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I remember 25 years ago attending a Sunday service at a Unitarian church in southern Pennsylvania close to the Delaware border. This Unitarian church had a tradition of letting its congregation members speak about anything that was on their mind. A tastefully dressed woman stood up, introduced herself as a mid-level corporate manager, and proceeded to blame American workers for not being willing to accept the wages of overseas workers, thereby forcing corporate America to move its production overseas.

And so it began, this rejection of American workers by corporate America, which continues to this day.

All of our brilliant corporate minds reject the idea that America should manufacture anything. We have a service-based economy, they say. We need more AI, not the production of tangible products. We can’t compete with cheap overseas labor, so why even try?

I remember 50 years ago, when everything was still being made in this country. Shoes, clothing, appliances, sporting goods, cars, trucks, ships, farm equipment, machinery, pharmaceuticals – everything. 

So, what happened? 

First, the rise of trickle-down economics brought with it a massive reduction in income tax rates for the wealthy and corporations. The theory was that the wealthy would invest in businesses in the U.S., and this would result in a rise in wages and salaries for middle-class workers as some of this wealth given to the wealthy trickled down to them. The problem with this theory is that it was based upon the expectation that the wealthy would share their wealth. This never happens.

Second, the rise of the global economy resulted in foreign-made goods becoming more available to consumers and businesses in this country. Consumers liked the lower prices of foreign-made goods, were willing to accept lower quality, and did not make the connection that their preference for cheaper foreign-made goods was going to result in the loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs in this country. Cheaper foreign-made goods allowed American corporations to become more profitable by becoming importers instead of manufacturers, eliminating the overhead of wages, salaries, and factories.

Third, the entry of China into the global economy accelerated the destruction of the American industrial base. China created an export-based economy for itself and flooded the world with its cheap products. This allowed retailers such as Walmart to change how Americans shopped, in the process essentially destroying small-town businesses as Americans bought more and more cheap Chinese goods from brightly lit mega stores. American corporations continued to source more and more products from China, including machinery, chemicals, and minerals, laying the groundwork for this country’s economic vulnerability that has become increasingly evident. 

Fourth, there has been a creation of a new class of economic elites within the United States that has successfully transferred enormous wealth from the middle class to itself. This class of economic elites has benefited from very favorable tax laws and the ability to control our politicians to its benefit. It is no coincidence that this country has nearly a third of the world’s billionaires, that the top 1% of the wealthiest control nearly 1/3 of the wealth of this country, that corporate leaders make nearly 300 times more than their typical employee, and that dark money now dominates political campaign expenditures. 

Fifth, the rise in partisanship within our political system over the past 25 years has resulted in the creation of voting blocs within the two houses of Congress that prevent any serious discussion of issues from occurring and prevent compromise on legislation that would benefit the American people. It always seems that whenever an important issue is raised by a politician from either political party, the other party does its best to discredit the politician instead of acknowledging and discussing the issue. There has been no significant effort made to protect and promote the interests of the American people in decades.

It is no wonder that Americans distrust their own government and are less and less happy with their lives. 

Where do we go from here?

That is the question that we face as a nation. 

I am afraid that there will be no easy answers.

April 30^th will mark the 100^th day of the Trump administration. On this day, the Trump administration and the Trump party, formerly known as the Republican party, will declare that this has been the most consequential first 100 days of any presidency ever anywhere. 

Given the extent that the Trump administration has disrupted so much of what Americans have grown accustomed to, they will probably be right.

Historians will certainly record that this first 100 days was the most damaging of any American presidency, but for the time being we are all spectators, victims, and participants in Donald Trump’s Project 2025 Tour of Vengeance. 

It is impossible to predict what this country and the world will look like at the end of the Trump presidency, but it is unlikely that America will be great again or the world safer again. 

It is a great gift to the Democratic Party that the Republican Party has only one voice, the voice of Trump. Once Trump is gone the MAGA movement will lose its focus and direction. The Republican Party will frantically try to sustain the Trump aura, but since there is only one Trump, this effort will certainly be doomed to fail. 

In remaking the Republican Party in his own image, Donald Trump has destroyed everything that once defined the Republican Party. The Republican Party will have to redefine itself, and this will take time.

It is becoming clear that the Trump administration favors the rich and powerful at the expense of the old, the crippled, the poor, and the middle class. The Trump administration wants to punish through imprisonment, impeachment, and deportation all those who have spoken out against him, and eliminate future dissent through threats, intimidation, and federal legal action. The Trump administration has no friends or allies, only transactional foes. Everyone is an enemy. No one deserves compassion, empathy, or due process.

These are not the core values of what the Republican Party used to represent. It should be relatively straightforward for the Democratic Party to redefine the Republican Party as the party of the rich and ruthless, the heartless, the hate-filled, the destroyer of hopes and dreams.

And yet, this is the Democratic Party that we are talking about. Donald Trump became the focus of the Democratic Party, and still is. The Democratic Party has no effective leadership, no shared vision, no message other than to criticize and demonize Donald Trump. The Democratic Party has to unify itself and then inspire the American people with a different vision for the future. Donald Trump has broken the Democratic Party as well.

Donald Trump won reelection for a reason – he was seen to be strong, decisive, confident, charismatic, unafraid of questions, and possessing a positive vision for the future that saw America becoming great again. And he was not Joe Biden or Kamala Harris.

The Democrats simply cannot accept this. The Democrats want to be the party of the caring, the compassionate, to be the champions of the strange, the weird, the agitators, the protesters, and to bask in the support of the celebrities, even if this means that they must ignore the moderate nature of the American people. This is not what the American people want. This is a losing proposition, but the Democrats appear to be willing to double down on it.   

The Democrats need to find a champion, a leader who is seen to be serious, strong, decisive, articulate, and confident. This champion must possess a commonsense vision for the future that embraces global alliances and rejects isolationism. This champion must be well-versed in geopolitics and military strategy, as well as being experienced in the art of passing legislation in a partisan environment. And, in order to be electable, this champion must be willing to accept the social values of the majority of the American people and not insist on a woke agenda.

None of the current rising stars of the Democratic Party and none of the traditional old-school political warhorses meet these criteria. The Democratic Party needs one of their established senators or representatives to commit to becoming its champion, its leader, not because of ego, but because of a sense of duty to the country. 

Having military experience and involvement in intelligence/defense/foreign relations committees would be important assets for the next Democratic leader. Such a background would reassure the many Americans who view Democrats as being socialist woke weaklings, showing that a Democrat can be strong and disciplined, someone to whom the leadership of this country can be entrusted. 

The Trump administration is showing what it means to be led by a strongman who continues to expand his fascist vision of an America that is unified by fear and lack of dissent. Anyone who does not believe that Donald Trump is a fascist should read the Wikipedia definition of fascism. 

From Wikipedia, …

“Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.” 

