The Influence of “American Dirt”

If American Dirt Doesn’t Move Us to Rectify the Tragic War on Migrants, Then We Are Lost.

My wife and I just finished Jeanine Cummins’ brilliant, but devastating novel, American Dirt, and we can finally allow the tension to slowly dissipate from our immediate consciousness.

Then came the guilt. Followed by the anger.

If you have not read the novel, I will not put a spoiler in my diatribe. I will simply say this: the antagonists of this novel are the bloodthirsty, amoral drug cartels and the heartless, race-baiting Trump Administration (although Trump’s name is not mentioned very often, rather he is alluded to).

Several years ago, I read a novel entitled Cobra written by Frederick Forsyth, who wrote the classic Day of the Jackal. His book was rather farfetched. At its crux it had a noble premise. In the his book, the American President has a ‘come to Jesus moment’ and makes the decision that the drug cartels are the cause of so much mayhem in the world that nothing short of an all out war initiated by the US military is necessary: a war that isn’t authorized by Congress.

It is a military assault by land, air and sea; however, it is accomplished in a Mission Impossible mode, with the drug kingpins “self-destructing in 60 seconds.” If only. (Actually, the plan made a lot of sense; much more than our “shock and awe” catastrophe in Iraq.)

In the face of the unimpeded drug cartel’s destruction of the rule of law in Mexico and Central America, American Dirt chronicles the assault on these migrants that Trump has labeled “murders and rapists.” When Trump claimed that “Mexico is not sending their best,” the tragic characters of Ms. Cummins’ novel epitomize courage. Their journey from the reach of the killers hired by drug lords is unfathomable to most Americans who worry about the slightest disturbance in their daily routine. My anger percolates to any politician aligned with Trump’s cruel caging and separating children from their family.

These migrants are not dangerous — it is those chasing them who represent the danger to all Americans.

The terror that the cartels emit is non-stop and limitless. The escape to el norte is the only chance that anyone has once they are targeted, and the aim of the cartels is indiscriminate and unhinged. Ms. Cummins focuses on not just Mexico, but all of Central America. It also makes the point that the United States isn’t the only America in the world.

The novel educates the reader about the reality of escape. The brutality. The danger cannot be overstated. No one can be trusted because the cartels corrupt even the most-well intentioned. The taste of fear is the only sustenance that keeps the migrants scraping forward to el norte.

Ironically, it is irrational fear that Trump and his enablers stoke with the chants of “build a wall.” (Mexico has never paid for this wall, the most senseless, ineffective waste of money sold by Fox “News” and the likes of Rush Limbaugh to a simple minded President, himself walled away golfing, to deal with truly complex problems.)

These migrants are not dangerous — it is those chasing them that represent the danger to all Americans, but migrants are vilified by people who hear a different language or a darker skin tone and jump to conclude that this “infestation” — Trump’s words — needs to be eradicated.

American Schism: When It Began, How It Will End?:

We’re Talkin’ about an Evolution, not a Revolution. I Stand with Senator Amy Klobuchar.

Great science fiction presents what appears outlandishly unbelievable in such a way that the viewer stops and considers this ‘other world’ as a mere sidestep through a portal that exists right now. Television shows, like Counterpoint or Stranger Things, depict two worlds, parallel or ‘upside down’ in which the two realities battle for control of the world as we think we know it. Is it possible that our world is just one tragic decision from becoming The Hunger Games?

Before you ‘change the channel’ on this Twilight Zone discourse, just ask yourself a few questions. How could anyone become the American President with no experience in public office? How could American intelligence investigations conclude that Russians interfered with the presidential election: however, the American President publicly announces that he believes the Russians and dismisses his own CIA… and then fires his FBI Director?

Wait. There’s more. Why would an American President also dismiss dedicated public officials from the Justice Department, a US Ambassador, and other State Department officials? Why would a witnesses from the American military, who testifies under a Congressional subpoena, be dismissed from the National Security Council (not to mention his twin brother)?

In what world could one imagine the American President become so powerful that seemingly autonomous senators refuse to even consider ‘first hand’ witnesses who could shed light on whether a US ally, under foreign attack, was being denied vital military assistance (promised by those same senators) because that nation would not ‘play ball’ and implicate a rival American politician?

Is the “Civil War II” a reality or just a passing phrase?

And with each day, more unsettling news keeps washing over the public as reported by the ‘mainstream’ American media, referred to by the President as “the enemy of the people.” Why would such a blatant attack on the Freedom of the Press develop into a rallying cry by thousands who cheer on this President?

When did this behavior become the norm? How will it end? Is the “Civil War II” a reality or just a passing phrase? Much has been written about how divided Americans feel about politics, government and particularly Mr. Trump. Opinions abound about the reasons behind the apathy rooted in mediocre turnouts in Presidential general elections or in political involvement generally.

To me, the rupture that tore apart American spirit occurred at 8:46 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Yes, for a time this unspeakable tragedy brought Americans together like nothing we had seen since Pearl Harbor. Remember FDR’s words: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Roosevelt knew that national panic could split two ways: into patriotic involvement to end wars in Europe and in the Pacific, or unbridled fear could summon darkness in the American soul that would cause terror and shame.

