The Truth, The Truth, You can’t Handle the Truth

And, nobody died in the Holocaust either. That’s the truth. It should happen. Six million Jews should die right now cause they cause all the problems in the world. But, it never happened.”
Roseanne Barr

“COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,” COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”“We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact.”
RFK Jr.

“That [the war in Ukraine] does nothing to protect our borders, and that’s your hard-earned tax dollars. We’re funding them with equipment, we’re funding them with ammunition…Biden’s war in Ukraine, a proxy war with Russia, has depleted our military. Our military is the weakest it has been in decades and decades.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene

“Millions of illegal aliens have stormed across our borders, it is an invasion, like a military invasion. Our rights and liberties are being torn to shreds. Your country is being turned into a third-world hellhole, run by censors, perverts, criminals and thugs.”
Donald Trump

“Rosa Parks didn’t sit in the back, and neither am I gonna sit in the back.”
George Santos

Years, maybe it was decades ago, politicians, public officials, commentators and celebrities were much more circumspect in their public comments and behavior than their counterparts currently. It seems that chronic stupidity and ill behavior go unpunished. Instead, it gains you more poll points from your party’s voting base, gets you invitations to speak on talk shows and can be a stepping stone to having your own talk show or podcast.

In today’s media, stupid is overwhelming smart. Politicians, political commentators and many news organizations lie with impunity. Very few liars and incompetent people are punished or lose their jobs. Maybe the last time something like that happened occurred with Sarah Palin in 2008.

Today we have Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lisa Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Tommy Tuberville, Tucker Carlson, Jim Jordan, George Santos and countless others who are free to lie, slander and exaggerate. The public does not punish them. In many cases, a good portion of the public supports “a narrative” that gives weight to their slanted political, religious, cultural and prejudicial views.

I’m not sure the exact date when public discourse died but I’d say life support was pulled around 2016. That’s about the same time that the political IQ of this country fell into mid two digits. It’s still plunging…

Quick Analysis of the News

  1. Despite the announced agreement between President Biden and Speaker of the House McCarthy tonight, I would not be surprised that the agreement does not pass in the House and/or Senate. Neither Biden or McCarthy provide a lot of leadership or guidance.
  2. Can a candidate who has been found liable for at least one sexual assault, fomenting an insurrection and violence at the Capitol, mishandling or hiding sensitive government and intelligence documents and pressuring Georgia politicans to change vote tallies actually get his party’s Presidential nomination?
  3. Does Ron DeSantis actually make Donald Trump appear as a moderate and less dangerous?
  4. 2024 will be a national referendum on whether we still want to be a democracy, respect the rule of Law and respect the rights of all citizens. I am very pessimistic as to the answers.

Vox Persona

Spring Cleaning

It’s time for spring cleaning and no place in this country needs it more than in Congress. 

Time for California senator Dianne Feinstein and Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman to retire for health reasons. Neither are capable (physically and mentally) of carrying out the duties of their offices. Ms. Feinstein’s circumstances are deplorable as she is obviously suffering from dementia.

Time for New York congressman George Santos to either resign or be removed from his office. It’s a disgrace that the Republican House leadership have not booted this fraud and felon out. His continued presence in the House is a huge disservice to the constituency that he cannot adequately represent.

Time for Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Jim Jordan to go too. They lack the intellectual bandwidth and judgment to perform their jobs.

NFL GOAT

Jim Brown died yesterday at 87. I remember watching him play for the Cleveland Browns. Often it too three or four guys to take him down. And no matter how often or how hard he was hit, he’d slowly get up and be ready for the next play.

Brown played 118 games straight and never missed a game. In my 70 years of watching football, he was the GOAT.

Mouse vs. The Louse 

Bob Iger vs Ron DeSantis. On man is qualified to be President, Bob Iger. DeSantis looks the like the next Ed Muskie, George Romney, and Gary Hart. Ballyhooed early Presidential contenders who fall short of their party’s nomination.

My 2024 Political Crystal Ball

  1. While I think that Joe Biden has done a very good job under very difficult circumstances, I don’t think that he should seek re-election. His greatest contribution has been to bring back dignity and decorum to the oval office.
  2. My suspicion is that Donald Trump will withdraw from seeking the Republican presidential nomination primarily as he will be in significant legal jeopardy.
  3. I don’t view Mike Pence as a serious presidential contender. Pence did show some integrity and even some courage on January 6, 2021. But he was basically a toady during the Trump administration and he was very inept during the coronavirus crisis.
  4. I am not sure why Kamala Harris is being buried as a potential presidential candidate. It does not appear that she is being taken seriously by members of her party. Her only chance would come if she needed to assume the presidency in the event that Joe Biden is unable to complete his term.
  5. There has to be a more capable woman than Nikki Haley in the Republican Party to run for president!
  6. My concern is that no moderate or at least rational candidate will come from the Republican Party. I would even view Chris Christie as a welcome candidate for 2024.
  7. I think that there is a good chance that the handling of the coronavirus crisis will be an issue for 2024. I’m not just talking about the various lockdowns but the necessity for vaccine mandates given some of the medical information that is now filtering out.
  8. I view with growing concern the decline in support of Ukraine in their war against Russia. I also see that being a critical issue in 2024 if the war is not over.
  9. It is so easy to manipulate and fool not only the American public but also the American press. The 2024 election may all be about which propaganda campaign will win.
  10. Please, no celebrity candidates! No Rock. No Matthew McConaughey. No Oprah. However, I might like to see some successful business CEOs choose to run. I am not talking about Elon Musk!

