Category: Uncategorized

There is no other way to say it – the Democratic Party is a profound disappointment.

It took a worldwide epidemic for the Democrats to win the White House, dumb luck for them to take back control of the Senate, and then even more dumb luck for them to avoid losing control of the House.

The Democratic Party has given us a president whose best years are clearly behind him, a vice-president who seems to be all image and no substance, a speaker of the House who excels at fund raising and fails at leadership, and a Senate majority leader who has neither vision nor a majority.

The Democrats have a press secretary who is left defending one bad decision and one failed policy after another and has been forced to spend her time putting lipstick on the pig that is this administration instead of speaking about its accomplishments, because there have not been any.

There are no true leaders in the Democratic Party, no statesmen to listen to, no one with words of wisdom and thoughtfulness. There are 50 Democratic/Independent senators, 220 Democratic representatives, and 23 Democratic governors. Where are they? Where have they been?

We hear from two Democratic senators who are steadfastly holding the line on a proposed spending bill that is a pork-filled wish list of progressive excesses. We hear from two or three Democratic representatives who are aggressively promoting a socialist anti-police racist agenda that very few Americans support. We hear from no one else. Why is that?

The near-term 2022 future for the Democratic Party is going to be disastrous. Loss of the House, loss of the Senate, no chance for any moderate Supreme Court justices. And then in 2024, the return of President Trump will complete the humiliation of the Democratic Party, which is self-destructing before our eyes.

Who knows what the second Trump administration will bring us beyond a strong and decisive leader who will feel personally vindicated and free to exact retribution from all who have opposed him?

Probably additional tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, a weakening of the social safety net for those who need it the most, an increase in commercial exploitation of federal lands and national parks, an expansion of state-based laws to expand gun rights and restrict reproductive rights, a furthering of the class-based system where workers can be further exploited by businesses, and the nation’s wealth owned and controlled by fewer and fewer people – that sort of thing.

And things could become worse. Once the Republican Party has a 2/3 majority in the Senate and the House, they would be free to propose any constitutional amendment that they choose.

Imagine that Republican-controlled state legislatures pass laws that give them the authority to review the results of elections and determine that the outcomes are fraudulent, and then select the candidates that they want instead of the candidates that the voters have chosen.

It would take 38 Republican-controlled states to ratify a constitutional amendment that would allow President Trump to become president for life. We are only 8 states away from this outcome. Does anyone believe that President Trump would not eagerly accept this mandate?

And all of this would be blessed by the Republican-controlled Supreme Court.

The political collapse of the Democratic Party may be seen as a desirable outcome by many people but having a system based on a single party that appears more than willing to follow the above-described scenario means that this country would then be a democracy in name and memory only.

Taking it one step further, we could then see right-wing militias and religious police roaming the streets eliminating dissent and imposing moral order.

Given what has been transpiring in our politics and our society over the past few years, this is not as far-fetched a future as one would think. Power seduces, power corrupts, power brings with it its own sense of morality and ethical behavior. Combine this with blind patriotism and religious conviction, and we might as well burn the Constitution for all the good it will do.

This is why it is so important for moderate Democrats of substance to speak up and confront the disaster that is their party. The Democratic brand is one of incompetence, radical activism, and actions taken based upon ideology without regard to reality. This must be addressed before 2022. The electorate must be convinced that not all Democrats are inept, spineless, socialist fools, which is how they are being portrayed.

The Biden Administration has been a failure up to this point. A Democratic alternative to Biden-Harris must be found before the next presidential election because they have little chance of being re-elected. Independent voters are the key to presidential elections, and as much as they did not like President Trump, President Biden and his team of woke and opportunistic advisors have been a disaster that shows no signs of abating. Voter’s remorse is strong and becoming stronger by the day.

Replacing an incumbent president and vice president to deny them a second term is nearly unprecedented, and it is unlikely that the Democratic Party would do so willingly. However, there is a mechanism already in place to accomplish this – the primaries. A Democratic outsider such as a Tulsi Gabbard would have an excellent chance of obtaining the nomination. Intelligent, a moderate, a veteran, clear-eyed, strong-willed, focused, determined – Joe Biden would have no chance against a candidate who possesses these attributes.

