This is not about religion.  It is about the aspects of society that are a reflection of principals found in religious belief systems.  These values represent expectations one human being has of another in their behavior toward one another in society.  Although others would attempt to make it exceedingly more complicated than that, it is truly that simple.

Over the centuries one faith group or another would go in and out of favor with the populous of a particular country or region.  The fundamental reality is that the doctrines of major faith groups, be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Judaism, Buddhism, et al, have attempted to guide us in life to be the best versions of ourselves.  Worthy principals such as kindness, charity, and love for others.  Truly the essence of what it could mean to be human.  Humans who endeavor to bring these principles to every interaction do so with the expectation that their kindness, charity and love will be returned in equal measure.

It is unfortunate but, people being what they are, some have attempted to use faith as a means to control a set population.  Beyond that unfortunately common transgression, these same “faith leaders” have used faith as a shield to divert the attention of the faithful away from their actions that are clearly counter to faith teachings. Purposely less clear, their actions are intended to pervert the trust placed in them.  Most often the intent is for personal gain, be it of the flesh or a material gain.  As humans we are flawed.  Some are weak and easily led to their detriment, as well as to the detriment of those around them. 

Regardless, the good that has come from religion of nearly all varieties is the result of actions taken by the many, the faithful, in carrying out the principles of kindness, charity and love.  In Christianity, representing the largest numbers around the world of practicing faithful, the basic principals in the teachings of Jesus Christ and others have led many to realize the good in themselves and others. These principals have led to the creation of communities around the world where these same principals guide peoples and even governments to institutionalize these principals in the form of law (our Bill of Rights). 

Democracy, the fairest form of government, is in itself rooted in Judeo-Christian principals of treating others as you would wish to be treated.   The notion that all people are created equal has led to laws intended to enforce these principals.  Not enforced upon those who would naturally carry them out in daily life but, more importantly, upon those who chose to violate these principles.   The most egregious of violators face removal from society so as to protect those who wish to live in a society where these principles are the defacto standard for human conduct.

The United States, a democracy by design based on these same Judeo-Christian principals, has been a shining light of human conduct for centuries.  Not a perfect example.  Perfection is not possible where humans are central.  Yet the principles, and the laws that reflect them, are intended to “form a more perfect union”.   

With certain religions, God is the final judge of how we conducted our lives.  The words of a Christian God are enshrined in the Bible.  And, in Christianity, it is the word of God, through his son and prophet, that define this notion of perfect human conduct.  This notion is what has led us to “in God we trust”.  It is the embodiment of the bond between God and we imperfect humans.  That, should we strive for and succeed in living by these principals, then a more perfect union will be the result.  The American Constitution echoes a Christian God’s words and principals as the means to create this more perfect union.

For atheists, who maintain that what they do in life has no consequences after death, there is no hell or purgatory…or a heaven for that matter.  Thus, they exclaim “don’t judge me” with your puritanical views when exposed to my conduct you find reprehensible.  “As long as it isn’t illegal, I should be able to do what I wish.”

The same logic applies to countries with only an atheist guiding light.  The Peoples Republic of China and The Russian Federation are the two largest examples.  And let us not forget Nazi Germany whose only “religion” was Aryan superiority.  During the fascist Nazi era, “inferior beings” were shipped off to concentration camps never to be seen or heard from again.  China’s present-day concentration camps (housing Muslims instead of Jews, gypsies, et al) represent the same sort of bigotry and arrogance while daring the world to attempt to do something about it. 

Similar to the conduct of atheist nations, there are countries where leaders have perverted a religion, steeped in peaceful principals (Islam as an example), into a bludgeon to oppress the people.  Their perversion of religion provides a ready excuse to hate and murder those who choose a different belief system.  The Islamic Republic of Iran the most prominent of the examples.  Their behavior on the world stage is inexcusable.

So why do so many around the world see Christianity as the problem?  It is difficult to be a daily consumer of any sort of media outlet and not experience someone complaining about Christianity.  One example is a recent experience with a bit of dialogue in a British television show (Last Tango in Halifax) where a character exclaimed that Christians are the problem in the U.K.   So how then are Christians “the problem”?   The Church of England, or the Anglican Church, may have been a bit slow with gender and LGBT issues (yet light years ahead of the Catholics).  But women and gay Vickers are ordained frequently without inappropriate distinction.  Jesus spoke, through the Disciples and the Bible, of universal love unguided by station in life, gender, race, proclivities and especially love for those deemed sinners.  Where in any of that lies “the problem”.

Yes, the Crusades were Christians behaving badly in the name of Christ…a thousand years ago!  Since then attempts to spread Christianity have largely been benign, mainly in the form of missionary work attempting to blend Christianity with work to improve the lives of those who would willingly listen.  Regardless of these worthy efforts, the number of people calling themselves Christians around the world is in decline.

The clear, modern-day trend among younger generations, X-generation, Millennials, is a rapid movement away from religion.  And, depending on their influences, possibly their parents or parent, possibly a schoolteacher or professor, possibly a school mate or a co-worker, their education or exposure to acceptable human conduct can vary widely; or be non-existent.  Say what you wish about the failings of religion, the teachings about acceptable human conduct are crystal clear.

These trends are a cause for concern and point toward an eventual soul-less nation.  If you are willing to equate having a soul with a natural inclination to treat other human beings as you would wish to be treated, then there must be a worrisome void in a soul-less state.  The manifestations of a soul of an individual have been equated to compassion and love for others, the ability to discern right from wrong, exhibiting respect for the rights of others and a general understanding of what it means to a good person.  Connecting with one’s soul is likely not something that comes natively through mere existence.   A good person is highly likely shaped by external influences.

