Who Won?

This posting will evolve, but the key concept is wondering:
Who won the 2016 Presidential Election?

First, it seems (somewhat) clear Hilary Clinton LOST -- while the Democratic National Committee was LOST from long ago

My Question is not the choice of A or B, but rather X
 - did Russia interfere & actively intervene?
 - is Trump working for Russia?
 - why did / (does?) Trump want the job of President?
 - why was there no recount in the key states where requested?
 - is American DEMOCRACY an illusion?

Selling a Pollution Pit

Entergy is the fat corporation owning Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Massachusetts. They've sucked revenues from the nuclear reactor, but have no proper plan for dealing with the dirty aftermath.

Now they suggest selling the aging plant to another (newly formed) corporation.

Some support the sale. Former Massachusetts State Sen. Daniel Wolf (D) is quoted as calling the potential transaction "really exciting news." (link)

SUCKER !

A similar process is happening at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear plant. There's no reasonable vision for optimism. Entergy would exploit profitable decommissioning, if there were such a thing. They instead plan to wash their hands by passing the muck to a newly-formed shell corporation.

This new firm may perform correctly, but tens of millions, maybe billions of dollars urge them to default, defect, and pass most costs to the public.

Don't let Entergy off the hook for their obligations.

Cruelly Corporatist Korea

Gangjeong Village is among the furthest points from Seoul as exist in South Korea. Some 480 km from Seoul and far from mainland troubles, Gangjeong sits on beautiful Jeju Island's southern coast. Threats to develop the region were first put aside through legislation and edict. (link) The coastal area was designated a Cultural Protection Zone by the South Korean government in 2000 and 2004. In 2002 South Korea's Ministry of Land defined the region a Marine Ecosystem Conservation Area, and that same year it also became a UNESCO Biosphere Conservation Area. In 2006, the government of Jeju Island named the Gangjeong Village zone a Marine Provincial Park, and the central government's Ministry of Environment designated it an "Ecological Excellent Village"; in 2007, the Jeju Island government identified it as an Absolute Retention Coastal Area; and in 2008, the Ministry of Environment designated it a Natural Park.

Then, against the wishes of the local people, distant militarists decided to develop the area as a strategic naval base. Both the Korean Government in distant Seoul and the U.S. Government in Washington D.C. pushed to reclassify the area for development, overturning all objections. Jeju Naval Base (제주 해군기지) is now operational.

But serious struggles continue (link). Many local people and their supporters were arrested & fined. Worse, because construction was slower than expected due to local opposition, the large private-sector chaebol construction companies demanded compensation for the delays, Seoul's right-wing government is forcing the local villagers to pay these costs (link).

In other words, refusing to quickly stand aside when government tries bulldozing your neighborhood will lead to bankruptcy. Forcing the local population to pay restitution & indemnity is horrible -- closer to fascism than a democratic process. Shame on Korea's politicians!

Artist Carlos Latuff (Brazil) supports Jeju villagers against the menacing naval base

Unfortunate blowback from a global imperialist alliance is deployment of foreign military forces in places otherwise peaceful, thus distressing the local population. Korea, Japan and Hawai'i are in a feudal relationship with Washington D.C., forced to accept American military installations into such places as Jeju's Gangjeon coastline, Okinawa's Yanbaru forest, and O'ahu's delicate Mokapu Peninsula. Tough.

Targets & Tiaras

The first combat death for the new US Government came in an engagement which killed an 8-year old girl.

Obama's government assassinated the father & his 16-yr old son. Both were U.S. citizens targeted without trial. Trump's first combat mission (on his 10th day as President) now kills the daughter.

We wholly condemn extrajudicial targeted killings (link). Neither should American forces suffer tragic death. President Trump has vowed to withdraw American troops from many overseas trouble-spots, leaving local forces to protect & police themselves. "We cannot be the Policeman of the World" said candidate Trump (link)

But assassination is not an acceptable substitute policy, and all the more terrible when it targets family members.

President Trump declared we must kill the families of America's enemies, but surely that's illegal under international law, and shortsighted policy (we should hope to avoid reciprocal targeting of American leaders' families).

The US Government already has a bad history:
1986  US bombs kill Libyan leader Gaddafi's infant daughter
2003  American forces target & kill Saddam Hussein's two sons & 14-yr old grandson
2011  US / NATO bombs kill Gaddafi's son & grandkids, 5-mo & 2-yr old twins (30 April)
2011  US drone attack kills Anwar al-Awlaki, dissident American Muslim cleric (30 Sept)
2011  US drone attack kills Anwar al-Awlaki's son, US teenager Abdulrahman (14 Oct)
2017  American SEAL Team 6 kills Anwar's 8-yr old daughter, Nora Al-Awlaki  (29 Jan)

Knee-Jerk Anti-Trump? NO

Too many Americans are already hyper-critical of everything done by President Trump.

This is a big mistake. Here's why:
For all his bluster and megapresence, Donald J. Trump is just one geezer. Sure he's rich and disturbed, but he can't do much all by himself.

Focusing our attention on his antics, we fail to monitor the thousands of his minions now infiltrating & undermining our communities. The system of government is being hijacked. This is beyond partisan politics or questions of policy difference.

Trump peacefully came to power because Americans had faith in law & order, and in the United States Constitution. The President took an oath to protect & defend the Constitution, and Donald J. Trump became a federal employee.

The American People have not agreed to become employees or slaves to Donald J. Trump and his allies.

So avoid reflexively watching corporate media showing Trump stages of tantrum. Watch-out for Republican operatives: robo-signers, slash-and-burn specialists, the same wolves & weasels who crippled the global economy at the end of the Bush-Cheney reign and were bailed-out with public funds by America's political elite.

Both parties have huge crony networks. Probably you, dear reader, are not appropriately connected. Watch your pockets against thieves, and plan for trouble. The distractions around you are deliberate.

Theresa May LEAVE

UK Prime Minister Theresa May owes her job to the "Leave" campaign to take the United Kingdom out of the European Union.

The UK's EU Referendum generated 17,410,742 votes to LEAVE.

Estimated UK population on 23 June 2016 was 65,620,891 people.

Brexit advocates won the referendum.

But LEAVE gained support of just  26.5%

Citizens under 18 and long-term UK expats overseas had no voting rights.