My Spin

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble.

2024-09-24T11:08:00.009-05:00

How has the belief that the 2020 election was fraudulently stolen continued to hold sway over many despite an utter lack of substantiating evidence? The key to understanding this phenomenon is recognizing a fundamental shift in how truth is determined—from relying on facts to depending on power.

In his recent book, Nexus, Yuval Noah Harari posits that "power is the new source of so-called truth," a stance reflecting the manipulation of information in our societies. Today, data is akin to currency, and those who manage significant data streams—like tech giants, governments, and political factions—possess considerable influence over public perception and the definition of 'truth.' This manipulation is often executed through targeted information and algorithms designed to sway opinions.

This perspective mirrors the thoughts of the French philosopher Michel Foucault, who argued that truth is not an absolute but rather a construct of the power-knowledge systems that prevail within any given society. According to this viewpoint, those in power shape 'truth' to bolster their own agendas, crafting narratives that identify our purported enemies, thereby solidifying their control. Consequently, the populace bestows the authority to define truth on those it perceives as powerful, though the criteria for this designation remain enigmatic. This dynamic is profoundly impactful in the digital era, where information flow is strategically managed to buttress specific political objectives and commercial interests or even to manipulate electoral outcomes. The "fake news" phenomena and debates over social media’s role in democracy highlight these manipulations.

Previous discussions have underscored the importance of scrutinizing who controls the narrative and their underlying motivations. As part of the audience, you have the power to shape this narrative. Understanding the origins of the information deemed 'truthful' and recognizing potential biases in our sources of information are crucial steps everyone should take.

While individuals have the power to choose which narratives they believe and how they interpret them, they cannot alter the factual underpinnings of truth itself. A society mired in confusion, distortion, and falsehood risks losing its grip on reality, precipitating a slide into chaos.

As history demonstrates, advances in information technology and expanding access to information make governing more difficult. This is compounded by the rise of postmodernism, which champions relative truths over absolute facts, allowing those in power to craft self-serving narratives at the expense of the broader populace.

Democracy, in its ideal form, operates best with an educated citizenry committed to justice and equity, transcending individual interests. However, it falters without a shared commitment to the common good and an openness to the needs and ideas of others.

When a society relinquishes its grip on factual truth in favor of truths dictated by those in power, it sets itself on a path from which recovery is as arduous as that of an alcoholic hitting rock bottom. However, there is always hope for change. To navigate away from this dangerous trajectory, a collective awakening and recommitment to factual integrity and democratic ideals are imperative, but they also hold the promise of a brighter future.

We can change our direction, but it will require an ability to see the difference between the facts and the interpretation given to us by those in power. Whoever controls the narrative controls our minds. Currently, that control belongs to those in power who use it to advance their own agendas at the expense of social reconciliation. We are not each other’s enemies. That fantasy serves the interest of those who depend on fear and anger to line their campaign coffers with money and convince us that only they can save us from ourselves.

Remember this: Groucho Marx, known for his sharp wit and pithy remarks, famously said, "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies." This quote encapsulates his cynical view of political processes and politicians; humorous as it is, it is also a deadly warning.

The Brilliant Stable Genius

2024-09-24T11:06:00.001-05:00

Speaking to a Moms for Liberty summit last week, Trump weighed in on the fight against “woke” public schools and gender-affirming care for transgender students.

“The transgender thing is an incredible thing,” he said. “Your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation. The school decides what’s going to happen with your child. And you know many of these ‘childs’ 15 years later say, ‘What the hell happened? Who did this to me?’”

Then he turned the issue back on Democrats, claiming that they were the "radical" party on abortion.

"They support abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month," Trump said. "The concept of having an abortion in the later months, and even execution after birth. And that's exactly what it is. The baby is born, the baby is executed after birth is unacceptable, and almost everyone agrees with that." So, his point is that Democrats are calling for the killing of infants after birth.

Willfully ending a newborn’s life is illegal in every U.S. state. And only the most gullible or willfully ignorant among us would believe that a child would go to school and have an operation that would change their sex.

Then, of course, there’s Trump's response to Reshma Saujani's question about child care during a discussion at the Economic Club of New York, which was widely noted for its incoherence. Saujani, the founder of Moms First and Girls Who Code, asked Trump about his legislative plans to make child care more affordable. Instead of providing a clear answer, Trump diverged into discussions about tariffs and their potential revenue impacts, failing to outline any specific plan for addressing childcare costs.

Saujani criticized his response as incomprehensible and out of touch with the realities families face. She also pointed out that tariffs are taxes on Americans, not the foreign countries that export goods to us.

