OBSERVATIONS ON LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS FROM ROBERT D FLACH - THE INTERNET'S "WANDERING TAX PRO"
Friday, November 28, 2025
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
MISSING THE CAPITOL STEPS
I am sorry that the Capitol Steps is no longer with us.
The Capitol Steps was a comedy group originally created by congressional staffers that “put the MOCK in democracy” from 1981 to 2020. I saw several of their performances on Theatre Row in NYC and in their home base in Washington DC.
They were known for Weird Al-ish (for those of my generation Allan Sherman-ish) political song parodies. Who could forget “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Korea” and “Condoleezza” (“Condoleezza, Condoleezza father named me.”).
Their performances also included a “spoonerism” bit – a monologue given in a kind of pig latin where corresponding consonants and vowels are switched between two words of a phrase. I remember one that discussed Bill Clinton, “a gorney huy” (huy pronounced “high”).
I
would love to hear their take on the second Trump Administration. There could be “Maaaaaaaaaaar-a-Lago” to the
tune of “Oklahoma” (“Maaaaaaaaaaar-a-Lago, where the rich go to kiss Trump’s
arse and ring.”). Think what they could have
done with the Knickerbocker’s “Lies”, “The Fool on the Hill”, and Simon and
Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” (“Lie lie lie.
Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie.”).
TAFN
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
VOTE!
The greatest threat facing America and American democracy is today’s Trump-embracing and Religious Right controlled Republican Party.
It is truly vital for the future of America that you vote
against EVERY Republican candidate in EVERY election on EVERY level today!
Friday, September 5, 2025
BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID!
It is time to be afraid – be very afraid.
I will continue to say this. The greatest threat facing America and American freedoms, democracy, and values is convicted felon and indicted traitor Donald “the Man Who Would Be King” Trump and today’s racist and repressive Trump-embracing and Religious Right controlled Republican Party.
EVERY true conservative and traditional Republican MUST forget political philosophy or Party support. Today’s political situation is NOT about liberal vs conservative policy.
EVERY intelligent and patriotic American - Democrat, Republican, or Independent - MUST publicly, vocally, and aggressively oppose and denounce Trump and his every action.
EVERY intelligent and patriotic American - Democrat, Republican, or Independent - MUST vote to defeat EVERY Republican candidate in EVERY election at EVERY level from now through 2028. The Democrats MUST take control of Congress and state legislatures if democracy is to survive.
America,
and the world, will not be safe until we get rid of Trump and his deplorable
and despicable Administration.
TAFN
Thursday, August 28, 2025
TODAY’S CHRISTIANITY AIN’T CHRISTIAN
I am a “senior citizen”. I was born a Protestant Christian – a “northern”
Methodist. My parents were heavily
involved in the social and religious life and in the administration of our
local church.
Growing up I regularly attended
my church’s Sunday School and ecumenical week-day and summer “Bible School” and
as a teen-ager my church’s youth group and Methodist summer conference/camp,
where I was taught the true teachings of Christ and Christianity – love they
neighbor, accept the different, do unto others, feed the hungry, heal the sick,
help the needy, and welcome the stranger.
As a teen-ager and young adult my
Protestant Christian upbringing led me to be involved in local and national
politics and community and national social action, in ecumenical and secular
organizations, to promote the previously identified true teachings of Christ
and Christianity - but certainly not to advocate the legislation of the
individual “rules and restrictions” of Protestant Christianity.
As an adult I was, and am, truly “lapsed”
and a bit more of an agnostic than a full atheist – but I have always acknowledged
and appreciated the positive effect my Christian upbringing had on shaping the
person I am today.
What has become the more public
and vocal Christianity of today – the Christianity of the so-called “evangelicals”
of the Religious Right that have taken control of the Republican Party – bears absolutely
no resemblance to the Christianity I was brought up in. The policies of today's "Christianity" are directly contrary to the
true teachings of Christ and Christianity I learned in my childhood religious
education.
Today’s Christianity truly ain’t
Christian anymore.
TAFN
Growing up I regularly attended my church’s Sunday School and ecumenical week-day and summer “Bible School” and as a teen-ager my church’s youth group and Methodist summer conference/camp, where I was taught the true teachings of Christ and Christianity – love they neighbor, accept the different, do unto others, feed the hungry, heal the sick, help the needy, and welcome the stranger.
As a teen-ager and young adult my Protestant Christian upbringing led me to be involved in local and national politics and community and national social action, in ecumenical and secular organizations, to promote the previously identified true teachings of Christ and Christianity - but certainly not to advocate the legislation of the individual “rules and restrictions” of Protestant Christianity.
