Month: May 2021

(Originally published May 21, 2021)

We all have our opinions. Sometimes our opinions are formed from knowledge, sometimes from our experiences and observations, and sometimes from our prejudices and upbringing.

Most of us keep our opinions to ourselves. Some of us want to force our opinions on others, some of us want to express our opinions thoughtlessly, and some of us want to share our opinions as a contribution to the general discourse and to engage in a discussion of ideas.

These days, it seems that no one wants to listen to you. Everyone is more interested in listening to themselves.

One watches the mainstream and alternative media, and clearly most commentators are more interested in criticism and branding than in critical thinking. Opinions are presented as facts, facts are based upon assumptions, assumptions are based upon preconceived ideological or political positions. The reality is that your value as a commentator is based more on how much advertising revenue you can bring in than on the merits of what you say. If commentators had to be paid based on their thoughtfulness and intellectual integrity, nearly all of them would be making minimum wage.

One reads the mainstream written media and pretty much the same can be said about them. Selective reporting is practiced with stories written and presented with an ideological slant instead of being reported factually and without bias. The editorial pages are filled with op-ed articles penned by politicians and politically motivated experts that reflect the ideological leanings of the publication. One longs for the point/counterpoint approach where opposing points of view are presented so that readers can reflect on the whole of the issue instead of the preselected half.

Blogging is certainly a means of self-expression, but it is pretty much a one-way conversation. Twitter is pretty much ideological masturbation with a little S & M thrown in for good measure, a pointless exercise in futility if engaging in a discussion of ideas is what you are hoping for.

Podcasting has the advantage of being both visual and spoken communication. Podcasting can be entertaining and enlightening at the same time depending on whose podcast you listen to and whether guests are selected who have something to say and not just something to promote. Unfortunately, much of podcasting now seems to be a primarily revenue-driven business, more of an extension of mainstream and alternative media than any sort of thoughtful expression and examination of ideas.

In a society where entertainment is more profitable than enlightenment, there is little motivation for any media outlet to be fact-based, apolitical, and willing to engage in a balanced discussion of issues, ideas, and events.

One can only hope that the majority of American people will eventually become tired of being mislead by self-serving and self-promoting commentators whose only real expertise is themselves and begin to insist on the truth without preinterpretation.

This is not to say that enlightenment cannot be entertaining, but it generally involves a more active role from the listener.

It is quite easy to be entertained as a listener when commentators belittle people by calling them clever names, or when they insult someone’s intelligence or patriotism or their degree of wokeness, or when they categorize someone into a group that can then in turn be insulted and disparaged. The cleverer the insult and harsher the criticism, the more entertaining the commentary, and very few commentators seem to be able to resist such an easy approach.

But as a listener, what have you gained from this experience? This mindless and mean-spirited entertainment full of negativity leads to a lack of respect for other points of view, and to a willingness to dismiss anyone outright whom the commentators tell you is not worth listening to.

It is quite another thing to be challenged as a listener when commentators focus their comments and criticisms on policies and the thinking behind the policies, and then provide justification for the policies or alternatives to them without resorting to insult-comedy-as-commentary.

As a listener, what have you gained from this last experience? A thoughtful discussion of issues, ideas, and events that presents different points of view gives you the insight necessary to make up your own mind in a reasoned manner, and to thereby become someone who is worth listening to.

(Originally published May 5, 2021)

We need to regain a sense of perspective.

When I was born, Jim Crow was real, back of the bus was real, separate water fountains were real, the civil rights movement was just a dream.  

Think about how much has been achieved in less than one lifetime.

This could not have been achieved without the support of white people.

That is why all this talk about white privilege, white insensitivity, cultural appropriation, reparations, systemic racism, black lives matter, the 1619 Project, and all the rest is so wrong and so hurtful.

White people, by and large, are acceptant of all the various minorities that share this country. We do not see this as a white country. We know that demographics tell us that in less than thirty years white people will become just another minority in this country.

We have an appreciation for other cultures. We are often self-conscious in our efforts to not offend anyone. When there are reports of racist actions and speech by white people towards minorities we share in the condemnation of these individuals. We believe that they are the ignorant few who do not speak in any way for all white people.

Unfortunately, despite all the efforts made over the years to become an inclusive society, the cultural attacks on white people continue. And we are expected to say nothing other than to admit our guilt, and to accept the condemnation that is being directed towards us.

Now we are being told that simply having been born white means that we are inherently racist, and that there is nothing that we can do to wash away this original sin. We are the damned – as will be our children and our children’s children?

This racial abuse has gone on for far too long, and this latest judgement/condemnation has gone way too far.