It would serve the country and the Democratic Party well to have more Democrats like Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema, and Seth Moulton who have all been willing to speak their own moderate, reasonable, and resolute minds despite incurring the wrath of their party’s leaders.

The question is – are there any more Democrats like them out there?

America is out of Afghanistan. For now.

The timing of our exit was established, at least in part, on the desire of the Biden administration to leave 20 years to the day after 9/11, which would have been great optics. Unfortunately, insufficient consideration was given by the Biden administration to planning and coordination, with the result being a rushed evacuation that left thousands of people and billions of dollars in weapons behind. Our ill-conceived departure contributed to the near-immediate collapse of the Afghan government and military, and resulted in on outpouring of completely justified anger and frustration on the part of our allies.

Despite our past experience in Iraq, insufficient attention was paid by the Biden administration to anticipate what would come after we left. Clearly there was no overriding strategy in play, no Biden doctrine as it were. Not that there was ever a Trump doctrine either.

Due to the lack of situational awareness and the unwillingness to change strategy even in the face of failure, hundreds of lives have been lost. Thousands more lives will be lost in the near term as the Taliban consolidate their gains and exert their authority. Tragically, American lives will probably be among them.

Once the commitment had been made to withdraw from Afghanistan, there was going to be blood. It was not going to matter what administration was in power.

Only in the political world of 20/20 hindsight would a Trump administration withdrawal have been a beautiful withdrawal, possibly the most beautiful and perfect withdrawal ever. In reality, the timeframe for the withdrawal would have been even more rushed – May instead of August – and what evidence is there to conclude that it would not have been just as much of a disaster as the Biden withdrawal has been?

That being said, now we need to think about what comes next.

The overriding consideration must be to prevent future Islamic terrorism. It is unlikely that the Taliban will be willing or able to control the resurgence of Al Qaeda and ISIS, so constant vigilance on our part will be required.

It is tempting to return to the Bagram air base and re-establish a military/CIA presence. There is certainly going to be an ongoing cost involved, both financially and in American lives, but this would allow for the enhanced monitoring of militant Islamic activity and provide for an immediate response to eliminate identified threats. This means that again we would be intruders in a country where our presence is resented by many who live there, but it is likely to be required as a strategic measure to counter Islamic terrorism and to prevent another 9/11-type attack if the Taliban prove unable or unwilling to do so.

Our diplomatic efforts must now be focused on determining the intentions of the Taliban. Any continued reluctance on the part of the Taliban to facilitate the release of all remaining Americans and allied Afghans will be highly problematic, to say the least. Any reluctance on the part of the Taliban to control Al Qaeda and ISIS must be interpreted as confirmation that these terrorist groups will be allowed to operate freely within Afghanistan to plan and stage terror attacks against the U.S. and other western countries. The actions and the rhetoric of the Taliban since their ascension to power have not been reassuring.

The understanding of Islam in this country is superficial at best and has been negatively influenced by the tragic events of 9/11. There is a need for a much deeper understanding of the teachings of Islam and of Islamic societies. Respect and acceptance of Islamic cultures is paramount to our coexistence with Islam. Being uninvited intruders in an Islamic-based country is not the best way to move forward.

However, we must accept the stark reality of our situation if we are going to constructively change it. Another 9/11 event will be worse for our relationship with the Islamic world than our having a strategic outpost in Afghanistan. Whether the Bagram airbase is as defensible and impenetrable as we have been led to believe remains to be seen. A return to Bagram will be much more difficult and costly than it would have been if we had never left, but it is in the best interests of the world for us to do so.

It was an unfortunate mischaracterization to call our involvement in Afghanistan a war. It was never a war for us to win. Our involvement was in part an act of vengeance towards those responsible for 9/11, and in part a means of defending ourselves and the rest of the western world from future terrorist acts.

The Obama administration believed that the Afghan army could eventually be trained to defend Afghanistan from the Taliban and other Islamic terrorist groups. However, this did not materialize during their administration, and instead a surge of military personnel was required to address a terrorist insurgence.

