Speech & Consequences

Whatever is on my mind I can share. With anyone. The means are there. Electronics make it happen in a split second. I can wallow in the beauty of nature, the depth of music, or the words of others. Reading or hearing; all is available in the electron-fed world.

And videos, too; news, art, dance or entertainment, a world view is instantly available.

I am not alone. Others are present. Their minds, too, are reachable. They share their thoughts and I do so as well. If the present is filled with frustration, words will be pushed forward. To whom is not known. Some will receive them blandly; others with insult; still others with anger.

Lashing out to air one’s feelings spills into dimensions unknown. Who it reaches – intended or not – is out of our control. The internet is like that. So, too, the words and expression of our minds. Once loosed they travel far.

Reactions can be swift. A nanosecond later someone is erupting and spewing words of vile reaction. The body politic comes alive with vitriol. Tone is set in deep territory. It will cool in time, but damage is done.

MAGA hats are speech. They represent something. The viewer is not controlled in what to think, what to perceive as the intent of the wearer. The stage has been set for reaction whatever the intended meaning.

So too dress, signage, and body language. Broadcasts are tactile; real. For anyone to see. We wear our speech as much as speak or write it.

The reactions are also free. They dance as daggers to hurt in spite. “How dare they make low my belief!” but they do, and the fight is on.

Yes, I am frustrated by current situations. Yes, I feel downcast and hurt at the danger of our days. And yes, I must vent in some way that releases my tension. But how to do this without damaging others? How do we co-exist without inflaming one another with our knee jerk actions?

I think we need to talk about this. What I feel is important for others to hear. It will help them relate what they feel. Together we can comfort each other. Later, we can probe for the why we feel this way. Perhaps we can find common cause?

At least we will know your travail, and you mine.

I want to understand your point of view. I yearn to understand how you came to conclusions that do not match my own. Is it because we are growing at different speeds and times? Or do the issues affect you and I in very different, specific ways? How can we help each other while not sharing the same beliefs?

By talking about these differences. Understanding them. Allowing them to coexist with ours. Different. Not dangerous. Your ideas do not threaten me or mine. Neither should  my ideas threaten you and yours.

Talk. One on one. Or in small groups. With an intent on learning the differences. Later the why. Also researching the facts upon which we build our understandings, our conclusions.

Perhaps we will find common thoughts. A basis of understanding. A means to peacefully co-exist.

I want this. I think others do as well.

To that end, a modest group of people will host an open discussion of issues that matter this Friday evening. With coffee and respect, we will talk in safety and feel each other’s presence. In a harsh world this should be a welcome escape.

We hope we will find a way forward to coexist. Together. I will share this experience in this blog if we are successful. Stay tuned for hope!

January 31, 2019

Electric Cold

The cold was everything; in the water, carpet, furniture; in the bones of the house. Outdoors snow was stacked high. Trees cracked and popped. So too, the house. The air was still with a breeze that whispered in the dark. Eerie silence accompanied the negative temperature. CRACK! The 100-year old maple sounded its protest. Then POP went the house.

Wood contracted in the 27 degree-below-zero temp. Wind gusts brought the chill near 100-below.

With hooded parka, huge ski mitts, long-john underwear and heavy, insulated boots, I set out for the morning train. I lugged my attaché case; it contained my lunch, overnight office reading, and a few survival items. The parka had a snorkel hood, the kind that extends way to the front of the face; protecting the face from wind and cold, the hood’s opening was lined with fake fur that somehow made me feel warmer. The wool scarf wrapped around my neck and covering my mouth added comfort to breathe body-warmed air to cushion the shock to the lungs.

The route was familiar. Out the front door, down the steps, up the walk to the sidewalk, down then to the corner and the main route to the train station. It was dark. Cold. Trees creaking, popping and moaning in the depth of unimaginable cold. Over the upheaved sidewalks for a mile to the station. The pace was brisk. Matched the temp.

Once in the station, I remained for only a minute or three; at least a sense of warming, but it was stifling with all the outerwear. Outside again to balance the body temperature and wait for the train’s arrival. On time it appeared around the bend, clanging a warning bell to stay aside. The bell sounded crackled; it’s striking hammer thudding against unwilling metal. The world was oddly silent.

Commuters boarded in silence. Shuffling of booted feet, crunch of snow and salt punctuated movements up the steps, into the train. Then the sighs, huffs, and sounds of unwrapping coats, hats, scarves. Riders settled into their seats. The train silently tugged out of the station and we rode in silence toward the city.

Rail switches were lit on fire to keep mechanicals from freezing in the cold. Observations over the years taught me how the railroad provided a low oil fire to the switch beds. The flames seemed oddly cool but effectively kept the cold steel movable in the super cold weather. Our train car road through and over the flames safe from inferno. Orwellian in sight with no sound. Riders unusually mute throughout it all.

I remember the quiet of the people. Their rustled awakening to arriving at the city terminal. We regathered our warm layers of clothing and shuffled toward the train’s exits. Down the dark, cold gangway from the train into the station. Down the long steps to street level.

The cold outdoors hit with a vengeance. As cold as the walk to the train in Wheaton had been, the Chicago wind blasted the cold deep into the parka’s skin. The cold was felt and heard in one gasp.

One foot in front of the other, traffic signals were navigated, and the one and a half mile walk to campus lay before me. Down familiar sidewalks, past familiar buildings, a turn to the right here to get out of the wind for a block, then another to the left until the zig-zag route maneuvered me to my office on campus. Away from the city center just a bit, the campus was exposed to the full fury of the wind. And the cold. Concrete buildings and modernist architecture increased the cold. The revolving entrance door was slow in the cold but yielded to interior warmth. Into the elevator and up to my floor, unwrapping the layers moment by moment.

Out of the elevator and quickened steps took me to the office. I hung my parka in the closet. Peeled off the scarf and down filled ski mitts. I was where I would spend the day doing familiar things.

Later that morning I prepared myself for the homeward commute. It would be even colder because of the wind. Temps were forecasted to equal the morning commute.