Unfortunately, both occurred. The firebombing of German towns like Dresden, the Japanese-American Internment Camps, and the deployment of two atomic bombs on Japanese cities were justified since one must fight fire, literally, with fire.

Since then America has made apologies and restitution to its Japanese citizens and to the people of those Japanese cities. Through the Marshall Plan, America spent millions rebuilding Germany and Austria’s destroyed cities and infrastructure. NATO was created. We promised “never again” would the world allow the slaughter that resulted in ethnic cleansing of the Holocaust. The Berlin Wall fell. The Soviet vice grip on satellite states was loosened. But Middle East peace between Arab factions and Israel’s existence remained. Africa was not immune to the same power struggles that turned bloody in places like Rwanda.

Lessons learned in the 1940’s were cast aside by the Bush Administration. The US shattered the Geneva Convention as the “enhanced” torture of prisoners began, notably under the auspices of Vice-President Dick Chaney and his ilk. The “Axis of Evil” became the target of a panicked homeland. Senate investigations of torture by Diane Feinstein and John McCain finally revealed what some Americans simply could not condone.

President Bush unloaded “shock and awe” on March 20, 2003. American forces bombed Iraq, claiming that they were capable of deploying “weapons of mass destruction.” Our intelligence was horribly wrong and Newsweek’s headline called it “Bush’s Biggest Blunder.” That became the understatement of the decade and the first tear of the national fabric became exposed to all. Musicians battled it out on stage from the Dixie Chicks to Kid Rock. Was the invasion of a sovereign Iraq justified? Was a preemptive strike the best course of action? The fabric ripped again.

Musicians battled it out on stage from the Dixie Chicks to Kid Rock.

A certain New York real estate mogul claimed that Muslims were cheering on 9.11. Trump was sure the President-Elect Barack Obama was not born in the USA. The Stock Market was in free fall. Jobs were hemorrhaging each month in the last days of the Bush Administration. Financial institutions went belly-up. People lost homes in record numbers.

Someone had to be blamed. Rush Limbaugh and Fox “news” amplified the message that it’s all government’s fault. The Tea Party formed as a consequence of the cheerleading of right wing conservative media. For a long time it was the only one sided game in town, and it was spearheaded by the likes of Grover Norquist, whose Taxpayer Protection Pledge, to sign a “blood oath” to never raise taxes made headlines. Inevitably, the left began its counter attack on MSNBC to support the newly minted President Obama and his “Obamacare” that attempted to insure medical care is a right, not a privilege.

President Obama had a merely two years to accomplish what he could before the rupture became seemingly permanent. Six years of Republican opposition under Senator Mitch McConnell followed and kept any chance of merging the two Americas back into one. The unprecedented opposition to Supreme Court appointee Merrick Garland was a deep gash that could not be stitched. But the final thread was soon to come.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016 shattered expectations on each side of the American divide. The Trump campaign was poised to call the election a shame and “rigged.” Melania Trump was assured by her husband not to worry — a loss was eminent. Meanwhile, Hilary Clinton’s campaign was prepared for the big balloon drop in the Big Apple. And then it happened. Everyone’s bubble was burst.

And so America is within a year of having to make a decision which road to travel. Some say the choice will be nasty and bombastic. Will the nation recoil from Trump’s extremism into yet another version authored by the likes of Senator Bernie Sanders, or will there be a middle ground that Americans can trust to place their feet, hopeful that there isn’t a bomb triggered below instigated by die-hards on both extremes?

Some Americans feel numb. Some feel angry. Some feel desperate. Some feel overjoyed. Pick your flavor. The truth is this: economic growth continues from Obama to Trump, but that wealth is not felt in the bottom tier of the labor force. Yes, more jobs are available but hiring is not the issue. What kind of jobs are. Manufacturing is still spotty to stagnate. Farmers are being bribed to keep in line. Service jobs are the bottom rung and automation is coming for them.

The deficit has soared in the last three years, not because the US needs to get out from a Great Recession, but because the Trump Administration and the Republican controlled Senate has authorized spending that in decades past no Republican would have accepted. Will the allure of a Stock Market trump everything we know about a United States? That is intimately what this election will answer.

I stand with the experience and moderation of Senator Amy Klobuchar. I stand with common sense solutions. I stand with compromise. Senator Klobuchar represents these qualities and policies. Rebuild the ACA/ Obamacare, but do NOT argue for “Medicare for All” and disenfranchise the people with their own private insurance. Do not eliminate the insurance companies — regardless of their shortcomings because if they are truly inferior, then they will fail on their own demerits.

Do NOT argue the US should excuse student debt. It is an affront to all who have paid their way or are paying down their way through college. Instead, push for significant interest rate reductions on Federal loans, present and future, and increase Federal grants to all college students.

Above all, recognize that Global Warming is past the crisis level — the American President should be on Red Alert, not claiming it is a “hoax.” Get back in the Paris Accords. Understand that fossil fuels, like the ones in the Russian Arctic, are not the answer to the energy crisis, but rather this ‘Black Gold” is a fool’s errand, which will only keep the world addicted to Putin’s power. Get back to the table with Iran on a nuclear deal as Obama did. All that has occurred in the last three years is counterproductive throughout the Middle East. It is a powder keg waiting to explode.

