Voted earlier this morning. There was a light drizzle out that faded after a while. Well organized event. Amazing technology and it keeps improving. The volunteers were courteous and helpful. I enjoy voting in person. The smooth end result takes a lot of work from a lot of people. People committed to the democratic process. I am deeply grateful to the staff and made a point of congratulating them. Attention turns now to what the results will be. My hope is that the democratic side wins and retains control of both houses. Do I think Republicans can do a better job than Democrats? Not at all. I can’t think of one thing where Republicans – in their present state – can do better than Democrats. I say in their present state because the Republican party has been deeply impaired by Mr Trump and his followers. Mr Trump incited a riot on January 6th 2021, because he wanted to manipulate the electoral vote to favor him. He was prevented from doing so but, to this day, aside from the courageous Liz Cheney and a few others, there has not been a sizeable protest from other Republicans stating ‘Mr Trump attempted to subvert democracy by force. He is not qualified to hold office.’ Something of the kind stating the facts. The majority of Republicans have been silent. Just because of that they don’t deserve a turn at governing this nation. Not until they clean up their act and apologize to America. But there are few signs of that happening. In the state of Georgia, a former football player is running neck and neck against a seasoned and committed defender of the rights of citizens. Unbelievable. The football player has no history of political involvement. He is in the race because Trump thought his name would attract voters. And, of course, the gentleman would do exactly as Trump wants him to do. Every time. Recently, Paul Pelosi, the husband of Nancy Pelosi, Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, was nearly killed by a man who broke into their home looking for his wife with the intent of knocking out her kneecaps. She was not in. Has there been a wave of outrage at such an action by Republicans? No. Did Mr Trump publicly speak out condemning it? Not either. He thought it was fake. And yet he is still a prominent leader of the party and is expected to announce his candidacy to again become president in 2024. Unbelievable. There is a wave of gullibility going through the Republican party and they can’t stop it. The enlightened wing of their party has chosen to not put up a fight. That’s not cool at all. There is nothing or no one in the present Republican party that offers any worthwhile ideas for governing our country. Their submission to Trump is pathetic. God Bless America.
Joe Biden finds time to put in a talk with Xi, just ahead of the mid terms. The call happens through a confidential Zoom link. Both men appear on the screen simultaneously. High level assistants are in the room on either side but are not seen on screen. Biden makes the call on Sunday at 8 pm Washington DC time – 9 am Beijing time on Monday.
Biden – Good morning. Xi – Good evening to you. Biden – Thank you. Xi – I wish you well in the elections on Tuesday. Biden – Thank you so much. Xi – How do you think it’s going to turn out? Biden – It’s going to be close. Very close. Closer than the polls estimate. Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to our in person meeting. So, Xi, you are now president for another 5 years. Xi – What do you think about that? Biden – I don’t think it’s a good idea. Xi – Why not? Biden – Leadership, like anything else, needs to be freshened up. You’ve done 10 years, like Hu Jintao did before you, now let someone else become president. Xi – China is going through a difficult period and it’s best the nation have a seasoned leader. Biden – There will always be one crisis or another, so that’s not a good excuse. Xi – You’re trying to undermine our economy by not selling us the microchips we need… Biden – We have to. Otherwise you’ll be wanting to take over the world. Xi – We have no such ambitions. You’re misinformed. Biden – You can deny it but that’s what we’re seeing. So, for us it’s simple. You want to be king of the world, go ahead, but don’t do it with our chips. Make your own. Xi – We will. Biden – You have 1.4 billion people, while we have less than a quarter of that. And as you’ve shown everyone watching, you can make stuff. Your people are very capable. So, make the chips you need. Xi – It will take us time but we will. Biden – Our two nations are locked in competition, such that we have never seen. And it could be that you and your country will end up beating us. It could be that you will make the chips you need and they may even be better than the ones we make. And it could be, also, that you will be able to make better ships and better planes and better submarines and better weapons than we do. If so, then, you will be able to convince the world that your technology is more effective and faster than ours. Other nations will go to you for equipment and knowledge and advice, instead of us. It could happen. Xi – Will you want to start a war, then? Biden – No. Let me assure you, that we will never harm you because you have become better than us. Xi – Thank you. Biden – What you pose to us is a great challenge. Can we keep producing and inventing at such pace that we will keep an advantage over you? I think we can and that we will. It will depend on all of us, here in America and the West, to match and surpass your creative capacities. To do that we will have to overcome our polarization and work better together. Xi – You’ll never do it. Which is why I think you’re in decadence. How come nearly half of your voters elected Donald Trump? Then he doesn’t want to accept the election results and worse, he may run again. Biden – It is a risk in our political system, that people with autocratic instincts will gain power. But they will not last. And I will tell you now, that Donald Trump will not be reelected president of this country. Xi – You can’t be sure. Biden – I am. One hundred percent sure. Mark my words. I can say that because I have great confidence in the good judgment of the majority of Americans. We have people who are troubled, confused and resentful, but we will learn to work with them and help them overcome their difficulties, so we can become a more united and effective nation. Most in our nation have faith that our political system is the best there is. We offer liberty and immigrants from all over the world want to join us. Let me ask you, are people from all over the world wanting to immigrate to China? Xi – We won’t let them. There’s enough of us already. Although, we invite talented people to come and contribute to the building of our powers. Those can stay. Biden – Our openness to the world has made us very rich. We will remain open because it is in our best interest. Xi – You cannot control your borders. What happens in your borders would never happen in ours. Biden – You would do what you did in Hong Kong and with the Uyghurs in Xinjiang province? Xi – Again, you are misinformed. We have been hard on those peoples because we wish to correct them, but it is for their own good. Biden – We would never resort to the violence you’ve used controlling those populations. You get away with it because you do not allow the fundamental freedoms of a democracy, just like Putin. Xi – You and NATO, have come too close to Russia, so Putin had little choice but to invade Ukraine. However, we do think it’s time that negotiations be started to reduce the loss of life. For you to continue to support Ukraine in a battle that they cannot win is a crime against humanity. Biden – Hmm. Interesting how you change things around. NATO and America are the bad guys. Never mind the willingness of Ukrainians to die in defense of their land. Tell me something, if Putin chose to fire nuclear weapons, what position would you take? Xi – We are against it. I don’t agree with you or NATO, but nuclear weapons should not be used because of the risk of escalation. We have worked very hard to build what we have and we’re confident one day we will be the number one nation in the world. Then, we will allow freedom of speech and cut back on the surveillance of our citizens. To preserve our gains, my government is working with some people close to Putin, to make sure that no nuclear weapons will be used. Biden – Does Putin know about it? Xi – I don’t think so. Understand that we are doing this not to spare you any trouble but to spare ourselves a calamity. That in your desperation, if you are hit by a nuclear weapon, you will send missiles our way. Biden – I won’t say who we will hit and who we won’t, but defend ourselves and the West, we will. If, indeed, you are trying to prevent a nuclear war, thank you very much. I don’t want to keep you longer, and I appreciate very much your time. Our nations are tied in a fierce competition for supremacy. We, and the West, see it as a challenge for us to become a better people, while respecting our fundamental freedoms and that of others. Our systems are different. We think ours is better. May the world benefit from our competition. Good day. Xi – Good night.
We’re nearing nine months since Putin invaded Ukraine, expecting a quick surrender because his majesty Vladimir was so bold and visionary and oh so talented that the West could not hope to match him. There was no way that the West could ever stand against the enraged Russian bear. And, of course, Putin had the large store of nuclear weapons, and if anyone dared to stand against him, he’d get them ready to fire and the West would pee in their pants, kneel and plead for forgiveness. Instead, the big bad bear is retreating. The West stood up, looked at his majesty Vladimir in the eye and said, ‘excuse me, no, you’re not getting away with it. Ukrainians want to fight and we don’t turn our backs on men and women willing to fight. Got it?’ His majesty Vladimir is still processing that reply. To his credit, he’s been able to resist. He hasn’t buckled. Not yet. But it’s been costly for him. He knows he’s crossed the line and will never recover from the atrocities he’s committed. That’s not to say he won’t be embraced by some, say China’s Xi Jinping. Xi’s atrocities are not yet of the scale of Putin’s, but he will catch up. Give him some time. His murderous repression in Hong Kong and his vast mistreatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang province are just the beginning. Putin knows he screwed up but still has hope. His bet is that the West will get tired of the war. He knows the West has to contend with citizens who are opposed to it and have a right to be heard. Putin doesn’t have that problem. What he says is law, the majority of Russians having been intimidated into submission long ago. Some don’t even know they were, that’s how sad that picture is. Putin’s hope is that people in the West will increase their complaints about inflation and shortages and their discomfort, then put pressure on their leaders to tell Ukrainians, ‘We’ve done enough. Take care of yourselves.’ Sadly, it could happen. Protests in some NATO countries in Eastern Europe have been growing. Macron, in France, facing the same pressures, has told his people of the need to sacrifice for the sake of liberty. Every leader in the West should be doing the same thing. Putting the matter up front. Educating the voters. Reminding them of how unique this opportunity is to push back Russia and start a new alignment of powers in the world. Even if some NATO members choose to back off in their support of Ukraine’s heroic fight, we should not. Too much is at stake. The winds of freedom from the valor displayed by Ukraine are blowing into the Middle East. Because of it there is now the chance of regime change in Iran. And yet, here at home, there is talk in the Republican ranks of cutting back on support for the war, should they win control of congress in next week’s election. It would be a serious mistake. It is urgent that our voters be educated on the enormity of what’s in play. A defeated Russia in Ukraine would have vast repercussions across the area and eventually on China. Ukraine’s heroism has opened a door we didn’t know existed. With an abundance of guts and sacrifice, they had the imagination to wish to reinvent themselves. Stepping up they reached through the darkness and pain of the invasion of their land and grasping the door of freedom threw it open. And the winds of freedom blew in. All their pain made sense. All their sacrifices found meaning. Ukrainians thought they were fighting for their beloved land. They found, instead, they were fighting for the world. America, we cannot close that door.
One – Excite the anger of your followers. The cause of all evils is on the other side. Two – Explain the world to them but keep it short and simple. The Republican candidate for governor of Pennsylvania has it down pat. He was quoted as saying to his rapt audience, ‘We are the seed of the nation. The holy experiment.’ The rest of us must be second class. He also joined the chorus of believers that the 2020 election was stolen. Trump, though, is the master. He didn’t bother denouncing the recent attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, instead went right to questioning the police investigation’s report. According to Trump, someone was trying to get out of the Pelosi home, not break in. Really? Three – Intimidate. Stoke fears. Go for it. Again, Trump when he incited the riot on Capitol Hill on January 6th 2021 and is getting away with it. In New York, the Republican candidate for governor is doing everything possible to remind dwellers how unsafe the city is. He will save New Yorkers. Meanwhile, The Economist, October 29th – November 4th/2022 edition, reports that murders in New York are down by 14% compared to last year. Big cities are problematic. Everywhere. But if you can simplify it then you’re ahead. Will our democracy survive our ‘leaders’? The flaws of Mr Trump are so glaring that you wonder how come he’s still viable as a candidate. What has happened to mainstream America? I’m optimistic that the idea of dialogue with the other side is still seen as the essence of our political system. But I’m getting worried. The quality of our candidates for office seems to be getting worse. Intolerance is rising. Plain lying is rampant. What has gone wrong? I am with the view that the ease that technology has allowed us is part of the problem. Through technology we have access to an immense amount of information that is often misused while giving us a sense of self sufficiency that is false and dangerous. So we are more likely to overvalue ourselves while devaluing others. I am glad we have so much technology and with more on the way, but it is critical we identify how it can impoverish our humanity. If technology makes us more prone to isolate and be less empathic, we will be losers. As it is we’re inclined to not be self critical. Human contact is fundamental to the development of our character and ideas. I am very glad we now have Zoom and Teams and Slack and the other variants making our connections easier, but there is something unique about live human contact. The touch of the skin, the look of the eyes, the infinite variety of facial and bodily expressions. Bypassing these unique features of our existence end up diminishing us, and so, too, our thoughts, our ability to forgive and display compassion. The world will continue to grow more technical. But if the human touch is bypassed, we will end up destroying ourselves. The difficulties inherent in human contact is what makes it so rich. The more varied our interactions, the better.
Do not let him silence your voices. He is no leader. Leaders are people who help us become better than who we are. Not worse. You need to join the world, not turn your back on it. Ukraine was never a threat to you or your country. Ukrainians want to become free to choose their destiny, not join in Putin’s plans. He is an envious man. He has not been able to develop your potential as a people and looks around and sees other nations moving past Russia. But he doesn’t know what to do. So his envy is turned to murderous rage. In your name. With your talents and resources you could become one of the top nations in the world. Instead, you have chosen to build nuclear weapons. You have chosen to enlarge your destructive powers rather than your creative ones. So you hide behind such weapons. That is your failure as a nation. But you can recover. Right now, in one of your prisons, sits Alexei Navalny, one of your bravest men. Navalny chose to openly challenge Putin. Because of it he was poisoned and nearly killed. He will never be released unless Russians speak up. You cannot win the war with Ukraine. The West won’t let you. It does not matter how many nuclear weapons you have because you can’t fire them. If you do, then you will burn also. Nuclear weapons are useful to scare people. But then you can’t use them. You can’t use them because other nations have the same weapons. If Putin fired a nuclear weapon toward the West and one of our cities burned, then your cities would burn, too. Beautiful Moscow and St Petersburg would be gone. The madness of nuclear weapons is that they can only scare people and that’s it. No more. Think about it. All that effort and that’s all you get for it. There was one leader, a real leader, a Russian leader, who once proposed to Reagan, then the American president, to ban all nuclear weapons. Imagine that. The vision. That leader wanted to free the world of fear. I wish Reagan would have had the imagination your leader had. That leader was Mikhail Gorbachev. That flash of brilliance came from a Russian. There is more of that in you. So step up and use that light you have to brighten the darkness in our world. Today, many countries are torn by war and repression, kept from fulfilling their potential by small minded men like Putin. We need you to emerge so other countries will emerge. And maybe the Chinese, seeing your example, will rise against the oppressive communist party that now deprives them of their freedom. Rise Russia, rise! Putin is holding you back. Rise and the world will rise with you. The price you pay will be well worth it. And we will all be grateful.
There were many expressions of outrage at the attack, the assailant using a hammer that Mr Pelosi, 82, was able to fend off until he was overwhelmed by the younger man and suffered serious injuries from the blows, including a skull fracture. Mr Pelosi was very clever when, upon encountering the intruder who was searching for his wife, Nancy, said he needed to go to the bathroom where his phone was charging. From there he called 911. If the police had not been so prompt in responding, Mr Pelosi would probably have been killed. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, was not at home. Otherwise, she would have been dead. Some of the condemnations of the attack called for a ‘lowering of the temperature’ in our heated political exchanges. I am in full agreement but would like to suggest a more urgent language be used. Managing our emotions. So who should ask us to do this and keep it on the forefront of our psyches? Those with access to the media. Since the goal is to rein in uncontrolled rage at political figures, it falls to our leaders of Right and Left to take the initiative. Every speech by a political leader should now be calling for restraint in expressing our political views. But they won’t. They figure that keeping the emotions raw will be to their advantage. Sadly, these ‘leaders’ probably can’t manage their own emotions. It’s not easy to learn how to do it. It calls for a strong dose of self awareness which comes from introspection and compassion. Lamentably, today, you don’t need these attributes to rise politically. Some of our current leaders have become prominent precisely because they stir lots of rage in their followers. They perceive, accurately, that rage gives some people a sense of competence they may never have had. That sense of competence can’t last because it’s not rooted on substance but the point is to get it to last long enough to get them to the ballot box. Never mind the ones that get unhinged by the rage, like the assailant of Mr Pelosi. For a moment, holding that hammer, gave the man a sense that he was worth something. Holding the hammer and striking the blows took him to a higher level or so he thought. He was doing something for his life. Finally. And he would be a hero to all those who might have felt like doing the same but were aware enough to curb their emotions. It is not too much to ask from our present political leaders to call for restraint in their followers and do so at every turn. But the money is not there. The money is in stirring up discontent to get more followers. The money is in giving them the illusion that they are stronger because they scream louder, indulging their hatred rather than examining it. As a nation we won’t go far if we keep this up, which is a grave concern because the world is changing at a rapid pace and this is a time to be very sober and smart about our choices. In the war now raging in Ukraine, Putin keeps massacring people. He, too, is a man with little depth as a human being but clever enough to know how to manipulate others. Beware of being manipulated. Beware who stirs your rage. By the way, has Trump condemned the attack on Pelosi? If not, why not?
Early in the morning, on a Tuesday, North Korea time, president Joe Biden puts in a call to the ruler of that country. The call is made through a top secret video link that had been cleared days before by people on both sides. The stated topic is nuclear weapons.
Biden – Good morning to you. Kim – Good afternoon to you. Biden – Thank you. Kim… you keep firing the missiles… and I’m worried that you might make a mistake. Kim – I won’t. Biden – Mistakes can happen to the best of us. We understand you want to be acknowledged… and believe me, we do. We have no intention of harming you or your country in any manner. Kim – Then lift the sanctions. Biden – I’m getting there. Kim, it costs a lot of money and effort to build those weapons… money that can go to more productive uses. Let’s discuss the war in Ukraine for a moment. Your friend Putin has talked about firing his missiles at us… but he won’t. You know why? Kim – You will fire back. Biden – Exactly. If a city in the West burns, then Moscow and St Petersburg will burn… but Beijing and Shanghai will burn, too. People in Moscow, with their skin falling off because of radioactivity, will go hunting for the man responsible for such atrocity. ‘Where is Putin?’ the angry people will say. And they will find him. I don’t have to tell you what will happen to him when they do. Kim – You think the same will happen to me? Biden – Worse. If you hit us, China won’t risk their country to defend you. They have bigger plans. Kim – Why would the West hit China if Putin hits you with a missile? Biden – Because they are Putin’s accomplice, and if we let them stand they will continue his war to dominate the world. Kim – You are wrong, China wants every nation to be free. Biden – If you want to believe that, good luck. Let me ask you, do you think your people are free? Kim – Yes. Biden – Can they say anything they want? Kim – They understand they must sacrifice… for our glorious future. Biden – How long, Kim? Kim – I don’t know. Biden – Got you. I’ll get to the point. Our present strategy with you is not working. You keep building more weapons and like I said before, I really think you will make a mistake. So here’s my proposal. We would have to work with the United Nations to have it approved but here is what I have in mind. Kim – I’m listening. Biden – We would lift all economic sanctions on you… so you could trade with any nation in the world… so long as you abide by the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). That way businesses from anywhere could go into your country and employ your people, create goods and services, train your workers, relieve hunger and slowly begin the process of lifting your GDP. Kim – I will not stop building nuclear weapons. Biden – We wouldn’t ask you to stop. Kim – No? Biden – What we would ask you is not to sell your expertise in nuclear weapons to anyone. Kim – Hmm. But France does it? Biden – Yes but they are a mature and responsible nation. Kim, you have to prove yourself first. We can’t have you – in your desperation – selling nuclear expertise to anyone you want. With this offer, you would have the chance of developing your nation. Technologically, industrially, scientifically. And you and your people will benefit. Now, we know that you will be tempted to cheat, let companies into your country and then, secretly, try to sell your nuclear expertise to others. But we would have to insist with the companies willing to go into North Korea, that if you violate the agreement, they will have to stop doing business with you immediately. So you must decide. Again, the United Nations would have to approve this. I think your people would be very grateful if you agree to this idea. Kim – I’ll have to think about it. Biden – Of course. Think of what the West did for China when we went in with all our companies. China, on its own, would not be where they are now without the West. Sadly, they’re now choosing to deny our contributions to their development and think they have all the answers. Eventually, your political system will have to change to take maximum advantage of what the rest of the world has to offer, but that will take many years, more than your present life expectancy… so you will die while still in power. Kim – I’ll have to think about it. Biden – Take your time. One final note. Ukraine will win the war against Russia. The winds of freedom are blowing and they have reached Iran. I predict that the mullahs will fall and a woman will emerge as leader of that country. And they will be pro western. That will stop Iran’s interference in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon and create conditions for more positive political changes throughout the Middle East. Kim – I predict the mullahs will repress that protest movement. Biden – Time will tell. So that’s all I have for you today. Hope you consider the proposal. Kim – I will. Biden – Oh, almost forgot. I was thinking of sending you a present… Kim – What? Biden – A pair of my favorite aviator glasses.
Kim laughs.
Kim – I won’t be able to use them when I meet with Putin or Xi but send them anyway. I’ll use them when I go fishing. Biden – Okay. Have a good day. Kim – Good night.
Consider these two examples. About a year ago or so in Florida, a man riding a motorcycle was tapped by a moving vehicle at an intersection. By his own admission, neither he nor his bike were damaged. But the other vehicle, driven by a woman, didn’t stop and left the scene instead. The man in the bike followed. Another person, who had witnessed the accident, followed, too. The woman arrived at her home, aware that the man in the bike had trailed her. She went inside, took out her gun, stepped out and pointed it at him. The man drew his own and shot her dead. No charges were pressed. What stands out in this incident? The woman should have stopped, yes, apologized and taken responsibility. The man who chose to follow needed only to get her license plate and report it to the police. He already had a witness. But he didn’t. He chose to seek justice on his own. Now consider this second example. A few days ago, in Houston, a man and his wife were robbed at an ATM. As the robber fled, the man shot at him but missed. Instead, he struck and killed a 9 year old girl sitting in a passing car. A grand jury chose to not indict the man. So who takes responsibility for the death of the 9 year old? No one. In both instances, the responses of the shooters show poor judgment and a profound disregard for our institutions. The number of states which allow its residents to carry guns without a license is steadily increasing. But it does not make any sense. What is being neglected in the two examples described above? The level of emotional continence in the men who fired the guns. Neither had enough emotional strength to see the potential consequences of their actions. The law let them get away with it but their behaviors are clear examples of what we’re not doing as a society. To not require a license to carry a weapon that can kill another person is to assume that the carrier is of sound judgment. Otherwise, why would it be allowed? So why are we not measuring that? This is our failure as a society. We have let Second Amendment defenders carry the day without regard for the character that should stand behind it. In the name of freedom we are failing to protect our citizens. In the year 1789, March 4th, in the city of New York, the second amendment was put forward as part of the bill of rights. It read, ‘A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.’ That was 233 years ago, nearly a quarter of a millennium. At the time it was justified as the nation was being formed and its institutions developed. But today the second amendment is outdated. It has become an obstacle to our political maturation and public safety. Why didn’t the man in the first example call the police so they, instead, would track the woman? He had all the identifying information. Why didn’t the man in the second example, think of the consequences of an errant shot? Now an innocent 9 year old is dead because of his poor judgment. Neither shooter was doing anything for the ‘security of a free State’ as the second amendment reads. But the law allowed it. Both men were indulging their lack of emotional control and poor judgment. In Texas, there is now a motion being proposed to allow the lowering of the age for lawful possession of a firearm without a license to 18 years. No mention is made of assessing the emotional maturity of the gun bearer. The second amendment to the constitution is impeding our democratic progress. In the face of growing global threats, i.e. China, it is imperative that we accelerate our civic maturation, to go hand in hand with our technological, scientific and industrial advancement. Evidence that we are not making enough civic progress is the extreme polarization we are stuck with at this time. What is needed now is to foster dialogue between our citizens and facilitate emotional growth. Not unrestricted gun ownership. The second amendment is impeding our personal safety and our evolution as a nation.
‘Women. Life. Freedom!’ cry the protesters in cities across Iran. ‘Mullahs, get lost!’ ‘This is the year of the blood, Seyed Ali’ referring to the ‘supreme leader’ Ali Khamenei. Women have led the movement, sparked by the death of one of their own, 22 year old Mahsa Amini, who died while in custody for violating the Islamic dress code – not wearing or incorrectly wearing the hijab or headscarf. Among the many dead protesters, there are 23 children. High school age girls have joined in the demonstrations. University students, oil workers, teachers, shop owners, doctors have stepped forward to show support. The effort has yet to reach critical mass but it’s getting there. The winds of freedom are blowing. They are blowing from Ukraine. For over 8 months now the world has witnessed an enormous display of heroism by the Ukrainian people, pushing back against the brutality of Putin. The winds of freedom have reached Iran. Women have awakened, fed up with the restrictions they’ve lived under, fed up with men controlling their bodies and minds in the name of Allah. Fed up with the clerics, fed up with a government that now is selling drones to Putin so he can better kill Ukrainians. In their cries, women are saying ‘You are inept, Mullahs! Consumed with your thirst for power you abuse your own people in the name of god. Enough!’ The clerics blame foreign interference for stoking the unrest as if the protesters were mere instruments of foreign forces. But no. This movement is home grown and will stay as such. What should the West do to show support? I believe steps have been taken to facilitate internet communication, helping bypass the restrictions imposed by the clerics. We should cancel talks with Iran to reactivate the nuclear pact that president Obama had signed onto and Trump had terminated. Trump was right on this one. Iran’s government will do anything to cheat and still build their nuclear weapons. Anyway, to reactivate the plan will require for us to pay them a large (undisclosed) sum of money. How much, I do not know. The US has not been transparent on the amount. So it will be up to Iranians themselves, to bring their courageous movement to the point that it will depose the present government. That day is fast approaching. Meanwhile, the more we assist Ukraine to help them push the invading Russians out of their territory, the less likely that Russia will answer the mullahs’ call for assistance in repressing their people, as desperate clerics are likely to do. Assistance as in money, equipment, advice. I can envision a call from Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi to Vladimir Putin. ‘Vladimir?’ ‘Yes, Ebrahim.’ ‘I’m getting anxious. This has not happened before.’ ‘Be patient, my friend, you have the guns… fire them,’ says Putin. ‘I understand… and I see your example in Ukraine… the thousands and thousands you have sent to the grave…’ ‘For a good cause,’ replies Putin. ‘I have my hands full at this moment, but as soon as I push back the Ukrainians, I can send you experts in suppression of protest movements. I can send you the team we used in Belarus, they did an excellent job. But you can talk to them on the phone, so they can give you some tips.’ ‘Great, thank you,’ says Raisi. ‘But you don’t have problems with Russian women…’ ‘Ebrahim, it’s a different culture…’ ‘You think if I just cancelled the dress code, let women dress as they wish, they will stop protesting?’ ‘Will Iranian men be able to handle that?’ ‘I don’t know.’ ‘I think you’re past that,’ says Putin. ‘That could’ve worked before, but you didn’t think ahead… like I didn’t think ahead to invade Ukraine while Trump was president. He wouldn’t have objected. So I’m paying for my mistake.’ ‘I see. But I may have to try it… the cancelling the dress code. Otherwise, it’s killing and killing more people. And our prisons are already full. I’m afraid we’ll end up killing the children of government officials…’ ‘Ebrahim… absolute power carries risks… you have to choose. If I end up having to recruit the children of government officials to go fight in Ukraine, I may face resistance here at home. But I’ll take my chances. It may not come to that. I don’t think the unity of the West will hold. Particularly as winter approaches. And then, if Republicans win both houses in the American mid term elections, chances are they will give less support to Ukraine. So it will be easier for me to push back. Plus there are western leaders afraid to commit to the war. Take for instance Olaf Scholz in Germany. He is opposed to sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine. If he did, that would be harder on us. I made a note to send him a card when his birthday comes around, thanking him. One for Christmas, too.’ ‘You keep your sense of humor, Vladimir. I’m afraid of losing power.’ ‘Ebrahim… don’t let go of that feeling… and keep up the repression. Don’t be afraid to be ruthless. You can do it. I’ll ask the specialists who ended the revolt in Belarus to give your people a call. I have to go now. Oh, thank you for the drones. They’re making a difference.’ ‘You’re welcome, Vladimir.’
The winds of freedom are blowing.
Oscarvaldes.medium.com
Quotes at the start of this piece, taken from an article in the NYT dated 10/26/22
Oscar Valdes is the author of several self published books. Available on Amazon
Yesterday, John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz dueled in their only debate. I read that Fetterman showed some dysfunction in some of his replies, which stem from the stroke he had last May and will take some more time to get over. His doctor, Clifford Chen, has given him a good health report while allowing that some cognitive dysfunction is still present. In an article in the New York Times, also from yesterday, Dr Taylor, a neuroscientist who had a stroke 25 years ago and is fully recovered, underscored the importance of neuro plasticity, the brain’s ability to correct its deficits. It appears that neuroplasticity is working for John Fetterman as he is making steady progress. He did postpone debates with Mr Oz because he wanted more time to heal. So what are some of the differences between these two men? Fetterman was mayor of Braddock, a small former steel town, for 13 years. He worked hard to stem crime in the area. Then he used that record to get elected as Lieutenant Governor. Mr Oz, a former cardiovascular surgeon, owes his fame to his association with the Oprah Winfrey show, and subsequently his own program, where he endorsed remedies of dubious effectiveness. Mr Oz didn’t even live in Pennsylvania until he decided to run for the Senate. He lived in New Jersey. So he flew in to run for the Senate, on the wings of an endorsement from the great wizard of Mar-A-Lago, Donald Trump, who’s still claiming that the election in 2020 was stolen from him. By comparison, John Fetterman has been committed to battling our social ills for a good part of his life. I don’t agree with Fetterman’s choice to legalize marijuana, but many people do and one day it will be legal throughout the nation. But I strongly agree with his steadfast efforts to bring about criminal justice reform. The main difference between the two men lies in their history of political involvement. Fetterman has been socially involved and deeply so. Oz is obviously a talented man, but it was Oprah and his own TV show which have made him a household name. Not political involvement. We don’t need in office people who are merely famous. We need people who have a history of grappling with our social dysfunction. Donald Trump had zero record of doing anything to help anyone before running for office. But he was rich. Somehow, that appealed to many. Perhaps they thought he would lead them to riches also. Trump has gotten away with a lot. But that story is slowly coming to an end. Unbelievably, his endorsements still work in some communities. In Georgia he has chosen to support Herschel Walker, the former football player, to run for the Senate. Never mind that Walker has no record of prior political involvement. . The wizard of Mar-A-Lago is again betting that his charm and charisma will be enough to put his people in the Senate. We have to choose, don’t we? Appearance over substance. If we make the wrong choice, we may end up joining a crowd marching to overturn an election. We decide.
Oscar Valdes 