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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, November 13, 2017

Author SymphonyPosted on

The vote swing in this week’s “off-year” election is not a referendum on Trump, but a referendum on a divided Republican party. The victories came largely from a state that twice elected Obama. The party will succeed in elections as much as it succeeds in unity. Disowning Trump has now proven that it only helps Democrats, which makes all the sense in the world.

Trump has every reason to continue to allow Mueller’s investigation. There doesn’t seem to be any dirt on Trump to find, Mueller keeps losing credibility, and Anti-Trumpists are well-distracted by the distant hope that Mueller might find something to warrant impeachment. While the Mueller drama continues, Trump can get legislation through Congress, many Anti-Trumpists are too tired to notice, and the press doesn’t have any ink left to report on it. That’s not to mention that the stronger the fruitless scrutiny, the stronger it makes Trump look, not to mention a 25% boom in stocks since Hillary conceded. If Mueller is part of a conspiracy, it almost seems that his “conspiracy” would be to help Trump. That’s what he is accomplishing, anyway.

Christians are getting even more guns. They are doing it legally and they are arming to the teeth. The Texas Church Massacre has opened many eyes to the vulnerability of certain traditions. “Conceal carry” seems to be a favored answer. Everyone is hardening their stance, the country is polarizing, and, thanks to social media, everyone’s political opinion is on record. This year, the country is getting some of the strongest—and most helpful—looks in the mirror we’ve gotten for a long while.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, November 6, 2017

Author SymphonyPosted on

Given the new revelations, Kevin Spacey needs to plead guilty, lead the charge against perversion in the entertainment industry, personally apologize to the case of House of Cards, and finish Season 6 without pay in which Underwood “finds Jesus” while Anthony Rapp makes an appearance to say what needs to be said. Anything short of that would squander the duty, the ability, and the obligation that sits on Netflix’s shoulders. If Spacey and the filmmakers don’t use the limelight they are in to make things right, they also will suffer. After all, Netflix is in the business of films from the same “bad crowd”.

Dark reports are flooding America, including reported perversions of Martin Luther King, Jr. Russianewsgategate is in an outright tailspin, shooting itself in the foot with an investigation of a known-to-be fake crime many Democrats even said should not be pursued.

The nation’s president was away this week on a trip to Asia. A pastor was away when his local church in Texas was brutally attacked by a lone shooter. He massacred the congregation unchecked.

It is a season of recompense in America. Things aren’t going to get better for some time. As our idols fail us, we’re all searching our souls and contemplating eternity. Whether we choose redemption or lynching is an across-board choice that affects not only the people we might forgive, but also ourselves.
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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, October 30, 2017

Author SymphonyPosted on

Many establishments are imploding—Europe, big entertainment, the political establishment. Many people press forward for love, truth, and life without animosity. Old establishments resist and impugn themselves.

Suspected Russian money dubiously making its way to Trump’s campaign advisor, Manafort, neither indites nor acquits Trump or Russian collusion, but suggests that someone was attempting to interfere, both through secret operatives and smear campaigns. Mueller is getting into deeper hot water, now including CNN. Russianewsgategate, continues to expose corruption, but not where originally purported by the “exposers”.

Reconciliation and loyalty are powerful. As of press time, the best bet for Kevin Spacey and Anthony Rapp would be to repair damage and cooperate against the immoral addictions that plagued their industry long before either of them became actors. Neither attacks the other, but they only speak in humility. They have a perfect recipe for lemonade. If NetFlix drops Spacey, their own “house of cards” will fail, just as “acquiesce-management” style backfired on the NFL, Limbaugh’s sponsors’ response over Sandra Fluke, General Motors’ surrender to union demands, politicians’ white flag addition, and others. If Spacey stays on, House of Cards ratings will rise and Hollywood corruption will fall. Anthony Rapp needs a soapbox role in Season 6.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, October 23, 2017

Author SymphonyPosted on

The world is a different place from when Reagan left office. Just a few years after a long series of events, Russia and the US ended the Cold War under George HW Bush. Since then, three presidents—two Democratic and one Republican—have had double terms. Now, it doesn’t so much matter whether arming-up is right or wrong, but that arming-up makes sense now when it didn’t 25 years ago.