The Trump administration wanted to believe that the Afghan army was a capable force, despite intelligence and military reports stating that the Afghan army could not defend Afghanistan without assistance from the U.S. and others. The Trump administration ignored these reports and entered into an ill-advised agreement with the Taliban to leave Afghanistan by a date certain, and ultimately reduced force levels to 2,500 military personnel before leaving office. These actions all but guaranteed disaster.

The Biden administration continued the Trump agreement except for extending the date certain by three months, despite additional intelligence and military reports stating that the Afghan army was not prepared to defend its own country for more than a few months, a year at most. Like the Trump administration before it, the Biden administration chose to ignore these reports when they had the opportunity to change course, and instead oversaw a disastrous withdrawal of our remaining military personnel.

Both the Trump and Biden administrations exhibited terrible judgement and are equally responsible for the outcome.

As is now tragically evident, our presence in Afghanistan was a stabilizing force and the only barrier to the establishment of an Islamic caliphate based upon a strict interpretation of the Koran and the future promulgation of terror and hatred throughout the world.

We have created a very bad situation for the world because of presidents Trump and Biden. Both men thought that they knew more than the generals, one out of conceit, one out of obstinance. Neither was right, both were wrong, and we will all suffer for it.

And to think that both men believe that they deserve a second term. Allah help us.

(Submitted August 25th to USA Today)

There is no other way to describe the Afghanistan situation than as a debacle of epic proportions. There is much blame to go around, and rightly so. A cursory Wikipedia study of the recent history of Afghanistan reveals that the CIA was involved during the time of the Russian occupation, providing material and monetary support through Pakistan to any group fighting against the Russians and the Marxist government the Russians established, and this included the Taliban.

The Taliban successfully drove Russia out of Afghanistan and established an Islamic-based government. Their error in judgement was to allow Al-Qaeda to establish a safe haven in Afghanistan, which led to the planning and execution of the 9/11 terrorist attack and brought U.S. retribution to Afghanistan.

Once U.S. forces forced the Taliban and Al-Qaeda out of Afghanistan, the U.S. established its own democratic government. It did not take long for the Taliban to harass and attack U.S. forces and the Afghan government. Ultimately, twenty years later, the U.S.-backed democratic experiment in Afghanistan failed due to government corruption and a lack of support from the Afghan people.

It should be clear by now that the Afghan people prefer to have an Islamic-based government instead of either a Marxist or democratic government. This is their right, although it may be a situation where they will find themselves in a more oppressive society than expected, particularly when it comes to women’s rights and freedoms, music, art, dance, freedom of worship, freedom of expression, and many other aspects of Afghan life that were permitted and practiced during the past twenty years.

Afghanistan is just one more in a long line of attempts by the U.S. to establish western democratic capitalistic systems in countries whose culture is not particularly receptive to such a system. Whether the rational is to stop the spread of communism, to protect U.S. business interests, or to achieve some other purpose, this just never seems to be successful. All we ever seem to accomplish is to create resentment and to lose opportunities to establish long-term alliances that benefit the people of both countries.

Limiting the blame for our Afghanistan debacle to the current Administration is all well and good, and clearly the Administration has had an extreme failure in timing and coordination, so criticism is warranted. But this does not acknowledge the fundamentally unsustainable basis for many of the foreign policy decisions the U.S has taken over the years. The current torrent of righteous indignation, dramatic handwringing, dire predictions, calls for impeachment – all of it – is an epic waste of time.

Right now, we need clearheaded thinking. We need to keep this debacle in context. History shows that Afghanistan is a wild country that cannot be controlled for very long by anyone. The Taliban are in control for now, but how long will their control last? The Afghan people have had a taste of freedom and will not forget how sweet it can be. The Afghan warlords may have made the deals necessary for their survival, but this does not make them Taliban.

The Taliban would be well advised to allow Afghan women to work and speak and study, and to allow the Afghan people some degree of personal freedom of expression. In this way the Taliban may be able to achieve a stable Islamic state. Otherwise, there will be no lasting peace in Afghanistan.

