How to Win without Actually Winning

This may sound like Donald Trump, but I like to win. I am a winner.

Yesterday my Dad told me I am a good winner. On the other hand, my friend who I don’t like said he doesn’t agree. He was laughing at me because my Dad will say whatever I want him to say to make me feel good about myself. Now that I’m writing this blog, I can probably start winning again. This is not a Donald Trump blog. I repeat. This is not a Donald Trump blog. It’s just a make-me-feel-good blog to cheer me up on my worst days.

Was he going for a cross over or a goal? You be the judge

Progress

Lately I’ve been wondering about why Donald Trump is the President of the United States of America. It only took one day for it to change. I know my dad keeps telling me there are good people in the world, that the world is not as bad as it seems. My friend says in some areas time goes backwards; in other areas time goes forwards; in the middle time stays static. What he means by that quote is that society, overall, is moving forward, but certain sections of society are isolated and polarized and make bad decisions based on their own unique view of the world. For example, in Alabama, one of the Republican Senate candidates, Roy Moore, uses Christianity as a blanket for his bad behavior. I still can’t believe that he touched a 14 year old child inappropriately and that people believe he didn’t do it. It’s frustrating. Even worse, at one of his rallies, he was surrounded by one of these “Christian morality groups.” It’s disgusting.

How much security is too much security?

President Donald Trump goes around in a motorcade consisting of eight police cars, three secret service vans, two army trucks and one limousine, in which he has his bodyguards sitting beside him. Is that really necessary? Oh yeah, I forgot. Air Force One is grenade-proof and has anti-aircraft flares, bullet-proof windows. The list of unnecessary security features could go on for paragraphs. There are many bad people out there who, every now and then, threaten to kill the president. I get it. In the 1960s, before Kennedy’s assassination, he was in an open-air convertible. Maybe he needed more security. But now, with all the bullet-proof windows and extra soldiers, it seems excessive protection for one person. Don’t make me go into his security at Trump Tower. To tell you the truth, I wish I had that much security myself. But can’t he just get rid of at least one of those armored vehicles? They almost cause a traffic jam near the White House whenever he tries to park. It’s gross and disgusting. Even congressmen and congresswomen don’t have that much security. When somebody threatens to kill them, they have to wait for the Capitol Police, who can only get there so quickly. In the baseball practice shooting in Virginia earlier this year, Republican lawmakers had to wait a few minutes before police could get to them. Thank god the Alexandria police were there to cover for them. It could have been a massacre.  Security needs to be spread out among important people. Too much for one person, even the President, and too little for others, such as congress people, doesn’t work. When it comes to security, there needs to be a balance between what’s too much and what’s too little.

Breitbart News Is Fake News

I have been reading a new book called Devil’s Bargain by Joshua Green (by the way, I’m reading it with my dad). I realize that there’s only one thing we should all do: condemn the white supremacists that write hateful stuff on Breitbart News. Anyone associated with Breitbart News, such as Steve Bannon, should quickly disassociate themselves. This is the lowest point in America’s history since the civil war a hundred plus years ago. Steve Bannon is a monster. Donald Trump is a monster. We should not vote for them in 2020 (though I live in Canada, so doesn’t really apply to me). I get what they`re saying, but that doesn`t mean they have to take out their anger on Breitbart News. There are other ways. Altogether the three – Steve Bannon, Breitbart News and Donald Trump – are like the three-headed dog in Harry Potter. Check back for tomorrow for more on this!

Hey Walmart, why don’t you invest in Africa?

Besides Asia, Africa has the largest market for consumer goods on the planet. Maybe because it doesn’t yet have an open and free market. Private corporations need to invest in poorer countries so their economies continue to develop. If you don’t invest in the developing world, the citizens of these countries will stay poor and the governments of these countries will remain corrupt. Why doesn’t Walmart give Africa a try? Maybe even Afghanistan. I feel like consumerism is one way to stop extremism. If you convince the consumer – the average citizen living in a city, for example in Lagos, Nigeria – to buy your products, you pour money into the economy. This helps broaden the economy and make it a fairer marketplace for consumer goods. On the flip side, in order to grow the market, corporations also have to promote small businesses and establish ties within developing countries. It’s the opposite of colonialism, where a stronger nation invades a weaker one and exploits its resources. You have to let the local people keep control of their own affairs and profit off the products they sell.  If you don’t, local people will get fed up and back out of the deal. I am not an economic analyst so don’t really know what I’m saying. But this is at least what I with my own eyes have observed from watching the news everyday. I at least have some idea of what I’m talking about. But please don’t take my advice. I’m just a high school student!

Turkish President Erdogan Is a Fascist Dictator

Two weeks after the referendum on Erdogan’s power, Turkey suffered yet another blow when Turkish authorities blocked access to Wikipedia.  Since the failure of last year’s coup, Erdogan has been trying to alter the transparency of the Internet, as well as clamp down on his Kurdish enemies. This is analogous to Hitler before the Holocaust. Erdogan now controls the The Turkish media. I beg for international intervention. It’s not a democracy when you clamp down on your own people. If some Kurdish people were involved in the coup, that does not mean that all Kurdish people were involved in the coup. It’s some sort of fascism. Erdogan is behaving like Hitler or Mussolini and turning the Republic of Turkey into an authoritarian regime.

 

Jesus Blessed Me

On March Break I went to New Orleans. I noticed that, strangely, almost every homeless person was stalking me, even in the middle of broad daylight. I was in a restaurant and I could see a homeless person staring in my window, knocking on the glass. My theory is that all homeless people are Christian and that they believe Jesus blessed me. It’s strange. Even in downtown Toronto, even in the middle of Yonge Street, a homeless person literally crossed the street in the middle of traffic to talk to me. He jaywalked to see me. And he prayed to God that I was safe in a regular home. I am so amazed by how I can change people’s lives, but dude, I’m just a regular person; I shouldn’t have to be treated like Jesus. I shouldn’t have to get kissed by strangers in public. So embarrassing. Not even my parents kiss me in public, let alone homeless people from the shelter who haven’t showered in god knows how many days. It’s ridonculous. Yes, I love you, too, but don’t compare me to Jesus. I’m not born twice and I will never be born twice.

Somebody That I Used to Know

Friends come and go. I had a support worker that took care of me for seven years. When she left me I felt sad. For a couple of months I went into this deep dark place. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel. It even tastes better than the light that’s behind me. I do not feel sad anymore. Cam was a good idea. He made me laugh when I wanted to cry. He distracted me when I felt sad. He let the good times roll. He took me out of that deep dark place and brought me into the shining light. Now I look back on it with glee and pride. I feel better now. He keeps me in that little happy place. It’s like a bromance. It’s better than my Dad. Sorry to insult you, Daddy. I still love you! Aaaaawkwarrrrd! I don’t want to make you feel that way, Cam, but it’s true.