The 2010s Before and After

The second decade of the 21st century is about to end without anyone giving an adequate name for it.  Yet you could say it was really two halves of one decade split between President Barack Obama's administration and the election of Donald Trump.  So many other things outside of politics have had just as much of a divide between then and now.  This is what we're going to highlight in our end-of-the-decade review.  Here goes.

Donald Trump
Before:  "The Apprentice" TV host.
After:  Impeached President of the United States

Barack Obama
Before:  President of the United States.
After:  Elder statesman enjoying retirement.

Michelle Obama
Before:  First Lady
After:  Best selling author and speaker.

Hillary Clinton
Before:  Secretary of State under Obama.
After:  Defeated 2016 presidential candidate with three million move votes than Trump.

The Economy
Before:  Coming out of the Great Recession.
After:  Doing better for everyone but the 99 percent.

War and Peace
Before:  Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After:  Troops pulled out of Syria, but still in Afghanistan.

Gun Violence
Before:  Sandy Hook and Trayvon Martin
After:  El Paso, Parkland, etc, and protests against violent cops.

Immigration
Before:  Open borders
After:  Border walls and children in cages.

Same Sex Marriage
Before:  Outlawed.
After:  Getting used to two husbands and two wives.

Climate Change
Before:  Urgent but manageable.
After:  All but inevitable after regulations weaken.

Politics
Before:  Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street.
After:  Trump's base and Never Trumpers.

Retailers
Before:  Sears, JCPenney, Toys R Us, Target, Walmart
After:  Amazon

Technology
Before:  iPods and iPads, Bluetooth, drones
After:  iPhone 11, driverless cars, streaming TV

Marijuana
Before:  Outlawed
After:  Some states allow it.  Federal government still doesn't.

The Royal Family
Before Marriage:  Kate Middleton was a clothing buyer for her family's business.  Meghan Markle was a TV and movie actress.
After Marriage:  They are now the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex, in that order.

TV
Before:  "Mad Men", "The Big Bang Theory", "Breaking Bad", "American Idol"
After:  "Game of Thrones", "Veep", "Stranger Things" "The Voice", "The Masked Singer".

Late Night Talk Show Hosts
Before:  David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart.
After:  Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Kimmel and Trevor Noah.

Network Evening News Anchors
Before:  Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric and Brian Williams.
After:  David Muir, Norah O'Donnell and Lester Holt.

Movies
Before:  "The Social Network", "Despicable Me", "The King's Speech", "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".
After:  "Star Wars:  The Rise of Skywalker", "Avangers: Endgame", "Frozen 2", "Toy Story 4", "Joker", "Bombshell".

Pop Music
Before:  Lady Gaga, Adele, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Kanye West, and "Call Me Maybe".
After:  Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Lizzo, Drake and "Old Town Road".

Died in 2019
Danny Aiello, Marie Fredriksson, Paul Volcker, Rene Auberjonois, Juice WRLD, Ron Leibman, DC Fontana, William Ruckleshaus, Gahan Wilson, Michael J. Pollard, Rudy Boesch, Robert Evans, Bill Macy, Robert Forster, Marshall Efron. Rip Taylor, Ginger Baker, Dihann Carroll, Jessye Norman, Barron Hilton, Sander Vanocur, Cokie Roberts, Phyllis Newman, Ric Ocasek, Eddie Money, T. Boone Pickens, Carol Lynley, Valerie Harper, Peter Fonda, Toni Morrison, DA Pennebaker, Rutger Hauer, David Hedison, Paul Krassner, John Paul Stevens, Johnny Clegg, Rip Torn, Ross Perot, Arte Johnson, Lee Iacocca, Tyler Skaggs, Judith Krantz, Gloria Vanderbilt, Alan Brinkley, Franco Zefferelli, Dr. John, Don Fraser, Leon Redbone, Claus von Buehlow, Georgie Ann Geyer, Herman Wouk, IM Pei, Tim Conway, Doris Day, Peggy Lipton, Jim Fowler, John Singleton, Richard Lugar, Henry Bloch, Georgia Engel, Earl Thomas Conley, Charles Van Doren. Ernest Hollings, Dick Dale, WS Merwin, Hal Blaine, Jan-Michael Vincent, Luke Perry, Katherine Helmond, Andre Previn, Stanley Donen, Peter Tork, Karl Lagerfeld, Patrick Caddell, Lee Radziwill, Albert Finney, Rosamunde Pilcher, Michel Legrand, Russell Baker, Kaye Ballard, Carol Channing, Sylvia Chase, Christine McGuire, Daryl Dragon. Bob Einstien, Don Imus, Sue Lyon. Lee Mendelson, Bob Kingsley.

