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From Dr. Larry
| Hi everybody – If the Dems win, the new feudalism will prevail. What will it look like? LJFBTW, the website is back up, and past work is now available.Comments always welcome.LJFPlease note:The Dr. Larry Show is live on Wednesdays at 7 -8 pm (ET). Call 646.929.0130 (EASIEST way to listen) and talk to Dr. Larry and guests on the air.Podcast of each week’s show is re-broadcast daily at 1 am and 11 am (ET) onwww.TheBatchelorNews.airtime.proFor more writings see my website, DrLarryOnline.com LJF |
| How the new feudalism will happen· , |
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Will the unholy alliance prevail? By Larry Fedewa, Ph.D. (Washington DC- October 19, 2020) The events of last week showed us how the new oligarchy will work. The tip-off was the censorship of the New York Post story about the corruption of the Biden family. As this column presented the findings of the U.S. Senate Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security concerning the activities of Hunter Biden and his successful sale of his Vice President father’s influence on behalf of foreign countries for billions of dollars. The Post story presented in convincing detail a collaboration of the Senate Report. The Tweeter note of this story was taken down by the Alphabet Corporation, which owns Google, and quickly followed by Facebook – both owned by billionaires who have signed on to the Biden campaign. Social media, in the form of these two companies plus Microsoft, LinkedIn, and several others, have become the major source of new for much of the country and the world. For example, You Tube (also owned by Alphabet) is the primary source of news for 26% of the American population. That is more than any broadcast programming in America. In order to understand this situation, we will approach its various aspects separately as 1) the basis of this attempt to set the USA on the road to socialism; 2) the National Security crisis which identified the players in this attempt to take over the country; 3) the unholy alliance and how it works; 4) the fallout from the crisis.You9/18 9:22am1) The basisThe basis of this attempt to take over the Government is the familiar problem of contemporary America, namely the wealth gap which now exists. In summary, the 80% of the country’s wealth will soon be controlled by 1% of the population. The results of this disparity are potentially catastrophic to America because it means that the buying power of the middle class is fast disappearing in an economy which depends (68%) on consumer spending. Secondly, it means that most of the population will depend on a few billionaires, who will employ most of these individuals. Thirdly, all that has to be done is for these billionaires to band together in support of the politicians who are indebted to them for their financing and whose votes are therefore controlled by the oligarchs.There are only three ways to rectify the wealth gap: the (rising water rises all ships – called the Reagan economy – which is also the Trump economy, which has never worked in re-distributing the wealth; give the extra money to the government through taxes, which then distributes it to the 68%, usually through welfare, thus turning independent citizens into an ever expanding welfare class, totally dependent on government. The third way is a free market re-distribution of wealth. This is a recent movement which is based on a re-definition of capitalism, best exemplified by a new movement called Conscious Capitalism.2) The National Security crisis which identified the players in this attempt to take over the countryThis is the crisis concerning Hunter Biden and his successful sale of his father’s influence to foreign countries and individuals for billions of dollars. This past week provided a treasure trove of emails and pictures from the younger Biden’s computer hard drive, which clearly identified the work which Hunter Biden was engaged in as well as evidence in his father’s complicit role in this corruption. Since China was the biggest source of the Biden family take, it is clear that the Democrat nominee is unfit to serve as the Chief Executive of the United States. If true, he is a traitor to his country. 3 ) The unholy alliance and how it works The next act in this drama was the withdrawal of the New York Post tweet announcing its story on the Biden’s, soon followed by Facebook. This incident brought to light these firms and the immense power they have accumulated by abusing the federal law exempting them from libel laws. This was the identification of the final players in the unholy alliance. The observation has been made that the takeover by the new oligarchs will be a soft coup d’ tat, this without violence or bloody revolution. It will be done though automation. With the communications of the entire nation subject to the control of the billionaires, the people cannot communicate except though “Big Brother” as George Orwell predicted in his book 1984 (he may have been off in his timing, but his description of ordinary life was vey revealing). So, this is the way it works: The billionaires (player #1) unite to supply and direct the press (player #2), use high technology to control all personal communications (player #3), buy a political party (player #4), fund all its candidates ( player #5) which in turn funds the Deep State (player #6) and BINGO! The Socialist America is born. Most of this scenario has already taken place. The 2016 election was a trial run for the future. They believe the mistakes of 2016 have been analyzed and corrected, they believe. The only obstacle is Donald J. Trump. He should have been one of the oligarchs but instead chose to defy the entire alliance. So they tested their system by using the presss to neutralize him with a hate campaign, use of the bought House to impeach him based on the enlistment of the Deep State to provide false evidence. They came within one Senate vote of succeeding.But still he stands – between total power of the unholy alliance and secondary status. He had better beware – if he wins the pending election, He may be walking around with a target on his back. 4) The fallout from the crisis. a. The FBI held the Hunter Biden evidence for a whole year, including exculpatory evidence which would have proven that the president was innocent prima facie Leads to the probability that the Deep Sate is still active in the FBI. b. The Justice Department has filed suite against Twitter and Facebook for obstructing justice (The grounds for the lawsuit are not yet public knowledge.) The table is set by the unholy alliance to take over the country. All that is lacking is a Biden victory in the coming election. The only force standing in the way is Donald J. Trump. Unless we stand with him. © 2020 Richfield Press. Al rights reserved (Washington DC, October 12, 2020) Everybody keeps saying, “This is the most important election in our lifetime, if not in American history.” Is this true? Why do we keep hearing this? The answer to the question is, Yes. It is truly the most important election at least in our lifetime, perhaps in our history with the exception of the election of 1860, which ignited the Civil War. The reason for this judgement, however, differs for each side of the