Category Archives: Societal Issues

510: Repelling the Republican Reich (Part V Repairing Democracy)

07 Friday Jun 2024

Posted by in Possible Solutions, Societal Issues, Uncategorized

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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, click “About the Author” tab.  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. The previous “sense check” was ENTRY #500.

BEGIN ENTRY #510: A lot of media coverage this past week about Trump‘s conviction on 34 felony counts. As expected, Trump claimed the case was rigged, that the witnesses, the judge and jury were not credible and that the entire case was baseless since he had done nothing wrong. 

Did he take the stand to counter any of the claims of witnesses’, including some current Trump Organization employees?  Of course, not because, well according to Trump, he was prohibited by the judge from taking the stand. 

Did Trump explain why he paid $130,000 to someone he claimed he never met (forget the picture of the two of them).  No, Trump paid Stormy Daniels because of his long-held reputation for generosity.   Seems perfectly logical to me.  And classifying the payment to Daniels as legal expense?  Well, someone else did that. 

Immediately following the guilty verdict, the MAGAt’s jumped on board Trump‘s train of lies with particular emphasis that President Biden had weaponized the department of justice.  You know, don’t you, that DOJ has jurisdiction over state courts. MAGAts know.  Somehow the rest of us missed that class.   

MAGAt’s seems to forget the logic that the same Department of Justice is prosecuting Biden’s son for what would normally be characterized as a paperwork issue. Serious, yes, but still paperwork.  I guess Biden must be willing to sacrifice his son in order to get at Trump. Another one of those Republican “logic streams” that fail to connect two adjacent dots.

 While all the responses by Trump to his felony conviction and the follow-on actions by the MAGAt’s might seem laughable at times, the potential consequences for the country can be severe, even if Trump is defeated in November.

This week marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when Allied troops landed at Normandy. The invasion marked the beginning of the end of the reign of terror in Europe by the Third Reich, led by Adolf Hitler.

What was required to defeat Germany was an incredible combined effort by forces from the UK, Canada, the US, and resistance forces in France.

Trump’s rise to power, and behavior while in power as president, has many parallels with Hitler’s. For me, the most baffling aspect about the continued support for Trump, even after the conviction, is how he has been able to brainwash such a large percentage of the population to enthusiastically endorse actions that are contrary to the core beliefs of his supporters.

Unlike Germany, which suffered severe economic penalties in the 1920’s and 1930’s as retribution for WW I, when Trump was elected in 2016, the US economy was in reasonably good shape.  Economic growth under Trump was marginal at best, especially compared to economic growth and job creation under Biden.  Yet, the brainwashed MAGAt’s continue to support Trump’s every claim.

Further, Trump’s behavior for many years has been the antithesis of what many MAGAt’s claim to be their core values.  The 10 Commandments are a key tenet  for fundamentalist Christians, which proportionately support Trump more than any other group. Yet, among modern presidents, and based on history, among all presidents, Trump has violated more of the 10 Commandments than any other president (and most anyone in the general population).  

What is the risk to the US of a such large percentage of the population supporting a presidential candidate whose known actions are contrary to one’s core values and contrary to national security? Many people under age 50, or even age 60, might not feel any connection to WWII and the effort and sacrifice necessary to ensure democracy remained viable in many countries worldwide.

To help the population better understand the risk and especially the sacrifices encountered in WWII, maybe Part V in this blog series to repair democracy would be to implement a nationwide program whereby: (i) each person under age  25 would be required to serve at least one year in public service.  Not necessarily in the military but in public service – think WPA.  No exceptions for bone spurs and most medical conditions; (ii) all families would be required to live for three months with “ration coupons” similar to those issued in WWII.  No exceptions, especially for those financially able to buy one’s way out; (iii) individuals and/or families would be restricted from buying any new electronics or similar items for one year.

While the proposed ideas might seem out of date and trivial, and I’m certain the ideas can be improved upon, the intent is to avoid collectively forgetting the magnitude of sacrifices made on D-Day and the sacrifices made during the entire effort to win WWII.  Forgetting these sacrifices increases the risk of another Reich, this time in the US led by MAGAt Republicans.  The Republican Reich could produce many of the horrors experienced in Germany. END ENTRY #510

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#509 — Goodbye Sam the Sham Alito. Part 4 Repairing Democracy

26 Sunday May 2024

Posted by in Causes of the Revolution, Common Sense Policies, Societal Issues, Uncategorized

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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, click “About the Author” tab.  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. The previous “sense check” was ENTRY #500.

ENTRY #509: Part 4-Repairing Democracy: “My wife made me do it! She flew the American flag upside down! How was I to know?” claimed SCOTUS justice Samuel Alito after the NYT published a picture of the flag.

Right Sam. Let’s see if I get this right.  The flagpole in question is planted right outside the front door of your house in Washington, DC.  And given that location, a flag being flown on that pole would be hard to see whether coming or going from the house.

Oh, and yes, the flag was flown upside down for several days.  So, tell me again, what’s your excuse for letting the flag fly upside down for several days?

The timing?  Gee, the upside-down flag just happened to fly soon after the January 6 insurrection. Excuse me, I misspoke.  After the January 6 visit to the Capitol by those “true patriots” who wanted to encourage Senators to reconsider the will of the public.

“But that’s my wife’s 1st Amendment right. I can’t control what she does or says,” further claimed Alito. 

Well Sam, then what about the Pine Tree flag flying at your vacation house in Long Beach Island, New Jersey?  The symbolism of that flag might be a bit more subtle, but the message is essentially the same.  Disregard the US Constitution and set up a different set of rules.  The Pine Tree Flag supports the idea that Christianity should take precedence over any government regulation.

Dear Sam the Sham Alito:  maybe I missed when the 1st Amendment was modified to eliminate the separation of church and state.  And the modification to the 1st Amendment made Christianity the de facto law of the land. When was the 1st Amendment modified?

Your behavior has repeatedly demonstrated you are unqualified to serve on SCOTUS. If a SCOTUS Justice cannot follow a simple code of ethics that applies to every other federal judge, then why should anyone in the public respect your rulings on a case?

What’s the impact of behavior by Alito, and Thomas?  The behavior of both justices is a key contributor to a sharp and sustained decline in the public’s respect for SCOTUS.  Over the last 20-25 years – roughly the tenure of Alito and Thomas – according to a survey by GSS, the percentage of Americans who indicate high or some level of confidence in SCOTUS has declined from 85+% in 2000 to about 50% in 2023. The relative decline was even greater among those with “high confidence” in SCOTUS. 

The public understands the SCOTUS justices have a right to interpret a case differently. The public does not understand or approve why SCOTUS justices have a right to exclude themselves from ethical behavior and, in Thomas’ case, borderline illegal behavior.

Republicans who question why the uproar over the Stars and Stripes flying upside down at Alito’s house should ask themselves would they show equal support for a more liberal justice who did something similar? Or would they show the same indifference if a Democratic member of Congress had flown the US flag upside down or flown a flag supporting an insurrection? Would Republicans support such actions the way they’re supporting Alito and Thomas?

And about those 1st Amendment rights Alito claims for his wife?  Why are Republicans in the House all exorcised about some college students protesting Israel’s action in Gaza? Republicans don’t support either Muslims or Jews, so why all the fuss?  And don’t the students have 1st Amendment rights?

Disregard for the ethical behavioral guidelines and especially disregard for the rule of law by those in power erodes the public’s trust in democracy.  Trust is eroded even more quickly when the behavior is by those charged with upholding the rule of law.  And which body is charged with the final interpretation of the law – SCOTUS. 

When SCOTUS justices Alito and Thomas openly thumb their nose at ethical guidelines and/or the rule of law, the public then begins to question the fairness of all rulings.  The erosion of confidence in the court system can be the death kneel of democracy. 

If we, societal we, are to begin repairing our democracy, we need to get Alito and Thomas off SCOTUS. We should also consider implementing a reasonable procedure for “impeaching” justices who have clearly violated ethical guidelines and even worse the law. We should also implement term limits for SCOTUS justices – say 20 years and out. The changes would be a start. END ENTRY 509

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, and an array of other topics, visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

#508: Part 3 Repairing Democracy. Clarence Thomas’ New Gig – Stand-Up Comedian

14 Tuesday May 2024

Posted by in Causes of the Revolution, Possible Solutions, Societal Issues, Uncategorized

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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, click “About the Author” tab.  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. The previous “sense check” was ENTRY #500.

BEGIN #508: During a recent private dinner for major Republican donors, SCOTUS Justice Thomas said he would be pursuing a part-time career when the court is not in session this summer. Thomas described the part-time career as a stand-up comedian.

When asked if he had another comedian in mind as a model, Thomas responded, “Rodney Dangerfield.” Thomas continued, “Like Dangerfield, I don’t get no respect. All those people are critical of me and my family. I don’t understand why. “

When someone at the dinner asked him to elaborate, Thomas claimed that people should not be disrespectful just because he has taken large loans that he never repaid or that he has taken a number of vacations paid for by someone else. In addition, people should not be upset because members of the family have received gifts from other Republicans.

