Alarmist or Realist?

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”

Writers at all levels dream of the ability to write an opening sentence that captures the essence of the moment in such a way that the reader is instantly captured and intrigued by what may follow.  More specifically, Charles Dickens not only delivered to us the most memorable opening line in literature history in “The Tale of Two Cities” but he also painted an image of the human condition that transcends time itself.  At any moment in history this phrase can be applied as an apt description.

The essence of who we are rests in the dichotomy between the good and evil that exists within each of us and in everything we do as a people and society.  David wrote in Psalms 139 “I am fearfully and wonderfully made,” recognizing the reality of this tension that resides within all human activity.

Today, we face a pandemic threat that is not only killing people at a level never before experienced but is effectively shutting down all human economic activity worldwide.  While this is happening there remains the conversation between protagonists of both sides that “the cure could be worse than the disease.”  In many ways, I hope they are right.  However, if the disease actually turns out to be worse than the cure then civilization as we know it could be destroyed to a level as severe as what is portrayed in many dystopian novels and movies. 

Lately as I read and share news items and stories to my friends on Facebook in an attempt to help keep them current with events as they unfold I find myself apologizing frequently about being a constant bearer of bad news; a harbinger of a future we all want to avoid.  In the discussions being reported on Fox News, it seems that Republicans tend to paint Democrats as being “Alarmists”; always hoping for the worse to happen so that the good in society the Trump administration has brought will be torn down.  They make it sound as if we always see the glass as being half empty and purposefully are working to make it so.

I agree that the good in our society is often overlooked by those of us “Alarmists” who warn against the seeds of destructions we find evident in society today.  We are fearful of what the future could become and want to bring to light those things we can control now in order to keep them from sprouting and bearing fruit later.  But are we doing this at the expense of ignoring the good things in our lives every day?  Are we “Alarmists” or “Realists”?  Only history will know for sure.

There is a new Netflix series that has come available entitled “The Plot Against America.” It is based on the 2004 Philip Roth novel of the same name.  (I highly recommend that you add it to your “must read” list.)  The novel has a 1940-historical setting in a pre-war America who is watching Hitler as he marches his way through Europe destroying countries and rounding up Jews.  The novel veers from historical reality when the flying hero, anti-war, pro-Hitler presidential candidate Charles Lindbergh defeats FDR and becomes the new President of the U.S.  Lindbergh wins on an anti-war, isolationist platform that inflames an anti-Semitism radicalization lying dormant within the United States.  The parallels of political debates in the book/movie as compared to our modern-day Trump-era disputes brings us to a point where it is not too far-fetched to surmise a similar dystopian reality arising out of our current disease-stressed political and economic situation.  Is this alarmism?

The word “alarmist” can be defined in a couple of ways.  One definition describes an alarmist as an individual who is an extremist, insurgent, radical, rebel or insurrectionist.  They are the Chicken-Littles of society who are constantly crying wolf and descrying fear and evil portent and warnings. 

The other definition is a little less severe portraying the alarmist as being an advocate, apostle, reformer, proponent and supporter.  Instead of portraying evil, this kind of alarmist is supporting good.  One line that I heard recently that may have come from the movie itself says, “No one sees themselves as being evil.”  Which means, if this is true, that both sides of any debate will try to portray the other side as being evil and themselves as being supporters of all that is good.

The prophets in the Bible were generally not forecasting a good outcome or future.  They were alarmists that were viewing the evil of the times and warning against what would come if things did not change. 

So which kind of alarmist does our society need most, a harbinger of bad things to come if something is not done to change the way things are or a supporter of what is good and maintainer of the status quo in order to maintain peace in a way that does not upset those around them?

In my mind, the Alarmist that actually sends out alarms to help society weave its way through the pitfalls of potential harm and destruction is the type of provocateur our society needs because if we do not listen to these alarms and take action, the Alarmist himself will be viewed in history’s lens of the past as a Realist, and nobody wants that to happen.  Do they?