Support NATO; do not devalue it. Why? Understand that Putin is going to do all he can to undermine Americans’ trust in our government. His regime is dedicated to gobbling up the Ukraine. He is a poison — “a KBG agent and a killer” in the words of the late Senator John McCain

America needs the most skillful surgeon to step up to the operating table and heal the wounds of division and fear. Her hands won’t tremble. Senator Klobuchar represents the one person who has accomplished the most in a legislative sense. It is time we judge a President by the quality of her character. After all, 100 years ago the 19th Amendment changed the American Constitution. As for electability, add Beto O’Rourke to the ticket and turn Texas’s Electoral College voters blue. (O’Rourke already polls 11 points hire than Trump in Texas.) Senator Klobuchar may not have the ‘revolution’ in mind — what America needs is an evolution. 

Amazon’s “The Report”: Tough to Stomach, but Heroic in the End

Matt@elevenphotographs from Upsplash

If you have seen Vice, then the newest docudrama coming to the small screen via Amazon entitled The Torture Report is the perfect bookend to the sorry saga of the United States’ Enhanced Torture Methods.

Cheney and Rumsfeld never set foot into the dark, disturbing chambers where water boarding and beatings occurred post 9.11 but they were instrumental in keeping that program alive and brutally kicking any and all suspects. They never appear in the film, but their suffocating presence kept all in line at the CIA.

FBI agent Daniel Jones, played by Adam Driver, performs an exhaustive investigation into the CIA's use of torture on suspected terrorists. He is heroic, stubborn and willing to speak truth to power. His truth is simple: the CIA investigated the effectiveness of Enhanced Torture Methods (devised by a couple of rapscallions cloaked as ‘professors’) and had to find that they were effective at getting information out of unwilling prisoners. But it was a Catch 22. If the program did not get ‘legitimate Intel’ then it would be illegal; so the CIA had to lie and say it was legit to be legal…even though after exhaustive research by Jones, it was all fabricated.

However, he is not alone in his quest to reveal the truth to the American people in his report, which the CIA redacted to the point of farcical; without the courage of Senator Diane Feinstein (Annette Bening) and her staff along with the support of the late Senator John McCain, nothing would have been revealed.

Reviews of a gritty, nauseating film like this one can be somewhat iffy. People want a Hollywood, feel good template. They get a something far more worthwhile. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone explains, ”Scott Burns [writer and producer} believes that the granular details of cerebral inquiry into issues of morality are more than enough to hold our rapt attention. He's right.”

But here is the catch. Who wants to see it? Who cares about people of Muslim decent, especially after 9.11? All we wanted was to never let the US be attacked again and so ‘by any means necessary’ the ‘dark’ methods of our own CIA broke every code of decency and the Geneva Convention to get Intel that they later had to admit was either lies or information that was already gleaned via the FBI’s normal methods of interrogation.

Thus, the graphic water boarding scenes and naked brutality make the viewer turn away in disgust. The utter stupidity of the torture becomes so counter-productive that as McCain emphasizes will be used on our own soldiers. Senator Feinstein is the most indignant and dogged in her pursuit to make sure that Daniel Jones and his two colleagues make sure that the atrocities will never again be perpetuated on any person help prisoner.

It is hard to watch, but as Al Gore once said of another existential crisis: “It is an Inconvenient Truth.” 

  

Postscript: The film barely made an appearance in movie theaters. If you did not have Amazon, or never heard any buzz about a film about torture (understandable), then you will never see this powerful work. So a film that fought to make it to the light of day…is still trying to find that moment of sunshine in which so much is transparent. Ironic, isn’t it?

"And the Oscar goes to...the teachers":( For FANS OF TEACHERS, ELLEN FANS, OSCAR WATCHERS...I had a dream...

t

7 Significant Flames Fanned by Rachel Maddow’s “Blowout”

Photo by Ashlee Attebery on Unsplash

Walter Cronkite was a lifelong Republican. In his day, Cronkite ‘told it like it was, and America trusted what he reported. Richard Nixon was watching Cronkite in the jungles of Vietnam, decked out in a green army uniform complete with helmet and microphone, as he grimly reported to millions of citizens that the Vietnam war had become an unwinable quagmire. President Nixon said, “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.”

While she may never have the stature of Walter Cronkite, Rachel Maddow has become a force, a journalist who dares to tell it like it is …and goes the extra mile to tell Americans what they may be afraid to hear. I am quite aware that Ms. Maddow, a former Oxford Rhodes Scholar, is often painted by some on the far right as a raging liberal, so biased that she cannot be trusted to tell the truth. Some think this is true of all MSNBC hosts — even Nicole Wallace, a former Republican and John McCain’s former communications director.

To my way of thinking, a scholar is a person of integrity and dedication to their studies— in her case journalism. On that both Cronkite and Maddow have much in common. Ms. Maddow has proven in her previous work Drift to be a thorough researcher, a fine writer and, whether one agrees with her or not, a seeker of the truth as it pertains to the subject of her investigation.