Trump's Impeachment Trot

As the Thanksgiving weekend approaches and people are dreading the inevitable political conversations with long-lost relatives, President Donald Trump is celebrating the holiday by pardoning a turkey and signing a law that makes animal cruelty a federal crime.

That's interesting because (A) the Trumps haven't adopted a pet like most other Presidents, (B) it reminds us that in this country animals are treated much better than the migrants who are sitting in cages along the U.S.-Mexican border, because Trump considers them lowlifes first and people second, and (C) outside of the Republican Party and his beloved base, most of America thinks the President already is a turkey.

Trump needs these holiday distractions to steer folks away from the real story, which is his impending impeachment.  The House Intelligence Committee, chaired by Democrat Adam Schiff of California, concluded its public hearings last week.  It made for interesting television if you didn't already know which side you're on.

The former diplomats and military personnel who testified to the committee did a great job of throwing the President and White House counsel Rudy Giuliani under the bus, describing in great detail how they overheard a phone conversation between Trump and the president of Ukraine.  It was allegedly about Trump asking a little favor in seeking a little intel on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son's business dealings in that country.

Dramatic, yes.  Complete, no.  Because of the President's refusal to allow any of the main players to testify. all we got was hearsay evidence from second-tier officials who were being pushed aside by the White House.  Nor did we hear from The Whistleblower, whose anonymity was jeopardized when Trump started sniffing around that person's identity.  Nevertheless, Schiff and the other Democrats seem to think they have enough evidence to warrant an impeachment.

As the torch passes to the House Judiciary Committee next week, there will probably be more revealing testimony about misdeeds in Ukraine.  Maybe this time bigger names like John Bolton, Dan McGahn, or even Giuliani will put in appearances, should the courts decide that way.  After that, we should have some kind of impeachment vote.

But back to the turkey Trump pardoned.  If the President is willing to do that for a creature that might have ended up on somebody's dinner table--even if it's just for ceremonial purposes, then he can hope his successor can do the same thing for him should he ever get kicked out of the White House.  By Congress or the voters.

In One Year

Twelve months from now, barring unforeseen circumstances, Americans will go to the polls to choose whether they want to keep the President they have or trade him in for a different one.

We are usually told that the next election will be the most important in the history of the United States of America.  Due to the events of the past four years, that statement is more important than ever.

President Donald Trump, who will likely be the first impeached (and acquitted) leader ever to run for re-election, will depend on the goodwill of his loyal base and the fealty of the Republican party to help him win a second term.  Not to mention the short memories of voters who ignored the Mueller report and don't know what in heck "quid pro quo" means, while changing the channel during the televised impeachment hearings with House Democrats questioning anyone they can convince to testify without incurring Trump's wrath.  Other than that, Trump's in big trouble.

With a couple of months left before the primaries and caucuses begin, there are still at least ten Democrats who want to take on Trump.  Of those, there are only four candidates who have enough staying power in the polls to be considered for nomination:  Former Vice President Joe Biden, Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana.  For what it's worth, all four of them would beat Trump if the election were held right now, not a year from now.

And because the election is a year from now, we can expect plenty of mudslinging from both sides on the campaign circuit, and through social media and TV.  But there is an outside possibility that the GOP-dominated Senate might actually grow a spine and kick Trump out of the White House.  Then the Democrats have a new problem--how to run against Mike Pence.

That's why the next twelve months are so important.  Impeachment or no, it is still up to the voters to decide.  Unless, of course, Russia decides to put its thumb on the scale again.

Trump: Rants and Broken Promises

With a simple phone call to one of his favorite dictators, President Donald Trump gets himself involved in another international incident that could be considered impeachable.  It isn't enough that he called the leader of Ukraine to ask for some dirt on the son of his possible Democratic rival in 2020.  He also took time out of his busy day to inform Recep Erdogan, the president of Turkey, that he's pulling American troops from northern Syria.  This move would drive their former friends the Kurds into the arms of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, while all those prisoners from the Islamic State are now free to cause trouble wherever they want.  Which makes it OK for Turkish troops to cross the border into Syria and (it is feared) slaughter Kurds, while Trump can sit back and say he brought home the troops.  Only to send them to Saudi Arabia instead.

