18 thoughts on “Questions & Comments

  1. A stray astro thought on a snippet from the very packed news cycle: Nicholas Watts, Pol. Ed. Newsnight, is reporting that (ex)Tory rebels think there may be the numbers for a caretaker PM if/once no deal is taken off the table and the name coming up is Margaret Beckett. Interesting because when the mid 90’s Uranus/Neptune conjunction hit her Capricorn Sun she had to suddenly take over as caretaker leader of the Labour Party when John Smith died of a heart attack.

  2. @Chris, I follow Florida politics more closely than most States, since I have friends there. If I can offer any consolation, there’s that fact that 1.6 million Floridians, and almost a quarter of the black population, regained their voting rights as of January 2019. And, I’ve understood that while large Latino Communities in Florida, Cubans, but Central Americans, Venezuelans and Colombians too, tend to be more Conservative leaning than elsewhere, caging children isn’t a good look with them, either. I think Trump is pushing for a G7/8 at Doral of all his properties for a very good reason. This is a heavily Latino area, and although Florida 25th has been steadily Republican thanks to Cuban community, I think there are some concerns they will eventually flip over this.

    • @ Solaia,

      Yes, all of this is true. However, I’d like to mention that Cuban-Americans (mostly older White [Criollo] Cuban-Americans) are the only solidly Republican voting block of the Latino community. Many Afro-Cubans, Mulatto Cubans, and younger Cubans (of all races) tend to vote Democrat. The Nicaraguan, Panamanian, Puerto Rican, Colombian, and Venezuelan communities tend to vote Democrat as well.

      The real problem is there is very low turnout in the Floridian Latino community – many are just not voting in the numbers we need. Andrew Gillum is currently working on a 1 million voter initiative this year and next since Amendment 4 passed last year here in Florida. I’m hoping we’ll see good results.

      Speaking of Amendment 4….I’d like to add to your point about the 1.6 million Floridians who’ve had their voting rights restored. We’re having some problems with that here in Florida. Reason being….our Republican controlled state legislature took it upon themselves to pass some very shady legislation that waters down Amendment 4. Basically, former convicted felons must pay off any restitution, court fees, legal fees, or any other debts and expenses related to their past legal troubles in order for their voting rights to be fully restored. In other words, the Florida State Legislature basically passed a “poll tax” (almost similar to the Jim Crow Era) and this will unequivocally have a greater impact on former convicted felons of Color (most of whom would likely vote Democrat). Court and legal fees can be very costly and most people who have them spend years paying them off. Very few people are fortunate enough to have large sums of money at their disposal – so the that means very few of these individuals will be able to pay off their financial debts in a short period of time.

      The NAACP and the ACLU have voiced their opposition to the Florida’s efforts to weaken Amendment 4. However, the Florida State Legislature passed their crooked opposition legislation anyway and Governor Ron DeSantis signed off on it.

      Another issue here in Florida is the urban-rural divide. There are only 11 solidly Democratic counties here in Florida including: Gadsden County (the only predominately African-American county in Florida), Leon County (Tallahassee), Alachua County (Gainesville), Hillsborough County (Tampa), Orange County (Orlando), Osceola County (Kissimmee), Saint Lucie County, Broward County, Miami-Dade County, Pinellas County (St. Petersburg), and Palm Beach County……..while Duval County (Jacksonville – where I live), Seminole County, and Monroe County (the Keys) are considered 3 major “swing counties”

      In other words, there is still a large rural population here in Florida and Democrats have to win more than just the counties I listed in order to carry the state. In recent years, Democrats lost the traditionally Democratic voting rural Jefferson County (Monticello) to Republicans…plus we’ve lost the traditionally “swing counties” of Flagler and Volusia (Daytona Beach).

      I’m really hoping we can regain all of this in the near future….but Trump has such a strong “personality cult” among rural, Evangelical, and Southern Baptist Floridians….it might be awhile before this state shifts away from the darkside.

      I’m still keeping my fingers crossed though. I do believe if Joe Biden is the nominee, he could win Florida like President Obama did. However, I’m skeptical about any of the other candidates being able to win here.

      I will definitely vote for whoever gets the nomination in the general election though….because even if they don’t win Florida, there is still a chance Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania will go back to the Democrats next year.

  3. No one yet posted a blog about Ukraine and Trump and Biden, so let me toss my thoughts into the ring. Was reading the posting “Trump mop up – addicted to autocrats, the Russia connection * update 17th July 2018” with fascinating affinity btwn Trump and Russia/Putin.

