FWIW # 22 Coming Together January 2022

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This is being written on January 6, 2022. Business media have had a field day talking about the “insurrection” at the Capitol a year ago. One reporter was pontificating about how the country needs a National Coalition Government to bring people together. A proposal was made that perhaps President Biden could be president and either Mitt Romney or Liz Cheney could be vice president. That is bringing the country together? It is a dream team for the socialists and Progressives, of which many of the written and spoken media are a part. These same advocates are concerned that the riot on January 6, 2021, could have seen the entire US destroyed and the line of succession to the presidency killed. Really? No evidence has been uncovered that any of the demonstrators were armed with guns. The congressional leadership was headed by a Republican, not a Democrat, and the process of certifying Joe Biden as president was delayed but completed later that night. To even think the number of rioters who attacked the Capitol that day is an insurrection only shows the ignorance, stupidity, or conniving attitude of the proponents of this definition. Actually, that’s neither here nor there. The Capitol rioters should be prosecuted for what they did. The main theme in the media today was how to bring the country together. A coalition of Joe Biden, Mitt Romney, and Lynn Cheney proposed by the media is not bringing factions together. The three of them are peas from the same pod. Here is a set of actions more likely to avert the civil war that some handwringers today predict we are headed toward.

First, the leftists are the ones who bring up former President Trump whenever they can. Former President Trump could not get the Republican nomination today, and if he somehow did, he would not be elected president no matter who the Democrats put up, except for George Soros. Former President Trump’s Achilles heel is his contempt for others due to his ego. He did not incite the riot on the Capitol, but he could have stopped the original rally from taking place. So, a step toward unity is for the left to move on from their desire to scare people with the ghost of former President Trump.

Second, let’s stop gazing at our navels, thinking our country won’t last another 20 years, much less another 250 years. The deep division between the left and right is happening all over the globe in countries where citizens have the right to express their opinions about their government. Authoritarian governments don’t have these problems. They simply arrest or kill dissenters; just examine Russia, China and Kazakhstan. In the 1930s, the US was as divided as it had been since the early 1860s. In the 1960s, our country was even more divided than now. The country was brought together in the 1940s by a foreign enemy that threatened its existence, the traditional outside threat politicians have used throughout history to diffuse internal dissent. In the 1970s, the enemy that brought it together was the astronomical change in energy prices brought about by OPEC and the ensuing inflation caused by Lyndon Johnson’s administration and fanned by Richard Nixon’s administration. OPEC became the proverbial external enemy. How will this present schism in our country evolve into unity? I don’t know the future. Nobody does. But it will happen—of that, I’m confident.

Third, the ardent Trump supporter believes the 2020 election was stolen by ballot fraud. Arizona was one of the handful of states where this belief festered. An audit of the ballots in that state found President Biden did win Arizona. One nail was hammered into former President Trump’s political coffin. If Congress set up a commission including an equal number of Democratic and Republican senators and gave it the power to examine the disputed ballots in the handful of states where fraud is alleged, it could finish nailing Trump’s political coffin shut so he would subsequently lose any influence over the electorate. If fraud were found, it would not change the election’s outcome. The electoral college has voted, and Congress has certified the 2020 election. If the commission found no fraud, the issue would be diffused forever. Leaving allegations dangling only strengthens the myth (if it is one) as time goes on. Worse, both sides will use the unverified fraud in 2020 as an excuse to commit fraud in future elections.

Fourth, both parties work hard to figure out how to gerrymander congressional districts. They use it as a method to ensure one party or the other has a “safe” seat in the House of Representatives. The electorate in these manipulated districts turns to the most zealous candidate running and sends them to Congress. That’s why we have the far right and far left spewing their hate and bias. The 2020 election emboldened the far left and they are trying to federalize elections in this country. If the right wins congressional control in 2022, they will try to do the same. The solution is relatively simple if a mechanism to implement it is created. Every district in every state should be drawn so that there is close to an even number of left-leaning and right-leaning voters in the district. In other words, there would be no safe seats for either party. The elected congressional representatives would have to seek a position closer to the center to satisfy both sides of their constituency. This appears to be a pie-in-the-sky solution; however, it could happen. Human progress usually begins with pie-in-the-sky ideas.

