Election Day Logic: When Faced With Two Evils...

With election day (November 3^rd) rapidly approaching, I’m reminded of the famous political quote by that colorful senator from Louisiana, Huey Long. Back around 1935, when asked if there were any differences between the Democratic and Republican parties, Huey remarked, “…the only difference I ever found between the Democratic leadership and the Republican leadership is that one of them is skinning you from the ankle up and the other from neck down” (taken from the “High Popalorum and Low Popahirum” speech).

Huey made another, less famous, but equally insightful statement while campaigning for the re-election of Senator Hattie Caraway (D-AR) in 1932 when he said “…they’ve got a set a Republican waiters on one side and a set of Democratic waiters on the other side, but no matter which side brings you the dish, the legislative grub is all prepared in the same Wall Street kitchen”.

As an aside, Hattie was only the second woman to ever set in the U.S. Senate (appointed to replace her husband, Sen. Thaddeus Caraway, who unexpectedly died, and the first woman ever to be elected in her own right).

While “the Kingfish” as Huey was known tried to create a third wheel in American politics (called the “Share the Wealth” movement), his assassination brought it to a bitter end in 1935. However, its popularity among the poor and working class showed that voters of all races were tired of the corrupt political duopoly and “Yellow Journalism” of the time

Today, we find there are even fewer differences between the two parties than there were in Depression Era America, and while there are many more news sources than there was in the 1930’s, many are mere shills for their corporate ownership (but, be that as it may, 90+% of all media is owned by just six mega-corporations), corporate and political power   

Independents are now the nation’s largest voter demographic with about 48% of all voters while the Democratic Party is in the upper middle 20% and Republicans are in the lower middle 20% ranges. When it comes to Congressional approval, a paltry 16% of registered voters approve of the job Congress is doing (or to put it another way, 79% of voters disapprove!).

 When asked about their confidence in Congress, a pathetic 9% said “a lot”. 34% said “some”, and 54% of voters had none.  President Trump isn’t doing any better. His approval rating, which has never been high, stands at 38.6%, meaning 60.3% are dissatisfied with his job performance. Finally, 66% of the public believes the nation is on the wrong track according to an Economist/YouGov poll.

When it comes to the corporate owned legacy media, 66% of Americans have no or little confidence in that they’re being given factual information by the news media. Remember that the next time some newspaper tells you who or what to vote for and don’t forget that the role of the media is to provide you---the citizen and voter---with the unbiased facts no matter how disturbing or “inconvenient” those facts might be.  

So, what does this mean? Simply put, it’s time for a change, not just from red to blue and back again, but time for a real fundamental change. Some would say the system is “broken”. I would respectfully disagree. I would say that the system is functioning exactly as intended, not, however, as intended by the Founders, but as intended by Wall Street and the corporate overlords who literally own and run the government for their sole benefit.

The change in voter demographics away from partisan dominance is a positive change for us. It gives us the numbers to make real differences, and along with those numbers are numerous organizations such as Term Limits, Let Us Vote, Fair Vote, the Forward Party, Fair Elections Center, Democracy Works, and countless others to help us make those needed changes a reality.  

So, when you go to the polls on Tuesday, November 3^rd, remember that it isn’t about which of the two corporate-owned parties or “shill-in-a-suit” you vote for, nothing will change unless it serves the interests of a tiny wealthy and powerful few. Now is the time to think…and act…outside the mouse trap (or “box” if you prefer a gentler analogy). We finally have the numbers. 

However, if there are no other alternatives on the ballot except “red” or “blue”, seriously consider voting for the challenger (if you’re able to do a write-in where you live, consider doing so). In many cases, you’ve already seen what the incumbent can do (or, rather, won’t do), so you’re no worse off. And for all those who say voting for a third party or Independent candidate is a “wasted vote”, the only vote that’s wasted is the one not cast. Personally, I think too that voting to get the same results over and over is the actual “wasted vote”, after all, one skins from the ankle up and the other from neck down and I'm tired of constantly being skinned. How about you?

 

A History of Third Party and Independent PresidentialCandidates

 

List of third party and independent performance in UnitedStates presidential elections

Gallup Poll: Congress and the Public

 

Gallup: U.S. Media Trust: Edges Up From Record Low

 

Are Service Members Justified to Ignore "Illegal Orders"?

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is the kind of guy most people would admire. He served in the military. He was a fighter pilot as well as a test pilot, and he was an astronaut. That in itself is pretty impressive, but Mark took it a step further when he decided to run for the U.S. Senate (reputed to be the world’s most exclusive club).

However, Mark became severely infected with a potentially lethal disease which affects almost everyone who goes to Washington despite their best intentions. That disease isn’t anything like COVID, TB, or cancer, which can, at least, be treated. No, instead this disease is worse in that it impairs one’s ability to think clearly and rationally. That disease is commonly known “partisanship”.

Normally, most people run for political office with the best of intentions. They or someone they’ve known, had experienced some form of perceived injustice.  Of course, this “injustice” isn’t on the same order as what affects most us (typically more hoops to jump, gas prices, or another tax hike), which certainly distances their concerns from the average voter they allegedly represent.

However, the way the system is set up, it quickly purges itself from anyone who hopes to reform the system or actually serve the voters.  It’s not that the system is broken or anything. Quite the contrary, it functions exactly as intended, which us to represent those with very deep pocket while giving lip service to the masses.

