Month: February 2022

Let us be absolutely, candid. Russia, as we know it, has historically existed as an uncomfortably self-conscious adolescent, attempting to shield from Western Civilization, its empirical status, as eternally backward and anachronistic. In the selfsame era, when London was busily spinning fabrics on its mechanically driven looms, during the so-called “Industrial Revolution,” Russia was still back in the age of medieval serfdom. It is our view, that an eternal self-conscious jealousy of its Western neighbors has always been Russia’s motivating neurosis, including its present bloody martial behavior.

Any American or European visitor to the gilded and overly ornate, art palaces of Saint Petersburg would note the tasteless, obscene crowding, of priceless old masters paintings on every available inch of wall space and the artless vanity of priceless fine art sculptures occupying every available area of floor space. The spectacle is obviously, intended to impress the visitor with Russia’s ultimate superiority (in number) over the famous Western art collections (no doubt, directly aimed at France). However, Czar Peter the Great, by the garish demonstration of such a huge, and therefore disturbing, tsunami of fine art paintings, accomplishes just the opposite impression. The visitor cannot help but observe the adolescent and artless attempt, not to display the excellence of the fine paintings, but, instead, to outdo Europe, in volume, (if not in taste), the latter, a clear admission of defensive insecurity.

It is our view that Putin, wrongfully and typically, has anachronistically, attempted, by his regrettable and bloody attack against the Nation of Ukraine, (not to downplay its consequential tragedy), once more, is reprising the unique historically Russian neurosis, of anachronistic fantasy. It has been almost a century, since some major Nation, for reasons of pure territorial aggrandizement, has set out to attack another sovereign Nation. There are very few who would lend a scintilla of credibility to Putin’s purported goal, of eliminating Nazis (was not that the allied goal back in the 1940s?)

We can, contextually recall, the widely distributed, photo of Putin, the balding, shirtless, autocrat on horseback. His own projected, fantasized and self- idolized, perception of a movie hero of the American Wild West, is belied, by his noticeably, less than movie star stance of a Clint Eastwood in the saddle, not to mention the distinctly, non-heroic, bared torso. Such is an additional Russian extension of the obvious St. Petersburg neurosis, only, in this instance, the goal is Hollywood, instead of the Louvre or the posh Paris salons.

One is encouraged by the support of all of the countries surrounding Ukraine, and others, financially, by the delivery to Ukraine of military weapons, and, as well, by the assertion of financial sanctions against Russia and its mob of reprehensible oligarchs. Reportedly, even traditionally neutral Switzerland has participated in sanctions against Putin’s irresponsible and costly exercise of adolescent egotism.

From a purely logical or historic point of view, Putin’s adolescent behavior might have the potential to appear sardonically humorous, were it not for its tragic price in human suffering, blood and treasure.

-p.

 If one were to look very carefully at a fully detailed World Map (a magnifying glass would be of much utilitarian assistance) and concentrate on the Northwestern- most area of Russian Siberia, you may just be able to discern a tiny isthmus, protruding in the general direction of the Arctic Circle. This small Russian-owned bit of land is the independent province of SCHMOR-KATZISTAN, a land exemplified by ice and permafrost snow. The capital (and only City) is the municipality of SCHMOR-KATZ, run by an autocratic President, MISTISLAV J. KUTYURNOSOFF, a/k/a (when not in earshot),” Goo-Goo Eyes Slava.”  The reason for the totally forbidden, and often used, nickname was the one and one- half inch thick eye lenses, worn by the always-stern Slavic Monarch; who by the way is also hard of hearing. The latter two weaknesses, not unlike the inherited blood disease, genetically suffered by the European Russian Czarist family, is believed to be, royally inherited. To true S-K patriots, therefore, both the need for, and the wearing, of such thick eyeglasses is a confirming sign of divine selection and assured august nobility.

The Nation of S-K, geographically and, by virtue of its extreme topography is, as a practical matter, divided into two distinct and separate national geographic regions. One of which is populated by 20,000 people who are ruled with an iron hand from the stated municipality, and who work, exclusively, at whatever small patches of soil  (the general condition of the land is perm a-frost or glacial)  to produce the only organic product that could be sustained in the Nation, big red sugar beets. The other one- half of the area of the Nation is a vast, empty, dark area, mostly, covered in ice and inhabited solely by hundreds of small penguins.

