President Trump vowed that he’d make America Great if we’d elect him! We, perhaps, just as well as he, failed to realize that he actually meant the Corona virus. Today we are the envy of the world! We have arguably the greatest killer virus of all time. And yet, uncharacteristically, for once in his life, Trump won’t take full credit for this astounding achievement. (Little sarcasm here) Undoubtedly, much of the credit must be shared with the crowd of inconsiderate and unconcerned morons that elected him.
Today we must deal with the fact that Americans that have only 4% of the people in the world, yet about 25% of the infections and deaths attributed to the virus in the world. Japan, which is next door to China, where the corona virus started, has roughly 1,000 deaths attributed to the virus, while at the present time the U.S. has incurred over 125,000 deaths from the same Covid19 virus!
Astonishing! Not really, if we realize that the one major discernible difference between the U.S. and Japan regarding the virus is that virtually 100% of the people in Japan are wearing face masks. How many of those people at Trump’s recent indoor arena campaign rally in Tulsa ignoring social distancing were wearing masks?!!
Regrettably, the U.S. today sits with the two other major victims of the Corona virus, Brazil and Russia, both run and managed by authoritarians that worry primarily not about health, but about how much the virus’s effect on the economy will affect their popularity.
Ralph Shroyer
RalphShroyer.com
Woodland Hills, California
818-346-3334
TRUMP’S UNIVERSE
Yes, it’s
true! Trump once owned an actual university. Surprisingly, it turned out to be
a fraud and a failure as did his casinos. However, we must not confuse a
university with a universe. Trump, having an unfamiliarity with science as well
as with spelling, must have stumbled across the concept of parallel universes. Modern
physicists lately have speculated that some may exist, and probably do, where
facts, truths, and realities were opposed to those existing in our known
universe. Trump, noting that there appeared to be no admission charge, and in
his desperation may have decided to sign up for one.
As a scource
of enlightenment, I thought it would be interesting to examine the alternative
facts and realities which reside in Trump’s new world , or universe. Let’s
begin by the numbers, enumerating the some of the contrasts Trump’s recent
discoveries have with our old universe.
1. COVID 19 (MASS MURDER)
Trump’s take. “I saved hundreds of thousands of American
lives by rapidly banning Chinese and European travelers from coming to the
United States”.
REALITY. Trump actually delayed warning Americans of the real
and imminent danger posed by Covid 19 after being informed of it by one of his
chief advisors. He admitted receiving this information in a taped interview
with journalist Bob Woodward, saying that he purposely down-played the
information (which could possibly have saved many lives) in order to avoid
creating a panic which might seriously threaten his favorite claim to fame –
the American economy! Ironically his action or inaction led to an initial dive
in the stock market, and the loss of many jobs.
Former President O’bama , a student of science, declared
publically in 2014 two years before leaving office that we would be (not could
be) soon be facing an extremely
life-threatening air-born virus epidemic! At that time he had enacted
and put in place a plan to provide for the PPD methods and materials to help
deal with the expected arrival of the virus. Upon his arrival in 2017 Trump
rapidly dismissed and abandoned O’bama’s preparatory plan, insisting that it’s
cost was unnecessary.
Even after disaster struck, Trump continued to downplay
Covid-19, insisting that it would soon disappear. He publically encouraged social
gatherings (especially at his rallies) downplayed wearing masks, social
distancing, and Covid-19 testing. The inevitable result of this reprehensible
behavior: The United States with 1/20th of the World’s population
has from the beginning to the present day endured 1/4th of the
infections and deaths attributed to the virus.
2. ELECTION FRAUD
Trump’s take. “I was reelected by another landslide, but was
cheated by fraud and corruption”.
REALITY. Trump initiated his political career by utilizing
the big lie that Barack O’bama was not really born in the United States, and
therefore was not legally eligible to be President. He then proceeded with an unending stream of
preverifications, distortions, and mistruths up to his last day as President
after which he persisted in claiming with hardly a shred of evidence that he
had won the 2020 election by a landslide. The official Electoral vote count
verified and validated by both houses of Congress (Including the Senate with a
majority of Republican members) had Pres. Elect. Joe Biden winning by a margin
of 306 – 232. The popular vote count
showed Biden winning by over 7 million votes.
Strangely, in most of the States contested by Trump the
election committees were run and overseen by his own party – the Republicans!
Even stranger, (NOT REALY) Trump never suspected an iota of fraud involved in
any of the State races where he had lost, but fellow Republicans had won.
Notably, even Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate leader, concurred that Joe
Biden had won the election. At least sixty court judges, many appointed by
Trump himself, had rejected his appeals that the election was fraudulent. Even
Trump’s 6 to 3 majority on the U.S. Supreme Court refused to even hear his
appeal!
The aftermath of Trump’s tenure of blames, lies and
distortions apparently gave great encouragement to the angered mobs that
stormed the Capital building in Jan. 6th threatening the lives of
leaders, destroying property, and causing the deaths of some. Of course,
Trump’s impeachment won’t recover their lives. And, of course, we must also
acknowledge that others (Officials in the Republican Party and “Fake Media”) as
well as Trump were also complicit in encouraging the deplorable gullibles that
succeeded in doing such damage to our tottering democracy. Polls indicate that, even after the storming
of the Capitol, 75% of registered Republicans are still convinced that the
election was stolen! What more can be said! Apparently, Trump isn’t the only one
trapped in that parallel universe. (Where reason is banned, and narcissism
reigns)
3. THE ECONOMY
Trump’s take. I transformed the faltering U.S. economy when I took office
into the greatest and most successful of all time.
REALITY. As Trump took office, he
inherited a recovering and rising U.S. economy – the result of policies
initiated under his predecessor, Barack Obama. Under Trump, initially job
growth continued to rise, and the stock market bloomed. However, in an overall
view, Trump’s claim was essentially bogus. The stock market is not the only
measure of an economy! Under Trump’s policies the financial gap between the
wealthy and the middle class and the poor continued to widen. His “trickle
down” tax cuts benefited the rich by 90%. The top 5% of our citizens ended up
owning 95% of our collective wealth. Of course, in the end Trump’s balloon had
to burst when the virus struck and his desperate, short-sighted attempts to
save the economy only led to further disaster!
4. IMMIGRATION (THE WALL)
Trump’s take. We’ll build a great wall all along our southern border, and
Mexico will pay for it. We should fashion our immigration policies to favor the
richest, brightest and talented, rather than those from “shit-hole” countries. For
the time, we should ban all Muslims from coming to our countries. Let’s send
the “dreamers” back. They should not be given the right to citizenship.
REALITY. Yes, in some parallel universe Mexico would gladly finance it.
All two thousand miles of the wall. Characterizing caravans and hoards of Latin
American thieves, rapists and murderers streaming across our defenseless
borders would certainly provide an excellent opportunity upon which any
narcissistic demigod might love to build a base. And, what do those words on
the Statue of Liberty say? “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.” If there
is one fortunate item in today’s news, it’s that now Pres. Biden is busy making
an effort to reunite the thousands of children cruelly separated from their
parents at the border under Trump’s policies. What does our Constitution say about
government and religion? Do we favor only our own? Shouldn’t we have a path to
citizenship for all? And what is the
American Dream all about?
5. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
Trump’s take. Trump maintained that he was punishing the World Health
Organization for colluding with China by withholding information about the
dangers posed by Covid-19 for at least a week. He felt that by withdrawing from
membership in the W.H.O. we would also save the contribution fees which we
could use for ourselves.
REALITY. Actually, it appears that The Donald was really seeking
scapegoats such as China and the W.H.O. to blame for the early rise of the
Covid-19 virus, than face accepting his own responsibility. The Chinese and the
W.H.O. withheld warnings for about a week, whereas Trump, by his own admission,
played down the dangers for months in a futile effort to spare the economy and
the failing stock market. Trump continued to ignore the warnings from the H.B.O.
to wear masks, social distance, and test. He left the other nations of the
world to finance the W.H.O. and attempt to contain the spread of the deadly
virus on their own when a coordinated effort was obviously necessary. Fortunately
we now have a new president to put us back on track with the W.H.O. to help
coordinate the effort to confine the virus.
6. RACISM
Trumps take. “I am the
least racist person in the United
States”
REALITY. Is it possible to
believe that we would elect a racist leader that refers to African nations as “shit
hole countries”, a judge that should not be allowed to decide his case because
he is of Mexican descent, that paraded the false propaganda that President
Obama was born in Kenya, that the protestors in a rally in Charlottesville So.
Carolina which included a number of White Supremists and members of the Klu
Klux Klan, “included fine people on both
sides”, as well as stating that he never heard of David Duke former Grand Wizard
and ardent supporter of Trump. It might also be noted, that Trump has referred
to Black Lives Matter as a racist slogan.
It’s pretty clear that only an obtuse narcissist could make the
ridicules statement that, “No one, other than perhaps Lincoln, has ever done
more for the Black community than I have”. To allay any doubt about the issue,
we might recall that when footballer Colin Kaepenick bent on his knee to
protest racism the president (Trump) apparently seizing the opportunity to
extol his patriotism for all to see, publically referred to Colin as a son of a
bitch that should be fired. Kaepernick was fired and blackballed. Later, in the
wake of the George Floyd event, NFL commissioner, Adam Silver was forced to
apologize for all the NFL owners and Trump.
7. NUECLEAR THREAT
Trump’s take. “If it
weren’t for me we would be at war today.” He apparently believes that the
personal relations in which he has maintained with foreign leaders such as
Kim,. Putin, and Xi has protected us from nuclear conflicts.
REALITY. Trump’s
abandonment of our Nuclear Weapon Treaties with Iran and Russia has lead to the
increased development and expansion of atomic weaponry. Fortunately, Newly
elected Pres. Biden has now resumed negotiations on Atomic weapons with these
countries. The last thing the world needs is a narcissistic leader wallowing
around in a perceived parallel universe with his finger on the button.
8. CLIMATE
Trump’s take. In Trump’s
universe the present takes precedence over the future. Of course, that’s where the voters are!
Therefore the economy must take precedence over climate concerns. That climate
stuff is mostly a hoax anyway. Just something the scientists cooked up. The
children will be just fine. They don’t vote do they?!
REALITY. In keeping with
his America First propaganda, Pres. Trump proudly excluded the United States
from the World Climate Accord and it’s over 180 member countries pledged to do
their part. Trump claims that other countries weren’t doing their share. The
U.S. and China are the world’s leading countries polluting the skis. However it
might be noted that China has over four times the population that we have in
the United States. It would be extremely difficult for Trump to find any member
of the scientific community that would share his contention that climate
pollution is any kind of a hoax.
9. THE SWAMP
Trump’s take. Trump
campaigned on the pledge that he would demolish the swamp in Washington D.C. by
replacing the “do nothingings” there by hiring the best and the brightest to be
found to clean up the mess in Washington.
REALITY. During his
tenure in office, the list of those Trump picked to hire that were either fired
or left complaining that he was just too inept or deranged to work with would
be far to extensive to go in to here. It was said that he, himself was the only
one that he would listen to. Trump would even publically claim that he knew
more than the generals, more than his scientists, more than his health
authorities, and had proclaimed that he had the highest IQ ever when quizzed on
a diagnostic test designed to measure mental stability!
EXONERATION
Trump’s Take. Trump maintained he was totally exonerated of all charges
after the Muller Report was released after his Attorney General Barr’s edited
public report. He claimed again, total exoneration and innocence following the
Senates trial for impeachment. Trump again pleaded innocence of any
encouragement of his followers that broke into the Congressional Building on
Jan. 6th creating deaths and chaos, after which he was impeached for
the 2ond time by the House of Representatives.
REALITY.
In regard to the Muller Report, Muller stated he felt that there was actual
evidence that Trump may have been culpable in the Russian case, but he believed
it was up to decide the Congress to make that determination. In the Senate
impeachment trial, rather than actual exoneration, it was purely political,
with all the Republicans voting for innocence but one, and refusing for
evidence to be presented.
With
regard to his second impeachment trial, perhaps the most devastating offence
relates to the attack on the Capital to prevent the approval of Joe Biden for president. Was Donald Trump truly acquitted during the Senate trial?
Technically Yes, maybe! Ethically, not really, the vote was: 57- Guilty, 43-Not
Guilty. 2/3 of the votes are the rules required to convict for removal from
office. Most Republicans voted for exoneration. After the vote, even Republican
leader of the Senate, Mitch McConnell, implied that he felt Trump was guilty of
the “High Crime” of the incitement of the riot at the Capitol, but that the
actual trial was unconstitutional because the president, Trump, was out of
office at the time of the trial. Of course, this was not necessarily so because
other officials had been tried and convicted by impeachment while out of
office. Actually and intentionally, the Republicans managed to delay the start
of the trial until Trump left office. Before, earlier during the trial a
majority of the senators had voted that it was NOT unconstitutional to try
officials even if they were, at the time, out of office. Nevertheless,
McConnell said he was basing his not guilty vote on Trump being out of office
at the time of the trial. Obviously most
of the Republican senators were using this same inexcusable excuse for avoiding
angering Trump, whose help they were seeking in their next Republican Primary
election. Thus, the Trial’s result was determined not on the basis of
conscience, or fact, but essentially greed for power!
Trump
had been complaining fraud for 2 and a half months since Nov. 3rd the date of
the election. On the morning of Jan.6th, the day of Congressional
certification, Trump and many of his followers managed to whip up a crowd
outside the Capitol Building to a frenzy, calling for them to “Take back our
country, stop Biden’s approval, act now or never!”. They were even calling for
the hanging of Trump’s vice president, Mike Pence. Trump implored the crowd to
fight for justice and our country. He said that he’d soon be out there with
them. But later he was said to be found hiding under his bed in the White
House! Only when the damage had been done, did he crawl out telling the crowd
that “he loved them, that they could remember this day for the rest of their
lives,” and only then told his goons it was time to go back home.
