Considering Donald trumping

Now that everyone sees Donald J. Trump as a legitimate candidate, I would like to take the time to provide some insight into just how well this man could truly run the country. Let me preface this post by saying that I am not, in fact, a Trump supporter. I am merely here to highlight the magnificent things this man can do for me and you. 

Firstly, Trump is widely known for his business expertise. Why, he has negotiated out of not 1, nor 2, but 4 different multi-million dollar debts that actually ended in his favor. What he would do was have the company file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (in which the business can still operate), essentially ditch the whole operation, and then come back later when most of the debt has been dealt with by the banks to buy it back up. He has even admitted to "playing with bankruptcy laws", claiming "they're very good for" eliminating unwanted debt (Newsweek 2011). Just imagine how that can translate to his career in office: no longer do the American people need to worry about its national deficit, for the famous (and infamous) businessman can simply outsource control of the country until it's low enough for us to take it back.

Another attribute Donald Trump has is his experience in politics. Believe it or not, this isn't Trump's first attempt at running, as he originally ran for office in 2000 with affiliation to the Reform Party. Obviously, that brings into question his allegiance to the Republican ideologies he so vehemently pushes for this time around, but it matters little to him; in fact, he has had affiliation with both the Independent and Democratic Parties as well. The key factor he looks for in political parties, in my opinion, is whether there are people with shallow pockets looking to make them deeper. His standings on political issues change with every new criticism that arises, as is his attempt to 'please the masses', so to speak. This would translate much better once he attains the reigns of this country, as his flip-floppiness would keep us out of countless foreign troubles that would surely envelope America otherwise. 

Now I know that there is mounting evidence against Donald Trump being a good person (i.e. him being a racist, sexist, power-hungry, egotistical old man), but let's choose to ignore those attributes. Instead, let's look at how well a businessman could run a country that's becoming as unstable as his toupee. 

Considering trumping Donald

The American people have truly surprised me this election. Not only did one of the most under-qualified candidates run this year, but the man is actually winning the race. I am speaking, of course, on Donald Trump and his usual antics: racism, anti-muslim comments, and misogyny to name a few topics. With topics like these, one would assume there'd be at least some tension within the crowds; and you would not be wrong. There have been numerous incidents of silent protesters being attacked (verbally or otherwise) at Trump's rallies, and even some moments where he encourages such behavior. It's a surprise he hasn't somehow been charged, but the worst moment of all came when he wasn't even present. The Huffington Post covered the case well, commenting on the over 2,000 protesters that essentially shut down the rally in St. Louis, MO altogether. Things started off innocently enough (as innocent as one can get while supporting this kind of person) for the participants; supporters and protesters alike. Once Trump decidedly postponed the meeting, however, the people were left with their wound up emotions and no outlet. Intense confrontations led to 32 people being arrested and one injured, to which Trump expressed his apathy by trying to justify that "in the old days.. [protesters] would be carried out on stretchers". Some see Donald Trump's actions as suspect, believing that he may have seen this proverbial bullet coming and decided to hop out of the way. Others believe it to have been inevitable, as the perfect mixture for the perfect storm was already set in place. What bothers me is that nobody wants to draw the painfully simple line that connects this man to all of these 'outrageous' acts. Trump is inciting a portion of the population that many thought had gone extinct (but to which I like to label as having gone 'into hibernation'), and is actually using that momentum to carry him into the Presidential Elections. He does not truly care for the political beliefs he flip-flops on rally after rally, nor the people that are even in his own political party; and I am afraid that it will be too late when the American public realizes just how little he cares about us as well.

Considering Obama's Predicament

There comes a time in everyone's life where all things come to an end. Unfortunately for former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, it was right in the middle of one of the most attention-grabbing presidential elections to date. Because of this, President Barack Obama has the option to fill the newly vacant seat on the Supreme Court. His only obstacle: the Republican leaders in Senate. The power these two political parties are wrestling over is none other than 1/9th of the judicial branch's influence on all things government, and the only way they can lose that is through personal resignation or death. Needless to say, something must be done to settle this stalemate. 

That is where Charles Silver (author of the opinion article "Obama's Supreme Court option? Grow the bench") comes in, as it would seem the man is on to quite the solution. In a nutshell, Silver proposes that the Supreme Court both be made larger (referencing 50 as a new possible amount) and incorporate new nominations (beginning with Obama's decisions). In theory, a larger judiciary body on the Supreme Court would lessen ideological and political bias. Likewise, it would deflate the heads of the, now numerous, Supreme Court Justices, thus taking away the incentive to stay in office until they need a paramedic.

The plan has a severe hole in it, however, which is essentially its fragility  to any possible disagreements in a case settlement. At that point, the Supreme Court would devolve into no more than another Congress. If one were able to cut the political ties from electing court justices, then this concept could very well be fool-proof. 

References: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/opinion/silver-obamas-supreme-court-solution-expand-the-nu/nqXb4/?icmp=statesman_internallink_referralbox_free-to-premium-referral

Considering the Relevancy of Racism

When it comes to racism, I always pictured the anguished struggle of the Black American fixed in a 60's scene of peaceful protests only to be aggressively dispersed by armed police officers (and, in some cases, white citizens as well). Being half black myself has put me into situations that may have contained racial tension, but for the most part I'd hoped there were enough progressive-minded people to snuff out such backwards thinking. Surprisingly enough, however, Ferguson, MO still retains its reputation as quite the discriminatory city; the worst of it all being that the discrimination is coming from their Criminal Justice System. 

While it was slow to gain traction in the eyes of the media, the Department of Justice finally received enough allegations of their "beleaguered...system" of "its police department". A Civil Rights lawsuit was immediately dispatched, and shortly after the city rejected the suit, ultimately costing themselves millions for fighting the demands of over overhauling their blatant harassment of their (primarily African-American) citizens.

Unfortunately I feel, this controversy will not end neatly. But it does bring the age old American struggle between State vs. Federal power into the contemporary lime light. Obviously, the national government cannot stand for such a refusal in the face of such an equality-focused society. The only question is what the reaction will be for the sympathizers of the Ferguson Police Department.