Month: December 2022

It is endlessly frustrating and disheartening, to note the existence of so vast a number of crucial and hotly contested, societal issues in which disputants are so intractable, as to have severed, for such reason, previous mutually, interactive socialization. However, many issues, ultimately, are the unnecessary, product of sublime ignorance and traditional, misunderstanding, or, just plain fantasy. Many purportedly, crucial issues, never possessed, even a scintilla, of historical or rational basis and apparently, were tactically, created out of “whole cloth,” for some surreptitious, reason, the most obvious and empirically, observable, is an underlying, lust for political influence.

Illustrative examples may be found, especially, in the extant existence and reprehensible, history of the Nation’s, anti-democratic, White Christian American, militant organizations. These hordes of deluded, radical, self-styled, but unschooled “patriots,” members in good standing, of America’s “underbelly,” are functionally, analogous, to destructive, termites who, dedicatedly, undermine the foundations of a building. These human miscreants seek, for misguided purposes, the ultimate undermining of the foundational, institutions and legal structure of the democratically, existential principle of equality, as provided in our Nation’s Constitution.

They conspire to do so by their tactically, false and misleading, premise that America was founded and intended to exist, as, a Christian, white Nation. Nothing could be further from the historical truth. The Founders, largely, Deists, with no affiliation with any official Christian sect, expressed their jointly concluded, view, that the radical experiment in Republican Democracy, would not, as, existed in the tyrannically, unjust and stormy, history of Europe, be tainted with the influence of religion. They, expressly, stated that if “God” were put in the Constitution, it would put man (i.e., “Will of the People”) out. This spurious cause of the Christian White Nationalists is one of many, based upon profound ignorance and desire for power.

An additional spurious claim of the Christian White militants, who have shown themselves to be virulently, anti-Semitic, is that the Jews (with evil intention) design to “replace” the appropriate, white, Christian citizen. The Jewish people, a relatively, small minority of the World population (thanks, in part, to the good offices of Adolph Hitler and his horde of White Christian German Populists) have neither, shown any willingness, nor, significantly, the numerical capability to replace the white Christian population. Like the typical, propagandist meme of these tactical, conspiracy mongers, the conceit is bizarre and totally, irrational, and, no doubt, known by them to be so.

Regarding the subject of “replacement,” it would be historically, salubrious if a sufficient number of mainstream American citizens were to “replace” these, dangerous and atavistic, termite- like, bigots, whose goal is the undermining of the foundational integrity of our Constitutional Republic.

By far, the greatest blemish on the complexion of the Nation is the period of the enslavement of (black) human beings. There would seem to be no more egregiously, criminal act, than stealing another individual’s life and humanity; often accompanied by the heartless, destruction of his family. Admittedly, the Nation may be proceeding slowly, in clearing up this blemish (due to the opposition of bigots, including those on the Christian right) but, mercifully, is making meaningful and needed progress.

Our readings inform us that the Saint James Bible (“the Good Book”) is the errant source and, self-interested, rationale for religiously observant, Christian slaveholders, by its recitation of its malignant and instructive story of Ham, the son of Noah. As a purported, and scrupulously accepted, biblical approval of the many, cruel centuries of immoral slavery, is the pious recitation of God’s punishment to all of the progeny of Ham (black people (?) for seeing his father, Noah, naked and drunk. Considering the millions of human lives cruelly sacrificed and the moral depravity of such heinous crime, made religiously, acceptable and morally, justified, by such self-serving, claptrap, is beyond the widest limits of rational comprehension.

We have often wondered, whether these delusional, racially and religiously bigoted, militants, have the requisite comprehension to realize, in their, dedicated termite-like, destructive ignorance, that the apocryphal, Jesus, was unquestionably, Jewish, and, further, having been born in the Middle East, was, ineluctably, not white?  

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The classic, Greek, “Riddle of the Sphinx,” solved by the Greek hero and later, King, Oedipus, asked, “What walks on four feet in the morning, two feet in the afternoon, and three feet at night?” The eternally, correct answer is Man; who crawls when a baby, walks upright on two feet when an adult, and, later uses a cane (i.e., “three feet”) in old age.

The arcane question, correctly answered by King Oedipus, symbolically, relates to the lifetime changes in humankind’s dynamics of ambulation, and while symbolically, and accurately, descriptive of Man’s empirical, altering prowess, over his lifetime, says nothing about the qualitative changes, taking place concomitant with his human maturation.

One may readily find a plethora of legend and folkloric tales, in the history of Humankind, in which Man is heroically, sung, for his signal acts of bravery, physical strength and prowess. By any reasonable comparison, far less accounts of written praise are dedicated, to Man’s unique and commendable exercise of reason and judgment, when vitally, called upon. The riddling Sphinx, itself, it seems, only concerns itself with physical phenomena.

Society has eternally, worshipped youth and extolled strength and physical fitness. In our contemporary society, for example, major athletes, are remunerated in amounts, so far in excess of academic researchers, professors and scientists as to not be rationally comparable. Such preoccupation with youthfulness, notably, has provided the salient impetus for the Nation’s marketing and advertisement of clothes, cosmetics and other items, perceived to extend youthful appearance. Looking “younger” seems to be an eternally universal preoccupation and the aspirational standard for dress, and sometimes, even judgment.

The irrational and narcissistic, desire to (appear to) arrest the demonstrated advance of the stereotypic, features, naturally associated with aging, has resulted in the extensive commercial production, advertisement and sale of such creams and oils, as are purported to conceal wrinkles, crepe, dry and discolored skin, bags under the eyes, tighten throat surfaces, and, generally, fight the natural, visual, and immutable progress of species maturity. Indeed, there is a portion of the cosmetics industry, dedicated to the production, advertisement and public sale of a “cosmetic” substance called, “botulism toxin.” This widely, used, wrinkle-removing, toxin has been medically determined to be capable of attacking the human nervous system, and causing difficulties with breathing. Despite its chemical and medical categorization as being among the most lethal substances known, it, nevertheless, appears to be highly sought after, and used, cosmetically, for its rare and desirable property of removing age wrinkles. This, in our view, is as rationally, and sensible, as removing a wart by amputating the relevant finger.

In any fair competition between the natural phenomena of aging, and the most exotic, expensive, designer packaged, creams or ointments, it would be wise to wager on a victory for the aging. It might be still, wiser, to amend one’s personal criteria for happiness.

In addition to the physical features, naturally attendant upon most of us, fortunate enough to enjoy the franchise of life into our older years, there is a corresponding loss of physical strength or power. For the masculine portion of the population, this age-related liability is, at least as disturbing, for many, as the stated, facial and other visible evidence. For those individuals who have not chosen to include, aesthetic and intellectual pursuits in their life, the loss is traumatic. It should be, instructively, noted, that individuals, (male and female), who, have pursued elective areas of personal interest and have developed a wider understanding of themselves and life, in general, may be more reconciled to the dynamic, concomitants of aging.

For contemplative individuals with a developed and mature perspective, the natural decline in physical strength, or power, is sufficiently, compensated, by their unspoken gratitude for the empirical fulfillment of their potential franchise of life, together with an experiential and thoughtful understanding of themselves and a mature perspective on (their) life.  Those who have attained such enlightenment (“light”) are, incomparably, better positioned, mentally and emotionally, to be peacefully, resigned and, indeed, reconciled to aging’s steady erosion of strength (“power”) and are, thus, enabled to contemplate, and be appreciative of their, recently developed, experiential and mature insight.

As declared in an earlier essay, on the subject of aging, one learns, with the advent of maturity, the enlightened lesson, that “old age is not a disease,” but rather, the time for one’s grateful, acknowledgment, of the good fortune to have been granted by nature, the full extent of one’s potential franchise for life, and, hopefully, one fulfilled by a state of achieved enlightenment.

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The democratically elected, President of Ukraine, young and heroic, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appeared before a publically, televised, joint session of Congress, on Wednesday, December 21, 2022. In a profoundly impressive and historically significant, statement, he thanked the United States, for its vital, continuing, support of money and armaments to Ukraine, in the latter’s existential defense against Russia’s unprovoked, aggressive war, initiated and orchestrated by its autocratic, “President-for- Life,” Vladymir Putin.

Among his many cogent, remarks, was the sage, (and tactical), observation, that the vital assistance given by America and the Free World, should not be considered in the context of “charity,” but, rather, as a pragmatic and wise, investment in global peace, in halting the aggressive progress of Putin, before it metastasizes, to the stage of a greater (World) war.

The admirable personality and observed, earnest motivation of the young Ukrainian President, in his (English language) delivery of a highly inspirational speech, reminded many, older, Americans of the moving, and effective, wartime speeches of Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Moreover, the dynamic character and candid, authenticity of the televised speech, as we came, thoughtfully, to evaluate it, had, in our perception, considerably more of an impact on mainstream America, than, presumably, the speaker’s intended, message of gratitude. It did so, in our view, in two distinct, but significant areas, as referenced, below.

Commencing no later than the time of the populist rise to power of Donald J. Trump, and his surprising elevation to the Oval Office, there developed a noticeable sea-change in the traditional feelings of American National patriotism and implicit gratitude for the good fortune to be born or naturalized, into the status of “citizen” of our free, Democratic Republic.  President Trump, personally and neurotically, demonstrated his personal preference for autocracy, as opposed to the Nation’s historic, representative democracy, by denigrating, the universal voting franchise and encouraging its limitation or distortion, denigrating the established media, educational institutions and, most shamefully, and of metaphysical importance, factual truth, in favor of subjectively, altered facts to suit his interest. Our Nation reeled, confusedly, from the bizarrely, unprecedented and undemocratic effects of the corrupt, bigoted and incapable Trump and his plethora of “underbelly,” ardent, supporters.

The clarity and extent of  contrast between the Ukrainian President, an avatar of democracy, and one, who has demonstrated a  willingness to endanger his own life for the cause of democracy and his Nation, and the autocratic Trump, is immeasurable; the latter has often publically stated, that people, serving in the military are “suckers” and complete “losers.”  

