COMPLEX SOLUTIONS FOR COMPLEX PROBLEMS

Hi Humans,
One would think that you Humans with your big brains would realize that the complex problems which you guys create might require complex answers. But so many of you crave simple quick solutions to your problems. One should progress carefully, and if something doesn't work you try it a different way. No one has all the answers on the spot. Trump and Cruz think they obviously have all the answers, too much government on financial issues and not enough government concerning personal life. In addition, both support gun anarchy, xenophobia, and brawn over brain in foreign affairs (all simplistic solutions). Sanders also has simplistic answers (although at least in a better direction). For him the financial fault is all with the big corporations and insurance companies. Knock them down, and give their power to the government elected by the people. Well, not so simple. Greater control is needed to keep them on the track, but they do serve a function. As for trade barriers to keep jobs in the US, the rest of the world can play the same game which could harm American jobs even more. American innovation is a more complex solution, but will serve everyone better. As for staying out of foreign conflicts, that's a nice goal, but the reality is that knowing where and when to get involved is not so simple and requires careful judgment (with mistakes requiring corrections along the way). The two candidates who favor approaching problems incrementally without professing to have all the answers are Clinton and Kasich, but Kasich tilts in the wrong direction and is not enough of an ideologue to get nominated by an uncompromising Republican base. So that is why I am for Hillary Clinton. Hopefully enough of you Humans with your big brains will elect her to be the next President of the USA.
Chloe

WHY HILLARY IS THE BEST

Hi Humans,
During the last 7 years President Obama has slowly brought the American economy back to normal after the economic collapse brought on by the policies of the preceding Republican administration. He has made careful incremental social as well as economic improvements. He has made the USA stronger in the world, building alliances. He has made mistakes, but his careful moves have allowed corrections when they inevitably occur. He has done this despite an obstructionist US Congress and chaos in the world outside our borders. Among the candidates for president, Hillary Clinton is the most committed to moving forward carefully, building on Obama's successes. Trump and Cruz want to go back to the old policies that crushed the economy 7 years ago. Bernie Sanders' ideas sound nice but lead us rapidly into uncharted waters. The best that can be said about the three of them is that when actually in office, reality will push them into a path more like what Obama started and Hillary plans to continue. But why take a chance that maybe they will be forced to change when Hillary's stated approach makes sense? Certainly you Humans with your big brains should see that!
Chloe

BERNIE SANDERS ON THE VIEW

Hi Human Mr. Sanders,
I watched you on the View this morning. As a dog living in a home that tends more toward the ideals of the Democratic party than those of the Republicans and as an advocate of gun sanity (as one can plainly see by reading the entries in my blog), I listened to the conversation with interest. I must admit that I am partial to Hillary Clinton. I think she is very well qualified to be President of the USA (as are you). I think the recent back and forth between the two of you on that subject is just silly political stuff (normal in an election). However, I do take issue with you on the matter of gun control. I realize you are not a gun anarchist like Cruz and Trump (or at least their supporters to whom they are beholden). But you are not as strong on this particular matter as Mrs. Clinton. I realize that many of your constituents in a rural state like Vermont like guns, and you have to return to them when and if you do not become President (but that is not my problem). Your less than complete opposition to the gun lobby is comparable to Hillary's acceptance of money from corporate America. I am sure that either one of you would do your job as President, and either one of you would be infinitely better than a Cruz or Trump catastrophe. Let us hope that when the nomination is done, if Hillary Clinton is the nominee, you will encourage your supporters to not only vote for Hillary, but also to get excited and participate in her campaign, to make phone calls to encourage others. You will have to explain it to your many supporters because Hillary's campaign would be our campaign and not supporting it with the enthusiasm with which they supported you in the Primary could give us Cruz or Trump with a Radical Right Congress.
Chloe

PRESIDENT OBAMA SAVED CAPITALISM

Hi Humans,
Let me remind you that 7 years ago, the Republican administration under President Bush almost destroyed the capitalist system in the USA (and the world) by lowering taxes for the very rich people and making a counter productive war in Iraq without raising taxes to pay for it. The Republicans claim that lowering taxes helps the economy? Well the facts certainly did not support their theory. Then Obama came in and saved the capitalist system from collapse. It was painful, but he did it. The Republicans complained because he did not produce immediate results. What did they expect? Their destruction was very deep.
Socialism and capitalism are just two different ways of distributing services, products, and compensation. Some humans extol socialism as a perfect system, the more the better. Others hate socialism and say only capitalism is perfect, the less government the better. I'll tell you, Humans, the truth is probably somewhere in between. Capitalism if properly controlled works. That's why even communist countries like China have embraced it. But either system, if allowed to run amuck, can be devastating. North Korea is a monstrosity not because it is socialist, but because it is ruled by a xenophobic dynasty of dictators who now have acquired nuclear weapons. The US economy did not run off the track 7 years ago because of capitalism, but rather because the Republican administration and some very greedy Humans abused it.
Capitalism and social liberalism are a work in progress. There is no perfect system. You try this and that, discard whatever does not work, and continue whatever does work. It should be the job of Progressives to push new ideas and of Conservatives to say "just a minute there, is that really better?" The goal is to move forward incrementally improving on what has already been accomplished. That is why I appreciate the work of President Obama and hope that Hillary Clinton will be the next president to build on that work.
But what do I know, I'm just a little dog. You humans have the big brains.
Chloe