This trek to work and home again was repeated for nearly 13 years. Five miles of walking and 33 miles of train travel. Four hours each day. In all kinds of weather. In later years I drove but the time remained the same. Long hours spent getting from home to work and back. Time to think and ponder my day, the tasks of career, the purpose of life.

My generation survived this. So did my Dad’s and his father’s and grandfather’s generations. So to today’s younger generation and the one coming up after that. We work and commute to and from it. The rhythm pulls us to this activity.

We survive and tell others of the effort. Few wish to listen. We need the remembrance. It is part of our history, the struggle to do ordinary things.

Retired I recall these ordeals. In the comfort of my well-heated home. I don’t have to venture out in the cold. Similar to my past, today’s weather is electric in its cold presence.

There is a snap to the air. Cold or heated, status electricity announces the frigid world just a speck outside the window.

January 30, 2019

Inexplicable Wall Street

Reasons and rhymes of stock market prices – they are a new mystery. What should be up is down, and the opposite as well. Our times are in turmoil. So are the stock markets. Yet they find reason for higher prices even when all is gloomy. What gives?

Clues to what drives the markets are elusive. Some say it rests solely on obscure mathematical algorithms. Others claim it is all about counter sentiments to crowd reaction; if most market sentiment is down, the anti-crowd buys. If enough antis exist, prices will rise even when sentiment is low.

Then there are the computer driven trading machines. These are large firms shepherding their investors’ funds through investment wars over the long haul. They move large blocks of stock to satisfy myriad portfolio objectives. If the market downticks, the computer says buy and a million shares are traded in a trice. Do that several times with many hedge funds, investment firms and large brokerages, and prices respond. The results magnify.

Selling on counter-trends is one way of hedging bets on the market. It certainly helps explain what’s been happening on the market these past two years. Recall the major events that should affect stock values, and then observe what happened:

·        Federal Reserve stated their intent to raise interest rates

·        England votes for Brexit

·        US pulls out of Paris global warming pact

·        US pulls out of TTP treaty with Pacific Rim nations

·        US bullies NATO partners on their low financial contributions

·        US insults China in both economic and diplomatic terms

·        US insults Russia in military, economic and diplomatic terms

·        US kisses Putin’s rear end; lifts sanctions

·        US starts trade wars with major tariff adjustments; world economic community reacts

·        Interest rates go up as expected

·        Interest rates go up slowly as expected

·        The lunar eclipse occurs as forecast

·        The weather heats up; or cools down; all as forecasted

Whatever happens – expected or not – ballyhooed or not – the market prices on all the major stock exchanges shift in wild patterns. Huge gains one day; huge losses the next; and just when hopeful signs are evident in economic circles, prices take a plunge when everyone else would expect them to rise.

Capricious. Illogical. Counter intuitive. Call it what you will, but stock prices have been volatile throughout the trump presidency. These conditions are golden opportunities for those with risk tolerance. All the rest are risk avoiders.

There is a problem, however; volatility can lead to catastrophic losses. The government shutdown would have led to huge price drops in years past; didn’t happen this time. Cyclical retail swings would typically lead to stock volatility. Only a few wobbles this time. International instability ought to exacerbate volatility. Not much reaction currently.

The point is all of the unstable factors leading to volatility of stock prices currently exist. That volatility currently exists, too. What combination of these elements will lead to a market crash? We have already witnessed one since fall of 2018. Will 2019 witness yet another? If so, will this last for a long time?

We shall see, won’t we? Meanwhile, the Wall Street shuffle continues to amaze. It defies the rules of gravity. That should be a red flag in and of itself.

January 29, 2019

Tired and Drawn

It is winter. January. Cold. Bitterly cold. Dark early and drab much of the rest of the day. Pitch black nights, brightened only by the moon through its phases. Dark, cold, drab, dreary. The blah of winter sets in. the Holidays are over. Valentine’s Day beckons. Then thoughts of spring edge into our thoughts. Anything to brighten the drab of winter.

Like the government shutdown, it is all so drab. Tawdry. Beneficiaries of government programs – those who need help and supposed to get it because there are no other sources of such aid – go without. Workers who produce the benefits go without paychecks if they have office hours at all. If the office is closed, they have neither work nor paycheck. They become the people who need help. The servers and the served become one. Yes, the shutdown has ended, but the pain of it remains, and its effects, too.

Those of us on Social Security get our checks on time because computers are programmed to do so. The electronic debits and credits whiz over electronic networks and the banks and credit unions receive funds for the account holder. Life goes on for them. But if you are attempting to enroll in Social Security, get in line. The office is closed; no processing is available. When the office reopens, the backlog of casework will delay benefits for thousands of people in a long, impatient line.

If you are a new business or nonprofit, your application goes well at your state level, but when the IRS is involved to assign EIN numbers, or process tax exempt status, you are stuck in neutral. Nothing will be done until the backlog is processed. Plain and simple.

Countless other examples exist of inaction caused by government shutdown. Each person affected is its own case of inconvenience and hurt. Staff who are out of work have their own story of travail. Credit unions and banks will likely help them over the toughest of times. But the cost will be on them. Eviction from apartments with unpaid rent is not an immediate effect. That takes time, like several months. Same for mortgage foreclosure. In time this all gets sorted out but living through it is stressful and unsettling.

If this sort of thing happens again, the government will find it difficult to staff its operation. Lest people think that such operations could be privatized and skip the shutdown drama, think again. Shutdowns affect payments to contractors. Just ask today’s contractors. Their staff are not only out of work, but unpaid with no backpay options available. The flow of funds to the contractors stops immediately. That’s it. Important or not the functions cease and so do the incomes the workers rely on.

No, the shutdown is a display of ideology – right versus left. Big government or small government. Or no government.

Don’t believe me? Ask around among your friends, those who are solidly encamped in one ideology or the other. They will tell you what they feel is certain – government must exist in all of its forms, or it is unnecessary.

In between is the middle road position. It borrows from other ideologies and makes a workable compromise. That demilitarized zone is becoming narrower and narrower. The two big ideologies are grinding their way toward no compromise. And then we will have none.

And no government.

Is that what the American People want?  I don’t think so.

