BIDEN ATTACKED BY SOCIALIST/PROGRESSIVES FOR NOT BEING EXTREME ENOUGH

 

The "Squad", angry and aggressive Socialist/Progressives in Congress

 

There is a bit of wisdom that has been gained through much harsh experience, it's in the form of a proverb and it states "the Left will always turn on itself". When the Communist Bolsheviks seized power in Russia in 1918, they murdered hundreds of  thousands of their political opponents which included the entire family of the Czar; however, they also murdered thousands of people that had supported the Bolshevik party, but were found to be lacking in some way. This same process has been repeated throughout history, every time Socialists have come to power; with but a few exceptions, most of these Socialist governments have been quick to murder anyone that displeased them which included their own supporters. The group of Socialist/Progressives known as the "Squad" that came to Congress in 2018 were exceptionally harsh in their criticism of President Donal Trump, and now that Joe Biden is apparently the President-elect, Biden has become the focal point for their sharp tongued belligerence. 

Congressman elect, Jamaal Bowman, an outspoken Progressive and newest addition to the Squad, has publicly attacked some of Joe Biden's choices, some of whom are Democrat Party loyalists. 

"The Democratic congressman-elect said gender and racial diversity in Biden’s administration were important, but “ideological diversity” was key.“We need to make sure here that President-elect Joe Biden is picking as many progressives to his cabinet as possible,” Bowman said."

 “But when I hear names like Rahm Emanuel and Bruce Reed, you know, it makes my skin crawl,” Bowman said. “Rahm Emanuel covered up the murder of Laquan McDonald as Mayor in Chicago. He closed elementary schools. He closed mental health institutions. He added: “Bruce Reed is a deficit hawk and a master of austerity budgets. So, we cannot have anyone like that in the Biden cabinet, especially as we deal with the coronavirus and as we deal with an economic depression and racial reckoning in our time.”   https://www.foxnews.com/politics/aoc-squad-member-says-hearing-these-two-possible-biden-cabinet-picks-makes-my-skin-crawl

 Reading these statements may confuse the casual observer, or anyone with a sound and reasonable mind. The esteemed Congressman-elect has called for "ideological diversity"; therefore Joe Biden must fill his administration with as many progressives as possible. This statement creates an unfathomable paradox. How can ideological diversity exist when progressives are infamous for their aggressive intolerance of differing opinions?

 Progressives of all sorts, including those who are members of the Global Elite, have begun to openly question Biden's cabinet choices. Two individuals with deep and long ties to the Democrat Party and various Democrat Presidential administrations, Michèle Flournoy and Antony Blinken, both having been chosen by Biden for top cabinet positions, have come under pressure to reveal the confidential client list they kept while working at the consulting firm "WestExec Advisors", a firm which they started. We see this happening all the time by members of both parties, people get into government by political appointment, then enter the private sector, only to be recalled into government service. 

Exclusive think tanks which serve as the intellectual training grounds of the Global Elite, such as the "Council on Foreign Relations" and the "Washington Center for Near East Policy" , are filled with lists of rotating members which switch places every time the White House changes occupants. These think tanks are supposedly non-political and have no influence over government policy decision making; however, almost all of the power players in Washington DC are members of these groups, and the ideas expressed in these think tanks are frequently adopted as government policy. The members of these think tanks were some of the strident opponents of the Trump White House, and many of these individuals, both Democrat and Republican, have supported policies favored by Socialist/Progressives.

To make an accurate analyses of the current situation, a bit of intuition is required. Loud, obnoxious, charismatic, and popular Progressive politicians such as the "Squad" in Congress, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, may be the face of the Socialist movement in the United States, but behind the scenes, the Global Elite within the Council on Foreign Relations and other such groups, are providing the ideas and intellectual muscle upon which the politicians depend on. 

Elections become meaningless if the politicians are just over-paid figureheads in a system in which a revolving door of insiders is making all the big policy decisions. These insiders, these Global Elite, they cause the rise and fall of governments, they help finance the governments of the world through their affiliation with the Federal Reserve and the World Bank, and they have worked quietly behind the scenes to influence Joe Biden in choosing his cabinet secretaries and other administration officials.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

THE NEW REALITY: NO HUMAN INTERACTION

 

A new concept being tried by fast food chain "Chipotle" is a dark reflection on the sad state of our current times. Customers and employees will have no interaction during the food ordering process, all orders must be made through the Chipotle app, company website, or third party provider. There are no dining room, all orders will be either pick up or delivery.