To be fair to the Latinx, the Native Americans, the Asians, and the Arab peoples, most of this racial assault does not appear to come from them, nor does it seem to come from the American-born black community at large.

This racial stereotyping and guilt shaming comes primarily from self-proclaimed black leaders in academia, sports, politics, religion, news media, and the arts. These people are generally quite successful in their field, make a good living, and engage in shameless self-promotion and branding. White hate speech has proven to be quite profitable for them.

The good news for everyone is that white people are generally not the problem.  We are too busy trying to make a living, pay our bills, and take care of our families to spend our time and energy hating other people. Like everyone else, we just want to get along and be left alone to live and let live.

We are all very much aware by now that the history of this country is full of racial insensitivity and race-based cruelty. The displacement of Native Americans from their lands, the slavery of African blacks for more than a century, the abuse of Chinese laborers imported to build the transcontinental railroad, the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II, the exploitation of Mexican farm laborers – all is testament to our learning as a nation of disparate people how to get along with one another and recognize one another’s humanity.

This is not meant to rationalize the injustices of the past. From today’s perspective, we can all agree that these were terrible and tragic matters, outcomes of ignorance, cruelty, fear, greed, and tradition.  It was a matter of fate what souls became masters and what souls became slaves. The important thing is that none of us must accept the past roles of our ancestors. We are all free to live the life that we choose.  

Now is not the time to focus on past injustices and seek retribution and revenge. Despite what you might think and be told, we are very close to achieving a true unity that bridges all differences in race and origin. Every new generation brings us closer to this reality through friendship and love and day-to-day interaction.

We need to focus on the significant and profound gains we have made together and continue together in this spirit.

We need to continue to make it a priority that everyone is being afforded equal treatment and equal opportunity.

We need to speak out against the hateful speech of the agitators within our own communities instead of letting them control the debate and set the agenda.

We need to learn to recognize the opportunists masquerading as social activists and call them out instead of trying to placate them or letting them convince us that things are not as good as they are.

We need to stop the shooting and the looting, the anarchy and the destruction, and reject the apologists who condone this behavior as legitimate social protest.

We need to serve and protect with as much patience and compassion as possible, and with as little violent interaction and race-based profiling and aggressive intimidation as possible.

What we cannot do is to continue down the current path of blaming and shaming. Most of the people that caused the suffering as well as those who bore the suffering are dead and buried by now. While there are clearly residual effects that linger from the past, attempting to change history and right historical wrongs should not become the basis for the decisions we make for ourselves now.

Do not let the color of your skin get in the way of your humanity.

(Originally published April 11, 2021)

The year is 1945. World War II is finally over, the Allies have defeated the Axis, and only the United States out of all the major combatants retains its pre-war economic health. Acting in both humanitarian and self-interest, the United States establishes the Marshall Plan to rebuild much of western Europe, including Germany and Italy, and engages in the rebuilding of Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea as well.

Over the next 75 years, the United States will have provided economic assistance to Vietnam, China, and Mexico, as well as opening its markets to goods and services from the EU countries, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Chile, and Argentina, essentially serving as the world’s economic engine for the second half of the 20^th century.

The United States helped establish the United Nations, NATO, fought wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq to prevent the uncontrolled spread of totalitarianism and terrorism, essentially serving as the world’s peacekeeper.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States was left as the world’s only superpower, and the U.S. continued its dual role as the world’s economic engine and the world’s peacekeeper. The sense of superiority and manifest destiny that the U.S. developed during this time led to widespread resentment in many regions of the world. By and large, the U.S. chose to ignore this resentment and assumed that its dominance would last forever.

The U.S. is stuck in a restless, feverish dream, part Alice in Wonderland and part Rip Van Winkle, rabbit holes and magic potions, rulers with huge egos and cackling laughs, twenty years lost and more. We need to wake up to reality. The era of unopposed U.S. dominance is over. How we respond now will determine to what extent the U.S. remains relevant moving forward.

The emergence of China as a world superpower is a fact. Its one-party totalitarian government has single-mindedly transformed a relatively backwards nation into a modern country. The fact that China was brought into the world of nations by the initiative of the United States means nothing to the Chinese. As one who has watched too many late-night Hong Kong Kung-Fu movies over the years, it comes as no surprise that Chinese leaders have taken full advantage of our openness and inattentiveness. Where we see betrayal, the Chinese see strategy. The Chinese have identified the weaknesses of western democracies and have exploited them to the greatest extent possible.

