Welcome to a discussion about the upcoming 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, Entry #1.  Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US. Entry #430 was the most recent “sense check.”

BEGIN ENTRY #455: (June 2024) Breaking News: presidential candidates Trump and Biden agree to 100-yard dash using their walkers. The winner will be allocated all the electoral college votes from Florida in the 11/2024 election.

In the 2024 election, the two presidential candidates, if Trump and Biden, will be the oldest in US history at the end of their term. Biden is already older than Ronald Reagan, who was nearly 78 when he left office in January 1989.

It’s time for each party to nominate someone younger. By younger, I mean at least 25 years younger. The country needs nominees who are physically in excellent condition and no worries about mental acuity.

Yes, with age comes some degree of wisdom. And with age, generally comes some humility, #45 being an exception.

But it’s time to let some youngins back in the White House (and on Capitol Hill).  There are enough “old sages“ around to help the president address difficult political, intellectual and diplomatic issues. Sages are supposed to be advisers and spiritual leaders, not presidents. 

Younger blood in the WH should also help the country ramp up efforts to address climate change.  The older guys, i.e., Trump and Biden, don’t seem to understand the need to address climate change seriously.  Maybe they don’t care since they’ll be gone before 2050 when we need to get to a zero-carbon economy. 

One other critical criterion for future presidential nominees – no more businesspeople. The roles of business and government are often opposite.  The economy is a good example.  In an economic downturn, businesses usually cut expenditures. In an economic downturn, the federal government should do just the opposite and increase expenditures to avoid making the downturn worse.

In addition, many business executives seem to have forgotten that, in addition to shareholders, businesses have a responsibility to employees, their local community and the public.  Government doesn’t need to be anti-business. At the same time business doesn’t need to be anti-government. 

As Charles E. Wilson (aka “Engine Charlie), president of GM many years ago and Secretary of Defense under Eisenhower proclaimed, “What’s good for our country is good for General Motors and vice versa.“ Businesses today need to heed Engine Charlie’s advice and start acting responsibly toward the country and the environment.

Putting aside age, Democrats and Republicans need to nominate candidates without a lot of “baggage.” Most people who have worked and/or lived in New York are still shocked that Trump could be elected president.  Shocked not because he ran as a Republican but shocked that voters would overlook his long, well-documented public record of lying and cheating.

Biden‘s record in the Senate includes some head-slapping moments, most notably leading the hearings on the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. What was Biden thinking?

No news that the country is clearly divided. While a couple of younger presidential candidates does not guarantee the country can start to come together, for certain divisions will intensify if either Trump or Biden is nominated.

As noted periodically in this blog, I believe the 5^th US Revolution, the Revenge Revolution, has started. If you need confirmation, just count the “major” mass shootings in the less than two months — Buffalo, NY; Uvalde, TX and Highland Park, IL.

In 2022 there are more firearms in the US than people. Many firearms are assault-style weapons. In the US an 18-year-old can’t buy a beer legally but can buy an AR-15, and lots of ammunition.  Ya’ can’t have a beer kid but you can kill as many people as you want.  How does that make sense? 

A good first step toward getting the country on a path of possibly coming back together would be to keep the codgers out of the nation’s capital, especially those codgers considering running for president.  And that advice is from someone who could fit the “codger” category. (END ENTRY #455)

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, what it was like to work day-to-day with Lee Iacocca and an array of other topics? Visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/