Honesty is hard to appreciate

I write sometimes to criticize Hillary Clinton and I do so because I want to get closer to the truth of things that matter, to honest appraisal of who the people who want to lead are.  This is intended as a counterweight to the tendency of some to render blind support to the candidates they wish to see elected, facets of these candidates’ histories intentionally ignored for fear that their people might be damaged by revelations.  Every time I hear a campaign spokesperson explaining away flawed judgement or bad action to shield a candidate from criticism, and every time I hear a supporter tell me that judgements and actions that are bad are irrelevant to who their candidate really is, my mind goes to a place where things spin angrily for the distortions of reality that those people want me to take for truth.

I do not at all like Donald Trump.  I do not want him to become president.  I find it hard to believe that he is a viable candidate.  I think it impossible that enough people would like him to get him nominated by a major political party in the United States of America.  I find most of what he says to have little truth value and I take offense at much for which he stands.  I never know if he really thinks what he says he thinks or if he knows what what he says he thinks means.  I do not trust him to know what is real and what effect on reality his proposals would have.  Taken at face value, what he says is often idiotic, nasty, and destructive, truly un-American if one considers American to be what is Constitutional.

I do twitch a good twitch when criticism of Hillary Clinton is made by those against her to score political points and, worse, to get Donald Trump elected.  But the worse problem occurs when there is some truth is what these people are saying and there is damage done when those coming to her defense use lies and half-truths to defend her.  When she speaks Bernie Sanders’ speak I am suspicious.  When she refuses to make public certain utterances made behind the closed doors of Wall Street Boardrooms, I am suspicious and when there are suspicions of acts unethical—Clinton foundations and State Department interminglings, for example—I am suspicious.  And when the spokespeople dismiss the charges that are spoken by opposition or made known in the press without offering plausible explanation for dismissal, I am suspicious.

I think that my suspicions are not all that relevant to the history about to be made.  I will keep myself informed and do what I can to get at the truth of matters no matter how badly the truth may upset me.  But I won’t allow what I know to be truth and lies now get in the way of my voting for the democratic candidate because bad as she may be—and there is much about her runs counter to my values—I prize fairness and have disdain for the unfair advantage; I prize honest dealings with the countries of the world and their people; I detest exploitation of another for one’s own gain; I believe that all should have access to the institutions that create knowledge and wisdom and that none should get more than another simply because he or she was born into a particular family or lived in a particular region or neighborhood; and I believe that those who cheat should have nothing until they have proven that they have changed their evil ways…

I think that the political system, yes, as it has come to be through an insidious kind of corruption that only money can buy, needs to be fixed and I cannot help but believe that Hillary and many other “liberals” have taken advantage of this undemocratic system to make their way to the top, their achievement reflected in whose company they are allowed to share—Hillary and Bill at Donald’s place!—and at what tables they are allowed to sit—Corporate boards such as Walmarts!!!—and wield power no ordinary can garner.

So, vote for Hillary friends, please do.  But know her past and hold her to her promises for a future and make sure she works to bring back democracy even if it means upsetting the asshole capitalists who have used their money to destroy what is best about America.