This anti-religion trend has been both subtle and more overt.  Not going to church, or temple, or mosque, or some other place of religious gathering and congregation is not something typically newsworthy.  Demanding that the word “God” be removed from our currency for example garners media attention.  Yet “God”, regardless of which religion you subscribe to, is woven into the very fabric of this nation.  “God” is mentioned at least four times in our Declaration of Independence.  Judeo-Christian principals are highly evident in our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and common law.  It is that religious training, regarding the values and principals of acceptable human conduct, that shaped our nation.  These teachings, held on high by the nation’s founding fathers, are the basis for the laws of our land.  They are the essence of the pursuit of a more perfect union characterized by liberty and justice for all.

So, will these trends lead us away as a society from the education of the young about acceptable human conduct?  It is fair to assume that it is not likely to occur for a generation or two as the lingering effects of previous generations (the Greatest Generation and Baby Boomers) live on.  But as the “light” of religion is slowly extinguished, how will these teachings take place?  Certainly not in the schools as any connection to religion in public education has been banished.   Where else then?

Despite the complaints about religion’s attempted “interference” in the lives of some; much good, tremendous good, is done by creating community and the charitable efforts of those communities.  Are we trending toward a soul-less nation, in fact a soul-less world?  It clearly appears we are.

If you do not already possess another form of photo identification (and most folks do), and you really want to vote, you can troop on down to DMV and ask for a photo ID.  In Virginia, below are the many acceptable forms of voter photo ID.

Acceptable forms of valid identification:

• Virginia driver’s license
• Virginia DMV-issued photo ID
• United States passport
• Employer-issued photo ID
• Student photo ID issued by a school, college, or university located in Virginia
• Other U.S. or Virginia government-issued photo ID
• Tribal enrollment or other tribal photo ID
• Virginia Voter Photo ID card

If you don’t have any of the above forms of identification, you can simply go to your nearest voter registration office to get a free Voter Photo ID, even on Election Day!  You will be required to complete a Virginia Voter Photo Identification Card Application (English | Español), have your photo taken and to sign a digital signature pad. The Virginia Voter Photo ID card is valid for voting purposes only.

If you don’t have a minimum one of the above, where have you been and or why not?  A very reasonable guess is 99.9% of likely voters have at least one of the above listed forms of photo ID. If you do not, and you want to vote, simply take your favorite form of transportation down to the nearest DMV office, or a voter registration office and apply for a FREE photo ID.

Here is a list of a few things you cannot do in Virginia without a Photo ID

• Enter a state government building including the capital
• Cannot purchase tobacco or alcoholic beverages
• Cannot board a commercial airliner
• Cannot cash a check at most banks
• Cannot visit a doctor or hospital

What is the process for obtaining a DMV-issued Photo ID in Virginia?

What do you need to get a state photo ID in Virginia? You must present certain documentation, and pay a very small fee, to obtain each type of VA ID issued by the DMV. The documents needed for state ID are used by the DMV to verify your age, identity, Virginia address and legal presence in the United States. The most commonly used documents are listed in each category below:

1. Adult Applicants:

• One proof of identity and legal presence (U.S. citizens):
  • A driver’s license or ID issued in VA or another state
  • A U.S. birth certificate
  • A U.S. passport or passport card
  • A Certificate of Citizenship or Certificate of Naturalization
• One proof of identity and legal presence (non-U.S. citizens):
  • An unexpired foreign passport with an unexpired U.S. visa and an I-94 or entry stamp
  • An unexpired Employment Authorization document (I-766) and a USCIS form I-797 displaying applicant’s name
  • An unexpired Permanent Resident card
• One proof of Social Security number (SSN):
  • A Social Security card
  • A W-2 IRS tax form
  • An employer-issued payroll check stub showing the full SSN
• Two proofs of Virginia residency:
  • A mortgage statement or lease agreement
  • A U.S. Postal Service change of address confirmation form
  • A utility bill less than 60 days old
  • Official correspondence from a federal, state, or local government agency
  • A billing statement printed with the applicant’s name and current address

Obviously non-US citizens are not eligible to vote and, regardless, there is a nominal cost for a DMV-issued photo ID. If you truly do not have any of the forms previously mentioned, and cannot afford a very reasonable DMV ID fee, then go to the voter registration office nearest you and obtain one there for free.

This is not asking too much to preserve the integrity of our voting system and is by no means discriminatory. Anyone…..anyone, regardless of race, creed color, religion, anyone, anyone who otherwise qualifies to vote in federal, state or local elections can, with reasonable effort, obtain a qualifying voter photo ID, and should be required to do so.

There is a tremendous amount of very good material on Netflix and Amazon Prime streaming services about World War II.  This point is raised as a visceral fear exists that Millennials and Next-Gen populations around the world will lose the opportunity to learn the many invaluable lessons available to them in this period in world history. And how effortless the lessons can be learned merely through taking the time to watch the material in the appointment-style television offered by these streaming services.  There are many, many very good choices.  After a few nights of some binge-watching you will either be very intrigued to watch and learn more or, minimally, will walk away with a basic understanding of these incredibly important lessons.

The material in these TV programs includes, most importantly, the testimonials of veterans, witnesses and other participants, many in their 80s and 90s at time of filming, who provide heart-felt and often gut-wrenching accounts of their war-time experiences.  As you watch these documentary films and television programs you will develop a sense of the great direct danger our country and the world faced.  Also, a sense of the immense patriotism that began to burst at the seams, as it did in the early 1770s, as American citizens recognized the enormity of the challenge ahead to defeat these forces of immense evil.

All of these are vitally important bits of knowledge about what it truly means to be an American.  We are essentially a young country that produced the greatest economy and military power the world has ever known.  That greatness, in this context, was built by the Greatest Generation who came together as a civilian workforce and an unmatched military power that saved the world from dark, fascist, imperial forces and went on to win the cold war that followed. 

The American spirit and system together have produced and sustained the greatest quality of life the world has ever witnessed.  This sustained greatness was and is based on capitalism, democracy and the pervasive patriotism generated by the early architects of our system (the Founding Fathers) on through to the parents of the Baby Boomers.  We must not allow these lessons, of how sustained greatness can be achieved, be forgotten by those who have no memory of these seminal times.