 Congress is, after all, for millionaires despite their annual salary of $174,000 plus bonuses depending on committee assignments and/or positions which can substantially increase their official income. As a rule, if you’re not a millionaire going in (which is rare), you will be coming out. For instance, let’s take a look at Senator Kelly’s income since this article is about him.

Senator Kelly’s net worth is estimated to be around $20.4 million dollars. His biggest donors come from education sector (including the University of Arizona and Arizona State University), Amazon, healthcare, the legal industry, financial services and business consulting (ExxonMobil is a substantial donor). Lastly, the Democratic Party as well as some liberal leaning groups, were also some rather substantial contributors.  He (naturally) has his own leadership PAC called “Liftoff PAC” which, between 2019 and of the end of 2024, had raised about $96,670,347 (as of the end of 2024, it still had around $4.4 million on hand).  

Senator Kelly also serves on some powerful and influential committees such as Energy and Natural Resources (think oil, gas, and coal) as will as Environment and Public Works. However, perhaps the most powerful committee he sits on is the Armed Services Committee which deals with national defense and the military. It is this committee which we are most concerned with given what Senator Kelly said, but before we do that, it’s important to briefly look at his background in order to grasp the gravity of his remarks.

Senator Mark Kelly  was born in 1961 in Orange City, New Jersey. His parents, Richard and Patricia, are both retired police officers. He has a twin brother by the name of Scott. Mark graduated from Mountain High School in 1982. In 1986, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy with the highest honors in the areas of marine engineering and nautical science. In 1994, he obtained a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.  

From 1987 through 2011, Mark served as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy and served on the aircraft carrier, USS Midway. During Operation Desert Storm, he flew 39 combat missions over Iraq. After the war, Kelly then attended the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School where he logged in over 5000 flight hours in more than 50 different types of aircraft and performed 375 carrier based landings. He ultimately rose to the rank of Captain.

Then form 1996 through 2011, Kelly joined NASA as an astronaut (along with his brother, Scott). He served as pilot on the “Endeavor” in 2001 and spent 117 days with his crew onboard the International Space Station. In 2006 he piloted the Shuttle “Discovery” , which he was to command in 2008 and again in 2011.

After retiring from NASA in 2011, Kelly went to work as a consultant in the Aerospace Industry, serving mainly as a consultant and strategic advisor. He was also a co-founder of “World View”, which developed high altitude balloons. The Chinese company Tencent was one of their largest investors. He was also an advisor for Space X, founded by Elon Musk.

Meanwhile, from 2011 through 2016, Mark Kelly became a paid speaker in the U.S. and China, speaking on behalf of Shaklee, a nutritional supplement manufacturer and distributor. He also spoke at Goldman Sachs, the Mortgage Bankers Association, and AmerisourceBergen, a drug manufacturer.  

 Beginning in 2013, Kelly began testing the political waters be getting involved with various groups looking to curtail gun violence (his wife, former Congresswoman Gabby Gifford, had been the victim of gun violence). Kelly is a strong advocate of stricter background checks and efforts to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.

Finally, in 2020 Mark Kelly ran for the seat formerly held by ex-Navy pilot, Senator John McCain in a special election and won. He publicly refused corporate PAC money but did accept money from corporate executives and lobbyists. He was reelected in 2022.

Given Senator Kelly’s remarkable career, it’s puzzling why he and five other elected Democrat officials (four of whom were former military) made a video in November 2025 urging military service members to disobey what they termed, “illegal orders” by the Commander-in-Chief, who in this case happens to be President Donald Trump. This is the stuff mutinies are made of. 

In addition to Senator Kelly, the video included Representatives Jason Crow (D-CO), who was a former U.S. Army Ranger, Chris Deluzio (D-PA) and former Naval officer, Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), a former U.S. Navy reservist, Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), a former Air Force officer, and Senator Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and the individual responsible for releasing the video. 

The U.S. Department of Defense issued a statement on November 24^th that the matter would be investigated for “serious allegations of misconduct” and possible violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (commonly known as the “UCMJ”), which covers the conduct all active and retired members of the military. Accordingly, Kelly and the other four Democrats who had previously served in the military could be recalled to face serious disciplinary action up to and including court martial. Any disciplinary action against Senator Slotkin would likely come from Justice Department at the behest of the CIA. 

 President Trump responded on social media by saying that those individuals who made the video (including Kelly) should be charged with sedition and “hanged”, which seems rather extreme. It should be noted that Kelly voted in February 2021 for Trump to be convicted of inciting an insurrection in his second impeachment trial. Kelly has also been a vocal critic of Trump and his policies.  Obviously, there’s no love lost on either side.

As someone who served in the military (U.S. Navy), I am quite familiar with the UCMJ and consequences of disobeying a direct order from a senior officer (I served on command staff). The military functions on order, discipline, and that include following the chain of command and carrying out your orders. The military is not a democracy or union .You don't get to pick and chose which orders to follow or not. 

As I was repeatedly reminded throughout my time in the military that you are to carry out the orders of your superiors to the best of your ability. It isn’t your job or responsibility to question an order. If you have an objection or question, you are free to bring it to the attention of your ranking officer in your chain of command, but only after having followed through with the order.

