An Introduction and Some Political Advice for Confused Liberals
Hi there, I’m Barry Wallace.
I’ll start with some really good news. I intend to keep these episodes on the short side, between five and ten minutes. I’ll try to squeeze two or three different observations into that framework. In this episode I have a strong cautionary few words for the younger liberals who are threatening to not vote for Joe Biden, or perhaps not vote at all, in 2024; As we move beyond Christmas, 2023, I’ll offer some thoughts about Christmas, 2024; And the Curmudgeon’s sports wire has some words for the Kansas City Chiefs and their fans.
First, since this is episode one, a little bit about me. I’m a retired teacher of 40 years, I also spent time as a radio news and sports director, a manager in the hospital industry, professional movie projectionist, even a taxi cab driver in Kansas City; and at various times I’ve been a community level baseball umpire and basketball referee. I loved my ten years as a world-famous Universal studios tour guide, I have a fair handful of directing and acting credits and some awards, for both educational and community theater. During my forty years in high school classrooms, I taught theatre, acting, competitive speech and debate, and media. I’m especially proud of and grateful for the many amazing students I had the opportunity to know. I’ll just throw in a little thought here that the people in the arts, the poets, and the philosophers were the first people to study the human mind. Clinical psychiatry came somewhat later.
Now a quick commercial break. In retirement I have found a second pastime, as a writer. I’ve published several short stories, and my first novel is available at Amazon in Kindle format. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can get a Kindle app for your computer and most digital tablets, in fact you can also get one straight from Amazon. It’s free. The book is also free the first handful of days each month, and if you are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, you can read the book for free any time.
The book is titled IN THE MATTER OF HUMANS. It’s a story of alien arrival. They are millennia ahead of us, and they are not happy with humans. They have come to either reform us or destroy us, and the story revolves around the interactions and growing relationships between the commander of the alien fleet, an American columnist and author he chooses to be his “one honest man,” and the author’s beautiful next-door neighbor who is also a brilliant lawyer. Yes, there are sparks. The tale takes place over a course of only four days, and includes an unbalanced NSA director, an American President who is reminiscent of John F. Kennedy, a doomsday asteroid, a second alien race intent on destroying humans, and the threat of WWIII. The core of the story is the threat posed by humans to this planet, and to other worlds, should we achieve space travel, something these aliens do not intend to allow. As a purely objective observer, I think the book is exciting and adventurous, with memorable characters, some nail-biting suspense, humor, and surprises around several corners. Please read it and send a good review back to Amazon. I’ll give you candy.
Now let’s get to the meat of things. On December 19th, Bianca Seward of NBC News, published an article with the headline: “Young voters explain why they’re bailing on Biden — and whether they’d come back.”
I’ll quote just the opening paragraphs of that report: “Jayden Camarena, in Northern California, is contemplating blowing off the 2024 presidential election. Evan McKenzie, in battleground Wisconsin, is looking for any other candidate than the current front-runners. In Philadelphia, Pru Carmichael isn’t even convinced this race matters.
These young voters live in different cities, work different jobs and have varying political beliefs. But among the things they have in common: They voted for Joe Biden in 2020 — and now say the president can’t count on their support in 2024.
“I genuinely could not live with myself if I voted for someone who’s made the decisions that Biden has,” said McKenzie, a 23-year-old working at Starbucks and as a union organizer in Madison, Wisconsin. “I didn’t even feel great about” voting for Biden in 2020, he said.”
Jayden, Evan, and Pru, please listen to some advice from a progressive/liberal and teacher who has a few—make that a lot—more years of history and experience than the majority of you, one who used to frequently vote Republican. The 2024 election isn’t really about who becomes President of the United States; it’s about who absolutely, positively, cannot be allowed to become President.
There is an old saying: when a man tells you who he is, believe him. Donald Trump has told us, and displayed to us, time after time after time, who he is and why he must never be allowed back into office.
So all young, and middle-aged, liberals who find fault with Joe Biden—and everyone else— I urge you to do three things:
1- Please listen to me, and historians, and holocaust survivors, and psychiatrists and psychologists; listen to people like George W. Bush, the 43rd President, Dick Cheney, his Vice-President, Mike Pence, Trump’s own Vice President, William Barr, Attorney General under Trump, and countless other notables, ALL OF WHOM ARE REPUBLICANS and all of whom plead with you not to let Donald Trump become President again; You can find a complete article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?fulltext=1&search=List+of+Republicans+who+oppose+the+Donald+Trump+2024+presidential+campaign.&title=Special%3ASearch&ns0=1
Listen to the true patriots, military people, people who have put their lives on the line for us, 780 of which signed an open letter to the American people about their fervent opposition to Donald Trump being allowed back in the White House. You can find that article here:
2- Look carefully at the things Joe Biden has done that you don’t approve of. Find out why he made some decisions you don’t like. I have a few myself. But remember this, and this is why I want you to look closely, and find out why he made those decisions; the President is not all powerful in America, and was never meant to be. Biden has faced overwhelming pressure from Republicans, led by the GOP and its leader, Mitch McConnell, who have made a career of obstructing government led by any Democratic President. As President of the Senate, McConnell was, along with powerful insurance industry interests, instrumental in keeping Obama Care from being all that it could be, and refused for eight months to even hold hearings on Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court, one of the biggest reasons the Court is so unbalanced today. Biden has also faced pressure and opposition at times from people in his own party who are financially beholden to immensely wealthy special interest—read that as greed and profit focused—groups. The names Sinema and Manchin are instrumental here. These are just a couple of examples of why the President often has to make compromises that even he does not like, but which are better than not getting anything done at all. While you’re at it, look at the impressive things that Biden HAS ACCOMPLISHED, for the American people, the economy, and the environment. “Well, he didn’t do as much as I wanted,” should be directed less at Joe Biden and more strongly at the GOP and the powerful corporate entities that hold sway over some Democratic representatives, and who have obstructed Biden at every opportunity. One of things I’ve learned along the way is that it’s not always about me, and what I want, but about what can be done, what can be accomplished against strong opposition.
