The Big Picture –
By Glynn Wilson –
It has truly been the Year of the Dog, according to the Chinese Zodiac calendar, a year characterized by “Action,” especially if you are a Twitter follower. You may be suffering from an overdose of adrenaline and dopamine. You might want to take a break during the holidays.
The year of the Earth Dog comes just after the Year of the Fire Rooster (2017) and before the year of the Pig (2019), which should be interesting, considering the occupant of the White House.
The Dog accelerated the initiation of all things, at the same time bringing pressure and stress in everyday life, according to the stars — as well as the Twitter feed and Trump.
Was the year beneficial or unlucky for President Donald Trump, you might ask, the 4th American president born under the Dog Year (June 14, 1946), and the first American president to serve in the Year of the Dog.
Let’s just say it was a dog of a year. Let’s review.
January
The first significant event around here, according to the New American Journal archives, was that Alabama Democrat Doug Jones was sworn in as U.S. Senator.
Then, doggone it, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg declared war on news, and the Press declared War on Facebook.
The year ended as it began, with a government shutdown.
President Trump, Senate Republicans Fail to Make a Deal: U.S. Government to Shut Down
We advanced our argument about A Central Problem with So-Called ‘Objective’ Media and Research.
February
Scott Pruitt started off the year by gutting the EPA, confirming Trump’s damning ‘Alabamafication’ of America.
March
We all figured out that Trump developed his style of appealing to the masses back in his pro-wrestling days, when he said: “The day I realized it can be smart to be shallow was, for me, a deep experience.”
How Wrestle Mania Trumped Intelligence in U.S. Politics
Senator Jones got right to work, addressing solutions to Gun Violence in his Maiden Senate Floor Speech.
April
Of course the fake news cycle continued apace.
Understanding the Facebook Juggernaut and How Newspapers Killed Themselves
May
We found out Trump’s lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen was There the Day Trump Began Breaking Bad.
Trump could not leave well enough alone in Iran, and had to stir up a hornet’s nest, just like a dumb dog that doesn’t know any better.
President Trump’s Withdrawal from Iran Nuclear Deal Creates Terror Threats, Job Losses
Surprising some Alabama Democrats, Senator Doug Jones voted against Trump’s appointment of Gina Haspel for CIA Director. Of course the Republicans in the Senate were lapdogs to Trump, and she was confirmed anyway.
Like dogs, the conservative wing of the Supreme Court ruled against working people everywhere.
U.S. Supreme Court Denies Working People Basic Legal Rights
June
While Democrats were fired up against Trump and mad about Hillary Clinton losing, and clamored for a Blue Wave of Democratic voters across the land in the midterms, down in Alabama: Low Voter Turnout by Democrats in the primary election did Not Bode Well for a Blue Wave in November. Sure enough, while it happened nationally and Democrats took over the U.S. House, Republicans picked up 5 seats in the Alabama House and lost key races for governor and the state Supreme Court.
But Doug Jones was working like a dog in Washington, D.C., teaming up with Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee to Push Back on Trump’s Trade Wars and Tariffs.
I wrote that we should find a way to Break Out of the Spiral of Silence.
Then we found out about a Federal Lawsuit alleging that Trump Violated the Constitution’s Emoluments Clauses.
While federal workers were prohibited from talking about global warming and climate change, a new study showed that the Melting Ice on Antarctica Tripled the Increase in Rising Seas in Just Three Years.
While Democrats planned to use Medicaid expansion and health care as campaign issues in the midterms elections, the Trump-Bannon Republican team changed the subject to immigration and the Supreme Court.
Senate Democrats Push Medicaid Expansion as Midterm Elections Loom
Could the Outcome of the Midterm Elections Depend on Illegal Immigration Fight?
Key Republican Issue of Illegal Immigration Becomes a Winner for Democrats (not so much)
The Big Show in Washington: Trump’s Supreme Court Pick
I visited the Trump International Hotel in Washington, and came away with this doggone insight:
American Non-Voters Deserve Donald Trump: He’s the Perfect American President for Our Time
July
From the campground that is the headquarters for our D.C. bureau, I wrote about American democracy, and the environment.