About the only thing Trump accomplished out of all this is that he's managed to make both parties--Democrats and Republicans (you know, the ones who would rather kiss up to the President than stand up to him)--agree to condemn the President's abandonment of the Kurds and selling out to Turkey (which at last report was still a member of NATO).

This isn't the only time Trump's broken promises have resulted in America abandoning the power and prestige they used to have around the world, and it's going to be quite difficult to get it back if he ever leaves.  He's launched trade wars, canceled treaties concerning Iranian nuclear weapons and climate change.  All so he could brag to those who jam his campaign-style rallies held in basketball arenas how much he's making America great again, while at the same time ranting and tweeting about how poorly he's treated by those who did not vote for him.

This is all a distraction, of course, from the ongoing House impeachment inquiry into Trump's alleged request to Ukraine to investigate former vice president Joe Biden's son Hunter's business connections.  Thus far, the inquiry has been muted because (A) the White House won't let witnesses testify, (B) subpoenas have been ignored, and (C) the few who have been willing to talk have done so behind closed doors.  Only Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, seems to know when the time comes to get serious about impeachment hearings.

Trump's apparent strategy of neutralizing Biden and his son (who has since announced he won't be working for overseas companies for the time being) has had an effect on his presidential campaign.  Biden's place as the front runner for the Democratic nomination--months before the primaries--has been taken by Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts in the opinion polls.

No matter how much Trump loses friends and alienates people around the globe, rants and raves before adoring audiences, and Fox News tries to keep him from hearing of poll numbers indicating a growing number of Americans are tired of him and want him out--even if he has to be thrown out of the White House, the election is almost a year away.  Who knows what will happen by then? 

Trump's Impeachment: Truth or Dare?

It's been reported that President Donald Trump made a phone call during the summer to Volodymyr Zelensky, who is the president of Ukraine, asking him to provide whatever information he could about Hunter Biden, who used to work for a gas company there.  He also happens to be the son of former vice president Joe Biden, currently the front runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.  Trump allegedly threatened to withhold American military aid unless the information was produced, which would be difficult for a country like Ukraine, whose neighbor Russia has made themselves at home in the Crimea.

When the story appeared in this country, Trump bragged about it to what he likes to call the "fake news" media, daring Congress to try and impeach him.

Congress took the bait.  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who had taken a "wait and see" approach to impeachment while scandals involving Russian election meddling and payoffs to porn stars fizzled while fellow Democrats watched in frustration, has decided she's seen enough.  She's ordered an inquiry into impeachment proceedings  The question is, did Pelosi wait too long?

Trump would be the third president to be impeached.  Andrew Johnson, who had the misfortune of following Abraham Lincoln as president, came within one vote of being removed from office.  Bill Clinton, for whom having "sexual relations with that woman" was considered an impeachable offense, barely survived a Senate vote to convict him.

(You'll notice we didn't include Richard Nixon, whose "high crimes and misdemeanors" during the Watergate era would have certainly qualified him for impeachment, if he hadn't resigned the Presidency first.)

It remains to be seen whether or not the Democratic-controlled House has enough evidence to send Trump to a trial in the Senate, whose Republican majority makes any attempt to remove the President nothing more than symbolic.  It might just be that, with an election year coming up, the Democrats' big gamble results in another four years of Trump if he is cleared.

So what's it gonna be?  No matter what happens, voters still have to do their jobs in November of 2020.

The Emmys: "Game" Over

They tell us we're living in the era of Peak TV.  A wonderful, magical world where--for just a few bucks a day--you can watch almost every TV show and movie your little heart desires, or what taste makers tell you is great, from the comfort of your living room.  One of those taste makers is the Television Academy's Emmy Awards, whose 71st annual festivities were held Sunday in Los Angeles and shown on Fox.

The big winners, as it has been for the past few years, were shows from premium cable and streaming services:  "Fleabag" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" are on Amazon Prime.  "When They See Us", "Black Mirror"and "Ozark" are on Netfllix.  HBO carries "Barry" "Chernobyl", "Veep", "Last Week Tonight" and "Game of Thrones".  You've heard of these shows, haven't you?  Have you ever watched them?

"Thrones", which in its final season has already won more Emmys than anyone else in its history, won another Best Drama nod (tying "LA Law", "Mad Men", "Hill Street Blues" and "The West Wing" for the most in this category) along with a Best Supporting Actor trophy for Peter Dinklage (his fourth).  Because the series ended on an unsatisfying note for critics and fans, this was pretty much a Lifetime Achievement Emmy for GOT.