 

There are uncountable thousands of carry out only restaurants throughout the US; however, in almost all cases employees can take food orders, or there is some method for customers to interact with restaurant staff when ordering food. Company executives claim this is designed to fit smaller stores in high cost urban area, and to minimize issues of contamination due to Covid-19. Many different fast food chains are trying the concept, in one form or another, and it all seems to have started with the Covid-19 lockdowns that began in March of this year.

 

Regardless of the reasons being given by Chipotle executives, or executives at other companies trying similar concepts, there are in fact two underlying issues which are driving these concepts: employee turnover and increased minimum wage requirements.  It may or may not surprise many readers, fast food chains have tremendous rates of employee turnover. In many cases the rate of turnover may reach as high as 150%. To put this in simple terms, at a rate of 100% turnover a 10 person staff will see all 10 staff members replaced in one year. At 150% turnover,  that same 10 person staff will be replaced by 15 new employees. The cost of hiring, training, and managing new employees can become overwhelming, and can have adverse effects of productivity. Productivity being one of most important aspects of every high volume fast food operation.

 

Robin B. DiPietro, director of the International Institute for Foodservice Research and Education at the University of South Carolina’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, says that six years ago, when she was in touch with Burger King, the average cost of turnover was about $600 per employee.

Cornell’s Batt said a survey of restaurants she helped conduct in 2013 put the cost of fast-food turnover at $1,600 per worker, and that was at a time when turnover was significantly lower.

The turnover cost estimates have kept going up.

The cost per employee now is estimated by the National Restaurant Association at $2,000 per employee. Those figures will vary by restaurant type as fast-food employees are still less expensive to turn over than those in upscale dining. Restaurant research firm TDn2K calculated replacement costs at $2,100 to $2,800. But all operators feel the pinch of the deepening turnover crisis, especially with a higher minimum wage, and higher recurring business costs.

 https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/29/fast-food-restaurants-in-america-are-losing-100percent-of-workers-every-year.html

 The unspoken truth behind many of these decisions is the quickly rising minimum wage. Legislatures in many states and localities have steadily increased the minimum wage to $15 an hour. This may not seem like much, but for a business to pay several employees $15 an hour, even during slow times, can be a burden most smaller businesses can not endure. Many fast food businesses have raised prices in consideration of this added cost. If a particular task or function can be completed by robotics or automation, an astute business leader, will quickly replace employees with machines that cost less over the long-term and are not going to call in sick or cause disciplinary issues. 

It seems that no matter the reason, the fast food restaurant of the future will look very different than anything seen in the past. A hungry customer may never actually see a person when picking up their order. Customers will order their meal through purely digital means, as employees will not be taking phone orders. Robots will prepare the food, with minimal human supervision. It is conceivable that a fast food business such as McDonald's or Chipotle, that once employed 15-20 employees, will have a staff of less than 10, which will include management. A dystopian future in which consumers order food from a machine, have machines prepare the food, and then machines deliver food to customer's vehicle, may not be that far away. 

(Richard B. Levine/Newscom)

DAMNED IF I DO, AND DAMNED IF I DON'T

 

 

The 2020 Presidential election has brought out the the worst in people. The Marxist/Socialist/Progressives that seem to have taken complete control of the Democrat Party have stayed true to their usual habit of labeling everyone that disagrees with them as "racist" or a "hater" of some sort, and since Donald Trump has many supporters. over forty percent of the nation must be racists and haters! How was our once great nation converted into a proverbial "run down high school" in which everyone must belong to a clique or group, and all the groups hate each other? 

From the Washington Times we learn that Congressperson Rep. Alexanderia Ocasio-Cortez was instrumental in setting up the “Trump Accountability Project”. a group whose goal is to blacklist and deny employment to anyone that in any way supported or even voted for Donal Trump. Singer Katy Perry, who publicly supported Biden, was savagely attacked online for suggesting she would offer a message of reconciliation to her family members that supported Trump. While Presidential-elect Joe Biden has been talking about unity and reconciliation, his party and his supporters seem to have ulterior motives. 