 The Nation is strictly insular and strictly self-sustaining, with one sole exception, set forth below, and conducts no trade or commerce with any other Nation or foreign province. It solely survives on a limited and repetitive diet, confined to, and consisting of, its home grown, sugar beets.  It may be noted that much culinary talent has been demonstrated in the creative and tasty preparations of sugar beet stew, beet cutlets, beet salad, beet soup, fried or boiled beets, stuffed (with chopped  beets) beets and many more, especially creative items on the official National Menu.

The one exception to the strict isolationist trade policy was the required importation from Mother Russia, of insulin, empirically made necessary, by reason of the regular and exclusive, dietary ingestion of sugar (sugar beets). Thousands of injective needles, filled with the needed insulin, are delivered by parachute, weekly, by European Russian transport planes. The prudent President, mindful of the criminal inclinations of Mother Russia, most specifically, its sociopathic oligarchs, would responsibly have the contents of the insulin needles checked for bogus ingredients, like cheap vodka, or borscht, for the protection of his people, He had especially engaged for this purpose, the services of the eminent scientist and chemist, Professor Oxana Kutyurnosoff.

Militarily, the frozen, sugar beet-growing Nation has four aging WW2 tanks, 1 propeller-driven bomber and 68 hunting rifles. All of said military equipment has been in unused storage, for many decades. Luckily, for its citizens, no Nation, historically, has ever chosen to invade or seek to acquire SCHMOR-KATZISTAN.

One day, an unexpected visitor arrived at SCHMOR-KATZ. It was, most discernably, a relative of the President, as one was able to tell by the one-inch thick monocle worn in his left eye. The relative, an outcast from a similarly configured, small Russian Nation, further to the South, extolled, for some days, the virtues of his recently departed country, regarding the variety of arable land and the rich produce grown. After some days of inspiring conversation, the two royal relatives discussed the possible invasion and acquisition of the richly endowed, Southern Nation. Eventually, examining maps, both of the Southern Nation, as well as that of SCHMOR-KATZISTAN, they put their highly magnified eyes together to construct an attack program, consisting of an initial bombardment, followed, by a land attack by the enlisted citizens of S-K, and the acquisition of the Southern Nation. The initial step of bombardment was essential since the Nation to be attacked, has a small standing army.

After some searching, an aged and very hesitant, S-K citizen came forward, who admitted he once flew an airplane but insisted that he might have forgotten how, and, further, insisted that he knew absolutely nothing about navigation.  The two thick-goggled conspiring relatives enlisted the unhappy former pilot, and, after a great deal of sputtering, the old aircraft took off. The two conspirators made ready their few bombs, and with their rapt, especially magnified, attention on the maps, awaited the proper moment. When they mutually determined that they were right above the target, they jacked opened the Bombay doors and rolled their five bombs out. Soon, they could hear the sounds of the explosions and, flushed with supposed success, happily directed the old former pilot to return to home base. Their planned intention was now, to rally their troops, for land invasion. However, shortly after their return, a ragged, smoky old beet farmer advised them that they had (erroneously) bombed the other part of S-K and had needlessly, killed and injured hundreds of innocent, small penguins.

 Pliny moral: Imperial conquest is never easy and always wrong.

-p.

The dutiful, sentient wrapper,
Enclosing the needful self-that’s
Peering out for felicitous information.
Thoughts of recent happy days,
While seeking that special windowsill
That opens wide to the sunny breeze.
-p.
[L.N. Shapiro, NYC 2/22]

We offer this essay on the subject of the radio, not knowing how many of our readers are of such an age as can recall the same, and, particularly, the contextual era of which this simple electronic device was a paramount part. Contemporaneous electric and computer marvels [including “echo technology”] have so overshadowed the simple device that it has been essentially, forgotten or ignored.

Any fair and useful homage to the radio could not be meaningfully and accurately rendered, without some basic discussion of the relevant context of the extant American society, most particularly, the American family.  It can fairly be said, that the subsequent exponential development and availability of more complex and utilitarian electronic devices, has so thoroughly metamorphosed society, as to make the contextual era of the family radio, (circa. 1940s to 1950s) unfamiliar ancient history.