China has stolen intellectual property and cutting-edge technologies, including military technology, from the United States and the European Union. It has flooded our markets with cheap, substandard goods while keeping its own markets closed. It has committed willful negligence in allowing the Covid-19 virus to kill millions of non-Chinese and wreak havoc on the rest of the world’s economy.  It has committed genocide on its own people, taken over Hong Kong in violation of its treaty agreement, expanded far into the South China Sea in violation of the United Nations Maritime agreement, and gives every indication that it is preparing to invade Taiwan.

This is not a country that appears to have any interest in joining the world of nations as an equal partner. This is a country whose intention appears to be to replace the U.S. as the dominant world power and to exert its influence globally to further its own self-interests. China has taken many actions to weaken the U.S. to achieve its goal and will continue to do so as long as the U.S. refuses to act.

While the U.S. has no manifest right to begrudge China’s success, the U.S. and the rest of the world of nations have every right to insist that China acknowledge the rights and sovereignty of other countries, to act in accordance with international laws, and to conduct its affairs without threats or intimidation.

It should be expected, however, that China will continue to act in an extremely disruptive and assertive manner, justifying its actions as those of an ancient empire re-establishing its historical imperial domination. President Chi is simply a modern-day Chinese emperor who revels in his power and intends to extend China’s dominion to reach every corner of the world. Chairman Mao’s teachings are destined to become a footnote in Chinese history.

Of course, Chinese dominion cannot be allowed to happen. China’s ambitions must be resisted until President Chi is dead in 20 years, or until the people of China recognize the hypocrisy of its corrupt government and rebel against its oppression and subjugation.

The recent Alaskan summit between the U.S. and China has clearly established that China has more contempt than it has respect for the U.S. and believes that the U.S. is in decline and lacks the will to assert itself. So be it. The U.S. has been challenged and must respond with a resoluteness and resolve that it has not shown in decades.

Given the degree of senseless partisanship, economic greed, and pointless division that currently exists within the U.S., this is going to be a problem.

Whatever the point of the summit was from the perspective of the U.S.,   the summit was clearly a diplomatic failure. There can and will be no constructive relationship between the U.S. and China that would see China adding to the established world order, enriching the world with its culture and technology, and contributing to the global effort to address issues that affect all nations.

However, the summit was a profound success in one regard. China seized this opportunity to express its rejection of the established world order that is based upon the concepts of peace and prosperity for all nations and all peoples, as well as its rejection of international agreements that are intended to advance and protect these concepts, and China confirmed its intention to pursue its own self-interests in an extremely aggressive and arrogant manner without regard to the interests of the rest of the world.

The U.S. may have been accused of imperialism in the past, but the world is about to experience true imperialism in the form of an ascendant China. The rest of the world has been given fair warning.

The U.S. needs to stop acting like China is its problem to solve. China is going to do what China is going to do. To what extent their actions end up destabilizing the world remains to be seen. The U.S. will be much better off focusing its efforts and energies towards strengthening its relationships with its existing allies, and in developing new political, economic and cultural relationships with as many other countries as possible.

The United Nations, for all its faults, is an important forum through which the U.S. is able to offer its leadership, resources, and world vision. The United Nations provides a forum to address Chinese aggression, to advocate for reform of the World Health Organization, to support the judicious use of the United Nations Security Forces, to coordinate various humanitarian initiatives, and to address the world of nations in a strategic manner that fosters goodwill and begins to erase decades of resentment and suspicion that many countries have towards the U.S.

Defensive alliances such as NATO and the agreements the U.S. has with Israel, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Taiwan form the basis for collective security against aggression by China, Russia, and Iran. Ensuring strong relationships with our most important allies is crucial to ensuring that our collective future will be peaceful and prosperous.

Improving relationships with India and Brazil is vital as well. These are large countries in both size and population, and we must ensure that they view the U.S. as an economic and cultural ally as well as a reliable and non-judgmental partner.

It is also important that the U.S. address our extremely negative and counterproductive relationships with Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela. The U.S. must acknowledge its complicity in creating these relationships, whether due to an outcome of war, political manipulation, or economic coercion. The U.S. must begin to repair these relationships and reduce the level of animosity. The goal should be to have these countries become economic and cultural allies as well.  

The sins that the United States has committed during the past 75 years are trivial when compared to the actions that China has and is taking. China has made it clear that their intention is to aggressively dominate the world militarily, economically, politically, and financially. This world domination was never the intent of the United States.

In hindsight, the interference by the U.S. in the affairs of other countries to protect corporate interests and to install democratic governments in countries where it had never existed before has generally been unsuccessful and detrimental to its national interests. This has ultimately made some countries very suspicious of the U.S. and more inclined to view the U.S. in a negative light instead of as a potential partner.