Ralph Shroyer
wwwralphshroyer.com
(The Old Philosopher)
AMERICA THE GREAT
Of course, we can inevitably expect almost any ambitious politician to remind us how great and deserving we are. They understand that it generally helps to tell you what you’d like to hear. Just listen to the speakers at the National Political Conventions going on preceding our election times. Many are often well meaning, and have convinced themselves that they truly believe what they say. However, wouldn’t it be nice to hear the actual truth! If we were, or even ever have been that great, should we have to flout it? Are we really all that wise, well informed, honest, righteous, and selfless as we might be lead to believe?
We are now in the 21st century. Are we in America ready to cope with it? There are new dangers and old which threaten humanity itself. Global warming, viral pandemics, economic disparities, nationalism, with tensions arising among national adversaries, and of course the ever present prospect of atomic destruction loom! How Prepared shall we be to combat these threats? Therein lay the measure of greatness. Will it be democracy or authoritarianism that makes the difference? Of course, most of us go for democracy. If that be the case, shouldn’t we be fully practicing it? Half the citizens at best generally bother to take time to vote during our elections. And of that half, many are poorly informed when they go to the polls to vote. In local elections we’re lucky to get even 25%.
As most informed people recognize, the person elected president in 2016 gained the office with a minority of the votes cast, and an overwhelming appeal to prejudice and misinformation. He has proved to be totally unqualified for the job. This fact may unfortunately be evidenced when we realize that just considering one day in July during the midst of the virus pandemic, five European countries, Germany, England, France, Italy, and Spain incurred a total of 60 deaths due to the virus as contrasted with over 1,000 deaths in the U.S. attributed to the same virus! Presently, for the job in the 2020 election, the candidates actually best suited for the presidency have been forsaken and mediocre candidates favoring more traditional issues have been selected for fear of the incumbent being reelected. It’s a sad, and probably unrealistic fear, but “it is what it is”!
Greatness! To be sure, ought to be measured on our ability to acquire the best qualified leaders to handle the rising challenges we face in the 21st century. A number of our politicians are attempting to get us there. Highly qualified well informed politicians such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren probably have the ability, and the knowledge to lead us to the “promised land”, but so far have been unable to convince a not so great populous. They, among others, dare to remind us that we, the wealthiest country in the world, have the wealth to provide universal health care, high class education, decent housing, and sufficient access to good food for all. Many other industrialized countries in the world possessing less the wealth than the U.S. Appear to afford these benefits! Let’s try to make America great, perhaps for the first time!
Ralph Shroyer (The Old Philosopher)
Ralph Shroyer.com
Ralph Shroyer on YouTube
FINDING THE ENEMEY
In the year 2014 President Barak Obama publically warned the nation that within the next few coming years we would be confronted by a very serious airborne virus, and that at the present time we should take measures to be prepared. Consequently certain plans and preparations were set in place to deal with the situation. Unfortunately, under the advent of the new administration those cautions and plans were summarily dismissed as financially inconsistent with the drive to bolster the economy favored by Pres. Trump.
As a result the nation found itself seriously short of the medical supplies, means, and understandings necessary to combat the oncoming corona virus. This could be easily verified by the evidence offered from the fact that the U.S. with only 4% of the World’s population has consistently, up to the present, received 25% of the infections and deaths attributed to the virus. Trump, after failing to take immediate action as most other leaders of industrialized countries had done, initially called the virus a hoax, insisting it would magically disappear. He pooh pawed essential protections like face masks, social distancing, and gathering in crowds, preferring to gamble on the nation’s health by promoting bogus solutions and ignoring science in hopes of protecting his own popularity.
As it soon became apparent that his policies had led us to disaster and his popularity had sunk to a new low, he desperately set about to find someone or something to blame. How about the World Health Organization, the State Governors, the Democrats, the know-it-all doctors and a haw, the Chinese! They’re the ones. It’s the “Chinese Virus”. Yes, yes. In order to gain popularity one requires an enemy! But wait! If the virus started in China, why would we have three times the deaths due to the virus than the Chinese have with three times the population as we have?
Nevertheless, true to character, damned be the facts, Trump still persisted that he had discovered the real enemy. The “China Virus”! It alone was responsible for all our miseries.
But again, let’s pause. Could Trump possibly have missed something here? Might not there be more real enemies lurking somewhere under the surface here? Perhaps a few prophetic words from the past might shed some light. “It’s blowin in the wind. How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see.” (Bob Dylan) “I have found the enemy, and it is us!” (Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz) It would appear that in our struggle to defeat the Corona Virus that the psychological predilection to believe that what’s in our own personal interests is either best or true, rather than deal with facts or science.
Regrettably, the real enemy, notwithstanding the virus itself, is the psychological deficiency which prevents Trump and his followers to deal effectively with the pandemic!
Ralph Shroyer (RalphShroyer.com)
We are now in the 21st century. Are we in America ready to cope with it? There are new dangers and old which threaten humanity itself. Global warming, viral pandemics, economic disparities, nationalism, with tensions arising among national adversaries, and of course the ever present prospect of atomic destruction loom! How Prepared shall we be to combat these threats? Therein lay the measure of greatness. Will it be democracy or authoritarianism that makes the difference? Of course, most of us go for democracy. If that be the case, shouldn’t we be fully practicing it? Half the citizens at best generally bother to take time to vote during our elections. And of that half, many are poorly informed when they go to the polls to vote. In local elections we’re lucky to get even 25%.
As most informed people recognize, the person elected president in 2016 gained the office with a minority of the votes cast, and an overwhelming appeal to prejudice and misinformation. He has proved to be totally unqualified for the job. This fact may unfortunately be evidenced when we realize that just considering one day in July during the midst of the virus pandemic, five European countries, Germany, England, France, Italy, and Spain incurred a total of 60 deaths due to the virus as contrasted with over 1,000 deaths in the U.S. attributed to the same virus! Presently, for the job in the 2020 election, the candidates actually best suited for the presidency have been forsaken and mediocre candidates favoring more traditional issues have been selected for fear of the incumbent being reelected. It’s a sad, and probably unrealistic fear, but “it is what it is”!
Greatness! To be sure, ought to be measured on our ability to acquire the best qualified leaders to handle the rising challenges we face in the 21st century. A number of our politicians are attempting to get us there. Highly qualified well informed politicians such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren probably have the ability, and the knowledge to lead us to the “promised land”, but so far have been unable to convince a not so great populous. They, among others, dare to remind us that we, the wealthiest country in the world, have the wealth to provide universal health care, high class education, decent housing, and sufficient access to good food for all. Many other industrialized countries in the world possessing less the wealth than the U.S. Appear to afford these benefits! Let’s try to make America great, perhaps for the first time!
Ralph Shroyer (The Old Philosopher)
Ralph Shroyer.com
Ralph Shroyer on YouTube
PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE?