Quite clearly, Donald Trump is the very definition of a fascist: 

He is a dictatorial leader who has surrounded himself with people who have demonstrated their willingness to carry out his orders without question. 

He has threatened military action against Panama and Greenland, and he has declared economic war on allies and adversaries alike through worldwide tariffs. 

He has systematically threatened the free press, law firms, universities, judges, prosecutors, and governors to impose his will or his retribution. 

He has systematically removed inspector generals and as many other existing governmental controls that may oversee or limit his actions. 

He believes that the very rich should lead the country and receive an increasing share of the nation’s wealth, even if this means that the poor and the elderly, among many others, will receive less. 

He has eliminated hundreds of thousands of government positions and hundreds of millions of dollars in government expenditures without any pretense of having first carefully evaluated these actions other than to claim, without proof of merit, that they were either unnecessary, duplicative, wasteful, or fraudulent.

He has imposed economic tariffs on essentially all imported goods in order to correct what he believes has been decades of imbalanced trade with essentially all other countries. This will increase the price of energy, food, clothing, lumber, cars, drugs – the consumer goods that people need on a daily basis – but he has promised that any resulting economic pain will prove to be good for the country over time.

He has directed his government to find and deport as many illegal immigrants as possible, with the stated intention of concentrating on those who are criminals and gang members. However, the scope of this deportation effort now identifies as criminals anyone who is in this country illegally, regardless of family, history of employment, or contribution to community. This has become a needlessly cruel policy that is said to be in the best interests of American society.

He has referenced the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to justify the removal from this country, or refusal to readmit to this country, virtually anyone who has a legal basis to be in this country other than birthright citizens. This includes those with student visas, those who have work permits, those who hold green cards, those who are in the midst of legal efforts to remain in this country, and those who are naturalized citizens. This can and is being done without due process.

President Trump is unique among all American presidents with regards to the extent of his fascist tendencies. His ability to exert his will over the Republican majority in both houses of Congress, all of whom have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution first and foremost, is extraordinarily disturbing. Their unwillingness to question or debate any of his actions is profoundly disappointing. So is the blind allegiance of so many of his supporters.

Such is the power of a charismatic, unhinged fascist leader.

Donald Trump was not always a fascist, but losing to Joe Biden has broken Donald Trump and has unleashed his darkest instincts, instincts that revolve around absolute control, retribution, paranoia, and vengeance. Donald Trump is living in his own world right now, unhinged and without any limitations other than those imposed by the reality of the world that the rest of us live in. 

Unfortunately, this will all have to get worse before it gets better. An overwhelming majority of the American people will have to disapprove of Donald Trump before the congressional Republicans will be willing to speak out in disagreement, let alone pass legislation to undo some of his most excessive actions. 

Instead of being led by a unhinged fascist strongman, it would be far better to have a leader who is strong, but understands what it means to live in a democracy. 

This is a problem, because this leader needs to come from the Democratic Party, the party that represents nothing and stands for nothing. To say that the Democratic Party is currently held in low esteem by a vast majority of Americans is not an overstatement, it is a statement of fact.

DEI, critical race theory, trans rights, climate change, equity, celebrity endorsements – this country has moved beyond all that. The Democratic Party needs to as well. It cannot continue to allow the Republicans to define it in such a disparaging manner that in many parts of the country to identify as a Democrat is to be ostracized, ridiculed, and dismissed. 

Now is the time for the Democratic Party to put forth candidates who believe in making America great again, but also understand that moderation and common sense are the best ways to achieve inclusion, not through social engineering. If only the Democratic Party was prepared to offer Americans a better vision for the future of this country, it could win back the House and the Senate during the mid-term elections. 

It may be too soon to expect so much, given the chaos that exists within the Democratic Party, but all it would take is one person who is a true leader to emerge and inspire. Whoever you are, this country needs you.

We are halfway through the first 100 days of the second Trump administration and there is a noticeable chill in the air, an uneasiness, a vague sense of something bad that is about to come.

First, the good news. No one is attempting to illegally enter this country anymore. Fentanyl and human trafficking are trending downward. 

And…that is it. Everything else is bad news. 

The Trump administration would like to believe that it is ushering in the Golden Age of America, but it is looking more and more that what they are doing will create a Dark Age of Chaos instead. 

I watched the televised first Cabinet meeting and was struck by how unqualified and unimpressive most of the cabinet members appeared to be. Clearly President Trump chose them for their loyalty and fealty to him first and foremost, not because they were among the best qualified people for the positions that they hold. In addition, the esteem and deference that everyone gave to Elon Musk was disappointing, as was the egotistical way in which Mr. Musk comported himself. 

I watched the televised meeting between President Trump and President Valisnsky during which President Trump and Vice-President Vance harshly criticized President Valinsky for advocating for his own country. President Trump grossly overstated the value of the military aid that the U.S. has provided Ukraine, and grossly understated the value of the military aid that the EU nations have provided Ukraine. The attempt to humiliate President Valinsky and make him grovel for more aid was an embarrassment to this country.

I watched the televised first speech by President Trump to the joint session of Congress and was very disappointed that President Trump was so dismissive of the Democratic Senators and Representatives, who represent nearly half of the citizens of this country. Of course, I felt that the behavior of many Democrats in attendance, together with the rebuttell speech gave by Representative XYZ, was a perfect reflection of the unfocused, undisciplined, and ineffective nature of the Democratic Party. 

We would do well to remember that Donald Trump was an egocentric TV celebrity who captured the attention of the American public until he lost interest in his own show when his ratings began to decline. We would do well to remember as well that he was a terrible businessman who declared bankruptcy five times, leaving financial disasters in his wake that other people were forced to clean up. We would do well to remember that his business empire is based primarily on golf clubs and renting out his name for use on properties owned by other people. 

Donald Trump’s entire career is based upon his brash charm, his aggressive deal-making, and his undeniable flare for self-promotion. He has created nothing beyond himself. That is who he is. 

Being President is Donald Trump’s greatest performance. Unfortunately, the presidency of the United States is not intended to be theater. It is a serious responsibility that requires forethought, strategic thinking, a sense of obligation to do right by the people of this country, and a historical awareness of the position of this country vis-s-vis the rest of the world. 

Donald Trump possesses none of these critical attributes. But he has all the power of the Presidency to do as he wishes. The fact that he is creating a disaster for this country should come as no surprise to anyone who has an understanding of history and what happens when leaders have no limitations on their worst impulses.

It is still the case that President Trump has millions of followers who believe in everything that he says and support anything that he does. However, the more government employees that his administration fires, the more difficult it becomes to conduct the business of government. It becomes more likely that the actions of the Trump administration will begin to have a negative effect on the lives of the people who entrusted him with our democracy. 

Severe cuts to Medicaid, for example, will mean that millions of Americans will no longer have affordable access to health care. The punitive tariffs against our three largest trading partners, followed by reciprocal tariffs against the remaining countries of the world, will result in higher prices for food and clothing, which will affect everyone except the wealthiest among us.