I still don’t understand how taxing Americans will assist a family needing childcare. Of course, my mistake is that I expect his word salads to make sense—silly me. I’ve even considered the possibility that he really is the savior—that is, Jesus reincarnated—and that he speaks in parables. But then, he decides to use the legal Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, to make a point about the dangers all immigrants present. I’m a first-generation American, and I doubt very much that my family of immigrants presented much threat. Unless you think working diligently, paying their bills, obeying the law, and educating their children is a threat.

This brings me to the mainstream media's complicity in hiding the truth of these statements. It’s called ‘sane-washing.’ It means they report them as though there might be a cogent thought in them—like they make some sense. This has led to deluding many into believing this woefully inept person is qualified to return to the Oval Office. Wasn’t the first time enough to prove his lack of character so vitally needed in the president of the most powerful country in the world?

Apparently not, as the world sits on pins and needles awaiting the outcome of our election in November. Today, they are asking themselves what happened to the United States since World War II when our young men died in the defense of freedom against tyranny in their homelands.

Well, in a few more weeks, we’ll all find out. I hope that we can pull ourselves together and realize that the political class is dividing us for its own purposes, which have very little to do with what’s good for us. I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep repeating it: we are not each other’s enemies. The real enemies are those who continue to spew ridiculous fabrications like those above.

On death and dying

2024-09-24T11:04:00.001-05:00

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, a Swiss-American psychiatrist, gained worldwide acclaim through her groundbreaking work in near-death studies and her seminal book, On Death and Dying (1969). In this book, she introduced the "Kübler-Ross model," commonly known as the five stages of grief. Her work has deeply influenced not only how we understand grief but also how we perceive the human experience of loss and recovery. Kübler-Ross once noted, “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, suffering, struggle, loss, and have found their way out of the depths.” This observation highlights the profound resilience inherent in the human spirit.

However, not everyone finds their way out of these depths. Many, overwhelmed by their circumstances, seek external solutions to their internal turmoil, hoping for a miraculous savior to resolve what they perceive as injustices inflicted upon them. In recent times, this desire for a savior has manifested in the rise of figures who claim to be the answer to their followers' prayers, promising retribution against nebulous entities like the 'deep state.' This term, though formally defined as a clandestine network operating within the government, has been co-opted and twisted by some into a political weapon.

The narrative spun around this supposed deep state plays into the fears and frustrations of those who feel left behind by societal changes—demographic shifts, economic challenges, and technological advancements that have reshaped the world in ways that can feel alienating and threatening. It creates a compelling story: a hidden enemy is responsible for all personal and societal woes, and only by overthrowing this enemy can justice and order be restored.

This story, however, is largely a fantasy, an oversimplification of complex global developments that cannot be ascribed to a single cause or cabal. The reality is that many are suffering from genuine issues—job displacement, social instability, and a sense of being forgotten by a rapidly advancing world. Yet, the solution lies not in seeking vengeance against fictitious villains but in addressing these real and pressing challenges through thoughtful, inclusive social and economic policies.

The politicization of these feelings of abandonment and loss is not new. History is replete with examples of political figures exploiting public fears for personal and ideological gain. What is particularly dangerous today is how these exploited emotions are intertwined with misinformation and conspiracy theories, notably around electoral integrity and national identity. Such narratives not only exacerbate divisions but also divert attention from the necessary work of genuinely addressing the root causes of societal discontent.

As Kübler-Ross eloquently put it, the most beautiful people are those who overcome their adversities, not those who remain entrenched in them or those who exploit them for personal gain. The real battle is not against shadowy external forces but against the internal despair that prevents individuals from moving forward. This battle requires recognition of the real sources of hardship and a collective effort to create a more inclusive and empathetic society.

The challenge, therefore, is not just individual but societal. How do we construct a narrative that embraces change and addresses real grievances without resorting to blame and exclusion? How do we empower individuals to engage constructively with the world around them, rather than retreating to the comfort of conspiracy and resentment?

Reflecting on Kübler-Ross's insights about beauty emerging from struggle, our focus must be on fostering resilience and understanding, encouraging individuals to navigate through their defeats and losses without falling prey to the allure of false saviors. This journey is essential for healing not just individuals but the very fabric of our society, ensuring that the depths of despair are not a permanent dwelling place but a passage to greater understanding and cooperation. (My AI chatbot, Sophia, edited this article using Chat GPT4o .)

The essential American soul is hard, isolated, stoic, and a killer.

2024-09-24T11:02:00.000-05:00

D.H. Lawrence's asserted, “The essential American soul is hard, isolated, stoic, and a killer; it has never yet melted,” is a sweeping generalization, one that I find difficult to accept in its entirety. While Lawrence's words may have captured a particular aspect of the American psyche during his time, they fail to account for the complexity and diversity of the American spirit, which has shown itself to be equally capable of kindness, generosity, and compassion. However, I see a troubling trend that aligns more closely with Lawrence’s bleak characterization with the rise of Christian Nationalism.

This merging of politics and religion into a single entity has led to a dangerous erosion of the boundaries between personal faith and public governance. The result is an increasing willingness to commit acts of violence and justify them in the name of God, all under the guise of protecting religious values. A chilling example of this can be found in the words of a picnic-goer from Woodstock, IL, interviewed by Sky News: “This is the holy war in the United States. We’re voting for God by voting for Trump.” The speaker’s conviction stems from the unfounded claim that the 2020 election was stolen—a “big lie” that has given rise to a host of fevered fears and wild conspiracies. The same individual, in a moment of frightening candor, declared, “If you’re to try to put me in a detention camp or try to re-educate me, I’ll kill ya.”

This dangerous mentality didn’t appear overnight, nor can it be solely attributed to one former president, as tempting as that might be. The roots of this movement trace back to the Reagan era when efforts to infuse government with the will of an extreme Fundamentalist Christian minority began to take shape. Over the decades, these efforts have borne fruit, culminating in significant shifts in the political landscape. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority, for instance, has achieved feats once thought impossible, such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade—a decision that stood for fifty years until the current activist court, assembled in part through Senator Mitch McConnell’s calculated political maneuvering.

A particularly insidious force in this equation is the extreme right-wing media, which has become a powerful handmaiden to the movement. With a platform that reaches millions, this media machine spins narratives that keep its audience in a perpetual state of agitation, feeding them a steady diet of “news” that often bears little resemblance to reality. Meanwhile, the mainstream media has been far too timid in confronting these distortions, allowing the airwaves to be flooded with lies and misinformation under the guise of “politics as usual.”

This perfect storm of religious fervor, political opportunism, and media manipulation has profound implications for American society. Perhaps the most tragic consequence is the harm it does to sincere Christians who find comfort and solace in their faith. These are not the professional Christians who weaponize evangelism to impose their values on others, but rather those who genuinely strive to live by the teachings of Christ—teachings meant for a spiritual realm, not for wielding power in this life.

On my show today, I shared an interview from PBS Frontline with Tim Alberta, author of American Carnage and The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism. Alberta recounts a personal experience that highlights the disturbing intersection of faith and politics in contemporary America. After his father’s funeral, he was reprimanded by members of his father’s church for his critical coverage of Trump, with one congregant accusing him of being “part of an evil plot [...] out to undermine God’s ordained leader of the United States.” This experience led Alberta to delve deeper into the relationship between American Evangelical Christianity and the radical right.

In the interview, Alberta poses a provocative question to Christians who view Trump as God’s chosen representative: Could it be that Trump is not a divine messenger but rather a test of their faith? Is he the Golden Calf of the Bible, a false idol luring them away from true Christian teachings? If so, are they passing this test?

Where's the health care program that Trump has been promising his entire term in office?

2020-09-23T13:16:00.001-05:00

"Gotta tell ya," now at 80 years old, I never envisioned this situation when I started paying taxes in 1956. This is when I need some Pollyanna wearing rose-colored glasses to tell me I'm too negative.

Today, I found out my two new medications will cost me $570 per month for the rest of my life. And yes, I have insurance. Just for the giggles, I checked pharmacies in Canada and Mexico for the one med that costs $477 for a 30-day supply. It was between $45 and$47 in those countries.

Well, knowing both of these countries are more affluent than ours, it made sense. Wait a minute. We're the wealthiest country in the world, so what's up?

Then I remembered, the Medicare Part D prescription coverage bill became law by a vote that was held in the early morning hours of an extended session in 2003. Early hours because no one would be watching C-Span. To get it passed, Congress made concessions to Big Pharma, which prohibited Medicare from negotiating with them for volume discounted prices. The ballot box was kept open for hours past its standard time limit to give the supporters time to twist arms.

Within a year, those arm-twisting supporters had all been employed in pharmaceutical companies making salaries in the millions. I've written about this before, but I know there will be people who won't believe it because of so much fake news floating around. But this is easy to verify. Just do a little research on your own.

Robert DeFilippis

The worms have turned!