For their part, Trump supporters have not been idle. From the Biden bus being run off the road and instances of individuals being attacked. Most disturbingly, Trump seems to have been very popular with many fringe groups of dubious character, from the neo-Nazi thugs that staged an infamous protest in Charlottesville Virginia (read my post about that), to the QAnon conspiracy group and others such as the Proud Boys. Of course, the Democrat party is well known for it's many violent Marxist fringe groups, such as Antifa and BLM, but that is a story for another time. 

Perhaps Biden will be able to unify people in a way that Trump was never able to. Regardless, it seems battle lines have been drawn, and neither side is backing down. 

This brings me to my personal experience with pre and post-election anger. In recent weeks I have been attacked for not supporting Trump, and I have been attacked for not supporting Biden. Several of my Facebook "friends" from both political sides have severed their connections to me, because I did not support their candidate. My question to everyone is this: Why must I support a candidate that does not represent my values and political ideals?  The most difficult sort of tyranny to overcome is the tyranny of peer pressure. I believe I have been fortunate enough to think outside the box, and thus have my own opinions. However, it saddens me that so many people seem unable or unwilling to see beyond the normal sort of petty partisanship that has become an integrated part of our society. 

Perhaps things will get better one day. Perhaps the people of this nation will one day put aside their political differences, and embrace their fellow citizens in a spirit of true brotherhood. Perhaps this is all just wistful thinking on the part of a man that loves his country, and believes that this remains the land of opportunity, in which people live in harmony and seek to improve their community by improving themselves.

JOE BIDEN ELECTED PRESIDENT: WHAT COMES NEXT?

 

I think we can reasonably determine the 2020 Presidential election has been won by Democrat Joe Biden, along with his Vice-Presidential running mate Kamala Harris, even if an official announcement has not been made as of yet. The current resident of the White House, Donald Trump, can complain about widespread election fraud all he wants; however, he has no chance of proving such fraud and overturning the election. As President Trump was uncouth, uncharismatic, and viewed with contempt by many, in addition the media did a fine job of slandering and defaming him; regardless, he never seemed able or willing to reach across the vast political rift in this country in order to make any headway with his political opponents.

The election is over, more or less, and in January, Biden will take the oath of office. The question of what comes next is on everyone's mind. 

Biden has a tendency to make odd sounding or confused statements, many have questioned his mental health and acuity, and many are concerned that Biden may be showing signs of dementia. Some pundits have theorized that at some point Vice-President Harris, or Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, may invoke the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the Constitution and have Biden declared to be unfit to carry out his duties as President. If such an event occurs, Kamala Harris will assume the Presidency, and she will be able to choose a replacement for the vacant office of Vice-President. There is no restriction as to who she can choose, it can be an elected politician or someone off the street. She can appoint anyone: a Senator, a friend, a celebrity, Hillary Clinton, or someone chosen at random, the only stipulation is that both Houses of Congress must approve of the choice. 

 The Covid-19 crises is still upon us, and many are calling for a return to lock downs and severe quarantines on a national level. Several European countries have already instituted such restrictions, and many of the Elite in the US wish to emulate their European counterparts. The US economy is quickly headed to an economic recession of epic proportions, and another round of quarantines will only serve to worsen the situation. Regardless of who had won the election, the nation will be experiencing some very difficult economic conditions. 

The Trump administration has withdrawn from a number of international treaties, many of the US's traditional Western European allies have been left confused and dismayed by these decisions. In addition, our relations with Russia, China, and other competing powers, have been soured by Trump's hardball tactics. The incoming president will have to decide how to deal with these issues, and what will ultimately be in the best interest of the American people. 

