oscar valdes

Andrew Brown Jr, Age 42, is Shot Dead

On the morning of April 21^st, a police team from Pasquotank, North Carolina, is sent to ‘execute search and arrest warrants’ on Andrew Brown Jr, who had a history of prior convictions and resisting arrest.

They find him at his home, in his car, having just returned from a morning drive.

Mr Brown resists the arrest, drives off instead and as he does the officers fire 13 shots into his car, one hitting him in the back of the head and wounding him fatally, after which he crashes into a tree 50 yards from his house.

Mr Brown should not have resisted arrest.

He should have stepped out of his car and surrendered.

There were several officers surrounding him with plenty of weapons to fire away.

What’s wrong with this picture?

There is no mention in the article that anyone was in danger from Mr Brown’s actions.

No mention of what his convictions had been, what kind of crimes had Mr Brown committed to warrant the size of the police force sent out to arrest him.

He was still living in his home, even going out for a ride that morning and then returning.

He wasn’t racing out of State to avoid capture, so just what were the infractions?

Probably minor.

Still, he was in violation of the law and he should have surrendered.

But he didn’t.

What could possibly be wrong with a man who is so defiant with the police, recklessly so?

Something was wrong. Something that needed a different kind of intervention than a posse of cops armed to the hilt and ready to shoot the person.

Answer anyone?

Then here it is.

Send in two social workers from the county, a man and a woman, to knock on his door.

‘G’morning, Mr Brown. We’re social workers with Pasquotank County and we’ve come to chat with you for a moment. May we come in?’

No, he wouldn’t let them in but he was willing to step out into the porch.

‘What’s this about?’ asks Mr Brown, warily.

‘We know you have a history of resisting arrest and there’s a warrant out for you. Look, resisting arrest can get you into a whole lot of trouble. What’s the problem?’

‘Things are not going well for me…’ replies Mr Brown.

‘So you need help… maybe we can help. We’ll do what we can, but we want to stress that resisting arrest can get you killed. Do you want to live?’

Mr Brown smiles as he drops his head. Maybe he’s not sure he wants to live.

‘Let me restate that,’ says one of the social workers, ‘resisting arrest will get you killed. Is it worth it?’

Mr Brown shakes his head slowly.

‘Then let us help you. How about if you turn yourself in? We’ll do what we can to get some financial and mental health assistance for your family while you’re in custody,’ says one social worker.

‘And we’re willing to work with you to keep you from getting in trouble again, whatever it is that you did,’ says the other.

‘You’ll do that?’ asks Mr Brown, a hint of relief.

‘Yes. We’ll do the best we can.’

‘I… I have trouble learning… ‘ begins Mr Brown, ‘I have trouble thinking… I don’t make good decisions… but I’m not a bad person… you get what I mean?’

‘We do,’ say the two social workers in unison.

‘And on top of that I haven’t been working. I get so angry sometimes. I can’t provide for my family.’

‘Let us help you,’ replies the lady social worker. ‘One step at a time.’

‘Will you be willing to come in with us today?’ asks the other social worker.

‘Turn myself in?’ says Mr Brown.

‘Yes.’

Mr Brown lifts his head and swallows hard. He closes his eyes for a moment… then he nods in assent.

‘It’s your decision Mr Brown. We’re not with the police. It’s up to you.’

‘I know. Thank you for coming out. Let me go in and tell my family.’

Dear reader, think about it.

Could this have been the case for Andrew Brown Jr., age 42 in Pasquotank county, North Carolina?

Yes.

And if so, he would be alive today. Alive to learn to be a better man, a better father, a better citizen.

Alive.

Sad, isn’t it? How easy it is for guns to take the place of words.

And will the African American leadership in our nation please send out a call to all African Americans to not resist arrest, not run from the police? Please.

Just so we can give words a chance.

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net

Are We Letting Putin Get Away With It, Again?

Earlier today, Sunday, a jet fighter from Belarus forced a Ryanair commercial plane flying over the country to redirect to Minsk, the Belarus capital. The commercial flight had departed from Athens, Greece and was en route to Vilnius in Lithuania.

The Belarus regime, surely with the consent of Vladimir Putin, set up the ruse that a bomb was aboard the commercial flight and so needed to land immediately at the closest airport.

