Thanksgiving 2016

THANKSGIVING 2016

The “shattering” election news stimulated me to appreciate a day of thanks for my blessings that exceed all expectation.

Fortunately, I live with such beautiful people. I realize that most people experience this gift of a loving family.  But, I am also aware that others are less fortunate. Circumstances and unfortunate decisions resulted in alienation and discord. Living in a loving family is gift for which I am thankful.

I am aware that I have the gift of living in a unique nation, blessed with natural beauty and copious richness. Although often marred by violence to others, our nation has given me

peace and many opportunities to provide service to others. My past encourages me to think that we will survive Trump and ultimately thrive.

Along my path in life there have been so many who have touched me with their dedication to their work in the service of others. Work introduced me to some great people who provided me with the excitement of reaching beyond my past to a better future.

It is almost a paradox that my age will spare my experiencing any of the potential negative effects of global warming. I may be vulnerable to decisions made by our new President, but I have the opportunity to support those who will fight to protect the advances gained in recent times, viz., inclusion of everyone in our body politic regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and beliefs.

As we prepare to hold hands at our table of Thanksgiving in New Orleans, I will be mindful of my children and families in Cambridge and New York. I will smile, knowing that all of them have given me so much. I am a grateful American who hopes to be on the side of those protecting the values that have made us so great. The melting pot of yesterday is still vibrant enough to gather more into our national story. The strength in shared values of inclusion will overcome any attempt to erode the gains of yesterday. No one need fear that the commitment those values will ever be compromised.

I am one very thankful person.

Trump 22 November

The last fourteen days have been strange. I never really considered the possibility that the American public could listen to Trump and discount the statements as mere rhetoric when they entered in polling booth. I was aware that many, many people throughout the nation were hurting because their local economies could no longer support them, as they were accustomed to. Migration was not a realistic option. They would not have the skills required for working in urban America. Moving elsewhere would represent no change. So many people have been left in the lurch when traditional workplaces for autos, machines, and clothing disappeared. The needs of America would require so many fewer people. They were left in the lurch. The plight of so many was a result of advancements in technology that eroded the structures of traditional employment. Suffer and be angry were a recipe that enabled people to look at Trump as some sort of savior.

I have recognized that the world of work has dramatically changed. Meaningful employment was becoming a scarce reality in Middle America. My solution, voiced by others, was Universal Basic Income (UBI) whereby the gains of some would be redistributed to ensure that everyone had a steady source of income. The idea of redistribution of wealth was never a realistic option at this time. However, without some such plan, I admit that anyone claiming to make matters better, as Trump did, would represent a viable political option.

The dramatic growth in unequal wealth has been identified as a problem that would fester the fabric of any society. Unless there is some measure of shared benefits, society becomes a source of distain. No one wants to be left out in the cold!

I know that many share anguish at a future marked by Trump. It is so unreal, except that it stares at us as the next President of the United States!

I have been trying to come to terms with the turn of events. I cannot bury myself in some imaginary world to avoid the reality of a Trump administration. I have to figure out a way to maintain a level of contentment.

I know that I am fortunate to have such a wonderful family. I enjoy life in a beautiful and peaceful setting. Reinforcing this reality as a gift will shelter me somewhat from any political shenanigans.

I have developed a mentality to focus on the moment, knowing that at each moment, I can be in touch with all of reality that extends far beyond national politics. The wonder of being aware that I exist in a universe that is so spectacular is overwhelming. It puts this moment of a political nightmare in perspective.

I will continue to reinforce my basic love for others, even those commanding high offices in our national government that I disagree with. I may find myself detesting some decisions and actions, but it will do me more harm to hate those people initiating those actions.

I will continue to support the basic reality that everyone is my brother and sister. Just because I was fortunate to be born in this nation makes me no better or worthy of more than anyone else. We are all in the community of Mother Earth.

