WOW Gatsby!!!
I was also in the 1st Marine Div. Nixon was Pres. I was also overseas, but not exactly a good time. Funny now in hindsight, the day I set foot in the U.S. I was arrested for fighting some Kristner.
You and I know or remember. The Lt. at the Police Station came from Nam and told them to let me go. Lucky I guess.
Those were the volunteer military days. I got an MOS to drive trucks, but did a bit too well in boot camp rifle range at San Onafre (sic). After boot camp, they got me back to that rifle range fast. Finished my 6 weeks in school and about a week after that I was in-front of a Major. They all were saying they never seen someone do such on the range. Yes, "this is my rifle, this is my gun, this is for pleasure and this is for fun." Happened to me once, again funny in hindsight.
I was sent to another school a secondary MOS assigned by the good ol USMC. My first mission I was a spotter, unfortunately the sniper was k**led and I filled his spot.
I try to forget those days. Don't seem to have a problem talking about the better times. I h**e to say that not a day goes by I don't think of the bad things. Got married soon after getting back in the States. If it wasn't for her, well did good for me.
How do you handle that?
Said too much already, no novels, Take Care

Thank you Gatsby. All that security info. is nice to know. You must keep on-top of that.
Semper Fi, perfect and thanks again.

Thank you! No doubt in my mind the names of the higher levels Security Clearance have changed since all those years ago. Nice to know, thanks again.

Yes, it was years ago, let’s not say decades.
The Secret Service did so on me regarding who I was meeting. You only have to be in the same room for this investigation to be started. I can’t give you a number of people who have a Security Clearance, but the number must be about a million. The Security Clearance is common. There are several levels of such clearance above Security Clearance, BUT those clearances are (or were) called Top Secret Clearances, they even have numbers.
The Obama Administration who fired Flynn never did issue him the appropriate clearance he would have needed to be National Security Advisor. I’m sure just being a 3 Star General (Lieutenant General) just may have a Security Clearance above what I was issued.
“Everything we say/do is a direct result of your own personal ethics.” DECEIT must be in at least the top 3 of the issues defining ethics, no deceit! If someone is telling you that you must be an “unethical” or a “deceitful” person to do well in politics THEY ARE LYING!
I see so much lying happening aimed at the U.S. public. (A lie of omission is still a lie.) We should all be aware and question everything.
Please remember Pres. Nixon was elected twice (you remember “I’m not a crook”). Nixons’ approval ratings went from popular to unpopular. Nixon had an average of 49% approval rating. At Nixons resignation from President he had a 25% approval rating with 65% disapproval (you can see 10% I don’t know people). [See: historyinpieces.com/research/Nixon ] Doesn’t it bother you that some 25% like a few million people that just didn’t get it? 25% of the v****g U.S. public is incapable of judging unethical conduct? More has come out against Pres. Nixon since his resignation and Pardon by Pres. Ford (again don’t believe the pardon was due to the country being split).
I try to be a student of the ethics of people. I’m constantly let-down on expectations of what people actually do. I can tell you more about the ethics saying I spread around, but not relevant to this discussion.
Remember, use your brain, an issue does NOT become a fact simply because it fits with your belief system. A face does NOT become irrelevant because it disagrees with your belief system. You can tell those who play games with issues & facts relating to their belief system fall into the “not too bright”.

Yes, I certainly did. I once worked in D.C. about 8 years in an elected position. I learned a lot. It still keeps a bad taste in my mouth, corruption all over and too often corruption wins. I'm a registered Independent and do go after all parties, everyone who reveals deceit, unethical conduct.
Thanks for your attentiveness. roaderster

Thank you saltwind 78. I think you are on-point! I finally am able to get back on-line. Advise, if Century Link ever wants your business, stay away from them!
I cannot overcome the lying of Trump. I'm big on ethics and deceit. A firm believer "Everything we say & do is a direct result of our own personal ethics." He's doing it to himself. I'm disgusted with those who still support him after his clear lack of ethics and in-bed with deceit. That is the direction I'm going.
Good job! I'm not big on preaching to the choir, which is why this is a good site for posts.
roadster

Thanks for your post.
I see both of us must be some kind of fun around e******n time, funny.
I spent 8 years in D.C. and learned what makes the world go round and to this day have a bad taste in my mouth from what I found. I do have some expertise because from what I've seen nothing in the ideal issues have changed, just the faces & names.
Thanks again.