Menckenians

What H.L. Mencken might say about our current politicians and celebrities based on his past writings…

Current Politician or News CelebrityMenckenians
Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lisa BobertThe problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”
George SantosIt is [a politician’s] business to get and hold his job at all costs. If he can hold it by lying, he will hold it by lying; if lying peters out, he will try to hold it by embracing new truths. His ear is ever close to the ground.
Kevin McCarthyThe only way to success in American public life lies in flattering and kowtowing to the mob. A candidate for office, even the highest, must either adapt its current manias en bloc, or convince it hypothetically that he is done so.
Donald TrumpIt is a sin to believe evil of others, but it is seldom a mistake.
Fox News viewersThe most costly of all follies is to believe passionately in the palpably not true. It is the chief occupation of mankind.
Tucker
Carlson
“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.”
Alex MurdaughIt is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.

Senescence Round 8


100% Eric Burleigh; 0% ChatGPT

With all due respect to Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali and others, the GOATS (Greatest of all Times) in their sports have probably not been born yet.


Wish we can transplant the spirit, unity and enthusiasm of a professional sports team fanbase to unite this fractured country.


Memories of a deceased loved, like a candle, may flicker or dim but the love continues to beat strong.


Picture by Pat Whelen from Pixels

The concentration and focus of the average American lasts midway between the time spent reading a Tweet or viewing an average TikTok reel.

How soon before we eliminate teachers, classrooms and books for a child’s education and upload knowledge and information by injection of data to their brain?


1776 Continental Congress: Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Henry, Franklin and Adams.
2023 Congress: McCarthy, Gaetz, Boebert, Greene and now George Santos.


Perspicacity of sports and political insights by friends > collective wisdoms of “talking heads and commentators” on TV.


Pickleball acts as viagra for some men of mature age. Both get the blood flowing, creates raised expectations and allows for pleasant times with the ladies.

2023 Predictions

I am late for making 2023 predictions but this is mainly a fun exercise as no one is very good at figuring out the future. Based on my mediocre abilities to pick winners in my NFL pool, the reader should not expect great foresight here either.

Politics:

  • Neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump will run for president in 2024.
  • The leading candidates as 2024 Presidential nominees will be Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida (who will be helped by vaccination scandal, see below) and Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan.
  • President Joe Biden will pardon Donald Trump in the fall of 2023 as a result of multiple convictions against Trump. Biden will say that the pardons were initiated “to promote national healing and unity.” The pardon and subsequent agreements not to imprison Trump and members of his family will be a result of negotiations and agreements between the Department of Justice, the New York Attorney General, the Atlanta Attorney General and Trump’s attorney team. Disgraced, Trump will fade from public view.
  • Melania Trump will divorce Donald Trump.
  • In retaliation for the conviction and imprisonment of January 6 conspirators, a devastating domestic terroristic attack will occur and kill thousands of US citizens.
  • Vladimir Putin will suffer a “health issue” mid year and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin in mid 2023.

Photo by Virgil Cayasa

Sports

  • The Phillies will finish as a wildcard team in 2023 but they will not make it to the World Series.
  • The Eagles will make it to the NFC championship game against the 49ers and will lose due to key injuries in the offensive line and defensive secondary.
  • Tom Brady announces retirement after Tampa Bay loss in NFL playoffs.
  • The 76ers will lose in the second round of the NBA playoffs. 4 games to 1. This will be James Harden’s last season with the team. Joel Embid will request a trade at the end of the season. Doc Rivers gets fired.

Business

  • The Dow will finish at 36000 on 12/31/23; NYSE at 4300.
  • Twitter files bankruptcy.

Science

  • Scandal and controversy regarding the rollout, safety and efficacy of the various Covid vaccinations.
  • Frenzy will occur when an UFO sighting is witnessed by thousands and documented through video and radar.
  • No progress in finding treatment or prevention of Alzheimer’s.

Takeaways from the Results of the Midterm Elections

  • While Democrats did not win (they lost the House), in betting parlance, they easily covered the spread and earned a draw.
  • The Democrats backed into a decent result as opposed to earning it.
  • Democrats’ best friend = Donald Trump. Trump handpicked, endorsed and campaigned for many of the GOP candidates who were generally mediocre, unqualified and sometimes uncivilized.
  • Trump also selected the Supreme Court members who put over the repeal of Roe vs. Wade that spurred angry young single women to the polls.
  • Possibly voters took notice of the January 6, 2021 Congressional Hearings and decided to mete out their punishment of a party that supported a takeover of the nation’s Capitol and electoral process.
  • Election results have encouraged Joe Biden to run in 2024. Election results did not discourage Donald Trump to run in 2024. Both are delusional old men who should leave the game for younger players.