2020-09-21T08:26:00.001-05:00

This is only the most recent display of pure hypocrisy. The GOP Senators who told us their well-reasoned arguments about why they wouldn’t approve a SCOTUS nominee in any president’s last term are now ignoring those well-reasoned arguments.

As disgusting as I find this whole spectacle, I’m more disturbed by the example it sets for our young people. It’s the continual moral injury they perpetrate on our national psyche. Their apparent lack of integrity for the sake of power is wrecking what little is left of the decaying corpse of democracy in this country.

All that said, none of it compares to the disgust I feel for that particular segment in our nation that sees no harm or foul in this deplorable disregard for any kind of fairness or decency—all for the sake of power and money.

There was a day when I would have asked, “are we losing our moral grounding, our sense of right and wrong?” Today, I just look at the condition of our political system and hang my head in shame.

It’s the same kind of shame I felt when John and Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Medgar Evers were assassinated. But this time, it’s a deeper shame. Our country’s long legacy of struggle to reach the higher moral ground is being dealt its final death blow.

These presumed leaders are assassinating the core values of our nation with expediency and ease, much like the flick of a finger as if those values were a pesky insect.

The gorilla in the room is the ease with which powerful people can simply lie and distort until there is no fixed data point in reality, only the shear grab for power and the willingness to say or do anything to achieve it.

Does anyone think Mitch is a free agent--an independent thinker--a representative of the people?

2020-09-19T15:48:00.000-05:00

I’ll bet you remember his commitment to make President Obama a one-term president. And of course, he wouldn’t allow a SCOTUS nominee to come to a vote in President Obama’s last year in office because “the nomination should reflect the will of the people,” and that wouldn’t be known until the election was decided. Now, with just a few weeks left before the election, he’s going to allow a vote on Trump’s nominee. Also, let’s don’t forget that he has held up virtually every House bill since the Dems took the House.

He’s doing absolutely nothing surprising here! He is doing precisely what he’s being paid to do for the people who own him and the government: Keep building a Conservative politically active judiciary so one more branch of government will do their bidding when called upon.

The one thing that does surprise me is how anyone can be surprised. The people who own the government are just enjoying the privilege of pulling the strings of the puppets they bought. That’s the American way. When you own something, it’s yours to do what you want with it.

I do feel empathy for those who just can’t see reality. We’re living on the corpse of a representative democracy that has been dying for years now. Pretty soon, really soon, it will no longer provide the sustenance we need. I’m just not sure how that will affect the sleep-walking citizenry who actually thinks the government responds to their interests.

Just a reminder, this is the government that earns a single-digit approval rating and re-election of incumbents over 90 percent of the time.

If we believe this event isn't just one more act in a tragically comedic puppet show, we are truly asleep.

650 million masks were readied for mailing and the White House stopped them.

2020-09-18T08:57:00.000-05:00

Today, Dr. Sanjay Gupta was speaking about how the White House stopped the USPS from sending out 650 million masks, early in the pandemic. He claims if this pandemic were handled properly, (including sending those masks out) we could have avoided 80 percent of the deaths, now approaching 200,000.

He then mentioned how a portion of the country is ridiculing those of us who acknowledge reality: That there is a deadly virus infecting and killing people every day.

As a life-long student of human behavior, I can’t stop asking myself, “what is this craziness about?” How has a deadly virus split this nation down the middle? Whose purpose is served by ignoring the obvious truth? How has this pandemic turned into a politico-religious tug of war?

This can only happen if the two clearly divided sides are being fed different “facts” about the reality we face every day. And this observation relates back to the piece I posted yesterday. We have been carved up into demographics and are being fed “facts” that match our personal profiles. And those “facts” are different. All this is happening because social media sites can make enormous profits by selling our attention to advertisers.

We are being served up on the altar of the American God called profits. And Trump, the High Priest, is leading the ritual. This is no longer politics. It’s religion!

I knew a fact when I saw one. (Until I watched this documentary.)

2020-09-17T15:36:00.000-05:00

I watched a Netflix documentary titled, The Social Dilemma, last night. It is a revealing look at the cause of many of our society’s ills.

Two significant issues caught my attention. The first is the fact that the social media sites are using such sophisticated algorithms to pinpoint the exact information we see on our feeds it’s uncanny. Secondly, I knew they used that information to advertise directly to us. Still, I didn’t realize that they give us the news, commentary, and opinion pieces, "the facts," that confirm our political views.