Thomas lamented “Why are people so upset? SCOTUS has no rules about such corruption, I mean behavior.  Well, at least the rules are not enforced. Besides, I deserve respect and all that money because…well, just because of who I am.“

Right Clarence.  Let me provide some more perspective. First, respect is earned not automatically granted with the position. And being a justice of SCOTUS means you should be held to a higher standard, not a lower standard.

How does Thomas‘ behavior affect the intensity of the Revenge Revolution?  While not the primary cause of the Revenge Revolution, the behavior of Thomas and other justices, even more than their decisions, affects how people view the credibility of branches of government.  For decades SCOTUS has been viewed as the providing the guardrails for a rogue Congress or a rogue president.

 The behavior of Thomas, Alito, and the Trump triumvirate has accelerated erosion in the public’s confidence of a credible SCOTUS.  Confidence has fallen to the lowest since surveys began.

The solution to begin to rebuild confidence in SCOTUS? Term limits – i.e., years in office.

Generally, I’m opposed to term limits, especially since for most government officials the public has the opportunity to throw the bums out.  Not so, however, with the SCOTUS justices, who are appointed for life. Putting some term limits would increase turnover and help avoid gross imbalances that could continue over decades.

Another change would be to make SCOTUS justices subject to the same rules and reporting requirements as other federal judges. The penalty for lack of compliance would be removal from the bench and not some BS impeachment hearing in the House and then a vote in the Senate.

Implementing term limits or time limits likely would require an amendment to the US Constitution.  Subjecting SCOTUS justices to the same rules and regulations as other federal judges likely could be implemented by Chief Justice Roberts and certainly by Congress.

Such changes would be a good step to beginning to repair democracy in America. END #508.

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#507 Road to Repairing Democracy #2. Mandatory Civics before Graduation.

04 Saturday May 2024

Posted by in Education Issues, Societal Issues, Uncategorized

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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, click “About the Author” tab.  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. The previous “sense check” was ENTRY #500.

BEGIN #507: In the previous entry, I indicated an intent was to publish a series of ideas about how to rebuild American democracy.  While I had a general idea about what suggestions to put forth, no issue stood out aside from politics.

Well, one issue has now  jumped out, or crawled out as it were. The event should not be a surprise to anyone who is 21 or older, and by now no surprise to most who are younger.

The event occurs with such regularity it can be predicted accurately for decades ahead.  Depending upon your locale in the US, the event occurs every 13 or 17 years.  In some lucky locations, both events occur.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d be hard-pressed to miss the news about cicadas emerging from the ground.  Yes, these little guys stay underground for 13 or 17 years, then come out and party for 4-6 weeks.

The partying gets annoying and awfully loud, and likely includes a lot of sex.  After all, the cicadas are teenage partygoers.  Also, like teenagers, the cicadas get into all kinds of places that they shouldn’t be, including occasionally jumping on to your shirt collar, then crawling inside.

Cicadas don’t bite – at least I’ve never been bitten – and as far as I know, do not transmit any infectious diseases. But they are still annoying.

We live in an area with an extensive number of trees. These trees are old enough that cicadas probably have used them for several of their 13/17-year cycles.

All this activity makes for great national and local news stories and casual conversations.   With all that, do you think some people still don’t know about the cicadas’ party?  Unfortunately, yes.

In the Nextdoor app a surprising number of people have made comments along the lines of, “Does anyone else hear that grinding sound? And where’s the noise coming from? “

In response to an explanation provided, some of the brain-dead people who’ve asked the question then reinforce their Ignorance by such explanations as they did not know about the cicadas because of spending too much time spent with the kids or some other nonsensical reason.

If you don’t know something, spending 15 seconds on a search engine often provides a credible answer. The people who use the Nextdoor app obviously have access to the Internet.  And we expect them to study candidates before voting?

 Another example of being braindead is a fellow alum from that technology school on the Charles River in Cambridge, MA. The guy is obviously bright – or was at one time – and I am embarrassed to tell this story. 

During a recent conversation he wondered why Democrats were pursuing prosecuting Trump in Manhattan over a simple business fraud case. His rationale was that everyone in business commits fraud, and no one was really hurt by Trump’s actions. 

Excuse me. The trial is not about fraud or even about hush money.  The trial is about election  interference. The fraud case against Trump was already decided with his substantial financial penalty – at least $175 million and possibly $500+ million.  And, no, the trial is not a Democratic political issue. Election interference and fraud are legal issues that should be of interest to all citizens, regardless of political party.

There are many other examples of “what were they thinking?” beyond the couple cited. Where does such lack of thinking lead us?

To begin to solve the problem of lack of logical thinking, the recommendation is that before being able to graduate from high school, everyone should have to pass a test on the major components of the US Constitution.  Prior to the exam, each student would have at least one semester about the history of the US Constitution, how it has evolved and been amended over the years and how it is being interpreted today.

Ideally, civics classes would begin in 7th or 8th grade. Courses would include participating as an elected representative in a mock government.  The elected representatives would be charged with trying to solve real-world problems.

As part of the course, students would be required to read about local events.  The problems required to solve could be wide ranging, including such seemingly mundane issues as “does the city government need to do anything special to educate citizens about the emergence of the cicadas?’

One occasionally hears a statement along the lines of, “you can’t legislate away stupid.“  True, but a good start would be teaching students how to learn about issues and to learn how to solve problems rather than trying to blame someone else.  And another result of this effort might be students learning how to work together – and then teaching adults.

All for now. Another major idea next entry. END #507

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, and an array of other topics, visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

#505: Looney Tunes Wants to Reign

19 Tuesday Mar 2024

Posted by in Causes of the Revolution, Possible Solutions, Post Trump Presidency, Societal Issues, Uncategorized

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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, click “About the Author” tab.  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. The previous “sense check” was ENTRY #500.

BEGIN #505: Writing entries for this blog has allowed me to analyze and address a range of topics. Virtually all topics have been related to a possible 5th US Revolution, the Revenge Revolution.  The past six months, and especially since the beginning of the 2024 calendar year, finding a topic other than the absurdity of the behavior of Trump and the Republican lemmings, has been difficult.

While not alive during the period, the statements by Trump must be similar to that of the days in the 1930’s in Germany leading up to Hitler’s election and the early days thereafter.  The similarities go beyond Trump using the same words or phrases as Hitler. The similarities include absolute brainwashing of a substantial part of the population who cheer Trump’s every move.

In addition, Trump and allies, much like Hitler, are openly attempting to destroy all checks and balances in our democracy – at the Federal, state and local levels. Trump is open about wanting to be a dictator and his supporters seem excited about having someone as president who can “fix all the problems in society.”  Part of the “ultimate solution” being espoused by Trump is to deport, or maybe to destroy, all people other than those whose heritage is white western European.  “You know, we need to get rid of ‘those people’ who are poisoning the blood of true Americans.”

During political rallies Trump salutes and praises the January 6 insurrectionist, vowing to pardon them if elected. He also recently claimed that any Jew who didn’t vote for him must hate Judaism and Israel.

Unfortunately, the Trump insanity will continue to escalate as the campaign continues and key Republicans and many Christian leaders bow down to their replacement god. Maybe the logo of the Republican Party should become the golden calf – maybe an orange calf would be more appropriate. 

 The next few months will be a severe test of the US legal system. Trump has lost significant civil cases with substantial penalties – E. Jean Carroll, $90+ million, and the fraud case in New York State, $500+ million and counting.  He also faces a plethora of criminal charges  in Manhattan and Georgia.

Executing judgments from these cases and protecting people who have been involved, even innocent jurors and law clerks, will be difficult.  Few well-trained mental-health professionals doubt that Trump is mentally unhinged. The execution of the legal judgments – loss of financial assets and possibly some jail time – will put him in the total looney-bin category.

Executing the judgments likely will also unleash a number of supporters who will try and take revenge on the public and politicians. January 6 was a mere rehearsal.

My view and hope is all the turmoil around Trump gets resolved before the election, and certainly before the inauguration. The only solution to avoid widespread chaos and attempted retribution is to ensure that Trump is not able to takeoff office, should he be elected. “That’s all folks!”

More in future entries. END ENTRY #505

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, and an array of other topics, visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

#503. Why’s Everybody Always Pickin’ on Me?

18 Sunday Feb 2024

Posted by in Causes of the Revolution, Post Trump Presidency, Societal Issues, Uncategorized

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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, click “About the Author” tab.  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. The previous “sense check” was ENTRY #500.

BEGIN ENTRY 503: Poor little Donnie. Nobody likes him and they’re all out to get him. That bad ol’  Judge Engoron told Little Donnie to pay about $400 million for fraud in NY State.  Can you imagine?  Trump made NY the mecca that it is. Then Engoron banned him from running the Trump Organization.  How dare the judge!

And that E. Jean Carroll woman.  What a grifter.  Donnie never knew her.  Besides she was not his type, even though he thought Carroll was his second wife, so maybe she was his type.  Anyway, Carroll soaked him for about $90 million of his hard-earned money. So, so unfair.