It does appear that people that are tribal in their orientation still populate the world. Unable to see that all peoples are essentially the same, they most often see themselves identified with some, while discounting others. Our nation has its set of problems stemming from ethnic and religious differences. Similar problems are more dramatic in the Middle East, Africa, and the East. Islam is a problem for many, even for its adherents who differ by their identification with either the Shiite or Sunni traditions. It seems so primitive, but I cannot deny the reality.

My excitement at seeing growth in the tolerance of differences in ethnicity, gender, and sexuality may have jaundiced my vision. I thought that we had entered a new era. Maybe we are still in stages of early development. We need more time and effort to persuade more people to a vision of inclusion. Unfortunately, global warming may represent the possibility that we will ruin Mother Earth before we realize the benefits of living in peace with each other.

Politics - 12 Nov 2016

I am still awestruck by the election.  I am saddened by the turn of events.  While I can identify with the need to change the system, I am aware that the changes identified by the winner and his supporters were not consistent with my vision.

One would think that I would be accustomed to being on the wrong side of the majority.  I identified totally with Bernie Sanders but voted for Clinton because I envisioned a total stalemate with the Congress if he were elected.  If they could not see the wisdom in Obama's initiatives, how could I expect them to support those envisioned by Sanders?

I now have to deal with the reality of losing. While understanding the public's demand for real change, I tremble thinking of what will happen. I will be relieved to find that his consistent hypocrisy and lies will result in his finding it necessary to scale back his stated goals. Unfortunately, I admit that even a retrenchment will only anger me for his ability to have manipulated the public to vote for him.

Trump clearly won the necessary number of electoral votes even though the majority voted for Clinton. They voted for changes that I too wanted to be addressed. National political gridlock was insufferable. But, there were major differences. Our world has changed dramatically and rather quickly. Students graduating from high school with me in 1955 lived in a world that found peace with all sorts of opportunities to experience the American dream. Labor was a necessary ingredient of progress. Advanced technology would not emerge as a tool to destroy a way of life for many years. Eventually, machines rapidly changed the work environment. And in a few decades, the onslaught of advanced technology and computers started to revolutionize the work place. I have yet to read a credible way to restore productive jobs that are comparably compensated as experienced during the middle of the last century.  I will be pleased to see the economic gains associated with agreeing to support funding for repairing our infrastructure, but will remain upset that the Republican Congress resisted similar initiates during the Obama administration.

Again, I lost.

From my perspective, I fear that the gains of the assimilation of minorities will be eroded.  Strangely, this election makes me more sensitive to those who are different from me, since I am now clearly an outsider, if I ever there had been any doubt. I have become fearful to discuss my views with anyone without first knowing their views. I do not enjoy being an outsider, but I enjoy less being confrontational. Life is too short.

My ultimate fear is the impact of all the retrenchment from a more inclusive set of social and political values, both here, as well as elsewhere, e.g., England, France, and Hungary. The world is changing fast, including the efficient ways of killings others, e.g., drones delivering precisely targeted missiles. ISIS and other groups will erupt to protect their vision of reality. The distain between Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds is not unlike the differences in our politics. We really are in a mess. Accepting others as one would want him or herself to be accepted is now a problem with devastating consequences. There are now so many, and easy, ways to kill.

Jesus promoted an ethic that envisioned loving your neighbor as yourself. John Rawls philosophized that "Each person possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a whole cannot override. For this reason justice denies that the loss of freedom for some is made right by a greater good shared by others." While I hope that the incoming government will make life better for those who supported Trump, I cannot envision this happening by bringing back lost jobs that are remunerated at the relative value of 1960. The need for these jobs no longer exists, thanks to increased use of robots. Jeremy Rivkin wrote "The End of Work" in 1995. His insights into the changing workplace has only accelerated in the 20 years. The complexity of this world and the interdependence of nations challenges us to envision a way "to love another as oneself" or die by global warming or violent warfare. The world we live in is terribly complex and intertwined.  We need a way to include everyone as we navigate uncharted history.

Alienation 10 November 2016

I feel very alienated from the reality of Trump’s election as president of the United States. It is so weird to know the reality of this election seems so unreal! Being old means that I can selfishly recognize that I may escape the full consequences of this election. However, being a grandparent brings me fully into a reality my death will still leave our six grandchildren to deal with the consequences of decisions made in the upcoming years.

As I look back into my history, alienation has apparently been a common thread. As a child, I did not feel the comfort of family. Home was always one second away from chaos. It was best to be playing baseball or basketball.

Entering the seminary seemed like a situation where I would be able to feel “at home” for the remainder of my life. Strangely enough, the Church became alien to me as I changed internally. There were many theologians who fathered my transition. What was once comforting became disconcerting. Eventually, to remain sane, I left and found that belonging to a family with Joan was as satisfying as I could have ever dreamed.

Working as a government employee in the Veterans Administration for nearly 35 years was generally a perfect place to use as many of my talents as possible. There were hitches along the way, but in general I looked forward to my work and the people who shared the same spirit.

The world of politics has always been interesting, but I seemed to always be an outsider. As my experience in the Church, I found myself generally endorsing views that were not prevalent. With the Church, I could leave. It is more difficult disassociating oneself from being a citizen. I learned to live with an identity that was shared with relatively few. I was a minority, but there was support for my views. There were various sources of support in the print media. I may have been a minority, but it was a significant minority.

Now, I am dealing with alienation in a more dramatic way.  Historically, I may have been one of a minority of people who one could characterize as liberal, if not radical. However, I was able to identify steps of advancement. Anti-War movements were somewhat novel when Vietnam protests occurred. Now, there are many brilliant scholars who question the nation’s prevalence of resorting to military interventions to solve conflicts. Civil rights was a cause for marching in the 60’s, but over the last 50 years, the rights of everyone are now legally recognized, even if resistance sometimes occurs. Discrimination is now commonly considered unlawful. The rights of women are recognized as equal to males, even though resistance still occurs in the workplace and society, in general.

The 2016 election marks a moment when the gains of the past 50 years are jeopardized. I can look forward to a series of government decisions that will strike at the steps of progress experienced in our society. It feels so weird to consider further progress as impossible for the foreseeable future. Now, success will be identified as searching for ways to hold onto some of the gains that our society has achieved.

When I experience alienation or moments of pure joy, it helps to write about that experience. It provides some comfort to know that I am capturing the human experience that only occurs when one lives. And so, for the moment, I can live to experience this alienation as part of my human experience. Hopefully, I will live long enough to capture the next chapter of life when the turmoil of the forthcoming administration ends.

Presidential Election 2016

A long time ago, I started this blog at my daughter’s suggestion which I adopted because I wanted some way to share my existence with my grandchildren, per chance I did not live long enough to share my ideas in person. In that vein, I want them to know the agony their grandfather endured in the presidential election of 2016.

I wrote to Bernie Sanders before he announced his intention to run for the Democratic nomination to suggest that he would be a great candidate. I even suggested that I would volunteer my “skills”. Surely, my email had no influence over his decision, but I was pleased with his willingness to run.

When Clinton joined him as a competitor, I still saw him as the one person in my lifetime that actually supported the values I held dear. I am essentially a socialist, measured by the values I endorse. I never felt that my talents and efforts should be compensated at the expense of others who did not enjoy the same traits and education. I always envisioned the world as a community. We were all essentially the same, albeit the circumstances in which people lived were different, at times starkly so.