For someone of the caliber of Mark Kelly, a U.S. Senator, former military officer and Navy fighter pilot, and astronaut, to tell service members to disobey or ignore any order they believe to be “illegal” is to jeopardize the command structure and possibly imperil others as well as put the mission at risk. The average soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine, doesn’t know all the reasons or wherefores of a particular order. They know only what is needed to accomplish a job and nothing more.

At the very minimum, Senator Kelly’s remarks, as well as that of the other five Democrats in the video, were unwarranted and potentially harmful. If they had made those same remarks during a time of war, the consequences could be far more serious. As it is, it’s possible these individuals could be receive an official reprimand, which would tarnish an otherwise stellar record in Kelly’s case. That seems, at least to me, to be rather extreme and ill-advised on his part just over partisan politics and the irrationality it causes or his personal distain for the Commander-in-Chief.  

 

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OpenSecrets: Mark Kelly

Mark Kelly

Gabby Giffords

Senator Mark Kelly

Video: Kelly: Illegal Orders

Video: FBI seeks interviews of 6 Democrats as “illegalorders” warning video sparks firestorms

Is it time America had a National “Come to Jesus” Conversation About the State of America or Face a National Divorce?

 

What’s wrong with us when a large segment of the population celebrate the murder of someone just because we disagree with them or they challenge our worldview? I wasn’t a follower of Charlie Kirk, though I did occasionally listen to him. I didn’t always agree with what he said, but I did respect his right to say it; to express his opinion in an open and civil manner, which was more than he typically got in return from those who proclaim themselves “woke” or “enlightened” (more like they’re sleepwalking and regurgitating what they’ve been told.

 And since when do we make excuses for coldblooded murder on  individuals minding their own business sitting on a bus reading a book or out walking their dog in the park? Is it simply easier to blame the victim now that they can no longer speak for themselves?

 To compound matters, there were four other sitting just feet away to refused to act while she was being murdered, and even after the killer walked away, boosting that he had just killed a “white girl”, they just left her to die alone on the floor of a bus.  I guess after they praised three separate assassination attempts on President Trump, we should have expected it.

 When Donald Trump was first elected President, his campaign mantra was to “make America great again”. Well, he’s back and it’s once again the mantra of his followers amid the vitriol of the Left. Ironically, the phrase was used in a radio commercial for Hillary Clinton during her run in the 2008 Democratic Primary, now we now hear from the Left asking, “what’s so great about America?” and “when was America ever great?”.

Under President Eisenhower’s two terms running from 1953 to 1961, 73% of Americans said they trusted their government. Going along partisan lines, the trust level of government was 79% among Republicans. Even Democrats were happy (yes—actual “happy” Democrats. They did once exist). 71% said they trusted in the government.

The overall trust level had jumped to 77% by the time Lyndon Johnson took office. But as the war raged on and the causality rates rose (as well as lies by the military and government became public), those numbers started to drop. Still, they would be regarded as high by today’s standards with 66% confidence level by Democrats and a 60% by Republicans.  By the time Johnson left office, and Richard Nixon took over, public trust had dropped but still remained strong at an overall 68%.

Following Nixon’s resignation and the advent of Gerald Ford’s “caretaker” administration, public trust was floundering at 36%. Among Republicans, just 38% had any confidence in the government. The Democrats weren’t far off with 36%. Jimmy Carter was elected as the “anti-insider” in 1976. The American People had had enough of Washington insiders and Carter took office with a new high---40%---before tumbling to 28% by the time he left office.

Despite Reagan’s perceived popularity over his eight years as president, trust in the government never did any better than 46%, a pale reflection of the Eisenhower days which Reagan often recalled in his speeches. By 1994, during the Clinton Administration, the public’s trust in the government had hit a record low of 19% before rising to 49% by the end of his second term.

President Reagan was well known for his often quips. One involved his switching parties. When asked why he left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican, he famously said “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party left me”. I guess this was the time when the American People could say the same thing about both parties now and the government in general. Government had left the American People.

Sadly, it took a national tragedy like 9/11 to rekindle America’s faith in their government, and it came shortly after George W. Bush (aka “Dubya”) took office. Poll numbers vary slightly, but the public’s trust in government ranged between 55% and as much as 60% according to some polls. Ever then, confidence in the government has been on a downward trajectory ever since. As some have said, “we're in a handbag to Hell on roller skates and no one is driving”

The best Trump did in his first term was 27%. Under President Biden, levels of trust in the government again repeated lows of 19%. Even among Democrats, the trust factor never did better than 35%.  For Republicans, it remained at levels one could only call abyssal---11%.

Today, Americans barely tolerate each other. We tend to live in our collective bubbles and regurgitate what we see and hear without bothering to question or investigate. They demand to be heard but refuse to listen. They celebrate the murders of others and excuse their killers. We’ve become two nations.

Even when we break down trust in government by race, we don’t see much of change. Using the Eisenhower/Kennedy/Johnson administrations as a starting point, Blacks and whites intersected in October 1964 (the early LBJ Administration) with a 77% each saying they trust the government.

Staring in 1968, that trust among Blacks has plummeted. The next time it peaked was in 1993, corresponding with Bill Clinton’s inauguration, when it hit 43%. Even under Obama, it didn’t do any better than 39% in February 2013. Biden got close in April 2021 with 37%.  Trust levels hit rock bottom in March 2019  during Trump’s administration when they dropped to 9% thanks largely to relentless negative news about Trump and his administration by the legacy media. It was so bad that 67% of Blacks had been convinced that the political system exists to hold them back. 

