TheWiseOldFart

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart American politicians constantly claim that the United States of America is “the greatest country in the world.” I’m required to inform you of one fact: they are full of s**t. The rankings of developed nations places America as 12th in a few evaluations, but most frequently 18th. The most definitive issues involve the protection and guarantees of quality of life. A survey conducted in 2022 rated the United States 21st in the “World Happiness Report.” Here are the top ten. Finland — 7.821 Denmark — 7.636 Iceland — 7.557 Switzerland — 7.512 Netherlands — 7.415 Luxembourg — 7.404 Sweden — 7.384 Norway — 7.365 Israel — 7.364 New Zealand — 7.200 Let’s look at the criteria used for ranking the “greatness” of nations. Quality of Life (14.52%): a good job market, affordable, economically stable, family friendly, income equality, politically stable, safe, well-developed public education system, well-developed public health system. Entrepreneurship (14.17%): connected to t...

                                                          Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart The categories on which nations are ranked related to their “greatness” can be summed up as “the quality of life for all of their nation’s people. Look at the following list. [ Quality of Life (14.52%): a good job market, affordable, economically stable, family friendly, income equality, politically stable, safe, well-developed public education system, well-developed public health system. Entrepreneurship (14.17%): connected to the rest of the world, educated population, entrepreneurial, innovative, provides easy access to capital, skilled labor force, technological expertise, transparent business practices, well-developed infrastructure, well-developed digital infrastructure, well-developed legal framework. Agility (13.96%): adaptable, dynamic, modern, progres...

                                                                 Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart Time is a cruel mistress. As we age it is impossible to maintain the physical abilities we enjoyed when we were half our age. However, I hope that life has taught us many valuable lessons and therefore we are wiser and possess more knowledge about the world we live in and the reality which exists around us. I will be 77 years old in just over a week. When I turned 70, I began to fall into a trap. Memories of my past made me sad. Although many of them will be cherished forever, I allowed myself to believe that the future would never contain great joy and I would fail to find excitement in my meager accomplishments as a much older man. This form of “defeatism” must be quashed. I am learning to accept what I cannot do and treasure what I ca...

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart Although the United States of America is only arriving at its 247th year, the list of tragic events which affected all Americans continues to grow. One of these tragedies involves the cowardly attacks on September 11, 2001.  The truth is that there were many instances ignored by those in power. From foreign men attending flight school in Florida without showing any interest in landings. Most importantly our president and vice-president ignored briefings by our national security agencies that an attack on our nation was imminent. They both decided to ignore these warnings and take vacations although they had only been in office for less than eight months. The facts prove that the attacks on 9/11 might have been prevented if George W. Bush and Dick Cheney had taken the warnings from our top security leaders seriously. Possibly the greatest tragedy is related to how their failures after the debacle destroyed many protections promised by the Bill of Right...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   As of today, June 24, 2023, the United States of America remains the only nation to use nuclear power to murder tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.  [Hiroshima: 70,000–126,000 civilians killed 20,000 soldiers killed 12 Allied prisoners of war Nagasaki: 60,000–80,000 killed (within 4 months) 150+ soldiers killed 8–13 Allied prisoners of war Total killed: 129,000–226,000.] Governments declare and create wars. The military executes these tragedies. Regardless of the nation or the situation, innocent civilians are always victims of their governments, offering their lives and their quality of life for those who are designated to serving our nation, while our elected officials frequently profit from the carnage. In the 1980’s our political and corrupt government created one national holiday in February and declared it “President’s Day.” This was a self-serving and terrible decision. Prior to this mistake, we, as a nation, celebrated Abra...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   This is one of the headlines from Ohio today, June 22, 2023. One I have seen far too often. “2-Year-Old Accidentally Shoots And Kills Pregnant Mother After Finding Gun, Police Say” Prior to 1976 when the NRA became a lobby for gun manufacturers and gun sellers, there was a free pamphlet offered to everyone suggesting measures to safely store guns inside the home. It no longer exists. The instructions were simple and would prevent one of the biggest problems in America today. The NRA, a gun safety organization, suggested keeping all guns stored in the home unloaded. Most importantly, the weapon and its ammunition should be locked and stored in separate locations.  “Laura Ilg, 31, was 33 weeks pregnant when she called police Friday afternoon to report that her son got a hold of a gun and shot her in the back, Norwalk police said in a press release published by local newspaper the Norwalk Reflector. “Responding officers kicked down the front door to find...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart America has Never Been a Great Country, but in the 21st Century The United States of America has become “unique,” and not in a good way. Our incompetent and corrupt government has intentionally separated our nation from all others who have changed and created a better quality of life for their people. In 2023 Americans are chanting, “ask not what we can do for our country, ask what has our country done for us?” Over the seven decades our government has sent thousands of out finest young men and women to death in four unwinnable wars: Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Those who serve in Washington continue to ignore our needs and wishes and serve the rich and powerful. Our freedoms, guaranteed by the Constitution, are being removed one by one as the First, Fourth, Fifth, and 14th Amendments are ignored and violated daily. It is an undeniable fact that America is the most warlike country in the world. The Pentagon’s annual budget amounts to more than five tim...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   White supremacy, pervasive racism, white privilege, and bigotry in far too many other situations are real, and undeniable. Let me tell you a personal story about a young, white man who had personal experience with these issues. A man who was not raised in the deep South or another red state, and learned that extreme racism is a reality in all 50 states to some degree. I was born in Lewiston, Idaho in July of 1946. Before my sixth birthday my family moved to Los Angeles, California. This great city, composed of diverse people and people who encourage free thought and the exchange of ideas, remains my favorite place to live if I could afford it today. Let me inform you that I trust no one in power in the 21st century. Every one of these groups has proven that they are not worthy of my acceptance because their lies are unending. I especially detest the worst of the worst, professional politicians. I know that political parties are destructive to any nation’s ...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart White supremacy, pervasive racism, white privilege, and bigotry in far too many other situations are real, and undeniable. Let me tell you a personal story about a young, white man who had personal experience with these issues. A man who was not raised in the deep South or another red state, and learned that extreme racism is a reality in all 50 states to some degree. I was born in Lewiston, Idaho in July of 1946. Before my sixth birthday my family moved to Los Angeles, California. This great city, composed of diverse people and people who encourage free thought and the exchange of ideas, remains my favorite place to live if I could afford it today. Let me inform you that I trust no one in power in the 21st century. Every one of these groups has proven that they are not worthy of my acceptance because their lies are unending. I especially detest the worst of the worst, professional politicians. I know that political parties are destructive to any nation’s future...