Thank you for the comments. I see this is suppose to be a site to post wh**ever.
Don't worry, thick-skin? A whole lot thicker than people may know.
I see you have at least two who are mental-midgets in their posts, insults & belittling comments clearly do not address the issue, only makes the writer feel better about him/herself. Yes, I agree pretty weak when you have to do such comments for yourself obviously nobody else will (except other mental midgets).
I like opposing views and my ask much to try to understand.

Oooops type-o should say ", why not"?

I wish I could answer that question, who not?
I have a guess right now, but prefer to keep that to myself until I gather more facts. I think it's going to be difficult to find credible facts and not fabricated facts.
Good post.

Good idea! Under our previous President, Obama, a number of States passed a resolution to leave the United States. I agree each participated in S******n. According to our Constitution, such conduct is considered a crime.
Loyal Opposition. I use to hear that phrase often a few decades ago.
I personally like to spend my efforts to fight unethical conduct. I continue to say "Everything we say & do is a direct result of your own personal ethics." Deceit must be considered at or near the top of that list of unethical conduct.
I'm the kind of person that if someone lies to me, then it's almost impossible for me to ever trust/believe him/her again. Yes, laugh like I do and most other people, that I must be all sorts of fun during a political e******n season. These elected people & our government lies to us because of us, people who concur lying, deceit, as acceptable conduct.

I need to ask a quick question, is this site (One Political Plaza) a social site? Means like-minded people getting together to talk the same (meaning they agree with each other on that topic).

Please post a response even if it is a quick few words.

100% of the Founding Fathers were admittedly Liberal and proud of it. Same with the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Look at their positions for the late 18th century. Yes, s***ery was common and has been for thousands of years.
Even with all you said and inflamed statements, I do not consider myself a liberal. I use to call myself conservative, just like you. I now call myself Independent.
I changed so much of my life, continuing to change throughout my life over one statement a man made before he died in my arms in VietNam... "Everything we say and do is a result of your ethics." I've added a few words over the years without changing the meaning.
I began to question everything, research everything using as credible sites as I could and once I discovered a site lied to me in any way I would not use them again. I have many citations but I don't see other people using citations on their posts but quickly throw mud at me with that argument.
It boils down to a failure in people I use to have myself all those decades ago. I read something and if it falls within my belief system it doesn't need credibility and citations. Wrong!
Today the Health Care bill. I don't know as of this moment what has happened to it but I can tell you from my experience in D.C. that after so many tries to get rid of the Obamacare, they who tried had nothing for all these years to replace it, all this time. I predict it will fail. There is only 1 real reason, the rich are taxed to pay for it and the rich own the majority of Republicans, hence what you see. When it fails again, well we will see.
I'm not a conservative now because of personal research.
Give me your citations I don't have to prove 14% of I******s v**ed in the past general e******n!
Obama wiretapping Trump? The proof is the lack of proof, even the admission of key Republican Committee Chairs of no proof and the wiretapping did not happen. Unedited live video. That is why I'm not a Trumpster, lied to again. I'm not such a low-life to think lying to me is acceptable conduct.

Rivers, you hear something you don't believe in and your response is to insult and ignore. If you could only see yourself, hear yourself you wouldn't like yourself.
You're a good example of what the U.S. has degraded into. This is not due to your different point of view than me, it is about how you express yourself, how acceptable the unacceptable is to you. How do you react when you discover someone has lied to you? Trump birther argument admitted is now and always has been a total lie. Anyone associated with spreading such a lie is contributing to unacceptable conduct.
Did you know that we now have a first lady who began work in this country as an i*****l a***n? Why didn't you know that? Did you believe she was actually legal? Have you personally researched anything?
See my point?

As a collective country, we chose DECEIT, DEATH, UNETHICAL CONDUCT, Literally shoot our political selves. A tragedy indeed and speaks little of us. Believe the lie and always trust the lie, see what YOU are? I am not concerned with those Con-Artists leading in the three Branches of our government. I’m addressing those in our public or society who put them their position. Just a short few topics since I already wrote too much, no need to print a novel nobody will read.

14% of I*****l I*******ts v**ed in the last e******n? False! I researched daily for over a week and could NOT find any legitimate/credible source to support such a conclusion. I found many who said all sorts of percentages but none came with any credible proof. You cannot site something like “Bobs Blog” and expect such to be considered credible except by those without much gray-matter between their ears.

Wiretap campaign headquarters? False! Wasn't re-elected President Nixon part of that? It took amazingly little research in comparison to claim I’m finished researching this topic. All the credible and quotable sites did not support such a claim. LIE AGAIN! Having worked around our government seat in Washington, D.C. a few years I suspect mis-direction. Make a claim, true or false, to get everyone’s attention away from what really worries me. I’ve seen that a lot and never wanted or agreed to be part of such deception.