In a nutshell, that’s where we are today. Pretty sad. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired and drawn. And getting older by the moment.

It is time for change.

January 28, 2019

Whither Lindsay Graham?

First, he’s for something, then he’s against the same thing. Next, he supports trump and the next day he opposes him. Once a defender and confidante of John McCain, then he takes actions that are diametrically opposed to McCain’s well-known positions. Trying to follow Graham’s position changes is dizzying.

In the end, Lindsay Graham is exactly what he seemed all along – a political hack with a far right agenda.

A strategist with short-term goals, too. Never long-term. Always short-term.

But always an emotional bigot intent on building his own wall between right and left. The problem, though, is his lack of defining the difference between the two. One is good, the other is bad, according to Lindsay. But his flipflops have muddied what he means. That makes his utterings meaningless. Senseless. Utterly.

Every now and again Mr. Graham says something that makes sense; hope comes from that behavior. Hope that something logical and long-term can and will be built by opposing leaders. But then he turns it into a sham and walks away. He learned that tactic from McCain, who often used similar antics. Eventually I came to distrust McCain. I have come to the same conclusion with Graham. He has lost his attraction and value. He is an empty soul trapped in a party of nothing in an institution producing nothing but chaos.

That’s what happens when you follow your nose into political nonsense. Like the president, chaos is the result and later we learn that was the intent all along. Create chaos and then solve that situation in time; meanwhile, the important issues are either swept away or dealt with in secret.

This tactic is called distraction. It works at the beginning of its use, but loses effectiveness when found out.

We have found it out. Both Graham and trump have lost their impact. They are now noisy kids on the full display, with nothing to offer.

We can only hope that adults will take control of the institutions and get back to work. This is the people’s house, capitol and government. It is we who are telling. Not asking.

Stop the games and get to work. Perhaps shutting down your paychecks and benefits would make the point?

January 25, 2019

No Confidence

The pretend president has been at it again and again. Actually, it appears he has always been ‘at it’ and never doing what he says he is doing. That is the basis for today’s title – No Confidence.

Here are some immediate examples:

·        State of the Union Address

·        Fake Negotiations to Re-Open the Government

·        Evil news coverage of High School students at Lincoln Memorial meeting a Native American

·        Border Security Emergency

I wrote about the border security issue Tuesday. Nothing has happened to change that report. There is no border security emergency no matter what the president claims. Incontrovertible proof is plentiful to make this point. The bad is on him, not the democrats or any other scape goat.

The State of the Union Address is also not a snub. The Capitol building is shut down due to presidential order. To use it for the State of the Union Address would be highly dangerous and impractical. A written report would suffice, or an address to the nation from the Oval Office as was suggested by Speaker Polosi. Besides, the Speaker invited his address in good faith that the shutdown would be short-lived. The president did not accept the invitation, nor does he recognize the reality of the consequence of shutting down the government. Alternate speech delivery is on him.

Fake Negotiations to re-open the government is clear for all to see. The House and Senate agreed to a bill before Christmas granting everything the president said he wanted in it. But he changed his mind and did not sign the legislation. That’s his problem. Then he shut down the government unless he got exactly what he wanted. Other leaders negotiated with him and his staff. Still no agreement from the president. He made a big PR stunt announcement of his newest offer and it was not new at all. This was pure propaganda. He knows it. He does this sort of thing all the time. By now we all understand his modus operandi.

Labeling the confrontation between high school students and the Native American at the Lincoln Memorial an evil twist by the media is totally erroneous. The story had gone viral on social media, was hyped by a known Twitter twister. News outlets covered the social media aspect, then qualified their reporting with ifs. When more details became known, all those outlets corrected their earlier reports. Yes, this was an interesting happening; but the reporting uncovered other dimensions of the event that were even more puzzling. There are many layers to the story that continue to be of interest, however, fake news and evil coverage by the media is not one of those layers. A misuse of the incident by the president to attempt to attack the media yet again, is the primary outcome of his misrepresentations.

There are other instances where the president has claimed fake news when he is the creator of the news items himself. A propagandist is his profession. A deal maker? Hardly.

How disappointing. That underscores the reality a majority of the American public has no confidence in this president. His resignation from office would solve many problems. 

Sooner rather than later, please.

January 24, 2019

Humanitarian Crisis?

It’s about quality of life. Not whether you or I draw a breath and live, feel and all the rest. No; it is about the quality of life we each have throughout all our time on earth.

Quality of life involves self-confidence, self-sufficiency, secure housing, food supplies and healthy body and soul. How well is our intellectual and social life? Are we relating to others well and productively? Are we collaborating and building community?

Community. The term requires more than one life lived in isolation. Isolation. It is a half-life. Not a full life. Full means relationship with another person. Hopefully more than one other person. It’s the interrelationship of the two persons that build strength individually and together. It takes two to tango.

And two grows to three, then four, and many, many more.

Community. Involved entanglements of relating to more than one person. These bring life and abundance to the self. It is instructed of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Together with others this is done. The self is not alone.

Togetherness is community. With all its ailments and joys thrown into the mix. Sorting out what works and what doesn’t within that group of people creates community. Whether a nation, a state, or a family, community is the root of mankind’s experience with life.

So, a humanitarian crisis on our southern border is the claim. What crisis would that be? Security? Personal health concerns of someone knocking on our door? A caravan of refugees seeking safety in another nation? Or not enough guns and tear gas cannisters to repel the hordes of asylum seekers?

Whose crisis is this? The hordes? Or the America of solace and hope?

The latter not. The former yes. And who is not welcoming these people? Who is defining this lack of welcome?

And who closed the border? Who armed the border? Who cried ‘wolf’ over and over again about the hordes coming? Who separated families from their children at the border. Who placed asylum seekers in detention camps in the desert? Who lost the children separated from parents and moved them to locations all over the USA? Who failed to keep track of these children?

Finally, who bungled the management of all this?

He who complains the loudest does so with false claims. He also labels others to blame when it is he himself to blame. Radical Left?  Who are these? What of Radical Right? Whatever happened to the Middle? Where are most citizens right this moment?

