A big con man steals a great nation/Carlos Pueblo

 

A big con man steals a great nation/Carlos Pueblo

Yan fu, a Chinese scholar and English translator at the end of the Manchu Dynasty 1854-1921, used to point out a view that big bandits steal nations, which has been in my mind recently. The U.S. 2020 national election is on the way, we can go to vote within two days in Texas. I shall modify Yan’s theory that it has been occurred nowadays that a big con man steals a great nation. The world has been changed and more civilize, instead of wars we cast votes to change our governments.

A more detail explanation is like this. A man with ambition and able is always started as a bully or a bandit to gather a group of people of his same kind. They raid the weak of the society or a corrupted authority to make their living. Then, they become a war load of some kinds. Through endless battles, the winning war load becomes the ruler of a nation. In Chinese history, there were two great Dynasties, Han 206 B.C. to 6 A.D., and Ming 1368-1628. Their funding emperors were truly from very humble bandits, not even as honest peasants. Mao Tse-tung, the current day funder of the Communist China, is a bandit as well. The bulk of the rest war loads, their ancestor mostly were also bandits as well.

After the World War I, four major Empires collapsed. Many new nations established. It has been rarely heard that a bandit stole a nation except some kinds of military coups. Then, the biggest con artist job occurred, Hitler of Germany precisely 1933 when he stole Germany. After Hitler, there are many con men stealing nations of all kinds and the largest one is Donald trump in 2016-2020. He is the current day con artist of all mankind, yet he gets it his way. Every day we can read all stories of his behavior on all the media. He lies when he opens his mouth. Some people adore him and we are not quite sure if we can get rid of him.

I feel very sorry for myself that I must live under this kind of embarrassment for four years. Thanks to the U.S. political system that I am a fit person. I can handle my life to meet my humble request of my life and how about those unfit rank of folks who need help from the government. A bandit or a con man can get rid of such name by working hard on their positions to move on toward the benefit of those unfortunate.

大騙竊國/莊峻華

 

大騙竊國/莊峻華

最近，美國輿論均關注於總統大選，非常有趣，使我憶起一句中國成語曰，大盜竊國，此句來自清末學者嚴復辟韓論曰，大盜竊國，予智自雄，就是運用政治上之樞機，竊國於民也。我將此句改成，大騙竊國，更為貼切現況。盜則強人也，過去歷史之政權更換，很多都是強人，使用武力，奪得統治權，因為武力多半是戰爭，戰爭就是生民塗炭，所以現代文明國度，取得政權，需靠選票，公民授權，鮮少大盜，上述之樞機，就是取得選民支持，贏得選票，就是政見，當選後政見無法實現，就是詐騙，四年前，唐納德川普，就是一典型之大騙竊國，現在美國選民，將循政治樞機，請他下台。

 中國還有一句話曰，成者為王，敗者為寇，而是徹底執行，非常野蠻之政治傳統，美國政治，從來不是如此，剛才所提大盜和大騙竊國，當今世界，騙多於盜，而且竊國之後之所做所為，為國家國民福祉，則不曰盜或騙，為歷史所稱讚，歐巴瑪健保，使兩千萬人，買到健康保險，歐巴瑪已經脫離騙界，不再是騙國，克林頓任內，也有希望獎學金，幫忙大學生注冊費，他雖好色，但確是兩廂情願，和川普不同，川普卸任後，有許多性侵犯官司。

美國政治制度完善，即使大騙如川普竊奪總統職位後，雖然可以一意孤行，但國會稍可牽制，例如美墨邊界之萬里長城，選前先騙墨國出錢，國會不給全額經費，於是政府關閉，開放後，又挪用國防部經費，開始動工，又被禁止。所以美國稍可制衡，可以等到四年後之大選。

讀歷史看新聞，先假設這些政治者，是來尋找工作，來服務人民，選前開始編政見，引人共鳴，這是大小騙之開始，選後政見無法兌現，就是大騙竊國，川普所有動作，都是為自己私利，而且說謊成性，真是大騙竊國之實例。

The early voting day in Texas/Carlos Pueblo

 

The early voting day in Texas/Carlos Pueblo

There are more than two weeks in Texas to cast your vote for 2020 election. It is also a way to cast your absentee vote by mail or by drop box. All by all is to encourage citizen to vote. We are going to vote on the first day, October 13, 2020, at 7:00 am at the Tracy Gee Community Center. We are determined to move on our life and forget about the last four years of the Trump Administration.

