Politics and Prose: Caitlin Moran- 'How To Be Famous'

Source: Amazon- As easy as owning a smartphone or computer in America 

Source: The New Democrat

I'll be honest with you for at least a second, ( before I go back to making an ass out of myself ) I haven't actually read this book. I haven't even heard of Caitlin Moran until last week or the week before, whenever I first saw the video of her at Politics and Prose. Which is probably my fault and as a blogger perhaps I should've known about her by now. Even if I do live three-thousand miles away from her in Washington with her living in London. But with celebrity, reality TV, tabloid culture being so prevalent in America and I'm sure Britain as well, this is the right title for this piece and what I'm going to write about here and hopefully it has at least something ( hopefully a lot more to do ) with what Caitlin Moran is talking about here.

Source: Penguin Books- Not that difficult in America 

Thanks to the internet and social media, stupidity running rampant to America that it could probably now viewed as a crisis in this country and so many Americans at least being so superficial where the superficial in life dominates their lives and seems so important to them, with actual important things like the economy, America's place in the world with a Nationalist as President, rising health care costs, is the President of the United States compromised by a foreign adversary and what did Russia actually have to do with our 2016 elections and if I go on with what is actually important unlike what rehab facility Lindsay Lohan is staying at right now or what nightclub Khloe Kardashian got kicked out of, but if I kept talking about what is actually important I might put everyone else asleep.

But because of our current internet and celebrity media culture and with stupidity being on the rise, becoming famous in America is actually very easy now. If you catch major car accident or an attempted mugging let's say on your i-Phone and then make it public or someone else somehow knows that you have that footage, not only will law enforcement want to see that footage, but they'll want to talk to you about it and the local media and perhaps even the national media, CNN picks up a lot of stories like this in the middle of the afternoon with a bystander getting footage of important local events simply by being there and having a smartphone with them

Unknown people have become famous simply by getting kicked out of events and making a complete asshole out of themselves with someone getting footage of that and then media being interested in that and wanting to talk to the person who made an asshole out of themselves and perhaps is just an asshole altogether. Being stupid is considered cool in America especially with Millennials who view the superficial and must need-to-know information, with actual important events being "like so yesterday and boring. If I wanted to know about current events and history, I would've finished school or stayed awake in it and managed to put my smartphone down for as much as five minutes in class."

But, if you want to be famous from doing positive and substantive and make a good life for yourself and even contribute in a positive way to society, I believe the best way to be famous is to not try to become famous. Figure out what you want to do with your life professionally, what you're good at and have good skills at and not just be the best that you can be at that profession, but be great at it, standout from others in your profession. Whether it's as lawyer, teacher, doctor, whatever it might be. Even if you want to be a professional entertainer in Hollywood, actor or singer or whatever. If professional success is what drives you in life then be as good as you  possibly can and fame will take care of itself. Maybe you won't be famous, but you'll be successful if you're good at what you do and are professional at it and don't make an ass out of yourself.

Source: Politics and Prose: Caitlin Moran- 'How To Be Famous'- Caitlin Moran, at Politics and Prose in Washington in July 2018

Foreign Policy Magazine: Opinion- Jeremy Shapird: ‘Donald Trump Is Coming Off As Vladimir Putin’s Poodle, But That Actually Undermines Russia’s Ultimate Goal: Vladimir Took His Poodle Donald Out For a Walk

Source: Foreign Policy Magazine- Vladimir Putin, "I got my doggy Donald Trump, right where I want him." Or perhaps something else in Russian. 

Source: The New Democrat Plus

As much as Donald Trump likes to talk about “make America great again”, as if America is not already great which is an insult to a lot of Americans is not most Americans and an insult to America as a country and helpful to our adversaries around the world and to the Far-Left in America who doesn’t see America as a great country and see us as the real evil empire in the world and as much as his base who live in 1950s American emotionally and personally, even though physically they’re unfortunately living in modern America that the rest of us have to put up with, it’s not so such America that they love away, but there part and people in America that they love.

Source: Foreign Policy Magazine- President Donald Trump, meeting President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki 

 And as much as Trump voters want to chant USA at the Trump reality show political rallies, Donald Trump is not an American Patriot. A New England Patriot perhaps, because of his relationship between Bob Kraft and Tom Brady, but he’s not an American Patriot. He’s a Trump narcissist and money lover who would sell America down the Hudson River if he thought he, his company, and family would profit from it. And this staged press conference which was really just an ( pardon my American ) an ass kissing contest, where it was the only time where President Trump came out on top of President Putin, by kissing Putin’s ass more during the summit.  The so-called summit with President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation on Monday, are just more examples of that.

Source: CNN- The Daily Mirror, on the Trump-Putin Summit 

We now have an American President, who at least publicly takes the word for a former Communist and now right-wing Nationalist ex-Russian KGB officer, over his own intelligence community which just happens to be the best most well-funded intelligence community in the world. Imagine if George McGovern, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or any other major national Democrat especially Far-Left Democrat who ran for President, had said that about the American intelligence community. What would be the Republican reaction to that?