In consequence, an unfortunate and long developing, National inclination towards divisiveness, was exponentially, exacerbated, as between mainstream Americans who supported the Nation’s avowed moral compass, historical traditions and aspirational goals, and those who became cultish devotees of the serially, mendacious and ignorant President, whose stated, political and social credo was in accord with his, autocratic intentions. The Nation’s salient divisiveness, irrationally and lamentingly, morphed, so as to be bizarrely, based upon the absurd issue, whether the citizen was, for, or against Trump and his, unprincipled and undemocratic politics.

Such dystopic, “Mad Hatter,” context, resulted, in general, in a species of National amnesia, concerning, America’s historic self-image and eternally dedicated, moral aspirations, toward justice, equality and rectitude. The thick, intense fog of foul air pervading the Nation, emanating from this neurotic and bizarre leader, seemed to maintain much of its repugnancy, and principally stood in urgent need of refreshment and replacement, i.e., a sorely needed reminder of the long-standing, moral character of the historically, revered America.

The first of our observed, virtues, of the Selenskyy speech, is that it had the important salutory, metaphysical, effect of causing America to cut through the contemporarily, noxious Trump fog, and to recall America’s historically, admirable identity. It served as a necessary “wake-up call” and reminder, of who and what, the American Nation is and has been, over the decades. We are grateful to President Selenskyy for this timely, necessary and inspirational, reminder of who we, as Americans, essentially, are.

The second, perceived, notable impact is one of a discreetly different character, and one, despite its relatively, specific, rather than universal, application has great moral and humanistic merit. We were born to immigrant, Jewish parents, as related in several past, written sagas of the 1940s, in Jewish- immigrant populous, East New York, Brooklyn. The newly arrived Americans were only, too well aware of the universally distorted and grossly inaccurate, defamatory stereotype of their ethnic culture, which, albeit distorted and false, nevertheless was all pervasive and ubiquitous.

By example, it is notable, that the great novelist, reformer and social moralist, Charles Dickens, himself, in his early novels, as was common, for Victorian writers, portrayed the fictional Jew, in the timeless, empirically, inaccurate, stereotype, as a long-nosed, be-speckled, sly, money- lender, or merchant, with little to boast of, regarding masculine prowess. For bigots, with little or no contact with the Jewish ethnos, these hateful and degrading, stereotypes were, presumably, deemed factual and critically, representative.

The heroically, masculine, and militarily, fit appearance of the (known Jewish) President of Ukraine, went far, to the extent, relevant and needed, in dispelling the eternal, ignorant and distasteful, false, Jewish stereotypes, and to rationally, affirm the empirical, principle that Jews are not stereotypic, but resemble Man, in all his born, natural nuance. President Biden, thoughtfully, and generously, remarked, (if relevant), that it was the fourth night of Hanukah, commemorating the ancient Hebrew victory over tyranny.

In further and objective confirmation, of this second feature, it is especially, relevant, that President Volodymyr Zelendkyy, in fact, was, democratically, elected, by the votes of many millions of gentile, Ukrainian voters; said Nation, often perceived by many Eastern European immigrants, in current history, as universally, and dedicatedly, anti-Semitic).

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It was only recently, that we were, suddenly, startled with the realization that for quite some time, the universally, ageless, social convention, commonly, designated and evaluated as “Small Talk,” has long been non-existent and, unhappily, been laid to its final rest. This genre of significant, regular, yet, completely, undervalued interaction, is, we feel, much deserving of needed, enlightened, recognition. Small talk plays a subtle and existentially, stabilizing and normalizing role in a free, functioning society, yet, has universally and thoughtlessly, been undervalued, as an essential item of societal function or, more often, instinctively, deprecated.

Our perception concerning “small talk” is, indeed, far more profound, than a mere nostalgic longing, regarding the recollection of such routine, expression of mundane, or, perhaps, meaningless, vocabulary, but, rather, of the metaphysical basis and societal function of the mundane routine, per se, as to its significant, functional value in the assurance of societal stability,  by its dynamics, relative to individually, nuanced, inter-personal recognition.

The general and expected, lack of substantive importance of the content in such common exchange of routine, often, meaningless, vocabulary, often accompanied by familiarly-known nuanced, gestures, does not, relevantly, mitigate our basis for ascribing societal importance to these common, linguistic exchanges, the content of which is,  aptly categorized as “small talk.” However, far more significant, than such regularity of exchange of routine words and familiar gestures, the universal practice has demonstrated, much pragmatic and societal value in its, unfailing, mutual assurance of identity and relationship of the involved parties, and their reassured identity of place and situation. The procedural reality of the regularized routine (of meaningless, “small talk”) has substantive, societal assurances and benefits, irrespective of the conceded, usual lack of profundity of the message.

We find ourselves obliged, to add, this one more, supplemental, societal downside to the digital revolution, by our objective, empirical, observation, that “small talk” is not, properly, or practically, suitable or convenient, for digital interaction. Aside from small talk’s, functionally, important, socially expected, exchange of gestures and words (the latter, albeit, usually, meaningless) it, nevertheless, accrues the benefits of ratification and assurance of identity. Yet from a practical and logistic analysis, the use of the smartphone and the digital route, in general, would seem to be inappropriate, even, bothersome for such transmissions as, “How be ya?” “Gonna rain,” “Is Frank home?” or “Nice day, isn’t it? “Hot enough for ya?” “You are early today” and the like.

The purported, magnificence of the exponentially, increasing (improving?) Digital Age” has rendered, extinct, all socially, confirming, “small talk,” as it has, tragically, and similarly, succeeded (see earlier essays) in supplanting, uncountable, communicatively, interactive, humanistic, practices of Man, exchanged for the inexpressive, insularity and impersonality of popularly favored, considerations of computer efficiency.

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The media has just revealed the consequential success of long-standing efforts at the production of nuclear fusion. It has been predicted that after some required years of refining the formula, the energy producing process (identical, reportedly, to the Solar production of energy), will enable the production of pollutant-free power. Such laudatory success, the result of decades of dedicated, experimentation, will have salutory benefits for Man and his Planet.

Experimentation, as such, requires the assiduous and precise application of novel, rational and hopefully workable, procedures, in a continuing effort to achieve a recognizable, desired, result. The failure to adequately, apply or satisfy such proposed procedural criteria, predictably, leads to an indeterminate result or abject failure. It was the English poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who penned the following, instructive, lines: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by statesmen, philosophers and divines.”

Much has been debated, in these divisive times, regarding the subject of the success or failure of the Founder’s (“radical”) experiment, the latter, consisting of the novel creation of a Democratic Republic, by and for the People. Depending upon one’s personal perception, it can, arguably, be maintained, to be relatively, successful, albeit, with certain historical blemishes. It can, contrariwise, be viewed, in an opposite light, by reason of the Nation’s seemingly, consistent propensity for dispute and divisiveness on many significant subjects.

Serious contention has persisted between the “mainstream” American, generally content with the political architecture of the present government, and the large horde of the discontented, often inadequately, educated citizen, the latter, to the extreme of recently, mounting an, aborted, attempt at insurrection.

Thematically, we would emphasize the metaphysically, inarguable, position that the success or failure of any experiment (in science or political science) cannot empirically, or rationally, be gauged or determined, unless and until the subject experiment, conducted, specifically as conceived, has, in fact, been empirically, performed. Our present, intended declaration is that the experiment, in government, envisioned by the Founders, has not, to date, been properly conducted, as conceived, by its 19^th Century political architects. Like Emerson’s hobgoblins, we have persisted, foolishly, in our failure to comply, with the Founder’s proposed formula.

We would maintain that the most profound area of the Nation’s errors and departures from its  originally, devised, formulation, consists in America’s failure of compliance with the “Establishment Clause” of the Constitution; the latter, providing that government will neither aid, nor, interfere with the exercise of religion. Said failure has resulted in an avoidable, divisiveness and profound suffering, had the Nation properly adhered to the clear, secular prescriptions of its Founders. The denial of a woman’s, personal, right to elect an abortion, the penal Blue Laws, the latter, universally, proscribing business on the Sunday Sabbath (the 7^th day of the week when the” Omnipotent” Deity, was fatigued and obliged  to “rest”), the untold miseries of the transgender and homosexual citizens treated as “sinners,” by reason of their happenstance, inheritance of  nuanced, assortment of chromosomes and hormones,  the illnesses and mortalities, caused  by religionists who renounce vaccination, the atavistic laws of divorce and adoption, the Christian, evangelic destruction of Native American childhood and Native ethnic culture, the unjustified exemption from taxes by profitable religious entities, the banning of books, films and school curricula, the myriad acts of bigoted mischief and criminality, resulting from subjective perceptions of religious dogma; all of which negative phenomena would be non-existent, had the provisions, mandated by the “Establishment Clause,” of the United States Constitution, as formulated and anticipated, been observed.

 How can we evaluate the degree of success of an experiment when such experiment’s devised protocol, or formula, has not been followed?

An additional, tragically impactful interference with the American experiment can be observed, as well, in the tactical, misreading of the Second Amendment. The relevant provision, itself, was the result of a settlement of the dispute between the Federalists, who favored a Central Government and the State’s Rights advocates, by permitting the States militias, (viz., the “People”) to bear arms. The Nation has experienced uncountable tragedy from the tactical, misrepresentation of the NRA and the plethora of gunslingers, in their intentional and deceitful, distortion of the subject Amendment, purportedly, to permit every citizen, without qualification or limitation, to possess lethal weapons. This intentional/ignorant and especially profitable misreading of the Amendment has tragically resulted in the senseless killing of innocent children and adults at schools, parks, places of worship, and places of public assembly.

Despite the plethora of tragedies, the gun worshipers have successfully, resisted all rational and responsible efforts to regulate guns, inclusive, at worst, military armaments with horrendous, lethal impact. The white-hot dispute, political and social, between the gun- toting individuals and their more responsible opposition, might critically, be perceived, as a failure of democratic amity, in a Nation, created, by and for, the people.

Such divisiveness and rancor, as in such issues as abortion and guns, might, along with other,  unsatisfied provisos, of the Founders’ conceived experiment, with which there has not been compliance, including, voting interference, gerrymandering and election denial, disparity in payment due to sexual bias, unfair tax laws, unjust penal system, and others) conceivably, be attributed to a failure of the Founder’s experiment.  Nevertheless, if there are failures of success to be noted, they cannot, justly, be attributed to the Founders’ experiment in the conceit of Republican Democracy, since their prescribed and anticipated, criteria, have not, at least,, to date, been observed.

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It is empirically, accurate to describe the former President, Donald J. Trump, as “the grift, that keeps on giving.” In addition to his demonstrated incapability and lack of moral compass, about which we have copiously written, we have come to realize that the scale and magnitude of his neurotic fantasy is so profound and extensive, as to be comparable only, to that described in the folktale of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” In the folktale, a self-indulgent and delusional Emperor, despite the fact that he was appearing in public, stark naked, was convinced that he was fully dressed in magical clothes.

Our bizarre and shameless, past President, it seems, was not only a disparager of empirical fact, in favor of his alternate, subjective (pathological) version of reality, but we now realize, an exemplification of the sort of dementia in which basic, reality orientation is pathologically, lacking or, sporadic at best. His lack of reality orientation, in service to his delusional or self-serving perspective of reality, would seem to partly, explain his opposition to personally, unwanted but realistic fact. It was in this, subjective, context that we, early on, in his Presidential term, understood his serial mendacity and his expressed falsehoods.

The informed citizen, who came to understand that Trump was, factually, far from the successful real estate executive and estimable entrepreneur, that he publically presumed to be. In addition to losses on the substantial realty, inherited from his father, he courted successive and sixteen, telling, business failures in his presumptuous ventures, including, “Trump Steaks,” “Trump Vodka,” “Trump Mortgage Co,” “Trump Board Game,” “Trump Airlines,” “Trump Magazine,” and three Atlantic City Casinos. We know of no American President who was, thus as commercial as an Arab shook, and, by the way, disastrously failed at every enterprise. Despite a demonstrable and colossal demonstration of failure and incompetence, Donald Trump held himself out, publically, and, contextually, believed (fantasized) that he was the avatar of entrepreneurship; and his ignorant and deluded, sycophants so believed. This deceitful grifter has deluded, and led, the Republican Party, incredibly, for upwards of six years; and still, somehow, maintains a controlling influence, therein.

We are immensely curious to see if such unusual, state of facts will endure, after his demonstrably, bizarre and insanely delusional acts of the past week; as stated above, being on a rational par with the character and mentality of the King, in the children’s tale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes. It will be, recalled, that in the latter story, the deluded King, went about his Kingdom, stark naked, being falsely of the delusion, that he was attired in Royal finery, produced by his expert tailors.

As diagnostically, revelatory, as the tale’s deluded, buck-naked King’s break with reality, the known, delusional, past President, proceeded to publically, further reveal the extent of his own psychotic aberration, by initially, (1) declaring that he was the best of the American Presidents, including Lincoln and Jefferson, and then, (2) proceeding, to advertise for public sale at $99.00 each, digital photos of himself, variously costumed and photo-shopped, as a Marvel Studios “Super Hero,” with all manner of comic book hero costumes, Iron Man, and many other Super Heroes, displaying their applicable, creative and bizarre variations, viz., laser beam eyes and other phantasmagoric powers.

That this absurd business venture is highly irregular and mentally deranged, and, like all Trump entrepreneurial ventures, will resoundingly, fail, is, predictable. What this voluntarily, broadcasted, and spontaneously, offered insight, to the unfathomed, depth of Trump’s, bizarre, delusional ideation, is especially, terrifying.

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Some time ago, we heard a nutritionist, authoritatively, declare, “The reason Man craves carbohydrates and overeats, is because he has earlier been “hardwired,” by empirical necessity, to such behaviors from his distant past, when food was not regularly obtainable.” We, certainly, are not in a position to, affirm or deny, the accuracy of such definitive statement, nevertheless, with some contextual and dynamic clarifications, we do, at minimum, find the specific adjective, “hardwired,” to be contextually, useful.

Followers of this blogspace are, no doubt, aware that we are ardent devotees of the empirical school of epistemology as declared by the great English philosopher, John Locke, viz., man is born with a “clean slate” (“tabula rasa”) and acquires knowledge, by his experience.  Accordingly, we would clarify the dynamics of the noun “hardwired,” to explicitly, signify, instilled in from childhood, and thereafter, societally, reaffirmed, rather than, erroneously, assert that he is “inspired” with certain knowledge, at birth.

Identical to the cultural dynamics and practice of the repetitive, recital of consensually, accepted, oral history by pre-literate, Paleolithic and Neolithic Man, our understanding and employment of the subject term, refers to the repetitive teachings, concerning significant experiences, empirically learned and culturally, passed on, to future progeny.

It appears evident, that, by necessity, Early Man was unremittingly, obliged, to be preoccupied with his survival.  Predatory danger from wild animals and strangers potentially existed everywhere, during bright daylight and, most especially, the opaque nighttime. Incipient danger lurked in the forest, open fields, hills and particularly, at watering holes. Man banded, together with familiars (members of his familial group or tribe) and, mutually, braved the ever-present fear of danger, potentially intruding into their vulnerable, abodes.  The appearance of anything, or anyone, therefore, perceived as unfamiliar or different, was, by dint of defensive necessity, understandably considered a portent of imminent danger.

It is pragmatically, logical to assume that significant lessons on the vital, distinction between familiar and exotic appearance, were thus, passed on through the millennia of succeeding generations, by instructional lessons to the young, possibly, reaffirmed by folkloric expression ( tales and dance ritual), around the tribal fire. The life-threatening, “hardwired,” distinction between the familiar and variant was commonly, considered,  existential,  through the many epochs of Man’s existence in insular, tribal society.

It appears that the eons-long, forward, sociological march of humankind, from insular, tribal existence, to living in society with other groups, was concomitant with the gradual, sociological and agricultural development, from a mere “subsistence,” to a “surplus,” economy. The same, necessarily, portended inter-societal contact and trade, roads, commercial laws and uniform media of exchange. Contextually, it led to the necessary interaction between various peoples of non-provincial and variant appearance, ethnicities, language and dress, thus, experientially and rationally, altering the subject menace, dictated by many, previously, limited, insular stereotypes. The growth of Cities,   City-States and, then, Nations, universally brought together Man, in all his various ethnic and racial, iterations, living together and in commercial and social interaction. What may, in earlier times, been perceived as “different,” and, perforce, menacing, became mundane and unthreatening.

Our speculations, concerning the pre-historic origins of the primitive and unjust discrimination against other Homo sapiens, (who looked “different,”) may possess some acceptable degree of verisimilitude, yet, unfortunately, it’s “hardwired,” contemporaneous continuance is irrational, retrogressive, unspeakably, immoral, and life-damaging and deleterious, to its recipients.

Over the years, we have, speculated on the relentless, seemingly, interminable and, in our view, pathological, causes for the contemporary, perpetuation of racial and ethnic bigotry, and have been able to perceive certain possible causes, or etiologies, all of which, reliably, possess the quintessential ingredient of human ignorance.

• The insensitive, early-childhood, teachings of “we” and “they” in the instruction of the young’s needed sense of belonging, and identity. A more salutory approach would be the employment of the context of “we,” i.e., indicating the natural existence and acceptability of other cultures and physical appearances.
• The presence of, nuanced, personal, feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem, resulting in the solely available, desperate and purportedly, redeeming, self-valuation of white skin color, or religious belief, over different color or credo.
• The existence, of bigoted speech, in the family home, particularly, during the child’s younger and more formable years.
• The retrograde, ignorant and empirically, disproven, belief in the cultural, superiority of one classification of Homo sapiens, over another.
• The limitations inherent in interaction, primarily, with persons who share the same racial and belief systems, making, conceivably, possible and credible, fictional or delusional, accounts of the character of “others” of different skin color or variant beliefs.

The solution to this timeless, execrable, and empirically, unnecessary blemish upon humankind, may, logically and empirically, be related to its presumed origins, viz., the primitive fear of danger from beasts or unfamiliar people. If prehistoric fear of the unfamiliar person is the accurate etiology of the problem’s, classical origin, the logical solution would seem to reside in the emphatic teaching of, and the promotion of socially interactive experience, and thereby, the empirical demonstration of the equal humanity, of all Homo sapiens, regardless of skin color, ethnos or chosen beliefs.

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Dependently, leaning on his staff for the maintenance of his, equivocal balance, the now, elderly, Pliny, slowly and cautiously, descended from the elevated mountain of read newspapers, magazines and political commentary. He then solemnly and majestically, proclaimed the following ten salutory principles, for readers, whose desire for the continuance of democracy, (and, specifically, our Democratic Republic), has recently, been subjected to threat.

FIRST: [Democracy] The theory of, and the earnest belief, in elective democracy should be sacrosanct. Those who interfere with the universal right and free exercise, by any citizen of said franchise, or the result thereof, shall thereafter, be ineligible to run for public office.

SECOND: [Religion] The choice of belief, or non-belief, in a Higher Power, shall be unrestricted, but entirely prohibited from affecting, directly or indirectly, the subject of any act or policy of government, at any level, Federal, State or Local. Religious institutions shall be equitably, responsible for the payment of taxes.

THIRD:  [Equality] Any proven, act of discrimination, regarding age, color, disability, or sexual preference, shall constitute a criminal offense, punishable, appropriately, in accordance with the nature of the harm perpetrated and the past, record of similar offenses of the convicted, offender.

FOURTH: [Guns] It shall be a first-class felony to trade in, own, or operate an assault rifle, or any other military-grade weapon. The sale and ownership of pistols, hunting rifles and other small arms shall be strictly, controlled by State and/or Federal authorities. Gun owners shall pay for, and carry, sufficient liability insurance with a licensed insurer.

