Soft Power (continued)

My eyesight is beginning to come back, so I can now add to my previous blog, Soft Power. I am far from even a novice in understanding the convoluted bureaucratic structure of the European Union ... see: Wikipedia Entry ... but I think I can see many of the political implications of this mare's nest of undemocratic governance.

Angela Merkel deserves much of the blame. (or credit) for the possible unraveling of the European Union. But as we can see, she is not giving up quietly. The consternation she deserves centers around the progressive lunacy that inspired her to invite hoards of Syrian refugees to come to Germany last year ... causing a migration catastrophe throughout Europe. Once these immigrants are in Europe,  EU rules allow them to relocate anywhere among its member states. Whether this was Merkel's boneheaded or calculated move is in dispute, but her public invitations caused a heap of turmoil that ultimately lead to Brexit ... see: Breitbart Article.

I know, I know that the latest theory is that it was the free flow of immigrants from Poland and other Eastern European EU members that caused most of the dyspepsia among working- class Brits. But, this might also be because these Eastern Europeans are real workers and were more visible than the tidal wave of Syrians and other Muslims who moved invisibly onto home relief throughout Britain. But the narrative that it was not these Muslim masses that triggered Brexit is, to say the least, self-serving.

I also know that some feel that what put Great Britain over the Brexit top was the new EU restrictions on electric tea kettles, toasters and hair dryers. That just may have partially been the case ... for from undeserved power comes unmitigated hubris. However, this whole EU muddle is full of cross currents including some who feel that even greater European integration (as indicated in my previous blog post) is not in the cards ... see: CNBC Opinion.

My personal opinion is that Merkel is power hungry and will not be sated nor satisfied with her loss of European influence. The EU (read France and Germany) are feeling petty and punitive after Brexit ... see: CNBC Story. It is even rumored that the EU has just notified Great Britain that, in order to maintain current trade relations, that the Brits will have to accept the free flow of immigrants like was in place before Brexit. Pretty tough talk, no? Thus, I surmise that Merkel's soft-power strategy is still her path forward.

Stones

Suddenly the Republicans have gotten a set of stones ... not that they are going to stand up to Obummer's many outrages. No, they are ready and willing to sue President Trump (assuming he wins ... which is made more difficult given the likes of Ryan) if he wants to stop temporarily the immigration of Muslims from countries where terrorists are active ... see: Talking Points Memo. Has Ryan done anything to stop President Obummer's open-borders policy? No! In fact, last Fall, as one of his first acts as Speaker of the House, he quickly put on the blinders and passed all of Obummer's rich budget requests including immigration resettlement and TPP funding.

Donald Trump is increasingly accused of being impolitic ... particularly since becoming the presumptive Republican presidential candidate. But Ryan is giving him a run for his money. If Trump does prevail despite his increasing opposition within the Republican Party, it will be very interesting to see how he might get anything done given the recalcitrance of the likes of RINO Ryan as Speaker.

Of course, this was before his little Republican pebbles turned into stones.

The Chameleon

Donald Trump is shifting his colors on abortion, taxes, education and medical care. It had been long suspected that Trump was not a down-the-line Republican but more of a conservative Democrat. He is now openly for single-payer health care, higher taxes, Planned Parenthood, etc. ... a lot like Hellery Clinton. But he is against open borders, unfettered free trade, Muslim immigration, gun control, the U.S. carrying NATO, etc. ... a lot unlike Hellery. In fact, Trump positions on many things seem to wax and wane like the cycles of the moon ... see: MSNBC Story for more of his vacillations.

How then is Trump's popularity among Republicans explained? It seems that his populist positions that are supportive of the things that most grate on conservatives are the propellers of his high polling and primary results. If he can avoid the media gauntlet and establishment pitfalls over the next eight months and is elected as our next president, then his other less conservative positions may move more into focus.

So it's beginning to look more and more like this November the American people, if the choice is between the Democrat Trump and the Democrat Hellery, will elect a Democrat to the White House ... unless, of course, Bernie Sanders prevails.

Afterthought: It is also suspected that Cruz and Kasich are members of the family chamaeleonidae.

Lock Step

Amy Farrah Fowler, Sheldon's "girlfriend" in " The Big Bang Theory," once made an interesting observation ... that a group of women in close proximity for a while will synchronize their periods. Now I don't know if this is true, but a parallel idea struck me today while watching the ruling class's reaction to Donald Trump's proposal that we stop all Muslim immigration for a while.

Without taking a position on this statement, I have been amazed by the degree of spontaneous congruence in the opinions of politicians and the press (the ruling class) being voiced about Trump's comment. These lock-step denouncements had about as much space between them as the stonework at Machu Picchu.

I suppose that, taking a step back, that this is not surprising. Man, being a social animal, normally does not want to be an opinion outlier ... and so will modify true feelings to conform to what the group-think seems to be forming. This is kind of like how flocks of birds or schools of fish often seem to form one undulating mass ... swooping and turning in remarkable unison.

Again, not taking sides in this Muslim immigration cage match, one of Donald Trump's appealing qualities is that he doesn't swim with the schools or fly with the flocks. But I think that I, and a whole lot of other people, would like to figure out to the beat of what drummer he is marching.