Birther question, Obama not born in the U.S.? False! I researched this one for over a year, I would say averaging once weekly. The newspaper printed Obamas’ birth and with help got a copy of the birth certificate weeks before such was released to the public. I’m so ashamed one person on this site claiming that since so much talk on the birther topic for so long that there must be something to it. That is the shame; what was “to it” was how people believed such lies and how they reacted. Those who call themselves “elite” in their smoke-filled rooms holding a glass with some alcohol beverage laughing at how the large amount of “gullible” do wh**ever they want with wh**ever lies “they” wish to communicate. The one making the claim the most for so many years knew the whole time such was a lie. He/she deliberately deceived as many an he/she could deceive. What does that say about you? You continue to believe him/her? Our government, our media, our country, all does not say much for you and I could hope most of the U.S. would not pay any attention to you and whoever is saying such lies. Yet, we still find that many individuals have their loyalty to a political party, to government, to the media that has lied to them so often. Patronize them and look what YOU have created. You created ancient Athens, Greece (keep reading because this writing is NOT for those who are in the choir rather it is for those who are not in the choir. A different opinion or belief.

Economy must be the one topic that proves just how gullible U.S. society has become! “Trickle-down” has NEVER worked for the majority of U.S. society and all you have to do is look at the history that most of us know of with our own eyes, we lived it. Example: A rich person opens a store (I don’t care if it is an Auto Parts store, grocery store or even some industrial factory making widgets) and that same person makes sure such is stocked (inventory including labor) to best serve the public. (Remember that part, public also said as our society.) If you have no customers then such a store or factory goes out of business. As a society we need permanent relief and not some temporary relief. Someone will say something extremely self-serving as YES we need the rich so they can open the store or start the factory. Think of what you just said then think of your own history! If that Rich person is taken out of the equation then he/she would be quickly replaced by many waiting in-line to be such a person. If you take-away the customers then there is nobody to take their place, NOBODY! Think honestly of the situation just described; those who conduct themselves in a manner to aid those without! The Auto Parts store for example: YOU need some auto part and they have it within a price range you can afford. If you want that automobile to operate then you need that auto part. Same with a grocery store or an industrial factory. YOU patronize, become a customer, of that store. You pay money for the part (groceries or widget) and everyone associated with that auto part prospers. Now you know Capitalism.

Pay or wages, should be a topic described within our economy. Since the topic is separate today it is smart to discuss it today. Do you honestly believe YOU work harder, smarter, better than anyone else? Really? WOW, what a bigot! You are saying you are better than that same person Protestant or any other religion, race, color, creed, etc. as the same area you are in. Ask yourself why did Wal-Mart spend so much money and effort to lobby Congress to raise the minimum wage all those years ago? Because the clearest majority of U.S. society (middle-class to poor) have more money to spend. YES, there is a TEMPORARY condition of adjusting cost of items to finances available, it’s called “Supple and Demand”. More money is collected by the store or factory with increased wages. Inventory increases, wages are paid and increased, the rich get richer. It is ONLY a self-serving attitude to make sure the rich have more and all those beneath them (in their eyes) does NOT matter. Ask yourself why those in all our Branches of government (Legislative, Executive, Judicial) deserve a wage increase and get such every year, more than once a year, including their staff, and nobody else “beneath them” deserves such an increase? Is it time to get out your pitchfork for the plutocracy?

Leaders? Come-on, give me a break! I’m referring to those elected into positions of Leadership, in this description our government based in Washington, D.C. The greatest majority elected are NOT leaders! You only have to listen to what “they” say to come to the conclusion that “they” are followers and not leaders. I was employed several years to walk the halls of our government. I think I just may know more than most of you on this topic. Shame those who really need to read this would have stopped long before now since such does not lay within their personal belief system. Do you hear what you might claim are strong substantial arguments of what the issue of a pay increase will do to all of us in this economy on a SHORT-TERM basis? Yes, most all the arguments are correct. Those arguments also apply to the politicians and their staff, but you see them getting a wage increase. I am here for the long-haul from birth to death like everyone else. I’m a firm believer than everything our national government does should also apply to themselves. No pay increase for them unless they did such a good job directing our country that all of us get a wage increase. This is NOT F*****m, Socialism, C*******m or even Democracy, it is HUMANITY.

