President-elect Donald Trump hit the ground running. He’s just as aggressive as he was four years ago. He is selecting cabinet members and aides that are well suited to carry out his agenda.

What does Trump need to do to get America back on track? To gain respect from the rest of the world should be first to-do item on his list.

It’s perfectly clear that most other leaders of the world resent the US. They are jealous of the power of our nation, the wealth of our citizens, the freedom of our country and the creativity and intelligence of our people. There is no other country in the world that has the same quality of life and democracy that Americans enjoy.

Naturally, when one person has more freedom, talent, creativity, money and a better lifestyle, others will be jealous. Americans have a bullseye on their backs.

Many countries partake in the generosity of the US. Many of these same countries hate America. Still millions in these countries want to immigrate to the US.

I’m amazed that so many countries accept our help and still harshly criticize us. Frankly, the way they speak at the United Nations about America is an abomination. The US provides a safe home for the UN to meet and pays most of the expenses, and yet most of the countries that benefit by the UN harshly criticize us. With friends like this, we don’t need enemies.

I confess, I am a patriotic supporter of the country. For the most part, I stand behind the US as it tries to make friends by giving others aid and security.

In summary, I believe the US has an angel on its shoulder. We do not steal from other countries; we want peace; and the only strings attached are that those participating in our generosity should support us diplomatically. This has not been true under the Biden administration.

Donald Trump has zeroed in on countries that accept our aid and do not pay their way. NATO is primarily financed with US funding, and certain members of NATO refuse to pay their fair share of expenses.

Canada is protected by the US military and the Canadians tax goods exported to the US.

Mexico has done next to nothing to assist the US in stopping illegal immigration.

Trump is right to demand loyalty from countries around the world that we support.

Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Iraq and many Arab states have behaved intolerably. It is only right for the US to sanction bad behavior of these countries.

Russia is governed by a megalomaniac and has attacked a sovereign nation.

China wants to rival the US, and it does things that prove that they want to fight the US for world domination.

Iran is destabilizing the Middle East. The country is controlled by Ayatollah thugs who terrorize other countries. And soon Iran will have a nuclear capability.

Donald Trump is saying he will be aggressive and take on countries no matter how powerful they are. He has the perfect weapon to accomplish his goals, economic sanctions. The US should bankrupt Russia, Iran and North Korea.

Unfortunately, Trump is still trying to convince Americans he is the right person to lead the US. This is unnecessary. He will only be serving one term. He is a lame duck right out-of-the-box. He should stop worrying about politics and do things that will make America great again.

Joe Biden is going away, thankfully. The Democrats are a poor excuse for a national political party. This status is going to affect national politics for many years.

The tyrant Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria and is now under the protection of Russia. Assad and Putin, whatever wonderful pair! The collapse of Syria should be a lesson to the West. The world waited too long to unseat and hopefully punish Assad. It’s too bad the Arab countries had to deal with Assad for so many   years.

Syria was and continues to be a bad actor in Middle East politics and diplomacy. Behind the skirts of Islam, Assad treated his people harshly for several decades. He bullied those who would not bow down before him, and he spurned western leaders around the world.

Millions of people were killed or forced to leave their homes as the country has been under attack constantly. Assad had no chance of surviving in the long run without support of one of the world’s superpowers. The murderous Putin was an obvious partner. But Putin has his own war to deal with. 

Now, Syrians will be under attack by a plethora of groups, most of which are violent organizations. It would be a miracle to see a democratic government rise from the ashes.

The lesson to be learned is that strong western governments need to monitor and beat down the tyrants in the Middle East into submission, economically and militarily. The chaos in Syria took the lives of millions with untold destruction accompanying it. But, it happened. The megalomaniac who killed so many is now under the protection of a larger rogue enemy. He has escaped prosecution for the time being.

What should the US do to stop the wars, carnage and violence in the Middle East? The first thing our leaders must do is to recognize the influence of religion throughout the region. Many Arab leaders intentionally misquote their holy scriptures to justify genocide and murder of innocent individuals. They say God is on their side.  The truth about nations of despicable leaders goes untold or is being ignored.