Surviving Hurricane Donald: Persistence and Determination Alone are Omnipotent
Siege at Yorktown Reveals Real Story of American Independence
Scott Pruitt Should Have Been Fired from EPA for Violating the Agency’s Mission
An Election Message for Democrats and Independent Voters: The Fate of the World May Be In Your Hands
Then proving it was the Year of the Dog, Trump literally committed treason by colluding with the Russians.
Will the F.B.I. and Congress Now Act to Remove Trump from Power?
Trump’s Twitter trade war and tariffs began to be felt around the country.
President Trump’s Trade War Casts Pall Over Global Economy, While Auto Tariffs Threaten Alabama Jobs
U.S. Senator Doug Jones Introduces Legislation to Delay Trump’s Proposed Auto Tariffs
The Emoluments lawsuit gained some steam.
But it still looked like everyone was going around in Circles, Chasing Trump’s (Dog) Tail.
August
I had a chance to travel and visit the D.C. headquarters of NASA and cover more news about climate change, then visit Valley Forge and Independence Hall in Philadelphia to write about democracy.
NASA Scientists Remember Great Russian Grain Robbery of 1972
Look No Further Than Tangier Island to Study Delusional Trump Voters
Perhaps Can We Learn to Save Democracy from the Experience at Valley Forge
Channeling Benjamin Franklin’s Thoughts on Donald Trump’s ‘War on Science’
Then the white nationalist Trump supporters were vastly out numbered in Lafayette Park and were run off like dogs with their tails between their legs.
Neo-Nazis Vastly Outnumbered by Anti-Racist Protesters in DC Rally and March
But that didn’t stop the dogs of the NRA from going after Doug Jones for his neutral stance on Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh.
Senator Doug Jones Targeted by NRA Ads, Urges Senate to ‘Hit Pause’ on Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee
Alabama’s Jeff Sessions made the doggone mistake of standing up to the Top Dog in the White House.
And it was a sad day when Arizona Senator John McCain had to go and die after giving the thumb’s down on Republican plans to repeal and replace Obamacare last year.
Senator John McCain’s Courage Provides Lesson for Democrats
John McCain’s Farewell Letter to America
September
I had a chance to put together a definitive guide to seeing the nation’s capital city and do a little media criticism.
Explore Washington, D.C. from Greenbelt National Park’s Campground
The Machine is On Fire: Let’s Put Out the Fire
As the midterm elections loomed, I covered the doggone stories.
October
Senator Doug Jones of Alabama: A Beacon in a Dark Place
What Now? Vote Like You’ve Never Voted Before
Then on the way back home to the Southern Bureau, I climbed the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River, even as I was holding my breath to see if democracy would by-dog survive Election Day.
Climbing Mountains For Inspiration: What’s Wrong With This Picture
Holding Our Breath to See if We Have a Democracy After Nov. 6
November
As the year began winding down, I tried pouring a little syrup on the news.
Meanwhile Senator Jones had to react to Trump’s firing of one of our own.
U.S. Senator Doug Jones Reacts to President Trump’s Firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions
Many people were getting so upset with the president that some were asking:
Should the (Press) and Media Walk Out on Trump?
The polls showed we are more divided than ever as a country.
Midterm Election Results Show America is More Divided Than Ever by Race, Gender and Education Levels
Yet the trade war news continued to dog the president and the people.
Alabama People Support the President, but May Be Hardest Hit by Trump’s Twitter Trade War
Trump’s Twitter Trade Policies Are Already Costing Jobs, Plant Closures in U.S. Auto Manufacturing
More bad news hit Americans doggie style, when the Trump administration canceled Promised Payments to Student Veterans Under GI Bill.
December
Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Ensure Veterans and Students are Repaid their Full GI Benefits
More news on the Emoluments case came out.
Subpoenas Issued in Emoluments Clause Case Against Trump and D.C. Hotel
Then a bunch of For Profit Colleges Closed, Leaving Students Out in the Cold.
The year ended with some good news.
But more ghosts of the Dog Year came back to haunt.
Trump Government Shut Down Looms as Congress Fails to Reach Wall Funding Compromise
So there you have it. The Year of the Dog.
Maybe better luck next year. Are pigs lucky?
According to the predictions, it should be an auspicious year because the Pig attracts success in all the spheres of life. The best advice is to start by setting priorities and get to work: “once you start moving, you will start seeing results.”
Let’s hope so. We have big plans for the Year of the Pig. Oink. Oink.
—
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