Fifth and even more unrealistic, both sides of the political divide should develop clear, concrete questions that all candidates running for any office must answer in writing. The questions and answers could be posted on the internet for all to see. These questions could be structured to show a candidate’s qualifications to hold the position they seek. The questions would be designed to highlight not a candidate’s social or educational background, but what they know about the position and the problems inherent in the job. By showing the electorate what to expect, the documented answers to the questions would give the electorate an indication of each candidate’s success or failure in office. Of all these suggestions for unity, this is the most important. Lying to the voters could become an ugly footnote in the history books.

Sixth, someone should add up the costs of damages and actual deaths in the Capitol riot. They should also add up the costs of riots, lootings, and burnings of buildings, as well as killings, in the riots that swept the country during 2020-2021. The costs and risks to our democracy do not compare. The left calls the Capitol riot a threat to our democracy, but they ignore the threat to our democracy in all the real insurrections that took place in our cities over the last two years. The FBI says its investigation of the Capitol riot is the largest in its history. What about the attacks on federal courthouses? What about the burned-out businesses? These true insurrections are ignored by federal authorities. The attack on the Capitol caused jobs to be created as the police force was augmented. The riots around the country caused massive unemployment among ordinary citizens who needed the jobs the burned-out employers provided. Crass indifference by elected officials around the country to the looting and rioting is the real danger to our democracy. If civil authorities continue failing to enforce the laws of safety for citizens, private employers who hire mercenaries will step into the void. This is the real threat to our democracy.

Seventh, the country has gone from politicians who use race to get elected (all over the country in the 1950s, not just in the south) to politicians who use race to get elected (all over the country in 2022, not just in the south). Yes, you read that sentence right. Sixty years of racial progress to date has been subverted by politicians who play the race card to keep themselves in office since they have nothing to show for their taking a taxpayer paycheck. What is incredible is the arguments are the same: You must suppress/help (the correct verb depends on the time frame being examined) the racial minority because they are not capable of fending for themselves. What is the difference between the conservative racist in the 1950s and the liberal racist in the 2020s? The 2020s liberal racists know better, as the minority citizens have proven over the last sixty years. There are not the barriers to upward mobility that were in place in the 1950s, and minorities of any background are improving their lives. Just look at the Hispanic immigrants.

Eighth, this country has a rule of law. The citizens believe that fact. It is one of the most cherished aspects of our civil fabric. Throughout our history, up until now, those who deliberately worked to undermine that rule of law were banished from any opportunity to do so. Now, there are those who deliberately take actions, supposedly shielded by their constitutional rights, to undermine the rule of law, knowing by doing so, the country will be rent apart through the actions of the people these false citizens financially support. Unity would disallow this type of deliberate chipping away of the rule of law. Ordinary citizens should take time to recognize that the enemies of our country do not always wear uniforms, carry guns, or speak foreign languages. They carry big checkbooks. Intelligent voting can negate the monetary advantages these enemies have. It is relatively simple to pose the question: Is the action taken by certain individuals or businesses helping or hurting the established rule of law? Is the action in the best interest of the country or does it undermine the rule of law? Laws are made by legislatures, both federal and state. They should not be developed through non-legislative actions.

The backbone of the country are the men and women who get up every day and work to make this country a wonderful place to live. Some go to paying jobs, while others, such as parents, choose to stay at home to guide their children or care for the older generation. When these citizens get fed up with all the issues being foisted on them by those who do not respect what we have, they will put a stop to the divisions we have seen.