Our regional interest was, and is, to prevent the continuation of terrorist attacks on the U.S. and our allies. Our current interest in Afghanistan also concerns its natural resources, more specifically, rare earth minerals. In addition, it is in our best interest to minimize Russian and Chinese involvement in Afghanistan to the greatest extent possible so that the destiny of the Afghan people remains their own.

Alliances within Afghanistan seem to be fluid, always changing in pragmatic ways. In this spirit, why not continue to pursue our interests by developing an alliance with the Taliban?  The Taliban is now effectively the government of Afghanistan, supported or at least accepted by a majority of the Afghan people.

We have only to look at our experience with Vietnam as an example of how a successful alliance can be created between countries following years of conflict. Vietnam is an increasingly important trading partner of the U.S. and is now accepted by the American public as such. Past differences have been put aside.

The Taliban will soon be faced with a great deal of difficulty in continuing to provide the services that Afghans have become used to, such as the availability of fresh water, food, electricity, medicine, etc. Unlike other countries who have had to live through conflict, the basic infrastructure in Afghanistan remains intact. Who better to assist in the continuation of these services than the people who paid for and installed them, namely the U.S.?

It is understood that the U.S controls Afghanistan’s monetary reserves, and that Afghanistan is no longer receiving financial support from foreign benefactors. The Taliban has limited financial resources itself. Having the U.S. recognize a new Taliban-based Afghan government and allowing the new government a measure of access to Afghanistan’s monetary reserves would be of great benefit to the Taliban.

Initially distasteful though it would be to both the U.S. and the Taliban to form an alliance, this could be of great benefit to both parties. 

The U.S. has a tradition of religious freedom, and in principle this extends to Islam as well. Islam does not have a very well-received presence in the U.S., primarily due to Islamic terrorism, but that can certainly change. If Islamic terrorism is no longer a concern, Muslims would be accepted more warmly into this country and become part of its melting pot culture.

Instead of expecting other countries to change their government and customs to match our own, the U.S. needs to learn to accept countries for who and what they are.  This whole focus on nation-building has been an epic failure and has done nothing but cause discord and resentment wherever it has been attempted. Even assuming that this was always a noble cause and never an attempt to protect the interests of American companies, it has proven to be an unsuccessful policy long-term. Leading by example instead of by force is likely to be a much more successful strategy.

There is much to evaluate regarding the debacle in Afghanistan. The intelligence community and the Pentagon appear to have been misleading several administrations regarding the actual conditions in Afghanistan. Independent military contractors responsible for various support services have been financially exploiting the American people for years. Politicians have ignored problematic questions so that they could continue to receive dark money PAC donations in exchange for appropriating billions of dollars to the Afghanistan war effort. God only knows how much of the appropriated money was wasted on unnecessary materials and equipment, or just disappeared into unknown pockets and bank accounts.

How many years ago did Afghanistan become more about the business of war than about the principles of war?

Instead of blaming the current and/or previous administrations for this ongoing debacle, we should be asking what comes next? The ongoing withdrawal is going to play itself out over the next few weeks, a month at most, hopefully without too many horrific acts being committed by undisciplined Taliban religious zealots. There is little that the U.S. can do to prevent this should it occur.

At this point, regardless of what President Biden says or does, his administration will be blamed for losing the war in Afghanistan, even though history will provide him with some vindication. Previous administrations continued to support a corrupt Afghan central government that did not have the support of the Afghan people or the military. In the end, the Afghans did not believe that there was anything worth fighting for, which is why the government collapsed so quickly. The U.S. should have left Afghanistan years ago.

Extending an olive branch to the Taliban and negotiating an agreement that leads to a new alliance within the Islamic world seems like a worthwhile effort. This may prove to be the best means of preventing future terrorism directed towards the U.S.   

Would the Taliban agree? It is certainly possible. The Taliban needs access to Afghanistan’s finances, expertise in running the country’s infrastructure, a stable economy, and legitimacy as the new Afghanistan government. In addition, the U.S. would be a wealthier and less-threatening partner to either Russia or China, both of whom have a long history of mistreating Muslims and of exerting a heavy controlling hand on those countries that align with them.

This is an alliance that would benefit both sides. It is certainly something to consider.

