American Heroes

RELIVING HISTORY

From Santayana

To Vonnegut

the doom of dumb

George Santayana

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.. The short memory of the American Voter combined with the scanty factual political education provided to them has combined to lead our nation into a familiar morass.

Fish Or Die

.. American citizens need to confront the proposition that: "The FBI does not know Russia - the CIA does know Russia."
.. Talk about a smokescreen! A bit of misdirection and slight of hand.

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.. The fly fisher of today is not exempt from this memory loss.

.. The demographic segment of our population that the fly fishing industry worships and targets is your standard affluent, preoccupied with wealth,  middle aged, white guy. Get on with it!!

The Target Market

.. Who buys Orvis products? Who can afford Able reels? Who rents river guides at $500 per day? Maybe for three days?
.. What ads appear on commercial websites disguised as blogs?
.. What ever happened to Chico Fernandez? Why is it that fly fishing in exotic places is so attractive? Because a week on the flats can cost $4,500 - or more?

Dick Cheney

.. Buy big! Spend big! No wonder Donald Trump is an American "White Guy" hero! So too Rex Tillerson? Hurrah big oil.
.. Time for a self examination? Horse feathers! Fly fishers love to be disengaged about all political matters except for small bits of local waters. Just ask Dick Cheney.

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 SIGH

.. Familiar to most, indeed, is this quote by George Santayana. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Archibald Cox

.. Few, however,  are familiar with the counter quote from Kurt Vonnegut: "I've got news for Mr. Santayana: we're doomed to repeat the past no matter what. That's what it is to be alive.”

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.. Have we forgotten about Archibald Cox? He was fired by Richard Nixon for heading up an investigation into the Watergate fiasco.

Sally Yates

.. Certainly memory can not fail with the name of Sally Yates. She was fired by Donald Trump For investigating unspecified activities in the White House.
.. She also directed her staff attorneys to not defend the first unconstitutional travel ban enunciated in an executive order by Donald Trump.

Preet Bharara

.. Is the name Preet Bharara lost in your gray matter? Perhaps his full name will jog your neurons: Preetinder Singh Bharara.
.. He was born in Punjab, India and precipitated the firing of all of the U.S. Attorneys by Donald Trump. This after Donald Trump had asked him to stay in his job. 
.. His portfolio included investigations into money laundering in Cyprus as well as Russian and Ukrainian real estate deals with interesting people. He brought to trial and convicted a Russian KGB, GRU spy, affiliated with those interesting people.

Summer Zervos

.. Have you forgotten Summer Zervos? She is the most recent of several dozen accusers of Donald Trump for sexual molestation and defamation.
.. She has such a solid case that she has filed a suit against Donald Trump.
.. Of course Donald Trump, like Richard Nixon, has claimed immunity and executive privilege.
.. "You can't prosecute me because I'm president." Hell's bells, " . . . just grab 'em by the pussy!"

Sally Jones

.. Of course you've forgotten Sally Jones who sued Bill Clinton. Her case finally went to trial. The results and aftermath of that trial led the court to rule that the president could be sued.
.. The Clinton v Jones trial included a Ms. Monica Lewinsky as witness. She testified that she had not had a sexual relationship with Bill Clinton.

Ken Starr

.. Of course Linda Tripp had some tape recordings contrary to that testimony. Tripp gave the tapes to Ken Starr. And certainly the rest is history.
.. Through several following court cases Clinton was suspended from the bar and fined $25,000.
.. His buddies in Arkansas avoided calling for a perjury trial even after concluding that he had lied in court.

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Kurt Vonnegut

.. American heroes come in all sizes and sexes. They are as easily forgotten as is the historic milieu that they were mired in.
.. The current stink in Washington D.C. is most familiar only to those with any sort of historic memory.
.. For most of the American populous the current aroma seems new.  Really?
.. Most have forgotten the past and are proving Kurt Vonnegut correct. This is life and our nation is doomed to relive it.
.. It must be that the primacy of trout fishing or, bass fishing or, 4-wheelin' or,  skiing or,  kite flying or, whatever is far more important than the rising stench in Washington D.C.

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Goofus Bug

.. So then, now, it's time to have some breakfast and try to beat the storm to Notellum Slough.
.. We're not going to use the microwave until it's been scanned for bugs.
.. We really do believe that we are being spied upon by microwaves. It's probably the Russians or, the town council!

Bead Head Awesome

.. We're glad that global warming is a hoax. We're dancing with ecstasy to learn that toxic effluent in upland waters is no threat to fish or the environment.
.. Praise the lord, we're relieved that coal fired generating plants no longer pollute the atmosphere or, cause acid rain.
.. We are most happy that Donald Trump is draining the swamp and getting rid of American heroes. Now then, we can quickly forget them and get back to squeezing our fish for hero shots. It is all local, don'tchaknow?

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WALLPAPER:  GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN