Month: July 2024

 “Schizophrenia” is a serious, lifelong, mental disorder that causes those afflicted to abnormally interpret reality, in pathological contrast to a healthy person in touch with empirical reality. It is possible to declare that to the extent that any group of “Homo sapiens” that mentally distorts empirical facts, and replaces them with personal perceptions based on fantasy and superstition are conceivably diagnosable as suffering from such pathologically distortional malady.

One might, in abstract theory, attribute the entire category of religious beliefs to some species of mental illness since it contemplates an intangible reality, solely based on personal “faith,” as opposed to the recognition of objective, factual, and tangible reality. However, in our view, other things being equal, the religionist who does not distort secular reality yet separately maintains a cultural belief in a Deity, which offers desired societal identification and needed comfort, regarding the universal, terrifying knowledge of Man’s inescapable mortality, can be perceived as acceptably healthy.

Despite our Founders’ foundational principle of “Separation of Church and State, specifically and irrefutably, enunciated by them in clear and unmistakable Constitutional language, a dangerous cuckoo nest of Christian Nationalists (ranging from the most ignorant populist to Justice Alito of SCOTUS,) adheres to the phantasmagorical belief that Christians are “ordained by God to exercise dominion over all aspects of society.” Such historically skewed and clinically schizophrenic ideation, responsible for centuries of tragedy and injustice, is systemically evident within the Republican Party, simultaneous with their zealous support of the demonstrated, mentally unstable presidential nominee, Donald J. Trump.

It is undeniable that such deranged Christian Nationalists, irrationally (and clinically), adhere to their declared delusional belief that the American Nation was specifically founded for Christians like them, viz., “natural-born,” white citizens. This bizarre and deranged delusion is easily dispelled by the unanimously articulated mandate of the “Deist” (N.B., non-Christian) Founders, to wisely exclude religion and autocratic belief from the Constitution and the newly created Democratic Republic. Such dedication was reliably founded on their knowledge of the tragic European history of unjust rule by autocratic Monarchs, or, to the thematic point, an Established Religion.

The “poster boy” for the current pandemic of White Christian Evangelism is House Speaker Mike Johnston, who has publically made (the clinically diagnosable) statement that America is a “biblical” Nation (talk about anachronisms!). Such bizarre ideation is seconded by such revered sages as Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar. The Speaker of the House has undeniably demonstrated the nature of his clinical state of mind in his publicized statement of the ultimate aspiration, to “take back the country from those intent on making us a godless Nation.” [more “cuckoo nest”].

Many of the misguided miscreants who stormed the Capitol, reportedly, prayed “for victory in Jesus’ name”, and waved banners reading “Jesus is my Savior and Trump is my President.”  It is the bizarre conception of such Trump-supporting Christian Nationalists that they reportedly saw “Satan’s hand” behind the “stealing of the election.” Such perverse thinking was responsible for the Evangelists’ perverse success in heartlessly causing the reversal of  Roe v Wade and in the wide plethora of atavistic action on the part of government, Federal and State.

It is of undeniable and truly existential importance that reasonably observant religionists, in partnership with the vast secular population of American citizens, recognize and overtly oppose this currently prevailing, but age-old religious mania, and be awakened to the empirically demonstrated danger implicit in the schizophrenic and militant atavism of white Christian Evangelism. The same represents a diagnosable, metastatic cancer on the progress of human enlightenment and amounts to deplorable espionage against the aspirational designs of the Founder’s wise and historically-based experiment.

–p.

We know of no Law, natural or man-made, comparable in consequence to the “Law of Gravity.” Yet, unlike Albert Einstein, we shamelessly confess to a complete state of ignorance, as to its nature; save only its perceived and existentially vital terrestrial impact on earthly life and its phenomena. Physicists advise that it is a fundamental force that draws other bodies or objects toward its center and, that as an astronomical matter, it maintains the planets in our solar system in fixed control and position around the sun. We might notably, and gratefully, add that gravity saves us and our two pet cats from the frightening hazard of falling off the surface of Planet Earth.    

In addition to its existential significance to humankind, gravity can empirically, be denominated a “double-edged sword.” Aside from its impetus in occasional natural disasters (some aided by global warming), its life-essential function is regrettably, a notably hazardous source of human injury, disability, and consequent death.