My hunch is the Middle. The far fringes of any movement is not the seat of coordination. It is not the actor, either. It is just the loud, noisy rabble.

He who complains the loudest is not the leader. He is the rabble on the fringe. The propagandist in chief.

The humanitarian crisis is about quality of life. Not left or right political ideology.

Yes, there is an immigration policy and procedure crisis. Has been for decades. The congress has sole ownership of this. It must be fixed/replaced with a better model of policy and procedure. This then is handed to the Executive branch for implementation and management. That’s how the system works. It is not run by the president or his minions.

Every president has noted the immigration problem and tried to do something. The current white house occupant claims to be doing the same. He is not. He is muddling it up with no hope of a solution. Just more human suffering.

That’s the crisis. It needs to be fixed. Without the ultimatums and sham leadership for TV cameras.

Would the adults in our government please step forward and do the right thing?

January 23, 2019

Border Security

The issue of border security is real. It has been managed continuously since we had borders. Who can enter the country? Who cannot? Should there be a free flow of immigrants to our land? How many years during our history was there free flow? How many years were our borders closed to immigration. And what is the history for all the between years?

We have the INS – Immigration and Naturalization Service. They are in the executive branch of the federal government. They have the task of implementing immigration and citizenship laws, rules and regulations. These rules, regulations and laws change. They constitute an enormous body of printed pages of law; and then of process, procedure and regulations. The body of law is confusing. It is altered formally and informally to match the changing needs of the country. It has been this way for much of our history.

And the border; not one but many, forming a continuous line on land, sea and air demarcating the USA from all other nations. People cross these ‘lines’ all the time. fishermen, boaters, smugglers, casual travelers, immigrants, business travelers, and so forth. Who is who and what status do each have? This is a continuous process 24/7/365.

Criminal activity including drug smuggling are the primary targets of the INS and their enforcement crews. ICE and Homeland Security are all involved. Then immigration – legal and illegal – is the target of their efforts.

All of this describes the context of the simple battle cry “border security.” It is not a simple situation. It is a complex context with layers of many other contexts.

And the system managing this issue has been broken for generations. Complex and almost unmanageable. Congress has the responsibility and authority to repair the problems. They haven’t; not for generations. Presidents have grumbled about this for many years. Yet they are not in charge of the solution. They can only muddle through the broken mess of policy, regulations, rules and laws that have been compiled over time.

It is time a task force of knowledgeable persons study the issues and recommend an entirely new system to manage it. After proper discussion in Congress, it should be passed as law and forwarded to the president for his signature. Then dump the old system entirely, replacing it with the new.

Meanwhile, we must manage what we have. And we are. With all the problems and challenges, the nation is safe and struggles through. There is no border emergency at this time. Furthermore, there are many tools to manage border security – troops, ICE, Border Patrol, electronic surveillance methods, satellite surveillance, and much more. Walls, fences and the like are also useful in places; just not everywhere. Tunnels, air routes, ocean approaches – all of these are being watched continuously.  Keep at it.

How much will it cost for short-term solutions? And is that money available currently? Yes, the money is available. New funds are voted on often. And they are appropriated. Large sums, as well. So there is no emergency over funding. If we are to fund a huge wall system along the border with Mexico, then that strategy should be discussed, voted on and managed accordingly. Most of the time it has been rejected as too simplistic a solution, not effective.

So, there it is. The stark reality of a non-issue. Yet we are weathering a government shutdown. For no reason. Just politics. Fake news manufactured by the president. All for fun and games. While real people are being hurt and inconvenienced as well.

The republican leader in the Senate should take up this issue for a vote and be done with it. But he is absent. He is a political hack on full display. And a coward shirking his duty.

The travesty of this sad situation is real. Will we allow it to define America and We The People?

Enough!

January 22, 2019

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today our nation celebrates the life and accomplishments of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What are you doing to remember him? What are we doing this day to recall his enormous contributions to our nation? Anything?

I used to attend an annual breakfast event in which choirs sang, kids of all ages spoke about Dr. King’s legacy. And then a seasoned speaker would share a meaningful message for us to incorporate in our lives and enhance the legacy of equality, justice and civil rights for all in America. That and tending to the beacon of hope for all of those peoples who yearn for the same in their nations wherever they are.

It has been a few years since I attended one of those public breakfasts. I remember them all fondly. Wondering at the time what I was doing to support all the good things Dr. King worked hard to produce for America. I’ve done some things; failed at others. I just hope I have not failed at keeping the beat alive for social justice and equality.

I think I’m OK in this department. Like most folks, I could have done better. No excuses, though; the need remains, and we are called to do the work.

Whether equality is based on race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, able or unable, there are millions of people facing discrimination and injustice every day. In our land. Of freedom. Scan social media to check this out. Oh, the need is there, alright. And we all know it.

So, roll up your sleeves and get busy. There is no end to the need or opportunity to make a difference in one life or thousands. It takes all of us to do this work. Together we will change minds. And lives. It takes a village to raise a kid. It takes more villages to support a family and a neighborhood. Imagine the villages it takes to make a nation whole and fair?

We are the nation of yes, of can do. Let’s get to work and give proof to our heritage and legacy. In the name of Martin Luther King, Jr. Yes sir!

January 21, 2019

Where will the Future Find Us?

The future is yet to be. Yet we sow the seeds of it every day, minute and hour of our present. Are we aware of these seeds and what they will produce? Do we really know what we are doing?

Over half of America’s citizens think not. Nearly all well-versed and attentive citizens think not.

The future will be what it will be. We do not control it. We can influence it. We can make it happen, but whether it happens the way we want or not, is an open question. We have much to learn about controlling future. It may very well be true that we will never have control over the future.

History is the story of peoples living on planet earth. Whether a family or nation, or a group of nations, these people have a story to tell of their origins, their pasts, their presents, and their hoped-for futures. This is what history, archeology, sociology and anthropology study. We know which people surpassed all others in varying ages in the past; we know which people did not excel and came to ruin and nothing. We still wonder why about some; but slowly we learn more and fill in the blanks.