Radios were customarily purchased from businesses, dealing in electrical appliances, except for those, which were installed in living or dining room, decorative furniture. In some homes and apartments, such item of showy furniture, containing the radio was located in a prominent place in the living room or family room, usually facing a sofa or armchair, but always, located where it was accessible by the family or any one of its members.

Radios came in all sizes, styles and shapes, dependent upon the intended destination in the home. Most were small and, perhaps, placed atop an “icebox,” (forerunner of the refrigerator) or an article of household furniture. The insides of these devices were relatively, bulky, containing tubes of various sizes, wires, and a mix of sundry electrical parts. (N.B.). This was prior to the advent of the portable radio, the latter device existing in an entirely, disparate contextual setting than is relevant to this writing.

Families in those days, usually, spent more time together and listening to the radio, was often done, by the assembled family; the latter ensemble, a veritable rarity, in contemporaneous times. Aside from the daily newspaper, or viewed on occasion, in the cinema, on “Movietone News,” the radio was the primary source of news information. The family listened, most intently, to the news during the worrisome years of the Second World War. One heard President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s, “Fireside Chats,” Churchill’s “Blood, Sweat and Tears” speech, and listened, for the latest news and commentary from the likes of, Walter Cronkite, H.B. Kaltenborn, Edward R. Morrow, Eric Severeid, David Brinkley, Howard K. Smith and many others, some, still familiar. We can poignantly remember that the youngest member of the family began to cry when he heard the report that Herr Adolph Hitler had threatened to launch German V-2 Rockets against New York.

As children, we looked forward to Sunday afternoons, when our favorite action programs were broadcast, such as, “The House of Mystery,” “Nick Carter, Detective,” “The F.B.I. In Peace and War,” and “The Shadow” (“The Shadow Knows”). The assembled family was mutually, entertained by regular Sunday evening comedy programs like those of, Fred Allen, Jack Benny and Red Skelton. Today, entertainment is ordinarily, sought outside the home and evaluated on a purely personal, basis.

The blitzkrieg advent, and exponential development and use of computers, most especially, handheld “smart” phones, marked the tragic end of radios and the radio era.  With it, died the warm characteristics of family sentimentality and togetherness, personal sharing, of intimate feelings, and the comfort and assurance of personal recognition and intimately expressed conversation. Conversation became unitary, and solo, as opposed to shared or socially expressed, and was, now, faceless and exclusively, on a one-to-one basis. Rather than expressed in predictably expected, chosen words, they were transmitted, as cold and uniform, computer-like data, reflected on small, lighted, handheld screens, each distant from the place of the other party to the conversation.

Copious computer developments, inarguably, made work and life far more efficient and faster, but at the exorbitant cost of intimate friendship, humanity and individuality, as existed in the radio era.

-p.      

On January 20, 2020, the CDC confirmed the first cases of Covid-19 (originating in the City of Wuhan, China) in the United States. Expeditious and diligent research and development successfully produced an effective vaccine and the Nation, and the World, developed and commenced, general prophylactic and curative protocols to treat and prevent the spread of the disease, which disease had intensified to the level of a “pandemic.”

It was empirically determined that wearing a well-fitting mask, along with the administration of the newly developed vaccine and physical distancing, helped protect the individual and others from the disease. Since such time, compliant citizens, wishing to avoid the illness and its possible spread to others, have wisely and dutifully, ascribed to the uniform practice of wearing a facial mask in all public appearances. We have nevertheless, not been able [despite respecting its salubrious purpose] to avoid the feeling upon continuously seeing uniform crowds of unidentified, masked individuals, as somehow, eerily dystopic, as often portrayed in science fiction or horror movies.

It may be the strange mystery of unfamiliar uniformity and the absolute unanimity of such previously unheard of practice, which still appears eerie and at times, no less than extraterrestrial. There are no neighborly faces to confirm, no polite smiles, a dearth of guttural communication and a surfeit of energetic head movements, the latter, as ersatz vocabulary. There is no doubt about the mask’s absolute necessity (except for thoughtless and irresponsible complaints about alleged feelings of loss of “liberty” from citizens of the Nation, who really should know better). Yet the scenario, nevertheless, remains mysterious and anti- (or, “un”) social.