Possibly more importantly is the sense of what our priorities should be as Americans.  That Greatest Generation value system is one of family, God, country, doing the right thing, hard work and self-reliance.  These values led us to victory as the final bulwark against tyranny (as clearly as, during those times, other democracies or nations of similar mindset about how to treat ones citizenry, even as an allied force, could not withstand the forces aligned with fascism and imperial aggression) while continuing to lead us to becoming the most peaceful yet powerful nation on the planet. 

Today, it appears many of those invaluable lessons and pillars of our society are being lost amid strong voices for change.  Admittedly times and circumstances do change.  Change does happen. but certain key principals must remain to prevent forces for change from decoupling society from the engine that created the greatest results ever experienced.

The wealth that this nation accumulated, through these great principals of hard work, self-reliance, a market-driven economy/capitalism and democracy, are under attack by nascent leaders in waiting who propose this accumulation of wealth must be radically redistributed, regardless of earned effort or citizenship.  This while also somehow seeing this pool of wealth as unlimited, and, incredibly, at the very same time are hell-bent on dismantling the wealth’s systemic origin, or choking the proverbial golden goose.  

These nascent leaders in waiting propose we radically change the system that generated the wealth they wish to tap.  Their proposals call for reducing the very incentives that created the system that bestowed upon this nation the greatest living standard the world has ever witnessed.  Their proposals, as one example, call for trading military strength and national security for a system designed primarily to generate “fairness”.  Fairness must be a goal, but not at the expense of decimating the viability and security of the system that has already created world-leading prosperity for hundreds of millions of Americans.  These proposals represent a greater threat to the wellbeing of this nation, and the world, than those we faced from imperial Nazi and Japanese fascism.   In fact, their proposals are reflective of those that gave rise to the National Socialist German Workers Party better known as the Nazis.  It is an especially important lesson to understand the rise of Nazi power that began in Bavaria in the late 1920s.  The socio-economic and political circumstances were a perfect cauldron brewing up a dominate fascist movement that led to absolute political power held by a single party and a charismatic political operator that later became dictator.

Yet, if we learn the lessons of those incredibly important times surrounding World War II, we can avoid making the monumental mistakes made by those who refuse to acknowledge or remain ignorant of these lessons.  If these youthful generations just spend sufficient time to absorb these critical lessons, by just watching these documentaries and TV programs (Could it be any easier?), then there remains a chance that they will turn away from these nascent forces who wish to abandon these critical principles that created the living standards they currently enjoy.

Whine: Not enough of the U.S. government programs provides direct benefit to the “people” and too much to businesses.

Should the government just send 2 Trillion dollars just to the people?  And when most of the businesses that receive no assistance close their doors, and the jobs that provide actual sustained livelihood are gone, then what?  

The U.S. program assistance to businesses is tied primarily to payroll.  It is loans intended to keep “the people” paid with benefits with the hope that, when this ends (and it will), “the people” will have sustained employment.  The loans become grants if the businesses use the funds primarily for payroll.  If not, then they must be paid back with interest.

And yes, hundreds of billions of dollars are going directly to “the People” TOO!  In the form of direct payments of $3400 for a family of four.  Enhanced unemployment benefits to the tune of $2400 MORE per month than traditional unemployment payments AND help for everyone’s employers to hire them back!  That is a comprehensive program with another massive phase two in planning now.

Whine: Canada has a better program for the people.

Canada is providing only $2000 Canadian Dollars per month per working adult ($1400 in US dollars or $2800 for a family of four) for four months and very little to ensure people actually have jobs to go back to.  Check the highlights of the Canadian program below.  The Canadian program is far less generous than the American plan when taking a long term view.

And the Canadian population is only 37 million. Basically, not even California’s 39 million.  175 million people in the U.S. will receive funds immediately plus millions of business will receive assistance to stay viable, hire back employees, pay rent and utilities.  This loan assistance will very likely become a grant.  The grant will be a bridge to the massive pent up demand that will be awaiting them when this crisis has past and a viable business remains standing with their employees ready.

Canadian COVID-19 Support Program Highlights and restrictions:

• Are without income for at least 14 consecutive days in a four-week period because of COVID-19, because they have temporarily stopped working, lost their jobs, are sick or in quarantine, or need to care for a child or a family member.²
• Introduced the Canada Emergency Business Account, which provides interest-free loans of up to $40,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits through their financial institutions. Up to 25% of the loan will be forgiven if repaid by December 31, 2022. More details to follow. ¹
• Offered employers the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) applied at a rate of 75% on the first $58,700 earned by employees, representing a benefit of $847 per week. The program will be in place for a 12-week period, retroactive to March 15 and ending June 6, 2020. Eligible businesses of all sizes and from all sectors of the economy, regardless of the number of workers they employ, that suffer a drop of at least 30% in gross revenues due to COVID-19 in March, April or May, when compared to the same month in 2019, would be able to access the subsidy. This will help businesses to keep paying their employees and to bring laid-off workers back on the payroll.¹

The U.S. program is far more comprehensive and well thought out.

¹https://www.canada.ca/en/services/business/maintaingrowimprovebusiness/resources-for-canadian-businesses.html

²https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-income-supports-covid19-1.5509247

First, there are many variations when attempting to describe a particular system of governing, especially Socialism.  Below are some reference points from Wikipedia¹ but, for the purposes of this piece, a socialist country essentially reflects the western European variation characterized by a slow growth, high tax economic system with a national government primary mission of social justice.

And the statement often made that Socialist systems do not work is just patently false.  As with any system you must accept the good with the bad. Among the larger and long-standing Socialist countries, some individual freedoms are sacrificed in favor of very strong government control of virtually everything and comprehensive government programs of care.  Conversely, in Democratic Capitalism, individual freedoms, as well as self-reliance and hard work, are more highly valued and protected at the cost of the lack of an entirely comprehensive, cradle to grave, government “care” system.