However, during this time the United States has never made any efforts to expand its territory, and in the cases of Panama and the Philippines, agreed to leave the country when asked to do so even though it was not in its national interest to do so. This willingness to be respectful of the sovereignty of other countries is the direct opposite of imperialism.

To expand upon the principle of reaching out to other countries and other peoples, let the U.S. truly be the country that welcomes all faiths. Religious faith forms the basis for living for many Americans, and faith plays an even more important role in other countries. One of the founding principles of the U.S. is to welcome all faiths but to separate religion from governance, and the importance of this principle to welcome all faiths should not be underestimated.  

The U.S. has long spoken of its founding as a Christian nation. The Jewish faith has long been accepted as well, as shown by the concept of Judeo-Christian values. It is important to understand that there are religious teachings that transcend the boundaries of all faiths, universal teachings that allow all peoples to coexist. The inclusion of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism into the mainstream of religious thought is critical for the long-term security of the U.S.  

The Islamic faith is the third Abrahamic religion along with Judaism and Christianity. The Islamic faith must be accepted as a legitimate and respected religious practice in the U.S. The U.S. must become known as a safe haven for Muslims as it has become for Jews. Islam is practiced by over a billion people. It is infinitely better to be a safe haven than to be the focus of Islamic terrorism.

Islam has not always been at odds with Christianity and Judaism. There is much to appreciate in the scientific contributions made by Islamic scholars, the preservation of Western thought during the Dark Ages, the construction of enumerable architectural marvels, and the artistic, literary, and cultural contributions made by the Arab peoples.

The Hindu faith is even older than Judaism and is practiced by over a billion people. Buddhism is an old faith as well, practiced by over half a billion people. There are Hindu and Buddhist temples throughout the U.S., a reflection of the changing U.S. immigration patterns over the past decades. Both religions bring their own profound histories and teachings and should be welcome additions to U.S. culture and its rich tapestry of faith.

After all, there are many names for God, and many paths to God, but there is only one God. One faith does not take away from another except in the minds of the ignorant and unenlightened. The sincere practice of any faith involves peace, humility, acceptance, and civility, with which this country could use more of.

So, given that China has clearly revealed its intention to challenge the U.S. in all matters, and weaken the U.S. in any way possible, what should the U.S. response be?

Acknowledge and accept the challenge, strategically and expeditiously address all known threats, and directly counter Chinese initiatives and propaganda whenever and wherever possible.

Here is a list of actions that the U.S. should be taking immediately:

• Address the illegal importation of fentanyl by completing the border wall at the U.S./Mexican border, expanding the inspection of goods being imported from China, and identifying alternatives to fentanyl demand.
• Accelerate security enhancements for all government, university, and corporate computer networks to prevent data theft and catastrophic system manipulation, and develop better methods of detecting and isolating electronic intrusion in real time.   
• Prohibit the sale of advanced technologies by U.S. corporations to Chinese companies and third-party companies with Chinese ties, defining such sales as violations of national security and punishable by extremely large fines and extremely long prison sentences.
• Identify critical materials, products and equipment that can only be sourced from Chinese companies and accelerate the development of domestic and allied sources to address current Chinese supply chain vulnerabilities.
• Prohibit Chinese university students from having any involvement in technology-focused research projects at U.S. universities, prohibit partnerships between U.S. research institutions and their Chinese counterparts, and prohibit the issuance of any technology-focused work visas for any Chinese citizens.
• Prohibit the purchase of Chinese-sourced equipment for any critical infrastructure, national defense, and telecommunications applications.
• Develop a U.S. and allied version of the Chinese Belt and Bridges initiative to provide economic and infrastructure aide to South American, Central American, Southeast Asian, and African nations that is based upon grants and not loans.
• Retain the tariffs imposed on various Chinese goods and expand the scope of the tariffs as required to protect domestic manufacturers from unfair trading practices and to equalize the cost of goods.

The U.S. must establish limits to Chinese access – access to our politics, our corporations, our universities, and our economy.  The U.S. cannot afford to ignore the extent to which China has exploited the openness of our society and taken full advantage of the greed and self-interest that has motivated so many of the decisions Americans in power have made over the years.

These decisions have made many Americans and corporations very wealthy. Many Americans and corporations continue to have a strong economic interest in preserving the current relationship with China, despite this clearly not being in the best interests of the U.S. There must be social, economic, and criminal penalties instituted to discourage such decision making.

The world is in a very unsettled place right now. The U.S. must find a way to stop the forces of division acting within itself and realize that the true danger to its way of life is not from other countries but from within.