Removed (with valid medical reason) from sight, are those portions of the physiognomy, customarily utilized to impart expression or reaction, and meaningful interface (or is it, “inter –mask”) communication is barely possible. Not only is there a dearth of the usual “small talk,” but, often an actual lack of identity between the muted, putative conversationalists.

Masks are effective roadblocks to the communication of human reaction, emotion, agreement or the opposite, attraction and love, interest, boredom, apathy, care,  approval or otherwise, degree of emphasis or significance, or human reactive communication.  It may generally, be said, that the (necessary) protective action of masking, has the dual negative effects of arresting normal societal interaction, as well as the intended disease. We find, especially strange, the sight of group of young masked toddlers, looking like identical Russian toys, dystopic and mechanical.

The significant losses directly attributable to this continuing, horrific, viral event, in addition to the most tragic, viz., the losses of life and health, are beyond counting. Oversubscription of hospitals and clinics,  career and economic loss, academic and school loss, business failure, political complications, and aggravated divisiveness, family and organizational disruption, travel restrictions and their proscription, theatrical failure, and cancellation of public events, business loss and insolvency, product and food shortages, limitation in social interaction, economic inflation, mortgage and debt defalcation, frustrated business transactions, and a veritable plethora, of regrettable others.

Although not definitively included, among the worst implications of the pandemic, for whatever it is worth, the empirically mandated, “masquerade” phenomenon nevertheless, is the most cinematic.

 –p.

It would appear that the celebrated Serbian tennis star, Novak Djokovik, while, reportedly excellent at the sport of tennis, may be somewhat, less proficient in his understanding of mature social and community responsibility. The tennis star, asserts, with ardent eloquence, that he, as an individual, has the right to refuse vaccination (for Covid), since he, alone, has the ultimate right to determine what substances go into his body; he is willing, therefore, to forego his right to participate in the leading world tennis matches, like Wimbledon and the French Open. It is our view that his ardor and willing sacrifice are only comparable to his intransigent naiveté and lack of sense of community responsibility.

At some point in time in the history of the Homo sapiens, it was empirically determined that living in society, was far preferable to the precarious attempts at surviving alone. Mutual protection, joint food gathering and social interaction were among the salient benefits reaped by living with others in community. Living together in society, however, necessarily meant the evolution of the pragmatic need for mutually agreed rules of conduct and social responsibility.  

It was Rousseau, who famously created the term, “The Social Contract,” pursuant to which, members of society willingly agree to surrender certain personal rights, deemed for the society’s public good, in exchange for the many benefits of living in that society. By practical necessity, the designated leadership of the community retains the ultimate determination as to the designation of the subject matter properly included in the category of “the public good.”

The outbreak of the worldwide epidemic of a virulent, highly contagious virus (the “Covid Pandemic”), mandated the societal enactment and promulgation of relevant, health-oriented, prevention and treatment measures. Among the preventative measures, were, vaccination [timely developed and approved], plus the public prophylactic behaviors of masking and distancing. It was determined that these protocols were responsibly necessary not only for personal protection but as well, for the prevention of spread to others (i.e. “the public good”).

Mr. Djokovik should realize that his ardent declaration of personal rights are valid and recognizable only to the extent that they relate, exclusively, to matters of his own personal interest, but no further. In the sport of tennis, he may reside in his own, private bubble, but as an individual, necessarily partaking of the many services and benefits of society, he is bound by societal obligation, as responsibly analogized in the concept of the “Social Contract.” No one, living in society, is an absolute sovereign over himself; not even naive sports celebrities.

We were especially surprised, by the media reports of the large conglomeration of truckers blocking the highway between Detroit and Windsor Canada, in angry protest against an applicable mandate requiring the wearing of masks. In addition to compliance with the self-same “Social Contract,” these protesters, are members of a profession, so highly regulated, that their claims of outrage, demanding liberty from restrictive authority, seem bizarre and thoughtless. The same is empirically inconsistent with the protesters’ constant, daily experience. Truckers, of all people, live with and by, rules regulations and ordinances, respecting licensure of themselves and their vehicles, labor and commercial rules, traffic laws, driving and highway restrictions, inter-state laws, employment agreements, labor regulations, hourly strictures, and conceivably, the provisions of applicable trade union agreements.