As an adult I was, and am, truly “lapsed” and a bit more of an agnostic than a full atheist – but I have always acknowledged and appreciated the positive effect my Christian upbringing had on shaping the person I am today.
What has become the more public and vocal Christianity of today – the Christianity of the so-called “evangelicals” of the Religious Right that have taken control of the Republican Party – bears absolutely no resemblance to the Christianity I was brought up in. The policies of today's "Christianity" are directly contrary to the true teachings of Christ and Christianity I learned in my childhood religious education.
Today’s Christianity truly ain’t Christian anymore.
TAFN
Friday, June 27, 2025
AN AMERICAN NIGHTMARE - A TRUE STORY
Once upon a time the absolute worst choice for President possible, an incompetent and totally self-absorbed moron, ran against a competent and qualified woman.
The worst choice was so bad a person that even though the woman was irrationally disliked, and America will not vote for a woman for President, she actually won the election by about 3 million votes. Unfortunately, the wicked archaic and outdated Electoral College put the absolute worst choice possible in the White House.
Four years later the absolute worst choice possible ran for re-election against a man and lost by about 8 Million votes. The new President attempted to undo the damage done during the absolute worst choice possible’s Administration and began to turn the country around economically.
Another four years later, now a convicted felon who had been determined by a court to be a rapist and had been indicted by the Department of Justice twice for treasonous acts, the still absolute worst choice for President ran against another competent and qualified woman and, because America will not vote for a woman for President, won the election.
Once in office the absolute worst possible choice for President possible began a campaign to turn the democracy that was America into a fascist country and give himself ultimate power as its king.
The
End
Thursday, June 19, 2025
I BELIEVE
* I believe in the strict separation of church and state. The individual beliefs of a specific religion, sect, or denomination should never be legislated.
* I believe that extreme fundamentalist Christianity is as much, if not more, of a threat to America than extreme fundamentalist Islam.
* I believe the 2nd Amendment is outdated and obsolete in today’s world. To quote conservative Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger – “The real purpose of the Second Amendment was to ensure that state armies – the militia – would be maintained for the defense of the state. The very language of the Second Amendment refutes any argument that it was intended to guarantee every citizen an unfettered right to any kind of weapon he or she desires.”
* I believe there is no legitimate reason for any individual to own any firearm other than a “traditional” pistol or “traditional” rifle for personal protection, hunting, or target shooting. There should be a ban on individual ownership of assault weapons and attachments to turn a traditional gun into an assault weapon.
* I believe ownership of a firearm must be treated under the law in the same manner we treat automobiles and driving –
+ All
gun owners must have a valid license, which must be renewed each year, and
initially issued only after a comprehensive background check.
+The
minimum age for owning a gun should be 18.
+To
get a license a person must pass a written test and a “practical” test.
+ Gun
owners must maintain insurance similar to automobile insurance.
+Every
gun must be titled and tagged at the point of purchase and registered in a national
data base.
* I believe there should be no federal or state death penalty – but only because, since our justice system is not perfect, an innocent person may be convicted. Instead, there should be discretionary, and perhaps mandatory in some situations, life imprisonment without any chance of parole.
* I believe that homosexuality is an “accident of birth” and not a “learned” or “chosen” behavior. Homosexuals should be treated the same as heterosexuals under the law. If a heterosexual couple is allowed to marry, adopt children, etc. so should a homosexual couple.
* I believe a convicted felon should not be allowed to run for President. Nor should a person who has been federally indicted for treasonous acts (i.e. inciting an insurrection or stealing classified documents).
* I believe all candidates for President and Vice President must make public at least 5 years of tax returns.
* I believe the Electoral College should be abolished. The election of a President should be based solely on the popular vote.
* I believe all elected Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Congresspersons must totally divest themselves of all investment holdings before taking office. You can be a President, Vice President, or Congressperson OR be a businessman or businesswoman – but not both at the same time. The proceeds should be placed in a blind trust. The trustees must be unknown to the office holder and the investments of the trust should be limited to Treasury obligations, municipal bonds, and stock market index mutual funds.
* I believe no person, including the President, is above the law. The President should not have any immunity from prosecution for criminal acts committed either while in or out of office.
* I believe the power of the President should be limited, and that all actions of a President must be subject to review and reversal by Congress and the courts.
* I believe the greatest enemy of and threat to America, Americans, American freedoms and democracy, and true American values is Trump and today’s Republican Party.