China offers the world a future where great things can be achieved through collective effort, but at the loss of personal choice, personal expression, and personal belief. China crushes dissent, crushes religion, and crushes its people’s spirit in order to achieve obedience and conformity.

Countries where there is personal freedom tempered with a sense of social responsibility, a healthy democracy with a free press, and minimal governmental corruption are more prosperous, vibrant and creative than those countries that do not have these attributes.

At present, unfortunately, the U.S falls far short of this ideal. The U.S. has personal freedom without a sense of social responsibility, a dysfunctional democracy with a press focused on creating conflict and generating profits at the expense of truth and enlightenment, and a government corrupted by career politicians, lobbyists, and unlimited dark money spent on thought control.

Yet, despite all these issues, the promise of freedom and opportunity that the U.S. represents is why so many people try so hard to immigrate to the U.S. by any means possible. In contrast, why would anyone choose to immigrate to China? Does anyone ever immigrate to China, besides starving worm-infested soldiers from North Korea?

The U.S. must accept that China is a formidable adversary, with whom we will have economic and political conflict for the foreseeable future, i.e., decades. Diplomacy, treaties, and agreements will change nothing because China has repeatedly shown that they will honor nothing.

The U.S. must resolve to defend itself and its interests forcefully and assertively, year after year after year. It must strengthen its existing alliances and develop new alliances with all due haste, and it must learn to welcome other religions so that the U.S. becomes a safe haven for all faiths.

Beyond that, the U.S. and its allies must realize that the existing world order should not be seen as an order defined by Western culture and values, but instead as an order intended to achieve a peaceful and profitable coexistence, raise the standard of living of all the world’s people, and make sure that our planet remains habitable.

When looked at from this perspective, it would be infinitely better if China ended up being a vital contributor to the world order instead of acting as a threat to it. Ultimately, for all of our sakes – U.S. and China alike – this must be the outcome, and this must be the message that the U.S. brings to the world.

(Originally published March 8, 2021)

The Democratic Party likes to think that it is the party of the American people, the downtrodden and disadvantaged, the disaffected, the minorities, the women, the LGBQ. In the past, perhaps this was true. These days, the Democratic Party only represents itself. The people have been forgotten.

During the past presidential primary, none of the Democratic candidates for President spoke in a compelling, presidential manner offering a clear vision for America. Instead, they all had their ‘special” focus that was intended to differentiate themselves from the other candidates.

“Not sure how to open this beer but I have a plan for everything!”

“Free tuition, free health insurance, free the workers, socialism rules!”

“It’s not the race card – that little girl really was me!”

“Wake me up when it’s over!”

“Anybody order a young gay mayor with a side of military service!”

Thank God for Covid-19 and the blind ego of Donald J. Trump. The Democratic Party won the presidency and the Senate on sheer dumb luck with candidates of questionable ability. This will not happen again.

The Democratic Party left common sense behind a long time ago. It’s like a Studio 54 party when Studio 54 was no longer cool, where everyone is desperately doing their own thing and trying to be the center of attention but no one remembers how to dance or change the music, and none of the bathrooms work so the p**s and s**t just keeps piling up to the sound of the same monotonous beat repeating itself over and over. Really sad when you think about it, so let’s not – just party!

There is a difference between having a big tent where everyone can feel welcome and having a big rager where everyone is out of their minds. Does the Democratic Party know the difference?

It is time for the Democratic Party to sober up and focus. Is it still the party of the people, or has it become the party of the rich and the famous, the celebrities and the socialists, the artists and the anarchists, the oppressed and the obsessed?  Is there still room in the big tent for normal everyday people, or is this just not woke anymore?

How did the Democratic Party become the apologist for high-tech billionaires, the Chinese, the illegal immigrant hordes, the rioters and looters, the end-of-days fanatics?

Consider who the Democratic Party has welcomed into its fold:

• Antifa anarchists;
• Black Lives Matter revolutionaries;
• Anti-capitalist socialists;
• Historical revisionists.

How exactly do these groups represent the average working American who just wants to live a decent life?

Consider some of the positions the Democratic Party has recently taken:

• Canceling infrastructure projects such as the Keystone pipeline and completion of the border wall, costing thousands of well-paying projects when the projects support energy independence and prevent the flow of drugs and unskilled labor into the country;
• Allowing the teachers unions to blackmail the country for preferential vaccine treatment while they selfishly refuse to teach our children;
• Agreeing to provide a pathway to citizenship for people who are in this country illegally when others immigrated legally, following our laws and often paying thousands of dollars for doctors and lawyers in the process;
• Welcoming undocumented, often ill, children and asylum seekers into the country and paying for their care when so many Americans are unemployed and suffering.