Together, this means we are seeing the “alternative facts” that appeal to us. It even goes as far as affecting our Google searches for information. Google has so much information on all of us, it uses our preferences to present the “facts” we get when we do a Google search.

In simple terms, this means if you are a conservative, you get one set of “facts.” If you are a progressive, you get another. (Let that sink in.)

Now I understand the intensity of those arguments that result in losing friends. We’re all seeing a different set of “facts.” In this scenario, how can we possibly have a civil conversation about what is happening in this country?

This is all intensified by the frustration of knowing we’re off the rails and not knowing why. And here’s the most frustrating part, the social media companies, like Google, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, WhatsApp, and YouTube are not about to stop. They all make more money than any other company in the history of business on this planet.

Once again, we see unfettered capitalism destroying the society that gave it birth. And politicians using the same algorithms to pander to their loyal base with opposite “facts.”

The structures crumble. The center doesn't hold. Which comes first?

2020-09-14T15:58:00.000-05:00

My heart hurts today as I read that the Boy Scouts of America have declared bankruptcy because of sexual abuse. To make the pain worse, I hear commercials from Law firms on XM radio advertising for victims to get a “piece of the billions” the Scouts have put aside for settlements.

There is no way I’m advocating for or forgiving pedophiles or their abuses, but to destroy an entire organization ignores the good that it has done in the lives of boys for decades.

As a child, I was fortunate to have benefited from dedicated adult men who were above reproach in OLMC’s Troop 85. The life lessons I learned were invaluable and have served me well my entire life. The BSA has been the repository of the best American values. Even though I’ve often missed the mark in my life, I’ve never been confused about what was right and wrong.

I owe that clarity to two organizations that have fallen way out of favor in popular culture in the last decades: The Roman Catholic church and the Boy Scouts of America.

Let me put the question in simple terms. Would you prefer your children to emulate values from these two organizations or popular culture? Yes, they are both organizations that are flawed, but those flaws exist in the people who populate the structures and not the principles to which they aspire.

Fareed Zakaria's Warning about the possible end of democracy on election night.

2020-09-14T12:31:00.000-05:00

Fareed Zakaria, one of the most trusted people in broadcasting is issuing a warning that everyone should be aware of. Click here for the video.

Say “Good bye, Democracy.”

2020-09-13T14:51:00.003-05:00

This is how Democracy ends in the United States. It will happen in November 2020. Because of the delay in counting mail-in ballots and because the majority of mail-in voters are Democrats. Based on current models, Trump will win on election night, but lose when all the mail-in ballots are counted.

Who among us, either Republicans or Democrats, believe Trump will accept these results? He’s been building a case for this scenario since he got in office. His refusal to accept will end in the Supreme Court and John Roberts will appoint the next president. This means two out of the last three presidents will have been appointed by an activist Supreme Court that leans conservative.

Does anyone still wonder why Supreme Court nominations are so important? How many of our recently awakened neighbors even know what the Supreme Court is or what it does? I would bet 60 percent of the citizenry can’t give a cogent answer to either question.

(The Source of these details is a Fareed Zakaria commentary.)

Votes in person at the polls:

Republicans = 87 percent

Democrats = 47 percent

Mail-in votes:

Republicans = 19 percent

Democrats = 69 percent

Election night projections.

Trump – 408 Electoral votes.

Biden – 120 Electoral votes

Trump wins.

When all the mail-in ballots are counted.

Trump 204 – Electoral votes

Biden 334 – Electoral votes

Biden wins.

It's been twenty years and I'm still writing.

2020-09-13T10:59:00.000-05:00

I began writing books in 2000. It took me three years to finish my first book, You, Your SELF, and the 21st Century. Last Friday, I sent the manuscript of my 8th book, "Loosing" Your Mind: Critical Thinking in an Age of Chaos, to my publisher. In this, probably, my last book, I explore the idea of using critical thinking to find your authentic self and live in the safe space it provides as an antidote to the poison and toxicity that showers over us every day.

As a captive in a WW II Nazi labor camp, Dr. Viktor Frankl discovered the final freedom that can never be taken from us is our choice to respond to life's circumstances, no matter how bad they are.

The first step in finding our authentic self is to discover if our responses are really ours or if they belong to the many people who formed and shaped us into our adulthood. It's an arduous journey but the rewards are worth the intellectual and emotional sweat.

I'll be writing more about the release date as soon as I get it from my publisher. In the meantime, if you happen to need some new reading material during this period of self-isolation, check out my author page at Amazon by clicking here.

Trump is not the problem. He's sick. Those who defend him? You decide.