I wonder if some future civilization far in the future will wonder whatever happened to the American civilization or even if it will be remembered? How did it fare? What led to its demise? What suffering tales can be told about this historical factoid? Or will our tale remain a core of civilizations’ story throughout many ages?

Saving political and ideological face has its price. How much of it are we paying for at the moment? Does anyone know? Does anyone care?

Time to assess the damage – the price of all the above. Change is in the air. The future is changing its definition of players as we speak. Who will be the protagonist of this tale? And who the antagonist?

What then the outcome? What will it be like? Do we care enough to define it? Hope for it?

January 18, 2019

Hot Spots

While we dither in internal politics and ideologies, let us spot the international problem areas for America. What is being done with each of these?

Russia: long an avowed enemy of America. They see us as having hegemony over the world. Too much influence in the affairs of other nations. They believe the USA receives more from this than is our due. Russia labors to even the balance of power among nations. They want much more for themselves and much less for others. They have proven treacherous as an ally. Only when they demonstrably receive more from an agreement with America does Russia agree to it; and then for only the term that goodies are received. At any time, they will disavow the pact if it is in their interests to do so. Or simply feign misunderstanding of terms.

China: they have been a huge influence over all of world history. They have had few years of major power, however. They have tried to erase that history. They are building a much larger and healthier social order than it has in the past. Their military might, however, is growing much larger and faster than their economic system. They want hegemony in the China Sea, a long defined international waters arena. They are preparing for battle. They are building ‘islands' in the China Sea; they are weaponizing those islands. They are re-defining international shipping and military maneuvers by other nations obsolete; they are banning them outright. And their naval and air force powers are displayed to punctuate their words. Meanwhile, they run rampant over trade laws, copywrite protections and other long-held trading agreements throughout history. They are not to be trifled with.  They also do not adhere scrupulously to international agreements unless such are clearly in their best interests. Very little give and take.

Middle East: who could possibly think that America holds much sway in this region? We once did. Diplomacy, trade, education, enormous aid packages and all the rest were traded for ready access to world oil supplies. Governments in the region have mostly lined their own personal pockets rather than share with their citizens. The imbalance of have and have-nots is clearly on view. Unsettled politics result and civil strife and war is the painful reality for civilians.

South America: treated as a fourth and often forgotten economic zone, South America has experienced ups and downs of economic and military power. Tyrants, dictators and democracies have frequently battled one another. The poor and uneducated become continual pawns in this climate. Yet we ignore the mighty societies of South America in favor of focusing time, talent and treasure on the Middle East and Russia/China axis. When will we learn the lesson that our own backyard is more important than those living across the street? The tide is shifting to the south. Will we become alert to this in time?

Mexico: long a friend of America, we have militarized an otherwise friendly border with a neighbor. Building fences does not always yield good neighbors. It often incites troubles far larger than we can manage. What should be a humanitarian and diplomatic issue is turned into human suffering, economic redress and ugly militarization and police action. We need to treat our next door neighbors with open minds and generosity.

Central America: a coterie of nations struggling to maintain their cultures and history. Economic problems overtask their governments and civil unrest resulted. Broad criminal activity rages in most of these nations. Drug cartels have become the bulk of government. And we wonder why their citizens escape to come to America? They seek life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that eludes them in their own countries. They are powerless to do otherwise. And yet we do not help. We insult and blockade their dreams. Where is the soul of America?

Europe: Brexit and the European Community: these valued allies of history, soul and bloody wars, are being reviled, insulted and pushed away from our international family. And all for what? Economics? It certainly is not for international power and military might. No, those issues faded away long ago. Then why are we at war with our European cousins? Good question in need of a sensible answer. And quickly.

NATO: a powerful treaty that has maintained world peace for generations. Proven and skilled from practical experience of two horrendous wars. It once was heralded as proof that man can learn from his past; today that lesson has faded and is threatened with dissolution. And why and for what? A mean little mind that doesn’t understand the basics of human history? Economic power brokers who feel they aren’t gaining enough return on investment? Is this what history leads to?

Yes, while these hot spots glow red hot our government reduces its foreign affairs teams, dumbs down its State Department, Defense Department and a host of other cabinet departments that are central to our success at home and abroad. But clueless people are in charge of our government. And we will reap the results of such idiocy. This is what we get when poorly trained and undereducated people rise to the top of government circles.

They know not what they do. Last time this happened, all Hell broke loose.

January 17, 2019

Commonsense

Logic. Fact. Putting two and two together to get four. That’s commonsense to me. Evidently not in government circles.

Too often we have witnessed the political world misrepresenting the real world. This is done to sway public opinion, mostly, but it also ‘sways’ elected representatives to veer off course to support an action that simply doesn’t make sense to his/her chosen value structure.

Let’s see if I can offer an example of this. Hmmm………

How about support for American farmers and all they do to support our American way of life?  We provide them with guidance on crop rotation, crop planting advice, market trends, and development of foreign markets for their outputs. All of this is aimed at maximizing their return on investment while softening the impact of bad growing conditions and open market price competition that could sink thousands of farms in less than one growing season. We provide low interest loans to farmers. We subsidize higher education options for farmers. We fund agricultural research to increase productivity of both labor and the science of farming.

But then, the president who says he supports American farmers, upsets the global markets with trade wars and tariffs. The farmer pays the price. Their families are economically devastated. The more help in this time they need, the more it is promised. But then a government shutdown blocks that assistance as well as the very basic agricultural supports listed above. All is in doubt. Help is not at hand.

This picture is brought to you by ideologues who missed the classroom sessions on diplomacy, tact and strategy. Instead of discussing problems and possible solutions with opponents, they unilaterally lowered the boom with crude tools of power: trade wars by tariff.

The hell this has produced for American farm communities and their families is mind numbing. With no end in sight.

As you contemplate that picture, consider all the other industries decimated by similar actions. American automotive manufactures are reeling from supply chain interruptions and prices of common goods like steel, glass, electronic components and much more.