SOCIAL SECURITY

Hi Humans,
Today I want to talk to you about Social Security. It is a US government insurance program in which you pay money regularly from your income so that when you are old, it will pay you a pension. Some politicians, particularly the Republican ones, say bad things about it like "it will go broke in a few years, it is too expensive, you can make more money by investing it by yourself or with a money manager." They want to privatize it.  What they say is not true!!! Social Security is well funded and secure. It has been and is a great success. It gives a guaranteed safe income. Privatizing assumes that everyone knows how to invest. It means feeding humans to money managers whose main goal is to make money by charging commissions. Privatization is bad for humans and bad for the economy. Vote against it!!!
Chloe

"BERNIE OR BUST" ???

Hi Humans,
What's with these "Bernie or Bust" humans? I am for Hillary, but if I could vote and Bernie won the Democratic Party nomination, I would vote for him. Bernie is not strong enough on gun control. He has to face his rural Vermont constituents to stay in the Senate if he doesn't become president. So? No one is perfect. What would be the alternative? crazy Trump? or Cruz (Trump without Tourette Syndrome)? Kasich would be sane, but still Bernie for the most part would be better.
So, let's hope that Hillary wins the nomination and Bernie's kids grow up and support her in the general election.
Chloe

PUBLIC SAFETY

Hi Humans,
So what's really at stake in the US elections? What are the most important issues? Certainly the economy, addressing a huge imbalance in income between rich and poor, a woman's right to choose whether or not to have an abortion in her own body versus the rights of an unborn fetus in her body, equal access to voting for all voters, the selection of a Supreme Court justice, and many other issues are all important. But looking at things from the point of view of a little dog living among you humans and subject to your actions both good and bad, I would say that safety interests me the most, and probably should be the most crucial for you humans as well. So what does safety mean? I think you can divide safety into global safety and local safety.
So let's talk about global safety first. Some years ago the problem was between the major nuclear powers, the Soviet Union and its communist allies on their side and the USA and its capitalist allies on our side. Well that Cold War ended, the communist countries have joined in the capitalist game, and so capitalism versus communism is no longer the issue. The problem is now the threat from different groups. North Korea which is still a rogue state with a crazy demagogue leader has developed nuclear weapons with which it threatens its neighbors. Iran which is ruled by a fundamentalist theocracy came close to developing a nuclear bomb in order to gain power and promote its political religion. Worst of all is ISIS which has created a uniquely vicious fundamentalist political theocracy in a large portion of what used to be Syria and Iraq and sends out terrorists to perform terrorist murder in other parts of the world. There is the worry that nuclear weapons could fall into their hands. That would be catastrophic. Nuclear weapons were created more than 60 years ago, the genie is out of the bottle, and can not be shoved back in. The danger is and will continue to be there. President Obama has taken the lead in the recent international conference on  that very subject. Meanwhile Donnie Trump, the Republican front runner, has been rattling the nuclear sword for political ends. The US and the sane world (including us dogs) need a US leader with an intelligent cool head and a clear plan like President Obama and hopefully Hillary Clinton. Our time and the future time of our descendants depend on it.
The local safety issue involves the many killings that have occurred in the USA. The Radical Right has emphasized the radical Islamic terrorist murders that have occurred here and overseas. The biggest mass terrorist murder was 9/11. Probably the second biggest terrorist mass murder was the Oklahoma City bombing of a Federal building by Radical Right Wing White xenophobic gun advocate terrorists who were not Moslems and were raised as Christians. Most of the local killings have been carried out by gun carriers against relatives or other people they know, or occasionally for some cause like attacking Planned Parenthood clinics, or by criminals against each other. Unlike Europe, the USA is existentially a nation of immigrants which has been particularly successful in integrating various ethnicities. That is why Islamic terrorism has not taken root here as it has in Europe. The best way to stop or at least limit the killings here is to make better gun control to keep the guns away from the killers, domestic, crazy, terrorist, or other.
That's what I think. But what do I know? I'm just a little dog.
Chloe