(Submitted to “The Root” August 7, 2021)

I recently read an article from “The Root” where the black writer stated that every decision white people have made since the founding of this country has been wrong. That was my understanding at least.

It got me to wondering – just how many readers of “The Root” would agree? I understand how this statement is an appealing affirmation of black anger, bitterness, and resentment towards historical injustices endured by black people over the years, primarily at the hands of white people. But to what end? Where does such a statement lead, if not to further a sense of distrust and separation between people at a time when just the opposite is needed?  

I wholeheartedly agree that white people have made a lot of wrong decisions over the years – some made with bad intentions, some made from ignorance, and some made out of arrogance. But this dismissive and condemning statement is intellectually lazy and entirely unfair to all of us white people who are trying to do the right thing.

The reality is that life in this country is better than in most others. Of course there are changes that could be made that would improve our lives – there always will be – but exaggerating and then blaming the country’s troubles on white people is not going to make things better for anyone.

I am fortunate to be able to say that I have not personally witnessed much of the racism, whether overt or subtle, that remains in this country, although I have seen some. Most people I know object to racism and all other forms of discrimination, at least that is what they say, but I know that this is not true for everyone. Hopefully at some point we will all believe that our differences are to be celebrated, not denigrated. In the meantime, each of us remains responsible for our own actions and treatment of others, and we all have the opportunity to lead by example if we so choose.

Vestiges of racism notwithstanding, our most pressing shared challenge is not one of race, it is one of economic and social class differences: the haves versus the have nots.

If this country were an airplane, many but not all of the seats in Economy Plus would be taken by white people, while most of the white people along with most of the people of color would be in the Economy seats further back, but none of us are going to be welcome in First Class, not even to use the bathroom. First Class is reserved for the elites, the people with power, wealth, and prestige.

That is the fundamental reality of living in this country.

We need to start working together if we are going to make things better. The ongoing Black Lives Matter/White Privilege/Critical Race Theory/Reparations movement is not helping to bring about the level of trust that we need to successfully bring about the societal changes that will bring about fairness, opportunity, and equity for us all.

What I am suggesting is that, instead of being so resentful of and focused on white people, you consider the following.

Appreciate How Far We Have Come as a Society

When I was born in 1957 segregation was still the law of the land in many states. I was too young to know, but if I had been older and travelling in certain parts of the country, I would have seen the segregated buses, water fountains, hotels, restaurants, bathrooms – the “No Colored Allowed” signs.

Then we all went through the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s, including Martin Luther King, forced school busing, George Wallace, Rosa Parks, lynching and beating, anger and hatred.

Then we all lived through the well-intentioned but flawed public housing and welfare programs, the war on crime, redlining and fear and distrust.

Notice that I say “we” and not “you”. This is a shared experience, abet one with differing perspectives. This is not the black experience; this is our experience. The importance of this perspective cannot be overemphasized.

Now we are at a point where it is generally accepted that discrimination of any sort is wrong, to the point of us being painfully hyper-sensitive about it. By and large, we want to trust each other and be more inclusive, and to move past our past so that we can all be in a better place.

I am asking you to stop saying that white people are against you. We have our second black Supreme Court Justice, our first black Vice-President, a black ex-President, black mayors of many of our largest cities, black Congressmen, black millionaires and billionaires, black CEOs of major corporations, a black Secretary of Defense, and countless numbers of interracial couples to the point that it has become an advertising cliché.

To me this is a profound and positive change and is clear evidence of how far we have come as a society. Is this not worth celebrating?

Black History Is Our Country’s Shared History

The history of this country includes the story of a blending of many cultures and peoples that came from everywhere. The telling of our country’s history will be the richest and most accurate when it includes the experiences of all its people.

This country’s history cannot be properly told without including the experiences of the African people who came to this country as slaves instead of by their own free will.

The evolution of slavery in this country from being an accepted practice, to a practice that took a civil war to legally end it, through the struggle to extend the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness to former slaves and their descendants – this is our shared history, not just the history of black people.

This history is made up of tragedy, cruelty, perseverance, denial, shame, defiance, hatred, and pain. It has taken a long time for this country to really begin to acknowledge the extent of the unjust treatment of our black people.