Oh, those other people who are just piling on. Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan DA, is going around bragging about how he’s going to get Donnie for paying some porn star hush money, then supposedly lying about it. According to Trump, “I’m not guilty of anything. Going to bed was her idea.“

And that that woman in Georgia, Fani somebody. Why she slept with a guy who she works with. That’s unthinkable.  That should be cause for dismissing the entire case against me.  Sleeping with a coworker is far worse than trying to rig an election.

As far as Smith, you know that Jack guy. “What a loser.  He’s made up everything about me having some kind of erection, I mean insurrection.”

For the MAGAts still enamored with Trump, wake up. Trump has been an a-hole his entire life.  He has consistently lied, cheated and stolen from vendors among other people. Anybody who’s spent any time living or working in New York knows his behavior.

And just as a reminder MAGAts, if you want to Make America Great Again by returning to the 1950s, remember that in the 1950’s the maximum marginal income tax rate was 70%, there was conscription, and Russians were the bad guys. Is that what you want to return to? More exciting news from MAGAt land in the weeks ahead.

What does this entry have to do with US Revolution V, the Revenge Revolution? Trump and the loyal MAGAts are bent on installing the Donald as a dictator. The MAGAts apparently are too stupid to understand what a dictatorship means for the country and for them individually. As noted in several other entries, MAGAts seem to have been brainwashed. Just why and how, time will tell. In the interim, the MAGAts should be viewed and treated as an imminent and significant threat to the well-being of the US. END ENTRY 503:

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, and an array of other topics, visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

#498. “Have You Stopped Beating Your Wife Yet?” Republican Hypocracy re Antisemitism.

11 Monday Dec 2023

Posted by in Post Trump Presidency, Societal Issues, Uncategorized

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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, click “About the Author” tab.  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 #476 was the most recent “sense check.”

BEGIN #498: Ah, December, the time of good cheer and merriment and a key month leading up to political caucuses and primaries. ‘Tis also the season of grandstanding and so-called fact-finding by the vaulted elected members of Congress. 

While the Senate is not immune from occasional silliness, the House of Representatives under the leadership of KevIn McCarthy and now Mike Johnson has set a new standard for meaningless hearings.  Topics of the hearings in the House may sound legitimate but more often than not the “Freedom Caucus” forces topics to be those most important to their hard-right political base. 

Witnesses for these Republican clown shows, err hearings, are selected to emphasize what’s wrong with the other party. Questions are often irrelevant, misleading and/or phrased to be a “gotcha” much like the proverbial unanswerable question, “Have you stopped beating your wife yet?“  The phraseology demands a “yes” or “no” answer, which can be used in campaign ads or by the talking heads on Fox News.  

The most recent example was a House hearing 12/05/2023 supposedly  addressing antisemitic behavior on college campuses. Witnesses just happen to be three women presidents from so-called elite universities. – Harvard, Penn and MIT.  

Sidebar: Why certain academic institutions are called “elite” is unclear.  They’re certainly not elite because of any athletic programs.  I guess they are elite because of a very high application rate, and a low acceptance rate.  Gee, the high application rate just might indicate these schools offer an excellent education.  Nah, must be some other reason.

At the 12/05/2023 hearing the formal testimony of all three presidents included the importance of addressing antisemitic behavior on campus. Where the fiasco started was with questioning by representative Elise Stefanik, who represents a district in upstate New York.

Stefanik asked the president of the University of Pennsylvania and then presidents of Harvard and MIT whether students who publicly supported genocide for Jews and/or made other antisemitic remarks would be punished.  All three presidents gave answers based on existing law and ensuring the 1st First Amendment rights of the students. All three noted that words without action would not be punishable.

Well, do you think a proper legal answer satisfied the Republicans? Of course, not!  The response by Republicans was to first take the answers out of context.  Doing so allowed the Republicans to claim by not emphatically stating that students should be punished regardless of circumstances, each of the presidents must be antisemitic, and therefore anti-Israel and therefore pro Muslim.

Even some what I call Israel-whether-right-or-wrong Jews jumped on the bandwagon, condemning the presidents, especially Penn’s president McGill.  The Penn chairman of the board of trustees called for her immediate resignation.  A Wharton alum who supposedly planned to donate $100 million also jumped on the bandwagon and demanded her resignation.  The list grew longer over the next couple of days and eventually included Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress.  (Mm Ron.  Be careful.  If you lie down with pigs, you get up smelling like a pig.  And that’s not kosher.)

Saturday, 12/09/2023, the Board at Penn effectively forced President McGill to resign.  The chairman of the Board also resigned. 