We know that our votes don’t count very much because we live in a Republican State, Texas; however, you never know that our votes may flip the State to the Democrat. Two years ago, we did elect a Democrat to the House in our district. I read the poll that we’re 2.70% shy to flip the State to Democrat this year. This is perhaps the year and we cast our votes on time.

I am doing alright for my life. I am glad that I love the politic and believe that governments can help the unfit people in the society. Of course, I mean that the government to provide a fair living environment for the poor to be survival. I mean the government would help not should help the poor. Let them to have the opportunity to struggle up their poor classes. I believe that I have made it to that dream to be a middle class person with my own house to live, own vehicle to drive, own money to live till the end of my time.

I believe that the United States has been great ever since the independent revolution. The U.S. has been second to none in the world of nations. No need to make the U.S. great again.

 

投票日2020/莊峻華

 

投票日2020/莊峻華

下週二，我們德州開始投票，我們全家準備一早，就到朱美娟活動中心排隊，把這事盡到公民責任，四年前我的選票交給捷克布拉格美大使館，在郵輪返美途中，獲悉希拉蕊落敗消息，終於等到今年投票日。

明日普洛西眾議長，要開始憲法25條修正案，詢問白宮內閣部長，川普是否身心健康？足以領導美國，依照此法案，基於國家安全，國會可以介入，川普舉止鬼異，神經有問題，又得武漢肺炎，這時候可能挺而走險，在亞洲幾乎與中國，箭弩拔張，戰爭一觸即發。川普民間官司纏身，落選後將面對司法，讓他揚言選敗也不認敗，不交出白宮云云。

川普公開抱怨，司法部長，何以遲不逮捕歐巴瑪，拜登，和希拉蕊等異議者，抱怨國務卿，何以不公開希拉蕊私人帳戶之公務電郵？這是今昨兩日之小丑戲，我巴不得早日投票，無需再聞問川普。

他感染武漢肺炎，拜登不敢與他同台同室辯論，這是衛生安全，也是國家安全，不能像白宮一樣，官員一一被感染武漢肺炎，而且包括國防部，高階將領，這種美國執政者，自顧都不暇，如何管理全國？領導全世界？

我在社區觀看，庭院選舉招牌，川普招牌不若其他共和黨人，而且躲在眾黨後選人牌群中，屋主均羞恥為伍，現在開始傳說，德州將翻盤，我們家四票，將提供助力。

My new circle of friends/Carlos Pueblo

 

My new circle of friends/Carlos Pueblo

After the Chinese Wuhan Corona Virus pandemics, I have built a new way of life called the new normal. My life boundary is really around my subdivision of 12 streets between two sections. I can’t go to travel due to the cancellation of the flight and the cruise. It is real and is very sad. However, I do build a new normal life and enjoy the most of my daily activities. I think that I don’t ask very much and only care about my health both physically and mentally. Friendships toward the others have come to help to fulfill the task.

First, I must define between an acquaintance and a friend. An acquaintance means that I know you even frequently see you around while a friend means that we can converse a little bit further about our interest, of course not including a loan of some kinds. After I lost my major contract of my insurance business in 2001, I suddenly lost most of my contacts built from the business. I have been in self-exile ever since. I felt ashamed of myself and isolated myself in the environment around my house, walking, writing and reading, etc. At that time, there was Charlie, our beloved pet dog, to be my company. He was my close friend. After he died, I went out to travel around the world. With the experience which I have built with him, I make friends with pet dogs everywhere as far as I travel. Most of the pet dogs are friendly because that they also like to have people’s attention. Then, we move to a new subdivision and I get to know and make friends with more than 40 pet dogs by remember their names individually. Most of them can answer my whistle. Their owners become my first circle of friends.