The US and Israel must attack Iran and destroy its military assets. And, the US and Israel must destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. The rogue nation should never be in a position to threaten or use WMDs to intimidate other countries, regimes or individuals.

This will be a dirty and destructive crusade. But it’s better than a nuclear war in the Middle East.

Often times our leaders shy away from action because it might lead to World War III. We are already into World War III. Our most important enemy is Iran.

Iran is a paper tiger, just like Iraq. It is controlled by cowards who brutalized their own people and enemies in the region. It’s time to take action.

The contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris was a pathetic mudslinging farce. Neither candidate was worthy of victory. Trump was in an attack mode during most of the campaign. He denigrated Harris to an extent that it enabled him to decisively defeat the latest woman who dreamed of becoming president.

Harris on the other hand showered the electorate with platitudes and mumbo jumbo that voters could not relate to. She lost ground in almost every major voter category.

In the end, Trump won over 300 electoral votes, defeated Harris in every battle battleground state and won over large blocks of African American and Latino voters. It was not technically a landslide victory,  but it certainly was decisive. Weather it gave Trump a strong mandate is debatable.

As an aside, I voted but did not choose a presidential candidate, given that neither candidate was qualified, in my opinion.

It’s over, and Trump will move into the White House in a couple of weeks. But who will he choose to assist him and what will be the plan to Make America Great Again. Trump has already begun to select controversial individuals that will put him at odds with Congress. It’s going to be a tough process to say the least.

Will the Senate give Trump carte blanche and allow him to select MeToo violators. I guess it makes sense since Trump is an offender himself. Will the Senate rubber stamp his selections? Will the Senate allow Trump to pick cabinet members without a full public vetting? We shall see. It’s too bad that Trump has decided to challenge both his Democratic enemies and members of his own party. It seems like the man enjoys the sport of defying others, even when it is unproductive.

But let’s talk about some of the issues that Trump is focused on.

The economy. Trump has promised to fight inflation and bring the US economy back to where he left it four years ago. Unfortunately, Trump has been talking about doing things that may make his stated objectives difficult to achieve. Most importantly is the application of tariffs on exports from China and other countries that compete with the US. Ill-conceived tariffs will worsen inflation as foreign goods cost US consumers more to buy. Trump must be thoughtful in his decisions to impose tariffs. The benefits of hammering the Chinese economy must be weighed against the inflationary impact of higher prices.

Trump has taken aim at the Federal Reserve and its current leader Jerome Powell, an age-old tactic of US presidents who think they are economy experts. It would be unwise to demand Powell’s resignation as Powell is on the brink of managing the US economy through a dangerous time.

Immigration. Trump wants to do some very bold things to solve the immigration crisis. His strategy should be to first stop the flow of new illegal aliens across the border. This can be accomplished only with a large force of agents at the border. In fact, using U.S. military assets would make sense. The border should be closed until the US enacts new immigration policies, as difficult as that might be.

The next most significant issue is finding and securing the lost children of the immigration debacle. An unknown number of children are unaccounted for. How could the Biden administration overlook or ignore this situatuion. Sex trafficking and abuse are commonplace.

The third leg is to root out illegals that are criminals. No one knows how many interlopers are guilty of crimes back in their home countries. But we must find them, apprehend them and send them back to where they came from. Every day there seems to be new reports of illegal aliens committing crimes against Americans, which will put pressure on our lawmakers to take action.

And finally, the US must initiate a new policy for law abiding illegals. This will be the most difficult task and involve compassion, fairness and common sense. It could affect 10 or 15 million immigrants.

Israel. The US must support Israel without delay and at any expense. The failure to end the violence in the Middle East will soon have repercussions in America (terrorist strikes, for instance). The US must negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. It must hunt down the agitators who encourage terrorism. The US must aggressively destroy the current regime in Iran that supports so much of the destabilization in the region.

Trump wants to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the issues that are causing so much death and destruction. Netanyahu will listen to Trump, and the latter must make all Israelis believe he will protect their sovereignty and security.

War with Iran, economic and political, is inevitable. The US should not delay severe economic sanctions that will bankrupt Iran. Without money, Iran will be unable to support radical elements in the Middle East.

Further, the US should retaliate in kind to every hostile activity by Iran. Targeting the country’s nuclear activities and conventional weapons must begin immediately before Iran develops a WMD that could be used against Israel and possibly the US.

Trump must continue to demand that all allies pay their fair share in dealing with problems globally. The US has lost credibility during the Biden administration. Hopefully, with the advice of his cabinet, Trump will be able to make America great again.

Trump has a unique opportunity to lead the world and help make it a more peaceful place. The first thing he must do is to try to relate to all Americans and our allies.

What are the odds that he will take this opportunity? Given the kind of man Donald Trump has proven to be, it is doubtful that he will try to placate his adversaries. But stranger things have happened.

Softball Politics has considered the threat that Iran poses to countries in the Middle East and around the world on many occasions during the past ten years. The conclusion has always been to fight back against the criminal and murderous efforts of Iran and abandonment of futile efforts to make peace with the ayatollahs.

I was against a nuclear treaty, which enabled the ayatollahs to complete their research and development for a weapon of mass destruction (in spite of a long-standing policy to prevent Iran developing a WMD). Many people have expressed the same feelings as I have about the dastardly objectives of the rogue state, yet the Biden administration has done nothing to incentivize Iran to give up its nuclear aspirations.   

Biden has foolishly canceled or failed to enforce sanctions by Trump against Iran that effectively bankrupted Iran. This inaction has resulted in tremendous cash flow to the rogue state in the form of oil revenues and release of usurped funds, which have been used by the corrupt government to terrorize its enemies including Sunni Arab countries, the US and of course Israel.

Recently leaders of Iran have been colluding with terrorist allies to kill American politicians and officeholders. Many people in the know believe that the recent attempts to kill Donald Trump have been financed and/or fostered by Iran. In the meantime, congressional committees are solely focused on whether the Secret Service is performing its role to protect our leaders. Not enough attention has been given to the WMDs that are being built.

The people who are critical of Israeli actions against Hamas and Hezbollah are misguided. The Israeli people are fighting to protect their democracy and provide security for its people. Given the diabolical tactics employed by Iran to destroy the State of Israel, collateral damage is to be expected. Terrorists use innocent people as shields. They are in a crossfire occupying buildings which house soldiers and weapons.

The time is drawing near when the US will be swept into direct confrontation with Iran. We must destroy terrorist organizations and the countries that support them so the region might enjoy peace in the future. The US should use this opportunity to put to rest the threat being directed at Israel by Iran and its allies.

All efforts by Iran and its allies to disrupt the Middle East should be met with commensurate military force by the US. War is inevitable with Iran.

I’m confused about the perspectives of potential presidential voters. A most important race is now underway. Americans must vote for either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. All of the whining about the quality of our choices is for naught. We’re stuck with lousy options. One of them will be moving into the White House in January. But, there is talk about who would be the best of two evils.

Who do you want in the White House next year? Who would be most effective dealing with the problems facing our country? We shouldn’t be voting for the most fashionable person or the glitziest personality? We shouldn’t be worrying about electing a woman or a black person. No, it should be an individual that can lead the US most effectively regardless of his or her style.

Our presidents have historically helped other countries around the world solve problems with good advice and money. For instance, the next U.S. President should be very familiar with current events in the Middle East, the things that need to be negotiated and whether Palestinians and Israelis should have a one state or two state arrangement.

There are pros and cons to either of these strategies. In a two state deal, land must be carved out for each side and Jerusalem will need to be accessible to both countries for religious purposes. Israel will want to have control in places assuming that Palestinians change their minds and resort to terrorism as has occurred so many times previously.

A one state solution is just as burdensome. Israel will insist on dominating the new joint government and Palestinians will want to have a strong say in the operation of the new government. How will terrorists, anti-Semites and troublemakers be dealt with?

Who do you want to represent the US as it deals with this problematic situation? Which president do you want to deal with a dangerous and existential threat led by Iran, the most powerful Shiite country? The violence will likely not end if the parties adopt a one or two state solution. Neither Iran nor Israel will give up the fight.

In the meantime, Iran is developing a nuclear bomb, which will be used to intimidate its enemies in the region. Iran wants the US out of the Middle East and the demise of Sunni regimes. In fact, Iran is more fervent in its desire to kill Sunnis than Israelis and Americans. It’s a 1,000-year feud.

The Middle East situation has been festering since Israel was established after World War II. Palestinian leaders such as Yasser Arafat have been jerking the chain of Israel for years. It’s not going to stop. The Palestinian population is growing exponentially as compared to the citizenry of Israel. The Palestinian and Iran support of terrorism will never end until Israel is exterminated. Which candidate has the vision and background to mediate Mideastern diplomacy?

Who do you want to negotiate with Palestine and Iran? Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor in San Francisco, or Trump? Notwithstanding the personality issues of the latter, Trump will be stronger and more effective in the Middle East brouhaha.

The immigration debacle along the southern border is another fight that needs strong leadership, and a man or woman who has the stature to say no to the corrupt leaders of all the countries that are encouraging illegal immigration into the US. Already illegals total 15 to 20 million people that have invaded our country. We need a determined person to say no more often. Harris has not stated how she would bring an end to illegal immigration. She was supposedly responsible for immigration in the Biden administration and did nothing to quell the situation.

How has immigration hurt our country? Illegal immigrants have overwhelmed the medical systems and the educational systems in America. Illegals have committed crimes as they fight for food and shelter. They are overwhelming our local authorities. They are being promised full citizenship by Harris and liberal Democrats. They are bankrupting cities and towns across the country.

Will Kamala fix these problems? Based upon her performance as immigration czar, you would be foolish to think she can deal with the future invasion of illegal aliens. Trump is a more viable leader to deal with the hard choices that must be made. He has always taken a strong position about illegal immigration.

Trump has very real faults, terrible character and questionable leadership style. But he’s all we have at the moment. Perhaps some geniuses that run corporations will turn to politics and take us out of the conundrum that we’re in. In the meantime, Trump is all we have to lean on. I reluctantly support Trump given the choices available.

Democrats have a tough decision to make. Unfortunately, they are on the verge of making a mistake by choosing Kamala Harris as their presidential nominee. This will follow a huge misstep when they selected Joe Biden in 2020. He turned out to be a disastrous president. Many agree with Donald Trump that he is the worst president ever.

America has experienced every kind of problem during the last three plus years. Millions of illegal aliens have overwhelmed our country, crime is rampant in urban centers, inflation has hurt the middle class and America’s status has suffered greatly in the global diplomatic arena.

What are Democrats missing in their choice of Kamala? Most important is her lack of experience. Generally, nominees for president who are congressional people are seriously lacking in administrative and foreign affairs training. Barack Obama’s lack of political savvy resulted in his loss of control of Congress when he unwisely rammed through his health care initiative. Teddy Kennedy died, and a Republican replaced him, resulting in a loss of filibuster protection. Afterwards, Obama had very few legislative achievements. Obama had two-year’s experience as a senator and worked as a community politician previously.

Kamala’s background is even more sparse. She was a prosecutor that flip-flopped about whether she was going to be strong against crime or progressive (in other words put felons in jail or release them). Her 3 1/2 years with Biden were unimpressive. She did little regarding illegal immigration.

She was a frequent target of conservatives for her rambling speeches that made little sense; and she often laughed when discussing important topics. Kamala dropped out of the presidential primary campaign before any voting took place.

Joe Biden was a total bust in his debate with Trump, and the leaders of the Democratic Party demanded that he drop out of contention for another term. His ego prevented him from leaving earlier, and Democrats had no choice but to select Kamala.

Democrats are about to double-down on another weak candidate. Kamala is not qualified to deal with terrorism, wars, famine, anti-Semitism, crime and an opposing party which will make gains in congressional elections in November.

If Kamala decides to debate Trump, it will be a bad day and yet another embarrassing moment for Democrats. Other more qualified potential selections for the Democratic presidential nomination are right to avoid this round of elections and just deal with four years of Trump’s lame duck rule.

Rich Democrats were quick to shower Kamala with plenty of cash. This money will not be enough to offset Kamala’s shortcomings.

Note: Biden’s decision to not run for president again and not resign before the election is creating some interesting issues. If he resigns before the election, Kamala would become president. If he does not resign, he would remain as president and responsible for the next five months.

One wonders, if Biden is too feeble, physically or mentally, shouldn’t he be required to give up the position immediately? Someone has to make important decisions.

Keep in mind while reading this blog entry that I am adamantly opposed to the reelection of Joe Biden as president of the United States. The important issues that should disqualify Joe are being swept under the table by his sycophants and hardcore Democratic supporters. Unfortunately, I am equally disturbed about Donald Trump someday dictating from the Oval Office once again.

Joe is taking criticism of his candidacy too seriously. His former supporters think he has done a good job during his first term as president; I know, its hard to believe. I’ll discuss this later. But Joe is very obviously slipping, cognitively and physically. There is no shame in growing old and suddenly noticing that you are not so sharp when you debate and not so adept taking care of yourself, so you don’t take a fall down a flight of stairs or off a stage.

I’m 75, and I have slowed down dramatically in recent years. I played football, baseball and wrestled in high school; I played rugby for four years in college; I ran seven marathons as a much younger man. I work out strenuously every day. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which I battle on a daily basis. As a matter of fact, when Joe shuffles on camera, it could be because he also suffers from this affliction.

Just in case you are uninformed about the issues that you may face as an older person, I offer the following:

Every morning, you will be stiff getting out of bed. It takes a while to stretch out and walk erect.

Your fine motor skills will deteriorate over time. Drying yourself after showering is a process. Eating a salad that is not chopped is an ordeal. Eating and cutting steak is difficult. Walking long distances is painful. Buttoning buttons is an effort. Tying your shoelaces is frustrating. And finally, you may not be able to read your own handwriting.

Given that 100% of the older population suffers from one or more of these symptoms, why do young people look down on the aged? They will be in the same boat someday. And so, I feel for Joe.

Mentally, most people will slow down as well when they are older. Sometimes you’ll be forgetful and often you will not be able to remember names of famous people like The Rolling Stones. But so what? Be thankful that you can recall the names of your grandchildren and extended family.

I’m willing to give Joe a break on these issues. What I’m not inclined to do is give him a pass on his politics and his actions, and non-action, relating to the economy (inflation and taxes), immigration (he has enabled millions of undocumented aliens to enter our country at a great cost socially and financially) and his stance on crime.

It’s selfish and egotistical for Joe to ignore his physical and mental shortcomings that will, no doubt affect his ability to lead America. After all, it isn’t easy to be president. If he is not up to the job, he should recognize it and drop out of the election.

A very important concern regarding Joe’s likely departure from the campaign is that Kamala Harris is a front runner to take his place. I’m not going to go into a diatribe about the shortcomings of this person, other than to say that she has been obviously incompetent as vice president and has been disingenuous about her true feelings regarding crime and poverty. Frankly, I think Joe Biden would be better than having Kamala Harris as the next president of the country.

Some things never get old. For me, attending Rolling Stones’ concerts is an experience I have enjoyed over and over for 55 years. I attended my first concert in 1969 where I witnessed Mick Jagger for the first time. I was blown away as Jagger strutted across the stage in his Omega Man outfit. I’ve lost count, but I believe I’ve gone to about 14 more concerts since my first.

The Stones personify rock and roll around the world. They are the recognized royalty of rock. Their performances have been lauded by fans for over 60 years. That’s a long time for anyone to listen to Gimme Shelter and Satisfaction over and over again.