Simple ending.  Case closed, right?  The more you dig into the story, the more it appears the hearings were a greater sham than imagined by all but the most cynical.  Key donors to Penn and especially donors to the Wharton Business School, whose list of distinguished graduates includes Donald Trump, have been frustrated with McGill since she was hired less than 2 years ago.  The most recent incident was an event on campus that included speakers discussing Palestinian-related issues.  Shame on you McGill for protecting free speech rights.  You must be fired. 

What should come out eventually is all the behind-the-scenes maneuvering in the House to set up the hearing.  It appears the hearing was set up on very short notice, possibly a day or two after the Palestinian session at Penn.  President McGill was the primary target.  Harvard is always fodder for Republicans and it would be harder to find a better target to humiliate than the new president of Harvard, who happens to be black.  Selecting MIT remains a mystery, but we know the president received very short notice of the hearing.    

The response from the Harvard trustees was more muted than Penn’s, but still a bit reactionary. President Gay apologized over the weekend.  But, of course, an apology from a non-Republican is never enough.  The Board of Harvard Corporation was meeting Monday to discuss the issue.  The president received strong support from faculty.  Outcome TBD. 

The response from the MIT Executive Committee was straightforward. Strong support for President Sally Kornbluth. (For those unfamiliar with the culture MIT, it is a great example of a combination of meritocracy and apolitical, science-based thinking. The straightforward response supporting the president was not unexpected.)

The resignation of Penn’s president was more fodder for Republicans.  The hypocrisy of the Republican response, especially from Stefanik – “One down and two to go!” – while frustrating, is not puzzling. Stefanik sold her soul and became a “hatchet man” for Trump.  I guess she forgot about graduating from Harvard.  Wonder if she returned her diploma?

So, where’s the hypocrisy?  Republicans denounced the university presidents for not punishing students from making statements even though students were within their 1st Amendment rights.  In the next breath the same Republicans claimed any restrictions on Trump‘s remarks, no matter how extreme and/or dangerous violate his First Amendment rights.

In Trump world, Trump can say anything and be protected. Forget his antisemitic remarks directed at the Jewish law clerk in the state of New York fraud case. Forget his racist remarks directed at the New York Attorney General, who has already won a fraud conviction against Trump’s companies in NY and may win additional convictions.  Forget the racist remarks directed the Fulton County Georgia District Attorney, who has charged Trump under a RICO statute for trying to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.  And forget the racist remarks against the Federal judge in the DC insurrection case.

Even though Trump’s remarks have resulted in continuing death threats to all those listed and  other remarks have led to death threats for two black election workers in Detroit, that’s OK by Republican standards. But any antisemitic comments by students, even though no action was taken after the remark, must be punished.

Republicans also do not acknowledge that anyone under criminal indictment, and that includes Trump, has restrictions placed on their 1st Amendment rights.  But don’t tell the Republican base the truth. That would just ruin your argument.

One final note about the Republicans’ supposed support for Jews and Israel that never seems to get discussed, at least publicly. The religious right, which claims to have unequivocal support for Israel, continues to discriminate against Jews at home.  So why do Republicans support Israel, while discriminating against Jews in the US?

For the far right, Israel is not a Jewish state, but the “Holy Land” – the home of Christianity.  To preserve access for visiting the holy land, Christians must have the right manager in Israel. The dilemma for Christian is which manager option do they choose?  Keeping Jews in charge of managing Israel will likely ensure Christians can continue to visit. If Jews are not in charge of managing Israel, Muslims would likely control the holy land and lock out Christians from visiting.

Cutting to the chase, the claim by Republicans that colleges and universities must punish students for antisemitic remarks, even if the students take no action to harm Jews, is pure BS. The grandstanding is designed to keep Jews as the manager of the Christian holy land. END ENTRY #498

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/

#497. Global Warming: The Frog in the Kettle of Water?

04 Monday Dec 2023

Posted by in Societal Issues, Uncategorized

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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, click “About the Author” tab.  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 #476 was the most recent “sense check.”

BEGIN ENTRY #497: An often-told allegory is about the actions of a frog placed in a kettle of water. The story goes that if you put the frog in cool water and then turn up the heat on the stove the frog stays in the water.  Apparently, the frog does not notice the incremental change in water temperature and stays in the kettle and ends up being cooked to death.

The story also claims that if you toss a frog into a pot of hot water, not even boiling, the frog at once recognizes the problem and jumps out. 

What does the frog in the water story have to do with global warming?  Entry #496 outlined an idea to possibly jar the public into thinking more seriously about the consequences of global warming. The entry included a quote from Everett Dirksen, longtime Senator from Illinois, about how to change minds of the public.  “The mind is no match for the heart in persuasion.”  