***

At my age, it helps not to read blatant misleading comments coming out of Washington. No, I’m not talking about President Biden’s speech in Atlanta. He did the country a great service by being so wrong, spiteful, and divisive. There can’t be any doubt any longer that “Uncle Joe” is actually “Comrade Joe”. He’s sad, but what I’m talking about is deceitful and borders on being in contempt of Congress (but senators won’t grasp it) at the least, and, moreover, contempt for the American people. Jay Powell told the senators conducting his renomination hearing that his most important job was fighting inflation. Today, Lael Brainard, being nominated for Vice-Chair of the Fed, will mimic Powell, and say the same misstatements. How do I know they are not forthcoming? Simple, because they continue to pour fuel on the bonfire of inflation through their actions. They do not intend to start raising rates until mid-March, sixty days from now. Second, they continue to buy bonds, printing money and shoveling it onto the roaring inflation driven economy. Third, they continue to build the Fed balance sheet with their policies. At this point, it will take serious monetary action, which neither nominee is willing to take, to even slow the inflationary spiral. How do I know this? Because both nominees are the parents of the present ‘invisible tax’ on the middle class and working poor. They are smart people. They knew what they were doing when they played consort to the political class in Washington. Make no mistake, this is not a Democrat problem, it goes all the way back to the Obama administration and was accelerated during the Trump administration, even before Covid induced, irresponsible money printing. Secretary Yellen, Chairman Powell, and Vice-Chair Brainard should all be removed from office and held responsible for maleficence.

Finally, the business media marvels at the fact stocks go up while inflation roars. Their reaction brings into question their competence. Stocks are going up because

of inflation. Valuations are extended far beyond sanity because speculators don’t know just how long the governments around the world will continue debasing the fiat currencies. Eventually, the stock market will fall under its own weight. The next surprise will come when the decline mixes embedded inflation with less liquidity.

***

Midwest Book Review, a leading reviewer of books for the publishing industry and readers, will publish reviews of CHANGE HAPPENS But Will They Understand? And Three Questions Stories in their February issue. Here are excerpts from D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer’s assessments:

“Change Happens: But Will They Understand? is a study in moral and ethical behavior, justice, and crime. The novel revolves around bad decisions made almost two decades in the past which continue to reverberate and affect individual lives in modern times.

“Readers won't anticipate the diversity of characters and perspectives in this story, much less those who seem to operate from entirely different segments of society and belief systems.

“Aly is adept in crafting descriptions that capture both bigger-picture thinking and the nuances of small-town life and decisions that enter into social and political circles.

“Whether it's dialogue, describing politics and public personas, considering crime and redemption, or analyzing judicial systems, Aly provides a fine multifaceted story that ranges from individual choice to social impact.

“The result is an examination of hearts, values, and influences on social and political change that cement these considerations firmly into the disparate lives of individuals affected by the winds of chance and choice.

“Readers interested in stories of justice, crime, and the pursuit of happiness will find Change Happens: But Will They Understand? a lively, thought-provoking experience. Its consideration of a community changed by one man's decision is especially recommended for book club discussion groups. There's even a reader's guide at the end for this audience that reinforces the themes and issues that appear throughout this story.”

In regards to the short story collection, Three Questions Stories excerpts of her review are:

“The title of this short story collection may portend only three questions, but it consists of twelve short works that consider how people face turning points in life that change their purpose and trajectories.

“Each short piece features a twist and a learning experience that encourages readers to reflect on the forces of change that move people into different directions.

“E. Aly intersects the natural world with human affairs, using evocative descriptions “Each story features very different characters, dialogue, reflections, and twists.

“Each contains a moral and a thought-provoking conclusion.

“Literature readers who look for works that excel in employing the short story form to its hardest-hitting, best advantage will find each tale a gem that lends to reflection and insights about pivot points in life that often emerge at unexpected junctures.”

Both books are available by special order from your favorite book store, Amazon, other online retailers, and our website uniquereads.com. If you or your friends buy from our website, uniquereads.com, use coupon code FWIW22 to get free shipping!

Tell your friends about these two engrossing and entertaining works they can use to distract from the constant COVID-19 reports.

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