To Prepare or Not Prepare? (Should that be a question?)

I’m sorry to hear that you humans are under the threat of a dangerous virus spreading throughout the world.  We chickens have experience with a deadly virus, too and it is not a good one.

Marek's disease is a highly contagious viral disease in chickens that causes paralysis, weight loss, and a collapsed crop that leads to death.  Your Coronavirus has a lethality measured at 2% so far.  Marek’s has a 100% death rate and there is no treatment.  It is spread by wild birds and it can lie in wait in the soil for years until a young chicken happens to come by to scratch or bathe in the dust.  The only way to prevent a chicken from catching this disease is to have an inoculation as a baby chick within the first 48-hours of life. The vaccines are not easy to handle and can be very costly so many hatcheries do not bother with them.  Baby chicks are very cheap in a feed store, but if you spend the money for a vaccination, it may double the price of the young bird.  Many birds die each year a terrible death from this deadly disease simply because people didn’t want to pay the price to keep them healthy.

From what I’m hearing from my farmer, your government is much like those hatcheries and buyers of baby chicks - trying to save costs and not making the containment of deadly viruses a priority.  Monies have been cut and people fired so instead of being ready to combat a new virus, they have decided to weather the storm and simply let people get sick by being unprepared and untreated. If you ever see what these terrible diseases can do to a bird or person, I think you will want to keep it from happening again, at whatever the cost.  As always, peace and good luck; you will need it.  Ollie

The news regarding Covid-19 (a coronavirus) is scary.  I agree with Ollie that we should have been better prepared.  “Draining the swamp” has destroyed the agencies of government that were in place to help protect Americans from deadly diseases such as this one.  I have argued in previous articles that there are some things in our society that need a government that is strong enough to protect its citizenry.  Call it socialism if you will, but there are things that are bigger than all of us and the only way to have protection is to have a government focused on being prepared to do those things that are needed in order to fight the bigger fights.  Yes, it will cost money (taxes).  Yes, it will mean larger governments (jobs).  Yes, there may be waste and inefficiencies (swamp) but when things go bad (Fire, hurricane, floods, and viruses) the victims will always wonder if something more could have been done to protect them.  They will turn to the government, no matter if they were for it or against it, and say, “Where were you?” and “Why were you not better prepared?”

A virus of this magnitude strikes quickly and with deadly force.  The preparation against this attack cannot be created overnight.  It takes years of training and preparation to establish a network of professionals that are able to react immediately and quickly when a virus arrives… and the viruses will always arrive, eventually. 

What Trump did in 2018 to decimate the CDC and other agencies preparing for this Covid-19 event has thrown the U.S. back into the 19^th century in terms of our ability to respond and resist dangerous viruses.  At this time we do not know how this will play out.  Will it be a dud and all of the media play and public controversy nothing more than a ramped out of proportion hysteria? Or will thousands of people become sick and die as a result of our lack of preparedness?  Only time will tell.

However, when the dust settles and this virus is a thing of the past, one question remains.  Will we be ready for the next one?  If not, which candidate should we put into the Oval Office this fall that will best lead this country into a safer and healthier future? 

Trump has already proven that he is not that person.

The Trump Fealty - Democracy 2020 Style

Over the past week Trump has disambiguated the suspicions that he plans to abuse the power of the Office of the President to levee attacks against his enemies.   There is no longer ambiguity as to the lengths he will go to punish anyone and everyone who hints they might disapprove of his actions in office.  He has destroyed lives by bringing his reality show trademark “You’re Fired!” punchline to bear on dozens of Federal employees.  He is firing anyone who is even suspected of not being a full-fledge Trump supporter.  The days of being aghast when James Comey simply hinted that Trump requested fealty are gone.  Fealty is the new Rule of Law and if you are not bowing down to your king, you will be gone.  The only step that has yet to be taken is public executions, at least in the literal sense.  However, “You’re Fired!” can easily be replaced with “Off with your head!” in short order.  It is a small step to take.