There is concern that the actions of the Trump administration will lead to a significant economic downturn due to fewer exports of agricultural products, a slowdown in the housing industry due to higher imported lumber prices, and a reduced demand for cars and trucks due to tariff-driven higher prices.

The Trump administration has begun warning Americans to expect some pain before they see the benefits of this Golden Age of America. Congressional Republicans have begun stating that the true patriots of this country are willing to accept this pain. Is this not the opposite of what Donald Trump promised that his second term would bring?

It is entirely possible that by the end of the first 100 days of the Trump administration President Trump’s disapproval rating will reach an all-time low, but great damage will already have been done by then.

Perhaps it will finally become clear that Donald Trump was never the answer, that his greatness was only an illusion, that he really does not understand this democracy and the American people after all, that the demands of the office of President are beyond his capabilities. 

When this happens, we had better be prepared, because who knows what a desperate Donald Trump would be willing to do?

President Trump has been President for a week and is proceeding at lightning speed to restructure the U.S. government. President Trump actually started his administration weeks before his inauguration. His actions so far have been bold and decisive, often at the expense of the Congress and the Constitution. 

From his decision to pardon all indicted and all convicted people involved in the January 6^th insurrection, to his decision to fire nearly all Inspector Generals from his government, and to his decision to eliminate all government positions related to DEI initiatives, President Trump has shown no respect for the legal system and due process and has shown no compassion for those whom he has fired. 

President Trump has exerted his will over the Republican members of Congress, who will almost certainly confirm without question every appointment that he makes, starting with his cabinet, regardless of the level of relevant experience of his appointees, any conflicts of interest they may have, or questionable past conduct or statements made.

In addition, President Trump has threatened allies and enemies alike with tariffs, annexations, and holy hell should they not accede to his demands.

It has been a week of weeks, and this is only the beginning.

President Trump insists that the American people have given him a mandate to change the country as he sees fit and is proceeding accordingly. He acts as if the checks and balances to presidential power as stated in the Constitution do not apply to him. President Trump controls the Congress, the legislative branch of the government. He acts in a manner that suggests he fully expects the Judicial branch of the government, i.e., the Supreme Court, to also fall in line.

There is an understandable concern that President Trump will exceed his constitutional authority unchecked and will engage in actions that threaten not just people who entered this country illegally, but those who are here legally, those who are naturalized citizens, those who want access to contraception and early-term abortion, even those who question the constitutionality of his actions or simply voice their disagreement with them.

This is certainly the potential downside to this new Trump administration, a ruthless control of society and a silencing of dissent. Many Trump supporters may be in favor of such measures, not understanding that these actions are in accordance with the type of Trump fascism that people were warning about leading up to this recent election. 

President Trump’s nominees to various senior positions in his cabinet reflect his intention to act with an iron fist. His nominees suggest that President Trump believes that it is necessary for him to have people in these positions who share his willingness to act in ways that ignore the Constitutional limits of executive authority. 

Of concern as well is President Trump’s ongoing purge of government employees, which is a confirmation of his need for retribution and unquestioning fealty. Many of these firings, such as those involving independent inspector generals, are of questionable merit even in light of his need for absolute control. At the very least, the extent and breadth of President Trump’s purge shows an absence of thoughtfulness and any concern about short-term pain or long-term consequences.

There are now comparisons being made detailing the similarity between the actions of the Trump administration and the Project 2025 manifesto, suggesting that President Trump mislead everyone when he denied having any knowledge of Project 2025. This pretty much confirms that President Trump will say whatever he needs to say in order to achieve his objective. So much for honesty.

 In any event, all of President Trump’s disruptive actions will be over by the end of the first 100 days of his presidency. At that point we will have a clearer picture of the degree to which the Republican-controlled legislative branch of the government intends to perform their constitutional responsibility as being a check and balance. 

Given its current commitment to supporting President Trump’s agenda without reservation or deliberation, it is unlikely that the Republican-controlled Senate and House will be anything other than a mindless rubber stamp.

It is unfortunate that President Trump has taken this sledgehammer-like approach to governance. It takes away from his perceptiveness in identifying the critical failings and weaknesses of our country, both domestically as well as internationally.

To begin with, the border security of this country has been severely weakened by the Biden administration’s policies. There are between one and two million dangerous illegal aliens in this country. They must be located and removed, which is happening now. 

Side Note: It would be best if there was complimentary legislation establishing a more robust working visa program so that critical work being performed by illegal immigrants was acknowledged and legalized. This is unlikely to happen in the current environment where the focus is on removing as many illegal immigrants as possible regardless of their personal and employment history in this country. The American economy will suffer from this short-sighted approach.

Next, the geopolitical security of this country has been weakened by this country’s complacency and vacillating approach to strategic threats around the world. This is not a world of love and sense of community. It is a world of transactional decisions and alliances. This country’s generosity, openness, and sense of responsibility/guilt has been used to manipulate our foreign policy and access our wealth. A hardnosed review and rebalancing of our foreign relations is long overdue.

Side Note: The threat of tariffs and sanctions to induce cooperation by other countries in the interest of achieving a rebalancing of our foreign relations is an entirely acceptable strategy as long as there is a clear, reasonable, and justifiable basis for our actions. It is a harsh and direct approach to changing the status que, but this country can no longer accept any agreements that place us at a strategic or economic disadvantage. 

Next, there is a need for strengthening the international rules-based order that has allowed most of the world to flourish despite widespread corruption in many countries. The United States has been seen as the leader of the free world since the end of World War II, and this is a role that must continue because there is no alternative. Diplomacy is certainly an important part of this effort, but having a strong military deterrence has become increasingly more important. The threats to international rules-based order are primarily aggressive in nature, ranging from terrorist activities to cyber-attacks to actual invasions.  All threats must be addressed in a timely, direct, and multi-national manner.

Side Note: The military industrial complex based in the Pentagon is currently unable to develop and procure the weapons that this country requires to sustain a strong military deterrence. This is due to a concentration of military production in a limited number of profit-driven corporations that have undo political influence, both in Congress and in the Pentagon itself. Instead of relying solely on domestic weapons technology and manufacturing capability, the technologies and manufacturing capabilities possessed by NATO, the Quad countries, South Korea and Israel should be incorporated into our defense planning.

Next, there may be an opportunity to reduce the Federal budget by eliminating unnecessary programs and redundant agencies, and by reimagining how services are being provided. In addition, procurement methods may be inefficient due to various restrictions and regulations. The creation of a cabinet level Department of Government Efficiency has the potential to identify this type of government waste, although it is unclear at this time to what extent it will be able to act independently of political bias and influence.