Five hundred million assaulted! Two hundred thousand slaughtered! With many more to come. Sounds like the crime of the century. And happening only within a matter of months! Many of us prisoners in our own homes! Who’s to blame? Is it God? No way! He’s probably too busy taking care of the whole universe. How about the Corona Virus? Sounds plausible. But they’re not really that guilty. Poor guys were just looking for a home, and we were kind enough to provide one. What about China? The President would argue that. Although he’s usually wrong. Of course, we might even suspect the people! Would they even do it to themselves? We are kind of uninformed. That can sometimes lead to disaster. But at least, isn’t it great! We don’t even need to watch T.V. or read a book any more to enjoy a good mystery. Never the less, shouldn’t we perhaps thank our President all for this? He does often like to claim credit for things. If so, just imagine, for once he could be actually right. He well might have something to do with this mass murder. If so, If not first degree, he might plead to second degree if convicted. And of course, he could always pardon himself.
Never the less, if we might either forgive or dismiss God, we are then left with the three major suspects and China. China, being Pres. Trump’s straw man, as well as is the World Health Organization, both might be exonerated for being unintentional conspirators. China and the WHO held up on taking action at the inset of the virus threat for about a week. Unfortunately, Pres. Trump, aside from asserting ineffective travel bans on China and Europe, sat around wishing the virus away for months, expanding his blame for the tragedy on States, Governors, Mayors, Democrats, racial protestors, left-wing agitators, and anybody or thing he could think of, rather than taking responsible action himself.
Desperate action was required. Yet the President’s priority went to protecting the Market, and the economy upon which his popularity depended. He ignored the urging and advises from the medical community that the health of the people should come first if we were to protect the national economy. Pres. Trump, stubbornly preferring his own interests, decided to gamble on the economy over the health of his people. Other leaders, and peoples of most all of the industrialized countries appear to have got it right. As is well reported, the United States, with only 4% of the World’s population has incurred, up to date, over 25% of the deaths and infections due to the corona virus. Just on one day in July during the world wide scourge of the virus pandemic, five European countries, Germany, France, Spain the United Kingdom and Italy suffered a combined total of sixty deaths attributed to the Corona Virus, while over one thousand deaths from the same virus were recorded in the United States during that same day. At the present time, the end of August, medical statistics now reveal that the five largest nations in Europe with a combined population larger than the U.S. have together averaged 57 deaths from the virus per day for the entire month, while the U.S. has recorded more than 1,000 deaths each day from the virus during the same period. Obviously, these comparative statistics must point an ominous finger at leadership in America. Many other countries have found testing to be an effective tool in combating the virus. On many occasions Trump has proudly proclaimed that under his leadership no other country has tested more. What he conveniently ignores here is populations and timing! More recently, he has even suggested, “Maybe we should cut down on testing. It’s bad for exposing infections.” (Not good for him) Incidentally, for about the last five months, I have searched for an alcohol included spray bottle considered by covid-19 virus experts to be used in disinfecting packaged goods received at home. The stores and places which previously sold these items such as Lysol are out of stock, while Donald Trump’s phony elixirs like Hydroxycloroquine are easily acquired. Quote the Donald, “No one has done more to supply the needs to defeat this virus” Apparently, among other things, he can’t even provide ready availability for a simple disinfectant! Sounds like guilty as charged! (“Lock him up”)
Yet wait again. Could one individual be capable of and responsible for all this mayhem! Could there be co-conspirators. What about the second suspect mentioned in the beginning here. What about the people? The ones that stood idly by and allowed the rascal to get away with it! The senators that turned a blind eye during the impeachment trial prior to the slaughter. And the many Americans that enjoyed playing follow der leader amidst the burgeoning virus, refusing to listen to health authorities and scientists warning of the dangers in ignoring wearing masks, social distancing and attending crowds at Trump rallies. They had to be complicit in some degree to some of the deaths. Might not they be tried for second or at least third degree murder? Case closed! Now perhaps we can, at least, solve our unemployment and housing problems by putting everyone to work constructing correctional and penal facilities for the benefit of all! You can bet, the Donald, if he’s paying attention, would love to claim this idea for his own as well. But, shucks. He can’t read! Whoops. My apology for the attempted humor. It’s really inappropriate for the issue at hand. But then so is Trump!!!
RALPH SHROYER
RalphShroyer.com
Ralph Shroyer on youtube.com
As a result the nation found itself seriously short of the medical supplies, means, and understandings necessary to combat the oncoming corona virus. This could be easily verified by the evidence offered from the fact that the U.S. with only 4% of the World’s population has consistently, up to the present, received 25% of the infections and deaths attributed to the virus. Trump, after failing to take immediate action as most other leaders of industrialized countries had done, initially called the virus a hoax, insisting it would magically disappear. He pooh pawed essential protections like face masks, social distancing, and gathering in crowds, preferring to gamble on the nation’s health by promoting bogus solutions and ignoring science in hopes of protecting his own popularity.
As it soon became apparent that his policies had led us to disaster and his popularity had sunk to a new low, he desperately set about to find someone or something to blame. How about the World Health Organization, the State Governors, the Democrats, the know-it-all doctors and a haw, the Chinese! They’re the ones. It’s the “Chinese Virus”. Yes, yes. In order to gain popularity one requires an enemy! But wait! If the virus started in China, why would we have three times the deaths due to the virus than the Chinese have with three times the population as we have?
Nevertheless, true to character, damned be the facts, Trump still persisted that he had discovered the real enemy. The “China Virus”! It alone was responsible for all our miseries.
But again, let’s pause. Could Trump possibly have missed something here? Might not there be more real enemies lurking somewhere under the surface here? Perhaps a few prophetic words from the past might shed some light. “It’s blowin in the wind. How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see.” (Bob Dylan) “I have found the enemy, and it is us!” (Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz) It would appear that in our struggle to defeat the Corona Virus that the psychological predilection to believe that what’s in our own personal interests is either best or true, rather than deal with facts or science.
Regrettably, the real enemy, notwithstanding the virus itself, is the psychological deficiency which prevents Trump and his followers to deal effectively with the pandemic!
Ralph Shroyer (RalphShroyer.com)
We are now in the 21st century. Are we in America ready to cope with it? There are new dangers and old which threaten humanity itself. Global warming, viral pandemics, economic disparities, nationalism, with tensions arising among national adversaries, and of course the ever present prospect of atomic destruction loom! How Prepared shall we be to combat these threats? Therein lay the measure of greatness. Will it be democracy or authoritarianism that makes the difference? Of course, most of us go for democracy. If that be the case, shouldn’t we be fully practicing it? Half the citizens at best generally bother to take time to vote during our elections. And of that half, many are poorly informed when they go to the polls to vote. In local elections we’re lucky to get even 25%.