The Tulsa massacre is just one example of such treatment. The massacre was borne of jealousy and hatred, and then hidden from history because of shame and denial. All but forgotten, as if it never happened, this is a story that must be told so that this part of our history can be acknowledged and understood by all.

There are many such stories from our past that could also be told.  We need to learn from our history so that we do not repeat it. However, making such stories the focus of our history and assigning blame today for acts committed 50 or 100 or 200 years ago is counterproductive if what we want to achieve is an inclusive society.

Blacks Are Not the Only Group of Mistreated Americans

Based upon the ongoing dialog about the 1619 Project, Critical Race Theory, White Privilege, etc., one might conclude that blacks are the only group of mistreated Americans whose history and contributions to our society have been shortchanged.

Unfortunately, our country’s history includes mistreatment of several other groups of Americans as well. Blacks may have their own unique history of mistreatment, but so do Native Americans, Chinese laborers, U.S. citizens of Japanese descent, Mexican laborers, and even the Irish and the Italians.

As much as slavery was the historical basis for black people to become part of our society, consider the history of Native Americans. The native American people were displaced from their homeland, just like black slaves were displaced from theirs. The native American people were forced in many instances to endure a long and arduous journey to an unfamiliar country, similar in some ways to the journey black people made on slave ships from Africa.

In addition to the loss of their land, native American people died in the hundreds of thousands from foreign diseases inadvertently brought to this country by white settlers. Many native American people now live on reservations where they have limited employment opportunities, poor schools and healthcare, high levels of drug use and alcoholism, and no practical means to improve their lives. This should sound familiar.

Now consider the Chinese laborers brought over to this country to build the transcontinental railroad. Countless numbers of Chinese laborers died working on the railroad due to accident or illness, bodies hastily buried while work continued. When the transcontinental railroad was completed, the Chinese laborers were scorned and then forgotten, a thankless end to years of backbreaking labor.

Next, consider the U.S. citizens of Japanese descent, rounded up after our country went to war with Japan and forced to live for years in what were essentially prison camps because they were all considered to be potential spies. Once the war was over, the U.S. citizens of Japanese descent found that their property had been confiscated, their homes seized, and their businesses closed. Despite their loyalty and love for this country, the U.S. citizens of Japanese descent were essentially jailed for the duration of the war and lost everything, simply for having Japanese heritage.

And then there are the Mexican laborers, working in the agricultural fields and food processing plants, or working in the shadows as housekeepers, nannies, landscapers, day laborers, dishwashers, and busboys. Poorly paid, often cheated, working excessive hours in unsafe conditions, without legal protections, doing the jobs that U.S. citizens would never do, trying to be invisible so that they will not be deported. Needed for their labor, but unwanted as people and resented for their work ethic.

Finally, consider the Irish and the Italians, white people who immigrated from Europe to this country and were treated so poorly by the white people of English and German descent that many resorted to criminal activity to survive and take care of their families. Where was their white privilege?

The point is that black people have a lot of company when it comes to historical mistreatment in this country. In this regard, it is not all about you.

The Problem Is Economic Inequality Not Race

It is very tiring to hear over and over that white people have conspired to prevent black people from succeeding in life.

That there is a history of discrimination in this country is undeniable. However, over the past several decades there has been a concerted effort throughout our institutions to address discriminatory practices and to attempt to ensure equal opportunity for all Americans.  

Black people are succeeding everywhere throughout our society, proving that it is possible to be a black person and to succeed. These successful black people should be role models for all of us, but this message is lost in the ongoing preoccupation with white privilege and white blame.

We all agree that law officers should not be shooting, choking, and killing unarmed people and then claiming that they were afraid for their lives or only following accepted practices. When this happens to a black man it is often headline news, accompanied by protests in the streets, a reminder of all the injustices that black people have endured over the years at the hands of law officers. When this happens to a white man, and according to the statistics it happens more often than to black men, no one pays any attention.

By the total numbers, more unarmed white men than black men are killed by law officers; by percentage of population more black men than white men are killed. Is this really such an important distinction? We should just agree that law officers should never kill an unarmed person.

