To hear Trump tell it, the US is in the worst financial shape ever. You'd never guess that unemployment for example had decreased from a Bush-crash high of 10% all the way down to 5%, along with restructuring banks, taking us off the "bankrupt" list, etc. (You'd think that would even produce some gratitude, but don't hold your breath. You see....

Under Clinton, poverty rates dropped something like 5 points, 22 million jobs were created (or a 14% increase), the crime rate fell drastically, the long-standing deficit was reversed to a surplus, taxes were raised while the economy still boomed, home ownership rose, the dollar was strong yet exports still expanded, health care was greatly expanded despite the failure to enact Hillarycare, and no major wars were fought.

And ever since, the far left and the right (yeah, they're all "far") have pushed to discredit each and every accomplishment. I don't think I can change anyone's mind with just facts and figures at this point, as everyone's imprinted with the data they want to believe. But here's where my perspective's at.

1) I lived abroad during much of Clinton & Bush's tenures, and I can tell you any mug can increase exports by dropping the currency - it takes a mensch to do it while making the currency *stronger*. In 2 years under Bush, my life savings in dollars dropped by over half as he pursued his weak dollar "strategy". 

And curiously, our trade deficit with Canada in the 90's was twice that with Mexico - but being racist bastards, we only worry about the jobs going south. Kudos, guys - almost Trumpian.

2) Magazines like Counterpunch will jump over themselves to tell you successes like Clinton & Obama's were illusional, that despite all the new jobs (which at the end of the day are more important than a bonus, amirite?) "all the wage increases went to the top 1%", cause wages have been flat for decades, oh noes...

But go to this site and click "1995-2000" - men, women, or all - and look at all the wage growth down at the 10%, 20%, 30% range - poor people getting a boost. (plus the Earned Income Credit was kicking in). Now click 2000-2007 to see what happens when crony capitalism kicks in. Do it again. And again. And again until the message sinks in - Clinton helped build out wealth for all - new jobs, higher wages, affordable homes, even for hourly factory workers and the poorest of the poor; Bush made sure the rich prospered. You've been conned. Yay, have a drink. (you pay, sorry)

3) Despite keeping America out of any major war (the bombing in Kosovo was the closest Bill came), the Clintons are now "war hawks". Mostly based on a war that Bill's successor started and Bill's wife as a junior opposition senator couldn't stop. And besides me *preferring* peace, it's also a ton cheaper (meaning you can then do things like balance the budget while still affording social programs, health care, etc....)  Our burying the peace still freaks me out, right up there with

4) Most of the supposed negative results of welfare reform, Glass-Steagal, housing crisis, bank meltdown, NAFTA, etc are based on *NOT ELECTING GORE*, voting against the Clinton years, and putting someone else in office who wanted to "SHRINK GOVERNMENT ENOUGH TO DROWN IT IN A BATHTUB*. Yeah, that worked so well *WE JUST DID IT AGAIN*. Gore ran on a Social Security lockbox. Bush ran on a tax cut to the wealthy. Which candidate won? Which president cut normal oversight activities as "intrusive"?

Which year did all of Clinton's initiatives magically start to go to shit? Hint: 2002. Go look at NAFTA's supposed effect on manufacturing jobs - fine from 1994 til 2002.

You've heard "elections have consequences"? well apparently your friends haven't cause we're DOING IT ALL OVER AGAIN. Fuck me, it's Groundhog Day in hell. Even a tiny shithole in Pennsylvania looks good from here.

5) The Clintons entered the White House with about $400K-700K wealth, significantly less than any modern president aside from Truman. They left the White House stuck with millions of dollars in lawyers' debt. While pulling themselves out of debt over the next decade, they also built up a $400 million a year charity. Admirable, no? Apparently not.

(unless your name is Bill Gates and you made your fortune squeezing billions out of a global monopoly that you expand and lord over the market like a hawk for decades - then it's admirable when you stop gouging people long enough to pivot and throw a few coins to Africa).

And despite all the focus on their income, they're still only worth say $40-80 million (Al Gore is worth more like $300 million, Bill Gates $40 billion?). 2 of the most talented politicians of their generation, and in their 60's they finally have enough money to be called rich - and be attacked over it like no one before or nor will be again. The source of all that ill-gotten gain? Speeches. Bloody speeches.

Vicious of them. And they probably said one thing in public and one thing in private (even though the Wikileaks leaks showed it wasn't much different). Unlike the others who say one thing in public and another thing in public and even a 3rd thing in public, and probably a whole slew of things in private, cuz we never gave a shit about *their* transcripts, did we?. Ah well, at least we can be proud of standing up as class-resentful idiots when we're not cheering the Kardashians or hosing down our eco-kale.

6) "The Clinton Dynasty is Over". I read that again and again, and I'm sure someone out there is intentionally trying to piss me off. THE CLINTON DYNASTY NEVER EXISTED, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS. Yeah, it's okay to have Sonny Bono or Paul Wellstone's wife fill their seat on death, or George Wallace install his wife cause he's out of term limits, or have several generations of Jerry Browns, Cuomos, Kennedys, Bayhs, Rockefellers, Bushes, Dingells, etc. pass their positions on to their kids.

But just not okay for a Yale-educated DC-connected politically active lawyer wife to *earn* her Senate seat or vie for the Presidency once her hubby's done it, after she campaigned by his side from the beginning, held down the "day job" to pay for his losses and crap public salary. We've had 3 of 45 presidents who were sons or grandsons of other presidents; 2 more who were distant cousins of prior presidents  (meaning 11% of presidents were legacy admissions), but 0 who were daughters or granddaughters or female cousins or even female. Dynasties include easy ascendancy (like a friend of the family being appointed Senator and then resigning so Ted Kennedy could have it as a 30th birthday present).

Hillary tried twice and failed, with many of the levers of power pulling against her. Dynasties include only *THINGS THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED*. So for those still playing the dynasty card, SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY. (or at least look up "DOUCHEBAG" in the internet glossary and own it).

More to come when time & anger permits.