debate. Biden supporters assert that President Trump is a failed president, whose continuation in office will threaten the future of America. They follow with a series of accusations which are expressed in the context of what an evil person he is, citing mostly statements or tweets he has made, whether actually or allegedly. Unfortunately, however, it is rather more difficult to determine the actual positions of the Democrat ticket due to the discrepancy on certain issues between Candidate Biden’s shifting support on key questions, such as, fracking and fossil fuel policies, COVID, economic shut-down, packing the Supreme Court, Chinese military aggression, and other issues, as well as different views put forth by surrogates and the DNC. All of this casts a shadow over Mr. Biden’s claim that he IS the Democrat Party today. However, there seems to be enough evidence to assert that the following outline is reasonably representative of their platform. The underlying issue, however, concerns the Constitution of the United States of America. The theory of Constitutional Law which characterizes the liberal movement holds that the language of the Constitution itself was developed in the 18th century and should not be taken literally. Rather the Constitution represents the intentions of the Founders and should be adapted to modern problems and issues by following the “spirit” rather than the letter as written.This approach allows the American judiciary — at all levels – to rule according to current political trends. Thus, the actual wording of the Constitution is ignored, and issues are resolved on whatever basis a particular court finds appropriate. The following positions advocated by the Democrats in this election are to be understood in this context: Supreme CourtTo effect these changes in law would require Supreme Court approval, because they would overrule the Constitution and become the law of the land. In order for that to happen, the Court would have to be controlled by liberal justices, which it is not at present. Therefore, the Dems would pass a law expanding the number seats on the Court and then appoint known liberals to fill those seats. This is called “packing the Court”. Electoral CollegeIf elected, the Dems will seek to eliminate the Electoral College in favor of the majority of the popular vote. In effect, New York and California, as the most populous states, would control the federal government. Middle America would cease to exist as a political force in the nation. GunsThe Second Amendment to the Constitution provides for the right of Americans to bear arms, i.e. to own weapons. This right would be overturned by the Democrat-controlled government. ReligionAnother restriction imposed by the Constitution is the prohibition of government interference with religion, i.e. freedom of religion. The Dems are of a mind to permit the federal government to discriminate against citizens on the basis of religious beliefs. Two recent examples are the provision in the Affordable Care Act requiring all employers to provide birth control amenities to employees without regard to the religious beliefs of the employer. Another case in point is the accusation that Judges who belong to the Catholic Church are not fit for office, because of the official Catholic teaching that abortion is a sin. Beyond Constitutional issues, there are several other planks in the Dems’ platform: EconomyThe most significant economic impact of the Democrat agenda is the additional taxes they will assess on the American people. Biden has declared that on his first day in office, he will rescind the Trump Tax, immediately increasing middle class taxes by several hundred dollars, to be followed by a major increase on companies and individuals with incomes and assets (passive income) totaling $300,000 or more. Presumably, this includes retirement funds and other investments which have positive yields. Foreign policyThe biggest issue in foreign policy is the rapidly mounting evidence that Mr. Biden is guilty of major corruption through billions of dollars advanced from foreign sources, especially China and Russia, to his son, Hunter Biden, and other relatives. This makes him the “Manchurian Candidate”, i.e. an American President controlled by the Chinese Communist party. Domestic policy – chief concerns in domestic policy are:a. Abortion — establishment of unlimited abortions at public expense, including the killing of 9th month fetuses for any reason.b. Law enforcement – support for defunding of police departments in favor of social workers. c. Energy – commitment to the elimination of fossil fuels by some deadline (varies from 2030 to 2050) with the accompanying loss of millions of jobs, loss of the competition with China – all without any satisfactory substitute technology and based on dubious science.d. Federal support of Black Lives Matter, Antifa and other Marxist organizations which were responsible for much of the violence, property destruction and murder in 2020.e. Immigration – re-opening of US border to unregulated immigration and government support for these immigrants through welfare, free medical care and education.f. Trade – reversion to former trade policies in which US firms paid high tariffs on exported goods and services and charged no tariffs on import from foreign manufacturers.g. Health care – re-institution of Obamacare with socialized medicine on the horizon, i.e. complete government control of health care, probably through expansion of Medicare. Summary – The Biden years would thus lead to complete government control of our lives, permanent economic stagnation, permanent low employment, continual expansion of welfare-dependent population, decline of American quality of life and world standing, and ultimately a world dominated by the Chinese Communist Party. ConclusionThat is why 2020 is the most important election in American history. |
Good Fellas thirty years
Goodfellas is a study of narcissism. From the very beginning, Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) always wanted to be a gangster and even at the end, when he is forced to go into the Witness protection program; he doesn’t regret his life or show any remorse.
There is nothing glamorous about the mob and while Hill loves the good life that the mob provides, he seems oblivious to how he makes his living. He considers those of us who makes a honest living suckers and feels that the world is for the taking. Might makes right in Hill’s world.
Hill’s world lacks both morality and loyalty. The “wise guys” don’t pay for anything and it is as if the world owes them a living. From the very beginning when Hill was young, he noticed that the local wise guys do anything they want and no one bothers them. It is as if they are law upon themselves with the rest of us cut off from their world. Hills become a protégé of Jim Conway (Robert De Niro); a man who steals for it is what he likes to do and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci), a loose cannon with a temper that is often unleashed.
What we don’t see is loyalty, despite talk of loyalty. Instead we see men looking over their shoulders, waiting for that moment when they are the ones to be “whacked.” No one is immune, including one of the three close buddies, snuffed because of an incident years earlier.