What makes The Rolling Stones so special? For one thing their longevity is remarkable. No singer or band has entertained the masses for the length of time that the Stones have. No musicians have dared to perform so many different music sub-genres as the Stones- hard rock, country, country rock, ballads, soul, dancing tunes, etc. The band has captured the interest of billions of people worldwide.

Keep in mind, the critical band members are now 80 years old, and Charlie Watts is now gone. Jagger still dances, teases and sexualizes Stones’ music. Richards is the person who provides the tempo and leads the band. He is a maestro rhythm guitar player.

The diversity of the Stones has enabled them to create a truly iconic portfolio of songs that concert attendees have enjoyed for so long. The old songs are so good that new tracks created by Jagger and Richards have no chance of replacing them.

The Stones play their new music, and the audience patiently waits for Jagger to sing the old favorites, Honky Tonk Woman, Gimme Shelter, Start Me Up, She’s a Rainbow and Satisfaction.

I attended two Stones’ concerts in the past month and will attend another one in July. I’m distraught that the band may be reaching a point where they cannot or will not play any longer be it because of death, old age or just being tired of playing the same songs over and over. It brings a tear to my eye that this miraculous career of the Stones must end.

As I watched Jagger perform with so much energy, I sometimes wish the Stones could play forever. Stones’ music reflects my younger days; I’m a child of the 60s. Protest, war, social injustice, contempt for authority and all the things that young people want to stress in this day and age are issues I experienced 50+ years ago. Unfortunately, there are two problems with this observation. The issues of 2024 are not as striking as those of 1965 to 1975 (Vietnam- 50,000 dead soldiers and serious civil rights abuses), and the music industry does not have any leaders of the same stature as Mick Jagger who can still evoke the strong feelings reminiscent of 1970.

Gimme Shelter is a plea for peace and tranquility. The feelings that it stirs are horrifying. The plethora of females who have sung the song with Jagger reflect the trouble of the 60s and 70s. When Jagger’s partners take the stage during Gimme Shelter it’s a sad and wondrous moment.

I would like to be asked to eulogize Jagger when his time passes. Corresponding, I would like him to sing at my funeral, when I’m gone. Not sure which song I would select, probably Gimme Shelter or Satisfaction.

Long live the Stones. Long live their music. Long live rock and roll.

At the expense of sounding overly hawkish and unappreciative of the effects of war, I want to strongly recommend that maximum pressure be exerted on Iran during this current moment of chaos by the US and Israel.

It’s likely that Iran will be focused on forming a new government given that several senior officials were killed in a helicopter crash this week. By responding aggressively now, the US and Israel could inspire anarchy and an attitudinal change in the new lineup of leaders in Iran.

The big question is what are Iran’s intentions in the region short term and long term? Is Iran marking time until it develops a nuclear weapon? The US and the Middle East will be in a precarious predicament when, and if, Iran can back its threats with a weapon of mass destruction.

The world should expect Iran to ultimately step up its objective of destabilization of the region with its enemies when a bomb is in its arsenal. The new government of Iran will surely reflect the demented vision of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader. Khamenei will need to consider the temperature of Iranians throughout the country. There may be an opportunity to disrupt the country before the ayatollahs have a dangerous weapon and convince their followers to go to war on a larger scale.

I believe the drama of the leadership changes gives the US and Israel an opportune time to step up military actions against Iran. This can be done while they are pondering their next moves in the region. A total economic blitz is also advisable. Anything the US can do to create economic turmoil in Iran would be wise to implement. Of note, preventing Iran from selling oil would be a good strategy. In essence we should try to bankrupt Iran.

Militarily, the US and Israel have the right to defend themselves and their allies. Far greater responses to actions by Iran to destabilize the area are justified. This would include terrorism perpetrated by Iran’s proxies against the US, Israel and other countries.