Alas, in today’s world, mature perception, a close concomitant of human enlightenment, appears to be a rarified and esoteric commodity.

-p.

                                                                                                                                                          We are steadily (and rather, impatiently), convalescing from the joyless experience of a six-day sleepover at St. Luke’s Hospital. As should be understandable, such an unexpected break from one’s routine lifestyle naturally causes him to take particular notice of, and to re-examine, his customary routine and practices. A salient feature of our personal choice of activities is our preference for the writing and dissemination of the present style of authorship, known as the “blog.” As the number assigned to this writing indicates, we have produced and distributed, in excess 0f 640 “Blogs.” We have accordingly elected to dedicate the subject of this writing to the subject blog, itself. 

As writing blogs it is prominent among our choice of activities, [and, as we have penned so many], it would appear to be evident that we greatly enjoy the activity; what we nevertheless, detest, is the name, “Blog.” The latter’s sound is the diametric opposite of being euphonious, viz., a sound like “splat,” or “glug,” and would be suitable for the description of something blocking traffic, an artery, or perhaps the current of a small stream. We would have preferred a more pleasing name like, “mini-essay,” “literary reflection,” or perhaps, something like “selected thoughts.” However, like other mainstream American citizens, we traditionally accept the inherited lexicon, as it, acceptably, exists.

Aside from its cacophonous name, the literary form is to be lauded for its many ubiquitous qualities, making it a highly desirable style of written communication; a written form, in our view, somewhere in the mix, between the literary forms of the “belle lettre,” and a personal editorial, written by an author familiar to the reader. It may be observed that there exists no prescribed style nor form to this style of writing, which is ordinarily familiar to a writer’s regular reader; the subject, or content, varies with the author’s inclination.

Because the style of authorship is traditionally informal, it is equally suitable for literary consumption, by both the truly serious and the casual reader. The unpredictable and varied subject matter makes each distinct reading, a fresh and exciting experience. Equally, important, the permissive, liberal format makes possible the author’s utilization of subjects as diverse in distance as the local Dairy Barn is to the Milky Way or, indeed, as light years distant in humanity and moral character, as a Mr. Rogers is to a Donald Trump. All subjects, political, social, literary, gender, anthropological and meteorological, are grist for the Blog’s mill; historical references, current events, personal recollections, social and artistic criticism, civil rights, morality, virtually, any topic of anticipated interest to the reader, may be appropriately discussed and, hopefully, enjoyed.

Lastly, the facile mode of dissemination, viz., by computer e-mail, makes distribution to regular readers, quick and simple, and invites thoughtful and relevant response.    

-p.

Caution, dear reader, brace yourself. In a few days, the perennial tsunami, appearing every February 14, will predictably reassert itself, in all its traditional force. The sole fans of the feared flooding are the usual suspects, the greeting card companies, the chocolate manufacturers, the florists, the retail jewelry businesses, the pajama industry and the novelty sales folk. The expected high tide of the Valentine’s Day inundation, judging by previous experience, will submerge all land masses, human population and baffle all reason. Among other phenomena, the advertising industry will publish a stage 4 hurricane of notices, featuring photo-shopped, seemingly amorous couples, in intimate proximity, to their highlighted sales merchandise.

Since (mercifully) this holiday has only a short half-life, one day, the need for effective, sales propaganda becomes urgent. Unaccountably huge profits are earned by companies who, presumptuously, maintain that there is a realistic (and commercial) need to supplement the interaction of couples, who love one another, with their manufactured paraphernalia. Greeting card companies are especially guilty of this self-serving assumption and hire distinguished “poets” to create trite doggerel, consisting of inane expressions of love and fidelity, for the thousands of presumably, aphasic, anonymous consumers.

The most objectionable of the various Valentine’s Day symbols is the trite, red valentine “heart,” an outmoded and retro- configuration, broadcast without relief; on all holiday products, greeting cards, gift wrapping paper, stuffed toys, pillows and candy boxes. This stale symbol is glaringly imprinted on all items for sale on Valentine’s Day, as well as on the consumer’s mind, by some Manchurian Candidate type, propaganda.

Various research people [ who apparently have no more pressing fields of inquiry for the employment of their Ph.D. acumen] have uniformly reported that the classic red symbol is derived from an early, incorrect understanding, by [no less than] Galen and Aristotle, who believed that the heart contained only three chambers. [It may be noted, that Dr. Galen and Mr. Aristotle were, innovatively, accurate on many other subjects]

The valentine depiction of the human heart, maintains the very same proportionate degree of accuracy, as a wood duck, in appearance, bears to a moose. Nevertheless, it has, over the ages, been foisted upon, and willingly accepted, by the consuming public.

In truth, the human heart is shaped like a pear and is the approximate size of a man’s fist. This life-or-death chest muscle is taxed with the existential job of circulating blood and oxygen throughout the body. It has no time, or noticeable inclination, for holiday Hallmark sales propaganda, as the purported source of love, courage, strength or kindness. The statement, “He has a good heart” should be reserved, solely to a positive determination by a cardiologist, and not a comment on such traits as a person’s, love, generosity or empathy. We are only concerned with cardiologists and not “cardeologists.” How would you value a positive comment on generosity, like, “He has good kidneys.”

It is certainly inarguable that all human thought and emotion are exclusively functions of the brain and, empirically, not the traditionally romanticized heart muscle. Admittedly, however, it would be impractical to artistically create a brain-shaped cartoon figure to serve as a symbol of the holiday.

The senseless valentine “heart” is best replaced by a preferable love symbol, the unique and marvelous tulip bulb. Certainly, the outline of the traditional bulb is simple to replicate, artistically. More important, the bulb has always been a reliable symbol of future growth and predictable beauty. Relative to the modern conception of true and healthy love, the tulip bulb is independent and self-sustaining, having within its inner self a sufficient systemic source of future nourishment as well as the natural ability and inclination for growth and the achievement of its innate potential.

The tulip bulb, in the Middle Ages, was thought to be magical and priceless. There are historical records of its individual sale for the modern equivalent of several thousand dollars. If you should offer one to him/her and it is refused, we earnestly suggest that you look elsewhere.

ADDENDUM:

Why should it be necessary to dedicate a one- day holiday in recognition and expression of love; and, further, to do so by trite gifts of holiday nonsense? Love, where it is genuine, is experienced on a regular basis, and expressed in tender interaction and caring, personal acts. This one-day holiday is sadly comparable to gifts of free turkey dinners on Thanksgiving to the needy. Hunger exists year-round and the poor and unfortunate need more than a gratuitous symbol.

* perennial message

-p.

“Agent Orange,” was a tactical herbicide, used by the U.S. Military during the Viet Nam War, and has been proven to cause major deleterious health effects on individuals exposed, possibly extending to their offspring. It may categorically, be listed, among many hazardous materials [“hazmats”] that have been empirically, demonstrated to pose substantial risk to life, health, property and/or the environment. The category generally includes toxic chemicals, fuels, biological, chemical and radiological agents. Many of these dangerous items pose great risks, even when not being transported, and need to be stored safely and properly.

Matter [reportedly, anything that occupies space and has mass] can be classified according to physical and chemical “properties”, accordingly, we would respectfully request that limited to our present expressive, [literary] purposes, we may be permitted the following, unorthodox, analogous classification. For  purposes of effective description, and, based upon his singularly dangerous and deleterious “properties,” we would seek, [unofficially] to literarily classify, Donald J. Trump, as uniquely combining the dangerous properties, of an ignorant, orange-haired homo sapiens, and that of the toxic and destructive properties, of the hazardous chemical, known as “Agent Orange.”

Some brief, cursory reading in the general area of hazardous matter, leaves one with the initial impression that, of great relevance to the art of classification, are the physical “properties” of the matter under consideration. It is felt that a brief recitation of Donald Trump’s “properties,” or, potential for damage and destruction, together with some reference to the dire and hazardous results already accrued, from man’s unprotected exposure to him, would, we would find acceptance in this dynamic, analogous, classification, as literarily permissible, albeit, admittedly, not chemically valid.