Conway may be Hill’s mentor but he is also devoid of both loyalty and morality. After the JFK airport heist, he begins the process of killing his own crew to ensure that he is not nailed by the cops and allows him to keep a larger share. And the three friends profit from cocaine sales from one of Henry Hill’s connections without paying their dues to Paul Cicero, the boss.
Pesci is perfect as Tommy DeVito, as he plays De Vito, a man with a temper that can’t be controlled and Robert De Niro’s Jim Conway is a deft operator who can get others to follow but doesn’t reward those who follow with his loyalty. For the calculating Conway, all are indispensable as Hill finds out late in the game.
Hill testifies against his friends to save his life and that of his family, but he learns nothing from his experience. Both he and his wife are seduced by the life for they got everything they wanted. They got the nice house, the furs, the big cars and the jewelry’s. In the end, he is thrust in a life with the rest of the civilian world. It is the price paid to survive but Hill misses the old life.
Goodfellas is a study of narcissism of the modern criminal mind, men who have to divorce morality and any sense of right or wrong to survive. Any mercy shown could backfire and in the end, even close friends can become enemies.
Scoresee Does the Mafia
Martin Scoresee “The Departed” is a modern day bible story with Jack Nicholson playing the Devil. The Opening scene sees Jack Nicholson character Frank Costello marching through South Boston to the tune of “Gimme Shelter.” With opening scenes of the 1970’s violence dealing with Boston anti-busing battles, Costello lays out his philosophy as he states, “That’s what the black chappies never realized. No one gives it to you. You have to take it.”
If Costello is not insulting African-Americans, he then takes his turn insulting the Catholic Church. Nothing is off limits to Costello and there is no redeeming quality to the man. He is the Teflon don of Boston, a man who runs the illicit empire of Boston and a man stays one step ahead of the law. His opposite number is Oliver Queenan played by Martin Sheen, who runs the undercover unit along with his deputy Dignam played by Mark Wahlberg. Queenan plays Captain Ahab to Costello’s Moby Dick, forever pursuing Costello but never quite catching his prey.
The star of the movie is Jack Nicholson and representing that eternal battle of good vs. evil are Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon.) Both men have the same roots but both men have different goals. For Sullivan, he wants desperately to escape his past and be part of the elites. His new condo is within the site of the Capital and he dreams of being a power broker. And to obtain these goals, he is willing to make a deal with the devil, in this case Frank Costello.
Sullivan is Costello long term project, as Sullivan “grows up straight”, become a cop and a mole within the police unit for Costello. Sullivan has the right instinct for quick advancement and is a rising star in the State Police’s special investigative unit headed by Ellerby (Alec Baldwin.) The man is a natural politician and people flock to him naturally.
Billy Costigan is recruited by Queenan to infiltrate Costello’s gang. Costigan must return to the street and spend time in jail on trump up charges to enhance his street credibility. If Sullivan wants to escape his root, Costigan must confront his own as he is the son of divorce parents. His mother lived in the middle class North Boston but his father remained in the South after their divorce. We find out that his father never succumbed to Costello charm or money and Costigan finds that for all of his father’s faults, he was an honest man. Even Costello respected his father’s honesty. To chase Costello, he must give up his own identity. During the process, he pays a heavy price as he evolves into a pill-popping cop, trying to keep his sanity and wit as he slips deeper in Costello’s world.
The central plot of the movie is that both sides are playing a cat and mouse game as each knows that the other has planted a mole in the other side camp. Not all of the good guys necessarily have the same goals in mind. The FBI has divergent interest from the state Police’s and it is not all that clear if the FBI truly wants to see Costello in jail.
When Costello steals microprocessor to sell to the Chinese’s, it is not all that clear if Costello will truly sell technology to the Chinese or if it is part of a FBI sting. (Costello collects the money but he doesn’t sell the Chinese the real microprocessor but fakes. As the movie progresses, we find that the FBI-Costello relationship is more complicated and not quite adversary.)
The plot moves quickly and as the body counts mounts, the suspense is as much who will be left standing or whether good will triumph over evil. As for acting, DiCaprio and Damon give us believable performances. DiCaprio has us feeling his fear and desperation as he finds himself moving toward the dark side of Costello’s world. Damon is the perfect actor to play the lying, conniving Sullivan, who is looking out for himself but never can shake his loyalty toward Costello.
But the dominating figure in the movie is Jack Nicholson, who controls this movie from the opening scene till the final shootout. It is his character that controls the action as Nicholson gives us a character that truly rules Boston. Even the good guys have to pay him his homage as they attempt to bring him down.
If the Departed is a morality play about Good vs. Evil, Goodfellas is a study of narcissism. From the very beginning, Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) always wanted to be a gangster and even at the end, when he is forced to go into the Witness protection program; he doesn’t regret his life or show any remorse.
There is nothing glamorous about the mob and while Hill loves the good life that the mob provides, he seems oblivious to how he makes his living. He considers those of us who makes a honest living suckers and feels that the world is for the taking. Might makes right in Hill’s world.
Hill’s world lacks both morality and loyalty. The “wise guys” don’t pay for anything and it is as if the world owes them a living. From the very beginning when Hill was young, he noticed that the local wise guys do anything they want and no one bothers them. It is as if they are law upon themselves with the rest of us cut off from their world. Hills become a protégé of Jim Conway (Robert De Niro); a man who steals for it is what he likes to do and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci), a loose cannon with a temper that is often unleashed.
What we don’t see is loyalty, despite talk of loyalty. Instead we see men looking over their shoulders, waiting for that moment when they are the ones to be “whacked.” No one is immune, including one of the three close buddies, snuffed because of an incident years earlier.