Side Note: The assumption has been made that the Federal Government is too large and has too many people. Considering that the number of Federal employees has stayed remarkably consistent over the past 40 years, excessive headcount is unlikely to be a significant cause of the growth of the Federal budget, and yet this seems to be a primary focus of DOGE. So too, the firing of so many inspector generals removes independent oversight and increases the likelihood of corrupt practices flourishing in government agencies due to the amount of money involved in grants, programs, and contracts. This would appear to have been a self-defeating measure.

Next, there are undoubtably regulations and permitting requirements that restrict more efficient business development and expansion instead of protecting the public interest. Whereas most regulations and requirements were established to address an immediate need, their effectiveness over time may have turned into an unnecessary bureaucratic nightmare. Periodic review of all regulations for relevance and continued need should be an integral part of the work done by every agency in every department throughout the entire Federal government. Unfortunately, this is the type of unglamorous work the value of which is not immediately apparent and therefore is likely to be left undone.

Side Note: In many instances, it is politically expedient and highly profitable to eliminate regulations that require the public interest to be considered and protected. Great care should be exercised in the elimination of regulations to ensure that these actions are in the public interest. However, given the number of extremely wealthy businessmen/investors who will hold high-level positions within the Trump administration, it should be expected that many regulations will be eliminated so as to allow the exploitation of the public interest by private business interests.

Next, the United States is the largest market for international trade, and has traditionally run a deficit with most countries, importing more than exporting. This country’s reliance on China as a primary trading partner has proven to be problematic due to their unfair, manipulative, and somewhat threatening practices. Encouraging the development of other sources for goods, services, and raw materials is a prudent approach. Restrictions and tariffs on Chinese imports is also a prudent approach to counteract their strategic, destabilizing efforts.

Side Note: It is unclear to what extent the trade deficit has a negative effect on the economy of the United States. In theory, a balance between imports and exports may very well be a preferred condition, but in practice what this would mean for the U.S. economy needs much more study. Imposing tariffs to address existing trade deficits without this in-depth study, as is being done with Canada and Mexico, may not result in the desired outcome of balanced trade, but is likely to result in a worsening of relations with these countries. This should matter to the Trump administration, but it does not appear to factor into their actions.

Next, this country needs to become more tolerant towards those who have different ways of looking at life. This applies to our own people, as well as to our relationships with other countries. 

Side Note: This is where President Trump has been and will continue to be an abject failure. He seems to be fundamentally unable to understand the concepts of tolerance and diplomacy. The difference between being a tough-minded leader and an intimidator-in-chief is lost on him. President Trump does not believe in thinking things through and considering the ramifications of his words and deeds before speaking and acting. He believes in his own infallibility and sees any questioning of his decisions to be evidence of disloyalty. “I and I alone can solve the problems of this country” is President Trump’s underlying conceit. It simply is not true.

So, could Donald Trump be right? 

Yes, in that he has identified a number of ways in which this country could improve itself from where it is today. 

However, in the first few weeks of his administration, President Trump has acted imperiously with complete disregard to the ramifications of his actions and is likely to have exceeded his constitutional authority. 

Whatever mandate President Trump believes he was given by the American people certainly did not extend to the removal of the inspector generals who monitor government departments for corruption and other forms of malfeasance. So too, it is doubtful that the carte blanche authority President Trump has given Elon Musk to eliminate major parts of the federal government without debate or discussion was anticipated by the more moderate Trump supporters.

In comparison to the weak and unfocused leadership of the Biden administration, it is refreshing and reassuring to many that President Trump is taking decisive action. There is a sense among many that whatever President Trump does must be good for the country and that his actions should not be questioned.

It should be clear by now that President Trump and his administration are intent on a wholesale transformation of this country in the spirit of Project 2025. Once the giddiness and euphoria has passed, and the reality of the Project 2025 vision begins to become clearer, it will be time to take a much closer look as to whether or not this is in the best interests of our nation. 

But that time is not today. 

Elon Musk is the richest man alive. His net worth of 415 billion USD is greater than the GDP of 174 of 212 countries.

Elon Musk believes that his DNA is so desirable that he offers to give his semen away for free to any woman who wants it.

Elon Musk purchases Twitter, renames it X, uses the social media platform to share his gospel to the world, and somehow becomes a Svengali-like advisor to President-elect Trump.

Elon Musk revels in the rapturous attention of MAGA crowds, dancing and twirling around like a maniacal celebrity.

Money. Sex. Power. Fame.

Elon Musk is the epitome of someone who is being driven by the basest of instincts.

Elon Musk used to do great things.

Elon Musk co-founded PayPal and simplified financial transactions.

Elon Musk established Tesla and proved the feasibility of electric vehicles. 

Elon Musk re-imagined low-orbit space travel through SpaceX.

Elon Musk developed the Star Link network of communication satellites.

Elon Musk co-founded Neuralink to develop a computer-brain interface that may prove to be a medical breakthrough.

These are great things.

But now, he does nothing but glorify himself. Elon Musk has become a great disappointment. What a waste of intellect and imagination.

At the turn of the century, i.e., 1900, there was another man who was an industrialist and one of the richest men in the world. His name was Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie founded the Carnegie Steel Company, which later became part of the U.S. Steel Corporation. In 1889, at the age of 54, he wrote an article, “The Gospel of Wealth,” in which he stated that the rich should use their wealth to improve society. He supported progressive taxation and an inheritance tax, and by the end of his life had given away 90% of his wealth to philanthropic causes. 

Andrew Carnegie funded Carnegie Hall, the Peace Palace in the Hague, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, Carnegie Mellon University, the Carnegie Hero Fund, the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Institute for Science, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York – a philanthropic organization.

Elon Musk will be 54 years old in June. He seems to be the antithesis of Andrew Carnegie. Elon Musk shows no sense of higher purpose, no empathy or understanding of the life experience of others, nor any interest in leaving this world a better place than how it was when he came into it. Elon Musk seems to believe that his business endeavors alone will ultimately be of such great benefit to humanity that he needs to do nothing more. 

Isn’t it ironic that Elon Musk’s idea of benefiting humanity begins with his own enrichment? 

This is clearly not what Andrew Carnegie had in mind when he wrote about the responsibility of the wealthy to make the world a better place.

But why single Elon Musk out? Every mega billionaire has a foundation, seemingly more as a virtue signal and a tax haven than as an actual philanthropic organization. For every mega yacht that burns more fuel in an hour than an average household uses in a month, there is a private jet that burns more fuel in an hour than an average vehicle uses in 10 years. Being excessively wealthy means never having to question your sense of entitlement.

The United States has over 800 billionaires, with a collective worth of over 6 trillion USD. Think about what so much wealth could do for our society if spent wisely. We need to expect more from those who control so much, not admire them simply because they have so much.

What might a wise use of such wealth be? How about creating 800 start-up non-profit manufacturing companies located in economically depressed areas of the country? This would provide opportunities for the disadvantaged among us to live a decent life, as well as reversing fifty years of manufacturing atrophy that has weakened this country. What better way to break the chains that bind us so tightly to Chinese manufacturing? 