FIFTH: [Education] (1) Students wishing to continue with their academic education, beyond high school, upon the satisfactory, show of economic need, shall be entitled to attend at State, or other institutions of higher learning, free of tuition. (2) Censorship of books or curriculum, by any party or organization, is prohibited and shall be, appropriately, punishable.

SIXTH: [Immigration] The humanistic, policy of Immigration, shall not be interfered with, or unduly delayed, except for objectively, determined and appropriate reason, such as infectious, ill health, criminal proclivity or other substantiated public policy reason.

SEVENTH: [Tobacco, Cannabis] The public advertisement and sale of tobacco and tobacco-like smoking devices, shall be strictly, prohibited. The State may, however, choose to legalize cannabis.

EIGHTH: [Same-Sex Marriage] There shall be no legislation or official interdicting or, in any way, concerning or affecting same-sex and interracial marriage.

NINTH: [Global Warming, Environment] Regular acts, which are deemed, by the consensus of the objective, scientific community, detrimental to the integrity or health of the Planet, its environment or population, shall be severely and appropriately, punished.

TENTH: [Capital Punishment] The death penalty is prohibited, irrespective of the egregious, nature of the crime.

The sincere, religious, observance of the above, (contemporary), Ten Commandments, would go far, in the establishment, of a just and lasting, National peace. Amen and Amen.

-p.

A very wise man (it must have been one of the infamous,“bi-coastal elite”) long ago, said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” What he meant was that in order to become a fully human person, one must use his innate potential for highly developed thought and raise his existence above that of the mere beasts. Socrates believed (as do we) that human life requires introspection and examination for its greatness and fulfillment. An understanding of the experiences gained in life, enriches man’s engagement with himself and the universe.

On a somewhat, less philosophic, but pragmatic level, Man’s resolve to live a healthy and rewarding, physical life requires regular, periodic examinations by a physician, to ascertain his state of health. Just as an “unexamined life,” is of little qualitative value, the neglect or omission, to remain cognizant as to one’s state of health can portend tragic results.
A valid analogy exists, as to the domestic and international, soundness of a Nation State. Often referred to as the “body politic,” a Nation that neglects to engage in objective retrospection, like that of its human inhabitants, has little hope of growth and improvement, and remains static, historically, irrelevant or, at worst, degenerate.

Inarguably, a salient element of a physician’s medical examination of a patient is his inquiry into, and notation of, the patient’s revelation of his past life history, including such matters as surgical procedures, chronic illness or weakness, previous mental illness, allergies, blood type and blood pressure, previous physical injuries, and the like. Such vital information enables the physician to customize his treatment, and properly customize his prescription of medicine, to the patient’s personally nuanced, medical attributes.

We can remember, from childhood in (our much earlier, described) setting in the poor immigrant milieu of East New York, Brooklyn, overhearing an elderly, toothless, not too savvy, kerchiefed woman, (“Old Sadie”) expounding her principled, general experiences with medical doctors: “I dun tell dem nottink. Ven dey ask me what der problem iss, I say nottink; ven I am paying money to a doctor, let ‘him’ tell ‘me’.”

Such true-life, anecdote, might, analogously, exemplify the ignorance of the misguided, right- wing censors, in our Nation, who would, ignorantly and shortsightedly, eliminate the dark periods of America’s history, from the scholastic curriculum (i.e. like, old Sadie, “say nottink”), of the many decades of black slavery and Jim Crow, dispossession of the first Americans from their ancestral homes in fertile Southeast America, to the windy, unfertile (“more suitable for “injuns”), Oklahoma Territory, the incarceration of innocent Japanese- American families, at the start of World War Two, and FDR’s, cruel insensitively, in turning back to their zealous, and highly, efficient executioners, a ship (The Saint Louis) filled with 931 Jews, adults and young children, in 1939, desperately, fleeing execution, by the psychopathic minions of Adolph Hitler.

We, albeit, nonprofessionals, nevertheless, feel confident to venture the declaration that,  as stated, the most instructive, and, accordingly, the most essential, examination into the health and physical well-being of a medical patient, initially, is the product of his revelation of his past health experience. This data is a vital, personalized introduction, to the particular bodily strengths, vulnerabilities and bodily inclinations of the patient, which revelations serve as an invaluable guide to the personal maintenance of his health, and, when needed, diagnosis and treatment. We are confident in the accuracy of our presumption, that all physicians, called upon to attend to the health of their patients, initially, and mandatorily, obtain their respective, lifetime health histories.

Contextually, a useful and instructive, comparison may be conceived, between the maintenance of the good health of the human body and the proper stewardship and maintenance of a just and successful Nation, or “body politic.” The integrity and success of any Nation, depends, in large part, on the nature and character of its people. A Nation’s self-examination into its history, good and (especially) bad, like the all-important, taking of a patient’s medical history, affords its leaders and citizens the ability to choose, among the empirical possibilities, the proven desirable, moral and effective policies with which to  appropriately, curate and operate a successful, Nation-State.