Most people shot and killed by law enforcement are armed and are criminals. White or black, it is likely that in an overwhelming majority of instances these are justified shootings.

The real issue is black men killing black men and innocent victims with illegal handguns. It has been reported that this is the number one cause of death for black men up to the age of 45. This is a tragedy that has nothing to do with law enforcement or race. This is a societal problem occurring within predominantly black neighborhoods, encouraged by our powerful gun lobby that protects our domestic arms dealers.

What can be done to address this? What concrete steps should our society be taking? What do black communities want to see done? These are your friends and your families, your businesses and your future. Our leaders and policymakers may not be asking you these questions, but they should be. You know your needs and your reality better than anyone else.

Questionable policing practices, violence within black neighborhoods – these are important issues to be addressed. However, they are also symptoms of the underlying problem within our society, which is not one of race.

The real problem is a lack of economic opportunity, particularly but not exclusively for undereducated black men. If everyone were able to have a job that paid a living wage, there would be dramatically less crime and violence. It all starts with income inequality and a crushingly low minimum wage, along with inadequate skills training and employment opportunities in black neighborhoods. This same issue affects the undereducated of all races, both men and women, but black men appear to be suffering the most.

Class privilege, not white privilege, is the real problem.  The longer black leaders insist on focusing on the concept of white privilege, the worse the problem is going to become because we are not addressing the real issue.

This country has spent 40 years letting the rich get richer. A rising tide lifts all boats, the rich still like to say as they sip champagne on their yachts while they swamp our dinghies. The theory of trickle-down economics promised that the rich would invest their wealth to create more wealth, some of which was to eventually trickle down to the workers. However, the evidence over the past 40 years is very conclusive: the haves refuse to share with the have nots.

There is real inequity in our system to be sure, but not every white person is a millionaire. There are a great many white people who have worked their entire lives and have nothing to show for it. Being white no more assures economic success any more than being black assures economic failure.

The Biggest Racists Are Black Elitists and White Apologists

There is big money to be made from oppression and assigning blame.

It is no coincidence that so many self-proclaimed black spokespeople are financially well off and unaffected by the oppression they speak about. What a luxury it must be to have made millions of dollars as an athlete, an actor, a musician, a preacher, or a business CEO, and then be able to use your success as a platform from which to proclaim that the system that gave you the opportunity to succeed is racist and prevents people of color from succeeding.

How many of these outspoken leaders who talk the talk also walk the walk and actively help the less fortunate members of your communities improve their lives?

Many black spokespeople that come from academic backgrounds bear impressive credentials that justify their speaking with a sense of authority as they promote social theories condemning the white European-based social/economic/political order, the same system that educated them and gave them the luxury and freedom to express their anger and resentment, a lucrative platform that leads to speaking engagements, tenure, research grants, foundations, book sales, and other opportunities.

Again, how many of these outspoken leaders who talk the talk also walk the walk and actively help the less fortunate members of your communities improve their lives?

These black elitists see nothing racist in their demonization of white people, but is this not the very definition of racism?

Moreover, what is even more depressing to me as a white man is to listen to these white apologists who have taken it upon themselves to accept, on behalf of all white people, the historical responsibility for all the injustice, all the mistreatment, all the lack of opportunity, all the segregation, all the cultural appropriation, etc. that we white people are being blamed for. As if this were not bad enough, they then express their shame at being white – how pathetic.

This is self-directed racism of a very strange and different sort, based in part on appeasement and in part on a sense of politically correct guilt, a sort of masochistic balance to the thinly veiled racist condemnation offered by black elitists.

An Unsatisfying Conclusion

It would be wonderful if my words resulted in some moderation of this anti-white rhetoric. We all need to be working together to make this society better, but how can we work together when so much is being said that is angry, resentful, and divisive?

Unfortunately, my expectation is that my words will be unwelcome, will be received with anger, and will make no difference to the readers of “The Root.” You will continue in your insular black intellectual community thinking that you are victims, at the same time believing in your righteousness and superiority.