There has been a strong movement towards Marxist/Socialism within the Democrat Party, and though Biden tends to be moderate, Kamal Harris has opinions that place her on the far Left. This shift towards the Left began with Barack Obama in 2008, and it became stronger as the nation dealt with the Great Recession. The Covid-19 crises has frightened many citizens, and a growing number of citizens have become willing to accept the false promises of economic equality and security offered by Socialist demagogues such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Citizens that retain their composure and remember the harsh lessons of history, should make it clear to the newly elected President and Congressional representatives that the people of this nation will not accept the tyranny and loss of individual liberty that are a fundamental aspect of Marxist/Socialism. The promises made by Sanders, Warren, Castro, Chavez and every other Marxist/Socialist, can not be implemented correctly if people are free to make their own choices in life. 

Lastly, even if Biden is just fine and does not suffer from any health issues, there is one personal issue which he will be forced to address. He seems to have fondness for touching women and children in a very creepy fashion. There is ample photographic evidence of this behavior, there is no conspiracy theory behind this. He is just very creepy.  

A 2015 picture of Biden with Stephanie Carter, wife of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter

A compilation of Creepy Joe touching women and children.

I AM OFFICIALLY ENDORSING LIBERTARIAN PARTY CANDIDATE JO JORGENSEN FOR THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

 

 

I am endorsing the Libertarian Party Presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen for the 2020 election. A well educated and intelligent individual, free of scandals or vices, and she makes a lot more sense than any of the clownish candidates supported by the two corrupt major parties.  She is running on the Libertarian Party platform, and most voters will not be familiar or accustomed to her ideas. 

The following is taken directly from her campaign webpage. 

Issues: Generations of Republican and Democrat politicians have failed the people of America. Together they’ve given us:

• Over $26 trillion in debt, trillion-dollar deficits, plus trillions more in unfunded liabilities
• Non-Stop Involvement in expensive and deadly foreign war
• Skyrocketing health care costs
• The highest imprisonment rate in the world; even higher among racial minorities and the poor
• A broken retirement system unable to pay promised benefits
• Tariffs that are destroying markets for American farmers

  

Wikipedia provides a detailed list of all her policy positions. The United States has a great many problems, and it is time for a fresh look at our government's policies and some new ideas. Actually, many of her ideas are based on traditional American values of personal liberty, limited government, and doing what is in the best interest of the nation. 

 It is time for new blood and fresh leadership. 

It is time to get away from the usual Democrat and Republican party bickering, gridlock, and failed ideas. 

It is time for everyone that cares about this country to support Jo Jorgensen at the ballot box this November.

ON THE ROAD TO OBLIVION

Congress is borrowing money at an insane pace, $86.3 Billion just in the month of June. 
The National Debt is $26Trillion (26,000,000,000,000) and rising quickly. At some point the US taxpayer is going to be forced to pay an extremely high price, and our nation will face some very difficult choices.  

Do any of the geniuses in Congress, in our great think tanks, or on social media, understand or care about this coming disaster? Apparently not.

Our presidents should have been screaming, yelling, and literally fighting with Congress to stop this madness; however, they seem equally happy to spend our country into oblivion. During the Obama Administration more money was borrowed than any other presidency, in the futile hope of getting the nation out of the Great Recession. But there is plenty of blame to go around, George W. was highly skilled at borrowing money for his wars and pet projects, while Trump seems completely oblivious to the problem and is spending money like there's no tomorrow. 

 Realistically speaking, there's absolutely nothing that can be done about it, at this point. It's already too late. The National Debt is so huge, so unimaginably vast, it can never be paid off. Writing in the July 2020 issue of "Foreign Affairs" magazine, Sebastian Mallaby provides excellent insight as to how the Global Elite and members of exclusive think tanks view this problem. They view every crises as an opportunity for government to expand it's power over society through endless spending. The author describes the Great Recession of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic, which have caused immeasurable harm and misery for millions of people around the world, as a fine opportunity for would be autocrats to tighten their grip on society. He goes on to describe how various financial tricks on the bond market can permanently forestall any consequences of infinite government spending.

"Today, the United States and other advanced countries are experiencing the second wave of an especially powerful twin shock. Taken individually, either the global financial crises of 2008 or the global pandemic of 2020 would have been enough to change public finances, driving government to to create and borrow money freely. Combined, these two crises are set to transform the spending power of the state. A new era of assertive and expansive government beckons. Call it the age of magic money." 

