Various Revelations II

A continuation of my random thoughts. I don't feel like devoting full essays to them, but they've planted themselves in my head. I don't know if my concerns are legitimate or if I'm just looking at reality through a distorting lens, but here are some of my peeves. Feel free to disagree.

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I've been wondering about the sexual revolution. No. That took place many decades ago. What I'm really wondering about is the genderal revolution which has exploded this century. I hear more and more about LGBTQ rights, and most recently these have revolved around those with sexual dysphoria. I note that more and more clergy are willing to perform wedding ceremonies for those who are – same-sex marriages and the like. And the courts are moving in the direction of making it a crime to have objections, religious or otherwise, to such acts.

And the religious establishment is falling into line. More and more faiths are accepting the trend and approve of what used to be forbidden. Not only do clergy perform same-sex marriages, but increasing numbers are themselves gay or lesbian. All with the approval of the religious hierarchy. I'm interested in learning what their reaction will be (or already is) to transgender ministers and cross-dressing rabbis. Biblical thought has become a fascinating subject. Even for those who reject it.

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There is no question that Donald Trump is my president. And yours. And the president of all those who deny that he is theirs – though they never say who is. In any event, there can be little doubt that he is a very smart man. Anyone with his achievements in business, entertainment, politics, and whatever else must be smart.

But that does not mean that he is wise or good. He has a reputation for being a thin-skinned shoot-from-the-hip type with little concern for the truth, the feelings of others, or the image of America that he is projecting to the world. He is our president, but that doesn't mean we approve of his behavior. It doesn't mean that we're not embarrassed by it. Perhaps it is a pose and his policies will have a beneficial effect on our country; perhaps he'll grow up and grow into his office. We'll see, but I'm not optimistic.

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Most of what I've heard (and some of it may be true?) comes from the radio although the newspapers have some fascinating, if not verifiable, information as well, This particular harangue arose, as usual from a radio report. I knew that soda and most sweet drinks were considered as poison for children (and, to a degree, adults) but I was surprised to hear that some nutritionists recommended that children not drink fruit juice, only water. After all, there's sugar in fruit juice and children should learn not to drink anything sweet.

Over the years I have heard and read an assortment of nutritional (and medical) “truths” only to find that, sometime later, contrary regulations are presented. Eggs have had a rise and fall (I'm not referring to Humpty-Dumpty); the “nutritional pyramid” is revised periodically; salt restrictions, once declared for everyone, no longer apply to much of the population. Add to that the dispute about whether it's good to be skinny or a little overweight and whether skimmed milk is preferable to whole milk. There is disagreement among nutritionists, and with some doctors as well. My choice is to ignore it all and eat what I like. I may not live as long as I might (though I'll never know) but I'll enjoy what I eat.

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There's a big flap over ecology. I've heard about great concern regarding the extinction of various species. Cost should not be the issue. Save them! But evolution's been going on for a long time and, as far as we know, we wouldn't be here if some of the previous species had remained. My children believe I had a pet dinosaur but that's not the case. In fact I'm happy that they're gone.

What's never discussed is that along with losing some, there are new species developing all the time. Some of them may be more beneficial than the ones that are disappearing, but no real comparison is possible. However it's the way of the world. There's nothing to be gained by burdening society in order to preserve species that block our progress.

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That's it for now. I'm sure more will cross my mind as the days go by and this is far easier than writing long essays on each. Stay tuned.

The Latest News

A few tidbits about what's going on now.

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There's a lot going around about whether the Russians were behind the WikiLeaks revelations about the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and its actions in favor of Clinton over Sanders. The charge has been made that the leaks are helpful to Trump and that is the goal of the Russians.

Except for some Sanders supporters, few are discussing the veracity of the contents. In a nation that promotes fair play and “transparency,” little attention is being paid to the efforts of the DNC to sabotage Sanders's candidacy and its campaign to hide their actions. The fact that what happened was revealed is the only honorable part of the story – transparency was restored, and the conspiracy was made public. The story is not that the e-mails were made public, but that the conspiracy existed.

I'm not suggesting that hacking is a legitimate tool, or that the Russian government may not have been involved. I really don't know if Trump is their preference or if he will benefit from the leaks. And I don't care. My view of the two major party candidates parallels Secretary Kissinger's comments in 1980 on the Iran-Iraq war: It's a pity both sides can't lose. (More on that tomorrow.)