If Vlad tells Don, that he and his government didn’t interfere with the 2016 American elections and aren’t interfering now, than Don takes the word of his daddy Vlad, because Vlad promised Don that he would given him a treat after he takes him for a walk later if Don is a good boy. And in this case that means not accepting the word and intelligence of his own Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, who is an American military veteran, who severed in Congress both House and Senate for 24 years including serving on the intelligence committees in Congress. As well as taking Vlad’s word over the rest of the American intelligence community that says Russia, interfered with the 2016 elections and are still interfering with our elections.

You can make the case that President Trump and his administration, have been tough on Russia with the new sanctions and kicking Russian diplomats and intelligence officers out of the country. There are a few problems with that. President Trump, was essentially forced to do those things by Congress when they passed their sanctions bill that didn’t include a waiver in it allowing the President to waive the sanctions unilaterally at any point. They just didn’t pass those sanctions, but passed them overwhelmingly in spite of what the Trump Administration wanted and didn’t work with them on the sanctions. Just told them they were going to pass this legislation that passed with over 400 votes in the House and 98 in the Senate. Had the President vetoed that bill, he would’ve looked like a bigger schmuck or dog for President Putin, than he already is, ( if that’s possible ) because Congress would’ve overwhelming overridden his veto with a bipartisan vote.

Again, I don’t like talking this way about the American President, but unlike those 65 million or so Trump voters, I’m not one of his puppies or puppets, or a member of the Trump Cult. Or work for Fox News, which means I have the freedom to speak for myself and actually look at evidence and facts. And all of the objective evidence and facts is that Vladimir Putin could have something horrible on Donald Trump, that Don doesn’t want to get out. Which would explain why President Trump who is supposed to the President of the United States, is so nice at least in public to President Putin and looks like a tool or Poodle for President Putin and the Russian Federation.

Source: CNN: CNN Tonight- Don Lemon: 'Donald Trump Went From Alpha Dog To Lap Dog'- CNN, once again nailing Donald Trump

The Blaze: Glenn Beck- 'Socialism is Diet Communism'

Source: The Blaze- U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Democratic Socialist, Socialist Republic of Vermont-

Source: The New Democrat

Just on a personal not first and then I'll get into what Glenn Beck said about socialism, but doesn't Glenn Beck look like one of those Pac-12 college professors who who is always wearing a suede jacket or some other sport jacket carrying a coffee cup from his favorite coffee house and on his I-phone or staring at it, who probably lives just outside of San Francisco or Seattle if not in one of those big cities, with that cheesy goatee he's been wearing for about a month or so? As much as he puts down socialism and Socialists and tend to make fun of those people and I tend to agree with him on these issues, he kind of looks like one of those people with that goatee. I mean Tom Hayden move over, because Glenn Beck could probably take your place.

Source: The Blaze- Glenn Beck vs. the Democratic Socialists 

As far as socialism versus communism and I'm talking about democratic socialism versus communism. So let's say Britain before the Jeremy Corbyn Socialists take over that country, versus the Communist Republic of Korea, ( otherwise known as North Korea ) this blog has covered this issue a lot and there not the same things. Social democracies/democratic states like a Britain or Sweden, are very democratic as far as how they operate and there is a good deal of private sector and individualist activity and freedom in the country, unlike like North Korea which is essentially under complete lockdown and run like a prison. And then you have countries like Venezuela, that on paper are supposed to be social democracies, but in actuality are moving to become a total socialist state where even the media will completely be under state control, if the Maduro Regime is successful there.

Source: Religio Political Talk- This sign should say instead, "stay out of Venezuela, because the Socialists have ruined it."

Democratic socialism is real as far as a real alternative to both liberal capitalism which is what we see in America with a very large private sector and a very liberalize economy and society, all sorts of individual rights and protections, including property rights, privacy rights, civil liberties and communism on the Far-Left where agains the state is in complete control on the country with the responsibility in seeing that everyones needs are met and taken care with people giving up all forms of individual freedom in exchange for the state being responsible for their welfare, with strict punishments for people who get out of line and protest the communist state.

Where I think I agree with Glenn Beck is that democratic socialism is a step away from let's say just socialism where you have both democratic and authoritarian aspects combined into one governing philosophy like in Venezuela and communism way over on the Far-Left which is the most authoritarian philosophy anywhere on the Left and perhaps anywhere on the political spectrum everywhere.

And what we're seeing in the Democratic Party right now especially with young Democrats, is people who call themselves and even capital D Democrats embracing both forms of socialism. Democratic and communism and saying that the horrible news and situation in Venezuela is really overblown and North Korea is not really as bad as the U.S. Government especially our intelligence community claims. That what we see in Europe especially in Scandinavia is what America should look like or what we should try here, which is what Bernie Sanders wing of the Socialist-Left argues for in America.