But the whole thing was nothing more than a plot to capture 26 y/o Roman Protasevich, a Belarusian activist who had helped set up a Telegram channel with 1.5 million subscribers in his country, so that people could continue protesting the fraudulent reelection of Alexander Lukashenko in 2020.

It is a profound failure of European Union intelligence to not have protected Mr Protasevich, to not have warned him of the possibilities of flying over Belarus.

Officials in the EU have raised their voices in protest and so has Antony Blinken, America’s Secretary of State, who demanded the immediate release of Mr Protasevich, but watch how Putin, emboldened by the manner in which he has handled Alexei Navalny’s poisoning and imprisonment, will dance around the issue claiming no knowledge of the affair and state that Lukashenko acted independently in an effort to protect the passengers from the alleged bomb.

And the strong likelihood is that he will get away with it.

Immediate and strong punitive measures are in order, both against Lukashenko and Putin.

The European Union has to step up and see this blatant attack on civil liberties as what it is and not find ways to delay action.

Something about the efficacy of the West’s response against Putin’s transgressions has been fractured since Mr Trump’s election in America.

The cracks continue to widen.

I can hear Putin in his palace saying, ‘here’s to you, Donald. If you could launch an attack on the US Capitol, surely I can snatch a dissident from the skies. Good luck in the midterms. And count on me for the next election.’

Will the European Union muster the courage to stand up to Putin?

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net

Where Are the Palestinian Diplomats?

In this hour of need, when Palestinian casualties, men, women and children are climbing in numbers that greatly exceed Israeli ones, as is always the case, where are the Palestinian diplomats?

While a truce in the hostilities is discussed, the slaughter continues. Irreparable losses mount.

Lives are lost. The already impoverished living conditions in Gaza are made worse.

Where are the Palestinian diplomats?

Where is the internal resistance to the Palestinian forces of destruction, still vainly clamoring for a victory in the battlefield to reclaim lost territories and access to holy sites?

Where are the Arab nations that should be interceding and telling Hamas to stop what amounts to calculated self-destruction?

A time for reckoning must come. It has to because it will save lives and offer hope for some kind of solution.

Hamas, or any armed Palestinian faction cannot destroy Israel.

Israel is there to stay.

But world opinion can be enlisted in favor of the cause of displaced Palestinians, provided they commit to peaceful solutions.

It will take Palestinians renouncing the current leaders that continually raise false hopes that an armed solution is possible.

It will take Palestinians confronting leaders who stir hatred instead of healing.

What is lost is lost. But much can be retained and even gained if Palestinians commit to peaceful resolutions of the conflict.

All manner of world assistance could pour into Gaza and the West Bank to aid Palestinians. To help with education and training and jobs, provided there is a clear commitment to peaceful coexistence.

Wounds need to be healed and a thorough examination of the history of the existing divisions made. Nations from all over the world would be willing to step in and assist.

Universities and training centers could be set up in Gaza to elevate the conditions of the people, instead of continuing to live under the blockade they are now under.

But peace has to come first.

A willingness to say, ‘no more bloodshed regardless of what happened before. Let us stop killing each other. Let us stop dying for the sake of old hurts. Let us celebrate life and build a future.’

If Palestine would embark on such a course, it is quite possible that progressive forces within Israel would be mobilized to assist in the process.

But it has to start with the Palestinians. And this is a good time as any.

Let the world help. Please.

Act now.

Embrace peace.

Put down the guns.

Resist and disown those who preach warfare.

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net.

Donating My Body. A Vignette

The other day I ran into an old friend who told me his dad had died recently. ‘It’s getting expensive to die,’ he told me. ‘If I hadn’t planned ahead it would have dinged me.’

‘I’m glad you did plan,’ I said.

‘You know how much it would’ve cost me?’

‘Haven’t a clue…’

‘Thirty thousand dollars.’

‘Oops. That’s a chunk right there. I’m glad you planned.’

We talked a while longer, I expressed my sympathy and reminded him that he had always been a good son to his dad, which he had been. We then parted, agreeing to meet up again soon.

The thought of how much it cost to die stayed with me. Thirty thousand is a lot of money.

A lot of money to give to people to put you underground and cover you up with dirt. We’re talking plain old dirt. Not dirt from Tibet, Nepal, Tahiti or some other distant exotic land, no, it would be just plain old Los Angeles dirt.

Then, for another three grand they plop a stone or chunk of concrete on top with your name engraved in it, date of birth and death and maybe something that sought to capture a distinctive feature of the deceased.