Conway may be Hill’s mentor but he is also devoid of both loyalty and morality. After the JFK airport heist, he begins the process of killing his own crew to ensure that he is not nailed by the cops and allows him to keep a larger share. And the three friends profit from cocaine sales from one of Henry Hill’s connections without paying their dues to Paul Cicero, the boss.
Pesci is perfect as Tommy DeVito, as he plays De Vito, a man with a temper that can’t be controlled and Robert De Niro’s Jim Conway is a deft operator who can get others to follow but doesn’t reward those who follow with his loyalty. For the calculating Conway, all are indispensable as Hill finds out late in the game.
Hill testifies against his friends to save his life and that of his family, but he learns nothing from his experience. Both he and his wife are seduced by the life for they got everything they wanted. They got the nice house, the furs, the big cars and the jewelry’s. In the end, he is thrust in a life with the rest of the civilian world. It is the price paid to survive but Hill misses the old life.
Goodfellas is a study of narcissism of the modern criminal mind, men who have to divorce morality and any sense of right or wrong to survive. Any mercy shown could backfire and in the end, even close friends can become enemies. The Departed is story of pure evil and the price paid by those who must pursue it and those who live in it shadows. The major characters in both movies, including the good guys, do not survive the movies unscathed. All pay a price.
Casino is the middle movie between Good Fellas and The Departed. Ace Rothstein had one skill; he knew how to pick winners and was one of the best sports handicappers. This skill led him to Las Vegas, where he became a major star on the scene. Hired to run one of the major casinos, Rothstein set up sports betting parlor in the casino and this made bundle for the casino and the mob. Within the background of all this was the reality of the old Vegas, a town subsidized by mob money. Weekly payoffs to the old mobsters, cooperation of local politicians with the mob and Teamsters pension money being used to finance the whole things are detailed. This was the Vegas that Rothstein came to.
After Rothstein makes his fame, he is joined by his hometown buddy, Nicky Santoro. Santoro is a made man, a wise guy and all around punk. When Santoro came to town, he involved himself in petty street crimes while muscling other bookies. Due to Santoro own status, Rothstein could not directly challenge Santoro plus Santoro own psychotic nature adds to Rothstein fear.
Sharon Stone plays Ginger, a hustler and Rothstein fall in love with her. They marry but her addiction to drugs and alcohol puts strain on the marriage plus her involvements with her old boyfriend and with Santoro add to Rothstein’s problem. Due to the combustible nature of Santoro, he fears not just for Ginger’s safety but his own. Her affair with Santoro could get both of them killed.
Rothstein begin as the man behind the scene but his own popularity nearly seals his doom. Rothstein has his own local television program, bringing attention to himself but his conflict with local politicians added to his difficulty. Those who put him in control of the Casino did not want any attention to themselves and they wanted Rothstein to get along with the local politicians. Certainly, they don’t care for his television show as this not only direct attention upon Rothstein but it is but a short fall before they could be exposed. They prefer to stay in the background, for this is how they work best.
When Rothstein fires a relative of a local politician, this makes it more difficult for him to keep his license. And the mob don’t like the added the publicity. Rothstein survived an attempt on his life but Santoro is killed by the mob for his own indiscretion and behavior in Las Vegas. As for Ginger, she dies of a drug overdose.
Vegas was a virgin territory, a Garden of Eden in the desert. Rothstein had his chance to begin his life anew but his success blinded him to the risk. Dealing with politicians and wise guys, there was no margin for error. Santoro and Rothstein had their chance to be a permanent fixture but their own hubris ended their chance. Rothstein survived with his life but becomes banned from Vegas, even to this day. Santoro recklessness ended his life as the mob felt it was easier to kill him than deal with him.
Martin Scoresee uses his mob trilogy as a morality show and the final message is that crime doesn’t pay as each of these characters pay a price for their life. It was often said that Al Capone could have been the President of GM, if he led a non-criminal life. Capone may have been a brilliant businessman but the reason that he did not lead a normal life is that he didn’t care to. His lack of moral campus ensured that he could never leave a normal life. Scoresee notes that many of these criminals do not regret their life. Henry Hill never regretted being a criminal but only regrets that he got caught and if he had to do it again, he would do it again. Rothstein is a gambler and again, no regrets. They consider the rest of us as the suckers but we are not the sucker. It is the criminal, who is the sucker. The criminal believes that there are short cuts to life and no price will need to be paid. In Scoresse’s world, they do pay a price.