To get a sense of the public’s concerns about global warming, I sent an email to a group of family members, friends, and a few business colleagues. The note asked the recipient to list 3-4 concerns, if any, about global warming. The note emphasized there were no “right” or “wrong” answers, just their individual answers.

Not everyone responded – welcome to the world of market research – but a number of people did. Respondents noted concerns about rising seas, more extreme weather, how animals will be affected and longer-term negative impact on food production.  Several of those surveyed had grandchildren and expressed concern about the effects on their grandchildren over time.

A couple of people, and I suspect a few more who didn’t respond, indicated they had no concerns about global warming. One colleague in a business venture claimed that since the earth’s ecosystem is a closed-loop system, any disruption to the ecosystem will cure itself over time. Therefore, he had no concerns about the consequences of global warming.

What was most notable, however, was no one in the group viewed global warming as a hair-on-fire problem. Maybe I’m too close to understanding the potential consequences of global warming, but you’d think someone would be screaming, “we’ve got to start seriously addressing the problem now!”

The lack of hair-on-fire concern was even more puzzling given the makeup of the survey group.  The recipients of the survey were heavily weighted toward those with at least a four-year college degree. Politically the group was more liberal than conservative. Ages ranged from 21 to 95.

The lack of concern about the need to immediately ratchet up efforts to address causes of global warming reminded me of the frog in the kettle of water.  Incremental change – the water gradually getting warmer – did not create a sense of urgency to take action.  Only when there was a sense of crisis – jumping into hot water – was action taken. 

Society seems to be behaving similarly to the frog.  Without some sense of crisis – for example, you’re all going to die soon or something like that – will we, societal we, likely agree to take action.  But just like for the frog, waiting results in catastrophe. END ENTRY #497

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/

#496 Whadda Mean Climate Change Is Gonna Kill Me?

23 Thursday Nov 2023

Posted by in Causes of the Revolution, Societal Issues, Uncategorized

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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, click “About the Author” tab.  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 #476 was the most recent “sense check.”

BEGIN ENTRY #496: For about the last four (4) years, I have been part of a group of fellow MIT alumni working on practical solutions to climate change.  The criteria for solutions are: (i) technology must be currently available or likely to be commercially available in the next say 10 years, preferably less.  This requirement would eliminate fusion and other technologies with long development times and problematic outcomes; (ii) technology must have a meaningful impact on reducing global warming – e.g., direct carbon capture is a tech at the margin; (iii) likely adoption of the technology must be at a rate to positively reduce global warming. 

Interestingly, assessing and selecting the technologies has been relatively easy.  There is a reasonably long list of technology available today that could help significantly reduce global warming worldwide. 

The most difficult problem is getting people to adopt technology.  Convincing people to even consider adopting is often a problem.  An example is getting people in the US to consider cooking on an electric stove rather than using natural gas.  Why the change?  Natural gas, which is primarily methane, leaks at all stages from the wellhead to transmission in the pipeline to even a bit at the stove. 

“Unburned” methane is 50+ times worse for global warming than methane when burned, or CO2.  Switching to all-electric burners on a stove would have a major positive impact on reducing global warming.  If you want an immediate and intense reaction, try discussing the idea of switching with a committed cook.  

There are numerous other examples of difficulty getting people to consider even a slight change in behavior.  People seem to understand global warming in the abstract but do not relate to daily behavior. 

One of the early projects of the MIT group was drafting a “roadmap” of practical solutions.  Because of my background, I was the lead author for transitioning transportation out of fossil fuels.  During the drafting I tried to think of every option possible to help accelerate the adoption of zero-carbon transportation. 

At the end of the 18 months, I came up with a single answer.  Since publishing the roadmap, I’ve continued to rack my brain about how to get people to understand the need to take meaningful action to address causes of global warming. 

At the Federal/state level, the only viable option appears to be widespread mandates.  Such actions are not unprecedented — rationing during WWII, e.g.   However, before mandates can be implemented there needs to be an event that solidifies support for potential action.  

Without such an event — Pearl Harbor, e.g., in WWII — the likelihood of persuading legislators, Federal or state, seems remote.  Stating the obvious, the House of Representatives, in fact the entire Republican Party, seems to be unable to commit to governing.  I thought that might change after Trump was defeated in 2020 but the lack of will to govern seems to have intensified.  

In addition, a number of companies seem to be quietly backing away from their public commitments to address global warming.  Among the largest companies are ExxonMobil, Chevron, Delta Airlines and everyone’s least favorite utility, Duke Energy.  

All that said, I am reminded of a quote from Evert Dircksen, former senator from Illinois and Majority Leader. “The mind is no match for the heart in persuasion.”  