As most informed people recognize, the person elected president in 2016 gained the office with a minority of the votes cast, and an overwhelming appeal to prejudice and misinformation. He has proved to be totally unqualified for the job. This fact may unfortunately be evidenced when we realize that just considering one day in July during the midst of the virus pandemic, five European countries, Germany, England, France, Italy, and Spain incurred a total of 60 deaths due to the virus as contrasted with over 1,000 deaths in the U.S. attributed to the same virus! Presently, for the job in the 2020 election, the candidates actually best suited for the presidency have been forsaken and mediocre candidates favoring more traditional issues have been selected for fear of the incumbent being reelected. It’s a sad, and probably unrealistic fear, but “it is what it is”!
Greatness! To be sure, ought to be measured on our ability to acquire the best qualified leaders to handle the rising challenges we face in the 21st century. A number of our politicians are attempting to get us there. Highly qualified well informed politicians such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren probably have the ability, and the knowledge to lead us to the “promised land”, but so far have been unable to convince a not so great populous. They, among others, dare to remind us that we, the wealthiest country in the world, have the wealth to provide universal health care, high class education, decent housing, and sufficient access to good food for all. Many other industrialized countries in the world possessing less the wealth than the U.S. Appear to afford these benefits! Let’s try to make America great, perhaps for the first time!
Ralph Shroyer (The Old Philosopher)
Ralph Shroyer.com
Ralph Shroyer on YouTube
The Mask Versus The Virus
Today we are the envy of the world! We have arguably the greatest killer virus of all time. Yet, uncharacteristically, for once in his life, Trump won’t take full credit for this astounding achievement. Shocking! Undoubtedly, much of the credit must be shared with the crowd of inconsiderate and unconcerned morons that elected him.
Today we must deal with the fact that Americans with 4% of the World’s people have 25% of deaths attributed to the virus. Japan has roughly 1,000 deaths attributed to the virus, while the U.S. has incurred over 120,000 deaths from the same Covid19 virus!
Astonishing! Not really, if we realize that the one major discernible difference between the U.S. and Japan regarding the virus is that virtually 100% of the people in Japan wear face masks. How many of those people at Trump’s recent indoor arena campaign rally in Tulsa ignoring social distancing were wearing masks?!!
Ralph Shroyer
RalphShroyer.com
Woodland Hills, CA
818-346-3334
STUMP QUIZ
(WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE A TRUMPITE?)
Why would over 40% of Americans choose a leader with the morality of an overblown cockroach?
a) ANTIQUATED They are drugged on hypocritical and antiquated religious beliefs.
b) NARCISSISM They are narrow minded narcissists’ solely concerned with the market’s affect on their finances.
c) CONNED They’ll believe any con told that fits what they already believe which makes them feel smarter.
d) SCIENCE They never graduated from elementary school, and were taught that science and critical thinking was an elitist’s conspiracy.
e) HEALTH Many American citizens share the president’s narcissistic view that they are more knowledgeable than doctors and virus experts regarding health issues.
f) GULLIBILITY Some Trumpites are gullible enough to believe, against health official’s advice, that swallowing disinfectants or taking drugs such as Trump’s recipe for hydroxychloroquine will solve their virus problems.
g) GODGIVEN They are encouraged by their leader that they possess the god-given constitutional rights to endanger the health and lives of others in pursuit of their own interests and pleasures.
h) CHILDISH They delight in listening to a president that constantly engages in such juvenile behavior as calling anyone who opposes or offends him childish names. (Crooked Hillary, Lyin Ted, Sleepy Joe, Crazy Bernie).
i) PROJECTION Although most are probably aware of the obvious case of narcissism displayed by Trump, It’s also noticeable that Trump will tend to project his own shortcomings to his distracters.
j) LYING When Trump speaks, truth is often the victim, but generally can be forgiven when the words suit his followers desires.
k) FACTS Trumpites are generally more concerned with opinions than verifiable facts.
l) NICE According to the media, most police tend to favor Trump, especially when he tells them at his rallies “When you arrest them don’t be nice. Hit them on the head when you push them in the car”.
m) FLIP FLOPPING Some find it simply amusing when Trump so often flips his opinion about many others that he encounters: “Ted Cruz is a nasty guy. No one likes Ted Cruz”. “I like Ted Cruz a lot”. Megan Kelly: “You have done a great job. I could never beat you.” “I have zero respect for Megan Kelly. She’s highly overrated”. Hillary Clinton: “A terrific woman. I think she does a great job. I like her.” “Hillary Clinton was the worst Sec. of State in history.” The State of Iowa: “I love Iowa. We’ve done really well there.” “How stupid are the people of Iowa”.
n) PATRIOTS How about the “patriots” who feel their freedom during the contagious virus pandemic to frequent barber shops, nail salons, tattoo parlors, crowded restaurants, movie theaters, church pews, etc, is more “essential” than the thousands, perhaps millions of lives and deaths affected by such activities?
o) MASKS What kind of leader sets an example by refusing to wear a mask in public recommended by all health authorities in order to advance his own personal appearance and to encourage the possible premature reopening businesses during a pandemic against the recommendations of even his own health authorities?
p) RACISM Is it possible to believe that we would elect a racist leader that refers to African nations as “shit hole countries”, a judge that should not be allowed to decide his case because he is of Mexican descent, that paraded the false propaganda that President Obama was born in Kenya, that the protestors in a rally in Charlottesville So. Carolina which included a number of White Supremists and members of the Klu Klux Klan, “included fine people on both sides”, as well as stating that he never heard of David Duke former Klan Grand Wizard and ardent supporter of Trump. To allay any doubt about the issue, we might recall that when footballer, Colin Kaepernick, bent on his knee to protest racism, The president, apparently seizing the opportunity to extol his patriotism for all to see, publically referred to Colin as a “son of a bitch, that should be fired”. Kaepernick was blackballed. In the wake of the George Floyd event, NFL commissioner, Adam Silver, was forced to apologize for all the NFL owners and Trump!
q) HYPOCRISY Could the smell and the stench of hypocrisy be more prevalent when during the protests and riots incited by police brutality the president waves the Bible high in the air and calls for the National Guard to come in and dominate the scene, proclaiming “When the looting starts the shooting begins”. Was its Jesus’ teaching that violence begets violence? And where was it written: “Tis easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven”?
r) ELIXIRS Of course it’s a fact that many Americans sense that they’re not getting a fair share of the pie. They include many working in rural areas, many without high school, or even college degrees, living in depressed areas that have become discouraged and depressed enough to fall victim to many of the false elixirs proposed by a master con man.
s) AMERICA FIRST Possibly the champion and most dangerous of the false solutions put forth by Trump is the “America First” con. Sounds great to those already drugged on consumerism, stock markets, sports, entertainment, TV, rap music for them to pay much attention to realistic national or social issues!
t) DEMIGOD Consequently, the gap left by many citizens to give serious attention to important world issues provides fertile ground upon which ignorance a demigod might use to build his base! And what a time to encourage Americans to crawl into a shell while civilization and the whole world requires unprecedented cooperation and coordination to deal with unprecedented threats of the corona virus, warming climate, widening gaps between the needy and the wealthy worldwide, racial and cultural prejudices, and of course the danger of atomic warfare.