What can be said to such a twisted mentality? That is a difficult question. The author is a dedicated believer in government power, as if elected politicians have somehow found all the answers to every problem. As can be surmised from the above citation, the Elite and their cronies in Congress, have every intention of continuing on this reckless spending behavior; regardless of any possible consequences. I just hope that when the "magic money" runs out, the average citizen is not expected to bear the burden of other people's carelessness. 

Thank You for reading this article. Please share it on social media. 

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

Happy Fourth of July!

I will not burden you with a lengthy analysis of Ronald Reagan's historical speech he gave during the 1964 Presidential campaign. Needless to say, Reagan was called the "greater communicator" for good reason, nobody could deliver a speech with such finesse.

Getting away from the nostalgia of having such a truly great man in White House, his words were prophetic. The United States has lost it's way, the voters have allowed crooked and corrupt politicians to lead them into further and further into a Socialist form of authoritarian governance. Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, or any of the great presidents of the past would be sickened by what our nation has become.

Below is black and white video footage of that great speech. Watch and enjoy it, and try to reconcile what Reagan is saying with the nation as it is today. Of course, I will offer my own analysis, but at a later date.

Enjoy, and have a very great Independence Day.

EVERYTHING "AMERICAN" IS A TARGET

Statue of George Washington toppled by rioters in Portland

 The urge to topple statutes, desecrate cemeteries, and conduct other acts of brainless vandalism did not begin or end with symbols of the Confederacy. ALL symbols of US history, culture, and society are targeted for destruction. The Global Elite, in their desire for absolute world power, have determined that all symbols of national pride, religious belief, and custom and tradition, must be destroyed. Cannon fodder type street activists are great for vandalizing and destruction, while more nuanced college administrators, media figures, and elected officials provide the intellectual justification for the destruction of cultural symbols.

Removing people's beliefs, identity, gender, and sense of community will make people easier to control and manipulate. People that have a set of somewhat traditional values will object to certain behaviors, such as shooting into a crowd of protesters or attacking the congregation of a church while it's in service. Unfortunately, pop culture controls popular opinion, and pop culture is not conducive to any sort of traditional values.

I am not a fan or supporter of Confederate statues or symbols, nor do I care if they are removed. However, I care very greatly when I see ignorant and misguided people attempting to destroy statues of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. We should all be alarmed when schools declare they will not raise the US flag, or when people attack the National Anthem and other symbols of our nation.

WHO WATCHES THE WATHCERS?

Who watches the watchers?

This expression was meant by Dr. Sues to be satirical; however, the current situation is one in which reality is stranger than fiction. The corporate heads of social media have an obvious bias and political agenda, and anything that questions that agenda is quickly removed from their platforms.

The most fundamental aspect of any "Free" society is the ability of citizens to express themselves freely, without the fear of official reprisal or condemnation. The United States was founded on the belief that the autocratic kings and nobles that lead European governments, limited society's ability to reach its fullest potential in the areas of scientific exploration, commerce, and societal evolution that occurs with the free exchange of ideas. The Constitution, and the various Amendments to it, being the highest law of the nation, are based on the principle that government should be limited in it's ability to interfere with people's lives.  It is an unfortunate reality that Americans have forgotten the ugly side of history that lead to the American Revolution, and even more worrisome is that many Americans do not understand or appreciate the unique Freedoms granted by the Constitution and Bill of Rights. 

Today we live in an environment in which reality has become a subjective factor, with the truth being hidden by those with personal political agendas. Many topics are not open for public discussion, and many long held beliefs (religious and otherwise) have been unjustly attacked as evil or hateful by a well organized and tightly controlled mainstream media. Gone are the days when the public openly questioned results published by the Congressional committee investigating the John Kennedy assassination. Gone are the days when a scientist could successfully publish highly controversial material, such as that of Charles Darwin or Galileo. Today all academic research must fall within certain rigid parameters of acceptable topics of study, and all findings of such research must abide by the insidious rules of political correctness. 

