culture 093019

I was born too late to be a depression baby and too early to be a boomer.  Not part of the greatest American generation but I do know it by second hand as the first half of the twentieth century.  For me socialization began with my father who at 14 drove his family across the country while teaching my grandmother to drive.  There were no highways and maps were farmers' tales at country stores.  Later dad would fly over the land in a “Jenny”.   An uncle went from climbing poles to climbing the corporate ladder that built “Ma Bell.”  Another uncle was a pioneer of the Army’s Armored Force and survived landing on Norman Beaches. 

As a teenager I met many from the turn of the century and WWI.  I grew up on stories about early radios, automobiles, the depression and mobilization for WWII.  I regret to say I didn’t pay much attention at the time and now it’s too late to recover the little historical footnotes.  I’m left with trying to mine the memories of other first generation dependents of our greatest generation, but like me they are disappearing rapidly and becoming history themselves.

Sitting in South American bar I discover a friend’s father was one of the army of depression unemployed that flocked to a desert in the middle of nowhere to pour concrete that became Hoover Dam.  A dam that made Las Vegas possible, taught the unskilled workers new technologies that made possible rapid WWII mobilization and built America’s infrastructure.  My friend grew up on the personal stories and observations of his father’s experiences that shaped his own values years later.

Now almost a hundred years after that army of unemployed face down danger and primitive living in desert heat I discovered that another friend’s father was pushing a railroad across equally hostile terrain in the same era.  That railroad was part of a network transporting soldiers and weapons to embarkation ports leading to WWII victory.  This discovery came to me through binary technology that pole climbers, track layers and tank drivers could never envision but they are responsible for scientific and societal advancement that made America great.

The term “Greatest Generation” was coined long after WWII in a book about the soldiers and Rosies that made victory possible.   Taking nothing away from the contributions of 1942-45 Americans but the victory was the result of the culture and values gained between 1900 to 41.  Unlike other nations American recruits not only knew how to drive but also how to repair vehicles, even build their own hot rods.  Many already knew how to fly, others were ham radio operators who built their on sets.  They were used to hard work on farms, oil fields and living rough during the depression.  Every thing from toasters to radios to trains had to be repaired with limited resources.   The generation were problem solvers, able to fix everything with nothing.  If they couldn’t solve a problem with what they had, they invented new technologies to construct dams and lay track.  New industries emerged along with mass production that improved output.   America got to the moon on the groundwork of Goddard and Langley science.  It was a period of cultural advancement; invention and innovation like no other and may never again be as great.  That advancement came from a universal public school system building on family values of hard work and integrity.

Sociologists are in agreement that the culture and values of the greatest generation are no longer those of modern Americans.  Consensus on causation of this change is limited because they are interactive.  Single parent households amplified by latchkey kids entertaining themselves with rock-em sock-em television, broken by sell, sell, sell commercials of exciting, invented facts.  TV news is filled with murder, mayhem, and white collar criminals who escape punishment.  They walk down streets playing violent video games where the dead and injured are recycled for the next game, no one dies.  Higher education teaches how to lie with statistics, sell the unsaleable, glorify greed and plagiarize someone with better ideas.  Kids notice that the country has become a throwaway society from planned obsolescent to running companies into the ground while bailing out under a golden parachute.  Century old businesses are collapsing or already fallen from bad management.  Management adding up bonuses while exploring more companies to exploit.  The concept of building for the future has given way to “I want it all now,” what ever it takes.  Even the buildings are throw a ways designed to be replaced in decades rather than last for centuries.  Toasters can’t be repaired and few know how to repair a tractor or even change a tire on cars they can’t drive.  Digging ditches, mowing the grass or even climbing stairs require mechanical machines that will be replaced rather than repaired.  The military has discovered that only a small percentage of Americans can meet minimal physical requirements to enter service in time of emergency.  Public schooling for all is being replaced by tiered system the favors elites, another for those expected to serve the elite and a final tier for those considered likely to dropout and a waste of time to educate.  The effect of tiered education is cultural stratification and elimination social equality as the dynamic of national advancement.  The ethical models for the now generation are televangelist extorting the faithful.     Business leaders who are rewarded for evading taxes and absconding with payrolls.  Politicians who openly lie to mislead voters and exploit public budgets for personal gain.  With this socialization as the American “Way” it is understandable that modernist have abandoned the values of the greatest generation.  What is lost is greatness of a nation that may never again be as great or even survive.

The fall 093019

A republic is a State without a monarch with the power remaining with the people.  Republics are not built of stone and have a history of falling.  The French have gone through so many republics that they are known as numbers.  Rome lost its republic to Augustus Caesar. There are a number American Republics that have come and gone then power returned to the people through revolutions.

The United States was established as a Republic but in its 200 plus years it has often been stressed as political interest have attempted to take the power away from the people.  The country is in the throes of another attempt as Trump campaigns for a dynastic imperial presidency of the Empire of Donald.  The Empire’s national sport will be golf, its national symbol the “birdie”, and the seal will have the image of a wall of entwined “Ts” topped with crossed golf clubs.  The Trump organization will have exclusive rights to Imperial symbols.  The rabble must pay exorbitant taxes while corporations and business will pay for protection in the finest traditions of old New York and Russian mobs.  Foreign nations will be extorted to support the chosen one under in the name of tariffs.  Frightening image but it is in the works.  The arm breakers have increasingly become the Senate, “Blue Wall” and packed courts.

Trump has publicly declared that he has no intention of surrendering to the people and intends to remain in power as anointed President for life.  Belatedly the House has opened an impeachment investigation with little hope of penetrating the White House stonewall, which hopes to be the most successful wall in history.

However that stone wall is beginning to shows some cracks.  An arrogant Trump has admitted some polite arm twisting in the Ukraine to influence our 2020 election.  The Ukraine may prove to be the smoking gun that validates the hypothesis that began the Muller investigation.  Trump is calling the investigators traitors and threatens persecution.  He is also calling for civil war to defend his imperial presidency.  His propaganda machine is working overtime to defend the administration.  He may have finally gone past the limits of sanity.  Despite Trump’s stonewall orders the White House has become leak central.

If indictment's begins to rain down they must include Pence, McConnell, Barr and Nunes as accessories before and after the fact.  They not only knew that crimes were being committed but also are actively participating in massive cover-ups.  As the noose begins to tighten Trump will incite his mob to overthrow the Republic in a civil war.  He has never demonstrated a grasp of the world beyond reality TV scriptwriters.  In the real world it is easy to incite a mob but impossible to control one.  Once a national mob begins to flex its muscle it becomes a dynamic that will destroy the Republic beyond repair.  The United States will splinter into many competing fractions similar to Yugoslavia.  Trump’s civil war will probably be more bloodily than America’s previous war that brought the country together.  Trumps‘ civil war will tear the fabric of the nation.  It’s possible that states’ rights objectives of the first civil war may be attained in some parts of the country while lasting anarchy will rule across wide regions for extended periods as polities are unable to form consensus.  This American revolution will not be a Jeffersonian Revolution, but more likely resemble that of Robespierre,  “off with your head.”

Corruption and other stories 093019

Trump led two allies down the garden path and left them swinging in his hot air breeze.  Based on Trump trade promises Britain fell into Trump's bottomless pit. Acceding to Trump’s demands the British Prime Minister stonewalls the EU, supports war with Iran and attempts an overthrow of British democracy by shutting down Parliament.  PM Johnson (the poor man Trump) was handed his head by Britain’s high court.  It remains to be seen if he will do the honorable thing and leave quietly or be offered a quite room and pistol for a more traditional failed dictator’s exit.  Advised by Trump Johnson returned home with attacks against everyone including the dead, (classic Trump distraction tactics). Further east Trump supported the dictatorial Israeli PM with promises of support for his seizure of the West Bank.  After two elections in a year Netanyahu failed to win and is desperate to hold on to his office in order to prevent criminal corruption trials.  Trump may attempt other dubious ploys to insure Israeli support for his war with Iran.  Both Johnson and Netanyahu fail to appreciate that Trump is a pathological liar and never keeps his promises.

Speaking of which the administration is in a mad scramble to manufacture evidence that Iran launched the attack on Saudi oil fields as claimed by Trump.  The truth is that the Saudis have learned to play Trump like an out of tune fiddle.  Saudis gave Trump a parade and gifts which dazzled, insuring he would support them against all misdeeds.  America that invented marketing, and spin in its arrogance is particularly vulnerable to manipulation by those it considers inferior.   Historically the Middle East had few borders and political influence ebbed and flowed across the region.  Now in the era of artificial borders ruling governments' blundering compounds those ancient influences.  The region has an abundance of internal resistance groups and State competitors willing to resort to violence.  In a day when big guns are of less importance that than big brains sophisticated weaponry is available to all.

Modern weapon systems are expensive to produce and nations use arms sales to offset cost.  Before World War One arms sales were mostly in the hands of private dealers who were called “Merchants of Death”.  Today governments support domestic arms production by sponsoring advanced weapon sales.  For decades the Middle East has been the dumping ground for increasingly sophisticated arms.  The United States has been the leader in arms sales but all weapon producing states have shared in the bounty.  The result is a region awash in high tech weapons that local brains adapt, modify and improve.  Every regional dissident group now has access cutting edge systems either through purchase, capture or provided by “sponsors”.  To attribute a smoking gun as supplied by particular state player is more political speculation than reality.  It is possible, but improbable that Iran launched the attack on Saudi oil fields. The arms trade makes it difficult to determine who supplied weapons even if the manufacturer is ultimately discovered since intelligence agencies supply foreign weapons to cover covert operations.

BOOM, and before the smoke blew away Trump claimed his favorite whipping boy is guilty on his way to war.  Expect Trump to continue to swing his little sword in the run up to the GOP convention in order to appear decisive for votes.  October 2020 may well see a declaration of victory and “peace in our time” for re-election and his coveted Nobel Peace Prize.  There will be no peace and Iran, or some other target, may again have to serve a scapegoat diversion from more Trump geo-political blunders.