BloggeRhythms

Several items today indicate the incurring importance of the Internet, and its ability to disseminate news and information immediately to people all over the world. Most certainly, across the US.

 

On the political scene, it seems that Bernie Sanders may not be just a sideshow for Democrats, but now has a growing number of voters taking his campaign seriously.

 

Tina Daunt writes @hollywoodreporter.com that about 300 people turned out for Sanders’ two events in California on Saturday.

 

Sander’s audience was “Hollywood Dems’ most progressive faction, with activists deeply disappointed in Obama, who they supported, and unwilling to sign on to a Clinton presidential campaign. In the former Secretary of State, they see another moderate waiting to happen.”

 

However, what’s most interesting are the reasons for the candidates growing popularity, described as follows:

 

“Since declaring his candidacy last month, Sanders has pointedly rejected the usual stump speech ambiguities. His style seems to declare that when you’re clearly on the attack, you don’t need room to maneuver. He has declared himself against free-trade agreements and the Keystone XL pipeline. He wants higher taxes on corporations and investors’ capital gains to finance universal healthcare and free college educations for all qualifying students. He has introduced legislation to require paid leave and vacation time for every American worker.”

 

When considering Sanders position regarding the economy, although it's typically leftist in philosophy, it demonstrates a  naiveté about capitalism among those leftists that is truly incredible. Because if you tax businesses and stock-holding individuals close to, or completely, out of existence, who’s going to pay for all the social programs he wishes to pursue? Healthcare, college tuition and paid vacations don’t come for free in this nation, or anywhere else.  

 

Similarly, the Pope’s new push against global-warming has some major flaws in implementation. Because it too has major realities to contend with that are not easily overcome. And in fact, may not be achievable at all.

 

Christopher Booker @telegraph.co.uk writes that, “the last desperate throw by the EU and the US to achieve a world agreement next December to “halt climate change” is not going to succeed, not just because the “science” on which it is based is so increasingly questionable, but because the emerging powers of the East, led by India and China, are simply not prepared to go along with it. If the West wishes to commit economic suicide, so be it. In their own national interest, they are not willing to follow.”

 

Thus, this case is much the one made by Bernie Sanders. Although the Pope’s underlying objectives may have huge appeal to those in agreement, too many leaders feel their nation’s survival is far more important at present. 

 

Which brings us to today’s updates on Bill Clinton’s wife.

 

FoxNews.com reported on Friday that, Veres Royal, was initially mentioned in a May 29 New York Times article as, “a former charity executive who helped expose a questionable $500,000 donation to the Clinton Foundation [who] is now being threatened by her old bosses with a lawsuit seeking tens of thousands of dollars, FoxNews.com has learned.”

 

While the potential lawsuit concerns matters between Ms Royal and the charity, to be determined in time, one of her comments casts additional doubt on the Clinton’s foundation, and its true purpose.

 

According to Fox: “However, Veres Royal said she was appalled not only by the 2014 Clinton donation but by details she had not known before the Times report was published -- most notably that the $500,000, which was supposed to go to causes in the ravaged country of Haiti, still had not been earmarked for any particular project by The Clinton Foundation.”

 

So, where did the money go?

 

At the same time, new information’s surfaced regarding Bill’s wife’s actual performance, versus her recent presidential campaign promises.

 

A new watchdog report says: “Harassment complaints at the State Department nearly tripled during the years Hillary Clinton and now-Secretary John Kerry have been in charge.

 

“The report, released Thursday, detailed a jump in formal complaints, from 88 in 2011 to 248 in 2014. 

 

The Office of Inspector General report said: “With a continuous increase in harassment inquires each fiscal year, the current staff risks not being able to sustain current work performance levels.”

 

And finally, “According to the data, 38 percent of formal complaints involved alleged sex discrimination or reprisals. Forty-three percent of the complaints involved promotions and unfair hiring issues.”

 

So, recurring informational releases continue to demonstrate how greatly things have changed for political candidates. Because, as related often here, the former guidelines about the public’s short-term memory simply don’t work anymore. In today’s computer environment, what’s captured electronically remains virtually forever. And therefore, things said and done in the past are easily retrievable when needed. Such as Bill’s wife vacillating tendencies and lack of true accomplishment.

 

Which leads to the recurring question: Mayor Bloomberg, are you reading this?

 

That’s it for today folks.

 

Adios