Ms. Maddow lays out her case with precision and just a touch of humor…albeit dark.

For the open minded and curious, this essay is a snapshot of some of her most salient themes in what is a dense well footnoted and heavily sourced new book entitled: Blowout: corrupted democracy, rogue state Russia, and the richest, most destructive industry on earth. Ms. Maddow lays out her case with precision and just a touch of humor…albeit dark. So here goes:

· Putin: The Russian kingmaker is a thug of the first degree. Opposition is destroyed. His ‘people’ are poor; however, nary a peep comes from them or else they faced an ‘unfortunate’ demise. There is little he does not control and exploit for his own financial interest. This includes the plentiful, but extremely difficult to reach Russian Arctic oil deposits. He backed himself and his nation into an economic corner — oil and gas are all they really have to offer economically. Enter Rex Tillerson…

· Rex Tillerson and Exxon Mobile: There was a reason Tillerson is Putin’s comrade. After figuring out that Russian industry couldn’t extract oil because they were so incompetent, multinational corporations were called; they had the technical know-how to bust through the Arctic ice. BP, Shell and other competition didn’t offer the rosy deal that Tillerson’s Exxon Mobile offered. Putin kept a king’s ransom, but Tillerson’s shareholders would be quite happy with their cut. There was only one little problem…

· Ukraine, Crimea and United States’ Sanctions. Putin wanted expansion badly. He felt Ukraine was rightfully his…er, I mean Russia’s. Putin’s forceful invasion of Crimea and then his attack on eastern Ukraine (killing thousands of Ukrainian freedom-from-Putin fighters), caused the US Congress and the Obama administration to act in a bipartisan manner to put powerful sanctions on Russia. Specifically, multinational companies (i.e. Exxon Mobil) were ordered to stand down and stop sending drilling materials, etc. to Russia. This did not make Tillerson happy. Why?…

· US Foreign Policy: This means little to the Exxon Mobil bottom line: Profitability ‘trunps’ all. So Rex and Co. needed a new administration to step in to the Oval Office. No one was a bigger fan of Mr.Trump than Putin. There was only one catch, getting Trump elected. Hmm…

· John McCain to the Rescue: Here is a little known nugget. Most Americans know McCain thwarted the McConnell plan to kill the ACA (Obamacare), but few are aware ( I was not) that McCain made sure that the sanctions were not removed by the Congress. Ms. Maddow explains the specifics. McCain famously said that when he looked into Putin’s eyes he saw a cold blooded KGB agent. But the story is not over…

· Russian Propaganda Machine: Maddow’s closing chapters (26–29) detail the Russian disinformation campaign. I’ll leave all the juicy details to the reader; however, suffice it to say a 24/7, all hands on deck, no holds barred campaign was established circa 2014. There were Facebook ads, websites that seem entirely ‘American made’, and cyber-spies abound. Their purpose: to make sure Americans do not know whom or what to trust. Disinformation is the most powerful weapon that Putin had. For one example, the organization called “The Heart of Texas” was a Russian created web-world. Many Americans bought it and its propaganda hook-line- and stinker. And so who rides to the rescue?…

· Constituents: I wish Ms. Maddow had a better answer for the darkness and polarization that has clouded our nation, but honestly, she argues that comes down to constituents’ effort to find out the truth despite the haze of ‘alternate facts’ and then each citizen making the commitment of voting.

Maddow hones in on these facts that to some may find debatable, but as she makes clear in her own way (and time) science has her back: Fracking causes earthquakes (notably in Oklahoma). Fossil fuel dependence leads to global warming and extreme weather (from the polar ice melt to tornadoes tearing across the nation’s midsection). These scientific facts are coupled with the expert knowledge of distinguished reseachers Maddow takes pains to footnote.

Photo from blogs UOregon.edu

As I said, Rachel Maddow may not be your cup of tea, but she makes a compelling case for understanding Putin’s motives, the mission of Big Oil and Gas, and the Disinformation War that beguiles so many Americans of goodwill. I sincerely hope that the cynicism that runs rampant today’s jungle does not blurr the facts. Walter Cronkite used to remind us as he looked into the camera, “That’s the way it is.” If you didn’t know about these issues, now you have a preview. The book may just light the flame.

Hollywood’s: #Oscar So Sad

Myke Simon from Upsplash

It was a weak year for films—at least that was my feeling. Even the newest Star Wars saga was just good…not really up to the standard I expect. But, hey…it was fun at least. However, the three films accorded the most nominations by the Oscar voters were anything but fun. I’m referring to The Joker, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Irishman.

With these films, the Academy has rounded up the usual suspects (and directors). These were films that often bomb in the box office (Once Upon a Time) or barely/ never show up at the box office box—only on Netflix. (Irishman/Marriage Story.) And the thing is…I had no interest in spending hours watching them.