u) ISOLATIONISM And yes the president has already provided his isolationist supporters much to cheer over. Trump has renounced funding for the World Health Organization. This was announced in accordance with his campaign to shift blame for the corona virus in the U.S. to China, the Democratic governors and mayors, the U.S Counsel for Disease Control (CDC), even former president Obama. The initial cover up in China and the W.H.O. may have actually persisted for about a week, while Trump’s failure to acknowledge the imminent danger persisted for six weeks, in his hopes of protecting the market! The fact that the U.S. has but one twentieth the population of the world, but has over one third of the cases and of the deaths from the Corona Virus should present an enigma to a Trumpite!
v) IMMIGRATION U.S. isolationist actions initiated by Trump seem an endless joy to his base. Among them is included: disbanding nuclear accords we have had with Iran and Russia, abandoning global warming agreements with countries of the world, threatening NATO, mismanaging tariffs and trade agreements, denigrating immigration, and holding hostage 800,000 DACA victims. Selecting rich over poor immigrants. The beat goes on!
w) GERRYMANDERING An affront to democracy! Arranging voting districts to favor political parties! Republicans love it. Facts indicate that presently that many States with Democratic majorities have more Republican legislators!
x) MEDIA Fox News, Trumps remaining media fortress, is now expanding its political bias by resorting to championing conspiracy theories (attacking Obama) in hopes of stalling its slipping popularity.
y) IMPEACHMENT Trumpites apparently find no problem with the President’s impeachable activities by offering advantages to foreign countries like Ukraine and China for help in discrediting Joe Biden.
z) YOU’RE FIRED! All the “best people” he promised to hire?
By this point most Americans could complete and go beyond this alphabet of reasons for the clan of Trumpites to fall in love with the president! And the answer to the Quiz is amazingly – all of the above. Congratulations! You passed the test!
Ralphshroyer.com
Today we must deal with the fact that Americans with 4% of the World’s people have 25% of deaths attributed to the virus. Japan has roughly 1,000 deaths attributed to the virus, while the U.S. has incurred over 120,000 deaths from the same Covid19 virus!
Astonishing! Not really, if we realize that the one major discernible difference between the U.S. and Japan regarding the virus is that virtually 100% of the people in Japan wear face masks. How many of those people at Trump’s recent indoor arena campaign rally in Tulsa ignoring social distancing were wearing masks?!!
Ralph Shroyer
RalphShroyer.com
Woodland Hills, CA
818-346-3334
PROBLEMS IN RIVER CITY (AMERICA)
(And if you don’t read this, then you’re part of the problem!)
Most Americans generally recognize we do have serious political and social shortcomings in our society. There’s that ever-widening gap between the wealthy and the rest of us. Our education system is underfinanced and antiquated. Our Health Care is too expensive, and is unsatisfactory for many. Infrastructure is crumbling. Racism, homophobia, gender discrimination, and fear of immigrants run rampant. Gun control is out of control. The national media is under attack. The national debt has surged to over 21trillion dollars. Facts and truth become fading memories. Political attitudes are divided and overly contentious. Etc. Of course, much of the cause is often attributed to President Trump!
But let’s get honest here. Face up to the actual underlying cause! Too many Americans are too self-absorbed and lazy to take a studied interest in political issues. Music and sports and such consume far too much of our leisure time. An over-emphasis on escapism is often the order of the day. Less than half generally bother to vote on election days. Therein, lies a real roadblock to overcoming our difficulties. To be fair, let’s admit it, if we look for it, we might find the fly in the ointment. And, of course, it is us! Sure it could be comforting and convenient to place blame elsewhere, but the reality remains that Trump is the symptom and the result, not the source of our dilemmas.
Well then, for the sake of argument, let’s examine: What could we or should we have done better to avoid landing in the disheartening age of Trump? There are a number of factors.
1) Our social consciousness requires some revamping! We tend to expend our energies and efforts more on selfish pursuits in lieu of critical thinking and social understandings. Perhaps as the great highly esteemed broadcaster Walter Cronkite once observed, “We need to find a middle ground between Capitalism and Socialism.” Our love affair with Capitalism may have led us to over-dependence on competition rather than on cooperation or compassion. Hence the willingness of many to unwittingly basically sacrifice their souls to the adoration of master con man Donald J. Trump. However, fortunately, there appears to be an actual measure of optimism here. The childlike, irresponsibly destructive behavior exhibited so far by Trump appears even too much for a populous drugged on consumerism and materialism to handle. It shouldn’t be long before he’s gone! But let’s try not to forget he was a symptom more than a cause!
2) Factor number two! An antiquated electoral system recognized by most, but held in place by vested political interests, flies in the face of true democracy in America. The flaws are numerous!
a. The antiquated, electoral college system probably heads the list. More than once, in the recent past, in the presidential election the winner of the popular vote has lost. In Trump’s case, his “landslide victory” resulted in a 3,000,000 loss in the popular vote count for him. Obviously all states are not given equal representation according to population. The state of California with 40 million residents has exactly the same votes (2) as Rhode Island (population barely 1 million) in the U.S. Senate which is presently judging on the impeachment of Pres. Trump. In a sense, you might say, regarding the Senate, a Rhode Islander has 40 times the voting power as an inhabitant of California! Could something be out of balance here? A constitutional amendment vote is required to fix this!
b. The gerrymandering trick utilized by both the Democratic and Republican parties represents another blight on the democratic process. The party in power at the time will often re-align the borders of the voting districts to favor their own constituents, usually bunching their opponents together in one large district. Since each district sends only one representative to the State Legislature, guess which party gains an undemocratic advantage?
c. Election financing remains the “elephant in the room” affecting the democratic process. The U.S. Supreme Court is not innocent! The Citizen’s United ruling, placed in law by a Republican appointed majority of the judges, allowed wealthy donors to political campaigns to remain anonymous! How’s that for transparency in the democratic process! It may require a change in Court justices to rectify this abomination. (Lots of luck with the recent Trump appointees!)
d. Restricting, or at least, exposing large donors to political campaigns would certainly help. In the somewhat recent past this had been the case. It generally takes about $1,000,000 presently to be viable in running for a seat in Congress. This, of course, gives the large corporations and millionaires a huge advantage in our elections. This could be easily fixed! If we just had a time machine and could return to the past. The government could and should provide financing for candidates that provide sufficient petitioners to back their candidacies. Financial limits should be placed on donations and donors.
e. Voting regulations and rules in our country play a large part in the assault on our democracy. It is generally recognized that politicians play fast and loose establishing rules and regulations regarding eligibility for voting which could favor one or the other side. If I were to attempt to list here the many well documented indiscretions involved in this I would probably run out of paper. We’ I’ll just have to let it suffice here to say that the citizens, the media, the legislatures, the Government, and the courts had better keep a wider eye on this! It might be observed that in most other countries the central governments have the greater authority in these matters.
f. The basic structure of our election processes might fall into question here. The two-party system may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Generally both parties in order to prevail will cater to the conventional wisdom, which in a sense, might hinder the chances of more innovative and modernized approaches to dealing with problems deserving a hearing. Possible solution! Give voters a chance to list a second choice on the ballot which could count if the first one fails. That would give the voter a voice to support new ideas rather than just risk wasting his vote on the “lesser of two evils”. Another approach to better democracy would be to require runoffs between the two top leaders in all elections. Americans have been elected President in the past with less than 50 percent of the vote. Let’s remember, Hitler gained power with only 40 percent!