It may well work for lots of folks, but it doesn’t appeal to me.

There must be better options.

Burning, of course, is popular in some countries, and has been done forever. But the idea of polluting the air with all that smoke doesn’t make sense.

Then I remembered that when I got my driver’s license renewed this last time, there was the option to donate organs.

At least I would be of use to someone who needed replacement tissue. I liked that. But what about donating my whole body? Donating it to a medical school for instance?

Interesting.

I began to think of the details. For instance, my body being placed on a slab or steel table for Anatomy students to dissect, cut, remove, section off, whatever. I have to remind myself that I won’t be feeling anything.

Still, I could imagine an instructor using me to teach a class as he/she pointed out my various parts. And afterwards, the students returning to practice and go over the details so they would really get it down and do well on their tests.

Then I thought that some of those students would be young ladies, Sherry or Helen or Alice, and as they dissected my various parts they would inevitably have a moment when they would think of whom the body might have belonged to. And I can imagine them even giving me a name, if my real name wasn’t affixed to the body, which I doubt it would, just so it would be easier for them to remember details. Like they might find that one cadaver had a good set of lungs to work on, or good blood vessels, or other organs.

And Alice might say to Sherry, ‘for liver and pancreas anatomy, Jack over there in the corner makes it really easy.’

I wouldn’t mind being called Jack or anything else. So long as I was getting a little attention. Compared to being underground and being visited once a year on Father’s Day, it’s no contest, I’ll take donating my body any day.

Then there’s the possibility, remote but still there, that one of the lady students might develop a little affection for me, just for helping her get on with her studies and, after a good work session, pat me on the forehead and say, ‘Thanks, Jack – you’ve been a great help.’

Who knows what the possibilities of that are, but at least it’s a possibility, and it would beat the idea of being stuck underground with just the company of worms going through me.

Then there’s even another option to consider.

It would take some arranging but it may be possible, that once all the soft tissues are used up, my skeleton would be returned to one of my descendants.

What for, you might ask? Well, to assemble so that all the parts would hang together, then folded up and stuck in a closet, but come Halloween, I’d be taken out and stood up in a corner of the party room, maybe a hat put on me, or some other decorative garment. And my descendants and their descendants, would get a chance to come up and say hello. ‘So, you’re grandpa (or great grandpa) right?’ Of course I would just stare back, but it would sure beat being underground, damp and cold, stuffed in the rotting box.

And I would be saving my descendants a whole lot of money in the process.

Inevitably, as they moved around and changed homes, the suitcase carrying my skeleton will be forgotten in a dusty corner of the garage, I know that, but someone else might adopt me then, and I might get lucky and make it to the next Halloween.

All I’ve said relates to my body. As far as my mind is concerned, I’d much prefer that on Father’s Day, or whenever my descendants would wish to remember me, that they would pick up one of the books I wrote, or one of the short stories or blogs, and read a few pages. Then we would be dialoguing, we would be connecting, and I’d be entering their minds, not to stay, but to visit with their thoughts. Better that, than to make a trip to the cemetery and lay some flowers on me, flowers I’ll never see.

We all have our preferences, but for me, between light or dark, I’ll take light anytime.

Oscar valdes oscarvaldes.net oscarvaldes@widehumr

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Declaration of The American Immigrant

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

We come to this country to embrace our possibilities,

To expand our minds, our hearts and productive capacities

As we strive for self reliance.

To those who drafted the laws that made our entry possible

We say thank you,

To those who have built this country

We say thank you and here commit to continue the task,

To those who have fought for and defended this nation

We say thank you and here commit to do the same.

We will honor you and your efforts through our work and determination to succeed.

As we do, we vow to be generous to those who are less able for nature does not endow us equally.

We will fight to be the best we can be for as we do

We earn our freedom,

The power to bow to no one

And the privilege of lighting the way for others to follow.

Long live the freedoms of this land

The right to dissent and challenge authority,

And the opportunity to pursue our uniqueness.

Thank you America

Oscar Valdes Oscarvaldes.net

The Further Decline of The Republican Party

It wasn’t enough to not rise in criticism of Mr Trump’s claim that the presidential election was ‘rigged and stolen from us.’

Not enough for Republicans not to denounce his encouragement of the assault on the Capitol on January 6^th.