Iran will not counter with an existential response because it cannot afford to enter into a full-blown war with the US and Israel. Targets should be military encampments and areas where Iran’s proxies are amassing. This would include actions against Hamas, Hezbollah and any other terrorist groups operating in the area. It is time to dramatically weaken Iran economically, diplomatically and militarily. It is highly doubtful any major countries would do anything to stop the US except to jawbone against our actions.

Of critical importance is an opportunity to destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Destroying these facilities will be a giant leap towards a safer and more peaceful Middle East.

Iran is becoming more of an existential threat every day. The efforts of Iran to build a nuclear bomb will come to fruition if the US or Israel does not respond before this fateful day. If Iran responds with force, it should be no problem for the US to destroy Iran expeditiously, as we did with Iraq in the first war.

There will be no peace until the threats of Iran are dealt with. Most of the world will appreciate efforts of the US to do so.

I have lived through a multitude of life experiences in my seven decades. Most of them have been happy and rewarding.

Of note, I have been blessed with wonderful children and a spectacular wife, a partner for many years. Additionally, I have had a few different careers that challenged me as a businessman and a person of letters.

During my life, there have also been some very sad moments when I lost confidence in my country and my fellow Americans. It seems as though the worst days have happened in recent years.

My early years in high school were very rewarding and fulfilling. My relationship with my parents, who are gone, was excellent throughout my time with them. Frankly, I never had a serious argument with my mom and dad. In fact, on Mother’s Day and I remembered my loving mom as most people on this occasion.

Career-wise, I was fortunate. My lifestyle for the last 50 years has been exciting as a businessman, author and blogger.

What has been disappointing are the challenges around the world that seriously damage my confidence in my fellow man, and women. Never-ending conflicts (ie.,Vietnam), continuing episodes of bigotry and genocide, insane moments of terrorism such as 9/11 and extreme polarization between America and other countries have been depressing and sometimes create existential threats to humanity. The latest conflict between Israel and Hamas has no logical end.

A lot has happened during my life, so I’ll focus on the last 10 to 15 years. I want to discuss my expectations for mankind and womankind.

Lifestyles around the world are not satisfactory in many places. Starvation, wars, genocide, bigotry, religious fanaticism and ignorance have played a major role in events during the last two decades. There are many who still fight with each other because they pray to a different god. And, there are many who carry thousand year grudges against other social groups.

Specifically, in America, college students are singing an old and disgraceful song; it’s entitled “Anti-Semitism.” On the heals of centuries of discrimination, including the Holocaust, some are once again attributing their hardships to Jews around the world.

Although Black Americans have made strides towards equality, the group still suffers from poverty, poor education and financial stress.

America sends aid to many countries that are supposed to 
ingratiate the US around the world. American arrogance taints our generosity, as the US stands alone on so many important issues affecting lives of so many. Read what diplomats say about America while speaking to the United Nations General Assembly.

Since foreign aid is a burden on our financial system, why wouldn’t we divert it to meet the needs of Americans who are homeless and hungry. We accommodate interlopers on our borders, caring for those who enter our country illegally, and there are thousands of people starving in America.

Our country has made little progress decreasing military expenditures. All the advanced weapons we build each year are not even being used to keep the peace, while many Americans don’t know where their next meal might come from.

One of the greatest disappointments has been our government. A lack of effective leadership has resulted in existential problems and unprecedented polarization. Republicans and Democrats must have productive debates about many issues. This polarization results in government paralysis. 

Urban schools are shameful. The government keeps throwing money at the system and every year students do not meet minimum standards and are far behind other developed countries. An over aggressive teachers’ union has been eroding our school for years.

My great expectations cover important issues in the world. Of particular importance is the need for more food, clean water, medicine and shelter for people everywhere.

We must stop wasting money on weapons that can end the world by conducting peaceful negotiations, in highly unstable areas around the globe. 

We must elect new leaders that can build an effective majority in Congress and in state and local  governments. Neither Trump nor Biden is competent in this regard.

We must learn to listen, teach, heal, and befriend others so that we can improve all the things that would make our world a better place to live.