The right-wing objectors to the salubrious instruction of the entire of America’s history, perhaps, would appear to content themselves with the continued propagation of bizarre, paranoid conspiracy ideations as, purportedly, beneficial to the Nation, rather than the truthful, revelatory and usefully, instructional account, of America’s entire past history.

-p.   

For the intended purpose of emphasis, we shall offend the most basic, stylistic rule and etiquette, relevant to essay writing, by revealing our conclusion at the very outset: The theme and conclusion of this writing, is that humanity has suffered noticeable fallout, social and anthropological, from its attempts to substitute technology for “community.”

Followers of this blogspace are by now, aware of our consistent, opposition to the substitution of smart phone communication, for person to person, and telephone interaction. We have consistently (perhaps in vain) warned of the perceived detriment to the quality and nature of human relationships, and, as a consequence, to the functioning of society. The cold and inexpressive impersonality of the receipt of digitalized symbols, or letters, on a small, hand- held screen, to be viewed at some future time, is a far cry from, and no reasonable substitute for, the timely responsiveness and the comforting and expressive sound of a familiarly, nuanced voice.

Further, it is our view, that the ultimate effect of the universal, widespread, substitution of electronic convenience, in general, for human behavior, albeit, efficient and convenient, has the ironic, unforeseen result societally, and anthropologically, of atavistic regression.

The empirical morphing to technology, to our perception, had a ubiquitously, deleterious, impact upon man’s societal life, fundamentally, even beyond effective, impairment of the value and esthetics of conversation, by way of his election of hand-held, electronic appliances (in lieu of personal conversation). It may be perceived  that, in general, the election of modern and exponentially, improved developments in facilitating the performance of Man’s tasks, has resulted, unforeseeably, to a visible, atavistic and backward, anthropological development. We will, (if reader patience permits) attempt to explain our seemingly, contradictory, and logical, conundrum by historical example.

The physical development of the Homo sapiens, in prehistoric days, was exemplified by his evolved, upright stature, together with its concomitant, anatomical and physical improvements (ex., walking) and his ability to view distances for enhancement of food gathering and defense. The earlier development of Man’s opposable thumb, carried with it, an improved natural facility for the development of creative tool making as well as the performance of diversified manual tasks, as directed by his evolving and improving brain.

At some point in time, he, discovered, that, as compared with the vicissitudes of living a lonely, insular and precarious life, it was, comparatively, advantageous to live in tribal society, for reasons of survival and social interaction. Such insular tribal groups grew, in time, first, to communal living with other tribes, to larger, City-States and then to Nations.

Traveling by our literary time machine to the modern era, we would, examine mankind from the aspect of his plethora of technological advances over his early ancestors, and note an easily, discernable, and quite disturbing, impact of all of his highly bruited, modern technological marvels.

It appears, no less than, dystopic to us, to observe the great mass of humanity on crowded, metropolitan sidewalks, some going home, some to school, some to work, some to market, but all, in unison, eerily, bent over and, in their style of synchronized walking, gazing downward at one of their hands in which a smartphone is held. This dystopic sight reveals the mass of, previously (since prehistory) upright standing, Homo sapiens, now, uniformly, round shouldered and looking down at a hand held small box (smartphone), (except, defensively, for traffic) and entirely, enthralled in such activity. Few, or none, choose to avert their eyes from their cell phone, in their intensely, focused, concentration, in order to smile, say hello, or to view the multitude of others, similarly engaged, bent over and environmentally, blind.

At many Thanksgiving dinners and generally, at family meals, how many of our young are oblivious to everything and everyone, outside the parameters of their active, hand held phone, often, surreptitiously held, just below the surface of the table. How many travelers or commuters sit or stand, in rapt concentration on their smartphone, rather than looking out of the window at the fast- moving scene, or at the conveyance, itself, or at the fellow passengers; how many, in reality, are reading or speaking to another passenger?

How many people, at public parks, concerts, places of assembly, classrooms, libraries, museums, meetings, places of worship, at lunch or dinner, at the sports arena, at the neighbor’s home, in automobiles, curbside and highway, at computerized books, are oblivious to their present surroundings, while, instead, looking downward, at their captivating, and life diverting, cell phones.

Looking down (in contrast to the evolved, upright Homo sapiens) appears to be the latest, evolved iteration of boney architecture for modern man, and we deplore it. Technology has triumphed even over evolution, (sorry, Mr. Darwin).

Can one possibly, compare, such lone and insular, behavior to the many benefits of walks with friends, picnics, joint movie going, personal interaction, visiting parks and libraries, exchanging points of view (“likes” on Face book, are as personally insignificant, as the FB designation of “friends,”) going shopping, dining out, and the like; all of which are done in an observably, anatomically, upright posture, and do not mandate downward gazing, like prehistoric Man.

We also express, with equal dismay, regarding the marvelous evolution of Man’s, advanced, utilitarian thumb, which, shamefully, and heretically, has in contemporary times, been relegated, simply, to the all-important utility, of selecting “apps,” or for hurried electronic texting, on cell phones

By the way, whatever happened, to our favorite fountain pen?

-p.