation.

Georgia, Alabama and other states have passed voter identification laws that have the effect (and purpose) of limiting voting by minorities.

Other states in the old Confederacy have legislated onerous requirements for women to get abortions, based on misinformation about women’s health care.

Ancient prejudices, superstitions, and ignorance still hold large parts of the country from entering the modern world.

Pope Francis “gets it.”  In a message titled “Amoris Laetitia” (Latin: “The Joy of Love”) he encourages clergy to be sympathetic and welcoming to gays, single parents, and cohabiting unmarried couples.  Francis is not rejecting Catholic doctrine which emphasizes celibacy, and sees the procreation of children within a marriage of a man and a woman as the only justification for sex.  He does see, however, the need to recognize the unique situations common in the modern world, to be less judgmental and more tolerant.

New York represents (almost) all the marbles for the Democratic candidates.  Whoever wins the primary there, April 19, has a good chance to win the nomination in Philadelphia in July.  Smart money is on Hillary who is ten points ahead of Bernie in recent polls in NY, and is way ahead in delegates.

After Trump’s loss in Wisconsin last week, some people say that Cruz has finally stopped Trump’s march to the nomination.  New York’s primary looks like it will be a walk for The Donald, but he has failed to expand his base beyond about 30% in the Republican Party.  It is increasingly likely that no one will have the 1237 delegates needed to win the nomination by the time the Republican Convention meets in Cleveland.  In a brokered convention anything could happen.

“The man in the hat,” identified as Mohamed Abrini, one of the (alleged) perpetrators of the March 22 bombings in which 35 people were killed in Brussels, has been caught.  About eighteen others have been arrested in recent weeks in connection with the attacks in Paris and Brussels.  Others are still being sought.  One thing that is becoming obvious is the need for greater coordination of police across the European Union and the U.S.A.  One the positive side, many believe that the recent attacks in Europe are a sign that ISIS is losing the initiative in the Middle East, and is resorting to desperate measures.

Ancient History:  Bill Clinton’s impeachment as President of the United States in 1998 started as an investigation of Clinton’s extra-marital affairs by Republicans anxious to diminish his popularity and political power.  The case in the House of Representatives was led by the Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, who was recently charged by Federal prosecutors with sexual abuse of at least four boys while he was a high school gym coach.  He pled guilty last year to illegal monetary transactions to pay off one of his victims to remain silent.  He replaced the previous Speaker of the house, Bob Livingston, who resigned during the impeachment hearings when his own marital infidelities became known.  Livingston, in turn, had replaced Newt Gingrich, who also had ethics issues, including extramarital affairs.  Clinton was acquitted in his trial in the Senate, and ended his Presidency with the highest popular approval rating of any departing President since Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

People are Saying . . .

In all the world, the saddest words that were ever spoke are “This too might have been.”  The Might-Have-Been Hero:  Marcus Paige, North Carolina Tarheel, hit a three point shot with under five seconds to play in the NCAA Final, tying the game at 74-74, (apparently) forcing an overtime to determine the winner against Villanova.  It was one of the greatest clutch shots in NCAA history.   Perhaps, if the World were fair, everyone would be singing his praises.  But no one will remember him tomorrow because Kris Jenkins responded with his own three pointer at the buzzer giving Villanova the title, 77-74.

Zombie Candidate?  Some people are saying Trump is one of the living dead.  Incapable of winning the nomination, but seemingly impossible to stop.   After last week, it seems unlikely that he will become the Republican  nominee.  His statement (since retracted) that women should be punished for having an illegal abortion; his campaign manager’s arrest for manhandling a female reporter; and  his quixotic views on foreign policy (let’s give Japan and South Korea nuclear weapons), may have finally popped the Trump bubble.  Ted Cruz’s primary victory in Wisconsin might be the first in a succession of defeats which will deny Trump’s getting the 1237 delegates necessary to win the nomination.