3) Our educational system is rapidly falling behind. Many other countries are passing us by if you believe assessments offered by the United Nations survey. Actually, the recent election of Donald Trump alone should be sufficient enough to prove that point! Quote the Donald, “I love the uneducated.” It’s not really that difficult to identify the various reasons for our problems with education.
a. Financing the system seems to lie at the root of much of the problem. The individual states and local districts have too great a burden to handle financing on their own. If they raise taxes for the schools, the local tax sources will often seek to find another location where taxes are cheaper. The districts that raise taxes to help education will then often lose revenue rather than gain. Other industrialized counties have been outdoing us in education because they realize that education can be best funded by money produced from the central governments. Serious deficiencies such as class size, teacher salaries, special ed., pre-school, etc., can only be corrected by a much greater influx of money from the Federal Government.
b. Pet projects such as charter schools, championed by Donald Trump and his Department of Education Secretary Betsey Devoss should be abolished! Profit for private interests only debases our education system as it often does with our Health Care. Charter schools generally serve to suck away what little financial blood we have left for public schools. As the previously mentioned, Walter Cronkite, once observed, “socialism as well as capitalism need to have their place in our society.” Let’s get it right! Capitalism for profit and incentive, Socialism for freedom and equality. Bernie and Warren would agree. Education and Health Care should be freeee! Yes, we can afford it.
c. Finally, we have to come to the realization that there is a distinction between education and training. Recently it would appear that our schools have taken a right wing shift towards job training rather than to the humanities. More and more students seem encouraged to seek courses in job training and earning money, than in intellectual enlightenment. Civil service, teaching, logic, critical thinking, psychology, philosophy, history, sociology, have taken a back seat to more financially lucrative crafts like economics, engineering, medicine, law, dentistry, or training for more immediate results like mechanics, construction, agriculture, etc. Capitalism and consumerism seem to be holding the fort. Perhaps if we wish to avoid the future world of Trump, we should be giving more thought to the humanities, lest history should repeat itself!
4) Finally, Isn’t it well past time for the voting public to wake up, and smell the coffee! Get back to the tunes of the promising 60s? It’s “Blowin In The Wind”. “How many times must a man turn his head, and pretend that he just doesn’t see.” Of course some see only what they want to see. The old-time-religion may not be the answer today. Many tend to feel that they can sit back and let God take care of things rather than get involved. That if they just believe, there will be a good place for them after death. Nothing like wishful thinking!! Yes, the economy appears to be going well. Especially, for the well –to- do! Really, is that all we have to be concerned about? Have we also not bothered to notice that, under Trump, the national debt has ballooned to over $21 trillion! Trump’s tax cuts for the rich hasn’t halted that. Have we forgotten what happened in the Thirties when debt grew out of hand? Yet, when it comes to our president, the damages and dangers we face, may not all be that imaginary! The beat goes on. And the list goes on. Trump’s bigotry, anti-immigrant attitude, hateful tweets, childish and boorish behavior simply sets a poor example for the youth, and a fair measure of disgust for most adults. Furthermore his foreign policy really sucks. He has abandoned the Paris Climate Accord, aborted the Iranian nuclear protection agreement, denounced NATO, alienated our European allies and curried up to many dictatorial regimes! And, of course, he’s presently undergoing impeachment proceeding for placing our national interest at risk with his meddling in the Ukraine. Yes, we could go on and on, but at risk of the reader’s attention span. In conclusion, let’s all remember,
Trump’s been a symptom. We should be the cause in 2020 for a change!
RALPH SHROYER (12-6-19)
Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven
And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Yes, these words typlify the teachings of Jesus in the Bible. Jesus was obviously a socialist. He certainly couldn’t have been a capitalist! So, why did all those “born-again” Christians vote so overwhelmingly for a man who surrounds himself with oil-rich capitalists? Pretty obviously America’s God is not the one in Heaven. Let’s be honest. America’s true God is Hypocrisy!
But wait! Let us not dispare. There is an out. We just need to toss out of the Bible Jesus and the New Testament. And we can go to Numbers, Chapt. 31, King James Version of the Holy Bible. “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ‘Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites’ … And Moses said unto them (The Israelites) … ‘Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that has known man by lying with him.’
Yes, sir! We don’t want no “Turn the other cheek and love thine enemies stuff”. Destructiveles, the Roman God of War – that’s our guy. Get rid of Hypocrisyes. We don’t need any whimpy Jesus messing with our plans. We’ve had a good old war every 20 years since 1776. And we love it.
But let’s get honest here. Face up to the actual underlying cause! Too many Americans are too self-absorbed and lazy to take a studied interest in political issues. Music and sports and such consume far too much of our leisure time. An over-emphasis on escapism is often the order of the day. Less than half generally bother to vote on election days. Therein, lies a real roadblock to overcoming our difficulties. To be fair, let’s admit it, if we look for it, we might find the fly in the ointment. And, of course, it is us! Sure it could be comforting and convenient to place blame elsewhere, but the reality remains that Trump is the symptom and the result, not the source of our dilemmas.
Well then, for the sake of argument, let’s examine: What could we or should we have done better to avoid landing in the disheartening age of Trump? There are a number of factors.
1) Our social consciousness requires some revamping! We tend to expend our energies and efforts more on selfish pursuits in lieu of critical thinking and social understandings. Perhaps as the great highly esteemed broadcaster Walter Cronkite once observed, “We need to find a middle ground between Capitalism and Socialism.” Our love affair with Capitalism may have led us to over-dependence on competition rather than on cooperation or compassion. Hence the willingness of many to unwittingly basically sacrifice their souls to the adoration of master con man Donald J. Trump. However, fortunately, there appears to be an actual measure of optimism here. The childlike, irresponsibly destructive behavior exhibited so far by Trump appears even too much for a populous drugged on consumerism and materialism to handle. It shouldn’t be long before he’s gone! But let’s try not to forget he was a symptom more than a cause!