Among Whites, their highest trust level in government following October 1964 wasn’t until October 2001 under George W. Bush when it reached 61% few weeks following the 9/11 attacked (was this actually “trust” or just patriotism?).   For Whites, their low point came in October 2011 under Obama when it dropped to 8%.

According to Pew Polling, Hispanics weren’t tracked until December 1990 when  George “Dubya” Bush was the president. Their initial starting point was 39%. They quickly reached their highest level of trust of 57% in December 1998, which was late into Clinton’s tenure as president before again dropping off. Their next high point came in January 2013 when it reached 44% under President Obama. Interesting, their lowest level of trust in the government came at the end of the Biden’s presidency when it hit 23%.

Lastly, Asians. Apparently, they first appeared in polling data in August 2020 during Trump’s first term when they expressed a trust level of only 27%. They peaked in May 2022 at 37% under Biden, only to bottomed out a month later at 23%. Native Americans and Independents, the nation’s largest political bloc, were excluded in the polling data.

Now, President Trump promises to make us “great” once more. That would mean taking us politically, socially, and economically back to the post-World War II years of Harry Truman and Ike. The American economy was booming and we had taken center stage as empires of old, England, France, and Germany faded from the limelight. We had become a “superpower”.

As for President Trump, he has been implementing many of campaign promises (a rarity in itself). He has started deporting illegal residents by the thousands (many of whom had previously just laughed at the usual empty rhetoric about deportation). He has started purging the government of useless and redundant bureaucrats, saving taxpayers millions in the process, and having an eye towards shutting down unneeded agencies. President Trump is, as promised, “draining the swamp”.

Of course, in his zeal, he needs to be careful of not overreaching into areas vital to ordinary citizens such as Social Security, unemployment, or WIC, while ensuring that those who actually need government services receive it. Often reformist zeal can turn into blind zealotry. He has imposed tariffs, which has been largely unpopular with the public and small businesses since it means higher prices which big business seems rather pleased. He has also promised lower prices, especially for staples like milk and eggs, which has yet to happen. 

For too long, the bulk of American citizens have seen government as inept and corrupt. Over 65% of Americans are unhappy with our position in the world. 72% of America agree with the statement that "America was once a good example of democracy, but no longer".  Among the OECD nations, the United States ranks near the bottom when it comes to trust in government at 31  %. Only Columbia and Chile rank lower.  The country with the highest level of trust is Switzerland with 83.78%. 

 Given the appalling insensitive reaction of many on the Left (including much of the legacy media) to the death of Charlie Kirk, Iryna Zarutska, and others, the question  which now faces our nation is “now what?” We’ve become two nations with differing values occupying the same space. Our only commonality is the Status Quo which serves itself by keeping us divided and at each other’s throats. Can we root out the "Deep State" and restore our Republic or is it too late? Can we learn to talk “to” and not “at” one another again; to be respectful whether we agree or not with each other?

Personally, I have my doubts. America has become too deeply and widely divided and too willing to act as if this is acceptable.  It’s not. That means either deep reform, if not a complete overhaul of the government and breaking up the powerful corporate-government state, and returning to a constitutionally based Republic as intended by our Founders (which incidentally means doing away with political parties and having “citizen legislators”) or finding a way to peacefully create a two state nation, perhaps along the lines of a loosely based federation (Yugoslavia or the old Austro-Hungarian Empire comes to mind).  

We’ve watched the government slide from a Republic responsible to its citizens under Eisenhower to a surveillance state within a neo-fascist corporatocracy which serves Wall Street. Government, both elected and appointed, no longer represent the American People. Instead, it serves corporate interests and those with deep pockets.  Much of what Congress, the Judicial system, past presidents, and the legacy media bears that out. We can’t even be sure our vote still counts.

The only alternative is to terrible to seriously contemplate. Those who seek balance---“centrists” or “moderates”---have been largely purged from both of the corporate owned parties. As a result, they now make up the nation's majority of voters. They’re called Independents and unlike the two corporate parties, everyone is welcome if you believe in tolerance and having an open mind (we’re funny that way).  

But regardless of your political leanings, there’s one thing which is crystal clear and that is that our present dystopian state of the nation cannot hold.  Something has to give. It’s time that we, as a nation, have a frank and honest national conversation, a so-called “come to Jesus” moment to address some ugly truths about ourselves and find a way to peacefully coexist or simply agree to disagree and go our separate ways. 

Empires come and go. Republics tend to last about 250 years before they implode. We’ve reached that 250 year mark. We are, as our Founding Fathers said, a “grand experiment”. Nothing about our future was pre-ordained. I suspect we’ve already exceeded their expectations. One thing is for sure though. If we are to “make America great again”, we cannot continue to limp along as we have been doing and still pretend we’re a “Republic”. We’re not. Extremism and intolerance has no place among a free people. So, what do you want to do America?

 Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

Pew Research: Public Trust in Government: 1958 - 2024

 

72% of American say the US used to be a good example ofdemocracy but isn’t anymore

 

WEF: Trust in Government by Country 2024

 

Make America Great Again

 

The American Experiment

 

Gallup: A Third of Americans Satisfied With Global Position

 

Black Americans mistrust the US political system

 

 The State of Public Trust in Government 2025

Americans Deepening Mistrust of Institutions

President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” : A Comprehensive Overview and Analysis

 

If there is anything we can all agree on about Donald Trump, it’s his propensity for hyperbole. Going all the way back to when he first appeared on Robin Leach’s “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”, Trump  has always described anything he’s involved with as “the biggest”, “the most”, “the best”, “the greatest ever”, and so forth. Everything he does is over the top. 

Trump, the son of a real estate entrepreneur, learned as a child that it’s not what you actually say or do, it’s all about the perception. So, now, here we are with President Trump’s 870 page “One Big Beautiful Bill” which (allegedly) contains the greatest sweeping changes in our country’s history. The bill, we're told, will become legendary. Aren’t we blessed to be here and now to witness its unveiling? But just what is in this bill and is it as wonderful as it’s being portrayed by the Republicans? Is there anything in it we're not being told? 

The bill was officially known as H.R. 1 “One Big Beautiful Bill” (aka “OBBBA”) and was sponsored by Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and originated in the House Budget Committee May 20, 2025 (I’m sure he’ll find an extra special “something” in his Christmas stocking).

The bill passed in the House with a 218 to 214 vote after barely sliding by a vote in the Senate, 51 to 50, marking a significant victory for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) despite three Republican senators voting against the bill--- Rand Paul (R-KY), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).

The bill, which focused on tax cuts, was considered by many to be an extension of President Trump’s earlier bill, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”). The bill represents a saving of about $3.7 billion tax dollars to taxpayers (or if you look at it another way, $3.7 billion in taxes that the federal government won’t collect for various programs).

The bill makes Trump’s previous tax cuts permanent, while increasing spending for border security,  military expenditures, and energy production (with little funding for alternative energy projects). Two compromise points was postponing the sale of public land for the time being and temporarily prohibiting state regulations over artificial intelligence (AI).

Funding for the increases came, in part, from reductions in the budgets for programs like Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutritional Aid Program, better known as “SNAP,” as well as other healthcare and nutritional support programs. Some opponents claim that the reductions will potentially leave some without healthcare and leave the underserved even worse off. Congressional Republicans deny this will happen.

For some reason, I’m reminded of when President Ronald Reagan made a similar cut in the National School Lunch Program. At one point, after being criticized over the cuts in fresh fruits and vegetables being available to school age children living poverty, he said the ketchup, which was readily available in school lunchrooms, should be counted as vegetable (also mentioned was pickle relish). It’s just not the same Gipper.  The cut of 1.5 million dollars was intended to give schools more “flexibility” to the lunch programs, however, it backfired. As I’ve said on many occasions, perception in politics is everything.

With respect to Medicaid, which was created in 1965, approximately 71.4 million people are currently using Medicaid which is intended for low income individuals and families as well as those disabled and unable to work. A further 7.3 million are enrolled in the Children’s health Insurance Program (“CHIP”), which brings the total to 78.7 million people who benefit from Medicaid, or roughly 24% of the U.S. population.  

As an aside, both Medicaid and Medicare were expanded under President Obama’s healthcare legislation, known as the “Affordable Care Act” in an effort to  provide coverage for those without any healthcare and to provide a bridge for those who fell through the cracks. So, I guess “Obamacare” has effectively been replaced by “OBBBAcare”!

Some of the changes made under Trump’s bill includes changing annual application enrollments to every six months and additional residency verification requirements in order to eliminate non-citizens from applying. Medicaid has always been for low income or handicapped individuals and their families. Under the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, there will be tighter restrictions on incomes.

Federal provider coverage will dropped from 6% to 3.5% over the next seven years.  That’s expected to have an adverse effect on small community clinics and rural hospitals (especially in low income areas like the Ozarks and Appalachia). The bill mandates that “able bodied” adults to work or volunteer up to 15 hours per week. This also applies to those receiving SNAP benefits to work or volunteer a minimum of 15 hours weekly.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, an estimated 12 million Medicaid recipients could lose coverage over the next decade. Proponents claims that only those able to work and obtain coverage on the open market and those who’ve obtained coverage fraudulently (such as illegal immigrants) will be affected.

Social Security will also be affected. Once considered to be “untouchable”, Congress regularly raids Social Security with the assurance that these “loans” with be repaid but has resulted in concerns that the national retirement safety net  will go broke over the next few decades. 

A good piece of news is that individuals dependent on tips or overtime to make ends meet with no longer be required to pay taxes on their income up to $25,000. Many individuals, especially in the service industry, aren’t paid a standard wage. Instead, they depend on tips while others, especially in manufacturing, count on overtime to make ends meet.

Previously, workers were required to pay taxes on this extra but essential income, under Trump’s bill, they will be tax deductible on the first $12,500 of overtime earned. The child tax credit will be increased by $200, making it now  $2,200 and then adjusted for inflation thereafter.

Taxpayers will be able to write off a portion of their state and local taxes (SALT) on their federal taxes up to $40,000 on incomes up to $500,000 until 2029 when it will drop back to the current rate of $10,000. The deduction benefits those who pay high property taxes, which tend to be the wealthy. Private jets will now be tax deductible. In another prop for the well-to-do, individuals can now pass up $15 million to their heirs tax free (if any of you are rich, I’m available for adoption).  

