EDITORIAL: If You Claim "He's Not My President", Maybe You Are In The Wrong Country

I do not usually stray from travel and food related topics, but given the fact that the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States has caused such consternation here in the U.S. and abroad, I feel the need to address those anxieties here and now.

Many Americans are claiming that Donald J. Trump has said and done horrible things and that he did not win the popular vote, now stating "he's not my president". 

Got news for you assholes ... if @realDonaldTrump isn't your #president, you're in the wrong fucking country! #POTUSTrump #LoveItOrLeaveIt

— TravelValue (@CombatCritic) January 21, 2017

I do not disagree with those that think Trump has said and done some terrible things, that is a widely known fact. However, Donald Trump won the electoral college as formed in Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 of the Constitution of the United States of America (1789) and as clarified in the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution (1804). 

If people chose to ignore the U.S. Constitution and its Amendments in this case, where does it all end? We cannot pick and choose those articles and amendments we will abide by and those we will not, so I think it's extremely arrogant and ignorant for people to say "he's not MY president". He is our president, like it or not, and the sooner people accept the reality of the situation, the sooner we can unite and start changing things for the better. 

This liberal divisiveness is only hurting the country, not helping and the sooner people start acting like patriots instead of sore losers and whiners, the sooner we can heal and start solving problems like homelessness, poverty, lack of access to affordable medical care, terrorism, inadequate education and underpaid teachers, and the many other problems we face as a nation. 

Has Donald Trump said and done things that I and many Americans disagree with? Yes, of course, but that doesn't change the fact that he was legitimately elected President of the United States of America and there is no doubt about that fact. Get over it and focus on making OUR nation, the nation I served 20 years to support and defend, a better, safer, and more prosperous UNITED States of America.

Do Americans have the right to complain publicly about our new president? Absolutely! Fortunately, unlike many countries around the world, the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America provides for "freedom of speech" by its citizens. I served the United States of America for over 20 years, defending our right to speak freely in addition to the many other rights afforded us by the constitution and its amendments. I took this oath to "support and defend the Constitution on August 2nd, 1985:

“I ... having been appointed a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

So, I and others may agree or disagree with the things people say and do, whether it be claiming that Donald Trump is not your president or burning the American flag, but you absolutely, and thankfully, have every right to do so.

Ask yourself, had Hillary Clinton been elected president under the same circumstances, winning the electoral college, but not the popular vote, would you still claim that she is not your president? Absolutely not. Thankfully, she was not because she has committed crimes by mishandling classified information and lied to the FBI and the United States Congress. She should have been disqualified from running for or serving in the Office of President of the United States for those reasons alone. Let me explain.

Many Americans have been prosecuted for and are serving time in prison for mishandling classified information. I held a Top Secret security clearance while serving in the military and if I had taken classified documents home or anywhere other than the safe or classified computer in which they were stored, I would have a) lost my security clearance for life; b) been discharged (fired) from the military; and c) probably served time in prison and/or been fined a substantially large sum.

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, kept Top Secret information on a private "unclassified" and unsecure server at her residence as well as her mobile device without the proper authorization or necessary firewalls. She also sent classified information through her personal and unsecure email account over unsecure networks and systems. What ramifications were there for these extremely serious security breaches and potential leaking of Top Secret information to our adversaries as well as lying under oath? Nothing! A slap on the hand! I find it unbelievable that she was even allowed to run for the highest office in the land, requiring the very highest security clearance available and with access to the most sensitive information in the world.

What has Trump done? 

1. He talked about grabbing women by the genitalia many years ago while not knowing that he was being recorded. Inappropriate? Of course, but even he admitted it and apologized for it. 
2. He was accused by several women of sexual harassment or assault, but where are these so called victims and their accusations now? Disappeared, gone, never to be heard from again because they were obviously lies likely initiated by the Democratic Party.
3. Early on, Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." That statement has been twisted into statements and beliefs insinuating that Donald Trump is a racist and that he hates Muslims. Not true. He made a broad statement before he had all of the facts that he later clarified and backed down from.

So, based on those debacles, Donald Trump is now a woman, hater and racist and half the country is freaking out, crying in public, offering and needing intensive therapy, and making ridiculous statements like "he is not my president". Did he say and do some stupid things? Yes, absolutely. Did he do anything illegal, prohibiting him from holding a security clearance or being elected president? Absolutely not.

So get over it folks. Donald Trump is OUR duly and legally elected president. If you do not like it and refuse to acknowledge him as our legitimate president, then move to Russia, China, Iran, Somalia, Singapore, North Korea, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia or any of the other dozens of countries that do not permit free speech, jailing, flogging or killing those that do. I will very happy to start a Kickstarter campaign in your name, chip in, and buy you a ticket wherever the hell you want to go. Bon voyage!

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Title: EDITORIAL: If You Claim "He's Not My President", Maybe You Are In The Wrong Country

Key Words: Donald Trump, Donald, Trump, Hillary Clinton, Hillary, Clinton, Bill, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, editorial, president, President of the United States, America, election, top, secret, not my president

Editorial: 2016 Presidential Election - Outlandish Entrepreneur Or Outright Criminal? These Are Our Choices, So Get Over It!

I try to remain apolitical, but this needs to be said ...

This post has little to do with "travel", but is simply a critique of the mess we are calling the 2016 United States Presidential Election.

I am not a staunch Trump supporter and do not agree with many things Donald Trump says or has said nor do I condone some of the things he has done. However, the things he has said and/or done, as disgusting or controversial as they may seem, do not compare to Hillary Clinton's breaches of national security and classified information when she stored on and/or disseminated Top Secret information from her personal (private) server.

Like Hillary Clinton, as the former holder of a top-level security clearance, I was briefed on classified information laws and regulations and signed a Classified Information Non-disclosure Agreement outlining my responsibilities pertaining to the protection of all classified information. If I, or any "normal" person for that matter, had breached classified information and, possibly, threatening national security as Mrs. Clinton has done, the ramifications would likely have been:

1. Loss of security clearance and inability to hold a security clearance in the future
2. Separation/discharge from the military (government) under less than honorable conditions
3. Prosecution under U.S. Code, Title 18, Part I, Chapter 37, § 793 and fined and/or imprisoned for not more than ten years.

As I was told many times in the military, "ignorance is no excuse", so if an individual exposes classified information, willingly or unwillingly, intentionally or unintentionally, that individual is responsible for said breach and must suffer the consequences no matter how severe.

Hillary Clinton's breaches of classified, Top-Secret information should not only have resulted in the sanctions outlined above (rather than a slap on the wrist and an "apology), they should disqualify her for the security clearances required to be the President of the United States of America (POTUS).

Her lies under oath to the FBI and Congress are another story altogether, but breaching classified information, as Mrs. Clinton has admittedly done, is a deal breaker and she should not be allowed to become the next POTUS. Her prior illegal and unethical behavior related to her requirement to safeguard confidential information should preclude her from holding the clearances necessary to hold that high office and therefore prohibit her from running for said office. She should be prosecuted like any other government employee or contractor holding a security clearance would be and sanctioned accordingly as prescribed by U.S. law.

Based on those facts, Hillary Clinton should not be the next president, leaving Donald Trump as the only viable candidate in the upcoming election. So, you may neither like Donald, agree with all of the things he has said or done, nor condone his past or present behavior, but none of those things preclude or prohibit him from holding the office as is the case with Hillary Clinton.

Many thought that Ronald Reagan was an idiot, an actor, a charade when he ran for office back in 1980, but he turned out to be one of the greatest presidents of the 20th Century if not all time. Could Donald Trump lead our country into ruin and nuclear war? Possibly, but statistically improbable based on the safeguards held by a government with three branches and limited presidential powers. On the other hand, as a highly successful businessman, could Trump lead us out of the 8+ year economic slump, our disgraceful education and medical systems, and poverty, homelessness and unemployment, especially with a Republican Congress? Much more likely, more likely than Mrs. Clinton, particularly based on her previous track record of unethical and/or illegal behavior (e.g. email scandals, Pay for Play, etc.) .

Much of this is fact, some opinion, but it needed to be said. If you agree with these statements and assumptions, feel free to share them. If you disagree, please comment as I would like to hear opposing viewpoints. After all, our Nation's future and best interests are at stake here and, as an American patriot, I want only what is best for our great country.

God bless the 

United States of America

If Hillary is elected, assume the position ...

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Title: Editorial: 2016 Presidential Election - Outlandish Entrepreneur Or Outright Criminal? These Are Our Choices, So Get Over It!

Key Words: Trump, Clinton, Donald, Hillary, president, election, 2016 debate, issues, security, emails,
Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bill, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, editorial, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: BOHICA = "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

Paul Ryan ... Savior or Satan: The Coming of the AntiChrist Or End Of The Republican Party?

The first time I saw Paul Ryan, or even heard of him for that matter, was when Mitt Romney announced he would be his running mate for the 2012 presidential election. First impressions are telling and mine are usually fairly accurate, so the first time I saw this man, a shiver ran up my spine, I was frightened!

There has been much talk over the years, particularly in the days leading to the Winter Solstice, December 21st, 2012, predicting the end of the world, supposedly prophesied by the Mayans, Nostradamus, and dozens of TV shows and films. The coming of the Antichrist, an event anticipated for centuries in some religions, has not been linked to the upcoming END OF THE WORLD, at least as far as I have seen. But the coincidences are alarming.

Here is a man, Paul Ryan, coming from nowhere, an Antichrist believers have predicted, entering a great position of power ... two heartbeats away from being the LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD, should things fall into place as the Republicans hope. Paul Ryan is now the Speaker of the House, second in line to replace the president in the event of the President's death behind Vice President Joe Biden. Were the predictions of the Mayans and others correct or will this be the BEGINNING of the end of times, Armageddon some might say, rather than the abrupt end as many prognosticators have led us to believe?

I am a conservative, a Republican, although it is really none of your business, so I have nothing at all to gain by my perception. In fact, I will most likely be ostracized by fellow conservatives and many of my friends over these comments.