The surprise election to the American Presidency, of Donald Trump, was the singular elevation of an ignorant, incapable, neurotically, egocentric, former television game show host, to the most influential and powerful office in the free world. His election victory may, conceivably, be accounted for by an unprecedentedly, large vote of the discontented, information- literacy- challenged, “Underbelly,” of the American population, mesmerized by Trump’s tactical, snake oil demagoguery, plus the financial support from the air- polluting members of big industry, which appear, to value profits over human health, and thus, like Trump, oppose health regulations.

For the past five years, the Nation’s unprotected exposure, to the toxic person- agent of Donald J. Trump, [both in and after office], has caused a veritable plethora of [preventable], tragic mortalities, major injuries and sustained and permanent damage, much of which, analogous, to the pernicious properties of the authentic Agent Orange, will, sadly, continue to wreak havoc in future generations.

[Environment ]: Trump’s neurotic, egotistical ignorance, has led him, and his cultish, loyal sycophants, to repudiate of all science and scientists; particularly, his obdurate denial of all environmental findings of the World’s recognized experts, concerning the dire and imminent dangers to the Planet, of global warming, caused by air pollution. In fact, the dynamic and hazardous effects of such global warming have already manifested themselves, in the form of irregular seasons and weather patterns, fierce storms, incalculable forest fires, tsunamis, discernably, hazardous damage to the Arctic and Antarctic ice caps, and consequent, unprecedented rises in sea level, some actually, obliterating national boundaries.

[Health]: It might appear symbolically significant and meaningful, that the virulent Covid-19 Pandemic and Trump’s investiture as U.S. President were, almost, malignly, coterminous. However, most ironically and tragically, not before Trump, as newly installed President, had egotistically and irresponsibly, disbanded a specialized agency appointed by the previous President, Barack Obama, to serve as a watchdog for World epidemics

In record time, the proficient Science of Pharmaceutical Medicine was able to produce, an effective vaccine, and develop prudent prophylactic protocols, against the virus. However, from the start, Trump ignorantly and reductively, played down the dangerous features of the virus, publicly likening the same to the common cold. Later, In lieu of prudently and responsibly, advising the obtaining of the developed vaccination, and compliance with the various protocols, as approved and advised by the Nation’s Medical Authorities, he ignorantly, and irresponsibly, augmented the infection and mortality rate, by shamelessly, mocking such prudent protocols, as well as vaccination, and by, incredibly, advising as an alternative, the ingestion of bathroom cleaning fluid. 

Thus, masking and vaccination evolved to a demonstrated badge of political loyalty, in an already dangerously divided Nation. The “anti-vaxers” and anti-maskers, determinatively demonstrating thereby, their loyalty to the Orange guru. It was much later, in time, that Trump confessed, that he had indeed, been vaccinated, but, regrettably, not soon enough, to avoid hundreds of thousands of cases of preventable infections and deaths. An alternative homage of loyalty to Trump was the widespread administration, of a popular, veterinary horse wormer in lieu of vaccine.

[Democracy and the Nation]: From the start of his elective term, Trump initiated the classic autocratic policy of demeaning the essence of truth and of empirical facts, proclaiming instead, the existence of “alternate facts,” which were, subjectively, more acceptable to him and, accordingly, to his populist supporters. He launched an attack against the critical free press and the responsible media, and created a propaganda-like reality, suitable to himself, and apparently, loyally acceptable to his followers.

Thomas Jefferson declared that for a democracy to succeed, what is mandatorily required are literate, informed citizens. In addition to his un-American, demeaning of the free press as well as the basic concept of truthful facts, Trump, ignorantly, and to the delight of his many populist [underbelly] supporters, denigrated education, the arts, academic and scientific inquiry and the basic need for human enlightenment. He appointed cabinet secretaries who were completely unfamiliar with their designated office but willing to support Trump policy, regardless of wisdom or rectitude.

Trump, publicly tolerant of bigotry, attracted the loyalty of the atavistic, prejudiced cohort of our population, including the numerous White Christian Supremacy groups and Jim Crow perpetuators, during, and following, his one term as President. After his elective loss to Biden, he, autocratically, enlisted his mob of followers to mount a violent [unsuccessful] insurrection against the Capitol Building, purposed to change the purportedly, “stolen” outcome [“Big Lie”] of the election.