Dr. Larry on the future of American workers
| Wealth Gap 2020: The Destruction of the Anerican Dream· American history, Conscious Capitalism, economics, Ethics, Great Debate, Labor, Political Discussions, social, Socialism. Capitalism, Union Labor, Worker rights |
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| Is feudalism in our future? |
| By Larry Fedewa, Ph.D.(Washington DC, September 12, 2020) The closer the 2020 election comes, the more urgent the necessity for understanding the wealth gap which underlies the entire debate. The fundamental issue at stake in this election is how America will deal with the fact that the American Dream we all pursue has in fact become unattainable for many Americans. With most national politicians in their 70’s – or even older – the reality is that they simply do not understand that too many Americans today face a gloomy future. They are at a loss to explain why the nightly riots and violence can happen at all let alone why the public officials at least tacitly, and some openly, support such chaos. What they don’t understand is that there is a great deal of anger in our land, that the traditional mantras of the American ethic just don’t work anymore for a segment of the American population. “Work hard, keep your nose clean, and you too can live the American dream” just isn’t true for these folks, and hasn’t been for a long time. Who are these people? And why are they so desperate for change? One of the oldest questions in the American lexicon is, “What happens to the manual workers when the American quest for labor-saving technologies finally succeeds and the need for human labor ends?”Now we know the answer to that question: The many American workers who have lost their jobs to technology are still there. But now they have nothing – not even their pride. There is, of course, another segment of our society which has done somewhat better financially through these years. They are the so-called “upper middle class” who have adapted to the technological society, although they are concentrated now in the service industries, since manufacturing has all but disappeared. Even their children, however, have been affected by their estrangement from two work-alcoholic parents, whose closeness to their children is questionable as is their loyalty to each other. Many of the protesters are white, middle class youths, whose sympathies lie closer to their African American comrades, the least privileged among whom had given up the American dream long ago, than to their befuddled parents. It is well known that a coalition opposing this President exists, consisting of the Democrat Party, the Deep State bureaucracy, and the Press, as well as the dedicated Far Left organizers and followers, who have coalesced around the issues of class and race so prominently featured in the violent summer of 2020. It is clear that while these players have picked by various names the wealth gap as the key issue in this campaign, their timing of the current crisis was not dependent on their discovery of this issue. They have simply taken advantage of the uproar as it occurred. So, what did happen?What happened was the transfer of the asset wealth of the American population from the middle class (approximately 50% of the population) to the super rich (1% of the population). (The term, “assets”, is used instead of “income” because income can go up and down while assets tend to be more stable.) How did this happen? Many factors came together and finally created one of the worst nightmares Americans have ever faced. The most obvious of these factors are three: 1. Inflation: between 1971 (when Nixon ended the gold standard) and 2015, the value of the US dollar declined nearly 600%, causing the buying power of wages to become stagnant. 2. Expansion of the workforce:· between 1960 and 2020 the American workforce nearly doubled as women entered the labor market;· the globalization beginning in the 1990’s expanded the American labor market to the third world 3. American foreign policy which allowed, even encouraged, American firms to move production overseas. The result of this movement on the US working man was catastrophic. As the factories left American soil, the skilled workers were left behind with no job, no marketable skill, and eventually no hope. The principle victims of this exodus were American men. Whereas their place in society and the family had always been respected and secure, they lost that place in both as they sought and were forced to take lower paying jobs or welfare. Their self esteem followed their decline. Divorce rates soared along with family abuse, alcoholism, drug addiction, desertion, homelessness, and suicide and the decline of our cities left social services rare and bankruptcy all too common. Through all this, the latch-key children bounced around helplessly, caught up in the whirlwind that their life had become. As they grew older, they asked “Work hard?” –“At what?” “College?” — “OK” and then no jobs available. “American dream?” — “What a crock!” What they want is change. The old system isn’t working for them. Why is socialism suddenly becoming so popular? After all, it has been around since the 1930’s. Franklin Roosevelt’s Vice President, Norman Thomas, was an avowed socialist. Few believed in socialism as long as we had the American dream. People believe in socialism now because for them the American dream is gone. And socialists are the only ones listening to the cries of our suffering youth. What now? First, we must all recognize the underlying problem: it is the transfer of wealth! Prosperity for all tends to reduce all social tensions, as the Trump economy was beginning to show before COVID. Secondly, if we do not want to watch our beloved country go the way of Venezuela, we had better face the realities of our situation and find a solution. Finally, while some our people were caught in a vortex of tribulation, others were developing a new way, a new path to the American dream. A third way: Luckily, many of these pioneers of a new capitalism have been not only inventing a new type of business process, but also organizing a potentially vast new movement to what will become, in my estimation, a new America, open to all races, genders and religions.The most advanced of these renewed American businesses seem to be the Conscious Capitalist organization, currently with 16,000 member companies, representing 3 million workers.It aspires to become a new kind of business, one which is driven by its service to the community – whether that be a local factory, a retailer, or a worldwide marketplace. The idealism of this brand of business is appealing to the young, who may not know socialism from a community swimming pool, but who do know that they are Americans who value their personal freedom and the room to grow into a happy future without a government telling them what they can and cannot do. The dilemma facing this country is that conscious capitalists see politics, as do most Americans, in the light of partisanship. As a result, they want to be apolitical so that all sides feel welcome. Nevertheless, in today’s America, you are either a socialist or a capitalist, either in favor of big government controlling the transfer of wealth from the 1% or in favor of devising a solution which is voluntary and based on merit rather than welfare.Unfortunately, there are no candidates running for national office who present new alternatives to the socialist programs of the Democrats. The Republican alternative stands for continuing to implement Reagan economics, believing that the wealth gap will solve itself in time. It seems clear that this is a better alternative than the opposition. At least a victory here would buy us time. By 2024 perhaps a “third way” capitalist will come forward. As Alexander Pope wrote in 1734, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” 2020 © Richfield Press. All rights reserved. |