"Veep", the Julia Louis-Dreyfus comedy set in the White House, did not share the same love as GOT did during its final season.  "Fleabag" did a near-sweep of the comedy category, with its star Phoebe Waller-Bridge taking home the Best Actress, Comedy Emmy instead of a seventh for Louis-Dreyfus (who remains in a tie with Cloris Leachman).

A few new faces won Emmys this year instead of the usual suspects.  Besides Waller-Bridge, Jodie Comer won Best Actress, Drama for "Killing Eve" (over her co-star Sandra Oh, no less).  Billy Porter won Best Actor, Drama for "Pose", the first African-American gay man to do so.  Julia Garner earned a Best Supporting Actress, Drama nod for "Ozark".  Jherelle Jerome got a trophy for Best Actor, Limited Series/Movie, for his role in "When They See Us".

The other awards went to the following:

• Supporting Actor, Comedy:  Tony Shaloub, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel".
• Supporting Actress, Comedy:  Alex Borstien, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel".
• Reality Competition:  "RuPaul's Drag Race"
• Actor, Comedy:  Bill Hader, "Barry".
• Supporting Actor, Limited Series/Movie:  Ben Whishaw, "A Very British Scandal".
• Supporting Actress, Limited Series/Movie:  Patricia Arquette, "The Act".
• Actress, Limited Series/Movie:  Michelle Williams, "Fosse/Verdon".
• Movie:  "Bandersnatch" (episode of "Black Mirror").
• Limited Series:  "Chernobyl"
• Variety Show, Sketch:  "Saturday Night Live"
• Variety Show, Talk:  "Last Week Tonight".

We need to talk about the telecast.  The Emmys went hostless this year, in the apparent belief that, if it worked for the Oscars, it should work for them..  Also, Fox happens to be the only broadcast network without a late night talk show, which is where hosts have been coming from in recent years.
Only the initial snarkiness of off-camera commentator Thomas Lennon, the dulcet tones of voiceover Ellen K. and all those plugs for "The Simpsons" (after three decades, Homer Simpson is still Fox's biggest star) and "The Masked Singer" reminded us that we're still watching an awards show.

Almost seven million of you watched the Emmys, the lowest turnout yet.  It faced daunting competition from NBC's "Sunday Night Football" game, ABC's game shows and whatever CBS put on that night. Also, Ken Burns' video treatise on country music continued on PBS stations.

Or maybe you just spent the evening ignoring all those taste makers and binge-watched episodes of "Friends", "The Office" or "Seinfeld".  Those, apparently, are what people actually watch instead of either "Mrs. Maisel" or "The Masked Singer".  Maybe there's only so much Peak TV we can take.

9/11/01: Ancient History?

An entire generation of Americans has grown up since the events of September 11, 2001.  No need to go into the details of what happened that day if you're over the age of 25.  If you're not, then the words World Trade Center, Arab hijackers, Saddam Hussein, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Osama bin Laden doesn't mean much to you.

To today's students, all of what became known as 9/11 has been relegated to history books and You Tube.  Just like the Civil War, World War II, the Kennedys, civil rights, the Vietnam War and other touchstones of American history.  It shouldn't be.  Whether they know it or not, the spectre of 9/11 has dominated their childhoods.

We see it in long lines of security everywhere you go.  The war in Afghanistan is nearly two decades old, and the U.S. has yet to find a graceful way out.  Immigration to this country has deteriorated to the point where people fleeing wars, oppression and natural disasters are turned away at the border, just because our current leader thinks "very bad people" might be in the mix.

Recent generations, when they're not busy with their smart phones, are more concerned about making it to adulthood alive.  Not because of terrorist bombs, but because of lone gunmen with more firepower and nerve to take out every human within range.  African-Americans and others take to the streets and highways to protest white police officers who target people of color just because.  The biggest moment of their lives so far hasn't been planes taking down two skyscrapers.  It was the election of Donald Trump as President, which creates its own set of challenges.

Having seen what violence, political corruption, racism and the effects of climate change have done to this country, the youth of America are not taking things lying down.  They are holding rallies, facing down white supremacists, and electing more women to Congress than ever in recent history.  Even Muslim men and women of color, which would have been considered impossible in 2001.

The emotions over what happened in the rubble of the Twin Towers and the wars of revenge that followed in the fall of '01 and the spring of '03 has faded with time, but they shouldn't be forgotten.  It is up to everyone to make sure improving this country is the one thing that would honor the dead.