During man’s childhood and youth, falling is customarily non-eventful; one easily gets up and, if outdoors, dusts himself off, suffering, perhaps, merely a scraped knee or elbow.  In the context of the elderly, by contrast, a simple act like tripping on a rug or slipping on a wet floor and breaking a bone may be an event of disastrous consequence.  A fracture in the older individual has the potential to develop into serious health problems, and disability and even result in death. The fear of such a possibility causes older citizens to delimit their physical activities and engagement in many formerly enjoyed activities. Ironically, it represents an unwanted success in the lifelong, frustrating aspiration for universal equality. Our elderly immigrant mother died from the ultimate effects of a fracture precipitated by a fall, as likewise did the internationally prominent, Sir Winston Churchill. We, now in the” anec-dotage” of our senior years, find the use of a three-wheeled, “walker” prudently, indispensable in our locomotion and secure maintenance of safe balance.

The individual who has wisely chosen our frequently recommended, life of extra-curricular engagement in personal elective interests predictably will have thereby added much contemplative and aesthetic value to his life. Such benefits notably increase exponentially in importance, during the natural process of growing old. Then, the rewarding lifetime practice of internalized contemplation and development of maturity of understanding and perception offers a full menu of enjoyment and fulfilling contemplative experiences, not requiring the hazards of mobility and its attendant pitfalls. The limitations, empirically implicit in the prudent restriction of ambulatory prowess are compensated by a full smorgasbord-like compendium of pleasant contemplative activity, grounded in prior lifelong, empirical experience and longstanding interest in elected areas of nuanced interest. The spiritual and mental rewards comprehend an enjoyable mode of accommodation to life’s inevitable limitation of physical activity.

Analogous to the temporal withdrawal of monetary capital from a previously established retirement or IRA account, one’s accumulated, lifetime activity of personal self-advancement yields the satisfying fruits of investment in one’s enlightenment, mature perspective, and ultimate quality of life, notably unhampered by the exorbitant price of the universe’s existential but precarious law of gravity.

*[Subtitle, as amended) borrowed from the novel by Erica Jong, “Fear of Flying”]

-p.

Albert Einstein’s iconic and erudite, “Law of Relativity,” is universally acknowledged as a genius-inspired, breakthrough physical theory, analytically expressed in mathematical language. Our thematic use of the altered name, by astronomic contrast, is our mundane expression of a serious critique of the practice of subjective perception of individuals and the nature of the resultant expectation and evaluative judgment, based thereon. In our view, the attribution of facilely perceived persona as a predictable factor in the subjective expectation of behavior is foundationally and disturbingly ignorant, and potentially causative of injustice and injury.

In the reader’s everyday life, he may possess feelings of expectation, based upon his established perception of others as, for example, trustworthy, truthful, skilled, adventurous, or generally lazy; and base his expectations and subsequent evaluation of their behavior upon such perception.  Such assumptions, based on past, recollected perceptions of inclination may well not result in their confirmation. Reliance upon such pre-established expectations may be misleading and lead to disappointment and costly error.

The errant practice of purely subjective, empirically unsupported judgmental standards, founded in such arbitrary and subjective conceptions of others, too often, results in the maintenance of unfair, inconsistent judgmental criteria, based on such prior perceptions and consequent expectations. In the interest of societal fairness as well as individual justice, moral, legal, and uniform standards regarding behavioral acts appropriately, should be universally defined and not subject to individualized, relative criteria. The expectations concerning the character and behavior of John Gotti, metaphysically, should be identical to those of Fred Rogers. Yet, should John Gotti publicly filch an apple from a fruit stand, the petty theft would not invite much noticeable attention. In contextual contrast, the identical indiscretion by “Mr. Rogers” would unquestionably summon an impact of astronomical proportion.

We are greatly disturbed, but not unduly surprised, to see such contextually unjust dynamics in blatant operation in the Presidential contention between Joseph Biden and Donald J. Trump. It should not be necessary to recount Trump’s overfull cornucopia of felonious behavior; one perhaps less deadly, but conceivably, more numerous than Mr. Gotti.  Trump’s serial mendacity, lack of moral compass, disrespect for the U.S. Constitution, and the established rule of law, egocentric lack of empathy, traitorous liaisons with autocratic leaders of the Nation’s enemies, incitement a9nd support of an insurrection,  numerous indictments and jury determinations of guilt, shameful and illegal bribes to keep secret his regular commerce with “call girls,” the list of “horribles” is virtually endless; accordingly, the expectations of virtuous acts and acceptable performance are geologically low. His daily “gaffs” errors, convoluted thinking and sporatically faulty memory seem so numerous and regular as to have caused  no surprise.. One cannot omit mention that his twice impeached, shameful four-year term as President produced no benefit, but only harm and international embarrassment to the Nation. There would appear to be no gaff in memory, misstatement, or indiscretion that would excite notable shock.