Let’s not forget higher education that has been on a tail spin of inflation for decades. This is the engine of ‘can be’ in our society. This is where generations are educated to brave new futures and fresh beginnings. This is where research solves problems, invents new products and whole sciences, too. Yet government support for higher education simply has not been there to fund the costs. Students and donors have had to step up. The dividends from these investments are enormous to both student and society. But costs are now weighing down generations of students as they attempt to start bright new lives and families while paying off student loans. This is the hidden tax of modern day America. And it is an unfair tax on the middle class and the poor.

As a nation we suffer consequences far beyond our imagination from these imbalances. And these are just two such problems. Higher education and American farming. Two arenas important to the future of America.

Yet our elected leaders find no solutions to their ideological problems. The government is shut down. The ideas are blocked off. Communication is stifled. Commonsense is not allowed in the room where leaders are supposed to meet and commune with one another about important things of the people.

Where has their commonsense gone? Where are their values? What has become of their purpose?

The system of governance in our beloved land has become an entrenched monster of low output.

We can argue about a president who pretends to be a leader while he bulls his way around the china shop. But can we fix the bloated decision making apparatus of both federal and state governments so they work better, smoother and more productively than the behemoth that saddles our nation presently?

What answers can we come up with that will solve the current mess and yield to a better tomorrow?

I’ve been writing in this space for over 7 years on all of these matters. I have offered ideas, solutions and defined problems succinctly. No takers. No one stepping up to do the hard work.

I know we are better than this. I’ve seen the ‘better’ before; I know it is possible today. Why then do we not listen to one another to learn of potentials and possibilities. Perhaps those positives will spark commonsense solutions so we can all get back to work?

Back to work. Now there’s a good thought!

January 16, 2019

Who’s In Charge?

Syria. ISIS. American troops in Syria to slay ISIS. With the help of Turkish Kurds who do the bulk of the fighting, and dying. Our troops are coordinators, equipment managers, tactical leaders and providers of on the ground training and guidance.

ISIS in Syria is a ghost of itself. Defeated? In that location, maybe; certainly barely functioning. Elsewhere, though, ISIS is alive and doing its dirty work. Like the Taliban it will continue to coexist with its host nations and undermine order and civilian quality of life.

But mr. trump claims victory and wants the troops withdrawn. Bolton says that is not what the president means. He contradicts his boss and declares policy clarification to Israel, Turkey and others in the region. Secretary of State Pompeo agrees; until he doesn’t. And then we learn our troops in Syria are being removed little by little. And the equipment is coming out as well. Now. At this time.

So, our Kurdish friends, the brave souls who have fought our battles in Syria, are being left exposed and vulnerable to certain death. Death at the hands of their Turkish nationalists. Erdogan sees the Kurds as enemies of his state and government. He claims to annihilate them as soon as possible. It is his sense of value and balance.

We say that ought not happen. But we are evidently going to allow it to happen.

If this is so, then who will help us in the future fight the fight of the innocents in foreign lands?

Bad decision mr. trump. Poor judgment.

But what really is stunning are the claims of policy and decision making with clear authority levels and team members. Bolton. Pompeo. Trump. They say they represent the same thing. The words are different; the actions are different. What then are the results of this confusion?

I wouldn’t make any plans if I were a Kurd. Seems those plans have been made by others who do not care.

Now that is a shame. Embarrassment, too. And a travesty of the first order.

Indeed, who is in charge here?

January 15, 2019

Days Ticking Away

The beat of the clock goes on. So do the days of the calendar. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Here’s a day, there’s a day; a week goes by; then another. And still another. Three weeks gone. Disruption everywhere. The shutdown of the federal government continues to amass cause, effect, result.

To think that this is only 25% of the government! Imagine it all gone? No government functions happening.

For some, this is a long-held dream. For others it is a nightmare. This is the ideology war many want to see play out. What they think will happen is only in their heads.

My point of view holds that government is needed. It is by, for and of the people, so we ought to know it, trust it, and rely on it. Not as a big daddy in the sky, but a helpful family member with whom we help as well. Together.

My view embraces a purposeful government functioning for the benefit of the people. Just because some get help that others do not, doesn’t mean the output of government actions are unequal or unfair. It is the whole of society we are governing and protecting. Whether a democracy or socialist or communist government, all attempt to serve the common good of the people.

Different modes of operation among those forms of government exist. Decision making is centralized in different manners. Democracies support transparency of the process; at least that is the design. More authoritarian forms of government preserve decision making to only a few people, and then much of their process is hidden from view. The objectives are thus clouded. Understanding the basis of those decisions and outcomes is left to analysis; and feeling the actual outcomes when they are noticed.

Not so in America. Our democracy is an open affair and we the people have input to the process, values and construction of the goals. Too few avail themselves of this role, but they do have it. Because of that we can form higher trust in our government – its people, processes and values. They represent the same among we the people. Or ought to.

The arguments encountered along the way create upsets. We are in the midst of one currently. The ‘shutdown’ is a twisted result of malfeasance. The malfeasance is shared by the president who created the false crises he claims to be managing, and his political party that does not have the courage to examine the potential for meaningful compromise that would settle the dispute in a timely manner.

In the meantime a whole nation suffers inconvenience. Some suffer much more. And the agents of government work unpaid or furloughed entirely, bearing a heavy burden of the ideological spat.

It’s a shame the perpetrators of this debacle do not suffer the pain and price of their own folly. Their embarrassment is ours. But our pain is not shared by them.

How can we redress this?

January 14, 2019

Making a Difference

How can I make a difference? That question sounds many times each day. As people of goodwill encounter people with needs, they seek action to help them. Continuous action happens every day throughout the world. I can only speak of what I know here in my area. I see it each day. Do you?

Perhaps my experience is different. I worked for most of my 53-year career in nonprofit organizations. Even a few for profits, but then my efforts were focused on helping others within the reach of those corporations. So nonprofit operations come naturally to me.

Such work is done with people who strive to make a difference in the lives of others. Social workers, teachers, doctors, nurses, caregivers…the list is long. Whole careers, whole lives spent serving others. Cops do it; firemen do it; paramedics do it.