Forbearance Rekindled

There once was a time in our society that patience, leniency and tolerance were strong attributes of our society.  One could argue if you are in a glass-mostly-empty mood, that these traits are rare to come by these days. The “I’m-in-it-for-myself, winner-take-all” type of attitude has been increasingly the way our country has operated over the past several decades.  Just the simple example of what people will do to make sure they have more than their share of toilet paper bares proof to this observance.  Call me cynical if you may but I’m not overly proud of my fellow Americans these days.

Another proof that we are growing increasingly selfish and boorish to one another can be found in the word forbearance.  This word is being bandied about lately as a financial tool to be used to try and ameliorate our chances of surviving the developing financial crisis.  According to Webster the word forbearance means “patient self-control; restraint and tolerance.”  Do those words sound familiar to you in the context of describing an average American citizen these days?  To further provide fuel to my argument the usage of the word forbearance has been in sharp decline since the 1830’s.  It is rarely found being used in common lexicon today.  Is that because there is a more modern word that is used instead or is it because the trait rarely exists in modern times?

So, here we are; several steps over the cliff of a new financial crisis, one that unfortunately is being fueled by a pandemic event the size of which has not previous been experienced by mankind; at least modern man, that is.  The discussions over the past week have been filled with an urgency that decries this to be an extremely serious and far-reaching economic catastrophe of which has the makings of destroying our civilization.  There has not been anyone indicating that we are blowing this out of proportion.  Instead, everyone demands that if the government doesn’t take action immediately with trillions of dollars thrown into the economy to help support and sustain it, we will not have an economy of any kind.  Yes, doom and gloom is the cup of tea we are all drinking at this time.

One thought that has been circulating is the use of forbearance as a tool to help prop up the economy.  Forbearance is an economic concept where lenders will allow delays in the payments of loans from their borrowers for a period of time in order to help them through an economic downturn.  Forbearance in this sense is a conscious forgiveness of tardiness.  It requires a condition of understanding, patience and well-meaning.  It means to set aside and restrain the normal impulses of the lending institutions in behalf of and for the good of our society. 

What do you think?  Is this a characteristic that you expect your banks and mortgage companies to embrace?  What is their incentive to accept this risk?  What will they get in exchange? 

When I consider the typical character of a banker in these types of situations, Mr. Potter in “It’s a Wonderful Life” comes to mind.  Are there any George Bailey’s around in our world today to help us through this financial challenge?  Do you really think that forbearance is a tool we can rely on?  Perhaps.  The world is in a very different place than it was just a few weeks ago.  The phrase “we are all in this together” has taken on new meaning.  The American Spirit that lifted us out of the depression and a world war could, possibly, reassert itself in this desperate time of need.

We are facing a big challenge.  The rules by which we play must change.  Above all, if we are to preserve our society we all must dig deep within ourselves to unleash the virtues of patience, understanding, forgiveness and even love.  Forbearance is the standard bearer to recovery.

Surviving Ennui

I’ve been at home now for three full days and I’m finding it a bit tedious.  Just how many games of Angry Birds Pop can one endure?  As I began my third crossword puzzle today I came across a word that captured my interest.  Words always fascinate me so when I’m reading or doing crosswords and come across a word I’m not familiar with, I’ll stop what I’m doing and look it up.  I’ll go to several dictionary sources to find variances in definition; read about its origins and usages; and listen to pronunciations.  Finally, if I’m really interested in my new discovery, I’ll work it into sentences and writings to reinforce it into my vocabulary.

Today’s word of the day as you might guess is “ennui” which is a feeling of boredom and weariness.  Yes, the coronavirus stay-sheltered approach is generating a feeling of “ennui” throughout the country.  At least it is with me. It may lead to a morass of despair if we are not careful, but that’s a different issue.

The main thing that caught my attention with “ennui” that resulted in a sudden inspiration to write this article is its pronunciation.  Unless you are a student of Latin or French or simply a word-nerd, it is very unlikely that this word will freely and automatically roll off your tongue. The technical pronunciation in Webster is written: /an’we/ where the e is a long sound.  What I heard when listening to a pronunciation on-line is “un-we”.