3- Now it’s time to ask yourself the most important question of your life, my life, your children’s lives, and perhaps the lives of a few billion other people who inhabit this world. Ask yourself this: if Adolf Hitler were running for President of the United States in 2024, would you vote for him? Because given the opportunity, Donald Trump could well be an American Hitler. Everything we have seen of him and heard from him, suggests that as a distinct possibility. All of the individuals I pointed you toward above, believe that, even if they don’t use those exact words. During a Town Hall event in Iowa, Sean Hannity of Fox ‘News’ asked Donald Trump if he would be a dictator, should he be reelected. Trump said this:
“Except for day one,” Trump responded. Trump said on the “day one” he referred to, he would use his presidential powers to close the southern border with Mexico and expand oil drilling.
Trump then repeated his assertion. “I love this guy,” he said of the Fox News host. “He says, ‘You’re not going to be a dictator, are you?’ I said: ‘No, no, no, other than day one. We’re closing the border and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.’”
There is both a truth and a lie in those statements, from a man whose record of lies makes Richard Nixon look like an amateur. The lie is the “…other than day one” part. Do you think Donald Trump really means that? His history tells us he has never wanted to be just President, but an all-powerful one; his actions and from 2016 through 2020, including his attempts to subvert the election and exercise a coup, prove that. I’m sure you remember him saying those famous words, “I’m President. I can do anything I want.” And now he claims that he has complete immunity for unlawful acts, crimes committed, during his attempt to overthrow the 2020 election. Does this sound like someone who really wouldn’t make every effort to be dictator? He’s already tried it once.
There is more than ample evidence to make us think that Donald Trump wants to be, not President, but ‘King.’
Donald Trump cares not one whit about the environment. The one truth in his statements to Hannity prove that: “…and, we’re drilling, drilling, drilling.” On that score alone, it would be a disaster of worldwide proportions to put him back in the Oval Office.
Trump’s behavior throughout his first term, his support of an insurrection, and everything that comes out of his mouth, including his “I’m President. I can do anything I want” mindset, indicates that he would love to be dictator. Look at those above sites again, and listen to those people. Listen to Mark Milley, former Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff, whom Trump said should be executed. Listen to the psychologists and psychiatrists who have spoken to Trump’s likely psychosis. Listen to Trump’s own statements that he shoplifters and protesters to be shot, that he wants to be able to use America’s full military against civilians.
Check your history. In the mid 1930’s, Adolf Hitler deluded Germans and promised to address all of their complaints. They overlooked or closed their eyes to the warning signs of his power mania and gave him the total control he wanted, by which time it was too late to stop him. He then went on to lead the world into WWII and the holocaust. The entire world burned, millions upon millions died or were maimed, whole cities and countries were destroyed, all for due to the sick delusions and appetite for murder and destruction of Adolf Hitler. I can’t say that Trump would do the same, but I can say that many of the people I have referred to, Politicians, Military heroes, psychologists and psychiatrists, historians, holocaust survivors, even his fellow Republicans, are terrified at what he might be and what he might do, if he had the kind of power he seeks. The comparisons between Trump and Hitler have been cited by too many people to ignore.
The world too late learned—or refused to look at— the horrible truth about Hitler. But we are well aware of Trump’s quest for total power. We have what the German people in the 1930’s did not, the light of history to show us and warn us. Would Trump be as bad as Hitler? Do you want to take that chance? Who among you really wants to give this man the opportunity to be as powerful that one was.
So again, the 2024 election is not about who is elected President of America. It’s about who cannot, ever, be allowed to have that office again. Those who vote to elect him, or help him get elected by proxy, by not voting at all, will very likely at some future point of being looked upon in history books and through very long memories as having helped him do whatever he chooses to do and wherever he takes us. Sacrifice democracy? Check. Sacrifice the environment? Check. Sacrifice civil rights? Check. Whatever he may be inclined to do, exercising the total power he so badly seeks, would be not just his responsibility, but of those who give him the power to do it.
I urge you, don’t let yourself be one of those people. Don’t allow your personal complaints give this man that opportunity. You and I have that responsibility. Whatever transpires after the election of 2024 will be either our salvation, or our fault.
And now, I see that I’m already over the word and time limit I said I would follow. So I’ll say goodbye for this first episode, and I promise I’ll be back in just a day or two with episode two, and discuss the other topics I promised.
Ciao, so long for now, and remember,
critical thinking is the most powerful talent.
The Wallace Element 