But if there had been no conspiracy – if the Democratic Party had acted in a more democratic way – there would have been no messages to hide and none to reveal. And America would have been the better for it.

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There have been reports that Donald Trump, Jr. will be running for the New York City mayor's office. They're based on his speech at the Republican convention last week.

This morning I heard on the radio that Anthony Weiner had a lot to say about this possibility. He would oppose such a move. I'd come out of retirement just to beat him like a rented mule. And, quoting his father, he also said We like to keep all our options open. One wonders what former Representative Weiner would use to beat Trump, and what else might be kept open by him.

But such a discussion is out of character for me (please accept my apology) and I leave it to the late night TV hosts to review the issues.

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Having donned the glass slippers – the ruby slippers as well – former Secretary Clinton declared that the glass ceiling was at last cracked. In fact it was actually broken. That's what happens when you throw stones.

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More is going on, but focusing on the news is depressing. (Whatever the alternatives) I have better things to do.

Are We Great Again Yet?

Donald Trump, the presidential nominee of the Republican Party, delivered his acceptance speech last night, and I learned that he speaks for me. He said so, and he wouldn't lie about something so important. He said so, so it must be true, but I must admit that I have reservations about his candidacy. I certainly agree with some of his criticisms of what is happening in our country, but I'm less confident that he is the person to solve them.

My concerns begin with what we've all observed during the campaign thus far: Mr. Trump is quick express his perspective. His views are often critical of others – no, they're almost always critical of others, with special venom saved for his soon-to-be nominated opponent, and the President under whom she served. Whatever the validity of the criticisms, it is apparent that his words are unfiltered. There's a lot to be said for “transparency,” but much can also be said in favor of analysis of people and issues before offering opinions – before shooting from the hip – before shooting your mouth off.

The disposition to offer publicly his off the cuff opinions may play well with his numerous supporters – he is, after all, a populist – but it is less likely to be appreciated by the rest of us, and especially by the leaders of other countries. Confidence and boldness are important in a president, but they should be based on experience, analysis, judgment, and maturity. Unfortunately Mr. Trump seems to lack these qualities, and his entire appeal is based on bluster. He has yet to give any indication of how he would reach his goals, or of who would keep him informed and grounded. It's one thing to enunciate objectives, but quite another to accomplish the tasks you've set for yourself.

In short, I don't trust him. And, I suspect, neither do many of our voters.

Equally important, however, is that I doubt that he has the trust of those who lead the rest of the world. I fear that, for good reason, they would question his credibility, stability, and reliability were he to head our government. He has been critical of the current administration for antagonizing our allies and causing our enemies to lose respect for us – criticisms that are not without merit – but he has yet to reveal how he would deal with those problems, possibly because the suggestions of his advisers are not sufficiently patriotic and “macho” to fit the image of himself that he has and that he would like others to have. Even for the competent it takes time to build trust, although their starting level is much higher than that of the Republican nominee. However legitimate his instincts, it will be a long time before anyone trusts him or believes that his positions have been well thought out.

And however insightful his recognition of the problems we face, however popular his proposals among his followers, some of the solutions he has offered are more likely to aggravate than ameliorate them. As an example for, a wall along our southern border will not solve the perceived immigration problem with Latin America, let alone deal with questions that have been raised about immigration from elsewhere in the world. Yet a wall is all he has to offer – and this is one of the few areas in which he has a specific proposal.

There have been many threats and statements he has made concerning issues of safety and protection, both for our country and for our citizens. Beyond our borders he will defeat ISIS and bring stability to the Middle East, while here at home he will restore “law and order,” giving us the peace and quiet we all seek. Unfortunately he does not tell us how he will achieve these ends. And the reality is that he probably won't achieve them, surely not in ways that most of us would find acceptable.

I may agree with Mr. Trump that our country has suffered in the last eight years; I may believe that his appointee to the Supreme Court would be more representative of American feelings than that of Secretary Clinton; I may share his ideas about necessary changes in the way our government is run and in the size of that government, but someone who sees the presidency as the first step in politics, and someone as lacking in experience in governing as he, cannot be the one we choose to lead us.

Much more could be said about someone who “talks a good game,” but gives no evidence that he'd be able to play a good game. It's enough to say, however, that he isn't fit to be president.