First of all, I shy from politics these days. I can’t understand how, or why, our two major parties come up with characters from the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Like it or not, criticize me if you wish, I refuse to vote for Miss Cheat or Mr. Vee-schuss.

Umpteen years ago, Plato said this: “If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools.” I think he’d change his mind today. No matter our interest we will be living under the fool rule.

We are living as a conundrum i.e. something that is puzzling or confusing. So, here are half a dozen conundrums:

America is capitalist and greedy – yet 1/2 of the population is subsidized. Half of the population is subsidized – yet they think they are victims. They think they are victims, yet their representatives run the government. Their representatives run the government – yet the poor get poorer. The poor keep getting poorer, yet they have things that people in other countries only dream about. They have things that people in other countries only dream about, yet they want America to be more like those other countries.

Think about it! And that, my friends pretty much sums up the USA in the 21st century. Makes you wonder who’s doing the math.

Now – these three short sentences tell you a lot about the direction of our current government and cultural environment:

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the action of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works.

And, here’s another one worth considering – Seems we constantly hear about welfare or food stamp recipients running out of money! What’s interesting is that one group worked for their money, but the second didn’t.

And last, but not least – why are we cutting benefits for our veterans (of which I am one) – no raises for our military and cutting our army to a level lower than before WW2, but we are not stopping the payments or benefits to illegal aliens.

On the other side of the fence, someone wrote, “far less disturbing that Hillary Clinton’s financial ties to Saudi Arabia, CAIR, the Muslim brotherhood, etc. – much more to worry about with Clinton than Trump.”

However, there is a sticky wicket. In 1980 the late Jerry Falwell, who died in 2007, lamented that, “our movies, television programs, magazines, and entertainment in general are morally bankrupt and spiritually corrupt,” and called on Christians to engage in the political process to save America.” Thirty-six years later, his son is actively promoting the one Republican candidate who hails from that morally bankrupt world of television and entertainment.

Politically, there is more to worry about. Trump and Putin are chum-lums. So, who cares about the Ukraine problems? In a Republican party in which an ability to stand up to Putin has been seen as a test of toughness, Trump’s relationship with the Russian leader is instead one of mutual flattery. Putin, bless his red heart, said in December that Trump was a “colorful and talented” person, a compliment Trump said at the time was an “honor.”

I won’t go into the multitudinous ‘Trump’ amours which several evangelists ignore or step toe around it. There is a shocker, but it has been banned from most publications. It has to do with the Trump daughter. The trio of dear, ole dad’s wives all come from – well – not from the U.S.A.

Bill Clinton, of course, did some hot, fancy cheating. T-Rump explains his position, saying, “at least I wasn’t president.” Duh!

Oh, the two candidates did have one thing in common — neither one served with the armed forces.

What a world. With all of the above, all the violence, it’s almost safe to say that America is sliding downhill and, no matter who wins the presidency, the slide will likely continue. We have a two party system, and I prefer ignoring those parties.

 

Frank Roberts, who is 87, spent 60 years writing and talking. He and his wife, Valeria, have three children, five grandchildren, and three great-granddaughters. He loves to write.