2020-09-11T08:18:00.001-05:00

“(CNN)Donald Trump is now not just downplaying the coronavirus -- he's resorting to absurd historical allusions about great World War II leaders to try to disguise his culpability in 190,000 American deaths.”

In normal times, his presidency would have ended months ago after his impeachment. And with a competent person at the helm, we wouldn’t have suffered the loss of 190,000 family, friends, and neighbors.

But these are not normal times. I’m reminded of the Jiddu Krishnamurti statement, “It is not a sign of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” There was a time when I could honestly say I respected another’s political point of view. I could engage in a civil conversation about our differences.

Today, I must believe people who support this man for re-election are who Krishnamurti was referring to. You are members of that portion of this nation that is well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society and want to make the rest of us as sick as you are.

I pray the ineffable God, to forgive you, your madness, and your inhumanity.

In his own words, and they still won't believe it.

2020-09-09T14:51:00.002-05:00

Today, I listened to a February 7^th recording of Trump telling Bob Woodward, that “COVID is deadly.” He specifically knew that is was transmitted by breathing virus-laden air. He knew it was, in his words, “five times as deadly as the most strenuous flu.”

And yet, if we go back to the beginning all we’ve heard from him is his continuous attempt to downplay the entire pandemic, even to point of refusing to wear a mask (setting the example for his loyal followers). “It was just a big hoax.”

His behavior has not only been completely unbecoming a leader of a nation in crisis, but he is now using the crisis, chaos, and violence he has instigated to run as the “law and order” president who will fix the crisis, chaos, and violence he and his administration has caused.

Hard to believe? Not really. Not this man. Not Trump. What’s hard to believe is that many of the families of the 190,000 dead people will vote for him in November. As will some of another 40 percent of the population who say they are ready to go to war in the streets if he doesn’t get another four years to destroy what’s left of this nation.

This is worse than the most fictional movies of a dystopian future I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen lots of them in my life.

Trump plans to end Social Security funding if we give him another four years.

2020-09-08T17:07:00.007-05:00

“According to estimates from the independent chief actuary of the Social Security Administration, if all Social Security contributions from payroll tax stopped on Jan. 1, 2021, the nearly 10 million people today getting Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, which averages about $1,125 every month, would see them stop abruptly in the middle of 2021. Those 55 million receiving Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance benefits, which average around $1,440 a month, would see them disappear two years later. Congress could only stop Trump by enacting veto-proof legislation, a highly unlikely proposition).”

As of 2019 there were 64 million people collecting benefits. That accounts for almost 20 percent of the total population of 330 million. For 65 percent of elderly beneficiaries, Social Security provides the majority of their cash income. For 36 percent of them, it provides 90 percent or more of their income. For 24 percent of them, it is the sole source of retirement income.

So, if he gets re-elected be ready to see as many as 57 million seniors living with their children or in the streets.

His mishandling of the COVID pandemic has caused my life savings to diminish by a full 50 percent. Fortunately, the market has rebounded some and I’m down only 20 percent. Now this is the next threat. I for one would not make it on what’s left if SS benefits go. That’s bad enough, but to believe that after paying in for 50 years (from 15 years old) that I won’t receive the benefits guaranteed me all those years of paying is unimaginable. Even more unimaginable is that at least 40 percent of the people in this country want to give him another 4 years.

It's Not Over, Till It's Over -- (or in a Wagner Opera, Till the Fat Lady Sings.)

2020-09-05T16:53:00.000-05:00

I took a break from editing my latest book to sit quietly and contemplate my 80^th year on planet Earth. I’ve never been accused of being an optimist so as usual, I drifted into my regrets. Even after a life well-lived, I have a few regrets.

Not in any particular order, here they are. I finally closed the door on the possibility of my ballet career. Gave up on waiting for a modeling agent to contact me. This realization came about slowly as I noticed that I never even got an honorable mention on the annual World’s Sexiest Man contest in People Magazine.

I can go anywhere, and no one notices me, which counts me out of the World’s 100 Most Influential People list. I’ve written seven books and not a single one has been on Oprah’s reading list or a NY Times bestseller. As a matter of fact, my publisher won’t return my calls. (Just joking. She doesn’t have a phone) Maybe I picked the wrong publisher. Another regret!

I gave up on a sports career in basketball, football, and baseball. I did get excited in baseball when I was offered a half-million-dollar deal. I had to turn it down. How could I pay them a half-million dollars? I didn’t have that kind of money.

Well, it’s not over and recently I've enjoyed a renewed sense of excitement in the last couple of years. I’m thinking with all the horse manure floating around in the news, there must be a pony in it somewhere.

