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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.

-p.    

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.

The advent of the holiday season, not unlike the ringing of a twelve-month alarm clock, seems to function as  a “wake-up” reminder, to a discreet portion of the most insular minded, self- absorbed, American citizens, of the classic moral precepts of humanism and empathy. Charles Dickens, successfully, convinced the most hard-hearted Londoner, Ebenezer Scrooge, of such rectitude and indeed, the sublime pleasure, and acquired feelings of self-fulfillment, by thoughtful acts of assistance to the needy. Contextually, however, we find it, telling, that Mr. Scrooge, experienced his humanistic epiphany (with the aid of a ghost, provided by the Victorian moralist) on the day of Christmas. One would like to, have, empirical confidence that Ebenezer’s extreme change of persona was thereafter, an enduring, one.

 Many individuals, whose chosen lifestyle would exemplify, self -absorption and an utter absence of  humanistic empathy, for those, outside his daily sphere, yet, on the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays, will, self-righteously, render some charitable homage to the downtrodden and hungry;( some in a delusional- redemptive mode), render voluntary service, at a soup kitchen, or shelter, for the homeless and hungry. While we do, applaud such holiday epiphanies, it remains, eternally, evident and irrefutable, that hunger and abject poverty, empirically, exist throughout the entire twelve-month year, and not merely, as a vehicle of ephemeral conscience -soothing and personal convenience, on the holiday season.

Perhaps, more reprehensible, (but not more risible), than the perennial, humanist, are the many more, thoughtless, individuals, whose public sentiments and action, would confound any discernable suspicions of human empathy and  charitable assistance, and continue so, on a dependable and regular, twelve- month basis, sans holiday epiphany.

Included, in this, latter category, are those who, for selfish or xenophobic reasons, adamantly, oppose immigration and are proximately, responsible for the pitiful travails of innumerable, individuals and families, desperately, fleeing danger and abject poverty; responsive, to the express invitation of New York Harbor’s, Statue of Liberty, who (in the lyrical words of Emma Lazarus), eternally, issues the empathic, distinctly, American, invitation: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled, masses, yearning to breathe free…”

It is disconcerting to be, once more, actually obliged to observe, that as the World’s richest and freest Nation, and one, most relevantly, entirely populated, by immigrants and their progeny, America’s established policy of immigration has eternally, been road blocked by ignorant, autocratic leaning, right- wing Americans. Such thoughtless, individuals, whose predilections more resemble Fascism than Democracy, despite, personally being in fortunate possession, of the  veritable, cornucopia of benefits, derived, necessarily, from the earlier immigration, of members of their own families, would, nevertheless, in selfish, and in faux- xenophobic manner, distinguish earlier, settled, American immigrants, (“Americans”)from those, (“Foreigners”) who, for reasons of similar urgency, aspire, to share the American dream.

There is also, little reason to award any empathic, holiday credit to those individuals who discriminate against others, who, born with such an admixture of chromosomes and hormones, as, chemically and systemically, compels them to identify, respectively, with genders, other, than the ones with which they were identified, or, assigned, at birth. Which bigoted individual can assert rationally, appropriate standing to either disapprove, or, indeed, approve, of such natural responses to biological phenomena, or the nature of their resultant, life styles and marriages. How, indeed, does the biologically, motivated selection of an “alternate,” gender, by others, become a matter of any rational interest to these bigoted parties?

Unwarranted prejudice, is as equally, irrational, neurotic and un-American, practiced by those, who have historically, and immorally, persisted in their prejudicial, hatred, toward others, based, solely, upon the skin color with which they were born. Such irrational bigotry has tragically, persisted over the centuries, as a vile, social and political evil, and in our view, is empirically, pathological; such virulent pathogen, eternally, festering, like a toxic microbe, in chronically, ill-natured people.

Lastly, the optimism of America’s venerable Founders was clearly, revealed, by their rosy, prediction, that controverted, political  issues, arising in the newly created, Democratic Republic, would be the subject of collegial debate, between opposing, informed, citizens, the results of which, to serve as a guide to its responsive, leaders, in the new Nation created, “by and for the People.” Instead, citizens of disparate opinion, formed insular, “group think” “tribes,” engaged in veritable, Cold War, with other, like groups of disparate opinion.

The Nation subsequently, became, further, Balkanized, by the catalyzing, appearance on the National scene of the aberrant, Donald Trump, whose ignorance and incapacity to serve as President, were, only exceeded, by his self-dealing, criminal behavior and arbitrary bigotry. We have copiously, written on this unpleasant subject, and it would seem contextually, sufficient, to, briefly, refer to the resultant, unfortunate state of widespread and divisive, intra- citizen antipathy.

We have little hope, that, as to the extant, roiling pot of citizen political differences, and, contextually, the general disinclination for empathy and publicly, motivated sentiment,, there would be any chance, whatsoever, of even a temporary, holiday rapprochement or reconciliation. The divisive, political differences, and the absence of humanistic feelings, especially regarding, gay and racial hatred, albeit, at this traditionally, designated, season of goodwill, and peace, appear to be fixed in atavistic concrete; regarding which, signature credit for pernicious, assistance, is to be attributed to the former, demagogic and miscreant, President, Donald J. Trump.

Such egregious blemishes on our National character, seem to unrelentingly, mar our Nation’s perceived body politic, and without, it appears, a holiday break.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

-p.

Humankind renders
Devout and sincere obeisance
To the risible, Gods of Irony
In despoiling Planet Earth,
By his faithful incineration
Of the mortal remains
Of earlier walkers of the globe,
Exterminated, by a then-despoiled Planet.
-p.