I expect that you will continue to ignore all the black rioters, the black shoplifters, the black men and women who punch out Asian people, the young black men who shoot other young black men and unfortunate black innocents, the black fathers who abandon their children, the rampant drug use in black communities, etc., etc., etc., and will instead continue to focus on the illusion that it is all the fault of white people.

You are making it harder on the rest of us to move on from the past and work towards a truly equitable future. Your passion and commitment are admirable but try leading and inspiring without all the blaming and shaming. We are all God’s children, after all.

I have spent a great deal of time over the past year almost exclusively watching FOX and Newsmax instead of my customary CNN and MSNBC. This was done to preserve domestic tranquility, and thankfully this strategy is working well. Now that COVID-19 is no longer an existential threat and I have begun to have in-depth discussions about social and political issues with my decidedly progressive friends and family, I realize that my viewpoint on many issues has changed since I decided to change my news media viewing habits.

Whereas before I was inclined to follow the progressive Democrat way of thinking, my views have moderated because of my immersion in the conservative Republican way of thinking. I am by no means a convert, but I have reached a point where I am appreciative of both Democrat and Republican points of view. At the same time, I am equally skeptical of both as well.

This got me to thinking about my experience from the perspective of being more a grand socio-political experiment than a domestic survival strategy. I have come to recognize the excesses of both sides – their hypocrisy, their selective half-truths, and their manipulation.

It is both frustrating and disturbing to realize that very few cable news media types and the politicians and self-proclaimed experts who appear on cable news shows have any interest in being thoughtful and objective. The money and notoriety are in being divisive, extreme, condescending and insulting, so that is what we are given.

However, if you listen long enough, the core beliefs, values, and perspectives of both sides can be deciphered through all the hyper-rhetoric. My experience with FOX and Newsmax has been invaluable for me because it has made me more thoughtful and less judgmental. Of course the news and commentary on FOX and Newsmax is presented in a one-sided manner and is full of statements that strain credulity and reflect the profit-minded pandering to and exploitation of their viewers. The same thing holds true for CNN and MSNBC – they are just the other side of the same coin.

As the saying goes, there are two sides to every argument and then there is the truth. Contrary to what FOX, Newsmax, CNN and MSNBC would like you to believe, the truth is not what they say it is.

Based upon my experience, it is vitally important to break away from whatever way of ideological thinking you find comfort in if you are ever going to see the truth for what it is. My suggestion for the next year is as follows:

• Liberal Democrats and liberal-leaning independents should listen only to FOX and Newsmax.
• Conservative Republicans and conservative-leaning independents should listen only to CNN and MSNBC.

This ideological immersion is more like learning a second language than an intervention. Frustrating and confusing at first, over time things will begin to make more sense. Eventually you will become fluent in the language of the other side.

Once the period of immersion is over, we will inevitably be more thoughtful, less judgmental, and better informed than we were before. By understanding opposing viewpoints, we can engage in discussions in a more civilized manner instead of resorting to angry and all too often threatening, even violent confrontations.

It is possible, though by no means certain, that as we begin to moderate our positions and reject the extremist excesses that currently have undue influence on our society, we will begin to have politicians that moderate their positions as well.

I, along with many liberal-leaning people, would love to have moderate Republican candidates to consider voting for, but most Republican politicians seem compelled to adopt the party line of single-issue obstructionism and punitive anti-labor/anti-poor policies, and what reasonable person can vote for that?

I am sure that many conservative-leaning people would love to have moderate Democratic candidates to consider voting for, but most Democratic politicians seem compelled to adopt the party line of extreme social positions and anti-white/anti-business policies, and what reasonable person can vote for that?

Right now, any time a politician expresses a point of view that does not follow their party line, they are rewarded for their courage and independent thinking by ostracism from their own party. How can there be any hope of reasonable and constructive bipartisan discussion when this is essentially banned by both parties?

We need to figure out a way to change the political dynamic in this country from this lose-lose hyper-partisan mentality that has been shown repeatedly to accomplish nothing, to a dynamic where we all end up benefiting from programs and policies that improve our lives in a tangible manner.

Nothing good is going to happen until we are willing to accept that, contrary to what we might think, the opposing point of view may have a point.

(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.