    I also re-read another posting “A Trump Republican Presidency – enemies close at hand
    31st December 2016” suggesting that Putin really wants Trump as president.

    And then, “Paul Manafort – the Ukraine/Russia connection – US election gets even murkier
    15th August 2016 ” with content re: “Ukrainian government investigators say Yanukovych ran a corrupt network which looted Ukrainian assets and influenced elections. Manafort’s name appears in a ledger of an illegal off-the-books cash system, though he denies ever receiving the $12 million which was itemised. Manafort has done business with Oleg Deripaska, the Russian oligarch and close friend of Putin.”

    “Donald Trump – Russophile tendencies 31st July 2016” is another chapter in Orange Man’s fascination with the Russian strongman.

    Commies in the closet? Hardly. The Trump financial spiderweb goes way back…and spread across the planet.

    With Trump now admitting (to a certain extent) his contacts with the present Ukrainian leader (re: Biden et al) are things moving more closely to a push off his perch? “As to when Donald Trump will run into the buffers? I always reckoned if his explosive Solar Arc Uranus conjunct Mars (in place this summer (2018) and for a few months ahead) didn’t get him, 2019 would.”

    Thanks in advance, Marjorie.

    • Larryc, from the satirical website The Onion: “House Democrats issue condemnation of Ukraine for making it harder to avoid impeaching Trump”.

    • @ larryc, this is quite literally that “Stupid Watergate” people have been calling referring the whole Russia affair as. Only that if what has transpired is true, this is worse.

      Also remember how generally out of control Trump was in August?

      @ Mrs.Bhali, I understand your frustration, but you know what’s really telling to me? Not the fact I think 11 new Democrat Congresspeople called for Trump impeachment over weekend, making Pelosi’s stance unbearable in even very short run, but the deafening silence of the usual Trump surrogates at Republican Party. Mnuchin, who for all his corruption and bad taste in women seems to be the smartest person in current Trump Admin, looked like he wanted to be swallowed by Earth in an interview.

      • There’s also a hint on an anti-Trump twitter feed about the Russian spy – close to Putin who handed info over to the CIA living in the USA who was outed recently – and whether Trump had dropped the word to Putin or intended to.
        Tom Joseph
        @TomJChicago

      • Solaia, I’m not on the opposite side of what you say, but I have to be honest and share that I’m having a ball being sarcastic and cynical about Trump since I was deprived of it by the marvelous Obamas.

        As for the Democrats, they’d best realize they will be up against Trump and the Republican party and also a whole network of international spies and bad guys if they don’t put Trump out. Trump is very busy making those phone calls.

        • “Trump is very busy making those phone calls.”

          Maybe Jr., Ivanka or even Melania, but Don himself. I watched his speech at The UN, following reactions of his entourage, and was thinking “this is Hitler’s bunker”. He was obviously heavily medicated, on some type of downers, a delivered a gibberish speech straight out of teleprompter. This is completely different Trump from, let’s say, even 6 months ago, when he was confronted with new allegations. I’m still of an opinion that his narcissism and reclessness are worsened by a real mental decline. Some form of dementia. My guess is vascular, and it’s now affecting his walk, people have been notimg him walking “funny” lately.

          But yes, Republican Party as whole remains radicalized, it’s now more of a Populist Farright Movement akin of National Front in France or La Lega in Italy. These both movements have survived “the looney” front being removed. Never Trumpers who still haven’t renounced the party are in for a crude awakening.

          • Walking funny…how? Step…drag, step…drag? I hvnt followed Orange Man on videos (I do not own a television); will make a note of just that.

            Even Moscow Mitch seemed jolted somewhat from his drugged reverie. I keep asking myself – “Who voted in these losers?”

  4. Marjorie,

    I’ve been following Greta Thunberg and her fight against Climate Change for a few months now. She just gave a very powerful and impressive speech at the U.N Climate Session. I loved that she didn’t hold back and she really let international leaders know how she (and the rest of us who care about the environmental future of our planet) felt regarding this serious matter.

    Greta Thunberg is a huge inspiration for me – along with other young women activists such as: Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad (from Egypt), Emma González (from Florida), Malala Yousafzai (from Pakistan), Litia Baleilevuka (from Fiji), Noa Gur Golan (from Israel), and Marley Dias (from the U.S.).

    All of these young women are advocating environmental, social, and humanitarian awareness and I really hope they succeed in their endeavors.