How exactly do these positions benefit the average working American instead of costing them money and opportunity?

The Democratic Party is letting itself be defined by the Republicans as the party that puts average Americans last and not first, the party of politically correct cancel-culture elitists, the party bought off and controlled by the special interests, the party that is anti-gun and anti-God and anti-life, the party that lets the insane run the asylum. Could it be that the Republicans are right?

The Democratic Party needs to straighten itself out.  

This effort starts with recognizing that the Democratic Party has a leadership problem. Most of its most visible leaders are old-school politicians in their 60’s and 70’s, empty of ideas and vision, greedily sucking the life out of the Democratic Party. When they are gone there will be a leadership void that will be filled with angry, strident, inexperienced men and women who are closed-minded and vindictive. The Democratic Party needs experienced, reasonable, and energetic leadership that can speak with strength and compassion to the average American.

This straightening-out effort continues with focusing on the core Democratic values of social and cultural inclusion, fiscally responsible compassion for the disadvantaged, an equitable distribution of this country’s wealth among all of its citizens, and a strong defense of this country from enemies foreign and domestic.

Finally, this effort ends with claiming the moral and ethical high ground at home and abroad. No more personal insults, no more alternative facts, no more self-sacrificing policies. There must be a recognition that a great country leads the world by example and strength, not by bluster or appeasement or naïve trust.

The world is undergoing an existential change in its climate, profound regional changes in economic strengths and political alliances, and increasing geopolitical instability. Americans have spent the past several decades fighting between ourselves instead of noticing how the world has been changing around us and affecting the changes necessary to adapt and thrive.

It is not only the world that has been changing. This country has been changing as well, and not in a good way. Economic inequality, hyper-partisanship, and the domination of our politics by special interests/corporate dark money has pushed aside the best interests of the American people in favor of making the rich richer. It is no wonder that so many people are scared and angry.

Make America Great Again is the right idea, something that we should all be able to get behind. For Democrats, this needs to start with common sense and moderation, and ensuring that the rights and interests of American citizens are always being addressed first.

(Originally published March 4, 2021)

The Republican Party is making a concerted effort to redefine itself as the party of the American Patriot, the party of the blue-collar American, the party of traditional American values. This is quite appealing when contrasted with the Democratic Party, which has real problems with its elitist lack of common sense and its flirtation with an unrealistic utopian leftist fantasy.

But the Republican Party has some issues to address before it can successfully redefine itself.

The recent presidential election was a referendum on one man, President Donald J. Trump. A little more than half of the country was desperate to remove President Trump from office, in great measure due to a fear of his autocratic and despotic tendencies. This fear was so great that half of the country was willing to vote for a man who campaigned on one issue – President Trump’s Covid-19 response – and who successfully avoided answering any substantive questions about himself or his policies.

Who else is afraid of President Trump? The Republican Party. The Republican Party is afraid of President Trump because he can rally his base of supporters and destroy the political careers of all those who oppose him. President Trump is a cult-like figure and has created an environment by his words and actions where an increasing number of people feel free to express their bigotry and intolerance in an aggressive and threatening manner. Included in the scope of their threats are members of their own Republican Party who have dared to voice an alternative point of view.

Much is made of the fact that the Republican Party is the party of Lincoln.  It was the Republican Party that freed the slaves, so the story goes, and it was the Democratic party who started the Civil War and established the Ku-Klux-Clan. This may be an over-simplification of history, but even so seems contextually correct.

How then did the Republican Party become the party of Old Testament vengeance wrapped in the American flag?  

Consider who the Republican Party has welcomed into its fold:

• White supremacists;
• QAnon conspiracy theorists;
• Para-military militias.

These groups are based upon intolerance, intimidation, and violence. Just how are these the values of the party of Lincoln?

Consider some of the positions the Republican Party has recently taken:

• Support for legal discrimination of homosexual and transgender people in employment, housing, education, finance, etc.;
• Support for restrictive voter registration and voter access laws that will prevent many people from exercising their constitutional right to vote;
• Support for starvation-level minimum wages that must be supplemented by government-issued food stamps, housing subsidies, and Medicaid;
• Support for legal discrimination of potentially anyone if based upon the discriminator’s religious beliefs.

These positions are based upon intolerance, distrust, and exclusion. Again, just how are these the values of the party of Lincoln?

The Republican Party needs to straighten itself out.  

This effort starts with recognizing that idolizing President Trump brings a significant downside, both in terms of achieving the majority of votes necessary to win the presidency as well as in benefiting from a broader discussion of the issues. President Trump sucks the air out of the room and does not let anyone else breath. It is the Trump way or the highway, literally the Republican version of cancel culture.