With Dirksen in mind, who like LBJ was great at persuading people, maybe efforts to persuade the public to adopt changes that reduce global warming should first focus on the “heart,” then focus on the “science.”

People under age 30 will be most affected by climate change.  Maybe those involved with efforts to reduce global warming need to encourage tactics used in other eras to persuade the public and politicians.  While each situation is a bit different, tugging on the heart strings has been effective over time.  An oft-cited example is the series of protests outside the White House during the Vietnam War, “Hey, hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?”  

In a way, the stimulus to protest for action on climate change and against war in Vietnam is the same — early death.  Ironically, “early death” was an underlying theme of the support for WWII.  Not an early death on the battlefield but an early death of freedom in the US if Germany or Japan won the war.  While the theme of “early death” from no action on climate change might be and a bit controversial, it just might wake up the public and especially the under-30 group to start demanding change.

What does denying climate change have to do with the 5th US Revolution?  Look back in history and view actions of people who were faced with a grim situation over which they had little or no control.  Many of these groups rebelled against the ruling class, even though those in charge had more resources and many of those rebelling faced certain death. 

In other entries, I’ve referenced lyrics from the song made famous by Janis Joplin, “Me and Bobby McGee.”  The lyrics that seem appropriate here are, “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose…” 

If the Federal government does not take meaningful action to address causes of global warming, both in the US and worldwide, then those who will be the most negatively affected by climate change could begin to revolt and implement actions on their own.  The under-30 group has nothing to lose by rebelling and overthrowing the Federal government.  Doing nothing means a shortened lifespan.  Rebelling means a chance of surviving.  What would you do? More thoughts on this in future entries.  END ENTRY #496

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/

493. Time to Play Grown-Up

25 Wednesday Oct 2023

Posted by in Back Asswards Thinking, Causes of the Revolution, Post Trump Presidency, Societal Issues, Uncategorized

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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 #476 was the most recent “sense check.”

BEGIN ENTRY #493: After being put in a leadership position, whether through appointment, an election or by default, one needs to put on their big-boy pants and behave like an adult.

The most glaring “negative” example of such behavior is Trump and the Republican party. Even after being elected president and serving four years, Trump acts like a petulant fourth grader, who must have all the attention.

Hard to believe anyone in an important elected position could exhibit more irresponsible BEHAVIOR than Trump, but most members of the House of Representatives act as if Trump is some kind of all–knowing guru, who’s every command must be obeyed.

Actions by Republicans in the House could well be a skit for the Marx Brothers or part of a Monty Python movie.  At the beginning of 10/25/23 House Republicans began the fourth week of cannibalism.  Over the 3+ weeks House Republicans have roasted, chewed and then spit out one member after another, as possible Speaker of the House.  One lasted a mere four hours after being nominated before withdrawing.

“Oh children, time to quit fighting, clean up your room, and then start your chores. And no dinner and dessert until you elect a Speaker, pass a budget that can be approved by the Senate and signed by the president.  Children, do you understand?”

House Republicans apparently understood the need for a Speaker and elected Mike Johnson of Louisiana.  Why Mr. Johnson, a member of the hard-right and a low-profile architect of the voter fraud scheme.  If Mr. Johnson lasts long enough to get dessert, I’d be surprised. 

What’s even more baffling about the vote for Mike Johnson, which was unanimous among House Republicans, is how House Republicans seem oblivious to events in the Fulton County, GA RICO case.  In the last week three, yes, three of Trump’s former lawyers have flipped, pleading guilty and agreeing to testify – Sydney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna, Ellis. Somewhat earlier, a Georgia bail bondsman flipped.

In response to the flipping by the lawyers, Trump’s counsel did what one would expect from someone representing Trump.  He claimed since none of the lawyers who flipped pleaded guilty to the RICO charges, the RICO case by Fulton County DA Fani Willis must be weak and should therefore be dismissed. Of course, anyone who knows anything about the judicial system, or has ever watched some sort of detective show on TV knows an incentive for someone indicted to cooperate is a reduced charge.

Where does all this lead? The lack of concern by Republicans for fulfilling legislative responsibilities in the House is another sign the US has become so polarized the only possible solution seems to be a catastrophic event that will cause enough Republicans to put on their big-boy pants and act like adults. That event, unfortunately, is likely to be an intensified Civil War.

The fifth US revolution started in earnest with the Trump election and escalated considerably with the insurrection and attempted coup January 6.  While there are some hopeful signs that a more intense war can be averted, people have a very hard time changing behavior until faced with consequences. Just ask the three Trump lawyers who flipped in Fulton County how being faced with catastrophic consequences can affect behavior. END ENTRY #493

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/