Because of the Nationalist Far-Right taking over the Republican Party and the ANTIFA/Democratic Socialist Far-Left taking over the Democratic Party, were seeing both of our once two great political parties collapsing or at least being reinvented. Where Conservatives and Conservative-Libertarians, are now being looked down upon in the Nationalist Republican Party and being viewed as political dinosaurs and we're seeing Conservatives actually leaving the Republican Party now. People like Max Boot, Joe Scarborough, Jonah Goldberg, and others people and being replaced by people who think Russia is an ally and Vladimir Putin is a good man and people who embrace other authoritarians around the world.

And in the Democratic Party, we're seeing Socialists finally coming out of the political closet and not just embracing socialism in all forms, but embracing the socialist labels and no longer hiding behind progressive or liberal, because those labels not only no longer fit their politics and perhaps never have , because they're not people who believe in liberal democracy and don't think Franklin Roosevelt and other Progressives are progressive enough for them. And now and into the near future at least I believe we're looking at socialist Democratic Party at least as far as their voters and membership, at least outside of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, the South in America.

Back in the day, Republicans hated authoritarians and authoritarianism even the Christian-Right and their policies even if they tried to embrace those voters to hold onto and gain power. And so did Democrats who led us through World War II and tried to eliminate the Communists State in North Vietnam in the 1960s and the Communist State in Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Now, instead of having a conservative center-right Republican Party and a liberal/progressive center-left Democratic Party, that both were anti-authoritarian cold warrior parties, the two major political parties at least their membership and bases are saying authoritarianism might be okay and worth looking at. As long as it's their form of authoritarianism. We're seeing the collapse of the centers in the two major political parties, which is very bad for American liberal democracy going forward if the two major political parties don't believe in it.
The Blaze: Glenn Beck- 'Democratic Socialism is Diet Communism'

David Stockman: ‘Today’s Pathetic GOP: Talks Like Barry Goldwater, Spends Like LBJ’

Source:The New Democrat- Mr. Conservative U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater (Republican, Arizona)

Source:The New Democrat

“Here is the portrait of a dysfunctional party: On Tuesday, the House Republicans unveiled a budget that set a goal of spending cuts totaling $6,454 billion. On Wednesday, Senate Republicans defeated legislation to cut spending by $1 billion. On Thursday, House Republicans voted to renew $20 billion per year in farm subsidies.

The 2018 GOP talks like Barry Goldwater and spends like Lyndon Johnson.”

"Former Budget Director under President Reagan David Stockman plays the word association game on "Bloomberg ‹GO›." 

From David Stockman

Source:Bloomberg News- David Stockman was President Ronald W. Reagan's Budget Director in the early 1980s.

From Bloomberg News 

"Reaganomics (/reɪɡəˈnɒmɪks/; a portmanteau of Reagan and economics attributed to Paul Harvey),[1] or Reaganism, were the neoliberal[2][3][4] economic policies promoted by U.S. President Ronald Reagan during the 1980s. These policies are characterized as supply-side economics, trickle-down economics, or "voodoo economics" by opponents,[5] while Reagan and his advocates preferred to call it free-market economics.

The pillars of Reagan's economic policy included increasing defense spending, balancing the federal budget and slowing the growth of government spending, reducing the federal income tax and capital gains tax, reducing government regulation, and tightening the money supply in order to reduce inflation.[6]

The results of Reaganomics are still debated. Supporters point to the end of stagflation, stronger GDP growth, and an entrepreneurial revolution in the decades that followed.[7][8] Critics point to the widening income gap, what they described as an atmosphere of greed, reduced economic mobility, and the national debt tripling in eight years which ultimately reversed the post-World War II trend of a shrinking national debt as percentage of GDP."

Source:Wikipedia- Ronald W. Reagan (Republican, California) 40th President of the United States.

From Wikipedia 

David Stockman as he told Bloomberg News, which is linked on this post, said Reaganomics in 1981 was, cutting taxes across the board deeply, while at the same decreasing government spending overall, while increasing the defense budget to win the Cold War against Russia, and deregulating American industry across the board. 

But the reason why Stockman told Bloomberg News that Reaganomics would've worked, if tried, because all the Reagan Administration did in the 1980s was cut taxes deeply across the board and increase defense spending. But the U.S. Government, as well as deficits and the national debt, ballooned under President Reagan in the 1980s. They inherited a 40 billion dollar deficit from President Jimmy Carter in 1981 and gave incoming President George H.W. Bush a 200 billion dollar deficit, when the Reagan's left office in 1989. 

It wasn't just defense spending that ballooned during the Reagan Administration. The Department of Justice to deal with the Reagan expansion of the War On Drugs in the 1980s, rising crime rates, as well as immigration. 

The overall Federal budget ballooned during the Reagan years and so did the deficit and debt. So much for fiscal conservatism, even if you want to Ronald Reagan an economic Conservative, which he was.