In a democratic capitalism economic system, a high growth economy offers the opportunity for career advancement and an improved standard of living based on hard work and achievement.  It’s the “American Dream” as it has often been described.  Far less dependence on a union boss or government labor apparatus to negotiate pay increases based solely on “membership”.  Those with self-motivation, intelligence and a willingness to sacrifice are rewarded.  Collaborating with other similarly motivated individuals enables all to succeed and improve their standard of living.  This has been, and possibly was, the American way that produced the greatest standard of living for the greatest number of individuals the world has ever witnessed.

One potential assumption that could be made is Socialist countries, with much higher tax rates, must be able to balance their federal government budgets,  In fact, virtually none of them are able to balance budgets and must resort to borrowing from Peter to take care of Paul.

Seven out of ten countries with the highest tax rates also have higher national debt totals (as a percentage of GDP) than the US.²  In addition, they carry a higher amount of debt burden per citizen than the US.  So, they are taxing at higher rates than the US, and, also incurring more government debt than the US as a percent of GDP.  Some at rates of between 150% and nearly 300% of GDP.  It is comparable to having an individual with a $50,000 per year salary that also has credit card debt of $75,000 to $150,000.  No financial organization within its right mind would allow someone to knowingly reach that level of unsecured indebtedness.  And with tax rates at their possible maximum, how do you attack your debt problem when increasing taxes would likely plunge the economy into collapse? 

Once the point is reached when requests for additional unsecured debt are refused, and tax rates are at their maximum, then spending must be cut to avoid default.  And of course, military and infrastructure spending will be cut first; until those chickens come home to roost.  A prime example is France’s lamentation, after recent high-profile terrorism attacks, that they just do not have enough national security resources to track all the potentially dangerous terrorism persons-of-interest in France. 

NATO members in Europe for many years have not fulfilled their military spending commitment to the alliance.  In times of financial distress, with military and infrastructure programs already cut to the bone, the ability to borrow exhausted, and total government spending remaining above revenue receipts, at some point social programs must be cut.  French political leaders have for several years attempted to change pension benefits rules or increase hours in a work week.  Those proposals have been met with massive civil unrest.

Now, the point is reached where all governmental promises are being broken.  Military defense is woefully inadequate.  Roads, bridges, buildings, airports, as just a few examples, are no longer even adequate or safe.  And now pension payments aren’t enough to support a very modest existence.  For those working, work rule changes are infuriating and perceived as unfair.  Whether it’s increasing hours worked per week or increasing the retirement age or some other means of reducing social program cost, something must be done.  (Maybe they would fare better in a democratic, free-market capitalistic system?)

So, the result is transportation strikes paralyzing the country, or rioting in the streets with burning barricades and entire shopping districts shut down with significant damage to shops and infrastructure.    More deadly terrorism attacks and looming infrastructure disasters.  In other words, massive government failure to achieve any of their stated goals causing massive disruption, rioting and loss of innocent lives in attacks by terrorists or other calamitous events.

Americans with similar social justice goals as their socialism counterparts around the world,  who are supporting Bernie Sanders with feverish emotional enthusiasm and hope in their eyes, will be the same ones erecting barricades and lighting truck tires afire when, in ten years, the social justice/Socialism dream becomes a nightmare.

Or, perhaps, once a single party has complete control of all government functions, they opt for a similar approach to socialism as that adopted by the Chinese.  How much of your individual freedoms are you willing to sacrifice for comprehensive social justice?  And even if you are not getting it, are you brave enough to demand more?  Do you think the French “yellow vest” street riots would be tolerated for a New York minute in China?  No, the government knows what is best for everyone; you will like it, or you are remanded, without due process, to a “re-education camp”.  The one-party political system is in complete control of EVERYTHING.  Do not expect an election to provide an opportunity for change.  The government knows everything about you.  Should you be observed by an AI-based facial recognition system as someone with an attitude, and the other data about you suggests you are or could be a political dissident, say hello to your confinement in a “re-education camp” as a political prisoner with no due process.

Is this, all of THIS, what this country aspires to? 

¹The socialist market economy (SME) is the economic system and model of economic development employed in the People’s Republic of China. The system is based on the predominance of public ownership and state-owned enterprises within a market economy.^[1] The term “socialist market economy” was introduced by Jiang Zemin during the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 1992 to describe the goal of China’s economic reforms.^[2] Originating in the Chinese economic reforms initiated in 1978 that integrated China into the global market economy, the socialist market economy represents a preliminary or “primary stage” of developing socialism.^[3] Despite this, many Western commentators have described the system as a form of state capitalism.^[4][5][6]

As a sovereign state is a different entity from the political party that rules that state at any given time, a country may be ruled by a socialist party without the country itself claiming to be socialist, occurring in both one-party and multi-party political systems. In particular, there are numerous cases of social democratic and democratic socialist parties winning elections in liberal democratic states and ruling for a number of terms until a different party wins the elections. While socialist parties won many elections around the world and most elections in the Nordic countries, they did not adopt socialism as the state ideology.³

²http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/highest-taxed-countries/

²http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/debt-to-gdp-ratio-by-country/

³https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_market_economy

³https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_socialist_states

Letters to the editor by RTD readers have urged Virginia Republicans to “don’t worry – be happy” regarding the Old Dominion becoming a “Blue State”.  The Democrat party, that will soon assume complete control of virtually all state government functions, bears no reflection to conservative southern democrats that dominated state government for decades in the 20^th century.

The outcome of the recent election is largely the result of demographics trends sweeping the country.  An example of these demographic changes is a statistic reported recently by media outlets that most Millennials prefer socialism.  Regardless of the social revolution of the sixties, Baby Boomers eventually settled down and adopted much of the values of our parents in the Greatest Generation. Yet, Boomer’s political influence has already begun to significantly wane.