The masters of social media, having been threatened by Congress, have clamped down on the sharing of any article that does not meet certain very subjective criteria. Anyone that questions the status quo must do so with very carefully selected language, or such a person is quickly banned. The newest phenomenon in thought control is Facebook's use of "expert" fact checkers to scrutinize articles shared by users. Who are these experts? Who selected them? Why are Facebook users, and article publishers, not permitted to respond to these so called experts? 

Social media is here to stay, billions of people use sites such as Facebook and YouTube on a daily basis. Obviously some censorship is required in order to keep certain material, such as pornography or depictions of gruesome violence, out of view of innocent users. However, these platforms should not be engaged in thought control, nor should they limit the free exchange of ideas. I fear social media is becoming a new method for power hungry politicians to place an ever expanding yoke on the public. 

THANK YOU FOR READING AND SHARING THIS ARTICLE

I HAVE A NEGATIVE OUTLOOK BECAUSE LIFE IS NOT A BOWL OF CHERRIES

Life is not a bowl of cherries.

Recently, some folks have taken me to task for my negative outlook on the future of the US economy. Indeed, they have referred to my concerns by addressing me as "Mr. Doom and Gloom" 😎.  Everyone has an opinion, I base mine on the experience, education, knowledge, and instincts that I have acquired over a lifetime of learning. Others will base their opinions on whichever factors they believe to be of the most importance. The important thing is to remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and if we can have a reasonable and logical discussion on these issues, it is to everyone's benefit. If we can not have an intelligent conversation because we become frustrated or angry, we lose something very important, that aspect of human civilization that makes us civilized. We are not animals, we have the ability to express complex and abstract thoughts, and we should be able to express those thoughts in a civil and polite manner.

The US economy is going to crash in a very bad way: unemployment will be staggering, it may reach 30% or more; entire supply chains that supply merchandise to restaurants, hotels, salons, gyms, and retail shops are beginning to crash; major retailers, such as giant department stores Macy's and Ross, are cancelling merchandise orders for the foreseeable future; the government effort to stimulate the economy will have a reverse effect, it will cause an inflationary rise in prices which will negate any benefits it may bring to the working class. At some point there may be a run on banks, a shortage of food, riots, and other assorted activities normally observed in the world's poorest nations, right here in the USA.

Regardless of COVID-19, if we reach 30% unemployment, and people lose thier homes and apartments, if they see their children starving with no food to be found, the US will become Venezuela. We will see mob violence with masses of starving people demanding food. The virus along with the sick and the dead will be quickly forgotten in favor of people's more immediate needs. This is not a prediction of doom and gloom based on some personal bias, this is what happens in every nation when people allow government too much control over their lives and their economy. It has happened before and it will happen again. Life is not a bowl of cherries, it's a bowl of live hand grenades ready to explode, and we should take precautions and prepare for the inevitable.

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS

Support local businesses.
Today we feature the 2400 Diner, a great little place to eat. It's currently restricted to carryout service only, as are all restaurants in the state of Virginia.
It offers a large variety of meal choices, starting with an award winning breakfast menu, and includes many favorite American, Greek and Italian dishes for lunch and dinner.
Currently operating between 8-8.
Call ahead for your order.

2400 Princess Anne St.
Fredericksburg, Va 22401

540-373-9049

THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM

Screenshot from media website

Everyone has been taught to expect governments to initiate economic growth miracles (through inflationary spending), but the US government does not have any real solutions to the coming economic crash. This crash will not be similar to other economic slowdowns in the past, because commerce is deliberately being stifled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Trump with a cooperative Congress, and the profit motivated bankers at the Federal Reserve, will try to "pump" the economy through massive spending and loan programs, but such efforts will be futile and ultimately counterproductive. What the economy requires is a period of deflation, a period in which prices appear to drop as the value of currency increases. This economic phenomenon is based on the laws of supply and demand as they apply to money. When the supply of money and credit is greater than the demand for money and credit, the value of money and credit decreases; thus prices appear to rise as the money can purchase less goods. Economic deflation is always difficult and painful, but it ultimately allows a nation to prosper as the cost of living begins to fall and the working class can save and invest more of their money. The enemies of deflation are the bankers, wealthy industrialists, and politicians, it is to their benefit to gouge the working class with higher prices.

Do not put your trust in politicians, bankers, the media, academicians, or anyone else that declares we must "trust" this corrupt and inefficient system. Put your trust in God, in yourself, your family and friends, and in the notion that regular people working together can overcome any obstacle when given the freedom to make their own choices.

ECONOMIC SUICIDE ON A GLOBAL SCALE

State government across the US, and governments around the world, have taken extraordinary steps in the fight against COVID-19. Never in the history of this, or any other nation, has a government deliberately shut down the economy for an extended period of time. The consequences of these rash policies are too dreadful to consider, but we must now consider them. The coming economic crises will be unlike anything we have ever seen, world unemployment may reach 50% or more. Unemployment in the US will be far greater than the 25% during Great Depression. During the Great Depression things were tough, but commerce was allowed to continue, unlike what is happening now. The politicians may try to "spend" their way out of this disaster, but all such efforts will fail.

We are in a scenario in which governments can claim victory, no matter what happens. If the COVID-19 is not as bad as they claim it is, governments will declare it was their swift and decisive action which saved humanity. If the disease is as bad or worse than claimed, and many thousands perish, governments will claim it was because they lacked enough power and control to effectively fight the outbreak. In either scenario, personal freedom is the enemy. Liberty must be surrendered so the politicians can save us from ourselves.

Yet, no one has asked the most basic question, "who will save us from the politicians?". Trump seems prepared to impose draconian and dictatorial restrictions on society. I hope he retains enough sense to avoid making a dreadful situation even worse.

SOME THINGS ARE BEYOND BEAUTIFUL

A YouTube.com video of a very beautiful service, which is very appropriate during this time of crises.

The service of the Small Paraklesis is chanted in times of distress and sorrow, and during the first fourteen days of August.

Translation can be found at the Greek Orthodox Archdioceses website

WHERE HAVE ALL THE GREAT STORY ENDINGS GONE?

This past May saw the end of HBO's massively popular Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin's best selling series of novels A Song of Fire and Ice. The show encompassed 8 seasons, with the first several seasons attempting to carefully follow the story as written in Martin's novels. By the fifth season, the television series had run out of source material available from the existing novels and the show writers took the story in a different direction than Martin's novels. However, this did not cause any problems. The story of Game of Thrones began very well, and the story continued in excellent fashion, until the final 2 seasons. The ending is where Game of Thrones stumbled, as have many book series, movies, and television programs.

In traditional story telling, going as far back as the Ancient Sumerian myth of Gilgamesh 4000 years ago, any story whether an epic poem, mythology, or theater performance, fell into two categories: drama or comedy. Stories based on the deeds of some great hero, power-hungry king, or star crossed lovers, were generally dramas: serious stories with sad endings.  Satirical, or works designed purely for entertainment were normally comedies: stories with lots of laughs and happy endings. Shakespeare's greatest plays were dramas, with a few comedies thrown in for good measure. The Italian Opera attempted to duplicate the success of the Greek Theater, and most Operas are dramas based on failed romances and jilted lovers. The ancient stories of legendary heroes such as: Hercules, Gilgamesh, Beowulf are written as dramas, with the great hero sacrificing his life at the end of the story.

In traditional storytelling, heroes were described as people of great courage, moral conviction, or sense of duty that wanted to do the right thing, while villains were beings of total evil  More recent authors and writers have gotten away from the traditional manner of storytelling. Modern heroes are filled with angst, self-doubt, and perhaps a few dark secrets related to some sort of misdeeds. Villains are not beings of total evil, but rather folk that have made the wrong choices in life, and are perhaps redeemable with a certain amount of psycho-therapy.

J.R.R Tolkien wrote his great story "The Lord of the Rings", based upon his experiences in the First World War and the many disastrous events that led to the Second World War and it's aftermath. His story was truly groundbreaking, it led to the development of the modern Fantasy genre which encompasses novels, games such as "Dungeons and Dragons" which is based on characters from Tolkien's great adventure, and a plethora of other products. Tolkien wrote his story in three novels, and ended his story in a complete and reasonable manner. All the characters within the story acted according to the personality which the author had developed for them, there was no strange or out of character behavior. There was no guess work needed to figure what happened, nor did the story include any strange plot twists at the end. Other writers, such as my personal favorite the late David Eddings, followed in Tolkien's footsteps and created worlds of their own

What happened to our understanding of good story writing over the past few decades? The protagonist in most books, movies,  and theater performances, has become a person of ambiguous morals, self-doubt, self-loathing, foolhardiness, and often of limited wisdom. One such character known as "Rambo", was originally written as a portrayal of veterans of the Vietnam War who found it very difficult to return to civilian life. The original movie, based upon a novel with the same name, did a fine job of portraying Rambo as a highly decorated former Green Beret suffering from extreme PTSD, that makes him unable to adjust to civilian life. The Rambo series includes five films, the first one hit theaters in 1982, and last one arrived in theaters in 2019. The story arc began well in the first and second movies, but as it progressed the Rambo persona became a twisted caricature of the original character. The fourth film in the series saw the return of Rambo to the theater after a twenty year hiatus. Rambo, again being played by Sylvester Stallone, has obviously aged and looks ready to retire from a life of adventure. Movie viewers saw the aged Rambo return home to the family farm, after being away for almost five decades. Hollywood could have ended the series with the fourth film, and it would have been a fine ending to the story; however, common sense and good taste were overruled by greed and arrogance, and another film was produced. The last film was rather awful to say the least, with an elderly Rambo making amateurish tactical errors when confronted by opponents, and then miraculously recovering from a terrible beating to single-handedly wipe out an army of Mexican criminals while displaying agility and athletic ability that are impossible for a person of that age. While facing off against the boss of the criminal organization, Rambo begins to resemble a blood covered killer from a 1980's slasher film. Gone is the highly disciplined and strategically minded Rambo of previous films, he has been replaced by a cheap mockery.

An entire book can be written on the failures of Disney's foray into the Star Wars universe, and it was never my intention to dwell on it; however, it deserves a mention. The entire trilogy appears to be written by people with no understanding of science fiction or the Star Wars franchise. Science fiction is obviously a work of fantasy; but at the very least it must follow certain guidelines in order to retain some level rationality and believability. First, any magical or fantastic abilities must have limits. Within the Star Wars universe, certain characters can do miraculous things through their manipulation of the "Force". When George Lucas created the original story in the 1970's, very few individuals could use the Force, and there were obvious limits as to how it could be used. In Disney's recent movie sequence, all limits to Force usage were removed and the Force became a magical mulligan that allowed characters to project images of themselves across the vastness of space, resurrect the recently deceased, and the main antagonist Darth Sidious to attack an entire fleet of space vessels. Second, amazing futuristic technology should have some scientific explanation that is logical enough to make sense. Apparently, the Disney writers do not understand this concept. In the original film trilogy, George Lucas created moon sized battle stations called "Death Stars" that could emit an energy beam powerful enough to destroy planets. The Death Star in Lucas's films had to be within close proximity to the targeted planet in order to fire their weapon, and the Death Stars themselves functioned in a similar manner to any other large space vessel. Disney took the idea of a Death Star and made it far more grandiose: the Death Star was planet sized, it could drain the energy of a nearby star, and it could target multiple planets from across the entire galaxy. The third film in Disney's Star Wars trilogy was the worst offender, it ended the series on a very bad note. Clearly, Disney could have done a much better job, if the writers had some familiarity with the fantasy genre.

The authors of fantasy novels are not exempt, they can also write bad endings to excellent stories. One such author is Luke Scull.  His "Grim Company" trilogy could have been a tremendous success, it began very well with the first book, the second book did a marvelous job of continuing the story, but sadly the third book was a resounding failure. Much like Disney's foray into the world of Star Wars, the author could not abide by the tenets of good story writing. He introduced concepts and antagonists to the third novel that were not necessary, and as a consequence the story took several strange turns. In the end, the author seemed determined to undermine his own work.

Writing is difficult, writing a good story can be very difficult. However, if the writer sticks to the basics of good writing that are taught in most high schools and universities across the world, the story will remain logical and pleasing to the reader. Great writers are few, only a handful every century, but someone does not need to write something comparable Homer's "Iliad" or Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" in order to create a good story.