Now to my point:  What we are suddenly experiencing in our society is a sudden, unplanned “un-we”.  We have been asked and in some places ordered to separate from each other.  We are told that gatherings of greater than ten people should be avoided.  When we are together we are to practice “social-distancing” where we need to keep six-feet between us at all times.  I also read an article posted by CNBC that the virus may remain airborne after a sneeze for up to three hours.  Does that mean we need to distance ourselves for three hours from where another individual once stood?

I do not like my forced “unwe”.  I (we) need people, friends, to be with.  After only three days I am already despairing of this forced separation.  Last evening, I exchanged text messages with a dear friend who wanted to get together for a glass of wine.  My first reaction was the already ingrained fear that we should not gather together.  I expressed my fear of the dangers of doing this desired meeting.  How good it would have been to talk about how each of our families is affected by the virus and the economic shutdown.  As the wine flowed I imagine our feelings of growing ennui and despair would have been temporarily alleviated. We would have been able to bond with our shared experiences and provide each other much needed reassurance.  Instead, I chose the path of “un-we” and now I’m experiencing ennui.

It is not only boredom and listlessness that I feel.  I’m weary of the constant pounding of dreadful news.  I am torn between my desire to know everything I can about the virus and what Congress plans to do to help us in the evolving economic crisis with the overall desire to detach from a feeling of smothering hopelessness.  We need to be able to gather together to break the boredom and the growing listlessness.  

Ennui is the new danger that threatens our society.  Ennui threatens to destroy us.  The question before us now is how to survive ennui?

Telos Undone

As we all hunker down in our safe havens during the pandemic, the one thing we suddenly have plenty of is time.  Our “to do” lists and calendars that have always seemed to be too full are suddenly empty.  There is very little that we can do.  The virus is an unplanned event that has us all sitting and wondering what to do next.  In general, we do not do well with idleness.  We crave busyness and a planned secure future.  It is very hard to accept there is so very little to fill our day and that the future is so uncertain.  Activities that have kept us busy have suddenly stopped.  We have been thrust into a situation where we have to reevaluate the true purpose of our lives.

Aristotle referred to our Life’s Purpose as “telos”, a term to define the activities that fill our lives each day.  The telos of a business man is to build wealth.  The telos of a stay-at-home mom is to provide care for the children.  The telos of a teenager is to be popular and accepted or to grow and mature.  We have all embraced our telos in the many different roles in our lives.  We are parents, co-workers, bosses, coaches, friends, voters, influencers, listeners, guides, care-givers, teachers, leaders, followers, employees, employers, healthcare givers, law-enforcers, law-makers, spouses, home-builders, and etc. Each of these roles we fill has a telos; a defined purpose.  We, with intention or not, have accepted our telos in life.  It is our purpose that defines us and how we find fulfillment.

Now we sit and wait.  Pray and worry.  Speculate and wonder.  But what is our purpose, our telos, when all the activities that have filled our lives are abruptly stopped?

Perhaps, this interruption into our lives is an opportunity to rethink our true telos.  This sudden cessation of busyness may provide us a uniquely, once-in-a-lifetime, occasion to truly evaluate what is most important in our lives. And it should give us the ability to appreciate what we have more fully.  At least there is plenty of time for a telos renewal – what else is there to do?

Whatever we end up calling this world-wide disruption, it will have a lasting effect.  The Black Plague, for instance, was deeply influential in forming what came next.  Artists and inventors in isolation created some of the greatest advances in human history following the 300 years of a plague that caused isolationism and refocusing of the universal telos of the time.  The Spanish Flu, along with the world wars that ensued, acted as springboards for the great economic and population explosions that evolved in the late twentieth century.  What good things might follow after this horrific pandemic that has enveloped us is gone?  Can we use this experience for good and betterment of our lives?