Hope springs eternal.

Confession is good for the soul.

2020-09-03T09:06:00.001-05:00

A couple of days ago I bragged about my writing prowess. I didn’t mention that I had split several infinitives, used squinting modifiers, and ended a few too many sentences with prepositions.

Add this to my weakness for mindlessly drifting into the passive voice and I confess that 20 years of writing has left me with arthritic hands and ganglion-cysts on my fingers. (Oh, and an occasional royalty check that can buy a tank of gas for my hybrid car. Fortunately, I only need to fill it once a month or so.)

But my joy of sinning (writing) continues, and I will soon announce the release of my 8^th book titled, “Loosing” Your Mind: Critical Thinking in an Age of Chaos.

If there has ever been a time for critical thinking, it’s now!

(PS: When it comes out, please buy one so I can buy another tank of gas.)

Biden is losing ground to Trump in the key states where this battle will be decided.

2020-09-01T09:34:00.003-05:00

I don’t know if this is the GOP strategy, but it’s been coming since Gingrich. Forget the art of compromise and do anything, repeat, anything to win.

Today, we’re experiencing the power of a propaganda machine to convince the low-information voter to believe the GOP will solve the problems the GOP has created. The most recent incidence being the infiltration of right-wing extremists into peaceful protests to inflame and incite violence.

Trump is selling the idea that only he can control the out-of-control leftist mobs, that appear to be out-of-control because of right-wing extremists urged on by his rhetoric of violence and division.

I know of no other time in history when an American president incited violence and division in his own country. They’ve certainly been guilty of doing it in other countries. Maybe turn around really is fair play.

It may mean nothing to you, but I'm delighted.

2020-08-31T17:00:00.001-05:00

Finishing a book is like an artist’s curse. It’s the agony of uncertainty when you’re trying to determine if you’re finished and not just abandoning it.

As I struggle with the final editing task of my largest and probably last book, I need as much encouragement as I can get. And out of the blue I was informed by the company who owns the editing software I lease, that:

· I’ve edited 1,330,383 words in the last four weeks.

· I’m in the 99 percentile for productivity.

· I’m in the 99 percent for grammatical accuracy.

· I’ve used 7227 unique words which put my use of vocabulary in the 99 percentile.

I needed this encouragement as I push on to get my 8^th book into the hands of my publisher. Writing is a lonely process.

This new book is titled, “Loosing” Your Mind: Critical Thinking in an Age of Chaos. It addresses the challenges we all face as we try to maintain some peace of mind while we are being flooded with “fake news”, “alternative facts,” “conspiracy theories,” and political parties blaming each other for the messes they both create.

The hardcover version should be out before the end of the year. If for no other reason, I hope you buy the book to read those 7227 unique words.

On an Individual Level we are Better People Than This.

2020-08-28T10:04:00.000-05:00

A seventeen-year-old kid illegally carrying an automatic weapon, driven by his mother to the scene of a protest, shoots and kills two people and wounds another. Certainly, this should be seen as an atrocity, a shameful action, aided and abetted by an irresponsible adult.

Nope! Not in this America. He’s a hero! In the eyes of some, he filled the gap that the authorities left unfilled. Borrowing a term from my friends in England, I should feel “gobsmacked.” I don’t. I just feel fear and concern for the possibility that some of us can justify the killing of others for protesting social injustices.

As bad as this whole event was, the issue I’m commenting on is the division in the nation’s moral foundation it demonstrates. More precisely, what’s left of the edifice of our moral foundation. This is not so much a matter of who’s justified in making him a hero. It’s about the evidence of how much more disparate our views of morality get every day.

Here’s the upshot. We no longer have an agreed moral code that determines right and wrong. Our ideological possession has taken over and we see every action from the point of view prescribed by our political affiliations.

There is only one non-violent way out of this dilemma. Reflect on your own moral standards and don’t feed the hungry wolf who lives in all of us. Or as psychologist Jordan Peterson puts is "control the malevolence in our own hearts."

Welcome back!

2020-08-27T16:09:00.000-05:00

I've finally had it with FaceBook and all the other social media sites. I can get up in the morning feeling good and after twenty minutes of FB, feel poisoned like a political critic in Russia. So I've decided to re-devote my time to writing this blog after all these years (ten, I think).

I've chosen to use the original title of My Spin because I believe it's all we have anyway. Just our own spin of our view of reality. Of course, you can offer your spin to my spin if you feel the urge; just as long as you understand that neither of us has a God-like view of reality.