In the end, of course, all of their wealth will mean nothing to them, these billionaires. Look at the Pharaohs, entombed with great treasure for their enjoyment in the afterlife. The Pharaohs are gone, mummified or turned to dust, yet their treasure remains behind in their tombs, displayed in museums, or stolen by thieves. 

Would it not be better to follow the example of Andrew Carnegie and leave behind a legacy of good works instead of leaving behind wealth that was accumulated over a lifetime but was ultimately wasted, its potential unrealized because of greed and thoughtlessness? 

Never before in the history of this country has so much economic wealth been concentrated in the hands of so few people. So too, it is becoming increasingly clear that these same people also wield grossly excessive political influence that is corruptive and corrosive to democratic principles and endangers the well-being of our democracy.

This is the very definition of an oligarchy, where a small group of people have control of a country or institution. 

People have a sense that this country is headed in the wrong direction, but they incorrectly identify the reasons for this, believing the problem to be party affiliation or extremist points of view. The unprecedented concentration of wealth and power is more to blame, because it restricts wealth generation by average Americans, and negates the value of their votes.

The figurative rape of America is an ongoing phenomenon that must be stopped, but how?

Revisions to tax laws that favor the wealthy, an end to the glorification of uncontrolled wealth acquisition, the requirement that the source of the dark money that overwhelms our political system be identified – these ideas would begin to address the gross economic inequities that currently exist and begin to illuminate how dark money from unknown sources has corrupted our political system. 

In addition, the absence of any sense of social responsibility within large corporations has become an accepted norm, a dehumanizing and ruinous evolution of our capitalist system that will prove self-destructive in the long term. We must have a return to conscientious capitalism.

The murder of a health insurance executive for being instrumental in denying necessary medical coverage to insured people, and thereby causing preventable deaths, may or may not prove to be a seminal moment for our society. 

Hopefully it will be, so this act of murder and this loss of life will have not been in vain.

This tragic event has clearly exposed how decisions are being made in corporations to increase profits without regard to the destructive effects these decisions have on individuals as well as on society as a whole.

There is a clear disconnect between the financial health of large corporations as measured by the performance of the stock market, and the economic – and in this particular case physical health – of the average American. The stock market surges to record levels, but the quality of life of the average American is unaffected, or even becomes worse.

This disconnect underscores how large corporations are able to benefit at the expense of society as a whole.

Large corporations are protected from their social abuses by favorable laws, clever lawyers, and friendly politicians. There is no incentive for corporations to have a social conscience. Those who make the profit-driven decisions that are harmful to our society are personally rewarded by obscenely high financial compensation, as are the members of corporate boards of directors.

Up until now, there was no downside to profit-driven decisions. But now it is clear that the rich and privileged are no longer off limits and untouchable. Unfortunately, their response has been one of indignant outrage and an increase in personal security, not a response of self-reflection and repentance. There is no acknowledgement of cause and effect.

Which brings us to capitalism as it exists in America. 

Unique to this country is how capitalism has somehow become equated with patriotism. Socialism has become a pejorative, a label used to dismiss people and ideas without the need for thoughtful consideration or discussion.

However, one thing is true – socialism is the basis for all societies. Roads, bridges, ports, airports, public water and sewer, regulated electricity and natural gas, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, police, fire departments – everyone benefits greatly from these socialistic publicly funded programs made possible through the taxes that we pay.

Another thing is also true – capitalism is the basis for all business, regardless of the size of the business. All businesses require some amount of capital, i.e. money, to even begin operation, and may require additional capital to expand or respond to changes in demand for its goods or services. 

Every business must make a profit to stay in business.  No profit, no business. Even businesses structured as non-profits must make a profit, limited though it may be.

Access to capital is critical to a robust and vibrant economy, as is the opportunity for businesses to make a profit. So, if capital is good, and profit is good, then what is the problem with capitalism?

The problem arises when the desire to make a profit becomes more important than the actual products and services being provided by the business. Profit is a natural byproduct of a well-run business. However, when making a profit becomes the primary focus of a business, then the actual products and services being provided become secondary. 

Small businesses are limited in the profit that can be made by competition and the laws of supply and demand. The quality of the products and services provided by a small business, and the relative cost of its products and services, are significant factors in establishing a business’s reputation. A poor reputation due to poor quality or excessively high prices can have a direct effect on whether or not a small business stays in business. 

Everything changes when a business becomes a corporation with stockholders, and this is when the need to focus on profitability becomes an overriding focus for all too many businesses. The requirement to satisfy stockholder demands for a greater and greater return on their capital investment has had a negative effect on many aspects of the American economy.

How so? The quality of products and services being provided has suffered. The financial focus on short-term profits measured quarterly has limited long-term product and service development, innovation, and improvement. Manufacturing has been off shored to reduce labor costs. Regulations intended to protect the environment, workers, and end users have been cleverly ignored. Legal barriers to competition and employee unionization have been established.

This single-minded focus on increasing shareholder value has had a profound, negative effect on our capitalist system. There is no social accountability for the decisions being made in corporate boardrooms. Many of these decisions end up having a damaging effect on the quality of life for millions of Americans, whether through unemployment, lower wages, polluted water, poisoned land, avoidable death, and other decision-based negative outcomes.

There are movements within the corporate world that attempt to bring a sense of responsibility to the way that corporations make decisions, such as B corporation certification, but they rely on voluntary commitment, which has proven to be quite rare.

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative and the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiative are worthy stakeholder-based programs, but they are self-monitoring and do not bring with them the regulatory strength of law nor financial inducements that would encourage corporations to adopt them.

There needs to be a new type of corporation created that includes stakeholders as well as shareholders, codifying the goals of CSR and ESG, requiring that there be members on the Board of Directors representing the most critical stakeholders – the employees and the public – e.g., a workers representative, and an independent CSR/ESG representative whose responsibility would be to certify that the corporation is meeting socially responsible requirements.

In addition, there needs to be a substantial financial incentive for corporations to change their registration and their mindset to become an SS corporation (Shareholder-Stakeholder), most effectively done through taxation – e.g., a 10% corporate income tax rate for SS corporations, and a 40% corporate income tax rate for S corporations.

Under this new system, corporations could continue to avoid any pretense of social responsibility, but they would need to pay a much higher tax for the privilege.

What a refreshing change it would be if corporate board meetings did not focus on how to make the most profit, but instead focused on how to do the most good. 

As it has been said before, in four short years from now, the presidency of Donald J. Trump will be over. The country will end up being changed in ways that we cannot foresee. One thing can be said for certain, however – President-elect Donald J. Trump has already assumed office.

The Biden presidency is in limp mode, trying to protect itself, the country and its people from further damage until President Biden’s term is officially over. Kamala Harris has already become a footnote in history, a sad tale of a candidate who had the single-minded focus of a prosecutor and not the visionary purpose necessary to be president.