The most important aspect that follows may just come as a result of our self-evaluation of what is important in life and how we can re-prioritize our telos into something more useful than “busyness.”  As we sit at home, struggling with our new-found idleness, I suggest that we take this time to review and redefine our telos so whatever comes next will result in a better world in which to live.

What is a Moderate?

With the sudden turn into the moderate lane this last Tuesday the discussions we are all having are obviously about how the moderate wing of the Democratic Party coalesced around Vice-President Biden to take control of the nomination process.  The big “Mo” is on a roll. (“Mo” usually means momentum but this year it has a double meaning.)

My question that no one seems to be able to answer is how, exactly, do we define what it means to be a “Moderate?”

I do not believe that Moderates are defined by their stances on policy.  A very large percentage of the country, including Republicans are in favor of Healthcare (even single-payer) reform, Climate Change actions, addressing drug costs, education costs, voter reform, fair tax laws, racism, and etc.  As all the candidates have said during the debates this year, they agreed on the issues that need to be addressed, it was only the nuances of how to get there that set them apart.  When you try and put all Moderates into a single bag on policy, you will find they will not all fit into the same bag when it comes down to implementation of those policies.  Everyone has different ideas on how much change should be implemented; how much we should pay for the policies; and what the priorities will be.

Perhaps you would argue that the main difference between Biden and Bernie has to do with moderate change versus revolutionary change.  That could be, maybe.  But doesn’t the legislative process dictate the rate of change more than a President’s agenda?  Isn’t that what Elizabeth Warren was trying to say when she “stepped back” from her Medicare for All stance and said it would be a process that would take years to implement?  The reality is that no matter how radical an idea, it takes legislative support to implement that idea.  By the time it does become law (if it becomes law) it will be a compromised version that the majority of Congress agrees to.  With this in mind, how likely is it that Bernie’s vision would pass muster and come out looking anything like Bernie’s vision?

There was worry that with Bernie or Elizabeth on the ticket, down-ballet races would be more difficult to win.  First of all, Trump and the Rs are going to paint all Democrats as Socialists.  That will be their number one assault; an accusation that we all will need to defend unceasingly.  Second, the election of Trump himself is evidence that down-ballet elections were not affected by the radicalization at the top of the ticket.  In their primary season leading up to his election, Rs were constantly arguing that having him on the ticket would harm their chances everywhere in the country.  NOT!  They took control of everything.  No harm, no foul was the rule of that November day.

My main argument against this internal Democratic battle between Moderates and Progressives is that by having these debates we are fulfilling the Republican talking points for them.  Bloomberg even called Bernie a Communist on the debate page.  I could hear a cheer of support go up throughout the entire Republican world in response.  As we work our way towards November 3^rd, Republicans are going to attack and slander our candidates.  Then media will pick up the message, no matter how wrong or insane, and push our candidates to respond.  Republicans have been controlling the branding and messaging of our candidates for decades.  If you disagree, just talk to your fellow Dems about Hillary.  At least half of them will tell you that Hillary was too close to Wall Street.  They may even use the phrase “Crooked Hillary.”  These were Republican talking points, disseminated by Russian bots, that Democrats across the land bought; hook, line and sinker.

Finally, there is the argument that we are simply tired of all this arguing and yelling in a do-nothing Congress.  “We need to reach across the aisle to our Republican colleagues to calmly negotiate reasonable laws that we can all agree to.”  We are all tired of the drama and the hateful spewings of Trump.  We also, to a soul, hate watching committee meetings where nothing is accomplished except yelling and partisan bickering.  I understand we do not like that Congress is such an absurd battleground.  In our own lives we learn to get along, negotiate, and respect one another.  Why not Congress?  Perhaps, the argument goes, if we elect Moderates, they will be better at getting Congress back to a good place where everyone is agreeable to negotiate and pass laws, hand-in-hand, while smiling at the camera, kissing babies, and celebrating everything that is good.