There has also been a public reward system illustrated this last week for those who have bowed downed to the king.  Seven new pardons were issued by Trump in the last week to bring the total for his presidency to twenty-five.  The use of the pardon is strictly a President’s right.  He has the power to issue a pardon or clemency to anyone he chooses.  The problem is not that he has issued pardons; it’s to whom these pardons have gone.  Every one of them is a reward for being a financial supporter of Trump.  Bow down, proclaim fealty, fill the coffers of my campaign committee, and no matter what the crime, you are FREE!

Those of you who listened to Rachel Maddow this week already know of the comparison she made of this hit-list mentality to Nixon’s enemies list in 1973.  The country was horror-struck when John Dean revealed this information about Nixon.  When the Watergate Tapes were released under court order, Nixon’s approval rating plummeted overnight. It went from a 67% approval rating in January 1973 to 24% approval in August 1974.  My question is: “How could there still be 24 percent of the country approving of this astonishing abuse of power?”

Fast forward 46 years and we have a president who nakedly admits he is operating the country under the premise that “if you are not for me, you are against me.” And, if you are against me I’ll use the full power of the Presidency to ruin your life.  The blatant abuse of power that was a shock to the entire country that forced the resignation of Nixon on August 4, 1974 is now accepted as a normal, established method of presidential behavior supported by the full power of the government, the Senate and the Courts.  Trump currently holds a 49% approval rating.  49%!  How can that be?

What has taken place to change American ideals to the point that we willingly run to embrace and accept a president who purposely is destroying our democracy?  As we all know, Republicans this summer and fall will be sending out millions of messages painting all Democrats as evil socialists that are trying to destroy our country.  They will point to bad “banana republic” regimes in South America as proof of what will happen if a Democrat is elected to office.  Even Michael Bloomberg used the “communist” label against Bernie in the Nevada debate.  This attack labeling will flow furiously because it is a fear tactic that works.  And yet, we already are in the throes of a “banana republic” regime.

“In economics, a banana republic is a country with an economy of state capitalism, by which economic model the country is operated as a private commercial enterprise for the exclusive profit of the ruling class. Such exploitation is enabled by collusion between the state and favored economic monopolies, in which the profit, derived from the private exploitation of public lands, is private property, while the debts incurred thereby are the financial responsibility of the public treasury.”  Wikipedia

We have been dealing with the face of Trumpism now for four years.  During that time we have all had friends and relatives who support Trump.  We do not understand how or why they support him but we have adopted a “no politics discussed here” approach in order to maintain peace and harmony in our homes and in our work places.  If our country can be saved, (and that is a BIG IF) we are going to have to stop being nice.  We have to stand up loudly and call Trump for what he truly is:  a tyrannical oligarch that uses the full power of the U.S. Government to instill xenophobia into the masses and funnel wealth into the hands of the very few who support his Lordship.  

Furthermore, it is a very real possibility that even if we somehow win the election in November and beat Trump, he could declare a national emergency, issue a declaration that the election was a “fraud”, and refuse to leave office.  In today’s climate with head’s rolling, who is there left to stand up to him?  Who will be bold enough to justly remove him from office, now or ever?

Bow down and announce your fealty now or stand up and revolt.  These are your only two options.

As a chicken I have always lived under the threat of the “off with his head” mentality of governance.  Once you find yourself on a farm with this Rule of Law there is not much you can do to save yourself other than keep a low profile and provide the farmer a steady supply of eggs.  Roosters have a more difficult time at this as, try as we may; eggs are not free-flowing from a roo.  The only things we can do is work hard at keeping the flock safe from attack and keep our heads down when the farmer enters the yard.  Not many of us roosters live a long, peaceful life when proof of fealty is the requirement for survival. 

Rising up and taking a stance against the insane impropriety of an oligarchic government is not an easy thing to do.  Many a head will roll.  Sheer numbers and a total revolt are the only answers.  When the numbers are not in your favor then fleeing is all you have left.  I have known many a rooster who chose to fly the coop.  The dangers and uncertainty that await you once you leave the chicken yard are many.  If you can get past the coyotes hanging in wait, there are not many other places out there with open and embracing arms ready to accept you.  

I wish you all the very best of luck over the next few months… you will need it.  Peace, Ollie.

The Coyote is in Charge

It was one of those beautifully warm spring days in New Mexico that makes you feel that everything is right with the world.  The sky was crystal clear with the slightest of breezes passing through the newly emerging leaves in the cottonwood trees. 