This straightening-out effort continues with focusing on the core Republican values of fiscal responsibility, a balanced defense of all our constitutional rights, an equitable distribution of this country’s wealth among all of its citizens, and a strong defense of this country from enemies foreign and domestic.

Finally, this effort ends with claiming the moral and ethical high ground at home and abroad. No more personal insults, no more alternative facts, no more isolationist policies. There must be a recognition that a great country leads the world by example and engagement, not by bluster or appeasement or personal charm.

The world is undergoing an existential change in its climate, profound regional changes in economic strengths and political alliances, and increasing geopolitical instability. America has spent the past several decades fighting within itself instead of noticing how the world has been changing around us and affecting positive change.

It is not only the world that has been changing. This country has been changing as well, and not in a good way. Economic inequality, hyper-partisanship, and the domination of our politics by special interests/corporate dark money has pushed aside the best interests of the American people in favor of making the rich richer. It is no wonder that so many people are scared and angry.

Make America Great Again is the right idea, something that we should all be able to get behind. The party of Lincoln certainly could have led the way forward. The question now is whether the current Republican Party is up to it.

(Originally published February 18, 2021)

We are now one month and dozens of executive orders into the Biden administration. Where are we? What do we really know?

• Decisions are being reached but the justification supporting the decision is never made clear.

• Directions are being followed but the reason for choosing the direction is never discussed.

• Policies are being established but the rational behind the policy is never explained.

Who is advising President Biden? How much of the decisions, directions, and policies originate with President Biden, and how much comes from his advisors? There is no accountability or transparency in the Biden administration. It is very much a secret society, a black box of governance.

Whether or not you liked the decisions, directions, and policies of the Trump administration, at least you knew why they were being made and by whom. Things are quite different now.

The general impression being created is that all of President Biden’s executive orders, decisions, directions, and policies are being motivated primarily by an intense dislike of President Trump and anything associated with Trump, and are being unduly influenced by leftist progressives and special interest groups such as the teacher’s unions and Black Lives Matter Inc. Absent of any debate or discussion, how can we be sure that any of this is in the best interests of the American people?

Where is the moderation and unification that we were promised? It is understandable that the 75 million people who voted for President Trump feel left out of the decision-making progress, but how about the 80 million people who voted for President Biden? As many are beginning to realize, they are being left out as well.

Perhaps all the warnings about President Biden were correct – that he is easily manipulated and controlled, unable to direct the course of his own administration. He seems unable to seize the opportunity provided by the presidency to lead, to inspire, to achieve. Where is President Biden’s “Make America Great Again”, his “Shining City On The Hill”, his “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You”?

President Biden’s election is clouded by suspicions of fraud, allegations of unconstitutional acts, and reports of excessive irregularities. His family is accused of profiteering, selling out the country, and acting unethically. How can President Biden expect the American people to trust him when he has so far refused to really address these issues?

Day after day moderates and conservatives alike question the wisdom of decisions being made by the Biden administration, such as releasing illegal aliens into the country, allowing Chinese products to be used in the country’s power grid, suspending energy-related capital projects, and supporting the postponement of in-person education in public schools. These decisions do not appear to be in the best interests of the American people. On the contrary, sound reasons are given that the decisions are in the people’s worst interests.

But the Biden administration never addresses these questions. It is as if the administration does not feel any responsibility to the American people to explain its actions.

President Biden can repeat “Trump Is Bad – Covid-19” for only so long before it loses its impact and turns into a sad excuse for Biden administration policies that are poorly thought out and harmful to the American people. News Flash – Trump is no longer president, and the Covid-19 vaccination program is well underway. It is all on Biden now.

President Biden recently reminded us during his first town hall of the three principles of his presidency:

• Restore the soul of the country, focusing on decency, honor, integrity, and dignity.

• Rebuild the backbone of the country, expanding the middle class, ensuring that minorities have an equal opportunity to be included.

• Unite the country, basing decisions on consensus instead of one-party rule.

Certainly, President Biden believes in these principles, and they are noble principles that would strengthen the country if they could only be achieved. But it is equally evident that President Biden is an elder statesman, to put it kindly. He needs his advisors, his cabinet, and his vice president to fully support these principles and act accordingly.

Unfortunately, the Biden administration is too woke for its own good, too politically correct, too superficially diverse. There are too many people in highly visible positions who want to make their mark and cannot help but let their own ambitions cloud their judgement and negatively affect the performance of their duties. There are too many undisciplined people who follow their own interpretation of President Biden’s principles in order to suit their own agenda.

