By golly, it’s been another four days. What a four day life we’re having here in what’s left of the U.S. of A. One party is nominating a convicted felon with a horrible track record as president as I write this, while the other party is trying to oust the duly primarily-elected nominee ‘cause he is older than the other candidate. Just because the older guy has one of the best records for the country on the economy, on jobs, on social issues and the like doesn’t mean we can’t dump him? Out with old and in with the inexperienced. Some people have forgotten we tried that in 2016 to 2021. Some people have forgotten that history can repeat itself, even if that history was made just 8 years ago.

Being old at this time to me is a blessing. Just from the last two months I cannot see living in this country much longer. Evil is good. Autocracy with a king like figure and his chosen court of obsequious followers is what we as a nation rebelled from almost 250 years ago. Historically though, most progressive civilizations have had relatively short spans of rule. Greece had its version of democracy for a couple of hundred year. Rome and its Senate and district demigods fared better, but fell apart after another few hundred years. England has the Monarchy that has maintained for centuries, but their rule has had its ups and downs as well. Europe itself is a hotbed of factions and discontent. Remember 1933 to 1945? That little empire never could get off the ground. But not for trying. And from what we are seeing now, it is probably on our doorstep, waiting for the electoral key to unlock its potential. America is feeling more and more like the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand. Truth and fact are not nearly as fun as lies, distortions and name calling all served with a soupçon of the threats of violence. Actual fighting is promised as the dessert course.

The next episode of this experiment will be the dissolution and dilution of education. Too many children are being taught to think for themselves, and are not being brainwashed as I was as a child. I was taught América was the best county, but it had its faults. Slavery was taught as a founding father’s failure, more inhuman than the serfdom many of the original settlers were escaping from Europe, but also how conservative economics bolstered its supposed necessity. At this same time as I was hearing this, the courts of the mid-century country were battling cases over integration of the races, and the ultimate realization that people of color were indeed equally able to have rational thought. Brown vs. the Board of Education or something like that. At my age, you forget a lot of details. Yes, I could look them up on google, but sometimes I think that’s cheating. Or is it? 

College taught me that I wasn’t being taught as much as I was encouraged to discover how to find answers for myself. Grades one throug twelve gave me basics upon which to build. Math is necessary for everyone - by the fourth or fifth grade it should be standard - the multiplaction tables, fractions, simple long division - that kind of stuff. Learning the language of the country one is living in and at least partial comprehension of one other language should be taught. Most immigrants to my country are bilingual. Not so much our own citizens. Unfortunately, as well as reading is taught, communication is a lost art. 

History is complicated. I was taught a lot of my state’s history but not so much of other states. US history was the settlers, the American Revolution, westward expansion and domination, the Railroad Economy, the Civil War, and then American genius leading us into the twentieth century and triumphing over two great wars in Europe - spreading our preferred democracy there for all to bow down to. Capitalism of the twentieth century was the savior of the world. And then we stumbled. First in Korea, next we fell far short in Vietnam, and then completely lost our way after we were attacked by terrorists in the first year of the new century. Our stumbles have created dissatisfaction and outright disagreement with our democratically chosen leader. Rose colored glasses were exchanged for red. Bright ‘patriotic’ blood red. 

Oh well, at least we have until recently excelled in physical activities important to our well being, such as football, baseball and basketball. Recently though we believe more in organized fitness, strength training, and excelling at physical ideals as set forth by Madison Avenue and even more so by Social Media programs such as Facebook, TikTok, Reddit, X and the like. Aaah lovely how the lives go on. 

Well, as you see and as you were warned at the beginning, I am full of myself and my opinions. Hence this blog. Sadly for you, dear reader, I will keep it up with whatever comes into my head, as I am self-centered as well as egocentric. Plus, I’m having a great time pouring out my soul to this electronic wasteland! So, ‘til my next installement I implore you - vote early and vote often! It can make a difference!