President-elect Trump seems to believe in the myth of his own making, that he was elected with an overwhelming mandate to radically change everything about the government. President Trump will soon find out that the revolutionary changes he seems intent on making will bring about resentment and resistance, not adoration and acceptance. 

President-elect Trump speaks of diplomacy, but when has he ever been diplomatic? Seizing the Panama Canal? Forcing the sale of Greenland? Referring to Canada as the 51^st state? Threatening our closest allies and trading partners with broadly based tariffs? There is no diplomacy in these statements, only arrogance and ignorance.

It appears that the Republican Party can be and has been dominated into submission, prepared at least for the short term to rubber stamp everything that President-elect Trump wants, but the world beyond our borders cannot be dominated in the same way. President-elect Trump is not engendering trust and respect anywhere with his words and actions – quite the opposite. Unfortunately, his heavy-handed, disrespectful approach will understandably be seen as a negative representation of the United States as a nation and as a people. 

At least under President Trump, the U.S. will be a country to be reckoned with instead of being a country to be disrespected as it has been under President Biden, which can be seen as an improvement.  

And, when it comes to domestic policy, there are a number of reasons to have concerns. Most of President-elect Trump’s appointments have either been billionaires or acolytes. 

A persuasive argument can be made that the only way to become a billionaire is by exploiting both the lower-to-middle class people of this country and all of the favorable tax laws and regulatory loopholes available only to the wealthy. To expect billionaires to make policy decisions that would favor the same lower-to-middle class people they have been exploiting – this is nothing more than wishful thinking. 

In addition, we should expect to see new tax breaks and reduced regulations that favor their business interests instead of the common interest.

So too, many of the acolytes who have been chosen by President-elect Trump to do his bidding have ties to Project 2025 or have similar ideologically based Old-Testament beliefs that will potentially punish believers and non-believers alike through policies that restrict dissent, limit freedom of speech and the press, reduce or eliminate socially beneficial assistance programs, and generally attempt to forcefully reshape this country into a more oppressive and punitive society.

It is being reported that many of the people who have been the most ardent supporters of and true believers in President-elect Trump are now fearful that the policies of his administration will take away critical assistance that they depend on to live day to day.

Instead of ushering in a new age of American dominance and greatness, the Trump administration may bring about a new age of American darkness and unease. Instead of building on the strengths of this country and its people, the Trump administration appears to be intent on destroying whatever it feels is making this country weak. Under the Trump administration, nothing and no one should feel safe from its ire, its retribution, its ideological fervor. 

Kamala Harris did a commendable job of highlighting the potential damage that a second Trump administration could do. She also did a remarkable job of highlighting the abject failure of the Democratic Party to put forth a cohesive, alternative vision for the future. 

It is entirely possible that the Trump administration will usher in a subsequent two-term Vance administration if the Democratic Party persists in its self-destructive tendencies, and this would likely be a continuation of dark times.

Four more years of a Trump administration is likely to involve an excessive overcorrection of many of the Biden administration’s efforts and initiatives. The Biden administration rejected Trump administration policies out of hand without any pretense of having conducted a thoughtful evaluation of their possible merits. The Trump administration will almost certainly do the same. This is the problem when administrations are based upon ideology and extremism, and not on common sense and moderation.

The second coming of Donald J. Trump is likely to be more disturbing, disruptive, and chaotic than the first. It is unlikely that the excessive influence of this country’s elite corporate and billionaire class will be addressed, nor will the increasing disparity of wealth that exists among our people. 

We may become a more secure nation, we may see overall economic improvement, but there will be no dramatic reduction in energy and food prices, no attempts to control the excesses of the health care system, and no improvements to the housing shortage. The aspects of life that are of most importance to the majority of the American people can be expected to be ignored by the Trump administration.

In the end, the rich will become richer, the poor will become poorer, and the hopeful expectations of the American people will change to dissatisfaction and disappointment. The mediocrity of Donald J. Trump will be enshrined in history. A hustler, not a builder, a self-promoter, not a leader, a charlatan, a clown, a grifter.

In four short years from now, the presidency of Donald J. Trump will be over. The country will end up being changed in ways that we cannot foresee. 

It is possible that the rich will be richer, the poor will be poorer, federal lands will be ravaged, the environment made less healthy, people’s rights to body autonomy and to civil protest further restricted, and the power of the states strengthened while the collective power of the federal government is diminished. 

It is also possible that we will look back on the second term of Donald J. Trump and conclude that, on the whole, he made things better for the people, made the country stronger, and regained the international respect for the United States that was lost during the past four years.

The cabinet and other high-level appointments that President-elect Trump has been making are rich in fealty and unconventional thinking, but lacking in gravatas and necessary experience. Some good may come of this, but choosing so many ideologically motivated and unqualified people will probably prove to be counterproductive.

President-elect Trump received 50% of the popular vote. This is no mandate, no overwhelming victory, no divine blessing by God. Half of the country voted for someone else. Of course, this fact really does not matter in the slightest as the Republicans will control all three branches of the Federal government. The Republicans believe that they have a mandate because they say they have a mandate, and they will try to act as if they have a mandate. 

As these things go, the Republicans could very well do enough stupid things in the next two years that they will lose either the Senate or the House, or even both, in the 2026 elections. Many of the changes to government programs being proposed will be extremely disruptive and may harm a lot of people. 

However, this loss of Republican control presumes that the Democrats rediscover their roots as the party of the working people, the poor and the middle class, and stop their obsession with woke extremism. 

For the record, the definition of wokeness is to be sensitive to social issues and conditions. 

Nowhere in the definition of wokeness is there a requirement to address historical social injustices by penalizing some groups of people, and then rewarding others.  Although this is termed equity, the true definition of equity is being fair and impartial in the way people are treated, and not the current, bastardized definition that is just the opposite. 

Nor is there a dictate in the definition of wokeness to mainstream every new way of thinking no matter how illogical it may be, or how much it contradicts what most people believe and feel. Wokeness should be humanizing and affirmative, not threatening and divisive. Wokeness can and should coexist with common sense.

Regardless of the developments over the next four years, the most important development will be to determine how this country responds to the new world order, and this has nothing to do with Trump or wokeness.

The time of U.S. dominance is over. The United States can no longer unilaterally keep the world peace through military might and economic power. The economic and military development of China, and the aggressive nature of China’s actions globally, has changed everything. 

China has a population four times the size of the United States. This means four times the workers, four times the commercial and industrial output. In addition, China has a unified government and a population conditioned to act in accordance with its government’s directives.

The lack of manufacturing capacity and expertise in the United States is pervasive throughout the economy. Our unwillingness to hold our corporations accountable to the interests of our country has allowed these corporations to eliminate domestic production in favor of less expensive production in other countries. Until recently, this meant China. The resulting increase in corporate profits has benefited very few, but the resulting damage to our economy has had a negative effect on many.