I was expressing my usual views and comments of the world in my glorious singing voice making sure everyone knew how wonderful of a day we were having.  The farmer’s wife had provided us a wonderful breakfast of organic grains with a special surprise of meal worms.  In my daily foraging of the yard, I uncovered a colony of roly-pollies that my hens ravished in short order.  They love it when I can provide them extra treats like these round little bugs and they show their appreciation by filling the nest boxes with fresh eggs.

The chicken yard the farmer had provided us had been a safe haven for several years.  A tall block wall to the south that provided shade and protection from those wind-storms the spring frequently brings. The north fence was a beautiful latilla structure that provided shelter from wandering dogs and coyotes along our road, affectionately and appropriately call Coyote Run.

Structures such as these strong fences provide us chickens a sense of safety and security.  All societies need these infrastructures erected in order to maintain peace, harmony and a sense of well-being.  Without them chaos rules the day and the lives of those they protect become endangered.

About 2:30 that beautiful afternoon, chaos arrived in our yard.  The video camera the farmer had installed showed it all.  It was amazing how quickly our peaceful life was destroyed.  A coyote suddenly appeared in the yard and in less than 3 minutes two hens lay dead and another one was carried away in the jaws of the beast.  Over the next few days, four more hens died from injuries they received or from the pure shock of the ordeal. 

It has been a year now since this tragic ordeal and I have to say, I still do not feel totally safe. Once the structures of safety have failed you, it takes a long time to recover the sense of peace and well-being they once provided.

I share this story for you humans in order to warn you about the destruction of your safety net that I’ve heard my farmer bemoaning about this week.  All I can tell you is that once you have allowed a coyote into your life you will never feel peace again… for good reason.  They will return again and again.  Unless you do a good job keeping those structures firmly in place you will always be at risk of losing the freedoms you enjoy and rely on.  Peace and good luck – Ollie

What my good friend Ollie is referring to when he says I’ve been "bemoaning" the loss of our safety net this week has to do with how Attorney General Barr has turned upside-down the Justice Department functionality and purpose.  It is supposed to be an independent body that establishes and maintains the Rule of Law in our society and our government.  It is to be that safe structure, fence if you will, that safeguards the constitution.  Instead, the Justice Department has now been weaponized by the President to protect his allies and attack those who dare to rise up against him.  The Rule of Law is under attack; an attack more deadly than a coyote in the chicken yard.   

What is the Rule of Law?  According to the American Bar Association, “The rule of law is a set of principles, or ideals, for ensuring an orderly and just society. Many countries throughout the world strive to uphold the rule of law where no one is above the law, everyone is treated equally under the law, everyone is held accountable to the same laws, there are clear and fair processes for enforcing laws, there is an independent judiciary, and human rights are guaranteed for all.”

It is a fence to protect the freedom and rights of everyone.  It is a structure to keep the “Coyote” from running around destroying everything he can touch.

Bemoaning?  I’m not sure this situation calls for a little discontent and sorrow.  I would say, instead that our country is being raped and pillaged by a President who can no longer be contained.  Stand up against him and you will be destroyed.  Run for cover and everything you hold dear will be taken from you with no hope of return.

We are officially living under an authoritative regime.  Congress and the Justice Department have proven that they do not have the backbone or ability to restrain the President in any way.  If you think Ollie’s coyote attack analogy has no bearing on the what has occurred this past week in Washington D.C. then I ask you one question:  If the President loses the election in November, exactly who do you think has the ability to actually remove him from office.  If he chooses to deem the election illegal regardless of the outcome, who, name one person, that has the ability to force him out of office.  Barr has proven this week that the Coyote is in charge and we do not have enough fences in place to keep him from completely destroying our democracy.

Chaos now reigns in America!

- Gary

Moving to the Middle Ground

Democrats are currently reeling over the fiasco of the Iowa caucuses.  We stand accused of being too far left for main stream America with no coherent, unifying message.  Main stream media and right-wing pundits are having a hay-day attacking our “ineptitude” and disconnect from mainstream thought.  And it is still only February.  By November, the roiling of disunity will be if full boil.  Democrats are on the ropes, flaying for life and that is exactly where Republicans want us.

The election process is supposed to be the market place for the exchange of ideas.  It is where the country is to gather round evaluating all sides of the coin of opinions, biases and non-viable ideas in order to determine a direction in which the next president and congress people are to lead.  Instead of building a unity of goals and aspirations, we are being torn apart by our differences and our humanity.  Iowan Democrats are being vilified for being human.  There is no room in today’s politics for foibles or goofs in process.  Just as divided as the entire country has become under Trumpism, efforts are constantly at work to tear apart anything that resembles community or consensus of opinion.

The Democratic Party is comprised of a vast range of ideals, concerns, hopes, and dreams.  We have different social traditions, both religious and cultural, and we have myriad ideas, thoughts, concepts, concerns, issues, and foci.  This vast rainbow of colors is supposed to be our strength.  Not too long ago we won a presidency on the strength of that Rainbow Coalition.  Where is this coalition today?  Are we being bogged down by an outdated, monstrosity of an election system that no longer celebrates the exchange of ideas, or are we simply under-attack by an unrelenting enemy willing to tear down and destroy all that is good with the intent of preserving their seat of power and control?

I think we have forgotten our roots as illustrated in the lyrics of the Youngbloods song from the sixties that came out in response to another time in history where the fabric of society was being ripped apart.

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Yes, I agree that this is an idealist’s dream, especially considering the manner in which politics is seemingly designed to work today.  It is not very likely that “coming together” is going to be the outcome in November.  When the final vote is tallied and the winner announced by the slimmest of margins, half the country will feel despondent and fearful of the unknown future being thrust upon them.  However, within the Democratic Party itself, the only way Trumpism will be defeated is if we actually link arms, put all our differences aside, and vote with one voice.

Yes, a moderate candidate will be unwilling to make the significant changes our country needs.  I agree that tweaking what we currently have will not fix our problems of healthcare, income inequalities, and climate change.  I realize that this candidate will fall short of the ideals and dreams of about one-half of our party. 

However, the same can be said of a progressive candidate.  Decades of vilification of socialist programs has been entrenched in the minds of most of the country that are fearful of a government growing too large and its people becoming too dependent on its programs.  They have been lead to believe that Socialism is a slippery slope which will eventually destroy capitalism, democracy and all freedoms we enjoy.  (“Just look at Venezuela,” they will argue.)  It is a waste of time to argue that we have hundreds of programs already in place that the socialist fear-mongers are neglecting to mention.  We already have a government that is too big when it comes to a worldwide military presence.  We have already experienced attempts to reduce the size of government which has resulted in giving tax breaks for a few and putting pressure on existing programs like Medicare and Social Security to be downsized.  It doesn’t matter that these are examples of things Republicans have done to destroy capitalism, democracy and freedom from a large number of Americans.  The argument against socialism is unfounded and only designed to create fear in those suspicious of change and new promises; but it is effective and it will be a major force to contend with in November, especially if we have a progressive candidate.

I strongly believe that our society is in desperate need of the programs the progressive candidates are touting.  I dream of a day in my life where our society will be more loving and helpful of a downtrodden middle class.  I pray and hope for a day where the American Dream can exist for all peoples that call America their home and that it can be, once again, a beacon of hope to the world.

However, all of that will be destroyed before it ever gets off the ground if we continue, as a party, to be split apart by how to proceed this fall.  We will not win the White House or the Senate.  As a result we will be stuck forever in this quagmire called Trumpism that destroys hope for all except the elite in society.  Elitist governments can exist… for a while.  When it eventually comes tumbling down there will be nothing left of the society they infected and destroyed.

It is now time to act before it is too late.  We need to select a candidate that will recreate the Rainbow Coalition, giving us all hope of victory in the fall.    I believe Elizabeth Warren is more likely the person that can do this but it will take every Democrat to set aside their issues of discontent, selfishness and disappointment to unite behind a candidate that can win against Trump.

“Come on, people now…. Everybody get together.  Right now!”

“I have only one thing to add… all societies work better when they work together.”  Peace – Ollie

The Making of History

How can we better understand the happenings of today within the annals of history?