That’s right. I didn’t see Joker, Hollywood or Irishman. Why? Because I don’t want to see madness, murder, and mayhem—(if I wanted that, I turn on the news), nor do I care about much about Hollywood’s male actors (Pitt and DiCaprio) who feel so bummed out because their ‘good ol’ days of yesteryear’ in westerns just don’t play in 1969. Perhaps the portrayal of Native American Indians back then was…um, despicable. I’d be more interested in seeing films about women who have been screwed by the Hollywood establishment…see Greta Gerwig.

As for Joker, I know there are many stories of people dispossessed and disturbed—real people who feel hopeless. But a comic book villain! Seriously? The Washington Post’s critic Ann Hornaday did see the film and wrote, “A grim, shallow, distractingly derivative homage to 1970s movies at their grittiest, ? Joker? continues the dubious darker-is-deeper tradition.” So that’s a no in my book. Heath Ledger’s portrayal was enough madness for me.

The Irishman is about a ‘guy’—as in ‘I know a guy’ who does not paint houses but rubs people out for the mafia. Maybe he killed Jimmy Hoffa—but ‘what’s it to ya?’ I know the folks involved are maestros of the cinema, but I have had enough of Italians or Irishman being murders. For three and a half hours, yikes! I just wonder: does this have any value to me? But in the end my reaction to each of these films is best summed up by Rhett Butler, “Frankly, Scarlet, I just don’t give a damn.”

So now that I got that out of my system, here are some films I really enjoyed.

I loved Yesterday, a fantasy that asks a profound question: what if the Beatles never were? It makes one wonder what if: Kennedy had not been killed in Dallas or Buddy Holly’s plane hadn’t crashed?

I thought Blinded by the Light was terrific. (Disclaimer: I am a hardcore Bruce Springsteen fan.) It was a coming of age film that crossed racial and cultural barriers about how music can speak to teenagers in a way that empowers them to find out what their verse* could be. (*A nod to John Keating of Dead Poets Society)

Little Women is the fantastic flashback-flash forward view of the limitations and ambitions that women faced as America reached the 20^th century. Greta Gerwig’s vision, casting, and writing transformed a classic into the artistic standard for the year.

Harriet, the historical drama of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and her leadership in the Underground Railroad, is a saga worth my time and worthy of more award nominations than a singular one for best actress in a leading role.

It’s a Beautiful Day was a gentle reminder that just one person can truly make a difference. Fred Rogers is not the focus of the film, but he is the force that changes the dynamic of the cynical journalist who simply cannot believe that forgiveness is one of the highest virtues a human being can display.

Marriage Story was gripping—kudos to both lead actors. If its goal was to show how destructive divorce can be for the children, former lovers, and families, then it hits its mark. (Spoiler Alert for the next few sentences!) These characters are protected financially with second mortgages of family and a MacArthur Grant that just happens to pop up conveniently. Nevertheless, it is gut ranching to see them tear each other apart. I cannot speak to the reality of this picture, having never been in this situation. However, with divorce now the norm rather than the exception, I am sure many couples see similar pitfalls just lurking in their homes. (Too bad it never was on the marquee of a movie theater as Netflix had a monopoly on its distribution. )

American Factory, a documentary co-produced from the Obama Foundation, was a thought provoking look at today’s blue collar workforce in the America’s heartland and how it is juxtaposed with a Japanese company’s desire to make its values and traditions harmonious with American workers.

Western Stars, the Springsteen concert film, does not fit in any category, but the 13 songs paint a vivid picture of what life is like for so many who yearn for love and meaning as the years zoom past and the dreams of yesterday seem just out of one’s grasp. (Remember—I am an unabashed Springsteen fan…so I am so biased.)

1917 is one I have not gotten around to see yet, but a film that depicts war as gruesome, and does so with unique realism,  reminds us of the unimaginable horror of war.

Once upon a time, the Academy of Motion Pictures seemed to be moving forward acknowledging people of color, women and films that really meant something; instead of making a joker, an assassin, and some pretty boys the focus of the evening. Well, as they say in baseball, there’s always next year.

My Top Ten Mantras to Cope with all the Craziness (Hollywood Edition)

I’ve been thinking about how I am going to handle the stress of current ‘state of the union’. In my view, America is teetering on the brink of a Constitutional crisis, not to mention war, induced by the reckless, ignorant, and self-serving actions of one Donald Trump. You may or may not agree, but I still think there is something in this list for you.

So, I offer a few time-tested mantras to help my readers reach some peace –or at least give them a chant that they can repeat when things climb to a maddening zenith. Pick the one that best applies to your sensibilities.

#1. “I’m as mad as hell and I am not gonna take it anymore!” (screaming preferably out a window)

#2. “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!”( it’s a rhetorical question, really)

#3. “Let’s just look on the bright side of life.”(Sing it while hanging around waiting for something big to happen)

#4. “The problems of three little people don’t add up to a hill of beans in this crazy world.”(always good for use at airports)

#5. “Are you crying? Are you crying? There’s no crying in _________” (fill in the blank) (nothing like sports to reduce your level of anxiety)

#6. “Frankly, ____________, I don’t give a damn.” (another fill in the blank.) (this is one you can personalize)

#7. “Greed is good.”(to sooth an aching conscience)

#8. “Momma says, ‘Stupid is a stupid does.’ ”(Momma also said, there’d be days like this…there’d be days like this, my Momma said.)