Generals Mattis, Kelly, and McMaster brought decency, honor, integrity, dignity, honesty, toughness and pragmatism to President Trump’s administration. It is still early in his administration, but President Biden needs to find his own generals before his principles are forgotten and replaced with a progressive form of corruption based upon wokefulness and personal ambition.

 (originally published January 11, 2021)

The ancient Greeks were famous for their tragedies about gods and heroes, Shakespeare was famous for his tragedies about kings and courts, but this ongoing American tragedy may outdo them all by the time all is said and done.

At the center of the tragedy is President Trump, hero as well as anti-hero. By his own words and deeds he set himself separate and a savior, which became both his greatest strength and then his most profound weakness.

President Trump demanded unconditional loyalty, subservience and allegiance, and created a division within this nation between those who gave him what he demanded and those who would not.

Now he has fallen, taken down by the consequences of his excesses. He leaves behind a damaged nation that searches for a way forward. We look for guidance from our leaders and from our pundits, but they speak with voices that do not ring true. The voices are hollow, insincere, confused, unsure.

History will eventually write of President Trump’s triumphs and accomplishments in an honest and thoughtful manner, but not today. Today appears to be a day for vengeance and retribution, a day for a wooden stake to the heart, a day to revel in the downfall of someone who flew too close to the sun.

Now more than ever we need to be honest with ourselves.

Half of the nation doubts the validity and fairness of our Presidential election. If there was fraud and cheating that did indeed influence or even change the results of the election, then this must be known. President Biden must establish a commission of the wisest among us to find the truth, but is he wise enough to do so?

There is no way forward to healing the nation without fully and honestly addressing these concerns and suspicions, but the voices whispering in President Biden’s ear may be like the sirens from the Illiad, so seductive in their partisan song of blood and vengeance that they lead him to ruin before his voyage has even begun.

President Biden will not succeed in his vision for this nation if he cannot convince those Americans who did not vote for him that he is their legitimate, duly elected president. This must be his first priority.

President Biden must also realize that he is surrounded by allies of convenience who have their own agendas – Pelosi, Schumer, Harris, Sanders, and Cortez among others – and who cannot be trusted to give him advice free from their own self-interests and prejudices. The best advice may in fact come from the other side of the aisle.

This rush to impeach President Trump during the last days of his presidency is a clear example of an extremely divisive idea that should have no place in an administration dedicated to uniting the country, and this idea should be discouraged by President Biden in a forceful and direct manner instead of weakly sidestepping around it as he has done up until now.

President Biden must also realize that kind words towards President Trump and the total rejection of disparaging or vindictive remarks will bring him much more goodwill and cooperation from Trump’s supporters than any disappointment voiced by his allies of convenience or the fickle media will hurt him. There is nobility in showing benevolence towards those who have lost the battle, and there is the real possibility that a lasting peace may be achieved by doing so.

President Biden must also object to how the First Amendment right to free speech has been stripped away from President Trump and others. This is more of an assault on our Constitution than anything President Trump has ever said. Let everyone express their opinions in accordance with the First Amendment, and let their opinions rise or fall as they may. We cannot be afraid of ideas that may be different from our own and still be free.

President Trump has earned the right to express himself to his millions of followers. If Twitter, Facebook, Apple, Google, and Amazon insist on using their monopolistic powers to limit ideas and opinions to only those that they deem acceptable, then it is time to recognize that social media platforms are really a new form of public utility and need to be regulated accordingly. Free speech must be available to everyone, certainly to the President of the United States. Five multi-billionaires cannot be allowed to control the thought of a free nation.

As it stands right now, President Trump finally gave a subdued and heartfelt speech that expressed his appreciation for being given the opportunity to lead the nation. It was a speech that did not include any claims about the presidential election, a long listing of his accomplishments, or attacks on his political enemies and the media. It is possible that he is beginning to develop a new perspective on his time in office now that it is clear his time is coming to an end.

Losing this election may be a somewhat humbling experience for President Trump, but how are we to know when he has been silenced? It is hoped that President Trump will eventually find a new means of expression that is more meaningful and significant than either his tweeting or his rallies have proved to be. Less entertainment and more substance would be more fitting for an ex-president.

One day, when there are events where our ex-presidents appear together, hopefully we will see President Trump standing side by side with Presidents Carter, Clinton, Bush, and Obama, honorable men who served the nation the best that they knew how, each with their own flaws and limitations along with their successes, but patriots all.

Let us not compound the tragedy by squandering this opportunity to unite as one nation with one common purpose as a free people, simply because of the inflated egos of our leaders and our collective need to even the score.