This prospect is very disconcerting to many who love this state.  Many Virginians regard the conservative fiscal management, pro-business posture, commitment to quality education and respect for all pillars of the Bill of Rights by government officials as sound reasons to make Virginia home.  This coming “blue wave” should be regarded as more of a blue tsunami that will wipe the country clean of what we have known, draw it all out to sea, and deliver a clean landscape for the pro-socialism Democrat party to remake as they choose.

As the American electorate becomes increasingly blue, the greater the likelihood pro-socialism leaders, federal, state and local, will be elected.   Even though free market democratic capitalism has created the greatest living standard the world has ever witnessed, the “blue” tsunami will cast it aside in exchange for iron-fisted government control and unprecedented wealth transfer.  Those among us who believe in self-reliance and hard work must prepare for historic change.

If it is the will of the majority, then it is inevitable.

All of this focus on Donald Trump is a tempest in a teapot while the truly important matters facing this nation, and the world, are either ignored or shelved in favor of the politics of the day.  Megalomaniacal personalities like Trump, Pelosi, Schumer, Biden and Clinton expend tremendous energies angling for who will rule the roost.   When in fact, the roost is already undergoing seismic changes below our feet.

First, the American political landscape is about to take an initial gentle left turn.  Demographic trends, toward a more liberal American electorate, already show a growing majority of voters supporting social justice causes and candidates.  This trend will accelerate over the next decade culminating in the Democrat party dominating every facet of government; executive, legislative, and judicial.

Conservative elected officials, and their electorate, will be completely and totally marginalized possessing no meaningful power to shape policy nor law.  The United States will become a single party nation no different than The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation.  In time, as “Democratic” Socialists solidify their total control, constitutional changes will follow ensuring enduring domination and removing the means of peaceful power change exemplified by term limits.  The Bill of Rights will be “adjusted” eliminating potentially troublesome means of dissent like peaceful assembly and gun ownership.

These changes will be accompanied by unprecedented use of technology to control the population.  Every street and building will be under video surveillance.  Video images will be analyzed by AI-based systems designed to detect crime (the public premise for its existence) as well gauging the populations mood while identifying individuals (with facial recognition technology) who may represent a threat as a seditionist.  These possible seditionists will be monitored on a 24/7 basis to determine whether more direct and forceful action by “authorities” will be required.  Those deemed a threat to single party domination will be whisked off to “reeducation camps” likely to never be seen again.

By the time many of the independents and liberally minded citizens (more democratic than socialist), who initially lent their support to the social justice cause, realize it has gone too far, the opportunity to pull back will have passed.  The People’s Republic of America (PRA) will be firmly and permanently in place.  Military strategy will be “adjusted” to ensure no possible domestic threats to authoritarian control will have the opportunity to materialize into a credible threat.  Especially once guns have been removed from the citizenry the ability to rise up against tyranny will be gone forever.

All sound familiar?  How about when the socialists took complete control in Germany in the 1930s?  Then it was Jews, gypsies and “enemies of the state” carted off to “labor” camps.  And who would stop them?  Who would be there to stop the PRA from sending those with “impure thoughts” (democracy, capitalism, individual rights to peaceful assembly, and so on) to euphemistically named “re-education” (prison) camps with no due process? 

Cannot happen here some will say.  I am certain many in Germany in the 30’s said the same or were not fully aware.  There are reportedly a million people in Chinese “re-education” camps placed there with no due process quite possibly because AI-based systems and facial recognition technology deemed them a political threat, or their theology was deemed threatening.  Precisely the same thing here, and worse, is possible with a single party totalitarian regime controlling the U.S.

And who would challenge the PRA?  In Europe in the 1940’s it was the U.S. who came to the world’s rescue.  If we had not intervened the Russian totalitarian forces would have defeated Germany and taken most of Europe for themselves.  But who would come to our rescue?  Not China, not Russia, who then with any hope of success?  The answer is no one would take the risk.

And with guns now only in the hands of the government (and criminals) the possibility of a democratic advocate uprising would not be impossible.  Some gun control zealots would argue that a few handguns and rifles would be no match for a modern American military.  Isn’t that what the British thought of the American colonists?  That they couldn’t possibly win against the British imperial army and navy, the greatest military force in the world at the time.

Do you believe democracy will be allowed to spring up in Hong Kong?  The demonstrators have certainly made a lot of noise.  But quietly, carefully, this uprising too will be crushed. And nothing will be done about it.

So, for those who say it cannot happen again, it would not take much thought to remember how history has repeated itself over and over.  And never say never.  When the two-party system fails in this country and absolute power is held by the socialists (in Germany, NAZI’s were the National Socialist German Workers Party), the unimaginable will certainly be possible.

Is this the beginning of the end for the American “Empire”?  Not an empire in the historically traditional sense i.e., Roman Empire, British Empire, but one where the presence of supremacy over other sovereign nations was the direct result of the global extension of economic and military power, not colonization. This extension of power was accompanied by a projection of the notion that a democratic republic offered societal supremacy.  The notion that a people representative government, a democracy, combined with free market capitalism, could create the most powerful nation on earth.  The notion has become fact. 

The next question is, will the American “Empire” meet a similar end as its predecessors in history?  Or, will the American “Empire” endure and overcome the failings of previous imperial regimes because its global influence is not one characterized by oppression and colonization?  Is it the right time in history, as well as the right combination of political and economic systems, that will allow the United States of America to escape the failings that led to previous imperial declines? Further, has the American democratic, capitalistic system empowered it to build military technology that enables the ability to exert power and control without colonization?  The answer is clearly yes.  Has the American system become an engine of economic power and wealth creation that will allow it to continue to dominate the world stage?  Again, yes.  Have we evolved enough to allow American global dominance to continue, or will our demise be of our own making?  This is the central question.

