Pawns in a Dangerous Game

 

From Reddit

The Republican nominees for president and vice president are lying, hurting people, and doing it intentionally according to their own words.

The situation they have created in Springfield, Ohio, is deplorable. And they see no reason to end the lying. We are faces with the next big lie. The people of Springfield are begin harmed, they are being denied there right to pursue happiness and they are constituents of the VP candidate who admitted to lying to gain press coverage and says it was worth it. Clearly, his view is that the people are pawns for him to achieve power regardless of the damage.

I am reminded of a quote from Germany about 1933. I updated it.  

First they came for the LGBTQ+, and I did not speak out—because I was not a LGBTQ+.

Then they came for the Haitians, and I did not speak out—because I was not Haitian.

Then they came for every immigrant, and I did not speak out—because I was not an immigrant.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

—with respect to Martin Niemöller for the original

Do we really want JD Vance to be one-heartbeat away from having the nuclear codes? Remember, the guy he is nominated to be the vice for is 78 years old and seems to be suffering from PTSD, other potential mental issues along with who knows what physical ailments. 

The following are observations from a Wikipedia article titled Age and Health Concerns about Donald Trump. 

Cognitive decline

Experts for the science publication STAT who analyzed changes in Trump's speeches between 2015 and 2024 noted shorter sentences, more tangents, more repetition and more confusion of words and phrases. The doctors suggested it could just be due to changes in mood or it could indicate the beginning of Alzheimer's.^[39] The sharp rise in all-or-nothing thinking is linked to cognitive decline.^[39]

Family history of dementia

Medical experts have also advised the Washington Post that Trump likely has an elevated genetic risk of dementia.^[6] Nephew Fred Trump III sees signs of the dementia that he saw in Trump's father, Fred Trump Sr.^[40] Fred Trump Sr. was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in October 1991, 8 years before he passed.^[40]

Republicans, and especially Trump, made an issue of Biden's capabilities (real or imagined) which ultimately factored into his decision to withdraw. Perhaps we should be concerned, for real and observable reasons, about Trump's mental abilities.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL