Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Politicklish Subjects

I noticed a wee argument brewing on some comment thread somewhere on the net earlier this week as to the potential side effects of Bernie Sanders' plan for what's being called single-payer healthcare. Commenters brought up that, though perhaps desirable on first thoughts, there'd be a lot of collateral damage in job losses for insurance company employees, and probably a lot of empty, unused expensive real estate to be dealt with. I'd say that, while this would be true if a change-over were to happen within a very short time period, that's not likely to be what Senator Sanders has in mind. Nothing in a country with the USA's population could ever be subject to rapid change, (absent catastrophic events). I'd have thought any change would have to be made by tiny steps, perhaps initially by lowering the age when people become eligible for Medicare.

There would still be a need for staff, some proportion of existing insurance staff could be re-trained. Supplementary insurance needs will still exist too - so all insurance jobs will not be lost. And, if the system were akin to some in Europe, private plans would still exist alongside the government-run system, for those who could afford it, permanently or occasionally. Real estate? Maybe some of that, too can be re-purposed for government use, eventually. Bernie Sanders isn't daft! These issues will have been considered for sure - especially the loss of jobs. I'm confident that he'll have a plan.

I'm heartened that two favourite political writers of mine have (almost reluctantly) begun to slide just a little bit further towards confidence in Bernie Sanders' chances of success. Andrew Levine at Counterpunch and Dave Lindorff.



On the other side of the divide - an astrological prediction at the Skyscript forum, by "Ellen" on Donald Trump's chances of success is worth a look, if a tad scary! There's obvious potential for success in his natal chart, nobody could argue that. My thoughts/hopes are that, perhaps he has already fulfilled his success potential - in this lifetime - his glass of success has been drained!

7 comments:

mike said...

This is my comment from August 22,2015, "Fantasy? ~ Sanders vs Trump":

I suspect Trump's support will remain strong for the next several months, particularly with transiting Venus and Mars, both now in Leo, making a number of positive aspects to his natal planets. The current retrograde transit of Venus has enhanced his natal Mars, providing him with charisma and masculine (aggressive leadership) appeal, albeit to a select group. A partial solar eclipse at 20* Virgo will form a T-square with his natal Sun-Moon opposition (he was born just prior to a lunar eclipse, so this involves his N-S nodes, too) and marks a turning point of some sort. The full Moon eclipse of September 28th opposes his Neptune (transiting Sun conjunct natal Neptune) and T-squares with his Mercury...something unusual happens here...perhaps the GOP tosses him and he runs independent? Things start to escalate favorably for him in late October, as transiting Venus, Mars, and Jupiter all conjunct at 14-15* Virgo, in his first house of image. He's likely to become more outrageous and too pumped-up at this time. Come March, 2016, trouble comes via transiting Saturn at 16* Sagittarius and transiting Pluto at 17* Capricorn...both planets form negative, long-term aspects."
http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2015/08/fantasy-sanders-vs-trump.html

Ellen's Skyscript astro-analysis curiously omits The Donald's transits to his natal chart...she exerts herself with natal, solar returns, and progressions, but does not consider fundamental transits. The discussion that follows on that thread becomes heavier with other techniques...but transits don't enter the picture! I put a lot of emphasis on transits to the natal chart, not as essentially predictive, but more in terms of trends. The Donald is just now entering a period of hard transits that last for most of the year.

My comment regarding Bernie's transits on the same link:
"Bernie on the other hand, will benefit greatly from the partial solar eclipse at 20* Virgo, September 13th, and even more so with the Venus, Mars, Jupiter conjunction at 15* Virgo...right on his Sun...in late October. The lunar eclipse on September 28th is trine his Pluto and the transiting Sun will conjunct his natal Mercury...he might make a bold statement at this time, but it will appeal to the collective. Bernie's greatest challenge right now is to get past transiting Saturn's opposition to his natal Saturn and Uranus, which starts to diminish in early October. I believe Bernie's astrology trumps Trump.

The eclipses of 2016 favor Bernie and disfavor Trump. The solar eclipse of March 8th will unbalance Trump, but will be on Bernie's South Node and Bernie will be having a N-S Node return. It's interesting to note that these two guys have Nodes in square...Bernie's N Node at 22* Virgo, The Donald's at 22* Gemini."

I'll add that Saturn turns retrograde at 16* Sagittarius in March, 2016, square Bernie's Sun. No time of birth for Bernie, so no consideration of the houses involved, but I'll venture a guess that this will be a period of fatigue, with more demands upon him, which would make sense should his bid gain momentum. From a solar house perspective, Saturn is in his 4th house of home, retreat, and nurturing...things that he may long for, but won't obtain...4th house is opposite his solar 10th house of career, so his career will demand much.

mike (again) said...

My comment was too long, so here's the last part:

mike (again) said...

Geeeeeez...here's the last AGAIN!

Too bad about the loss of the insurance industry...LOL...good riddance. I've mentioned in other posts that I'm not at all in favor of Medicare's supplemental insurance plans currently offered to seniors on social security. The USA government pays these insurance companies a huge monthly premium on behalf of the insured. In 2012, that premium ranged from $800 to $1200 per month, depending on the health of the insured...it's probably 50% more now. PLUS, the supplement-insured individual pays an additional premium out of their own pocket to the same insurance company! Outrageous! I hope Bernie sticks to single-payer and does NOT allow private insurance companies to offer supplemental insurance. Make the single-payer insurance good enough that there is no reason for private insurers to offer a supplemental.

Twilight said...

mike ~ Re the Trump chart interpretation by "Ellen", we have to respect that she started out by stating that "One critical concept of astrology that seems to me to get lost sometimes is that the chart is essentially the blueprint of the individual's life, and that nothing will happen, no matter what the transits, etc. down the line, if it is not foretold in the natal chart." So she didn't intend to look at transits, she was proving that he has the natal astrological clout to be "Leader of the Free World", NOT that he will be, that he could be. I agree that it's odd that nobody commenting mentioned transits - I hadn't seen all the comments until this morning. I think they are all getting away from "Ellen's" intital point though.

Thanks for re-airing your predictions - I had been keeping them in mind, but it's good to have them here anew. :-)

I'm still wary of all predictions on these topics because, as always, astrology isn't all that's going on ! Still it's interesting to note what people are saying.

Re the insurance industry's fate, should single payer ever become likely: good riddance indeed! But I do see that a lot of people would be put out of work, because the absolutely ridiculous amount of paperwork involved in the present system would no longer be needed. That's no reason to hang on to an outdated and bad system though.
As for supplemental insurances, maybe they'd be needed at first, with new measures brought in a bit at a time - all would depend on "the plan". I can't see any way in which a new plan could be introduced in total, overnight, as it were, it could take several years - a decade even. A job not for the faint-hearted!!



mike (again) said...

That was exactly my point, that she initially places the emphasis on the natal chart. She stated, "One critical concept of astrology that seems to me to get lost sometimes is that the chart is essentially the blueprint of the individual's life, and that nothing will happen, no matter what the transits, etc. down the line, if it is not foretold in the natal chart."

I take exception to that statement. It's like your recent post regarding Gary Gilmore and Barbara Amiel and seeing whether both have the potential to be socialites or murderers (I can see the murderer potential more than the socialite...LOL)...or your posts about "The Real Abominables"...or the "Arty-Farty" posts. Her statement tends to assume quasi predetermination.

Then she analyzes his potential-to-reality via solar returns and a progression, completely disregarding transits:
"All things considered, his chart most definitely shows the possibility of him being elected president. But I wanted to see if, indeed, that's in the cards, so I looked at his current solar return, his current progressed chart, his upcoming solar return, which will be in effect at the time of the convention and the election, and his progressed charts for the same times."



I understand her thought process, but I believe she makes an egregious assumption that the natal chart ultimately holds the blueprint to the individual's life. Environment, transits, and free-will hold tremendous sway over an individual's expression of the natal chart.


Here's an interesting natal chart comparison...George W. Bush (July 6, 1946) vs Donald Trump (June 14, 1946)...three weeks separate their birthdays and each has a known time of birth:

http://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/George_W._Bush

http://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Donald_Trump

Bush lacks many of the criteria "Ellen" ascribes toward presidential potential, or at least the ones she identifies for Trump's chart.

mike (again) said...

Perhaps the determination of a presidential victor has more to do with the astrological transits upon the collective electorate:

"It’s important to remember with power that often it is we who put them in that position of power, and it is because of these strong links to the outer planets that they seem to resonate with people - and what they want forms society at a particular time. Even with dictators who reach that position through rebellion and taking power by force, it is still because there is a strong need for change within that collective. We have seen that a lot in recent years with the current Uranus-Pluto cardinal square."

http://www.astro.com/astrology/aa_article150430_e.htm

Twilight said...

mike (again) ~ Yes...well...as I said astrology isn't all that's going on.
This is such a complex subject- politicklish, as I titled it. When the whole scene is taken into consideration there are numerous threads feeding into it: any contestant, plus all other contestants, all the voters and general public, the national chart, the outer planetary "atmosphere", and - that which we must not ignore: the hands behind the curtain!

It's even more than the proverbial crap-shoot!