August 1st Thoughts

Haven't posted anything for awhile. so thought it was about time.

• How do we pay for Medicare for All? Stephanie Kelton and other economists have better and more thorough answers to this, but as a layperson my explanation is that we pay for it by paying for it. Just like everything else we pay for on the federal level.
• Somebody I know shared something on Facebook, showing a graphic of the number of votes for Stein in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, next to Trump's margin of victory in those states. The meme was something like "But you just didn't like Hillary did you? Well, are you happy now?" Don't get me wrong, I wish they'd voted for Hillary, too. But I also think that you have to earn somebody's vote. You're not entitled to it. Maybe they didn't feel like she earned their vote. (There are other things wrong with this argument, but this is my main issue.)
• Conventional wisdom seems to be that Trump supporters believe whatever he says is the truth, no matter what the facts. I have come to believe something different. I think that (1) they know he is lying and (2) they want him to lie. That's why if you engage them about it, they invariably don't address the issue, but just change the subject. Trump's lies are kinda beside the point. Giving the libs the finger is what's important to them. The more he lies to do it, the better they like it. (For example, Me: Trump just lied. Trumper: How's your 401(k) doing?)
• I just read in The Washington Post that some centrist Democrats in Maryland are withholding their support and/or endorsement of Ben Jealous, the Democratic nominee for Governor. Okay, does somebody want to give me one more of those tireless and endless lectures about how "the Left" is disloyal and tearing the party apart. Bleh!