*Leonard N. Shapiro [11/29/22 NYC]

It is with sad exasperation that we can candidly, confess to have lost count of the number of innocent American children and adults, wantonly murdered or maimed for life, by free-wheeling,  gun toting lunatics, at schools, houses of worship, supermarkets, parking lots and other places of public assembly. The repetitive and innocuous, societal, benediction, “our thoughts and prayers,” has by its routine, lame, repetition, rung hollow and robotic. It is our firm view, that such homicides and crippling of innocent, hapless, citizens and their children,  is capable of elimination, or, at the least, significantly, minimized. However, as we reluctantly, observe, America, generally, despite its passionate show of overt, emphatic, protestations and public demonstrations of outrage, fundamentally, have, shamefully, chosen not to do so.

The Second Amendment of the Constitution, is factually, the product of a negotiated settlement, or compromise, between the disputing “States Rights” and the Central Government (“Federalist”) proponents, granting the right of the separate States, respectively, (“the People”) to raise an armed militia. Right wing oriented, gun owners, instinctively, and eternally, disinclined to generally, champion the civil, Constitutional rights and liberties of fellow citizens, have chosen to deceitfully and immorally, maintain that said Amendment imbued every private citizen, with the rights of a “gunslinger.” At this precarious, National, moment when “truth” and factual responsibility, have, for many people, been deemed, irrelevant, (thanks, in large part to the aberrant Presidency of Donald J. Trump)  such tactical misreading, is the construed, tactical and unabashed version of those, whose, skewed, neurotic priorities, are felt to exceed, in selfish and neurotically, insular importance, the empirically, responsible, commitments, associated with living in safe society, with others.

As, observed in an earlier essay, a pocket- knife has a wide potential of acceptable uses, such as, cutting string from a package, whittling, cutting fruits,  peeling potatoes, sharpening wooden  pencils, cutting bait and, at times, as an accessory hand tool. By sheer contrast, a gun has the sole and limited utility, of killing, or felonious assault. We are unable to comprehend any, societally mundane or, medically, sane, need for killing instruments.

The pathologically, aberrant belief, that the individual citizen needs a gun, to assuage his presumed, tenuous feeling of general fear or insecurity, is affirmatively,  and profitably, promoted, by the sociopathic members of the profit making, commercial world, and, as well as the Nation’s  autocratic leaning right-wingnuts. The latter category also constitutes the many, creative peddlers of the current plethora of conspiracy ideations, to those poor souls, who may generally, feel insecure and detached from empirical reality, and whose respective mind- set is irrational, and certainly, incapable of providing other than a bizarrely, skewed and pathological basis for legislation and public policy (like universal gun ownership.)

Assuming, arguendo, that toting a six-gun were an appropriate right of every American citizen we would then pose the following question. Why has the gun interest, with virtually, religious zeal, opposed, all legislation, aimed at overseeing or clarifying, the acceptable parameters of the right to own and use firearms? The universal proposition that every “right,” has its limitations is acceptably, inarguable. Regarding the universally, accepted right of “free speech,” there are legal limitations, e.g. “falsely, crying ‘fire,’ in a crowded theater, the laws of defamation, reparations for fraudulent representations, incitement to violence and the like. Yet, it is bizarre, that all reasonable efforts to regulate or oversee, the sale and use of firearms have suffered a quick, political death. This, despite the earlier, stated immeasurable number of tragic, homicidal mass shooting incidents at schools, churches and public places. It has become clear to us, that rational thought, and empathy, has been over- ridden, by atavistic inclinations, which can adequately, be described, as self- absorbed and disinterested.

We live in a Nation, populated, in the main, by too many people, including many of those benefited with advance education, whose perspective, can aptly be described, as selectively, shallow, insular and solely attuned to matters, perceived as material to their own ego integrity or perception of success. Empathy for strangers, mature world perspective, as well as aesthetic accomplishments and appreciation, literary, artistic, academic and philosophical subjects, they feel, interfere with life’s conveniences, and reduce the time for ephemeral and fleeting entertainment. Aspiration for insight to humankind and its universal struggles, or sophisticated, self-exploration, derived from fine literature, travel and other growth experiences are it appears, seldom, seen as a worthwhile expenditure of leisure time. At high school, high grades and admissibility to a “good college” is the sole currency, the aspirational goal being the pathway to a lucrative job, as tragically opposed to growth of sensitivity, maturity of understanding and hopefully, some measure of wisdom.

It is admirable, and encouraging, that modern Germany has dedicatedly and unreservedly, continued to go to great lengths, to recognize and publically, atone, for its horrendous sins, perpetrated during the Jewish Holocaust, by monuments, events and education. Concurrently, by contrast, many, in our “enlightened,” Nation, shamefully, evince fierce populist opposition, to teaching students about the dark periods in its history, like slavery (“critical race theory”) and the historic displacement of indigenous Americans. Such people are insensitive to and ignorant of a Nation’s existentially, spiritual necessity to know and heal itself. It has, incidentally, taken a full sixty-seven years to finally approve and pass, an “anti-lynching” Act.

With reference to America’s gun problem, no matter how tragic and sorrowful the many events, citizens, in general, not personally, familiar with the victim’s family may, indeed, when in public, routinely, mouth the mantra, “thoughts and prayers” but shamefully, do nothing, and move on. In addition to the homicidal mad man, du jour, we have ourselves to confront and despise.

In the poetically, insightful and aesthetic words of the memorable, Ellie Wiesel, “The opposite of love, Is not hate, it is indifference.”

-p.