Reflecting briefly on previous imperial failures, first from Rome…

The Roman Empire lost the strengths that had allowed it to exercise effective control over its Western provinces; modern historians mention factors including the effectiveness and numbers of the army, the health and numbers of the Roman population, the strength of the economy, the competence of the Emperors, the internal struggles for power, the religious changes of the period, and the efficiency of the civil administration. Increasing pressure from invading barbarians outside Roman culture also contributed greatly to the collapse (editor’s note: does all of this sound eerily familiar to you?). The reasons for the collapse are major subjects of the historiography of the ancient world and they inform much modern discourse on state failure.^{[1][2] 1}

…then London….

Where most accounts of British imperial collapse concentrate on the 20th century…. [the] story [begins] on the battlefield of Yorktown, in 1781. It was there that Britain suffered its first major anti-colonial defeat, when Lord Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington, effectively conceding American independence. Rather than portraying Yorktown and subsequent setbacks as anomalies in an arc of imperial ascent, Brendon uses this novel point of entry to reinterpret the British empire as an enterprise whose validity was persistently challenged, from within and without.²

….and finally, in the micro sense, with the NETFLIX TV series continuing these themes, placed in Birmingham England, the “Peaky Blinders” context.

The series revolves around the notion of social classes and empires, and how they rise and fall with a startling sort of predictability. As the show suggests, over time, empires become too big, too corrupt, and too complicated to sustain themselves and eventually, they collapse. …[T]he series expresses its fears of expansion by teaching Tommy a powerful lesson about the other sharks skulking around in criminal waters – especially when those criminals are the ones involved in governmental plots with massive geopolitical implications. Essentially, Peaky Blinders embarked on a fish out of water story by moving outside its own comfort zone and taking the risk of expanding too much and too quickly. There are times when that risk appears to have paid off[.] [10]³

Wars have been won and lost but the global expansion of various forms of market-driven, capitalistic economies continue to emerge and thrive. The former Soviet republics, Viet Nam, and China are prime examples.  In some cases, national governments provide macro market control, but private enterprise is the heart of the system.

Aside from the recent parody of expansionism experienced with Denmark’s “refusal” to sell Greenland to the U.S., this country’s consistent attempts to exert influence politically, by deploying military resources to “hot zones”, has largely been deployed physically from one of the fifty states or a few bases on friendly foreign soil.  Those on friendly foreign soil are typically under mutually beneficial defense agreements with fully sovereign nations and these have become fewer over the years since WWII. 

Given the desired U.S. global persona is one of respect and decency, with no stated or unstated intentions of imperial colonization, U.S. military personnel or assets visit many foreign nations each year for largely benign reasons.  Yet, these all send a message that should hostilities be deemed necessary between the U.S. and a foreign entity (sovereign nation or amorphous political or religious group) the U.S. is the nation with the greatest ability to project its military might to anywhere in the world with significant speed and firepower.

Should early signs of difficulty between the US, or our allies, and a foreign power become known, the U.S. diplomatic corps, with stations in virtually every nation, will lead efforts to find a peaceful solution.  The U.S. Department of State holds a position of tremendous strength and importance, with virtually limitless resources (financial resources, military power, intelligence assets among others), to address any concern or threat.

Unlike in the Roman or British case, where communication and central control became a primary causes of failure, today communication and central control is virtually instantaneous from Washington.  Our resources can be deployed from seconds to hours not weeks and months during which the situation could morph several times.

Yet what about the internal causes for failure?  In the past, opposing political forces eventually found compromise in order to achieve the best outcome for the country and the world.  Today the divides are so deep and visceral.  Compromise doesn’t appear to be on anyone’s mind. The strategy appears to be to wait for absolute domination to strike and achieve one-sided goals.

The demographic trends point to increasing voter strength for liberal causes with clear intent to enact socialist policy.  Some would point to nations like France and Great Britain whose world influence has considerably waned as more and more of their financial resources are diverted to pay for internal social welfare programs limiting the funds for military strength or to support foreign policy initiatives; even straining funds for internal security forces to battle terrorism at home.  France has openly declared it does not have enough resources to track all internal terrorism threats.  Despite more and more socialistic spending, the French people have protested almost daily the inadequacy of the social programs to help them meet basic daily needs for life.

One could easily see that occurring in the United States.  The current president is often derided for his isolationist policy pulling back on military intervention across the planet.  Once socialism is in power here, and decisions must be made for either “guns or butter”, funding for the military and foreign influence will most certainly face major reductions.  Our ability to address foreign threats on foreign soil will be vastly diminished. As the French have discovered, the foreign battlefield has been exchanged for one at home though open borders, massive social spending and inadequate homeland security resources. Since 9/11, no other western nation has experienced more significant and bloody terrorist-led attacks.

The path American Socialists will take us down will be no different. Under the weight of increasingly heavy government social program spending, taxes will rise dramatically.  And not just on the “rich”; President Obama declared that any family making $150,000 per year in income must be considered “wealthy”.  The Green New Deal will triple utility rates and fuel prices for decades waiting for the promise of carbonless renewable energy to meet the demand. “Free” healthcare for all, “free” college for all would bring tax increases of 25%, or likely more, for virtually all taxpayers (including the middle class with the promise of “free” government services as justification).  The strain will bring the economy to a crawl, funding for innovation and entrepreneurism will dry up.  Over regulation and high taxes will drag us into recession.  When recession inescapably occurs, tax revenues will trend much lower, so tax rates must rise again just to remain status quo. This cycle will repeat itself until the weight of taxes and regulation collapse the economy.  Taxes will cause an innovation drought.  Job creators, left with no investment incentive, will withdraw to protect what wealth they have left.  Markets will collapse as joblessness, homelessness and hunger grow on an exponential scale.  Federal program funding runs dry and the U.S.’s ability to borrow reaches an end.  The American dream and American global leadership will become a fond memory.