2) Factor number two! An antiquated electoral system recognized by most, but held in place by vested political interests, flies in the face of true democracy in America. The flaws are numerous!
a. The antiquated, electoral college system probably heads the list. More than once, in the recent past, in the presidential election the winner of the popular vote has lost. In Trump’s case, his “landslide victory” resulted in a 3,000,000 loss in the popular vote count for him. Obviously all states are not given equal representation according to population. The state of California with 40 million residents has exactly the same votes (2) as Rhode Island (population barely 1 million) in the U.S. Senate which is presently judging on the impeachment of Pres. Trump. In a sense, you might say, regarding the Senate, a Rhode Islander has 40 times the voting power as an inhabitant of California! Could something be out of balance here? A constitutional amendment vote is required to fix this!
b. The gerrymandering trick utilized by both the Democratic and Republican parties represents another blight on the democratic process. The party in power at the time will often re-align the borders of the voting districts to favor their own constituents, usually bunching their opponents together in one large district. Since each district sends only one representative to the State Legislature, guess which party gains an undemocratic advantage?
c. Election financing remains the “elephant in the room” affecting the democratic process. The U.S. Supreme Court is not innocent! The Citizen’s United ruling, placed in law by a Republican appointed majority of the judges, allowed wealthy donors to political campaigns to remain anonymous! How’s that for transparency in the democratic process! It may require a change in Court justices to rectify this abomination. (Lots of luck with the recent Trump appointees!)
d. Restricting, or at least, exposing large donors to political campaigns would certainly help. In the somewhat recent past this had been the case. It generally takes about $1,000,000 presently to be viable in running for a seat in Congress. This, of course, gives the large corporations and millionaires a huge advantage in our elections. This could be easily fixed! If we just had a time machine and could return to the past. The government could and should provide financing for candidates that provide sufficient petitioners to back their candidacies. Financial limits should be placed on donations and donors.
e. Voting regulations and rules in our country play a large part in the assault on our democracy. It is generally recognized that politicians play fast and loose establishing rules and regulations regarding eligibility for voting which could favor one or the other side. If I were to attempt to list here the many well documented indiscretions involved in this I would probably run out of paper. We’ I’ll just have to let it suffice here to say that the citizens, the media, the legislatures, the Government, and the courts had better keep a wider eye on this! It might be observed that in most other countries the central governments have the greater authority in these matters.
f. The basic structure of our election processes might fall into question here. The two-party system may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Generally both parties in order to prevail will cater to the conventional wisdom, which in a sense, might hinder the chances of more innovative and modernized approaches to dealing with problems deserving a hearing. Possible solution! Give voters a chance to list a second choice on the ballot which could count if the first one fails. That would give the voter a voice to support new ideas rather than just risk wasting his vote on the “lesser of two evils”. Another approach to better democracy would be to require runoffs between the two top leaders in all elections. Americans have been elected President in the past with less than 50 percent of the vote. Let’s remember, Hitler gained power with only 40 percent!
3) Our educational system is rapidly falling behind. Many other countries are passing us by if you believe assessments offered by the United Nations survey. Actually, the recent election of Donald Trump alone should be sufficient enough to prove that point! Quote the Donald, “I love the uneducated.” It’s not really that difficult to identify the various reasons for our problems with education.
a. Financing the system seems to lie at the root of much of the problem. The individual states and local districts have too great a burden to handle financing on their own. If they raise taxes for the schools, the local tax sources will often seek to find another location where taxes are cheaper. The districts that raise taxes to help education will then often lose revenue rather than gain. Other industrialized counties have been outdoing us in education because they realize that education can be best funded by money produced from the central governments. Serious deficiencies such as class size, teacher salaries, special ed., pre-school, etc., can only be corrected by a much greater influx of money from the Federal Government.
b. Pet projects such as charter schools, championed by Donald Trump and his Department of Education Secretary Betsey Devoss should be abolished! Profit for private interests only debases our education system as it often does with our Health Care. Charter schools generally serve to suck away what little financial blood we have left for public schools. As the previously mentioned, Walter Cronkite, once observed, “socialism as well as capitalism need to have their place in our society.” Let’s get it right! Capitalism for profit and incentive, Socialism for freedom and equality. Bernie and Warren would agree. Education and Health Care should be freeee! Yes, we can afford it.
c. Finally, we have to come to the realization that there is a distinction between education and training. Recently it would appear that our schools have taken a right wing shift towards job training rather than to the humanities. More and more students seem encouraged to seek courses in job training and earning money, than in intellectual enlightenment. Civil service, teaching, logic, critical thinking, psychology, philosophy, history, sociology, have taken a back seat to more financially lucrative crafts like economics, engineering, medicine, law, dentistry, or training for more immediate results like mechanics, construction, agriculture, etc. Capitalism and consumerism seem to be holding the fort. Perhaps if we wish to avoid the future world of Trump, we should be giving more thought to the humanities, lest history should repeat itself!
4) Finally, Isn’t it well past time for the voting public to wake up, and smell the coffee! Get back to the tunes of the promising 60s? It’s “Blowin In The Wind”. “How many times must a man turn his head, and pretend that he just doesn’t see.” Of course some see only what they want to see. The old-time-religion may not be the answer today. Many tend to feel that they can sit back and let God take care of things rather than get involved. That if they just believe, there will be a good place for them after death. Nothing like wishful thinking!! Yes, the economy appears to be going well. Especially, for the well –to- do! Really, is that all we have to be concerned about? Have we also not bothered to notice that, under Trump, the national debt has ballooned to over $21 trillion! Trump’s tax cuts for the rich hasn’t halted that. Have we forgotten what happened in the Thirties when debt grew out of hand? Yet, when it comes to our president, the damages and dangers we face, may not all be that imaginary! The beat goes on. And the list goes on. Trump’s bigotry, anti-immigrant attitude, hateful tweets, childish and boorish behavior simply sets a poor example for the youth, and a fair measure of disgust for most adults. Furthermore his foreign policy really sucks. He has abandoned the Paris Climate Accord, aborted the Iranian nuclear protection agreement, denounced NATO, alienated our European allies and curried up to many dictatorial regimes! And, of course, he’s presently undergoing impeachment proceeding for placing our national interest at risk with his meddling in the Ukraine. Yes, we could go on and on, but at risk of the reader’s attention span. In conclusion, let’s all remember,
Trump’s been a symptom. We should be the cause in 2020 for a change!
RALPH SHROYER (12-6-19)
Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven
And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Yes, these words typlify the teachings of Jesus in the Bible. Jesus was obviously a socialist. He certainly couldn’t have been a capitalist! So, why did all those “born-again” Christians vote so overwhelmingly for a man who surrounds himself with oil-rich capitalists? Pretty obviously America’s God is not the one in Heaven. Let’s be honest. America’s true God is Hypocrisy!
But wait! Let us not dispare. There is an out. We just need to toss out of the Bible Jesus and the New Testament. And we can go to Numbers, Chapt. 31, King James Version of the Holy Bible. “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ‘Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites’ … And Moses said unto them (The Israelites) … ‘Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that has known man by lying with him.’
Yes, sir! We don’t want no “Turn the other cheek and love thine enemies stuff”. Destructiveles, the Roman God of War – that’s our guy. Get rid of Hypocrisyes. We don’t need any whimpy Jesus messing with our plans. We’ve had a good old war every 20 years since 1776. And we love it.