Obama seems like a fairly decent guy, a family man, smart, motivated, and has done a few good things. But his policies have been ineffective and I do not agree with many of them, which will also not be referenced here because my political views are irrelevant. Our country is a mess, the result of a loss of clear institutional and personal values in my opinion, and change is needed. The question is: Is Paul Ryan the right guy to take control, now, or in 2020?

Many may have thought that my problem was with Mitt Romney's faith, being a Mormon, and nothing to do with Paul Ryan. That could not be further from the truth. I have known hundreds of Mormons over the years, cadets at the US Air Force Academy where I was on the faculty from 1988 to 1993, fellow Air Force officers, and friends throughout my life. Mormon people, in my experience, are wonderful people: warm, helpful, friend and family oriented, loyal, straightforward, honest ... just good people, without a single exception. So is this about faith? Absolutely not. Is this about a gut feeling, a perception? Absolutely!

The first time I saw Ryan, he gave me the creeps, reminding me of many sociopaths I have had the misfortune of knowing over the years in my psychotherapy practice.  My peers, clinicians with experience with sociopaths would say: "THE LIGHTS ARE ON, BUT NOBODY'S HOME" when looking into Ryan's eyes and referring to "those types".  You have possibly had the same feeling. Am I right?

Is my perception based in fact or science? As I stated earlier, it is not. But I have dealt with enough evil in my life and have a great deal of experience working with people of questionable sanity and integrity, so take it for what it is worth ... my opinion.

Paul Ryan has vacillated since Donald Trump became the Republican nominee in 2016, attacking him, then endorsing him, then abandoning after the "locker room talk" tape came to light on October 7th 2016. Paul Ryan, the senior elected Republican official in the U.S. Government, has abandoned the 2016 Republican nominee less than a month before the presidential election and the Party will not recover with this kind of subversion.

Paul Ryan, savior or Satan that he may be, only cares about Paul Ryan and his future political aspirations. President in 2020? Who knows? But Paul Ryan and other reprehensible Republicans have abandoned our sole nominee, giving up on the presidency and leaving the door open for President Clinton II, Bill's puppet and a woman who should not be able to hold a security clearance, much less the presidency.

Anybody else who mishandles or mishandled classified information, much less TOP SECRET information, would, at the very least, lose their security clearance forever and their government job at the very least. likely being prosecuted and serving serious prison time. However, Hillary seems to be immune from "normal" sanctions and repercussions for crimes against our country, crimes that I, as former holder of a Top Secret clearance, would have lost my security clearance, my career, and my freedom for doing the same thing. According to AmericanThinker.com:

"Hillary Clinton had above-top-secret SAP (Special Access Programs)  information on her private email server, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, the Daily Beast reports, is preparing to demote Gen. David Petraeus, former CENTCOM commander and CIA chief for mishandling similar SAP information while in uniform. 

The cases are almost identical, but Petraeus admitted his crime, apologized for it and paid a fine. Now the man who is arguably the most significant American general since World War II, who achieved a victory in Iraq that President Obama threw away, is going to be publicly humiliated and his reputation permanently tarnished. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, whistles past her own graveyard, escaping punishment thus far for exposing our most classified secrets to foreign enemies on an unsecured server in her private residence."

So, Paul Ryan, the senior elected Republican U.S. politician and third in line, in terms of succession, to the presidency, has now disowned our Republican nominee or, as the preacher in Blazing Saddles said, "Son, you're on your own". Ryan obviously only cares about his own 2020 aspirations for president and not the Republican Party or the United States of America. 

So, is Paul Ryan going to turn out to be our "savior" or "Satan"? Probably neither. Is he the coming of the Antichrist and the end of the world or just some young, decent looking guy bent on serving his country and doing some good? Time will tell. I hope I am wrong and do not give credibility either to the myths surrounding the coming of the Antichrist or the predicted Armageddon and end of the world. I am just a writer and blogger trying to raise some controversial and interesting discussion about the world, our Nation in crisis, and the upcoming election, so do not take my "perceptions" too seriously. 

However, if they are correct, I will not receive any credit because there will not be anybody to bestow it upon me, and, if incorrect, I will be disliked or ostracized for my views, so what do I have to gain? Not a thing. I am just sharing a story, a perception, a controversial opinion, allowing you to form or hold your own because that is what is special about our country ... we can have strong convictions and opinions, share them openly, and not have to worry about being deported or thrown in jail because of them.

Thank you for letting me tell my story and for listening, and ... GOD BLESS THE USA AND OUR NEXT PRESIDENT, whomever we elect ... hopefully, not Hillary Clinton, who should not be able to hold a security clearance much less be President of the United States.

WATCH THIS VIDEO WHERE PAUL RYAN IS REFERRED TO AS "SATAN INCARNATE"

OR

Read this post about Paul Ryan's attack on military retirees.

Key Words: AntiChrist, Armageddon, Trump, Donald, Donald Trump, 2016, election, end, world, Mayans, Nostradamus, Obama, Paul Ryan, president, prophecy, Romney, Ryan, Satan, Savior, speaker

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