Dr. Larry on GOP
| Notes on the 2020 Republican Convention |
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| Donald and Melania Trump The Donald Trump ShowBy Larry Fedewa, Ph.D. (Washington DC, August 30, 2020) The 2020 political conventions have drawn to a close with the dramatic (and late night) end of the Republican Convention. And what a show each party presented. Last week we discussed the Democrats’ effort based on two criteria, technical and content. We’ll do the same for the Republicans. TechnicalThe Republican National Committee (RNC) broke new ground technically with this production. The bulk of the time for thefirst 3½sessions was a series of testimonies by a vast variety of people, mostly non-politicians, who told their personal stories. All were interesting, many were gripping – like the widow of the retired police chief in St. Louis who was killed by the rioters, or the young Congressional candidate, who rose from his wheel chair to salute the flag, or the young ex-Planned Parenthood staffer who was appalled by what she saw in a live abortion – and the list goes on. From a technical point of view, the variety of settings for each presentation, the musical interludes, and, most of all, the pacing of the program was exceptional. The only way so many speeches could have been packed into the time allowed depended on strict discipline of timing, variety of material, insertions of video clips to dramatize the speaker’s prose, and of the settings – all of which were exceptional. This discipline included even time limits on usually long-winded politicians – one of the more impressive features of the program. The program ended with a brief but spectacular fireworks display and a closing few songs featuring tenor, Christopher Macchio, although the lateness of the hour may have made this segment harder to appreciate. In all, the technical framework of the convention set a new standard for this type of program, using many of the techniques of documentaries for live presentations. Actually, it is hard to imagine anything but a state-of-the-art production for a man whose show topped TV ratings for years. ContentLike last week’s content, the content of either party tends to be controversial, appreciated by the advocates, scorned by the opposition. So, it is with this convention. As a sympathizer with the Republicans, my views are colored by my own preferences. That having been said, I was very impressed by the messages of this convention. Among the most impressive features were the number and variety of the presenters. Most were ordinary Americans, whose stories varied in content, tone, accent, and perspective. All, of course, came to the same conclusion – they were voting Republican. The interesting part was the individual starting points. Especially interesting were the Black endorsements, some from Democrats. Also impressive were the young men and women who are the future of the party, led by Nikki Haley, Rand Paul, and Tim Scott, among several others. The last half of the last evening was devoted to Donald J. Trump, sitting 45th President of the United States of America. The earlier testimonials were a mixture of endorsements of the President, criticisms of the Biden/Harris ticket, and explanations of generic preference for either the Republican party or specific issues, especially reasons for Black support for Trump over Biden. This last segment was devoted to endorsements of Trump by a variety of people, ranging from ordinary Americans to politicians. Finally, the President himself gave his acceptance speech for the Republican nomination for the presidency. The speech was an indictment of the Democrats’ prospective policies, Mr. Biden himself, based on his half century record of public service, recap of Mr. Trump’s own record of the past three+ years, and his plans for the future. His agenda is mostly well known, although he supplied surprising details of some of the planned initiatives. His tone was somewhat subdued compared to some other speeches, but he covered a wide range of subjects. As expected, his speech was very long. While we on the subject of Mr. Trump, there are some observations I would like to share. I recently had occasion to watch some of his 2015-16 debates. There is no question that he was a brutal, bullying candidate. Never have I seen such behavior before in a formal setting like a presidential debate. It was prompted, I believe, by his disdain for all politicians, especially in national office, although he also criticized Dr. Ben Carson as being “low-energy”. Looking back, I think that it was this behavior which gained him a bad reputation among many otherwise open-minded people. I believe he is still paying for that period, even though it did not stop him from winning both the nomination and the election. I believe that Donald J. Trump has experienced some significant changes since he became President. One of the most significant changes has been his attitude towards politicians. He quickly realized that he needed their support in order to get done some of his most important priorities. He has succeeded in converting most of his most offended victims (but not the Bushes) as well as virtually all the Republicans in Congress from enemies into fervent advocates. Prime examples are Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. He even persuaded Dr. Carson to join his cabinet. Since taking office, he has turned into a great advocate of the Republican Party, campaigning religiously for Republican candidates throughout the country. He has accepted the mantle of head of the Party and pursued it with his characteristic vigor. Another area of his life has also seen change in my opinion. That is his private life, particularly his personal conduct and his religious practice. Like many other presidents, (not all) he has “grown into the job”. His life is now lived in a glass house – everything he does or says is noted and publicized. He cannot afford to be seen in any questionable behavior. He has become a straight arrow, although he has not miraculously turned into a gentle St.Francis by any means. he is still tough, fearless, and sometimes crude. But his horizons have been expanded. He also has, I believe, become more aware that he depends on a force beyond his or anyone’s control. Never known to be particularly religious, he is now seen praying in church and in public, seen as a strong advocate of religious freedom, and generally deserving of the strong support he received from the evangelical community. Some would say he is masquerading. I believe he is sincere, influence perhaps by Melania. Sincere or not, it is hard to contest his behavior. The case for a Trump electoral victory was strengthened by the 2020 Republican convention, with its message of hope, prosperity and equality. We will see how long it lasts. |
Treaty
| What about the Israeli/UAE treaty? |
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| Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Middle East United Arab Emirates. Abu DhabiBy Mariia Savoskula Could it signal a new era in the Middle East? |