Would a Trump nomination doom the Republican Party?  It could mean that “down ballot” races for the Senate and the House of Representatives would be more favorable to the Democrats, and the Dems’ dream of taking over both houses of Congress could become a reality.  If that were to happen, they would only have themselves to blame. Numerous Republican-controlled state legislatures have passed legislation limiting LGBT rights, limiting access to voting, and limiting women’s access to abortions.  Republican party support for these measures and its obstinate obstruction to moderate progressive change helped create their Frankenstein monster, Donald Trump.

Does Hillary accept money from the fossil fuel industry?  Bernie Sanders and the environmentalist organization, Greenpeace, say she does.  And, that she has refused to sign a pledge not to.  Hillary accuses the Sanders’ campaign of lying about the issue.  The fact is the  super PAC, Priorities USA Action, which supports Clinton, has received more than 3 million dollars from individuals connected with oil and coal industries.  But she and all candidates are forbidden by law from coordinating with a super PAC.  She has, however, received about $300,000 directly from individuals working for fossil fuel companies.  And, Bernie has accepted more than $50,000 from individuals working for fossil fuel companies.

The Democratic race is not over.  Sanders with his win in Wisconsin has now won seven of the last eight state contests against Clinton, and, although still behind in the delegate count, hopes that a victory in New York on April 19 will turn the tide in his favor.  Recent polls, however, show Hillary with more than a ten point lead in NY.

Does Pi have too many digits?  NASA thinks so.  So far, computers have calculated pi, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, to 13 trillion digits. According to the National Air and Space Administration, that’s too many.  NASA often needs to(among other things) calculate the orbits of planets and spacecraft,  and they say they can get by with only fifteen digits after the decimal point for pi.  This allows them to calculate the position of Voyager One, which exited our solar  system three years ago and is now over fifteen light hours away,  to within one and a half inch accuracy.  That’s close enough for government work.

BTW : pi to the fifteenth decimal  is 3.14159265358979.   If you already knew that you should probably get out more.

PS: If you are one of the first five SU students to tell me what the next digit is, I will give you a $5 gift certificate to the SU bookstore. (respond to aboulton@stevenson.edu)

People are Saying . . .

The Battle of the Wives:  It started when an anti-Trump Political Action Committee ran a nude picture of The Donald’s wife, the former model, Melania Trump.  The photo from 2000 shows her in Trump’s 747 jet, handcuffed to a brief case, wearing diamonds and furs that strategically cover some of her formidable assets.  Trump responded enigmatically claiming that he would “spill the beans” on Cruz’s wife, Heidi Cruz, a former investment manager at Goldman-Sachs and then re-tweeted side-by-side photos of his wife next to an unflattering picture of Ted Cruz’s wife.  Cruz, angrily called Trump a “sniveling coward” for his attacks on his wife.

Modern Politics 101:  How to start an ugly rumor to discredit an opposing candidate.  Sounds easy right?  The problem is that responsible news media will not report on slanderous, unsubstantiated rumors.  So here is the plan:  (First) write something on the internet about your opponent’s sex life.  The more outrageous the better.  (Second) Then get a supporter to reference it on CNN, forcing (Three) your opponent to deny the story.  (Voila) It is now News, and fair game for all commentators and news organizations to report on it.  It is an old technique.  This is what Donald Trump did last week in (surreptitiously) spreading the story that Ted Cruz has had numerous sexual affairs outside of his marriage.  The story is a complete lie.  Or, is it?

In the real world:  Four days after the police raid that netted Salah Abdeslam, one of the ISIS terrorists accused in the murder of 130 people in Paris, suicide bombers killed thirty-five people and injured over three hundred in Brussels, Belgium.  Police are looking for an accomplice, “the man in the hat” seen on closed circuit TV at one of the bombing sites.  Belgian police have been criticized for inability to “connect the dots” that could have revealed terrorist plots, failure to interrogate Abdeslam for hours after his capture, and for miss-identifying a Belgian journalist as one of the terrorists.  Time to call in Inspector Clousseau.