Republican legislators had to improve on their dismal record and now have voted Liz Cheney out of her 3^rdposition in the Republican hierarchy in the House because she would not accept Trump’s statements.

Liz Cheney would not consent to slavish obedience to Mr Trump. She may not even retain her seat in the upcoming mid term elections in Wyoming, which she represents.

I find it absurdly fascinating, that the former president still casts a spell over so many legislators.

Absurdly fascinating that the task of educating Republican voters has been deferred, and that bowing to an out of office failed politician is still considered lofty.

Unbelievable.

For a brief moment, I thought Republicans would come to their senses.

I was mistaken.

There is, though, a movement building by a rebellious party faction that is saying enough is enough. They are saying that there should be no further tolerance for Mr Trump’s influence on the party.

But will it gather strength?

I think it has a chance.

I do because there is a segment of Republican voters who are not blinded by Mr Trump’s antics. Men and women who are able to see clearly who Mr Trump is. Now ensconced in his Mar-A-Lago retreat, he continues to nurture dreams of a comeback.

But it is pure denial. Pure fantasy.

The former president botched the nation’s handling of Covid, alienated our allies, failed to stand up against racism in the land, stirred anti immigrant sentiment.

The task ahead for the enlightened resistance against his influence is clear. Those who refuse to see him for who he is are in need of urgent reeducation.

A democrat can’t do it.

But a clear eyed Republican can.

The party has those in their ranks. They are now willing to move to center stage and defy the wrath of those who have been blinded by Mr Trump, and then firmly confront the crisis of identity the party is facing.

The majority who elected him in 2016 thought they had found themselves a prize. Instead, they got one of the least insightful presidents that have ever been elected.

It is time to acknowledge the mistake and move forward.

Sadly, there is also a chance, that such acknowledgement will not happen.

And then Democrats will find it easier to win the upcoming mid term elections. Then the next presidential contest. And the one that follows.

Truth that lays bare before our eyes, sometimes cannot be seen.

Remember the tale about the emperor without clothes?

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net

Sheikh Jarrah and the Israeli Palestinian Conflict

Rockets and bombs have been flying and casualties have been rising while inside Israel there have been clashes between Israelis and Arab Israelis.

US diplomats spoke out against Hamas fighters firing rockets into Israel while asserting that Israel has a right to defend itself as indeed it has.

But left in the background is the spark for the raging conflict. The forceful evictions by Israel of long time Palestinian settlers in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

Instead of keeping it in the background, what’s happened in Sheikh Jarrah should be put front and center.

Why should the Palestinian settlers be forcefully evicted?
It is wrong for Hamas to be firing missiles into Israel so that should stop immediately.

And so, too, should the crushing Israeli counteroffensive that is likely to soon become an invasion of Gaza by ground forces.

Surely, as the casualties mount on both sides, the numbers for the Palestinians will be much larger. And that includes children.

It seems very clear, with the long history of warfare between the two rivals, that it doesn’t take much to ignite a broader conflict.

Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew full well of the possible consequences of Israelis displacing Palestinian settlers from Sheikh Jarrah. But he let it happen anyway.

Property rights in the area have been disputed in the courts for years, and still he let it happen. I suppose it burnishes his image as a get tough on Palestinians kind of guy.

But we here in America, who spend lots of money subsidizing that state’s defense forces, should demand a thorough accounting of what is happening there.

We can’t just have Antony Blinken make a statement calling for Hamas to stop the firing of the missiles – which have resulted in a few Israeli deaths but which have been mostly intercepted by Israel’s powerful Iron Dome antimissile system.

We cannot have the administration be only insisting that Israel has a right to defend itself, which it has, and not put blame on Mr Netanyahu for letting the displacement of Palestinian settlers be carried out.

The American people deserve better.

The Biden administration must do better.

Antony Blinken and company should know better.

The genesis of this painful and costly clash – where Palestinian casualties will surely, by far, exceed Israel’s – needs to be brought to the table right now. And we should ask, why was it allowed to happen in the first place, when it seemed pretty clear what the consequences would be?

If President Biden can confront Saudi Arabia’s crown prince on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and label Putin a killer for the attempted murder on Alexei Navalny, surely he can call in Mr Netanyahu and tell him that his behavior is atrocious and repugnant.

Please, Mr Biden, act now.

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net

US Technology versus China. How Much Should We Make Available for Them to Buy?

Nothing that they cannot now produce themselves.

China’s behavior has made it clear, through their aggressive behavior in the South China Sea and their policy of economic conquest implicit in the Belt and Road initiative, that they are set on a path to become the dominant power in the world.

They have enormous technological capacity, a strong commitment to further it and are equal to us in drive and inventiveness.

But they still don’t have America’s edge in many fields.

Given that China has shown its colors, why assist them in their quest for dominance?

China’s push is much determined by the bargain they have made with their people. ‘In exchange for our quick rise,’ they have said to their citizens, ‘you will give up free speech and consent to the Communist Party’s detailed surveillance of your behavior.’

The party knows that those restrictions cannot last forever and feels compelled to show results to justify the repression. That is the pressure they’re under.

Why should America assist them with their plans?

It is reasonable to assume, that China will develop what it needs technologically on their own but that will take time.

Time that we need to further our own advantages.

Time to repair the social and economic infrastructure that has kept us from providing equal opportunities to our citizens.

We need whatever edge we now have in the various fields to make our citizens stronger and better educated.

Competition with China will last decades. We need sharp minds and able bodies who are convinced that our system is fair, respectful of human rights and worth fighting for.

We need time to make clear what the American edge is.

As we produce better citizens we will likely keep that edge over China and dissuade the rest of the world from moving to their side.

There is no guarantee that will happen, so we must work hard for it.

The present administration, with its commitment to comprehensive infrastructure building, understands this need.

There will be those, however, who in the interest of profits, will make the case for accommodating with China, that is to supply them with what they wish. But those interests are shortsighted, will undermine our resolve and give China the advantage.

Competition with China is here to stay and it can help us become a better nation.

For that we’ll need inspiring leadership, bipartisan support and lots of gumption.

Oscar Valdes

Oscarvaldes.net

Wrong Decision, Mr Biden

Photo by Roger Starnes Sr on Unsplash

Your choice to waive the patents our pharmaceutical companies hold on vaccines against the coronavirus.

Yes, the world is in great need of the vaccines, but the fact that the US has developed them at great speed, owes much to the profit motive.

The fact that there were companies in place with layers and layers of expertise and knowhow to tackle the task of creating the vaccines at record speed, owes much to the profit motive.

That has to be respected because it is at the heart of the power to create.

Without those companies’ enormous outpouring of inventiveness and skills, our nation would not be protected as it is now against the ravages of the virus.

And our economy would not be on target to post a record GDP for this year.

There are ways to assist countries in need and we should do so.

But to say to the pharmaceutical companies that have invested as much as they did, that they will not be getting the anticipated reward for their efforts and the risks they took in producing the vaccine, is the wrong move.

As I understand it, trade secrets will be shared. All that work that went into creating the vaccines is then to be shared. Free.

Since we have been privileged to have the advantages we have, I agree that we ought to share them with the world. It makes sense.

But pay those who put the hard work into creating what is now granting all of us peace of mind.

Entice them to donate vaccines, if they have not done so, while also negotiating better rates for us to buy them and then turn around and give away to those in great need or at cost for those with greater means.

It is understandable that the World Health Organization and other world leaders had put pressure on you to choose as you did.

And it is understandable, that in the wake of the disastrous term of your predecessor, you are eager to rebuild our standing in the world.

But your action undercuts a crucial drive for excellence in our system.

You have proposed a very large spending bill to address all manner of ills long overdue for appropriate action.

The bill is large because everyone has to get paid.

And so do the pharmaceutical companies that went all out to get us what we now hold so dear.

Effort has to be rewarded.

You could have appealed to the companies’ good will and let them be a partner in the spreading of our nation’s good will.

You have made a bad decision.

But perhaps, it is not too late to reverse course.

Oscar Valdes

Oscarvaldes.net

China’s Challenge to Democracy. The Big Panda Embrace

Photo by Mike van Schoonderwalt on Pexels.com

They have benefitted enormously from the West, absorbing its science, technology and ways of doing things – everything they found worthwhile in every area of development – and then rose and rose, surpassing Russia and the Eurozone and pulling itself up to become a rival to America.

That they are seeking world dominance they won’t say but judging by the manner in which they carry on their appetite seems insatiable.

At no time has there been a greater challenge to democracy.

China is saying to us, ‘You cannot move up as fast as we can, and we will overcome you for we are unstoppable. We have become the factory to the world and all hurry to be part of our enormous markets.’

Turning to its people, China’s leadership says, ‘The world comes to us because they want money. We have that through our labor force, talented people and enormous markets. And because we have been so successful enriching others we have enriched ourselves. So we can make a bargain with all of you, fellow citizens. We will protect you, grant you the benefits of continued prosperity and provide you with all the conveniences of modern life. Furthermore, we promise you will grow proud as China rises to be the dominant nation on Earth. What we want from you in turn, is that you surrender your freedom of speech. We want from you, that you consent to being constantly surveilled to ensure there will be no dissent against the Chinese Communist Party. Think about this. It is a small concession to make, considering all the gains we will achieve as a united nation, not torn apart by petty political differences like in the rest of the West and particularly in America. What we, Chinese, are doing now, has never been done before. No nation has ever risen so fast from so low. We are a nation of destiny, showing the world by our actions, that we have discovered the best system to rule its citizens. For too long, Americans have believed that their system of government was the best. They speak grandly of exceptionalism. But take a good look at how they have treated their minorities, Blacks in particular, for centuries. And still they want to preach to the world. How dare they. At look at how money buys political influence. You make money and you go right to the front of the line, even if you are inept politically. Only in America can you turn an expertise in building hotels into a credential to lead a country. And Americans fell for it. And they did because they lack political education. Unlike here in our great land, where the hard working communist party, with 91 million members, devote their life to keeping the system flowing.

But back to America. Look at how they kill themselves because of their unrestricted access to guns. Take a city like Chicago – the South side – the killings go on and on, administration after administration, whether it be Obama or Trump, they just keep killing each other. And look at how poverty is widespread. As for their cultural life, sure, now and then they will make a good movie or write a good song, but we, too, are working on that. Fellow Chinese citizens, the restrictions that we have imposed on free speech and surveillance will not last forever. We estimate, that with proper political instruction and our steady development it will take us no more than another 25 years – a conservative estimate – before we become the most powerful and most advanced nation in the world. In that time, we will have achieved total superiority. And yes, everyone in America will be wanting to speak Mandarin for that is the most beautiful language the world has ever heard. Your children and your grandchildren and heirs to follow, will revere you for the sacrifices you are now making on their behalf. The fact that we will achieve superiority will not mean that we will impose our system on others, but as other nations see how effective we are they will try to emulate us. And yes, eventually Taiwan will be part of the mainland, in the same way Hong Kong is returning to our embrace. The big Panda embrace. How can you not like that feeling?

Others will follow our lead willingly, joyously, for we will lead through our example.

In America, today, Joe Biden is trying to get his citizens to renew themselves, but our leadership feels his efforts have come too late.

Joe Biden has ambitions plans for the renewal of infrastructure, for education, for research and development, but already the Republican party is objecting, so Biden’s ambitious reforms will be trimmed, which is good for China.

America is just too divided while we are united, which is our great strength.

We believe that America will not be able to make the necessary reforms to their system to catch up with us.

Let us give you one example. China tried to be part of the International Space station but we were no accepted. They were afraid we would learn too much. And so we have started to create our own. On April 28^th we launched Tianhe or ‘Harmony of The Heavens,’ the first of three modules that will form our own space station by the end of 2022. Does that not make you feel proud of what our system can do?

Slowly, over time, America will acknowledge our superiority, but there will be those who will want to resort to violence. Leaders who prefer to fight an enemy without than confront the enemy within. Envious people. But we will be prepared. We are building more and more nuclear weapons to act as a deterrent.’

That is the message the Chinese leadership is giving to their people.

What will Russia do in the face of China’s rise?

Putin has cast a spell on the Russian people which has interfered with their political development but my take is that the Russian people lean more to the West than to China.

Eventually, as Russia emerges from their stupor, they will elect a more pro-Western government.

But can America answer China’s challenge?

Can we make the necessary structural changes and shine?

Can we evolve to having a dialogue amongst ourselves and eradicate racism?

Can we improve our education and health systems sufficiently that every citizen will have the opportunity they need to be the best they can be?

Can we defeat crime?

Can we stop the high level of incarceration that is a sign of poor investment in our people?

Can we stop killing ourselves?

The answer lies in pulling ourselves together and working toward a common purpose. To do it we need bipartisan leadership willing to dialogue.

And we have to get started right away.

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net