I hate to bring this to your attention but the U.S. Congress has never been this way.  It is a partisan duopoly by design.  It thrives on dispute, self-righteousness and division.  Drawing everyone together in a meaningful way is bad for business.  How could a party, (either one, it doesn’t matter) raise the amount of money they raise if they didn’t have an evil, democracy-threatening adversary whose threat inspires people to donate millions of dollars?  If everyone agreed then why send them money?  If there is no threat or worry then people would stop watching the network news, reading the newspapers or paying attention to anything going on in Washington.  The political machines along with the media would go bankrupt.  The whole machine runs on discourse, hate and fear.

Even if, a more moderate Congress were elected and diligently reached across the aisle to negotiate legislation, who sits on the other side with open arms waiting to negotiate?  Obama, in spite of the Fox News depictions, was a moderate Democrat who tirelessly tried to reach across the aisle with reasonable requests of Congress.  In his last term, he was unable to get anything accomplished.  He could not even get them to have hearings for his Supreme Court nomination Merrick Garland – a moderate judge. 

The Harvard Business School published a very extensive study on this topic.  I have to admit that I have only read 24 of the 80 pages so far.  I do not claim to understand most of what they report and I’m certain that what I have gleamed so far was collected by a naïve and sophomoric brain.  However, on page 18 of the study there are two graphs that illustrate the percentage of moderates in each house from 1951 to 2015.  That just happens to be my exact life span, but I don’t think I can take blame for the results.  The decline of moderates as a percentage of the House and Senate has been in steady decline throughout those 64 years with Senate moderates at 4% and House moderates at 1% in 2015.  Like I said, who is there across the aisle to work with?

I agree that Congress would be more effective if things were in balance.  Having two extremes, however, is one way to balance the books.  Having one extreme and one moderate does not balance the books.  It tips the scales in favor of the extreme.

I guess we can all provide an answer to my original question, what is a Moderate?  I think my real question should be: “Why be a Moderate?”  What do we achieve by being moderate?  Obama proved that the answer to that question is: “NOTHING!”

Let the Sun Shine In

Once upon a time there was an evil king who had a magic mirror in his bedroom.  Each night while alone and separated from all his subjects, he would gaze into the magic mirror thinking about how much his subjects loved him.  The mirror would show him images of his followers singing praises about the king’s brilliance as a leader and statesman.

“He is the greatest king of all time,” their voices emanated throughout the kingdom each day.   “He is a genius at military strategy.”  “He has a brilliant mind.”  “He is a strong negotiator.”  “All other kings in the world respect his wisdom and cunning.”  Each of his ministers would try to outdo the other as they created myth and legend in order to win favor from the king.  They had learned the more extravagant their praise, the more important they would become in the king’s eyes.  They had also learned that if they fell into disfavor, they would be banished from the king’s inner circle, never to be heard of again.

The problem, however, was that each night as dawn approached, the king would grow irritable and frustrated with the constant droning of his ministers as the praises they were spewing would begin to pale in his eyes.  Their attempts to shower adoration on him would fail to go far enough.  There was always something lacking.  He would begin to find fault with the wording or a lack of compassion or commitment. “He should have shown more excitement…”  “He could have said more…”  It wasn’t enough.  It was never enough.

By the time the new day was about to break, the king would fall into a malaise of anger and frustration.  He would grab his paper and quill to start writing the new edicts and proclamations for that day, outlining where his generals and ministers were to focus their efforts to build his greatness for the entire world to see.  He wanted more admiration demonstrated by his people in the streets as he passed through them.  The crowds needed to be larger; louder.  The princes and neighboring kings needed to be dealt with more forcefully.  Trade agreements needed to be improved.  The royal treasury needed to swell.  The construction of the new wall and moat needed to be completed more quickly.

And then there were those naysayers. There were an increasing number of voices in the crowds that would shout ugly and divisive slurs against him. He would wonder why they were allowed to spread lies and untruths about their king. He thought they should be stopped; eliminated; dealt with more harshly.  Make an example of them.  “Maybe I should order their heads to be put on pikes around the castle?  That would show them,” he pondered and then wrote more feverishly.  “That would show everyone that anything said against me, their King, will not be tolerated.”