However, it seems that the ubiquitous invocation of our recited, “Flaw of Relativity,” viz., the unfair, reductive establishment of nuanced, prior expectation and consequent nuanced, subjective determination of capability, has persuaded some citizens, that poor performance, on one televised occasion, despite the unwavering  standard of performance applicable to the established reputation for capability, of Joseph Biden, is evidence of his aged incapability. Biden’s problem, as starkly compared to Trump, is the flawed, unwavering expectation of his absolute and  perfect  demonstration of proven capability making his evaluation, unjustly, more demanding than his despicable, incapable, and autocratic opponent.

In addition to being inequitable and misleadingly erroneous, the “Flawed Theory of Relativity,” would by its irrational dynamics, invariably, and erroneously, result in subjective determinations of success and approval to reputed morons and abysmal failure to the less-than-perfect-reputedly intelligent individual.

-p.

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Of the two inarguably most notable American Holidays, July 4^th, “Independence Day,” is the more iconic, the other being the traditional celebration of “Thanksgiving. The latter is ubiquitously recognized and celebrated in a symbolic, cultural-historical context, the former, in addition to being, by contrast, empirically based, is notably meaningful, as a definitional expression of the systemic American desire for liberty and freedom of expression.  

The stereotypical, July Fourth holiday is celebrated amid the company of family, neighbors, and friends engrossed in a mutually convivial backyard experience, attending to the smoking barbeque, drinking beer gossiping, and enjoying an interactive social experience. In most cases, little time is devoted to thoughts of Colonial America or the contextual events of the holiday, the War of Independence against the tyrannical rule of an English Monarch. The Nation’s inherently secure character and political dynamics are ordinarily not productive of any relevant impetus to discuss the academic subject of our National polity nor empirical infringement of citizens’ legally (constitutionally) assured liberty.

By major and disconcerting contrast, this July Fourth Holiday is convened amid an evident and disturbing atmosphere bespeaking the precarious state of our assumed, traditional rights and liberties as citizens of the American Nation. The recent rise to power of an autocratic, opponent of American democracy and way of life has, together with his numerous hordes of populist pro-fascist cultish followers, launched a frighteningly successful attack upon our Democratic Republic, it, constitution, Rule of Law, and basic imperatives of the societal moral compass; the copious enumeration of which, inclusive of election denial and armed violent insurrection, detailed in past writings are ominously, well known. Also, well-known is Trump’s public declaration to be a dictator and wreak punitive revenge on his political opponents. On this Independence Day, it has unexpectedly become relevant to comprehend the danger to the freedoms and way of life won from the encumbering chains of autocracy by the holiday’s celebrated colonials. 

Freedom-loving American citizens need to challengingly match the bullying dynamics of the MAGA reactionaries, by better expressing the existential need of the Democratic Republic for concentrated and aggressive support. Our frustrated observation has eternally been that the mainstream, freedom-loving citizen has, notably been far less overt and publicly demonstrative in his support of democracy than  Trump’s outspoken conglomeration of underbelly populists and special interest beneficiaries. Our celebrated American way of life cannot endure if we condone or tolerate the loud and assertive Nazi-style threat of Trump and his loyal snake pit of historically offensive and toxic followers.

Even the least observant of American citizens is obliged to take note of Biden’s four years of admittedly superior performance (as chief executive in the pandemic end, in its subsequent economic recovery, record employment, inflation reduction, infrastructure development, tax relief to life-long tuition debtors, support of women’s, gender, and civil rights, and objective dedication to the American system of law (N.B. Hunter Biden prosecution), support of the attacked Ukraine, and many other commendable accomplishments, not to mention his decent and empathetic persona) as compared with the dismal, immoral and embarrassing prior Presidential term of Donald Trump.  We are no less than astounded at the inappropriate, and foolishly suicidal, self-immolating activity of the (apparently, naïve, hapless) Democratic Party in its engagement in its present public, intra-party, controversy as to the mental capability of Biden to continue to serve as America’s top executive; based upon a relatively inconsequential lousy performance on the overly discussed Presidential debate. (see: # 87 “Televised Sports”).

In an election in which the continued existence of the democratic Nation and the American way of life is mortally threatened by a proven perverse candidate whose neurotic egocentrism has been evilly demonstrated and specifically enunciated in his avowed declaration of intention to be a Dictator, how can any rational campaign concentrate on the (empirically disproven) possibility of its candidate’s capabilities. We are certain that the giggling underbelly supporters of the dangerously incompetent Trump are truly loving it.