At the time, I did not want Hillary to be nominated. I did not want her in the White House. My reasoning was rather straightforward. I hated her use of her former positions, especially Secretary of State, to secure outlandish compensation for speeches. I also grew to hate the methods of the Clinton Foundation to secure funding that seemed to be less than altruistic. I surely did not want her husband back in the White House. When he was in office, I wrote to the Democratic National Committee to share my total distain for his use of polls to determine what initiatives he would endorse. Admittedly, it is important to know what the citizens want, but I felt that a leader should advocate for change my sharing a vision that would be different, but better. Hillary shared what I perceived as the same calculating politician who supports initiatives that would win political support, at the expense of what was right. I can support negotiated political decisions as an essential component of a democratic government. But, I want the President to share a vision that requires compromise, rather than initiatives designed as expedient and calculating.

In addition, Hillary’s stupidity and grandiose self-assessment resulted in her thinking that she did not have to comply with federal regulations regarding the use of emails. Having her own server would be hilariously stupid if it was not motivated by such a distorted self-image that she need not comply with regulations. That was beyond the pale of acceptance.

.

As the political rhetoric proceeded during the primary, those who explained that Sander’s platform was not politically viable swayed me. If he were nominated, he would lose. He was too liberal for the moment, at least. If, at the time, there had been a “reasonable” Republican as an alternative, I may have continued my support of Sanders. But, Trump was not a reasonable option! Clinton may be distasteful, but I am confident that the government structure will essentially be same when her tenure expires. I cannot say that same for a Trump administration. Clinton will promote a good program that has been enhanced by her need to attract Sanders' supporters.

From one point of view, I can understand the support that Trump enjoys. I share the anger at the dysfunctional government that is so divided that the Republican Senate majority leader’s stated primary goal was to make sure that Obama was a one-term president. Not successful at that, he and his House colleagues would frustrate all efforts proposed by the administration. Anyone would be angry at such a performance by our elected officials. Unfortunately, not everyone shared the same rationale for his or her anger.

We are a divided nation. When proposals to curtail gun ownership cannot achieve a compromise that would reduce some of senseless violence, we have a divided nation. When efforts to ensure that everyone can have access to affordable health care, we have a divided nation. When immigration is seen as a threat instead of advancing our nation founded by immigrants, we forget our history and distort our future. Even when our military weapons create more problems than the ones intended to be addressed by their use, we cannot agree that the military is not capable of resolving all problems. In fact, they create more problems, a proposition that divides our country. Our capitalistic nation has achieved much entrepreneurial success, but we find it hard to agree on ways to address the inequities generated by our advancements.

With all the reasons for being angry with our government, I cannot contemplate the impact of a Trump administration.  He may make some happy to see him annihilate existing programs and treaties, while building a wall preventing unwanted people entering our country. For me, I would be petrified by his use or misuse of the power he would enjoy. There have been so many articles lambasting his misogyny, intemperate rhetoric, and lies in spite of recordings that contradict him. And then, to think that the President of the United States would be in an office where decisions could be designed to benefit his personal business.

For me, I have no choice but to vote for Clinton because Trump is beyond the pale of reasonable. Yet, I know that November 9 will be painful regardless of who is elected (presumably, it will not end up in the House of Representatives). I fear that there will be unrest and, most likely, violence. As I fear a Trump presidency, I know that his supporters share the same level of fear of a Clinton administration.

In conclusion, I have experienced an election that is virtually unreal. I am chagrined to think that we have come to this point in our history. I hope that my worse fears will not materialize, but I am modestly confident that we will recognize our mistake and work to stabilize our ship as it sails into the future.

Presidential Election 2016

A long time ago, I started this blog at my daughter’s suggestion which I adopted because I wanted some way to share my existence with my grandchildren, per chance I did not live long enough to share my ideas in person. In that vein, I want them to know the agony their grandfather endured in the presidential election of 2016.

I wrote to Bernie Sanders before he announced his intention to run for the Democratic nomination to suggest that he would be a great candidate. I even suggested that I would volunteer my “skills”. Surely, my email had no influence over his decision, but I was pleased with his willingness to run.