In a public park in Lahore, Pakistan, seventy one people, mostly women and children, were killed and 341 others injured in suicide attacks on Easter day.  Less noted terrorist attacks have occurred recently in Turkey, the Ivory Coast, and Yemen.

The United States and Cuba almost went to war in 1962 bringing the world the closest it has ever come to a nuclear conflict that would have led to the deaths of millions and forever changed human history.  Although the U.S. still has an economic boycott of the island nation, President Obama’s visit to the country last weekend, following a concert by the Rolling Stones, seemed to bury ‘the last remnant of the Cold War.”

In other news: Republicans are still blocking hearings on the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court; Bernie has the momentum, but Hillary has the math (i.e. the greater number of delegates to win the Democratic nomination); and the oceans are still rising.

People Are Saying. . .

President Donald Trump?  It could happen.  He is now way ahead of his rivals, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich, for the Republican nomination.  Party leaders’ desperate plans to stop Trump at the Convention in July seem doomed, and Trump predicts (promises?) that his supporters will riot if he is denied the nomination.  Some Republicans are preparing for a third party challenge, but there is little time for organizing one.

The New York Daily News headline, “Donald Trump is Hitler” captured the sentiment of many people even in his own party.  According to Conan Obrien’s interview with Der Fuhrer, Hitler hates being compared to the Donald [Check it out on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DcrmnRijTQ%5D.  The two do share some things in common, including violence at political rallies, a “pledge” that looks like a Nazi salute, megalomaniac paranoia, and fear-mongering.  Trump has been called the most divisive person in America.  This is not really true.  He has brought Democrats, rational Republicans, and late night comedians together with something to agree on.

On the other side of the universe:  Bernie Sanders for a short time looked like he had a chance to win the Democratic nomination after his big win in Michigan a week ago, but losses to Hillary last Tuesday in five primary states make it unlikely he will catch up to Hillary in the fight for delegates.  Nevertheless, his bright spotlight on social inequality will have a big influence shaping the election this November.

March Madness prediction:  The University of Connecticut Huskies will win the NCAA title this year.  Breanna Stewart has led the Huskies basketball team to a 69-game winning streak.  She has led the women’s field with a total (so far) of 2,554 points in her college career.  On the men’s side the winner this year will not be the Northern Iowa Panthers who blew a 12 point lead with forty four seconds in the game against the Texas A&M Aggies.  The greatest collapse in the history of the NCAA tournament.  And it will not be Michigan State (#2) who lost in the first round to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (#15).  It just goes to show, anything can happen, and it usually does.

Terrorists attacked Paris on November 13, last year.  On that day, Salah Abdeslam, (according to sources) drove a black Volkswagen Polo to a rock concert in Paris where the Eagles of Death Metal were in the middle of their set.  Three men got out of the car and entered the theater shooting AKM assault rifles into the crowd of 1500 people.  When police arrived the men detonated suicide vests.  Eighty-nine people were killed.  Two other teams of terrorists shot machine guns into crowds of people who were enjoying the unusually warm weather that night at outdoor restaurants, killing a total of one hundred and thirty people.  After a massive manhunt, Salah Abdeslam, after a gun battle in which he was shot in the leg, was captured Friday by Police in Belgium.

If Republicans in the Senate have their say (and they probably will), Merrick Garland is not going to be a Supreme Court Justice anytime soon.  The Republicans continue to do what they have pledged themselves to do for the last seven years – – block any thing that President Obama proposes.  I have a two-year old nephew whose answer to every question is “no.”  But he will grow up some day.

What is the scariest thing that threatens the future of humanity?  Is it Isis, the terrorist organization that has taken over large areas in the Middle East?  Is it Kim Jong-Un of North Korea, who threatens to launch a nuclear attack on New York City?  Is it the Chinese military buildup on the island they are creating in the South China Sea?  Is it global warming?  Or is it the F on your midterm grade in English?

A five dollar gift certificate to the SU bookstore will be given to the first SU student who responds either positively or negatively to anything printed here.  If it seems appropriate, his/her remarks will be included in a subsequent posting.  Respond to aboulton@stevenson.edu