TheWiseOldFart

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   In my youth I was taught one lesson above all others, to respect authority. In the 1950s this included my priest, the nuns, my mother, our nation’s leaders, the military, law enforcement, and virtually anyone older than I was. This may have been a reality in my youth, I’m not sure. However today, at age 77, I know I was taught some lessons which were not entirely accurate. First and foremost respect cannot be given freely, it must be earned. The 21 st century is the communication age, where information is instant, thanks to an array of communication satellites circling the earth, the truth is exposed, and cannot always be hidden as it was in the past. Therefore, nearly every individual or group on my previous list no longer has my respect. By the time I reached my junior year in high school I no longer believed in religion. I learned that every faith-based organization is founded on fairy tales, and religions were not founded by gods, but by morta

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   While speaking with reporters in Kentucky Wednesday, Moscow Mitch McConnell appeared to ‘freeze’ once again. He remained silent for about 30 seconds. Photos from the event appear to reveal Moscow Mitch as a very frail 81-year-old man. Questions about his health began some time ago when he displayed what appeared to be a purple discoloration on his hands, arms, and face. Recently, questions about his mental acuity have risen. Our government has a serious problem with age, created by the refusal from congress to establish term limits for itself. 19 of our nation’s 535 lawmakers are 80 or older. 54 of our country’s 100 Senators are over 65. The average age of all members of the House and Senate is 64. I strongly oppose agism: I am 77 years old. However, I find it unreasonable that our nation, whose average age is 38.2 years of age, is governed by men and women who should be at home in their rocking chairs with their grandchildren or great grandchildren sitting on

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Groucho Marx: “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” This was an observation from the early days of television. It was accurate. Over the next 70-80 years of television broadcasts, there have been a combination of great, good, interesting, bad, and recently with the obsession of “reality TV” an embarrassment to anyone who possesses average intelligence. I was raised on television. By that I mean that my mother was a single parent, my brother and I were latching key kids, and our only source of entertainment was initially a nine-inch television. This was the early 1950’s and there wasn’t much to see. However, as time passed and our nation became obsessed with the “boob tube,” the early age of television began and I was very happy. I remain obsessed today, but also extremely disappointed. As television expanded into numerous areas of entertainment, including sports, politics, cooking sh

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart     Barack Obama was a good pre s d ident who could have been great if he had not been forced to fight with Moscow Mitch McConnell’s creation known as “the party of no.” However, the truth is that our country has not been blessed with more than a handful of great presidents. The most recent outstanding American leader was murdered on November 22, 1963, during my senior year in high school.    Our nation’s legislative branch is both the most dysfunctional and the most corrupt in the world. The level of incompetence and in many cases self-importance and complete apathy towards the American people has reached beyond the imagination. There is no leadership on the right side of the aisle, and on the left, it is very limited and unimpressive. Corruption is everywhere. Those of us who write about Washington are aware of constant criminal activity, and an atmosphere of secrecy to prevent the American people from gaining knowledge of these facts. If you hear the words,

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   There is no doubt that the men and women who worked in the White House will tell the truth about their experiences working for the madman pretending to be your president between 2017 and 2021. However, some are beginning to leak sections of the insanity created by the malignant narcissist whose ego needs constant care. The most recent to come forward and talk about her feelings is Hope Hicks. [Trump advisor Hope Hicks texted another White House aide on Jan. 6, 2021: “We all look like domestic terrorists now.”] The term “domestic terrorist” did not begin with the Trump administration. However, he and his fascist gang defined it for four years. Thanks to Moscow Mitch McConnell’s refusal to give Trump a fair trial after two impeachments in the House offered proof that he and his Washington Mafia were indeed above the law. Today, even after acts of sedition and treason, he remains a free man. Over four years there were only two questions on the application to work

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   America’s government loves wars. According to politicians, “they are good business.” However, since the 1950’s our military has proven that we are not very good at military confrontations. In fact, we have lost every war since WWII. The wars waged by our government have cost much more than the lives of our finest young men and women, they have prevented funding for social programs which would greatly improve the lives of all Americans. The cost of waging war has damaged the quality of life for every working class American for decades. Waging unwinnable wars has divided our nation and destroyed faith in leadership; deservedly so. Loss of life WWII until today. WWII, 405,399 Korean Conflict, 36,516 Vietnam War, 58,220 Gulf War, 294 Afghanistan, 2,325 Iraq, 4,492 If I eliminate WWII, a conflict not initiated by the United States, I ask a fair question: “what did our nation accomplish in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan, or Iraq? The truth is, we left eac

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   No one with an average IQ has ever taken Trump seriously; he is not a serious man. He has never said anything of importance in 77 years. However, political cartoonists continue to create caricatures displaying Trump as a fool, a charlatan, and a buffoon for decades. He has no sense of humor, because humor requires intelligence. Facts prove that nothing coming from Trump’s pie hole has impressed anyone with average intelligence. In fact, we reject his baseless lies and conspiracy theories. When he was arrested in Georgia last week and posed for his mugshot, he attempted to appear fierce. What a joke. Trump is a bully and all bullies are cowards. Around the world Trump’s mugshot is creating laughter. Laughter at the picture itself, and laughter at the man beneath who continues to prove that he cannot be taken seriously. Mark Hamill, a.k.a. Luke Skywalker, couldn’t resist commenting immediately. “Wonder if he’s tired of winning yet,” wrote Star Wars actor Hamill,

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   When Trump was indicted late last week in Georgia related to interference in the 2020 election, a “mug shot” was taken, and he was required to fill out a form listing his vitals. He listed his weight at 215 pounds. Stop laughing! He has not experienced a weight of 215 pounds for decades. Most recent photos reveal that his weight is more likely near 300 pounds. It's normal to gain weight with age. For the majority of my life, I weighed 175 pounds. Today, at age 77, and three weeks young than Trump, I weigh 210 pounds. I am just under six feet tall and in relatively good shape for my age and physical ailments. Trump is six-feet-three inches tall and obviously feeble. His diet is unhealthy, composed of fats and sugars. If his weight is 215 pounds, I am the king of the world. Trump’s entire life was built on lies, felonies, and misdemeanors. His mug shot reveals the heart and soul of a man composed of evil. Some may think he was being facetious; not true. This

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Fact: the mainstream media, in collusion with your corrupt government, fails to report many stories which would reveal the truth about America in the 21 st century. This proves that our nation is moving closer to fascism than many would like you to believe. Here are some headlines from Google this morning which reveal the real problems facing America today. [Gunman kills three, himself in racially motivated shooting, Jacksonville sheriff says] [Trump raised $7.1 million after Georgia booking, mugshot] ['Walking with our ancestors': Thousands fighting for civil rights attend March on Washington] [DeSantis super PAC pumps more than $12 million into major ad buy] Although I believe the number one issue remains healthcare, followed closely by affordable or free education, there are others not discussed by the mainstream media, although they affect every man, woman, and child in America. The tragic murders in Jacksonville this weekend r