Russia has been more and more aggressive, retaking an old militarily strategic part of the Ukraine. China is getting ready to launch aircraft carriers with a 30 year vision to become a global power. While no decision has been announced, the US is getting ready for a Cold War era “standby” of nuked-up bombers ready to launch at a moment’s notice. North Korea’s fate will be the soonest test of whether the move was wise.

All the nuking up with Russia and the old enemies came up in the Mueller investigation. It’s starting to look like the Obama administration, along with the Clintons and an interesting list of others, made it possible for North Korea to get the nukes it did. Russianewsgategate backfired, just as Symphony suspected.

The NFL is also continuing to slip. For too many years, business theory touted the virtue of cow-towing to any and every form of criticism from everywhere and anywhere. If a mouse doesn’t like the cat food, the cat food company must change its formula. It happened with Limbaugh’s sponsors, now it happened with the NFL. By catering to demands from the wrong people, the backbone customers felt betrayed and took their business elsewhere. If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything and the NFL, even for a brief moment, chose not to stand. Now, the NFL seems to be truly becoming historic, in more ways than one.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, October 16, 2017

Author SymphonyPosted on

The NFL was a distraction. Some might say it still is. Trump is dismantling the Obama administration’s work piece by piece, but most of the Anti-Trump TV time is focused on the NFL. Many Americans who never cared about politics before spent their Sunday afternoons and Monday nights absorbed in the NFL. It was a “bread and circuses” entertainment model that centered around shoving its head in the sand where politics were concerned. When the NFL allowed their rules and their players to get political, the business violated its DNA and it was only ever going downhill from there.

Since, Americans have gotten more involved. Some have gone more Left, some more Right, but more good people are getting involved. The problem now is anger.

The nation is run by demagoguery and populist fads. Few understand critical thinking. Every idea is presumed to be part of an agenda, even at the coffee shop. Anti-Trumpists are feeling what Trumpists have felt for a long time: They aren’t getting what they want. After a few years, they might realize how much they have in common with the “other guy”. Many do already.

In the short run, America will see more and more hissy fits. But, eventually, they will talk to each other, see the results of policy and the consequences of election, and get their facts sorted out.

Strange as it sounds, American politics owe a great deal of gratitude to the NFL after all.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, October 9, 2017

Author SymphonyPosted on

One way to reconcile Americans to agree on taxes could be in the so-called “fourth tier”. States, counties, and cities could be allowed to set that rate themselves, keeping half of their rate, but it still be taxed as a federal tax. That could also solve “no deduction for state and local taxes paid”. We’ll see.

Trump has new immigration proposals that could be enough to solve problems for the “Dreamers”. But, Washington likes its gridlock. It just wouldn’t be the same without telling we the people that we have to hate each other because of who is in office.

Both guns and gun laws can become a false sense of security. The big “takeaway” from the Las Vegas Rampage is how Americans are not only irritated with the news media, but are losing respect for celebrities “shooting” their mouths off only because they have an audience. Sometimes, “it” happens. It’s easy to exploit any tragedy to justify one’s own ideals. Las Vegas victims deserve better than to become politicized squabble fodder. Respect demands that those discussions offer freak disasters a moment of silence before resuming.

The NFL is getting back to its own rulebook. That may solve the controversy. Pence didn’t walk out without prior warning or plans. If players kneel to the flag that defines them as “not British”, they can’t object to their Vice President leaving their game.

The genuineness and individual integrity of the players should not be questioned. They just don’t know that disrespect of the flag isn’t activism; it’s a request that a different government to take over. But, when government-funded schools don’t teach that, players can’t be expected to know. Perhaps they could hold a fist over their heart to indicate they are “heartbroken” over the country they love.

There is also the issue of “raising awareness”. Martin Luther King, Jr. brought much progress by “making waves” when the Evangelical community objected to just that. Perhaps this is the only way players feel they have at their disposal to raise awareness about ongoing grievances. That  is understandable. Awareness has, indeed, been raised. Now, NFL rules—that players stand, hold their helmet in their left hands, and refrain from talking—will be enforced even among dissenters. The country can get back to important discussions and the NFL can start playing football, hopefully.

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