There is no doubt about it, Gwyneth Paltrow is blond, good looking, and leads a fabulous life. She also sells goods and services on her weekly “lifestyle” publication where she and her minions promote and pontificate about subjects that are downright dubious, doubtful, and dangerous. People, many of whom are wanabees, wanting to emulate Paltrow’s fabulous lifestyle by seeking advice from people who appears to fit the classic definition of a charlatan; “a person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill; a fraud.”

Gwyneth Paltrow and her publication, Goop, have been sharing her celebrity lifestyle since the site launched in 2008. It's jealousy-inducing for some, while others have complained that it's totally "out of touch."

But when it comes to health tips, the site is full of dodgy information, with unfounded warnings about things that are safe — like bras and sunscreen — and zealous promotion of things with little-to-no proven benefits — like cleanses and vaginal steaming, not to mention various trendy diets. Some of the alternative medicine practices on the site could even be dangerous. <Source>

Much can be said about “The Donald” and the Trump marketing machine. From the dodgy cast of characters to the dubious value of the various Trump products and promotions. His claim that he is a commonsense conservative republican is belied by the fact that he speaks not of smaller government, lower taxes, fewer regulations, but about taxing the rich, imposing tariffs, alienating other nations, and simply that the present government needs better management. Rarely mentioning the Constitution and returning our nation to a constitutional republic based on a civil society. His policy papers, written by others, are thin and devoid of real detail. Sort of like the broad strokes of Obamacare with little or no substance. He is Gwyneth Paltrow with dodgy hair.

What has gone wrong with our society …

The failure of the media to accurately report and analyze the news of the day; preferring to seek audience ratings by sensationalizing the bizarre and negative rather than the positive and uplifting. Pandering to celebrities and public officials for access in ways that obfuscate the truth and portray a false image. Giving more time to “evil” than “good” and promoting an un warranted moral equivalency under the guise of political correctness and civility. Thus the public has little faith in our political system, our elected officials, and those who appear to be part of the establishment.

The rise of politics as a profession in which a politician can earn significant amounts of money by trading on the perks, privileges, and protections of their office. Routinely selling access and votes to special interests and shutting out their constituency in the process. Gone are the days of the reluctant citizen-legislator who does their duty and then returns to private life.

The increasing size of the government based on a self-serving, well-paid bureaucracy that continues to create “make work” projects to enlarge the size, scope, revenues, and power of the government. Truth-be-told, our government is more dangerous to our economy, safety, and security than any other foreign entity.

The idea that we must allow our enemies to operate with impunity within our country, within our government, within our institutions; in some strange show of equality. The truth is simple: there is no equality between good and evil and right and wrong. The failure to name our enemy or seek an accord on a prudent course of action is colored by politics that pander, unofficially of course, to enemy nations as if there is some methodology to convince the man with a sword and a vengeance not to cut off your head.

But, worst of all, we have allowed our legislators to ignore the heavy lifting required by their sworn duties. How much easier is it to simply pass broad-brush legislation that allows the executive branch to make law and usurp the power of the legislative branch? How much easier is it to allow unelected and faceless bureaucrats to make and enforce the administrative rules and regulations than taking a stand which might be interpreted negatively by one’s constituency. And, it is those in the Senate that enable a partisan judiciary filled with ideologues who torture the Constitution to create a “fashionable” ruling.

Our Declaration of Independence gave us our country. Our Constitution gave us the rules to empower individuals and our states, and to curtail the power of the federal government which is limited to the enumerated powers contained therein.

Who, if not our elected representatives, have permitted the federal government to take the fruits of our labor and then use those very funds to bribe states into compliance with unconstitutional edicts? Who, if not our elected representatives, have permitted the federal government to purchase political power and votes by empowering a system tantamount to legal bribery and kickbacks?

And, when “We the People” are presented with a remedy for malfeasance in government, the election of constitutional conservatives, it is ignored by a significant portion of the population that is bedazzled and bamboozled by the magical mystery tour that is all about the cult of personality, misdirection, and promise of “freebies.”

Donald Trump is right – our system is rigged!

It is rigged in favor of the establishment and the party currently in power. And, the disingenuous Donald has failed to note that his populist cry about the people being disenfranchised by arcane voting rules has helped him to become the front-runner. Where he has thirty to forty percent of the popular vote and yet receives one-hundred percent of the delegates Or by the protestation of the disingenuous Donald, sixty to seventy percent of the voters are being disenfranchised by his very victory. You will notice that he only complains about states where he lost, is uncompetitive, or simply has ignored the voters by failing to participate in the election of delegates. Truth-be-told, the world-class businessman with access to the “best people” is both a fraud and a failure.

Bottom line …

It is one thing to be disaffected by the system and to be blinded by celebrity with their spin-tested bafflegab, but to allow any candidate or party to misdirect you from the purpose of our constitutional republic is unconscionable. Most people have it ass-backwards. It is not about selecting the party nominee; it is the party nominee convincing “We the People” that they have the knowledge, experience, and leadership ability to govern a large, multi-faceted government branch.

Much of what The Disingenuous Donald is saying is absolutely wrong or requires the power of Congress to legislate, fund, and implement. Unlike a CEO, Donald needs to persuade rather than order. Unlike a CEO, he cannot deal easily with those who do not go along to get along.

What has our nation come to when we have corrupt liars on both sides of the slate? Donald Trump is just like Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Even worse, he is like Gwyneth Paltrow, selling her brand and spouting demonstrable untruths and nonsense designed to make the believers buy the bullshit. Of course, it could always be worth: Trump could be the Kim Kardashian of our times. A brand without worth except to those who are believers.

We are so screwed.

-- steve