Private school vouchers were also added to the bill. Families who earn less than three times the local income average may now receive up to $5000 in tax credits to be used for homeschooling and private schools (including religious based schools). Private colleges with a student population of 3000 or more, will pay up to 8% in taxes on their endowments. Students will now be capped on the amount of federal loans they can borrow for college. 

Car buyers will be able to write off up to $10,000 in interest annually on car loans IF the car is assembled in the United States. A boon for American auto workers. Additionally, those 65 and over will be able to deduct up to $6000 in taxable income off the top through 2028.

According to a Penn Wharton Budget Model Forecast, the beneficiaries of this portion of the bill will be those in the upper income brackets, especially the top 1% (as if they need another tax break). Low income families currently receiving Medicaid and/or SNAP benefits could lose around $28,000 over a lifetime while those earning $58,000 or more could see savings as much as $65,000 over the same period.    

When it came to the energy and the environment, it was a victory for oil and gas companies. Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” cut President Biden’s clean energy tax breaks for alternative energy sources (such as wind and solar power), especially those with “foreign ownership or other connections” (ie: China). Companies currently involved with alternative energy will continue to be eligible for the full tax credits. However, starting in 2026, new construction projects will be eligible for just 60% of those credits, dropping to 20% in 2027, and disappearing altogether by 2028.

It bears mentioning that the bill includes language encouraging continue and accelerate oil and gas leasing as well as permits oil and gas companies to us deductions built into the bill to avoid paying so-called "must pay" minimum corporate taxes of 15% imposed by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. 

The U.S. military is the largest in the world, exceeding the next ten nations combined (including China, Russia, India, France, and the UK), but under Trump’s bill, they’ll received an increase over their current budget by $150 billion dollars, with an emphasis on rebuilding a badly depleted military in addition to creating a missile defense “Golden Dome” along the lines of Israel’s “Iron Dome” (look for China to build a “Jade Dome”) next.

In 2024, the Heritage Foundation published a summary of U.S. military readiness and key foreign threats. According to the report, the U.S. military was not adequately prepared for a two front war or a prolonged war across a broad single front. The U.S. Army’s capacity was listed as “weak” while its capability was “marginal”. The Navy’s capacity was categorized as “very weak” while its capability was “marginal” and its readiness was “weak”.

The Air Force was “very weak” when it came to readiness. Its capability and capacity were both determined as being “weak”. The Marines, as expected, were listed as “strong” when it came to readiness and capability, yet “weak” in regard to capability. The Space Force was “marginal” across the board (making us vulnerable to Martians I suppose). Overall, the report indicated that the current state of our military was on the low side of “marginal”.

The Golden Dome will be specifically designed to stop incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles (“ICBMs”) as well as the latest in high tech destruction, hypersonic missiles which travel at five times the speed of sound and “fractional orbital bombardment systems” or  as they’re better known, “FOBS”.  FOBS are a type of multiheaded nuclear ballistic missiles which, after launch, remain in low earth orbit, until being directed toward their intended target much like a maneuverable  glider.

 As an aside, in the event the crisis is alleviated (such as capitulation or diplomacy), they can redirected into space and detonated.  Critics say the “Golden Dome” only heightens global tensions while proponents believed it will serve  to deescalated the threat of a global war.

Trump has promised (and largely delivered) to enforce existing immigration laws and improve border security. Accordingly, thousands of migrants have been rounded up and deported. In an effort to continue and step up efforts, the Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”)  was being given an additional $150 billion to their budget, which had been reduced to just $8 billion dollars by previous administrations. The increase now makes ICE the top funded federal law enforcement agency in the country.  

In summary, President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” will extend tax cuts over the next decade, resulting a savings of approximately $4.5 trillion dollars to taxpayers and corporations. Border security and immigration enforcement will see an increase in their Christmas stockings of $129 billion dollars, and the military will get an increase over their current budget of $150 billion dollars. That should buy a lot of new toys for them to blow up.

On the down side, the Congressional Budget Office said that Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” will likely add $3.4 billion to the federal deficit over the next decade. The debt ceiling will be raised to $5 trillion dollars, ostensibly to help pay for current and future federal programs.

Medicaid will see a drop of $930 billion dollars over the next decade (some see it as a savings since it will reduce from the roll those not legally entitled to the various programs covered under Medicaid). Because of reductions in Medicaid, nursing homes receiving Medicare or Medicaid funding will face a hiring moratorium.  

The bill also provides Big Pharma with a major break. It limits Medicare's ability to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. Other public assistance programs, such as SNAP, will see a reduction of $287 billion over the next ten years (the same reason as above). Meanwhile, the so-called “green industry” will lose some $488 billion dollars in federal support.

In conclusion, President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” is largely positive overall for most Americans, and certainly for big business as well as the very well-to-do. However, as usual, lower income brackets (and by extension, minorities) and some seniors didn’t fare well with reductions in the social safety net programs. However, many of the tax breaks and other cuts are temporary which may be the best a deeply divided Congress can do.

The military, as is usually the case, made out like a pirate (or should I say “privateer”?). For those who are curious, the budget for intelligence agencies are separate and are generally kept secret from the public as well as the majority of Congress.  Thus, their budgets are apparently none of our business even though we fund them through our tax dollars. Tax breaks on income, especially tips and overtime, were long overdue, but come on, private jets? Really? 