 In addition, and as a serious and devastating, blemish on the existence of democracy, he and his autocratic, sycophants, have caused State enactments of voting restrictions, aimed at the votes of communities of color, because statistics showed their past election preference for his opponent, Biden.

To responsibly undertake, the recitation of the full extent of Trump’s effected and potential damage, to the Nation, domestically and internationally, and, to the institution of Democracy, itself, would appear to be a veritable, Quixotic challenge and an empirically, never-ending, task; one that would, doubtless, evince harm, notably, surpassing the dreaded potential of the hazard of the actual Agent Orange, which, by such comparison, may seem to be a mere herbicide.  

It might be wise to have Donald Trump [the human Agent Orange], hermetically sealed, in an appropriate container, for prudent storage, distant from the venue of Washington, D.C

-p.

The apocryphal Biblical tale relates that Moses, the leader of the  Hebrews, fleeing from Egyptian enslavement, ascends to the summit of Mount Sinai, and returns to his people, bearing a two-part stone tablet, upon which are inscribed, the fundamental moral imperatives, commonly known as the “Ten Commandments.” The Seventh Commandment, “Thou Shalt not Steal,” is the present topic of discussion.

What is divinely proscribed, by this Commandment, specifically, is the unauthorized taking [theft, stealing] of another’s private property. The offending verb, “steal,” seems to be unitarily simple, in its objective consideration; however, human history, inclusive of certain recent events, has indicated that compliance with the Biblical admonition is convoluted by subjective determination.

 The, now infamously known, violent and unprecedented insurrection, staged against the Capitol Building,  on 1/6/21, violently mounted by pro-Trump terrorists, declared to the world, “Stop the Steal;” the mantra conjured up, for such violent, undemocratic event, by the loser of the Presidential election, Donald Trump. The “steal” appears to relate to the political event of the regular, transfer of the office of the American Presidency, to a successful candidate, by the Board of Electors, symbolically, overseen, by the outgoing Vice-President, the designated official; in this case, Mike Pence.

The multi-certified, Presidential election, attested to the clear victory of the Democratic Candidate, Joseph Biden. Donald J. Trump, the accredited loser of the election, refused, or was egotistically unable, to accept the reality of defeat and, without benefit of inquiry, determined, or defensively constructed the paranoid ideation, that, in truth, he was the true winner of the election; his delusional ideation of victory was articulated by his martial summons to his cult followers, to “Stop the Steal.”

Many hundreds of violent Trump supporters, in response to such call to arms, stormed the Capitol Building, causing injury, damage and even murder, due to their neurotic leader’s inability to accept defeat. Their mantra, was tactically, worded in language, relative to the prevention of sin, referenced to the Seventh Commandment, proscribing theft. However, as a semantic matter, one might ask in what manner or circumstance was a danger of theft [“Stop the Steal”] possible, or in any way, relevant or even, rational. Whose private property was it that was in danger of theft?  Neither, the Office of the Presidency, nor the existence of the elective results are, in any respect, “property,” and clearly, not the property of any deprived or aggrieved owner.

One can confidently assume that members of the insurgent “mob,” never chose to inquire into the semantical or philosophical issue, as to whether an “election,” per se, can indeed, be “stolen.” It would seem more evident, that the insurgents concluded, pursuant to Trump’s distress call, that their ballots had been miscalculated or altered and, as a consequence, the [accurate] results of the election were, perverted or “stolen” from them.    A maddened and incendiary, “patriotic” lynch mob actually called for the hanging of Trump’s Vice President, Mike Pence, the official charged with the ceremonial duty to deliver the tabulated results of the election, denigrated by Trump.

Thus the use of the words, stop the “steal,” was the tactical misuse of a punitive phrase, which when rationally or appropriately used, denotes the prevention of an activity that is Biblically and societally unacceptable and preventable. What was, in reality, instructed by the delusional mantra was: reject and oppose the official, certified, count of the election, which, “falsely” demonstrated the success of Joseph Biden. The prevention of such a travesty is vital to the continued existence of our Democratic Republic; accordingly, severe punishment for Trump and his minions is mandatorily required, to serve as a future deterrent.
 

It is of existential importance, that the American public, eternally, be obliged to be on guard against those whose ignorance can be wrongfully stewarded to oppose democracy, the rule of law and moral reason.

-p.