It will be a humbling experience for the United States over the next decade as China becomes the dominant world power. It does not matter what the Republicans or the Democrats say or do, we are the underdog in this geopolitical battle for influence and prestige and control. 

The longer we indulge ourselves with partisan bickering, deep-fried Oreos, and all the other mind-numbing cultural and political nonsense that occupies our collective, limited attention span, the worse our situation becomes.  The United States needs a come-to-Jesus meeting, a head-snapping slap in the face, an ice-cold shower – something that wakes us up and underscores the gravity of the moment. This is the truth to the people speech that a true leader would give. 

Unfortunately, it is clear that President-elect Trump does not have a grasp on the true nature of the ongoing shift in geopolitical power. This is a profound and historic change, but Donald J. Trump is not exactly a student of history or military strategy.

According to AI, China’s history is a rich tapestry of dynasties, cultural achievements and philosophies that spans thousands of years. In this regard, China has much to offer the world.

However, a new Chinese dynasty is emerging, one that has nothing to do with culture and philosophy. Like all other dynasties and empires of the past – Chinese, Mongolian, Persian, Ottoman, Egyptian, Roman, British, American – this new Chinese dynasty is destined to overreach and overpower, creating resentment among those it has decided to dominate and control. 

Like all other dynasties and empires of the past, this new Chinese dynasty will eventually fail. History has shown that no empire lasts forever. Until that happens, however, many innocent people will suffer, and many will die, if the Chinese dynasty pursues its current path of aggression, domination, and subrogation. 

In contrast, the American empire was created by necessity, not by purposeful intent, and in this regard is unique among all previous empires.

Right now, the world is focused on the negative aspects of the American empire – the innocent people killed, and the ignorant treatment of other cultures displayed in the course of trying to create a more peaceful world.

However, the overwhelming history of the American empire is something much more positive. The American empire championed freedom, trade, peace, and prosperity for all of the world’s people. For the most part, nothing that the American empire did was intended to enrich itself. 

History will reflect the sacrifices made by the United States as it opened its markets to the world, gave trillions of dollars in foreign aid to developing countries, and sacrificed tens of thousands of its people in the course of its peace-keeping efforts.

This is the history of the American empire that must be told now, the history of the empire that brought hope to the world. 

What will the new Chinese dynasty bring to the world? If President-elect Trump can cause the world to reflect on this question and what it bodes for its collective future, then there may still be a chance to convince China to moderate its aggression and instead use its resources, creativity, and energy to assist in addressing the world’s collective challenges.

This would be a Donald J. Trump legacy worth remembering.

It is the day after Judgement Day. Donald Trump will be President once again. His followers are joyful, some even going so far as to say that it is God’s will. His opponents are crushed and fearful, not understanding how this could have happened.

In the months to come before Inauguration Day, many words will be spoken. The reasons for the Republican victory and the Democratic defeat will be analyzed and debated ad nauseum. Hopefully President-elect Donald Trump will moderate some of his extremist rhetoric and provide a more moderate vision for this country going forward.

The seeds of this resounding defeat for Kamala Harris and the Democratic party as a whole were sown decades ago when the Democratic party began to embrace identity-celebrity-partisan politics instead of common sense-working class values. To make matters worse, the Democratic leadership forgot about the importance of developing their younger party members and encouraging them to develop their own voices. The seeds of this defeat took hold and grew, finally blooming in all their noxious glory this last election cycle.

This change in Democratic Party focus was apparent when Bill Clinton blew his saxophone on the Arsenio Hall Show. It was apparent when Hillary Clinton made her presidential candidacy all about her and how she would break through the proverbial glass ceiling. It was apparent in the refusal of Democrats to work with the Trump administration to address important issues such as immigration reform and securing the southern border. 

It was apparent in the weakness of the slate of Democratic presidential candidates running for nomination in 2020. It was apparent in the DEI hire of Kamala Harris to be Joe Biden’s running mate. It was apparent in the DEI appointments of Tom Perez and subsequently Jaime Harrison as the chairmen of the Democratic National Committee. It was apparent in the rise of the Squad and its disproportionate influence. 

It was apparent in the embrace of transgender rights, the concept of white privilege, and the perceived need for slavery-based reparations. It was apparent in the push to defund the police and to appease rioters and looters. 

It was apparent in the selection of Kamala Harris as the replacement nominee for Joe Biden, and the selection of the unvetted Tim Walz as Kamala Harris’s running mate. It was apparent in the manic, celebrity-filled last-ditch effort by the Harris campaign to reach new supporters. And it was evident in the delusional thinking by the Harris campaign that victory was in hand.

What is now apparent is that the Democratic Party has lost its way. Its woke, DEI, celebrity-filled message does not resonate with a majority of the American people. In point of fact, the message of the Democratic Party has been rejected by the American people.

The problem is that this rejection is one that the leadership of the Democratic Party simply does not want to acknowledge, let alone accept. This rejection means that the entire basis of the Democratic Party as it has developed over decades has proven to be a failure. 

It remains to be seen if Democrats will have a voice in the Trump government. It is doubtful, because the Republicans are likely to seize this opportunity to exert their dominance, revel in it, enforce it, and simply refuse to allow Democrats to be part of anything of substance.

To the victors belong the spoils, and the Democrats have lost, so they will get nothing. Any promises that Donald Trump has made that he will bring the country together will soon be forgotten. Once again, the losing party will be left out in the cold.

What does this mean? It means that the Democratic Party needs to become tougher, more pragmatic, and refocus itself away from its ideological woke/trans/DEI basis and return to its traditional and transformational core values. 

This would include insuring equal opportunity for all, balancing individual rights with the common good, advocating for a fairer distribution of this country’s wealth, protecting the environment, monitoring the safety of food and medicines, providing assistance to the very poor and the very old and the very infirm, controlling the excesses of capitalism, promoting small businesses, supporting research and innovation, respecting the rule of law and the need to enforce them, and ensuring a strong national defense that includes strengthening international alliances.

Unfortunately, any substantive change in the Democratic Party such as what has been discussed here will take time. There are entrenched special interests and individuals that stand to lose money and power if the status que is changed. Greed and ego are strong motivations, so they will fight to preserve the current system.

It was not too long ago that the Republican Party had lost its way, and its future was in doubt. For better or for worse, Donald Trump has brought focus and direction back to the Republican Party.

There is no such savior on the horizon for the Democratic Party, only more Don Quixotes. The Democratic Party needs to rediscover its own voice, which used to be the voice of the people, and start from there.

It should be clear by now that China sees the U.S. as nothing more than a paper tiger. That is to say, one who claims or appears to be powerful and fierce but is actually ineffectual and unable to withstand challenge. It may be more accurate to say that the U.S. is a wounded tiger, still with teeth and claws, but listless and weak of spirit, snarling half-heartedly but seemingly tired of the hunt. 