#9. “Houston…we have a problem.”(a classic understatement that fits so many occasions)

And rounding out the top ten mantras…

#10. “Who ya gonna call…Trumpbusters.” (or whomever you may blame for the current state of affairs.)

I hope this list gives solace to my loyal readers. I know all of them may be needed so the best answer may be “All of the above.”

A postscript: for you film buffs, these mantras come from the following films: Network, A Few Good Men, Life of Brian, Casablanca, A League of Their Own, Gone with the Wind, Wall Street, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, and Ghostbusters.

The Truth and Trump are not Synonymous

It has been said that when the American President speaks “the truth must be self-evident.” A President’s character is based on the level of integrity perceived by the American citizens, our foreign allies, as well as our foes. Without this trust, words are meaningless and deeds are dubious.

Let’s take a step back in time. When Nixon said “I am not a crook,” he fooled us once. When Clinton said he didn’t “Have sex with that woman”—we were not fooled. When General Colin Powell claimed that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and that America was justified in invading a sovereign nation, even he had to admit he was played; and to this day he regrets his words and deeds.

However, when The New York Times documented over 1,000 untruths that spewed from President Trump’s mouth from the day he claimed President Obama was not born in the USA until most recently, a pattern of utter disregard for truth and accuracy was tossed aside by Trump and those who claimed there were ‘alternate facts” and “fake news.”

So now Mr. Trump expects Americans to believe this latest crisis with Iran was not of his making? That Iran is singularly at fault because they were planning an “immanent’ attack? In the words of The Who: “We won’t get fooled again.”

Ben Rhodes, the United States Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications under President Obama, noted on 5 January 2020: “This is a lie, offensive, obscene and an absolute disgrace. This man (Pompeo) and his boss (Trump) have destroyed America’s reputation and made a shambles of Iran policy in part because of their pathetic obsession with Barack Obama who they will never, ever measure up to.” He is referring to the assassination of the Iranian General Suleimani.

Peter Baker of The New York Times explains, “An accelerated Iranian nuclear program and Iraq trying to kick the US out are just the beginning of the consequences of what Trump has done. This will unfold over years and it all began with withdrawal from JCPOA (the nuclear arms abandonment treaty). How could anyone think Trump was up to this job?”

Even Senator Lindsey Graham told Jake Tapper on CNN before Mr. Trump was elected, “South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on Donald Trump: "I'm not going to try to get into the mind of Donald Trump because I don't think there's a whole lot of space there. I think he's a kook. I think he's crazy. I think he's unfit for office." (Feb. 17, 2016)

Mr. Trump’s Vice President continues to blatantly misinform the American people on Fox News when Mr. Pence falsely linked Suleimani to 9/11. The truth was that the 9/11 Commission concluded this regarding Iran: "We have found no evidence that Iran or Hezbollah was aware of the planning for what later became the 9/11 attack....” (NY Times 1/2/2020)

Of course, I support the American soldiers who are simply following orders. We all should. 

But I, for one, am not foolish enough to follow along with this utterly disgraceful president and his political sympathizers, who fear the Twitter wrath of a man who himself used five deferments (bone spurs!) to avoid service in Vietnam.

Character is molded in a lifetime of service, not just to one’s self interests, but in the resolve to speak the truth, with grace and dignity. On this singular quality, Donald Trump has failed the nation and made a mockery of his oath of office.

Trump’s Children—Send them to the Front Lines!

Courtsey of  Zhang H from Upsplash

Since Donald Jr. and Eric Trump love to hunt (see all their pictures of ‘big game’ they proudly display), it’s obvious they know how to handle a rifle. Don Jr. just posted pictures of his assault rifles the other day.

My, Don Jr. looked like he was eager to head out the Middle East to defend his father’s wishes! So let those ‘brothers’ enlist and head off to the Middle East’s Front Lines!  

Son-in-law Jared is plenty health, too. And after all, he’s supposed to handle the entire Israel/Arab conflict and bring those folks to a peaceful settlement…any day now…remember? So what better way to do so than to get his designer boots on the ground, as well?

Ah, but naturally, they will have to have their bone spurs checked first. That’s the prudent thing to do.

Caution! They better not tell the President. He was the one who dodged the draft, admitting he had no intention of wasting his life in the jungles of Vietnam. He fought the battles of Studio 54.

Better to let those other poor, young kids who don’t have the money or influence he had to risk their lives.

Meanwhile, back at the golf course….

Hail and Farewell: Joe McEachron

I lost my ‘pal Joey’ this year —far too early in his life well lived. As the year ends, we see so many fond remembrances of those heroes past — famous ones, of course. But to those thousands of students, teachers, and friends, Joe will be sorely missed. And that is an understatement.

Joe and I worked at Mt. Carmel High School for 30+ years. Joe was Captain Radical to some, but he was no ordinary Joe to me. It’s hard to remember exactly when Joe and I joined forces as members of the Union to fight for and win concessions for wages and conditions. It’s just one day we looked at each other and said ,”We gotta piss some folks off; so much so they stop assuming we will just go along with the status quo (that was my language Joe…not so polite). So we did. He was the bad cop and I was the good one. And, boy did we piss some folks off. I remember telling one particular administrator at the District Office — you better take some action because there is no telling what Joe’ll do — some crazy stuff. 