“Everything we say, everything we do is a direct result of your own personal ethics.” That is YOU, look in the mirror and what you see is most likely a person who will rationalize some reason to accept the unacceptable conduct. You finding a way to ignore and support a LIE hence making lying to you acceptable conduct! Such conduct also makes YOU a liar yourself. I would rather hire a thief than a liar who also steals something greater than personal property, they steal your trust. Of course, there are too many people in this Capitalistic society that “Worship” money rather than putting faith in themselves and others. I can understand not putting faith in others due to the unethical conduct of others, but that only means not to trust that person rather than not to trust the rest of humanity. Our first President, General George Washington, (we should have lost that war considering what General Washington had to work with) said not to believe anything your own government says, to expect them to be lying to you every word. This was the man who was doing the talking he was telling you NOT to believe. In essence, he wanted YOU to make sure he was telling the t***h EVERY TIME. Once someone lies to me, I find it almost impossible to believe him/her ever again. If YOU believe that person who has lied to you then maybe you should have lived in that town where the boy cried wolf, you might have saved his life, though you would also be branded as naïve and gullible incapable of intelligent self-reflection.

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! What did make us (the U.S.) great in the first place? In the later part of the 18th century (let’s say 1776 to 1787 & to 1791) it was us the U.S. that came-up with Democracy. A concept of Democracy was not original or new. We had a good example from ancient Greece (there are others but this is a good example). Athens, Greece did suffer greatly with disease, war and tyranny (tyrants imposing their own will upon the society of Athens) but what ended them was fear, bigotry, mis-directed rage and unethical conduct. The previous so-called political leaders of Athens were replaced with political followers (tell them what they want to hear is how you get elected). If someone tells you (or you believe) that anyone in such a national elected position as our Legislative or Executive Branches of our government must be liars or they cannot survive then YOU are the gullible one because DECEIT never is the best option. People do much better when they trust each other, support each other. Yesteryear, before the U.S. was these United States the British tried to make each of their colonies corporations and that conduct FAILED to a large degree. Did the British Colonies suffer? Yes due to all the same reasons, plus I guess since it is more recent in our minds than ancient Athens, Greece it means a bit more. The rich & affluent ruined things for the rest of us and we fought back. Yes, the U.S. is a revolutionary country. Bigotry, the white male land-owners and rich, thought of themselves as so much better than any other race. Remember the late 60’s and the whole 70’s? So many intellectual types saying they have hard evidence that “Black” people are less than white people. How stupid; who believed them need to share a portion of that stupidity. Anyone who has ever been in a real military combat situation will tell you with wholehearted honesty that you had better not think of your enemy as less than you (under-estimate) or you just may end-up dead! Remember the French and Indian War? The French Revolution? Justice system of the courts & Judges decisions were overruled by the appointed Governor. Don’t take me wrong, there are decisions of certain Judges today that are unethical and in contrast to our Constitution even from our Supreme Court (SCOTUS), i.e. Corporations are people, artificial people, such a decision only benefits certain affluent in our society. It is the “Rich and Affluent” that have been the enemies of societies throughout history, our history and that of everyone else. We (these United States) did care for one another at a time yesteryear, abuse one American (U.S. citizen) and you abuse us all. Sacrifice your ethics once and you hurt us all. We called it Compassion and Empathy. Those with much helped those with little. Is it a test of your ethics? Yes, of course as is all of your life! Such is NOT C*******m, F*****m, Socialism even Democracy, it is HUMANITY! Though we have those who fall into the scientific description of Human, they clearly do not act Human, ethical. Do YOU really believe some politician announcing that a Health Care plan is better because someone who does NOT need medical care should NOT have to pay for those who do need medical care? Doomed to fail! Medical Insurance, Term Life Insurance, Auto Insurance, Government, Laws, Taxes think about it and you will come-up with many more examples. We pay taxes to a government and in return we get a military to protect us from those Unethical who wish to hurt us. We pay taxes to a government to pay the wages of those who make our laws and who we trust to lead our country in a direction of safety, security, progressiveness so we all can do better than those before us. Our own family! Don't you sacrifice for those you love? Don’t you work to earn a wage and hand such wage over so your loved ones (family) can live in a house, eat well, get educated, on and on. Such does NOT sound like a government to me and if YOU support such action then YOU should LOOK IN A MIRROR and see if you are part of Humanity or not! Why would we be intimidated by those who are smarter than YOU in some particular area? Remember the question of … since when has a tax-and-spend government ever worked? Ever since we became these United States! What a dummy saying such a thing. I, and everyone else, expect our government to spend our taxes, we just want our government to spend our taxes in a manner to aid ALL OF US.

I heard this somewhere, Eyes Open No Fear!