 Crackdowns on illegal immigration and dramatic improvements in border security are seen as a good thing for national security, though it may be closer to the proverbial closing of the chicken coop after the foxes are in. Educational funding had a number of pros and cons but ultimately benefited the kids, which is what matters the most (now they need to figure out how to improve the quality of their education).  

Finally, all things considered, after having spent a lot of time researching the bill, I’m not sure I would have called it “One Big Beautiful Bill”, but I guess “One Big Not Ugly Bill” doesn’t sound as marketable.

 

Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

H.R. 1 One Big Beautiful Bill text

Big Beautiful Bill 101: What you need to know about the newlaw

Affordable Care Act

Senate passes Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” in 51 to 50 voteafter marathon session

Ketchup as a vegetable

Can Donald Trump build the ‘Golden Dome’ over the US?

What are the key items in Trump’s sprawling budget bill?

Is the Pentagon headed for a military readiness crisis?

Military Readiness: Implementing the GOA’s recommendations…

Executive Summary of the 2024 Index of U.S. Military Strength

7 Overlooked Provisions In Trump and The GOP’s Ugly Tax Bill

 

Where Has the Love Gone? The Future of the American Political Duopoly

 America’s love affair with partisan politics (if there really was one) appears to be over for good. The Democrats, once the harbinger of inclusivity, has found itself mired in mediocrity and lacking in leadership, is able to maintain relevance through Identity politics.  I guess that’s what happens when you run out of ideas and don’t have a very deep bench.

The Republican Party, as a result has benefited, especially in America’s heartland and  in particular, at state and local levels. Yet, its support seems to rest on the last vestiges of a fading demographic white, mostly male, middle class voters, and there is a subtle cold and callous undertone to their call for austerity and “making America great again” by cutting back on social security and the public social safety net but continuing to spend more money on the military than the next ten nations (including China, UK, India, France, and Russia) combined!   

However, neither those who agitate on the Left or Right are satisfied with what their side is offering. The result is an America more deeply and widely divided than at any time since the years proceeding the Civil War.  Some ominously predict a pending revolution while others anticipate a second civil war at any moment, and still others foresee for a “civil divorce”.

Even during our formative years as a nation there were those among our Founding Fathers who questioned whether we were or could ever become a truly “United States” of America. We were fundamentally too different; a multitude of nations.  Over the subsequent decades and centuries, as millions came to our shores, those divisions have only intensified. Regardless, one thing is for sure. This is not the America our Founders intended. So, lets take a look at our political landscape. Perhaps we can even predict an America just a few years or a decade or two down the road.

First, despite the popular belief that America is a “two party” nation, the truth is that it was never established that way. In fact, the majority of the Founders opposed the creation of political parties, fearing that they could become powerful special interest cliques which would in time weaken the political power of the average citizen through deception and corruption and eventually dominate government (nah. That could never happen…could it?).

Secondly, that we’re only limited to just two parties. In fact, we’ve have numerous political parties. Most have either merged with other parties or simply faded away with whatever particular issues they supported. Today, we have two primary parties---Democrat and Republican, although the Libertarian, Green, and Constitutional parties are formable.

 However, despite their public perception of two differing parties, the fact is they’re more similar than not.  For example, they’re both owned by special interests from Wall Street. Wall Street controls the finances of both parties. It funds their campaigns, their leadership PACs, and sets their agenda. It dictates their domestic and foreign policies (which are not overly dissimilar). The corporate media defines their public persona and influences their political message. Both are legal fictions given the rights of the average citizen…and then some.  They are, in fact, a duopoly of Wall Street. Another thing they have in common is that both are actually minority parties.

According to the most recent polling, Independents are the largest political demographic in the United States with just over 43% of all registered voters not aligning with either the Democrats or Republicans. As an aside, did you know that Independents have been the dominate political demographic since 2011? Meanwhile, the two corporate owned parties are roughly equal with 28% each of the electorate making Independents (erroneously called “swing voters” by some) the literal “kingmakers” of today’s politics.

Something else the Democrats and Republicans have in common is that not many people like them. According to a Pew poll, 65% of registered voters, irrespective of registration, disliked Republican polices. 56% felt the same way about Democrat policies.

A 2025 NBC News Stay Tuned Poll, showed that 71% of Independents disapproved of the direction the Republican Party was going. 91% of Democrats agreed as did 13% of Republicans (could they be the nefarious “RINOs” so hated by GOP hardliners?).

When it came to Democrats, 64% of Independents disapproved of where the Democratic Party was wanting to take the country. 93% of Republicans concurred. Interestingly, so did 22% of Democrats (those nefarious “DINOs” this time).  In short, an overwhelming majority of Americans disapproved of both Democrat and Republican policies.

Amusingly, in 1960, 4% of Democrats and 4% of Republicans said they’d be unhappy if their son or daughter married someone outside of their party affiliation. In 2019, nearly half---45%---of Democrats said they’d be unhappy if their child married someone from a different party. Republicans were apparently a little more open minded. Just 35% said they would object. Today, I suspect they’d be disowned.