Because that I walk on every street in the subdivision, I have some fellow morning walkers attention. I get to know them and some of them even their names. Yesterday, there was this pretty lady of my age came toward me and asked my name. She indicates that I know her name and she doesn’t know mine. We had a good chat about Japan, Syria, and Germany, etc. Finally, I ask her where she lives. She says is on Piping Rock with two red pomegranate trees. It is Carol. I ask her name from Diana, Eli’s owner, to ask her permission to pick the fruit. I call her name each time when I pass by her house and see her. Now, we become friends of the world travel, our common interest. These friends derived from my morning walk have become my new circle of friends.

I also have created a special group of friends while travelling on board of the cruise. I adopted pretty girls working on every ship to be my daughters almost 400 of them. I know them and they are aware of me. Each time when I am aboard, I feel like returning home for a visit.

新朋友圈/莊峻華

 

新朋友圈/莊峻華

清晨散步，原是健康運動，因為我喜愛愛犬，先是建立一以愛犬家人為中心之朋友圈，再來是因為散步在社區，因此認識許多鄰居同好，再圍一新朋友圈，昨晨，走在小溪上街，有一位女士趨近曰，你能稱呼我名，但我不知如何稱呼你？於是我連忙告訴她，我一時憶不起其為何人？但無妨我們交談。於是我們談到旅行，她曾經和先生，駐紮在日本青森附近三年，我青森去過三次，也答對一風景湖，於是我們談到世界旅行，最後我問她住那條街？她說是管石街，門口有兩株紅石榴，我連忙說是凱若，原來我曾要求採其石榴。

這是愛犬依莉和她主人黛安娜，我常陪她們散步，經過管石街，先是發現一株檸檬，果實無人採食，遛愛犬女鄰居鼓勵我敲門，獲取許可採食，結果是柳丁，非常甜美，今年看到紅石榴，像是春天耶誕節掛物在小株上，我說石榴營養，於是黛安娜鼓勵我，再申請許可，這紅石榴家主人，就是凱若，柳丁株家緊鄰，對面就是我採無花果之一株，都是黛安娜鼓勵，她對果株甚為好奇興趣，有一別墅在聖寶娜河畔，鄰居空地有一椪柑，我請她關注。這黛安娜小我一歲，仍在上班，凱若年輕我兩歲多，都是非常健談有趣。

有很多愛犬，甚有感情，而且能認人，經過其門前，均能吠叫，提醒我注意，無論是天黑或天亮，有很多愛犬，可以回應我之口哨，主人也鼓勵愛犬等候，有的愛犬甚至堅持我的到來，我是少數人與愛犬為友，結果也認識他們之主人，能陪愛犬散步者，都是好家庭。

我在二十年前失業，是一大人生打擊，當時束手無策，失業在社會上，是無顏面者，於是我就離群索居，自我放逐，天天想出外旅行，我曾描述過，我在郵輪上認了四百位義女，這也是新朋友圈，若我再上船，真像返鄉探親一般親切。我發現結識鄰居，有助於我之英語表達能力，而且也無老年寂寞。

The cooks comb flower/Carlos Pueblo

 

The cooks comb flower/Carlos Pueblo

Our neighbor Kim has noticed that I have some cooks comb flower plants in the front yard. They are from another neighbor the senora. Kim gave me two boxes of the flower plants to grow. I manage to place them on three spots on the front and back yards. At the end of this summer, I see some of them are blooming even though my plants are much smaller than both of theirs. It is because that I don’t have 14 hours a day sunshine and lack of the fertilizer applied. At least we do see the red crown type of the flower. It is like a rooster’s crown or a Roman Empire Army’s helmet.

The flower is very popular in the rural area of Taiwan. When I was a school child, I used to help my teacher to grow flowers in front of our classroom yard. The cooks comb is one of them. It is very easy to grow in a warmer climate like Taiwan or in Houston. I know that I can’t do anything about our tall trees on the yard; however, I do have plenty of opportunity to enjoy our neighbors’ gardens while I take my morning walk. It is such a joy to view many pretty gardens in the neighborhood.

Our subdivision has a deed of restriction applied to our front yard. We must maintain a regular mowed lawn including edging. Some neighbors even manage to have a nice garden with honor’s pride that I am very impressed. I have had my good lesson from them and I pay more attention to my yards than ever before. It is too late for me to consider having a larger lot without trees; therefore, I can grow something like to have a nice garden. I hate to move and I don’t have time long enough to have that dream filled.