Then he went to the Union office and still fought for teachers — except now he wore fancy clothes and cursed a little less — a little. I saw him less, but when I did it was just magic. Here was a guy who carried the world on his shoulders- a large family, a lovely wife and the adoration of 200+ kids a years who just called him JOE. 

He stood with the underdog, the nerds, the bandos, the kids who liked “Glee” — and every sport you could imagine. He was a ‘community organizer’ before Obama. He organized the unforgettable Mt. Carmel ‘Ride and Run’ —(those were the days when we could still run) and the wild after party. I’m sure just mentioning it will make those who we involved smile at the memories. 

He hung out with everyone. Tretter and Johnson. The coaches. The English department even. (Though Joe professed that English was the silly stuff…math, now that’s really what matters). Funny thing was that when Joe was asked by a student why they had to take so and so course in math, Joe never bullshitted them. “Because you gotta. It’s a damn hoop ya gotta jump through. Sorry.”

I used to run with him…then walk with him…then just sit around and talk with him. But the hardest hand most poignant talk came at his hospital bedside when it was clear that he was facing something he and I never thought could happen to someone so young and so fit. I did most of the talkin’ and Joe struggled to breathe. I told him I represented all of Mt. Carmel past and present who were pulling for him. He smiled and said the only thing he had the strength to force out: “I can’t thank you enough for coming to see me.”

There are certain sentences that stick with you your whole life. 

Joe, I can’t thank you enough for coming to all of us. God Bless.

He Marched Up Italy to Defeat Hitler: Now He Just Needed a ‘Lift’

“I’ve had a wonderful life,” Andy told me over the phone as I stood hours after our encounter in front of a CVS several days ago. The circumstances that led to this meeting and its afterglow is the magic movies produce about two unlikely travelers: George Bailey and an angel named Clarence.

A strip mall featuring a drug store with cars whizzing by is not the picturesque setting of a Frank Capra film, but on this December day, it will have to do. I was taking my long walk for exercise in my little town of Encinitas—just north of San Diego. I mention this because my truck was left at home, a good 30 minutes away by foot, as I briskly passed the front door of the local drugstore.

I spotted an elderly man leaning against a brick column. He was holding a small bag in his hand and keeping an eagle eye on the maze that was the parking lot. What made him stand out to me was his cap. It was a dark blue U.S. Army hat with gold letters that spelled out WWII, and beneath those poignant letters was a series of colors that seemed to indicate to me that this man was highly decorated. I walked right past him—keeping my pace and then suddenly I stopped. Could I walk past a man like this when it was apparent that he was looking for someone?

I did an about-face and asked him if I could be of help.

“Well, I’m waiting for my Lyft,” he said with a confused look shadowing his face.

“Oh. I see. Well, um, what kinda car are you looking for, Sir?”

He turned towards me and said, “Well, I’m not sure.” He wore an oversized winter coat—the puffy type that seemed to blanket him. Underneath the unzipped coat was his white tee-shirt tucked into his blue jeans. The ensemble was connected with suspenders that gripped the pants and seemed to hold this gentleman together. He remarked, “They should be here by now. So, I am getting concerned,” he said as he gazed back at the sea of cars.

“Ah, well, do you have your phone?” I asked.

He smiled and replied, “What does a 95 year old man need a phone for?” he said with a twinkle in his eye—really, I am not making this up.

“Well…how did you call….”

He interrupted me, as he fished for a yellow card. “Well, see, I call this number here on this card, and a Lyft driver is supposed to come and pick me up—that’s the plan, anyway.”

“Oh, okay, well, I can call the number again if you think they are not coming,” as I take the card from his hand.

“Oh, that would be great. Just tell the lady who answers that ‘Andy is still waiting to be picked up’ okay?”

I dial the number and the receptionist says something about a retirement home, but it is hard to hear since a giant delivery truck roars by at that instant. I hit the ‘speaker icon’ so my newfound pal Andy can hear her, too. He speaks into the phone: “Hello. Hello. Is this Bea? It’s Andy. They haven’t come yet … my Lyft person … No … I am at the CVS.”

Confusion ensues and the woman apologizes and explains that the driver is waiting for us.

“Where?” Andy asks patiently and politely.

“At the CVS…he is looking for you. He is in a silver Montero,” she explains. We gaze over the horizon of jammed cars, but no silver 

Montero do we spy. Andy counters, “Well, we’ll keep lookin.”

I thank the woman and decide I need to wait with Andy until he is picked up. So, we start a conversation that would stick with me—a dialogue that would take me back in time.

“Well, Andy, I see you were in the Army—your hat says 1941-1945.”

“Yes, yes. I am sure glad I wore this cap today, that might be why you stopped to help me, I bet.”

“Well, I guess that’s probably true. I’m a retired teacher and I spent a good amount of time dealing with WWII.”