    Astrologically speaking, I was wondering if there is any indication that environmental and social activism (particularly from young women – who appear to be the ones leading the movements right now) will become an even stronger force in the near future. In other words, are there any astrological signs of progressive-minded women reshaping our future for the better?

    Chris Romero
    Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.

    • I have a theory about these Pluto transits that seem to be turning on us. Pluto was in the friendly sign of Sagittarius from 1995 to 2008, which coincided with the rise of the web. At first it was connecting us worldwide, with great hopes of a new global community. By 2008, it was being decried as stunting young people’s social growth, people were not socializing face to face, people were being scammed or trolled online, and it is acknowledged now that it has affected society in ways never imagined.

      We’re in the final years of Pluto in Capricorn and we all see how that has turned out for governments and big business. A huge consolidation of power versus the “little guy”.

      With Pluto in Aquarius I think we will see strides in women’s rights and a blossoming of important young women. Then, as Pluto grinds on, key women’s rights will be stripped away. I also think the technology that booms will turn out to be costly to humanity, if not at some point dangerously autonomous. Pluto has been giving with one hand and taking it back with the other, and eventually this may be reflected in interpreting it as a whole.

    • Chris, Thunberg is getting universal praise for her dressing down of the powers-that-be in her UN address! Such realism, no pulling any punches at all! Front page on reddit, people in the thread who deny climate change are getting their hats knocked off.

      If we can protect and help these young ones, Pluto can’t take it all away!

      • @ Mrs. Bhali,

        I fully support Greta Thunberg and all of the other young women activists I listed. I genuinely hope they succeed in their quests for a better and brighter future.

        I’ve been living in Florida for most of my life and my state is being heavily impacted by climate change. We’ve experienced a number of mass shootings in years too including: Orlando, Parkland, and right here in Jacksonville.

        Last year, I was really hoping that the environmental problems (like the number of category 4 and 5 hurricanes that have either hit or have threatened our state and the red tide algae bloom crisis), the mass shootings, and the ongoing lawsuit Attorney General Pam Bondi filed against Obamacare would’ve been enough to convince people here in Florida to vote Democrat up and down the ballot.

        Sadly, our Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (who had been a wonderful Senator to Florida and he has always been an advocate for science, healthcare, and environmental protection) lost to Rick Scott (the most corrupt politician in this state) by 10,000 votes. That was the most devastating to me. Senator Nelson had represented our state for almost 20 years and he has never been involved any personal or political scandals…..he did not deserve to lose.

        And then there was Andrew Gillum….he lost to openly racist Ron DeSantis by 30,000 votes. I still can’t believe majority of Floridians chose DeSantis over Gillum. I voted for Gwen Graham in the Dem primaries….but I immediately supported Gillum in the general.

        Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried is now the only Democrat who represents Florida state-wide. We were at least lucky to get her elected and she’s been doing a phenomenal job.

        Anyway, I know every state isn’t like Florida….but I’m still shocked and disappointed by how red this state went last year. The GOP is trying to destroy Florida…yet so many Floridians don’t seem to mind.

        I suppose that’s another reason why I’ve been concerned about the Saturn-Pluto Conjunction during the election next year. I really hope it doesn’t manifest itself into an absolute conservative takeover.

        • Chris, All my Florida friends are now Republicans. They didn’t used to be. They don’t seem to realize Republican politicians are not going to protect them in the long run from the inevitability’s you noted. Add pythons and sinkholes to the list. Perhaps they will feel comforted when Trump comes down there after the Category 5 and throws paper towel rolls at them.

          Biden still looks like a shoe-in, even though Warren has taken over top spot in the polls. If the top candidate doesn’t get at least 50% of the primary delegates (and with this strong a field that may happen) then the Superdelegates get to vote in the winning candidate, and you know Joe can pull in those Superdelegate votes.

          • @ Mrs. Bhali,

            I’m actually a Joe Biden supporter myself. I feel his agenda is the closest to President Barack Obama’s. I’m voting for him in the primaries….but I’m not necessarily convinced he’s getting the nomination. There are too many candidates running and the vote is going to be split in so many different directions.

            Anyway, I’ll vote for whoever gets the nomination in the general election like I always do. I’m not emotionally attached to any candidate this election – not like I was in 2016 (I was a huge Hillary Clinton supporter in 2016) so I’ll just end up voting Democrat up and down the ballot in the general election not caring who the candidates are.

            I just want Trump and McConnell out of office. Neither of them have any business holding the positions they’re in.

Leave a Comment

%d bloggers like this: