Herb’s Blog, Herbdate 22977 – 1054
Here’s the haps:
I think in the coming year we will see some interesting things politically while at the same time it’s all going to be business as usual. Neither the Left nor the Right has a monopoly on stupidity and disdain for the common people. Whether it’s Creepy Joe saying I am going to have to have an F-15 and a couple of nukes or The Donald saying that we need to suspend the Constitution it all boils down to who has the biggest mouth and the biggest megaphone. It is scary that either of these two has sat where they have. And that does not mean to say that they accomplished nothing. Every president accomplishes something, some of it good and some of it not. People that know me personally know that I am not a man of violence but I did have a thought, an imagination, of these two being seated next to each other at some event or other. No, scootch them closer. Right next to each other. Shoulder to shoulder. As close to each other as possible. Now, someone quietly walk up behind them. Quietly. Stealthily. Now, CONK their heads together with the sound of coconuts!
As satisfying as that would be it probably wouldn’t help a whole lot, though. Well, obviously it never could happen and if it did you’d go to the pokey, which would be kind of hokey but they have to give you enough room in there to turn yourself around. But I digress.
What is going to help?
Here’s what I think and I know the whole reason you’ve read this far is because you want to know what I think.
The Left has the advantage that they all march in lockstep and when one says something, they all say the same thing like parrots. There are none or very few dissenting voices. They all wind up agreeing, even if it means that a person who had zero delegates suddenly winds up as Vice President. And if they need a rallying point all they have to do is shout, “Trump” at the top of their voice. The thing that holds them back from completely taking over is that they wear their heart on their sleeve and the extreme Left, Socialist wing has made it clear what they want to do and common people, even people who claim to be in their party, don’t go for it. If they took a more low-key approach and screeched about different things at different times it would help them out.
The Right is at a distinct disadvantage because none of them seems to be in harmony with any of the others. The poor showing in the mid-terms is evidence that they have lost their way. They need to find a leader that they all can rally around. My thought is that Trump’s days of influence are numbered. I predicted he would beat Hilary in 2016 because he was the only person on the stage that was vulgar enough to fight her. But shock value and being vulgar can only get you so far. After a while, people become immune to being shocked no matter how outlandish you are. His personality has been the same for a very long time, however, well before he became a political household name.
Another issue that Republicans have is all the infighting that occurs from the local level all the way on up. Our local party is rife with it and it doesn’t help anybody. And when I say they need a leader, I mean they need someone who actually has a clue what they believe in and isn’t wishy-washy about it. The strength of previous (true) leaders in the party was that they actually had and stated their own beliefs and not what they thought the polling data demanded. They need beliefs and they need the intestinal fortitude to state their beliefs no matter what the polls say or what they think people want to hear. Quit being mealy-mouthed. Oh. And By the way, I have had friends and acquaintances in the talk radio biz and I have some really bad news for you. Ronald Reagan passed away on June 5, 2004. “Reagan would have this” or “Reagan would have that” is just a tiresome mantra anymore.
Every election has become a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. If I don’t vote for this one, that one will get in so I have to go vote against So-and-So. If either party can escape that rut, they will do great.
Not that I put my confidence in any of them or either political party. I will continue to vote and I will vote as close to my beliefs as I can get but I am not blind to the fact that there is so much corruption everywhere. As my dad, who has become much wiser and wiser the longer he’s been gone and the older I get, would say, “They’re all a buncha crooks.” John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” And while we are pretty far away from that ideal, especially in government, American people as individuals are not completely gone and there are good that walk among us.
Making America Great Again
There was a blizzard in Buffalo, NY that dumped over 4 feet of snow and killed at least 40 people. There would have been many more but there were 2 people, Jay Whitley and Craig Elston, who wound up saving dozens of lives. Elston was a barber who had lights and heat and got on TikTok and Facebook and invited people who were in trouble to come to his shop and warm up or charge their phones or whatever. Whitley was freezing in his truck with 2 passengers he had picked up along the way and walked through a neighborhood and knocked on 10 different doors and was turned away (shame on them, but they’re not the focus). He then wound up going to a school and breaking in and going out and finding and helping 2 dozen more people stay alive over the weekend. You can read about them more in-depth here. There was also a church that opened its doors to 154 more people. Much good happens a lot and we just don’t see or hear about it.
Let’s try something. Everybody. Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and even Libertines. There is a law that is common among most major religions and philosophies. In a web design experiment, I made a page about it called The Golden Rule. I’ll summarize the page for you here:
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A lot of people don’t realize it, but the teaching we call “The Golden Rule” has been taught by many religious and philosophical leaders over the years. I’ve posted some here, in no particular order, as a reminder to everyone that some things are just right, no matter what.
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
1st century A.D. Jesus
Do not do unto others all that which is not well for oneself.
6th century B.C. Zoroaster
Hurt not others with that which pains thyself.
6th century B.C. Buddha
Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you.
6th century B.C. Confucius
May I do unto others as I would that they should do unto me.
5th century B.C. Plato
Do not to others which if done to thee would cause thee pain.
3rd century B.C. Mahabharata
Do not do unto others what thou wouldst not they should do unto thee.
1st century B.C. Rabbi Hillel
Lay not on any soul a load which ye would not wish to be laid upon you and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.
19th century Baháʼu’lláh
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To anyone who believes in the Bible, however, I do advise we get involved and stay involved. Everyone must vote no matter who you are or what you believe or think! Start thinking now.
But, if you are a believer of any sort, we ultimately need to remember God is the King of the Universe:
For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
(Psa 75:6-7)
The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
(Pro 21:1)
I am pleased that you mentioned the golden rule. One of the great problems in America today — and both sides of the political aisle are guilty — is that they are trying to rewrite the golden rule so that it says, “Do unto others before they do unto you.”
Or the other golden rule, whoever has the gold makes the rules.
As John says, I think politicians and greedy power hungry people have reinvented the Golden Rule to read “Do unto others, before they do unto you.” In their haste to stand out the left and right, they go further left and right and say and do some incredibly stupid things to get noticed. They leave the middle wide open and all I want is someone to occupy the middle ground and do what is right for the right reason. Have a good Tuesday Herb.
Thanks Allan. You too.
Well said.
Thank you.
I’m Conservative, always (used to) allow anyone to have their own opinion. That doesn’t work anymore so I’ve become ‘quietly loud’, pushing back (rationally) on the idiocy.
It’s tiring.
I like the idea of being quietly loud. Plus it sounds catchy. You’re right, it is tiring.
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” (John Adams)
Anita and I just watched an excellent PBS video on John and Abigail Adams. (Excellent, except for the frequent ‘interpretive’ comments about his ambition and pugnaciousness.)
Unfortunately, we are no longer the people for whom the Constitution was written. Our available choices for President in the last election should reveal THAT to us!
Aside: I wish we would stop blaming snow or wind for deaths. Okay, there ARE rare times the wind may blow a tree into a sleeper’s bedroom and kill her. But most weather-related deaths, as tragic as they are, are the result of stupidity.
Of all the “golden rules” you quote, I notice only TWO, Jesus and Plato, are positive. The others are all negations; what you should NOT do so that people will NOT do something bad to you.
Jesus particularly stands out with His positive influence reflected in James’ admonition,
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17.
HaPpY nEw YeAr🥳, my twin brother 🤠
❤️&🙏, c.a.
Thank you. Happy New Year to you, too.
Having quoted John Adams, I’m sure you’ll like this quote:
“Government is not reason; it is not eloquence. It is force. And force, like fire, is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” George Washington
P.S. I found you via John Liming.
Well, first of all, thank you for stopping by and reading my blog. I have followed John for quite a while. I appreciated his listing me.
Great prognostications. Couldn’t have put it better myself.
Thank you, sir. I accept that as high praise indeed.
Hmm
um-hmm…
Great thougts Herb, and Amen to your words. The issue is that real people do great things and Idiots and fools win elections. 🤣😎🙃
Sad, but true.
How true about our fathers getting wiser as we age. Mine said that congress should only be allowed to be in session for 30 days a year. That would be enough time to do the necessities and then they would leave us alone.
Boy, that would be great! Then make them do as our forefathers did and have a regular job to go to work at for the rest of the time.