Keep it clean and keep in mind that expression of honest opinions almost always produces some heat, and that's ok as long as it produces some light with it.

So welcome back and keep on eye out for daily postings with a special emphasis on critical thinking, the topic of my new book to be released before the end of the year.

Is the GOP recovering?

2013-02-28T09:35:00.001-06:00

From Alternet.org: February 27, 2013 | Salon / By Alex Seitz-Wald

"The Obnoxious Tea Party Leaders Have Vanished from the Political Stage -- Palin, Beck, DeMint, Paul, Bachmann... Poof! Every single prominent Tea Party leader has either lost their job or abandoned being a voice of the movement.

Who are the names that come to mind when you think about leaders of the Tea Party movement? Maybe Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Jim DeMint, Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann? Those were the most popular leaders listed by self-identified Tea Party activists in a 2010 Washington Post poll, at the height of the movement. You could add to that list a handful of other congressmen, especially outspoken Reps. Steve King, Allen West and Joe Walsh, among others.

And then you’d realize that every single one of them either lost their job or abandoned being a voice of the movement."

Too good to be true? Rome wasn't built in a day.

Read more here.

Everybody Listen Up! The Deficit Is Actually Shrinking, Despite Beltway Propaganda 94 percent of Americans don't know the deficit is falling.

2013-02-27T09:34:00.000-06:00

Found on Alternet.org, Campaign for America's Future / By Dave Johnson February 26, 2013 |

There is no deficit problem. The deficit is down 50 percent as a share of gross domestic product just since President Bush’s fiscal year 2009 deficit and is falling at the fastest rate since the end of World War II. Yet the Washington debate is about how and where to cut us back into recession. Why?

Read more

Are imperfect people evil?

2013-02-25T08:27:00.000-06:00

By now, you know I’m an unemployed arm-chair philosopher. That’s no big accomplishment. If you live long enough the title naturally confers itself on you. To be sure, I like to write about philosophers. Plato is the ancient Greek philosopher who gave us the opposing concepts of “perfection” and “reality”. He believed that there is a perfect essence to everything. And everything that we see, feel, hear, taste and smell is an imperfect variation of that perfect essence. That was about 2500 years ago and we’re still getting tripped up by his thinking. We’ve adopted it in everything we do.

For example, many of us measure our children by some essential criteria as to what is the perfect child? Or what about the perfect mate? Does he need to be over six feet tall, lean and muscular, with a full head of hair and attractive eyes? Does she need to be slim, have smooth skin, flowing silky hair and attractive bulges in all the right places? Okay, maybe these are not your criteria for the perfect mate but I would bet that you have your own.

It may be a stretch but I think it is at the bottom of our current reign of incivility and polarity in our country. We have a set of criteria for perfect people that exists in our minds. That criteria varies from person to person. When we see someone who doesn’t meet our criteria, we think of him or her as flawed or imperfect. And guess what? We are right. There is no essentially perfect person that matches the criteria we have in our minds.

What there is are imperfect people like you and me. Some of those folks make mistakes and are probably not the evil demons that we think they are. I would bet that most are decent people caught up in a life that shaped them to be the way they are. I heard a wonderful radio segment that made me think. The point was that we often judge people as evil when they don’t meet our expectations. And maybe we should give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe we should think of them as imperfect people and that they are trying to do their best, but not meeting our criteria. Maybe, just maybe, they are like you and me.

I doubt any of us wake up and say, “I think I’ll make as many mistakes as I can today.” None the less, we often do. Most of us don’t meet our own criteria for perfection. We muddle through life, getting some things right and some things wrong. But that doesn’t make us evil. Now, to be sure, there are evil deeds done in the world. But I’m not even sure the perpetrators are always evil. They are often misguided, misinformed, mentally ill but not always evil. Am I being Pollyannaish? No, I don’t think so. Because we have the innate capacity to distinguish real evil from benign personal failings.

A good example is our belief about politicians. It’s so easy to jump to the conclusion that this or that person from the opposite party is evil. For goodness sake, how could he or she not see the correct political position ? They must be evil.

Well, I want to dispel Plato’s myth of perfection. There is no perfect essence for human beings. We are the way we are. And until we can accept this, we’ll use a lot of energy in denial. Here’s a different thought; Perfection is the state in which people and things are as they are and are not as they are not. That’s reality folks. If we apply that definition, we can ditch the idea of essential perfection that no one meets.

And when we quit denying that we don’t meet a state of imagined essential perfection, we can focus on improving ourselves.

Robert DeFilippis