First-time readers, this blog is set in the future (sometime after the year 2020).  Each entry assumes there has been a 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution.  More about Revenge Revolution and author, Entry #1.  List and general description of entries to date.  Annual assessment whether Revolution plausible.

Note: most characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  Profile of characters.  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments.

Scene: Jordan’s Washington office.  Conversation begins Entry #204.

Greenie:  “I forgot, what were the 2^nd and 3^rd reasons to vote for the Donald?”

Jordan:  “#2 was ‘Put God back in America’ and #3 was ‘Borders, closed and tightly guarded.’”

Greenie:  “Let’s take #2, ‘Put God back in America.’  If I’m not mistaken, the founders of this country clearly separated church and state in the Constitution.  What are the Trumpsters taking about?”

Jordan:  “I suppose they believe…really I have no idea what they are talking about…other than they want the US to become a Christian nation.”

Greenie:  “Sorta like some nations in the Middle East where Islam is the state religion?  I guess they want the US to be like Saudi Arabia or Syria.  How can the Trumpsters keep claiming the US should return to the Constitution as written originally and not understand the separation of church and state?”

Jordan:  “Look, I’m equally confused by their reasoning.  Let’s move on to #3 – borders.”

Greenie:  “I assume they thought a 3,000 mile wall or 6,000 armed border patrol agents stationed every half mile would keep ‘those people’ out.”

Jordan:  “I agree that immigration laws should be enforced.  That’s pretty much standard procedure worldwide.”

Greenie:  “True, but guess what?  Republicans in Congress would not support an updated immigration bill that most US citizens considered fair and reasonable.”

Jordan:  “Underlying the comment about borders seems to be desire to deport 10+ million undocumented immigrants.”

Greenie:  “Were the 10+ million undocumented immigrants an issue?  Yes.  At the same time, many hard-core Republican businessmen exploited the immigrants.  Did these business people press for new legislation or deportation?”

Jordan:  “One of the reasons I’ve kept the list all these years is to remind myself how many people can be put in an absolute frenzy by claims with no supporting rationale…or even worse, flat-out lies.  It’s like voodoo.”

Greenie:  “This conversation is beginning to drive me nuts.  But I agreed to write articles about causes of the Revenge Revolution.  Let’s address a couple more reasons to vote for the Donald, then take a break.”

Jordan:  “#4, ‘Congress: on the same health-care plan as everyone else.”

Greenie:  “Since Republicans refuse to support single-payer national health-care, there are a zillion combinations of plans.  If the reference point for Trumpsters is the same health-care plan as enjoyed by say senior corporate executives, Congress is probably being short-changed with their current plan.”

Jordan:  “I think the Trumpsters meant the plans for the rest of us schmoes.”

Greenie:  “But we schmoes have many plans.  Which one do the Trumpsters want Congress to have?  Yet, another statement with no explanation.”

Jordan:  “Alright, #5.  ‘Congress – obey its own laws.  I assume that an example is members of Congress being exempt from insider trading laws.”

Greenie:  “Hey, one Trumpster reason I can agree with.  As for insider trading, why should Congress be exempt?  The buying and selling of stocks has no bearing whatsoever on their role in Congress.  The exemption is a real head scratcher.”

Jordan:  “Why Greenie, how dare you think the need for an exemption is a sham?  If I’m a Congressman, let’s set up an investigation of an industry or a company.  Then make the finding either classified or suggest to DOJ, FBI or IRS to begin an investigation.  And before the announcement becomes public…”

Greenie:  “…either buy the stock if the news will be good…like a big juicy government contract…or sell shares short if news likely to be bad.  And because we’re in Congress the ill-gotten gains are exempt from insider-trading laws.”

Jordan:  “If company executives took the same actions, they would be charged with insider trading and subject to fines and/or jail time.  Seems only fair that members of Congress should be exempt from insider trading laws.”

Greenie:  “Such cynicism.”

Jordan:  “You know what’s tragic.  I doubt if many of the Trumpsters really knew how egregious some of the exemptions for Congress really were.  The use of campaign funds in another classic exemption.  Those kinds of exemptions legislated by Congress and for Congress, even if not understood widely, are some of the reasons…at least from my perspective…that we had the Revenge Revolution.”

Greenie:  “Next reason for the Donald.”

Jordan:  “#6 – English only.”

Greenie:  “English only for what?  English is already the language for international commerce.  Another example — English is required for communications by all pilots on international flights.”

Jordan:  “I think the Trumpsters’ point is immigrants in earlier years made an effort to learn English more quickly than today.”

Greenie:  “Fact is many earlier immigrants never did learn English.  My grandparents are a perfect example.  When my parents weren’t around, I became their interpreter.  Being their interpreter forced me to learn Yiddish, which I really didn’t appreciate until I got older.”

Jordan:  “I understand what you’re saying. What I wonder is whether the Trumpsters ever thought about why there were enclaves of immigrants in major cities.  In New York, you had Little Italy, Chinatown and a bunch of places where you were hard pressed to find signs in English, let alone anyone speaking English.”

Greenie:  “The problem, if you want to call a non-English language a problem, goes away in a generation or two.  If my grandparents spoke English, I probably never would have learned Yiddish.  That’s true for 2^nd generation immigrants from most any country.”

Jordan:  “What about requiring the immigrant learn English to become a citizen?”

Greenie:  “Pardon me?  Just how many Trumpsters could pass a citizenship test?  Anyway, English has been a requirement for citizenship for many years.  There are a couple of exemptions – certain disabilities and being above a certain age – 50 or 55.  For the age exemption, which my grandparents qualified under, you also need to have been in the US for so many years.  But that’s it for exemptions.  The vast majority of people need to learn English to become a US citizen.”

Jordan:  “Back to a repeating question as we analyze the list of reasons to vote for Trump – what’s the real issue?”

Greenie:  “Jordan, the lack of logic in these reasons…maybe the lack of logic is the Trumpsters’ logic…is why I need a break.”

(Continued)