Many people I know seemly have the ability to view their lives, the comings and goings, the planning and outcomes, at a macroscopic scale.  They have their lives planned and there are few surprises.  Everything that happens appears to be solidly within the framework of a well-oiled life-plan established early in their lives.  Personally, I am a microscopic guy with no clue what is coming next.

When I hear, read or watch stories about geniuses such as the the Einsteins, Monets, Hawkings, Tolkiens, and Gates of history, I am always awestruck at their ability to capture the essence of something greater than their own particular life-story.  In all cases, their genius lifts them above the maddening crowd to a viewpoint overlooking humanity, Creation, and a timeless future.  They provide us “Micros” with a glimpse from God as to what is and what can be.  It is a perspective that we rarely experience within the constraints of a thing called “today.”

Jennifer and I watched “Tolkien” last night, an HBO movie about the creator of the Fellowship of the Ring trilogy.  It was a series of books that captured my imagination in the late 60s and early 70s.  When the stories moved to cinema in the 1990s the genius of Tolkien became universally acclaimed.  The part that struck me most was that the foundations of the book came from Tokien’s life experiences in the early 20-century including the time he spent in the trenches in World War 1.  The Hobbit was published in 1937.  How can an individual create something that reaches across generations of time and touch the hearts and souls of people in societies far removed from their own?  To me this is a true measurement of genius.

This article, however, is not about the arts or physics or any other “genius” medium.  It is more about today and the issues of a democracy that is under attack.  How can we (I) lift ourselves out of the quagmire of modern partisan politics and develop a true understanding of how this moment will be viewed within the annals of history? Is the current political situation we are facing a lightning-bolt moment in history, where the actions we take today will have long lasting ramifications or is it merely one of many speed bumps of history that has no lasting effect or bearing on history’s path?

Registering your place in history was a common theme among Senator’s closing statements during the Trump Impeachment trial.  The statement that stuck out to me most, that rose to the heights of a potential lightning-bolt moment, were those closing comments of Senator Romney.  He is the one Senator throughout all impeachment trials in U.S. history to cross party lines to vote for the removal of a president of his own party.  That is big news.  However, is it history altering news?  Is it the evidence of one man having an out-of-the-confines-of-today perspective to provide everyone a glimpse of how the moment will be viewed in history?  Or, was it only momentous because it was a perspective that I agree with?  Is Senator Romney a genius of history or are we both “Micros” with history simply passing us by in the long run?

Does it matter?

E.H. Carr, an English historian, pointed out “the contemporary need to understand elements of the past is not only catalysed (sic) by the pressing need to untangle current complexities. With this comes a concomitant impermanence with which the past is rendered useful.” (Carr, E.H. (1987) What is History?)

My interpretation then is that we not only need to rise above the moment in order to establish today in its future place in human history but also to be able to understand it in the context of yesterday. Geniuses have the God-given ability to do this in our behalf.  From their perspective of today, they secure this moment to firmly establish it in history so that future generations can learn from the wisdom of the past.

But how do we discern to which voice to listen?  Are Romney and Schiff the voices of history we should pay attention to or is Rush Limbaugh?  Is the constant noise of political rancoring drowning out the meaningful voices of change and historical importance or are there clear voices from today’s geniuses that we are simply ignoring? 

I would like to know for sure. – Gary

A crowing good morning to you all.

In his usual convoluted style, I think my farmer is on to something.  Personally, I step out of the hen-house every morning with something meaningful to say and I want everyone to hear it.  In my world, it is very simply the longest and loudest crower in the neighborhood who makes the biggest impact on the day.  If I can be the first one to state my case to the all the other chickens in the region early in the morning, then I have set the standard for the entire day.  I have established that I am still alive and a force to be reckoned with.  As long as I’m making my case, then I’m affecting history.

Now this approach may not work for humans but honestly, it clearly seems that this is your methodology.  Does anyone stop talking?  How many “Talking Heads” are there crowing out their opinions for everyone to hear?  How important is it to you humans to have your opinion heard in the course of a normal conversation?  I’ve been told that no one truly listens anymore. Instead, if you are not currently talking you are concentrating on what you will say next.