| By Larry Fedewa, Ph.D. (Washington DC, August 16, 2020) President Trump last Thursday announced the first Middle Eastern treaty in 26 years between Israel and an Arab country. Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will establish full diplomatic relations between the two countries. The heart of the agreement is the UAE recognition of Israeli sovereignty in exchange for Israel’s postponing its intention to annex the Israeli settlements on the West Bank. The treaty is being hailed as a major step toward peace in the Middle East. Most of us do not know enough about the situation to understand the importance of this step. So, let’s take a quick look. From President Trump’s first trip abroad which was to Saudi Arabia in 2017 and ever since, one of his first priorities in foreign policy has been to promote peace in the Middle East, which has cost the United States so much blood and treasure in the past several years. The underlying motivation for USA involvement since the 1920’s has been protection of America’s oil supply, the greatest source of which has been the Middle East, specifically (since the fall of Iran in 1978) Saudi Arabia. One of the greatest imperatives, therefore, has been to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil. Luckily, the development of new technology for the venerable practice of fracking has made that goal achievable, and the encouragement of the new Administration has assisted the industry to realize America’s independence from importing foreign oil – a major milestone in Middle Eastern policy. The full effect of this abundance, however, has been delayed by the lack of available refinery capacity, due to very onerous restrictions imposed by previous Congresses aimed at protecting the environment. Nevertheless, the USA now occupies a much stronger position than previously in its Middle Eastern negotiations. The other major factor in Middle Eastern policy since 1948 has been the US relationship with Israel, particularly, the hostility with which Israel has been viewed by its Arab neighbors. Egypt, the largest Arab neighbor of Israel, made peace with Israel in 1978. That treaty was brokered by President Jimmy Carter after President Richard Nixon saved the Israelis from defeat in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. However, there have been few additional breakthroughs since then as the Palestinians grew more and more influential after being adopted by Iran. This treaty has followed a succession of moves by the Trump Administration over the past three years, after President Obama had alienated the Sunni Muslim neighbors of Israel by his extraordinary treatment of Iran, the leader now of the Shia Muslim countries in the age old feud between the two branches of Islam. The open enmity of the Iranian leadership toward all the allies of the United States, especially against its Sunni neighbors, has been growing as Iran has committed more and more resources to its terrorist activities. Understandably, the Obama pact has therefore become ever more odious to our Sunni allies. So, in order to show them good faith, Trump repudiated that agreement (which was never ratified by the US Senate). Next, he moved the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, implementing a promise made by several of his predecessors but never executed. He then formed the Sunni-Israeli Coalition which unofficially coordinates the anti-Iran activities of its members – Israel, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman. The establishment of this group is an astonishing development, given the fierce anti-Israeli posture of Arabs in the past. It also engages the leader of the Sunni opposition, Saudi Arabia, with Israel in a way which was inconceivable only a few years ago. Now comes the treaty with the UAE. Because of its strategic position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and the beginning of the Gulf of Oman as well as its vast oil reserves, the UAE is very influential as a trend-setter among the Sunni countries. It also has a very vulnerable coastline across the narrowest stretch of Persian Gulf water between its shores and coast of Iran. Another consideration can be imputed to the government in that its economy – and its citizens – tend to be aggressive, prosperous and progressive. The increased familiarity with Israel is bound to be reflected in an increased exposure to the United States which bodes well for one of the historically most active trading centers in the Gulf, if not in the entire Arab world. This aspect of the new treaty is highlighted by the invitation to the principals to come to the White House for the official signing of the treaty in the next three weeks. In summary, this treaty joins similar treaties between Israel and two other Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan (1984), and is a significant step towards the President’s goal of creating a more peaceful Middle East, where the USA’s interests can be trade and commerce instead of war and violence. However, this development and the trend of the Sunni nations to band together with the United States does have a military implication. For one thing, it puts Iraq, a traditional enemy of Iran, but one where Iranian influence has been rapidly increasing, right in the cross hairs of the territorial distance between Iran’s eastern border with Iran, and its western border with Saudi Arabia. In spite of all the sacrifices Americans made to win freedom for the Iraqi people, the ascendancy of Iran’s influence there makes its future posture toward the USA highly problematical. Be that as it may, UAE’s joining the American side of this rivalry must be comforting to them. And this, of course, is due to the Trump revival of America’s military capabilities. Seeking protection from a country which could not defeat a ragtag force of Afghan rebels in 19 years would not be attractive without it. Only a double-edged initiative of diplomacy and might will win new friends. Finally, there is China. The UAE is one of China’s major suppliers of energy. Accordingly, China has been taking a notable interest in the UAE — and all of the Gulf states. It is not beyond imagination that China has had its eye on major influence, if not control, of the Persian Gulf, with its friend Iran on one bank and the UAE on the other. China’s avowed goal of world domination would be well served if their permission, if not assistance, would be required for commerce to continue in the world’s most active energy industry depots. In that particular race, the treaty means America 1, China 0. Well done, Mr. President, and congratulations also to your young phenomenon, Jared Kushner (who represented the President on these negotiations). © 2020 Richfield Press. All rights reserved. |
Response
Are you a COVID-19 denier Donelson? Or worse, a proponent of an entire DIFFERENT set of facts? Alternate facts, perhaps? Worse yet: Do you contend that Petender Donald “Dahmer” Trump has done and CONTINUES TO DO an OUT-STANDING job as the Un-Precedent of the United States? From Scott Mudd Twitter. My response:
I am not a denier and if you listened to my podcast or read my timeline, you would know that not be true. Here is what I got right over the past several week. I have never stated Covid was a hoax.
1. I stated that the final IFR would be under 1% and we are looking at IFR at .2 to .6, I am on the side of scientific consensus as studies around the world supports this.
2. I have stated that this virus is more lethal than what we have seen with the flu over past five decades. I will add to point two that IFR is similar to 1957 and 1968 Pandemic which we didn’t shut down the economy.
3. I stated this virus hit the elderly harder and not so much the children and young adults. Again Scientific consensus.
4. I stated on the air that we may hit 200,000 death in March and noted this was one tenth of what was predicted. Even the CDC admits there is incentive to inflate the data. On a per capita basis similar to 1957 and 1968.
5. No evidence saved lives lockdown save lives. Many of the states with the hardest lockdown had significant highest death rates and infection rates. (New York) I could go on. https://spiked-online.com/2020/04/22/there-is-no-empirical-evidence-for-these-lockdowns/… This is one of many study. Empirical evidences speaks for itself
I could go on but if your best argument is call anyone who disagree with you a denier, then you don’t have an argument. The lockdown has devastating impact that exceeds the virus itself and will be felt for years, fact you totally ignore.