Another factor affecting both parties is that they’re losing their base. Demographics in America are constantly changing. Historically, America has been a predominate white European nation since its founding while blacks were considered the largest minority, As a result, legislation and funding was directed accordingly. But that’s all changing.

Today, whites are still the largest racial demographic at 58.4% (white males, often viewed as America's political, social, and economic “powerbrokers” are projected by the Census Bureau to become a de facto minority by the early 2040's).  The second largest population are Hispanics, who comprise 19.5% of the population (that number would likely be higher if all illegal immigrates were included. However, it's  only as an estimate). Black Americans make up just 13.7% of the population. Asians are 6.4%. Those claiming two or more races make up about 3.1% of the population (and growing). Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and others make up under 2%.

Based on projections, sometime in the next 25 years, America will no longer have a majority racial population. Whites and Hispanics are expected to have a near parity. Black percentages are expected to drop while Asians are anticipated to increase along with the number of those of mixed racial ancestry. So, what does that mean?

Well, for starters, it means that limited federal tax dollars are going to be redirected to the group with the most mouths to feed, and that’s going to be Hispanics. So, expect future federal (and likely state) programs will cater more to Hispanics which could increase competition between blacks and Hispanics for federal dollars.

Secondly, there will be an increase in the number of people of Hispanic ancestry being elected to office at all levels as a result of both a growing population and an increased concentration in key districts or dominate state with high electoral votes. So, don’t be surprised to see a Hispanic president in the next 25 years. Also, although historically, there’s been a decrease in ancestral allegiance over generations, that doesn’t seem to be the case when it comes to Hispanics.

 The reason is that historically, immigration came in waves, thus giving time to integrate into American society, aka the proverbial “melting pot”. Note too, this “absorption” was also encouraged by previous immigrants and society in general as well as newly arriving immigrants had a strong desire to become “Americans” as quickly as possible.

That’s no longer the case. First, the arrival of Hispanic immigrants (legal and illegal) are occurring as such regular rate and volume that there’s little time or opportunity to integrate. Secondly, many have no intention or desire in becoming “Americans”. They are here solely for a payday.  These are economic migrations. As a result, few bother to learn English, the laws, or adopt to customs, values, or traditions. They tend to congregate in their own ethnic enclaves. Many regularly support family back home. Therefore, nearly everything about them remain tied to their native country.

Black Americans have faced a series of serious issues since emancipation which the federal government has attempted to correct through legislation and various taxpayer based programs with varying degrees of success. As federal funding for programs and services are reduced or redirected, along with competition for jobs now being taken by Hispanics, black Americans are going to be forced to struggle harder.

Lastly, the percentage of Asians are growing more rapidly than previously. This is due to the influx of Asians from places like China, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan,  Vietnam, and elsewhere. Another factor is that Asians tend to have large families (as do Hispanics). Thus, in certain areas, especially along the West Coast, Asians could come to represent minority majorities.

This brings us to an interesting question. With Democrats and Republicans shrinking in number, generational dissatisfaction with existing partisan politics (especially among Millennials, Gen Z and facing a declining number of Babyboomers and aging Gen X), what does our political, economic, and social future look like?  Cities, starving for economic  resources, are gobbling up smaller surrounding communities. Corporations are also continuing to gobble up everything they can, thus eliminating or consolidating competition. It already controls the government, and with it, controls funding as well as domestic and foreign policy.

 Technology, especially AI, is already proving to be a double edge sword. It’s provided opportunities for a few while reducing or eliminating jobs thus contributing to the already enormous gulf between the rich and the rest of us. It is also the tool behind our evaporating personal privacy and becoming the ever watchful eye of our emerging surveillance state. It bears mentioning that Millennials and Gen Z, both raised on technology, don’t appear to have the same regard toward privacy as older generations.

As I briefly touched on, the wage/income gap between the elites and the rest of society (which also benefits Congress and others in power) is widening. For instance, did you know that the top 1% control 31% of the nation’s wealth compared to the bottom 50% which controls just 2.6%? From 1979 to 2023, the top 1% saw their wealth grow 182% while the bottom 90% had a growth of 44%. The average CEO makes roughly 334 times that of the average employee.  

Are either of the two corporate owned parties equipped to deal with issues like these over the long term? The Democrats try to maintain power by never saying “no” and kicking the debt can down a short dead end road without a worry about who’s going to pick up the tab. The Republicans hope they can prolong the inevitable by cutting programs affecting the politically weakest and forcing open foreign markets by rook, crook, or rocket. They believe cutting taxes on mega corporations and the wealthy will improve the lot for everyone else.

Neither party are willing or able to make the changes which we need. Besides, it’s not in their vested interests to do so. It’s taken decades crafting the perfect scam. The tune they dance to isn’t the voice of the American voter. It’s sound of vast sums of money played by Wall Street. Corporatism, as under Fascism or Communism, requires a compliant citizenry convinced into surrendering their integrity and wellbeing to a state absent any real accountability, which to me is a lot like an alley cat telling a mouse to “trust me”.  Bon Appetit anybody?

 

Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

Political Polarization in the United States

Digging into America’s sour views on both political parties:From the Politics Desk

GOP Holds the Edge in Party Affiliation for Third StraightYear

Wage inequality fell in 2023 amid a strong labor market,bucking long term trends

Corporatism

U.S. Census Bureau: Quick Facts

Partisan Politics drags U.S. towards failed-state status