Perhaps the true genius of your time is the person who actually takes time to reflect and listen to what is going on around them before they utter a single word.  In my world, I’m going to crow and crow and crow until I can crow no more... but perhaps, in the human world, there is too much crowing and not enough listening.  That’s just my humble opinion.  After all, I am only 24-inches tall.   

Peace - Ollie

Musings from a Gray Wintery Day (or Spring is Just Around the Corner)

Hi, gang.  Ollie here.

My farmer has been a little depressed lately as is evident from his last posting “Democracy is Dead.”  That was some pretty bleak stuff.  He was right, I was a little late in starting my day, but the truth of the matter is that he was up at 4:00 am writing the piece.  Who in their right mind gets up at 4:00 am on a Saturday?  Yes, I’m an early bird, usually crowing before the sun comes up, but 4:00 am?  Come on, man!

Yes, I can imagine that the end result of the Impeachment Hearings was a bit of a downer to some of you humans.  I know that getting your way, especially in a political sense, is very important to you.  Red Team versus Blue Team and all that.  Personally, I don’t try to pick sides.  I find that any flying of the team colors or flags is a game of one-upmanship that only satisfies half the crowd.  There are always winners and losers in these games you play.

I’m not saying that your “games” are without consequences.  You pick some doozies at times, such as the time your President started calling a leader of a country with nuclear weapons some mean-spirited names.  “Little Rocket Man?”  All I can say is that no one wins at name calling or nuclear war. 

I guess my point is that no matter how you feel about the current political situation; the sun actually does come up each day.  There are good things around the chicken yard that delight me all the time.  Believe it or not, according to that stupid groundhog, Spring is just around the corner, if you want to believe him. (You don’t have to believe him, I guess but you do have to agree he has a great publicist.) The farmer’s wife just ordered a new batch of baby chicks that will be here in a couple of weeks.  Nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than a new flock of baby chicks.

So, to the extent that my farmer is still in the dumps, I suggest that he (and you if he pulled you down into the doom and gloom with him), get over yourselves and starting counting all the good things you have going on in your lives.  I agree there is a lot of work to be done to preserve these good things, but you’ll never get the job done if all you do is mope around the yard saying “Woe is me.”

Note to Reader:  I didn’t ask my farmer to cluck-in to this article.  He is still moping around saying things about botched up caucuses or something.  Don’t know what that is and I’m not sure I care.  Don’t worry.  I’m sure he’ll come around soon.  Peace - Ollie

Democracy is Dead

Frankly, I’ve joined the ranks of the “fed up.”  For sixty-eight years I have lived in a world where we could always believe in hope, no matter the situation in which we found ourselves.  From my earliest memories of my mother singing along with Doris Day - “Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be,” to the hope-filled strains of Annie singing “The sun will come out tomorrow” and the magic of Mary Poppins, one could always find a ray of hope in our daily lives.

I have now reached a point in my life where I can no longer find that ray of sunshine.  The political process that is the foundation of our democracy is broken and irreparable.  We have decided that presidents are no longer accountable for their actions - no matter what they do.  Trump said one time that he could shoot someone in Times Square and nothing would be done about it.  This has now been proven to be true.

We no longer have a democracy.  It has officially become a dictatorship. The Rule of Law is dead and there is nothing we can do to stop it.  Even if we beat Trump in the November elections, there is nothing we can do to force him out of office.  He can rule the election to be illegal and stay in office as long as he chooses because there is no one willing and able to stop him.  Move over Castro and Putin, a new king of the world has taken charge.

Reading the newspapers, listening to political leaders, working on new legislation or election campaigns, or to save the planet from climate change will all be a waste of time and effort.  Attempting to build a better tomorrow for our grandchildren is a pipe dream that has no basis in reality. If you had hopes and dreams – forget them.  Just kiss goodbye all thoughts of building a utopia society for future generations.  We now officially live in a dystopian world where only the rich and powerful control the future.

The only thing left for us to do is get used to it and attempt to find some way to survive.  Goodbye America, you had a good run. - Gary

Note to reader: Ollie has decided he has nothing to add to today’s posting.  This morning he refused to come out of the chicken coop as he no longer can find anything to crow about.