“Oh, you heard about the 34^th Infantry Division? We were the group that walked up the boot of Italy from the south of the Anzio beachhead up to the Alps of Switzerland.”

“No, I didn’t ….”

Andy points to my cell phone. “Look it up on your computer, you’ll see what I mean.”

I input the information in a Google search while Andy explains, 

“See, I enlisted at 18 and they sent me to Northern Africa and then we crossed the sea to Italy….” He looked down at my phone. “Yep, that is it. That was our insignia—the Red Bull…I was a part of “The March of the Red Bulls.”

“Andy, that is amazing. My Uncle Pete Buscemi was in the Anzio campaign, too. Did you know him?”

“Hmm. Nope. Doesn’t ring a bell, but—hey, do you think that this Lyft fella is at the wrong CVS?”

It’s been 10 minutes since the last call so I redial, get transferred and then get disconnected. By now, poor Andy has been standing for 20 minutes leaning, stooped over, against the same column. There are no chairs. “Andy, I’m gonna call again, but let me find you something to sit on.” I can tell he is fatiguing. I look all around and enter the store, but not a chair is to be found. When I step back outside, a woman, dressed as an elf comes down the walkway with an iron chair that she grabbed from the bakery up the way.

“I saw you two and thought that this would help,” she says as merrily as any elf would. We thank her profusely, and I finally reconnect with the receptionist and explain our predicament.

“The driver is at the CVS on 456 Encinitas…” I cut her off when I look behind me and realize this store’s address is 129.

Andy looks at me with that I told you so attitude. And we respectfully ask for another driver to come pick Andy up. Now it will be a person in a black car—that’s all we could make out with all the noise around us.

As we wait…and wait, another woman named Jenn asks about us because it is apparent something is wrong and we explain the situation. She hopes our ride comes soon. While we wait, I introduce myself to Andy and explain that I am Italian. “Do you speak it?” he asks me. I don’t but Andy does. He also speaks Romanian—and other romance languages, too. “It was important because I could speak to the people as we travelled past cities that the Nazis had abandoned. Oh, I could tell you stories….”

By now Jenn is done shopping, and we are still out there. She asks where Andy lives, but he is far from her destination. Apologetically, she explains that she has to get home or she would drive him. Andy asks if she has a pen, and after fishing through a purse that held two pens that didn’t work, she finally finds a Sharpie. Andy asks me to write down my phone number on his yellow card. Jenn exits and I again call Andy’s service.

“Okay, Sir, I am so sorry. The other driver cancelled so I am calling now for another one. Hold the line, okay.” It’s been at least 30 minutes, and in all this, time Andy has never once lost his charm or patience. “The new driver is 7 minutes away, his name is Pedro and he has a Silverado truck.”

Finally, Pedro pulls up. I help Andy into the truck which sits high. Andy and I embrace and I look at Pedro, a strapping young man, and say to him, “Andy is a veteran of WWII. We sure appreciate the lift.” Pedro nods and shakes Andy’s hand and looks at me and says, “I’m in the service, too. You’re in good hands, Sir.” And as they drive off, I feel both relieved and euphoric. I realize those forty minutes I spent with Andy is what the spirit of the holidays is all about. But it wasn’t over.

When my phone rang as I was walking with my wife into Barnes and Noble, I noticed the caller was unknown. I had a feeling…yes, it was Andy.

“Hello, is this Bob?”

And thus began another long chat with Andy. In the time it took for my wife to investigate the new books she wished to tackle for the holiday season, Andy told me many stories that were as fresh to him today as they were 70 years ago. His division was liberating Rome. He explored the city and came upon the Museum of Romanian History – the Accademia di Romania. When he got there, in the basement of the building hiding in a cluster of forty or so refugees, he discovered men and women of Romanian descent. When they saw a fully armed soldier, they were frightened. He quelled their fear by speaking their language. Immediate relief crossed their faces, and one of the elders turned to him and asked, “Do all Americans speak Romanian?”

Andy chuckled as he told the story to me. Of course, he told them no; however, he assured them that the Americans had chased what was left of the pro-Nazi army out of Rome; they were free to come out from hiding. Joy spread across their faces, and I could not contain the smile on mine as I stood next to the section labeled historical fiction. Here I was listening to a man who made history. I knew at that moment that Andy’s story would be circling my mind, just waiting for a time when I could land it on my laptop and send it out to the world.

Andy had other tales to tell, but he sensed I need to go. I assured him that I would reach out to him before too long. That’s when he told me that he was grateful for my help and that he felt he lived a charmed life.

I chimed in that I felt the same way. I’ve been married to the love of my life for 34 years and taught high school for 32 years. My adult children make me burst with pride—however, on a day like today, when I met a living American hero, I felt so proud to be an American myself.

Andy said one more thing before we ended our talk: “You know, Bob, I never told you my birthday, did I?  …it’s Christmas Day.” 

Of course it was. It will be his 95^th.

And somewhere in the bookstore, I thought I heard the bells that ring each time angels earn their wings.

Robert Pacilio

Encinitas, California

Mr. Pacilio was the San Diego County “Teacher of the Year for 1998 and the author of several novels.