¹https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_the_Western_Roman_Empire

²https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/oct/20/featuresreviews.guardianreview2

³https://zoomstreamtv.com/blog/what-to-watch-now-that-game-of-thrones-is-over/

The people who support liberal political organizations, and especially their leadership, are very, very angry.  They are infuriated because President Trump won the election.  With that result the Trump administration has maintained a conservative, constructionist leaning Supreme Court, signed tax relief legislation, dismantled the intricate web of burdensome government regulation instituted over eight years by the Obama Administration (that which combined with reducing the tax burden on small business has boosted the economy to great new heights), disengaged from Obama era signature foreign policy “achievements” like the Iran Nuclear Arms deal, the list could go on.

However, should the truth be known, they are very secretly, deep in their hearts, furious with themselves. The DNC (led by DNC Chair Donna Brazile) with the admittedly rigged nomination of Hilary Clinton, as well as Hilary herself for handing part of the typical democrat constituency over to Trump with her ignoring of rust belt states, lack of empathy for blue collar workers (thanks in part to President Obama’s submission “that those jobs are gone forever”), and Clinton’s “deplorables” blunder, essentially gifted the election to Trump. 

Think about it, when your own blunders, or blunders by your team, cause catastrophic political failure, who typically gets the blame?  The other guy of course!  He cheated, he lied, he broke the law (he outsmarted us….oh wait, no not that one – scratch it!), he engaged in treason with the Russians.  So far none of these have stuck.

And very clearly President Trump is among his own worst enemies.  Do you know anyone….anyone who thinks his overall pattern of behavior is either statesman-like or presidential?  Regardless, he is the President, duly and fairly elected by the system designed by our founding fathers that has endured successfully for centuries producing many peaceful transitions of power.

It takes an enlightened and fully self-aware person to accept blame for failures by you or your team.  It takes strength and character to focus on the real problems.  The democrat leadership, having none of that, are focusing both barrels on Trump in an attempt to erase their mistakes by delegitimizing his presidency.  First unsuccessfully through the Mueller investigation, and now the impeachment process.  We’ll see where that takes us.  Clearly, if impeachment fails as well, the process will be stretched and carried on until just about this time next year.

There is nothing anyone can do about it.  We are going to have endure this spectacle of egos and sound bites for quite a bit longer.  Many just wish the democrats had just owned up to their blunders, vowed to fix them and set about in congress to actually do good things for the country.  That should have been complimented by a concerted effort to build a party platform that will attract the most voters with its originality, balanced fiscal approach, and a promise to pursue the ideals that would serve to unite most commonsense, liberally minded voters.  With the demographic trends what they are, this would almost certainly deliver democrat success in 2020.

Anti-immunization Movement

What makes the anti-immunization forces believe they have the right to re-introduce pestilence into this country? A country that suffered for decades, possibly centuries, and spent billions of dollars to eradicate these medical nightmares.  What self-serving arrogance!  If they are opposed to the advanced use of medical science to reduce suffering let them move to another country where these diseases and endless suffering are still readily available to them.

Do people really want to bring back the good old days of deadly diseases?  Do these people think they know more about medicine and public health than the overwhelming majority of doctors, scientists, immunologists, and every major health organization across the entire planet? They are a particularly toxic sort of narcissist who places their own beliefs over the welfare of their own children and that of the general population.  Obviously these people lack the critical thinking skills necessary to separate real science from pseudoscience.

Bad Packaging Design

For all of our fellow capitalists who completely comprehend the notion of cost savings being vital to corporate longevity; the American public, your customers, are asking you to combine cost savings with consumer-friendly packaging.  So many have complained of having wounds, sometimes severe, inflicted by sharp edges of packaging created while attempting to find some means to crack it open.  When we say consumer friendly we include environmentally neutral, as well as, easy and safe to open.

Distracted Driving

For those of you who believe you are safely driving while speaking on the phone with one hand completely occupied holding the phone to your ear, shame, shame on you!  There are many things vitally wrong with that picture but the primary transgression being you are utterly distracted. Almost as egregious is you’ve given up one hand to manage your vehicle’s behavior when your distractedness inevitably causes you to create a dangerous situation for you and those around you.  Get Bluetooth and stop being an idiot.  Or, wait for it, pull over, complete your call and then drive on.  This mobile phone behavior will eventually become illegal everywhere so you might as well wise up now and join the twenty first century.

The Mueller Report

Some are angry that Mueller’s Report did not recommend charging President Trump with obstruction of justice; or even better, treason.  How could we have 200 plus investigators and spend over $20 million and not find something to impeach him? 

For others, its anger for different reasons.  Why have we wasted $20 million dollars and spent over two years to find nothing on Trump but, more egregious, where is the investigation into the sinister basis for the fruitless witch hunt? 

So….everyone is angry about this one.

Hand Dryers

Have you ever wondered why healthcare facilities do not install electric fan hand dryers?  It is because studies have found they contribute to hospital-acquired infection.  In fact, the scrubbing action of towel use is critically important to the removal of pathogens from your hands.

In 2014, a team of researchers from the University of Leeds dropped a disturbing truth bomb on the public by announcing that the no-touch jet-air dryers in public restrooms are anything but sanitary. They found that these increasingly popular devices blast bacteria from people’s poorly washed hands (most people don’t wash their hands correctly) into the air and onto nearby surfaces in disturbing quantities, increasing the likelihood that you’ll walk out of the bathroom covered in other people’s germs.

In lab-based experiments recreating a public washroom, jet-air dryers introduced 27 times more bacteria into the air than good-old-fashioned paper towels, and these microbes circulated for 15 minutes afterward.

Now, the authors are back with even more evidence against hand dryers, this time from real-world experiments.