As his anger grew he started to write a list of names; names of people who were criticizing him; spreading rumor and lies against him.  With each new name the grip on his quill tightened and his teeth became more clinched.  He broke the tip of his quill, which angered him further.  He changed quills and started again on a new parchment because the splotch of ink from the broken quill would be seen as a flaw.  Nothing was allowed to indicate imperfection in his kingly actions.

He paused to reread his list and a smile of satisfaction emerged.  He took up his quill for one more entry, an entry that would prove he was the greatest king of all time.  “Off with their heads!” appeared in large letters at the bottom of the page.  Anger, rage and a sense of finality stood plainly before anyone who would read the proclamation.  It was a proclamation for the ages.  “That will show them,” he said as he rolled the parchment and closed it with the kings’ seal. 

He looked again into the mirror and saw images of what his minister’s reactions would be to the proclamation as they read it.  There were a few eyebrows lifted and questionable looks among them. 

“Your Highness.  Is this really a good idea?” his most trusted advisor ventured forth.  “Won’t this, perhaps make more enemies?  Don’t you think the people will respond better if you treat everyone kindly with forgiveness and understanding?   You want the people to love you, not fear you, right?”

“Damn it!” the king shouted.  ”What is wrong with fear?  The great kings are always feared; feared by his enemies and feared by his followers.  Fear is the greatest form of respect.  If I continue to allow disrespect to flourish I’ll be considered weak and frail, not great at all.  Today I will have these heads on pikes.  Today I will show the world how great I am!”

He picked up the scrolls he had written, crushing them in his grip and walked out onto the balcony outside his quarters.   It was a dark, cloudy day that was threatening rain.  “Damn it,” he muttered.  He preferred to have a sunny day on this momentous occasion. “I’ll have a talk to the weather minister.  He has to do better.”

Just then a drop of rain landed on his forehead.  He swore briefly, gripped the scrolls tighter and returned inside to avoid the further unpleasantness the pending rain prophesied.  In his rush, his foot caught briefly on the threshold, sending him stumbling into his dressing room and head-long into the mirror.   It shattered into a million sharp shards.  His thoughts of pending greatness quickly faded as one shard found its way through his eye and embedded deeply in his brain.  When he was found later in the morning, the scrolls were still clutched tightly in his hands.  The doctor surmised that due to the tightness of his grip, the king had been unable to use his hands to stop his fall and pending doom.

As the news of his death spread through the kingdom the sun broke out from behind the clouds and with it the promise of a new beginning.  The heir to the kingdom was a young man who had been exiled into the distant corners of the kingdom.  He was a nephew the king never liked for being too weak and kindly to common people.   Throngs of cheering admirers filled the streets.  Hatred had been defeated and an era of harmony, promise and bright expectations had begun.  The young king fulfilled all these expectations and more as he became known at the greatest king of all times.  He was loved by all and the kingdom flourished.

The dead king was quickly forgotten, barely mentioned in annuls of history as a minor, insignificant moment in a distant past.  The remnants of the magic mirror were melted down in a great furnace used to mint coin destroying the threat of its power forever. 

The End

“I always love happy endings, especially endings where the sun is shining.  I love the sun.  I call for its arrival every day.  There is nothing better than a good dust bath in a warm sun.  When the sun is shining, my farmer seems happier, more relaxed.  He hasn’t been very happy lately so it is good news that he was able to write a story with a happy ending.  It shows he hasn’t given up.  He sees there is still hope in the world no matter how gray the skies seem to be.  Evil kings come and go but the sun never waivers. Peace to you and may the sun shine brightly into your life today.  As for me, I’ll be basking in the dust, cleaning my feathers and crowing up a storm.  Life is good.”  - Ollie

Oh, let it shine, c'mon
Now everybody just sing along
Let the sun shine in
Open up your heart and let it shine on in
When you are lonely, let it shine on
Got to open up your heart and let it shine on in
And when you feel like you've been mistreated
And your friends turn away
Just open your heart, and shine it on in

Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC