real change

My alma mater is Wichita State University.  In 1968, after participating in the McCarthy children's crusade, I returned to college and talked to our on campus black communist, an instructor of something.  I asked who he was voting for.  "Wallace, of course," he said.  I was stunned.  "But he will bring the revolution faster than the other two," he told me.  We are in a much more precarious position, both politically and economically.  I can only hope he was right.

escape from freedom

"Nice democracy you had there, America."  We who live under freedom tend to think that is the natural state of man.  It isn't.  Mankind has generally lived under some form of authoritarian rule.  Form dynastic tribes to current dictators, people have rarely demanded true freedom.  The idea of a dictatorial father figure getting his power from God is somehow comforting to many people.  Erich Fromm may have been right.

competitive or cooperative society

There are two competing views of how society should work, competitive and cooperative.  The competitive view is the Ayn Rand view, it's every man for himself and the best man wins.  It is the Spencer view of society, survival of the fittest.  The cooperative view is what every single religion teaches: We are responsible for each other, a moral society is one that takes care of its weakest members.  The competitive view is not simply wrong on the facts, it offends my sense of right and wrong.  It is wrong on the facts because successful people are generally have more luck and cheat better.  In spectacular economic times, perhaps we can afford a competitive society, now is not such a time.

luddites

The world is changing.  It has changed before.  One of the changes produced the Luddites.  What the Luddites ultimately learned was that progress always wins, we can’t go back.  We either adjust or become irrelevant.  It is time the modern Luddites accepted what is happening:  Coal is dead, robots are taking your jobs and we live in a global economy.  We can’t go back, we’ll have to learn to adjust or become irrelevant.

predictions

Here are my predictions for the Donald Trump presidency, mark them down and check back in four years:
1. Unemployment will be over 12%
2. The down will be under 12000
3. Inflation will be over 6%
4.. Interest rates will be over 6%
5.  As a result of loosening regulations, there will be a humanitarian catastrophe, perhaps a bad drug,perhaps an oil spill, but something.
6. There will be a financial scandal that will make Teapot Dome look like a minor shoplifting case. Greedy thieves do not change their spots when they get more power.
7. There will be a foreign crisis that will be badly mismanaged and result in massive casualties.

politics as sport

I have a favorite sports team.  I am happy when they win, unhappy when they lose.  But I would hardly give that team the keys to my house or entrust them with my life savings.  My emotional investment the day after the season ends, I understand that while I may be invested in my team, it is hardly invested in me.  Whether my team wins or loses will ultimately have no effect on my life.  Those who view politics as sport fail tu understand that basic difference.  Political allegiance should be dependent on policy not emotion.

Adam

The happiest and saddest day of a man's life is when he realizes his son is better.  Adam:
 Americans who voted for Trump are the same type of people who fall for the Nigerian Prince scams, who buy into pyramid schemes, who buy expensive time shares and extended warranties, and who buy massive home security systems. They were conned. Scammed. Hoodwinked. They were sold a paper thin argument from a fake populist. An argument that promised them safety, wealth, and greatness. As with all of these scams, they will receive none of the benefits they are expecting. They were taken by a conman. 

Trump is already backpedaling hard on his campaign promises. There will be no "big, beautiful wall". Congressional aides are already reporting that they expect to put up "less costly" fencing instead. So much for the issue that did the most to rile up his base.

How about this for hypocrisy? Jamie Dimon, the Chase CEO who Trump called the "worst banker in America", is now the most likely candidate to be head of the Treasury Department. But Trump tells it like it is, right? He's a populist. He's not a bought politician...

Yeah, Trump isn't another establishment politician, and he's actually looking out for the common man. Right? Well... The Hill reports that "business groups are lining up to work with the incoming administration" because, "it could make many of their policy dreams come true" and "corporate interests are throwing caution to the wind." Surprise surprise, Donald Trump is another corrupt, corporatist politician. The exact qualities these people felt disqualified Hillary.

So why did people fall for this scam? The same reason they fall for scams all the time. They're struggling. They're upset. They're desperate for something to change for the better. AND, they lack critical thinking skills. They're told that a time share is a great investment, that an ADT home security system will keep them safe, or that they can get rich selling Mary Kay cosmetics... and that's as far through as they think it. They hear the surface level argument, it sounds great to them, and they fully buy in. That's exactly what they did with Trump. Until we have an electorate capable of in-depth analysis, catastrophes like President Trump will continue to happen. And no one should be surprised.