I will be happy to allow you on the Donelson Files and voice your opinion and we can have a reasonable discussion using facts. 6 PM EST Tuesday and Wednesday. call in 646-929-0130.
Derecho what a 100 mph wind can do and sunset afterwards
Future of Education by Dr. Larry
Who is served by higher education?
Fundamentally, higher education, like all socialization, serves both the greater society and the individual: society by increasing its cadre of specialized experts in maintaining and advancing society’s technology and life experience; the individual by further defining and securing his/her role in society.
Humankind are all herd animals. We are born with the need to belong to a group of our fellow humans. Sociologists describe those groups as family, clan and tribe, depending on the size and intimacy of the group. “Family” is composed of those we are closest to and is the smallest of the groups. “Clan” denotes a larger, less intimate group, such as our cultural or religious or political associations. “Tribe” is the largest and least intimate of our associations, but equally important to the individual’s well-being, including nation, language, and history.
All humans are also curious. Our search for new knowledge and understanding never ceases, although the range and perspective of inquiry varies considerably from individual to individual, often from time to time for the same person over a lifetime.
Within this framework, higher (and all) education primarily serves the tribe by expanding the individual’s scope and perspective of inquiry or curiosity. Life itself is constantly providing the same service, but in a random and unpredictable fashion. Education is supposed to provide perspective and order to the individual’s ability to interpret these experiences in a meaningful context.
What are the criteria for evaluating whether or not higher education is providing a valuable experience?
The criteria are easy to identify, if difficult to evaluate. They are: Does higher education fulfill its obligation to society? And to the individual?
a. Society
Higher education’s obligations to the greater society are twofold: cultural and technological. The knowledge and skills pertaining to an expansion of the individual’s understanding of his/her culture include the history, language and ideals of the society in which one lives. The second criterion is the same obligation in the realm of the society’s technology base, in the broader sense of “technology”, namely the “techniques” by which the society copes with the various challenges of its existence: food, heat, light, communication, transportation, lodging, water, to name a few of the obvious. The technology requirement presumes specialization in some aspect of these social needs.
b. Individual
Higher education’s obligation to enhance the individual’s well-being and success in his/her society include more personal knowledge and skills. Included here are topics such as religion, a practical understanding of how society is organized and functions, how government works, problem-solving skills such as logic, research, factual versus false data, appreciation of the arts, including painting, architectural, music, and the like.
These are areas frequently of controversy. How to deal with dissent, to weave one’s own way though the thicket of varying opinions, false claims and disputed facts represents a valuable but illusive skill which should be part of every college experience.
We have now set the stage for a discussion of the future of higher education:
Higher education exists to serve society and the individual by expanding his/her knowledge and skills of
· Society’s culture and technology
· Individual’s personal well-being
In this manner, higher education seeks to expand the individual’s success in “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.
II
I have always been intrigued by the concept of “Individual Educational Plans” (IEP), defined as “a written plan/program [which]… specifies the student’s academic goals and the method to obtain these goals.” Originally signed by President Reagan in 1986 and enhanced periodically since, the IED is required for all handicapped children.
What if IEP’s were specified for ALL children?
The practical implementation of such an idea was beyond our capabilities until the introduction into education of the digital age. Unfortunately, computers were confined to two areas of education, teaching content (a problematic application) and administration. It has not been used extensively for the application which it would be most fruitfully applied, namely, implementation of complex scheduling. Elsewhere I have designed the way in which computers could be used to implement IED’s for ALL children. Needless to say, I was ahead of my time (where I spent most of my later years in education!).
However, I believe such a plan could now be implemented for higher education with today’s technology. After all, we were able to execute a form of this pedagogy in the 1970’s before computers were even introduced, as I explain the accompanying essay (see “The Fiddler and Me” attached).
The system would draw heavily from several sources: the Oxford University tutorial method of instruction, computer-based scheduling (which I helped introduce in my post-Crown Center career with Control Data Corporation) and doctoral degree programs, as well as the credit-for-experience, Portfolio Plan, which I pioneered in Kansas City’s Crown Center campus (details in accompanying essay). A very significant addition would be the computer-based courseware now available as well as the internet with its nearly unlimited research resources.
Briefly, the system would look like this:
1. Each student would be assigned an individual carrel (as in graduate student libraries), equipped with desktop computer, software, headphones and webcam. (Fits nicely with social distancing.)
2. Academic Plan – the first exercise would be a class which introduced the students to the system with the following components:
Development of his/her IEP based on each student’s individual interests and guided by a personal academic advisor. “What do you know now? (Portfolio optional) What don’t you know now that you would like to know? How will you acquire that expertise? How will we measure what you have learned? (Thesis required.)” Content could be achieved at the student’s discretion by seminar, tutorial or digitally. Benchmark endorsements from faculty required.
3. A basic curriculum, to be attended by all students, addressing the commonly accepted cultural competences required by society, and graded on a Pass/Fail basis, with the requirement of an in-depth essay on a topic of the student’s choice.
4. During each noon break a lecture would be given in the dining room by a professor on his/her chosen topic (attendance optional) addressing some aspect of culture or technology.
5. Live instruction would take place in seminars attended by students whose interests were common to all, scheduled by computer as sorted by the common interests of the designated students. Individual tutorials, noon lectures and online course ware also provided as stipulated in the academic plan (IEP).
6. Graduation – a thesis fulfilling the pre-arranged metrics for successful achievement would be published and presented in an oral defense to a panel of experts. Upon acceptance, the student would be graduated with the appropriate degree.
III
Many details are left undeveloped here because of space limitations. However, I hope this vision will be achieved somewhere down the road as higher education continues to evolve.
Dr. Larry our choices
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