We are disappointed, amazed, and undeniably, not loving it.

-p.   

From a purely theoretical standpoint, the Supreme Court’s recent decision on presidential (read: “Trump’s”) immunity confirms the empirical observation that our Nation affirmatively entirely qualifies for designation as a “free market economy.” Perceiving the transactional nature of such a decision, from a political and constitutional context, it appears, irrefutably, revelatory of the High Court’s cataclysmic sell-out and shameless betrayal of the very foundational theme of our Democratic Republic, as conceived by our Founders and subsequently implicit in our Nation’s systemic history.

It requires little argument to declare that defined principles, existentially definitive of our uniquely conceived and democratically dedicated Nation, have notably related to citizen equality; as opposed to the unjust history of European class status. The latter, visibly, was zealously avoided by the intent expressed in the provisions of the First Ten and the Fourteenth Amendments, subsequently confirmed by consistent, judicial precedent.

The conception of a tri-partite governmental architecture, to respectively share governmental power, viz., Executive (President), Legislative (Congress), and Judicial (SCOTUS), denominated, as the “Separation of Powers,” each with the right to restrain the excessive practice of power of the other, is a matter of constitutional history, and, in a similar fashion not require argumentative support. The wisely-conceived experiment, with certain later, historical mishaps, arguably due to the innate infirmities of the universal human psyche, proved to be pragmatically useful, albeit, somewhat, still aspiring to the goal of principled improvement.

We recall a contextually instructive episode from Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises,” in which one character asks another, “How did you go bankrupt?’ The response: “At first, gradually, then, suddenly.” It would seem pragmatically impossible to cite the innumerable instances in which the Hemingway quote, (seemingly mundane, but on contemplation, one of empirical universality. On an unrelated subject, we hope it will not prove applicable to the already roiling indicia of a global warming catastrophe. However, we are sadly inclined to confirm the dynamic applicability of the quoted statement to the disastrous and disheartening downward transmogrification of the previously venerated, Supreme Court of the United States.

Until SCOTUS’s anomalous acceptance and disposition of the case of Bush v. Gore, in the year 2000, the High Court was universally perceived as a learned institution, especially exemplified by its fiduciary responsibility to ensure consistent precedential justice. As prescribed in the Constitution and the American rule of law. To comply with the constitutionally mandated, status of the “Separation of Powers,” it was a necessary prerequisite that SCOTUS’s acceptance of a case was dependent upon a showing by the aspiring applicant (by “Writ of Certiorari”) of the total absence of any political issue or legal effect of any SCOTUS’s disposition As an empirical matter, the Rule’s proscription of political content, together with the assignment of life terms of the constituent Justices, contributed to the existentially relevant, need to insulate the Court from outside influence and insure fiduciary responsibility to the Nation and its historic Rule of Law.

In the main, with anecdotal exceptions, such as the 19^th Century, Dred Scott case, (J. Taney,) the High Court demonstrated a history of deserved veneration, dedicatedly serving its constitutionally responsible role of National judicial oversight. The recall of names of such Justices as Holmes, Brandeis, Douglas, Cardozo, and Brennan summons feelings of respect and gratitude for their admirable and persuasive efforts to preserve constitutional compliance and universal justice.

All this changed. as per the cited Hemingway quote, “gradually,” by the sudden and contemptuous morphing of its dispositive legal responsibility to one of acceptance of matters of legal import. From such an irresponsible point, cases such as “Citizens Union” were accepted and adjudicated, demonstrating an unheard-of bias and the shameful promotion of “special interests.” The Citizens Taxpayers Union case, (2009) exemplifies a painful example. In said catastrophic case, the extant toxicity of “Money” in politics was shamefully exacerbated by an atypically reasoned, sophomoric, but democratically devastating, decision that since corporations are “people,” their freedom to donate money to political elections is constitutionally unlimited. The all-too-evident desire on the part of, the previously scholarly and objective Court, to satisfy the political interests of the self-interested large corporations was shamefully evident in its unabashed, fun-house, gross distortion of the commercially limited, fictional application of the utilized word, “person” as contractually afforded to the legal entity of the corporation. This fictional status has existed since the period of “Elizabeth the First” period, strategically created by the English Parliament to limit the personal liability of the relevant human entrepreneur. The protective conceit was and still is (as undeniably known by every law school freshman and businessperson) an accepted but merely utilitarian, legal fiction, employed to limit the commercial liability of the human entrepreneur, (notably, in a past society in which debtors were subject to imprisonment). The tactically atrophied extension of the breathing and feeling human persona to the modern commercial status of a “corporate “person” deserving of citizen entitlement to the constitutional, “Bill of Rights” is a transparent, tactically employed, and transparently arrogant obscenity.