* I believe Donald “The Man Who Would Be King” Trump is a totally worthless piece of excrement, completely devoid of intelligence, integrity, honor, humanity, sympathy, and empathy, who does not possess a single redeeming positive human quality or value, and who has never performed a single totally unselfish act in his entire adult life.
* I believe Trump does not care one ounce about anyone or anything but himself.
* I do not believe a single word Trump says about anything.
* I believe that in the history of the United States no one single individual has done more damage to America, the American people, American freedom and democracy, and true American values than Trump.
* I believe America will not be safe until Trump is removed from office by any legal means possible.
* I believe Trump should be held accountable in federal and state courts, and appropriately punished, for his multitude of crimes.
TAFN
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
TODAY'S REPUBLICAN PARTY
· limited government involvement in the life of the citizen
· the rule of law
· the separation of powers
· fiscal responsibility
· open markets
· Protect Social Security
· Provide asylum for refugees
· Extend minimum wage
· Improve unemployment benefit system so it covers more people
· Strengthen labor laws so workers can more easily join a union
· Assure equal pay for equal work regardless of sex
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
TRUMP SUPERLATIVES
· THE WORST PRESIDENT IN US HISTORY
· THE DUMBEST PRESIDENT IN US HISTORY
· THE MOST INCOMPETENT PRESIDENT IN US HISTORY
· THE MOST CORRUPT PRESIDENT IN US HISTORY
· THE MOST CROOKED PRESIDENT IN US HISTORY
· THE MOST HATED PRESIDENT IN US HISTORY
· THE MOST SELF-ABSORBED NATIONAL POLITICIAN IN US HISTORY
IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES NO ONE SINGLE INDIVIDUAL HAS DONE MORE HARM TO AMERICA, AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, TRUE AMERICAN VALUES, AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAN DONALD J TRUMP.
TAFN
Thursday, April 24, 2025
WHY IS TRUMP PRESIDENT?
It continues to amaze me how a truly ignorant and incompetent candidate, and a totally worthless piece of excrement, like Trump could end up, and remain, in the White House – twice.
But I do believe I have discovered why –
1) For some strange reason many America will not elect a woman President – regardless of how qualified she might be or, certainly in the case of Trump, how far superior she is to the male alternative. For decades most other democratic nations throughout the world have had successful woman leaders – but not America. I do believe if the Democratic candidate in 2016 and 2024 had been male he would have been elected.
2) Many, if not most, of Trump’s core cult of ignorant racists either never voted for President before or would vote for a racist fringe-party candidate. Trump brought these voters into the Republican Party - and unfortunately the leadership of today’s Republican Party believe they cannot win without the votes of these ignorant racists and refuse to oppose and denounce Trump.
3) I very seriously believe that, due to his close association with Jeffrey Epstein, Trump has “dirt” on the various sexual “eccentricities” and perversions of many Republican officials and leaders and uses this to blackmail them into supporting him.
4) The continued existence of the outdated Electoral College – at least in 2016 when Trump actually lost the election by about 3 million votes.
5) And, sadly, there are too many racists and morons in America today.
What do you think?
TAFN
Monday, January 20, 2025
A SAD DAY
How sad for America and the world that a totally worthless piece of garbage, a truly deplorable and despicable human being, a convicted felon and indicted traitor, completely devoid of intelligence, character, integrity, honor, humanity, sympathy, and empathy who does not possess a single redeeming positive human quality or value, who does not care one ounce about anyone or anything but himself and who has never performed a single totally unselfish act in his entire adult life will be sworn in as 47th President of the United States today.
For the next four years it will be very literally impossible to believe anything that is said by the President of the United States!
It is vital for the future of our freedoms and our democracy that every intelligent and patriotic American with a conscience aggressively oppose and denounce and fight to defeat every action attempted by Trump and today’s racist and repressive Religious Right controlled Republican Party, and going forward to defeat every Republican candidate for every office in every election at every level.
TAFN
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
2025
By embracing and supporting Trump as its 2024 Presidential candidate today’s Republican Party and its leadership and elected officials have proven beyond any doubt that it does not care one ounce about American freedoms and democracy, true American values, the Constitution, and the rule of law.
In the entirety of US history Trump is the absolute worst human being to hold the office of President, and the absolute worst choice for President, or any elected or appointed office of power.
In 2025 we must vocally and aggressively oppose and denounce Trump and today’s Republican Party and its racist and repressive plans and policies while continuing to call for holding Trump legally responsible for his multitude of state and federal crimes.
And
we must work to defeat every Republican candidate for every election at every
level.
TAFN