As reported in the Journal of Hospital Infection, Professor Mark Wilcox and his colleagues set out to examine how hand drying methods affect bacterial spread in hospital bathrooms – an important issue because many serious and antibiotic-resistant infections are known to circulate in clinical settings.

The investigation was conducted in hospitals in three cities – Leeds, Paris, and Udine, Italy – over a 12-week period. For each location, two restrooms used by patients, staff, and visitors were selected, and each was set up to offer only a jet dryer or paper towels. Samples of the air and swabs of restroom surfaces were taken every day for four weeks, then, after a two-week pause in collections, each restroom switched to offer the alternate drying method. This process was then repeated a third time.

Cultures from these samples revealed that the total amount of bacteria in the air and on surfaces was consistently much higher in all restrooms when jet dryers were being used. The most dramatic differences were seen between the surface of the jet dryer itself and the surface of the paper towel dispenser: In Udine, the dryer was covered in 100 times more bacteria, in Paris it was 33-fold higher, and in Leeds it was 22-fold.

In the UK restrooms, the notorious methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterium was found three times more frequently during jet dryer usage periods than paper towel periods. Bacterial species resistant to both penicillin and cephalosporins (known as ESBL-producing organisms) and species of pathogenic enterococci – a difficult-to-treat group – were found in significantly higher frequency and counts during these periods as well.

In the Parisian and Italian hospitals, few pathogenic or drug-resistant bacteria were encountered during either hand drying set-up.

“Consequently, we believe that electric hand dryers are not suited to clinical settings, and, as such, existing (e.g. NHS) infection control building guidance needs to be amended and strengthened,” Wilcox’s team wrote, adding that there is little justification for their use in any public setting given the risks they present.¹

Environmental effects may tip a tiny bit to the dryer.  There appears to be a case that energy necessary to completely dry your hands is many times that needed to produce a paper towel. Think about the environmental impact to burn the coal or the natural gas necessary to run the dryer for a couple minutes versus the energy needed to produce a single paper towel in a highly efficient factory producing millions a day.

For anyone whose had a hospital stay lately, the war on hospital-acquired infections is evident everywhere. These infections are killers.  If hospitals fear hand dryers that much, why would you want to use one anywhere?

¹https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/hand-dryers-spread-bacteria-so-dramatically-that-scientists-think-theyre-a-public-health-threat/

Mean People

There are so many excuses available for people to be mean.  The excuses include a myriad of types of trauma; depression or mental illness; merely living in the greater D.C. Area (nowhere else in the world are there that many outright mean and nasty individuals) or other environmental causes.   

So why must they spew their hatefulness upon everyone including those of us whose primary style is kindness and generosity?  Apparently their sad existence causes them to wish to extinguish any joy and happiness around them.

Their meanness is a highly contagious and dangerous societal pathogen.  Fortunately some people, not exposed to the pathogen with any frequency, are able to shrug it off and return to their better nature. But if one is exposed to it often enough, their defenses are sufficiently weakened as to succumb to the gravitational pull of the black hole of mean.

Left Lane Cruisers

Does it appear to you as though there are more left lane cruisers now than ever?  Is it the aging population or is it just self-serving arrogance?  Some observe that this menace to safe navigation of our highways come in many varieties; the young and old, male and female, the dingleberries and the dimwits.  

Regardless, they are creating danger for everyone around them, especially those cruisers who travel at a speed less than the prevailing general speed of the surrounding traffic.  These slower cruisers, combined with the witless wonders who will do anything, no matter how crowded the roadways are, to go around them while frightening everyone with their recklessness, make highway driving miserable. This self-serving behavior makes highway travel far more dangerous than it should be.

In Virginia left lane cruising is illegal as it is in several other states.  Yet you see it endlessly on our highways.  Why?  Primarily because there are insufficient police patrols to cite them and deter the behavior.  Secondarily they are either witless in their knowledge of the law (not an acceptable excuse), or they are arrogantly disregarding the law thus creating a severe hazard for others. 

Why don’t they just move to the right lane for their cruising?  Well, in the right lane they may be “inconvenienced” by entering and departing traffic.  Or, by other drivers driving slower than they are.  By cruising in the far-left lane they experience none of these “problems”.

So, just something else to both aggravate you and frighten you with no solution in sight.

Impatient People

Impatience is one of seven basic character flaws or “dark” personality traits. We all have the potential for impatient tendencies, but in people with a strong fear of missing out, impatience can become a dominant pattern.

To be impatient is to feel and show hostility towards (or at least about) things which obstruct, frustrate or delay [achieving] one’s goals. Impatient people resent being held up, whether intentionally by another person or just accidentally in the normal course of events.

Impatience has some similarity to the emotion of anger. Animals and people alike become enraged in response to deliberate outside threats to their well-being, or the well-being of their loved ones. The anger is partly an expression of the fear that comes from being threatened, invaded or mistreated, and partly a sort of warning shot, a firm “No!” to deter the outside threat from going any further.

Impatience is also somewhat different from anger, however, in that the impatient person is predisposed to perceive virtually all situations as threatening—not to their survival per se but to [achieving] their goals. More exactly, it is as if their survival depends upon the accomplishment of as many goals as possible as quickly as possible.¹

When observing impatience, it can sometimes appear almost viral in its occurrence and frequency.  Obstacles (mainly us, the non-impatient people), regardless of the circumstance i.e. difficult traffic situations, or, long lines of people waiting for some service to be performed, become the objects of their outrage. The lengthier the delay or the more frustrating the “obstacle” becomes, the angrier, more frustrated and aggressive the impatient ones become.  Sometimes they attack each other but mostly their rage is focused on the innocent obstacles.

So, it takes a great deal of patience and maturity to attempt to ignore the impatient ones and their foolishness.  Short of a life-threatening situation, how important can the goal be relative to treating everyone around you (the “obstacles”) as sub-human.

¹http://personalityspirituality.net/articles/the-michael-teachings/chief-features/impatience/