Our Hemingway-style gradual erosion of the informed citizen’s appropriate respect for the High Court was catalyzed by the politically self-serving appointment of MAGA-compliant Justices due to the bizarre political ascendency of the autocratic and immoral, Donald Trump. Since such democratic catastrophe, the upright American citizen has seen the sudden (Hemingway described) decline in both legal and moral principles of the six Conservatively appointed  (of the nine) SCOTUS Justices.  The acceptance of magnificent gifts by one Justice, who is married to a fervent supporter of Trump’s insurrection, the public, flag-flying demonstration of MAGA, and the insurrection by another, transparently, compliant to the interests of the anti-democratic, religious lobby are informative examples of the steep extent of the suddenly evident, moral and legally responsible institution.

The appropriate icing was applied to the uneatable bitter judicial cake, baked by the High Court’s recent decision to the effect that Trump, the multifarious committer of uncountable acts of societal and criminal felonies, (91 indictments, 34 jury-determined guilty verdicts, election denier, and producer of insurrection, is immune from liability on all official (?) acts as former President.

As I once more gaze at my prodigious bookshelf and espy, Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises.” I am caused to wonder, will the Democratic Republic endure and the Sun again rise on its much-vaunted democracy and its fiduciary guardian, the Supreme Court.?

-p.

Salvatore (“Sal”) Hepatica, confirmed bachelor and recently retired, half-owner of a pharmacy in Elmhurst, Queens, returned to his small, neatly furnished apartment following his unvarying practice of taking his Saturday afternoon lunch, consisting of dark coffee and tuna melt sandwich with a half-sour pickle, at the local diner, “The Athenian Star.” Sal, as usual, placed his daily newspaper on the left arm of his large, exceedingly comfortable, easy chair, unzipped his light jacket, and then sat down, in a rare introspective and focused mood. Normally, he would have then unfolded and read his daily newspaper; yet, his present ruminations seemed to dominate his usual interest in its perusal, and thus, thoughtfully engaged, he slowly released his grip on his held newspaper, causing it to fall to his lap.

Such unusual, but profound, preoccupation, was prompted by a sudden, introspective guilty, pang by the realization of his ingratitude, for the beneficial acceptance of the universe of efficient services, delivered to him from the available overfull cornucopia of digitally robotic services, responsive to the receipt of his mere request. He inwardly declared that Mankind should, be appropriately, thankful to modern science and industry for such ubiquitous and effortless utility.

He proudly, and gratefully acknowledged that, with the sole, electively taken, exception of his regular three-block trek to the Athenian Star diner on early Saturday afternoons for his regular lunch, consisting of dark coffee, tuna melt sandwich with half-sour pickle, his life was fully subscribed and experienced from the simple, but satisfactory, universe of his comfortable reclining easy chair.

His necessary outreach was efficiently implemented by using his “smartphone.” This small, metallic device, habitually stowed in his handkerchief pocket, together with his clean tissues, was the effective gateway to the eclectic world. It was an easy chair venue for the effortless source of universal information, entertainment, music and videos, interactive conversation, photography, as a photo album, an avenue for the reading of literature and periodicals, for research, news and weather reports, directional services, historical and current facts, recipes and cooking instruction, health information, spectating sports, playing games, effecting purchases of goods and medicines, the procuring of services of every nature, travel, nature photography, national and worldwide weather information,  advice on contemporary styles,  economic reports and data, environmental hazards and any topic of interest or inquiry in every discipline.

Our contemplative, peacefully seated, protagonist reverentially, and lovingly, embraced his valued smartphone, effusively celebrating the lack of necessity to expend fruitless effort involved in seeking out other individuals, going to libraries, museums, lectures, foreign travel, sports arenas, and concert venues, movie theaters, sight-seeing excursions, stores for purchase of such items as clothes, food, or other articles, personal meetings, or group interaction, travel,  patronizing restaurants, art galleries, natural parks, lakes and other tourist attractions, zoos, sports arenas, nor, pragmatically, any felt need to expend unnecessary money, effort, and energy to engage in any such commonplace practices.

However, bizarre as it may seem, on various occasions, usually occurring after nightfall, Sal, inwardly comprehended the existential underlying basis for his recurring primal need to observe his mandatory ritual of Saturday, tuna melt lunch, at the nearby and, notably relevant, publically attended, diner.

-p.