When Clinton joined him as a competitor, I still saw him as the one person in my lifetime that actually supported the values I held dear. I am essentially a socialist, measured by the values I endorse. I never felt that my talents and efforts should be compensated at the expense of others who did not enjoy the same traits and education. I always envisioned the world as a community. We were all essentially the same, albeit the circumstances in which people lived were different, at times starkly so.

At the time, I did not want Hillary to be nominated. I did not want her in the White House. My reasoning was rather straightforward. I hated her use of her former positions, especially Secretary of State, to secure outlandish compensation for speeches. I also grew to hate the methods of the Clinton Foundation to secure funding that seemed to be less than altruistic. I surely did not want her husband back in the White House. When he was in office, I wrote to the Democratic National Committee to share my total distain for his use of polls to determine what initiatives he would endorse. Admittedly, it is important to know what the citizens want, but I felt that a leader should advocate for change my sharing a vision that would be different, but better. Hillary shared what I perceived as the same calculating politician who supports initiatives that would win political support, at the expense of what was right. I can support negotiated political decisions as an essential component of a democratic government. But, I want the President to share a vision that requires compromise, rather than initiatives designed as expedient and calculating.

In addition, Hillary’s stupidity and grandiose self-assessment resulted in her thinking that she did not have to comply with federal regulations regarding the use of emails. Having her own server would be hilariously stupid if it was not motivated by such a distorted self-image that she need not comply with regulations. That was beyond the pale of acceptance.

.

As the political rhetoric proceeded during the primary, those who explained that Sander’s platform was not politically viable swayed me. If he were nominated, he would lose. He was too liberal for the moment, at least. If, at the time, there had been a “reasonable” Republican as an alternative, I may have continued my support of Sanders. But, Trump was not a reasonable option! Clinton may be distasteful, but I am confident that the government structure will essentially be same when her tenure expires. I cannot say that same for a Trump administration. Clinton will promote a good program that has been enhanced by her need to attract Sanders' supporters.

From one point of view, I can understand the support that Trump enjoys. I share the anger at the dysfunctional government that is so divided that the Republican Senate majority leader’s stated primary goal was to make sure that Obama was a one-term president. Not successful at that, he and his House colleagues would frustrate all efforts proposed by the administration. Anyone would be angry at such a performance by our elected officials. Unfortunately, not everyone shared the same rationale for his or her anger.

We are a divided nation. When proposals to curtail gun ownership cannot achieve a compromise that would reduce some of senseless violence, we have a divided nation. When efforts to ensure that everyone can have access to affordable health care, we have a divided nation. When immigration is seen as a threat instead of advancing our nation founded by immigrants, we forget our history and distort our future. Even when our military weapons create more problems than the ones intended to be addressed by their use, we cannot agree that the military is not capable of resolving all problems. In fact, they create more problems, a proposition that divides our country. Our capitalistic nation has achieved much entrepreneurial success, but we find it hard to agree on ways to address the inequities generated by our advancements.

With all the reasons for being angry with our government, I cannot contemplate the impact of a Trump administration.  He may make some happy to see him annihilate existing programs and treaties, while building a wall preventing unwanted people entering our country. For me, I would be petrified by his use or misuse of the power he would enjoy. There have been so many articles lambasting his misogyny, intemperate rhetoric, and lies in spite of recordings that contradict him. And then, to think that the President of the United States would be in an office where decisions could be designed to benefit his personal business.

For me, I have no choice but to vote for Clinton because Trump is beyond the pale of reasonable. Yet, I know that November 9 will be painful regardless of who is elected (presumably, it will not end up in the House of Representatives). I fear that there will be unrest and, most likely, violence. As I fear a Trump presidency, I know that his supporters share the same level of fear of a Clinton administration.

In conclusion, I have experienced an election that is virtually unreal. I am chagrined to think that we have come to this point in our history. I hope that my worse fears will not materialize, but I am modestly confident that we will recognize our mistake and work to stabilize our ship as it sails into the future.