While the U.S. has spent the last 30 years indulging itself in self-destructive partisan battles, China has spent the last 30 years strategizing to become the preeminent world power and achieve global domination. The leadership of Xi Jinping has accelerated this effort. At the very least, China has stalemated the U.S. and has begun to threaten our interests and influence around the world. At worst, China has insidiously attacked the U.S. within our own borders and is using the free and open nature of our society against us.

And yet, despite the very real threat and challenge that China represents, we still keep fighting among ourselves as if we are the enemy. And, in a very real sense, we are – we are our own worst enemy. 

We take our greatness for granted, and in the process have lost our edge. Instead of working together and supporting one another to become stronger as a country, we have let corporate and individual greed and imagined grievances subvert what once made us a great nation. We see the world through glasses tinted red, white and blue, and thus are unable to see clearly, with an objective and honest point of view, what the true reality of the world is. 

We are still the richest nation on earth, but we are fat in body and mind, self-absorbed, filled with entitled expectations, acceptant of great disparity in wealth across our society, easily manipulated by politicians, partisan commentators, and celebrity billionaires alike, and addicted to social media and any and all other external stimulus. We have too few explorers, adventurers, and independent thinkers, and too many followers, fanatics, and acolytes. 

History shows that all great empires fail from within, and the U.S. is no exception. Our culture and our character often seem shallow and weak.

In contrast, China exhibits a focus of intent that should put the rest of the world on notice.

China has single-mindedly overtaken the U.S. militarily, building ships and missiles and aircraft and bases of operation at a rate that we cannot match. Chinese military ships patrol off the coast of Alaska and have begun to patrol the Arctic Ocean.

China has supplanted the U.S. throughout the world as a source of funding through its Belt and Roads initiative. 

China dominates the world’s manufacturing capacity. China effectively controls mineral rights to many chemicals and minerals vital to the world’s economy. 

China bullies, intimidates and dominates all countries in its South China Sea sphere of influence. China constantly lies about its intentions and chooses to ignore the rights and interests of all other countries in the world, basically doing whatever it wants, wherever it wants, whenever it wants. 

China intimidates Chinese immigrants in our own country. China buys farmland adjacent to our military bases. China owns more and more companies that were formerly owned by Americans.  China influences our young people with propaganda disseminated through Tik-Tok.

China infected the entire world with the Covid-19 virus. This may have been an accidental, premature release of a biological weapon, a possibility that would explain the refusal of China to be forthright about the origin of the virus.

In the face of all of these developments, the U.S. seems unable to respond in any meaningful way. We seem to be intimidated and confused by the Chinese ascension, frozen into inaction like helpless prey instead of responding with aggressive self-protection.   

The 75-year duration of U.S. influence in the world has benefited many, many countries through a rules-based system that respected the sovereignty of nations and encouraged self-determination and freedom.

Does anyone seriously believe that a similar period of Chinese influence and domination would benefit any country other than China? Has there been any period in Chinese history where benevolence characterized its behavior towards other nations, let alone towards its own people?

It does seem clear that China is destined to enjoy a period of domination in the world. The history of China is one of conquest and domination, so this current development should not be surprising. 

It may take decades, but China will eventually find that exerting control over the entire world is expensive, exhausting, and ultimately unsustainable. History has repeatedly shown this to be the case. China’s domination will eventually run its course and its empire will collapse upon itself like all others before it.

In the meantime, however, the U.S. and its allies need to accept this reality and do what is necessary to strengthen alliances in order to preserve our own freedoms. In addition, the non-aligned nations of the world need to be mindful of becoming too entangled with China lest they lose their independence and self-determination.

Of vital importance for the U.S. is that we rapidly acknowledge the change in geopolitical power that has occurred and begin to act accordingly. Our position as the sole, dominant world power is over. It was inevitable that the U.S. would once again have to share the world with another superpower. 

The previous cold war with the Soviet Union should provide many lessons for the U.S. as we enter into a new cold war with China. The U.S. coexisted with the Soviet Union for decades and had to compete geopolitically, always being aware of the strategic implications of its actions. It will be extremely self-destructive for the U.S. if it continues to refuse to acknowledge this new reality and begin to think and act strategically to address it.

As a society and as a country, the mindset of Americans must evolve if we are to continue to enjoy our way of life and standard of living as China continues to exert its dominance. 

We need to begin by electing serious, reasonable, and pragmatic politicians that reject partisanship in favor of discussion and debate. The current state of inaction by the legislative branch of our federal government is pathetic and shameful. Too much control has been given to those who hold views so extreme as to make any consensus impossible to achieve. 

In addition, we need to protect ourselves by controlling our borders.  One aspect of this is to prevent uncontrolled illegal immigration and the flow of drugs and other contraband into our country. Another aspect is to restrict activity by foreign adversaries within our country, such as ownership of land and property, infrastructure, and strategic businesses, as well as the policing and intimidation of our people by foreign agents.

Still another aspect of controlling our borders is limiting access to our economy to protect domestic production of goods and services from predatory destruction by state-sponsored entities, and developing alternative supply chains that limit our exposure to economic blackmail and extortion.

We must not allow the ideals that we have as a free society to be subverted by our adversaries and used against us. We have the right and the responsibility to protect our strategic interests against enemies and adversaries both foreign and domestic. Questioning financial transactions, limiting technology transfer, and preventing intellectual theft are not infringements on our personal freedoms – they are acts of self-preservation. 

It is important that we study how China has been able to develop itself so quickly into a modern society. There are important lessons to be learned from their accomplishments. China appears to have focused its efforts on creating bridges, buildings, trains, automobiles, power generation systems, even entire cityscapes in a manner that highlights cutting-edge design, aesthetics, and advanced technologies.

In contrast, our society seems to have been focused on creating wealth for a very few through cheapening the products we make and limiting how much people are paid to make them. Instead of glorifying those who take pride in accumulating excessive wealth, it would be far better to glorify those who take pride in designing and manufacturing products that are well-designed, exceptional in performance, and never break. 

There was a time when products made in the U.S. were the world’s standard of excellence. This is clearly not a benchmark for us anymore. This willingness to accept the mediocre instead of aspiring to achieve excellence seems to have permeated much of our society. Sometimes it seems that we no longer have a sense of pride, only a sense of entitlement.

If it is truly important for the U.S. to remain at the forefront of the world, we must begin to act like it matters. It is as if we have been sleepwalking and daydreaming for decades, while the world has changed around us in ways that we have chosen to ignore. It is up to every generation to achieve the potential that this country makes possible. There is no resting on the laurels of the past. 

There is still time for the U.S. to re-stake its claim to greatness, but we must accept that China has emphatically staked its own claim. China is out-performing us economically, militarily, and strategically. China’s challenge is a profound test of our collective character, and it is by no means certain that we can overcome our internal divisiveness, self-absorption and individual greed to be able to meet it.

In the meantime, we need to begin to do what China has been so successful in doing – learning to attack its strengths, steal its technology, and subvert its government.