So do good Samaritans. Helping the outcast is always a need present in our lives. I often think they are there to remind me of how good life has been for me. I have had good times and bad, but mostly good, very good. I cannot complain. I dare not! Others have much meaner lives; they need help. We are strong so we can offer that help. It is a simple transaction.

But it is a call to action. Do we answer that call? Probably not all the time, but sometimes?

The measure of a nation’s soul, I think, is how readily its people answer the call to serve those in need. I wonder how America measures up these days?

An honest question seeking an honest answer.

Time we all provided it.

January 11, 2019

Page Four

An Oval Office address to the nation. A reasoned response from opposing political leaders to an unreasonable and false call to crisis of the soul. The address was front page news. The address was appeared on page 4, instead.

That’s where it belongs, if not on page 10.  Later in the day, page 10 is where it did show up. Dwindling in impact, the emptiness of the address became clear.

Before he uttered a word, the acting president’s message was well known by all. The only twist is his use of the term “crisis of soul.” Whose soul is he tagging? Certainly not his. The wall does not have soul; maybe a fence? The souls of the many escaping tyranny in their own lands to find a land of freedom and hope? Yes, those souls have souls I ache for. But their plight could be solved with compassion and welcome; not a wall.

The only soul I see in question is of America itself. We are a nation of immigrants. We are a nation of inclusion and diversity. It is not always easy to be this way, but in time our wounds heal and we become one. That is soul. That soul needs nurture of newcomers from previous newcomers.

That’s how it works. That is a display of soul. And compassion. That is my sense of America.

Whatever else could be meant by that?

Yes, mr. trump, we have a crisis of soul. It is one made by you and perpetuated by you.

Spend our money on fixing the immigration system. While you are at it, offer a warm welcome to our newcomers. That would salve the souls of those hurting.

Be the Good Samaritan. It is expected of us Americans.

Now that belongs on page one!

January 10, 2019

Leadership

A leader leads. Followers have a role to play. Without them there is no leader.

Simple statements. Related. Stark but clear in meaning.

Would-be leaders fear only one thing: no one will follow him/her when a step to lead is taken.

There are other fears, but this is the primary one. Another is if they are terribly wrong in the direction they have proclaimed. Yet another is what they will need to do if they are very right; what is the next move? And the next step after that?

Leadership creates reactions. People follow. Others complain and detract. Sheer numbers inform what history will become. Will the battle be waged against a supposed enemy? Will weapons of optimum value be space-based or land-based? Will missiles advance in accuracy? Will power be gained and expressed in any way other than we know of today?

Issues come with a buzz of controversy. Without the controversy there is likely no issue. The buzz is required to create attention. Then leaders opine. Other leaders weigh in and opine. Soon there is public involvement if the issue is large enough. Opposing views are played against one another until action is seen as needed. By enough people.

Then leaders step forward and press for solutions. The campaign for recognition is on. Leaders battle until public discussion and outrage lead to critical mass. What follows is a delicate dance of egos set on winning.

But what happened to the issue? Is it still important? Was it ever truly important?

Time to pause and consider this question. Is the real issue important? Are we focused on the important issue or a sideline distraction? Are facts being used accurately and fairly in debate? Is someone checking those facts? Are they relevant to the argument? Who does this sort of work to protect public discourse? The press? Media? Academics? Government? Who?

The who. The what. The how.

Elements of simplicity. Are they being addressed? Are we the people having the correct discussion?

I have my doubts.

I think leadership is the issue. It is lacking. In many places in our society leadership is lacking.

Time to reconsider a lot of things – a president, a congress, elected officials, roles, preparedness, courage. And the role of voters. How prepared are they to choose wisely?

Leadership is not a given. Pray God it is not an accident.

January 9, 2019

Where We Are

A lonely angry man is set to address ‘his’ nation this evening. He claims the southern border of the nation is embattled and under siege by tens of thousands of aliens. Many are criminals and terrorists, he says. There is no proof of those last two sentences. Yes, thousands of South American peoples escape from their nations of chaos and suffering; they hope for safety of their families; they set out for a nation of hope and promise for a better future. For whatever reason they do so, the United States is their goal.

When they arrive at our southern entries seeking asylum, they are rebuffed, threatened with tear gas and rifle bearing border agents. Some welcome!

The southern border? It is not at all a land-based border. More than half the border is ocean front. Check your atlas.

Check the atlas again for all the borderlines of the USA. Gigantic border line encircling the nation. The bulk of it is coastal. Canadian and Mexican borderlines are land-based. Thousands of miles of such borders; but coastal borders prevail by a large margin.

Immigrants enter America by air more than any other mode. That is followed by watercraft, then land-based, mostly by vehicle. Pedestrian entry is nil statistically.

Those facts are the reason against building a wall between Mexico and the US.

Substitute drug traffic for people, and the story remains the same. No wall will stop drug flow.

China built a wall. Huge, high, thousands of miles of wall. To no avail. It is a travel destination now. It is a marvel without purpose. A waste of time and money; and human effort. Hadrian built his wall as well for the Roman Empire. It did not work then. But the wall remains in pieces to see today, thousands of years later. Not much is left; locals used the stones for other uses better suited than a wall.

Walls discourage welcome. Doors, welcoming arms and a smile do better in managing immigration. Let’s focus on those tools and not a wall.

Yes, the immigration system in America is broken. That is the product of congressional inaction over many decades. The problem has become a treacherous minefield for politicians. Larger issues remained for presidents and leaders to tackle, so immigration was ignored for the time. Ask presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama. All wanted to solve the problem. Congressional leaders said no. So, they focused on more fruitful areas to advance world peace and economic prosperity.

The wall is not the issue. Border security is not the issue.

Lack of congressional leadership is the issue. As representatives of ‘we the people,’ it is we who have created the problem by not insisting it be solved. Whatever ‘it’ is, be it a wall, immigration, border security or national debit limits, we are the problem.

I do not plan to watch the national address this evening. It is not a good use of time. Besides, the speaker will continue to spout whatever is on his tongue without regard to fact and logic. Congressional Democratic leaders will speak after him to present their views. If they say it is about the wall, they will be wrong. This is about re-opening our government and getting on with our lives.

Anything other is a sham. Preposterous. But a sham.

January 8, 2019

State of Emergency

Yes. We are living in a state of emergency. I don’t need a president to know this, to declare this, or label it. Chaos is an emergency when it continues to ramp up with no end in sight. Innocent people are being hurt in the chaos. And all the chaos is preventable. All of it is manageable. All of it emanates from one person. donald j. trump. The pretender to a throne of omnipotent power and authority.

Such does not exist. Not for him or anyone else. Not in America. Put simply, that is not America.

We the people are the omnipotent power in the USA. The sooner he learns this the better. Meanwhile, adults in congress and the Supreme Court need to restore order. It is their job to do so. It is their authority provided in the Constitution to do so. Therefore, here’s what needs to be done:

1.      Congressional review of emergency powers needs to be done; now. Plenty of scholars can help with this review to do it right.

2.      Prepare the proper congressional legal steps to satisfy the constitutional authority.

3.      Implement emergency powers as prescribed above; declare the sitting president incapable of handling his duties due to malfeasance.

4.      Appoint guardian team of conservators until appropriate succession procedures are readied for implementation; conservator team comprised of: Speaker of the House; Majority Leader of the Senate; Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts.

5.      Conduct business of federal government as routinely as possible until the Special Prosecutor’s Investigation Report is filed by Robert Mueller.

6.      The Mueller Report will be used to prosecute Articles of Impeachment and necessary procedural matters as contained in the constitution.

7.      Following the findings of the impeachment process and decision of guilt by the Senate, join efforts with the Conservator Team to determine process of succession.

We do not currently know what the Mueller Report will contain. Who is involved in what transgressions of law is the primary center of his case. The outcome of the scope of the crimes and misdemeanors will be taken into account to determine rights of succession. If found not guilty, the parties under investigation will continue with their constitutional roles in government. If guilty, they will be penalized appropriately and removed from office. Succession issues will be clearer at that point in the process.

The possibilities are many re succession. Both the President and Vice President may be guilty and thus removed from office. If the Vice President is found not guilty, he is the successor as provided in the constitution. This is a sticking point. We cannot assume the Vice President is guilty or not guilty. That is the reason for arranging a Conservator Team until findings of the impeachment are determined.

I do not know if the procedure outlined above is correct or constitutional. That is for the constitutional experts to determine as supervised by the Supreme Court. However, we clearly have a constitutional crisis on our hands and it must be handled with diligence and considered speed.

This is our country. It belongs to all of us citizens. It is up to us to make certain it is managed safely and legally. A nation of laws stands or falls by its laws. Now is the time to test the resolve of both we the people, and the efficacy of our legal system.

January 7,  2019

Hope and Renewal: daily

I know that some of my readers think I am a ‘Pollyanna.’ Mostly think of the positive and optimistic side of life. Well, I may be guilty of the accusation, but when you think on it, there’s only three ways to go: positive, negative, and neutral. Even the neutral position is positive to a heavy degree. So, how can I go wrong being positive?

Besides, I see a lot of positives in life. I spent five decades helping nonprofits succeed, low income people stabilize their financial positions, university students find their way toward a life-long purpose and career and have carried all that experience and hope on to future generations currently.

In retirement I coach/mentor entrepreneurs in starting their new, small businesses. I also do the same for existing small businesses who have run into big challenges and need help to navigate around them. Doing this type of work, I meet people with imagination, intellect, hope and drive. They see potential and chase after it. They see problems and create profitable fixes. They see abject poverty and failed lives and restore hope and purpose to those folks.

Working with these good people, how can I possibly remain negative?

Oh yes, I complain. About the things that should be fixed. About the ideas and policies that do more damage than good, and about problems that can and should be avoided with a small bit of resolve and planning.

One thing that is not easily fixed is the planet’s environment. It is hurting and needs help. And that help will benefit the rest of us who rely on the planet as our home. That is all of us. Believers in climate change or not, we will die if we do not tend our own planet with care and respect. I’d rather err on the positive side of these arguments and do something positive for Mother Earth.

Besides, with all these positive people around me, how could I possibly be a gloomy Gus?

Join me and a few billion others to make the best of our lives together. A new year; a new opportunity. Let’s use it wisely!

January 4, 2019

Healthcare?

We ended 2018 with a directive from Rocky’s GP doctor to go to the ER. They were afraid his recent condition was trending toward dehydration. So we went on December 31 at 1 pm. The ER waiting room was full. About 50 patients and family members filled the seats. Maybe more.

Our tenure was long and fruitless. We were signed in, weighed, temperature taken, blood pressure registered and a brief history shared. The triage phase ended with a request to sit in the waiting room until called for a blood and urine test. Such never came. At 3:45 pm, nearly 3 full hours later, we asked when we might expect the tests to be taken, and were told another 1.5 hours at least.

We left the hospital. Made it home safely. Resumed sitting in the living room in front of the TV and promptly fell asleep.  Some New Year’s celebration.

Our exposure to the sick and dying hordes in the ER waiting area have yet to produce results on our health. I suspect we are OK but won’t know that for a few more days.

I enjoy watching people. I do not relish death rales or pneumonia coughs in the seat next to me. At some point I wondered if we would all be witness to a death in the room. The dire conditions of several patients were obvious.

Throughout the entire experience only a few people seemed concerned at the delays. That is how callous we have become in the face of our national healthcare dysfunction. The silence of the lambs was deafening. Well, except for the gurgling coughs of distressed lungs drowning in congestion.

I write this on the morning after. Rocky is OK; not great but OK. We think his issues were caused by massive antibiotics to battle a recent sinus infection. This upset his digestive system until a new balance is restored in the gut. Meanwhile, his meds for Parkinson’s and Diabetes continue their battle for supremacy.

Sometimes the patient does know better than the doctor. Calm and logic provide perspective and patience. More of that would lessen the pressures on the ER facilities. And their overworked staff.

Meanwhile, we have a new year in which to address the healthcare issues of the nation. Much needs to be done. Starting with ourselves.

Oh, and 3 days later, we still haven't gotten sick and Rocky is doing fine!

January 3, 2019