TheWiseOldFart

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   It is an irrefutable fact that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the greatest president in America’s 247-year history. He never wavered in his support for the majority, fighting corruption perpetrated by the super-rich, and greedy politicians in an attempt to improve the quality of life for most Americans. He was the only true American President. Not even our founding fathers placed the value of the working class in priority number one. His initial reluctancy to enter World War II was founded upon the fact that he was aware that it is always the poor and working class who fight wars, never the wealthy. However, he wisely prepared for the possibility of American involvement, and when our nation was attacked on December 7, 1941, America was ready to engage in the defeat of the Axis powers. In 1981 Ronald Reagan began the right-wing’s war on the working class. He hated unions because they protected workers from the atrocities of corporate America. Over the ne

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Politicians believe that reelection and spinning the facts are more important than the truth. Their personal goals and ambitions take precedence over everything else. However, the most powerful man in the world is showing his courage and “telling it like it is,” regardless of retaliation from Fox News and other right-wing extremist broadcasts and publications. Kudos to President Biden. Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy sold his soul and his power to the fascist Freedom Caucus to win his position as the Speaker. They are now calling for a government shutdown. "Let's be clear: if the government shuts down, that means members of the Congress — members of the U.S. military are going to have to continue to work and not get paid," Mr. Biden said at a dinner hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus, or CBC, in Washington Saturday night. "A government shutdown can affect everything from food safety to cancer research to Head Start for children.&q

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Fact: the largest number of innocent people slaughtered by invading armies were the result of wars waged by religious entities. Wealthy Americans are the enemy of the majority. All religious leaders are members of the wealthy class and pay zero dollars in taxes, although they in violation of the First Amendment. Religious leaders pay zero dollars in taxes and live the lifestyle of the super-rich. Every Sunday they preach their lies and half-truths with only a single intention; convince them to increase the amount of money they place in the collection plate. Money truly is the root of all evil, and money is the only issue of importance in America. You and I mean nothing to the wealthy, religious leaders, or politicians. All three are only concerned with your money and your votes. I support anyone who is a true believer. However, I ended my belief in organized religion in 1962 when I was sixteen. I was convinced that all religions were created by mortal men who

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Several members of my family who have supported a more conservative agenda throughout their lifetime, no longer trust either political party in Washington. Although I remain an Independent, I find it impossible to support any man or woman in Washington who claims to be a Republican. The Party of Lincoln met its final demise in January of 2017. The truth is that I no longer have faith in any politician in Washington. The very fact that both political parties allowed a man who hates America to become our 45 th president is unforgivable. This was final proof that politicians protect each other, the people must fend for themselves. Crime in every form exists on Capitol Hill. Corruption is rampant and we continue to experience a dysfunctional government. Let me give you a small example which is actually a “big deal.” When a Fisher Price product began killing dozens of babies, it went unreported by our government. They were aware of the danger. However, a stipulati

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   The bottom line: the New Orleans Saints lost because their Head Coach failed to run the ball three times and get his field goal kicker in position to win the game. The Minnesota Vikings lost because their coach did not have their Quarterback spike the ball. They would have had two plays to gain a victory. 53 players risk injury and giver their all to play this game, and to have an incompetent coach lose the game is unforgivable. Dennis Allen, head coach of the Saints, should be fired immediately. All he needed to win the game was a field goal. With less than two minutes left, he allowed his backup QB to pass the ball. If he would have run the ball up the middle, he would have used time and placed his kicker in a better position to gain the victory. Terrible decision. Kevin O’Connell, head coach of the Vikings, needed a touchdown to win. His refusal to save time for his quarterback guaranteed a loss. Both of these men should be fired on Monday mor

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   It should not surprise anyone that Trump is refusing to attend Wednesday evening’s primary debate on Fox. With a low level of intelligence his greatest concern is the probability that he would once again make a complete fool of himself. According to the polls, which I do not believe, there is no reason to have a debate if Trump is leading all challengers by 30-40 points. Think about this carefully. On November 5, 2024, the man representing the former Republican Party will be facing numerous felonies, and possibly be running for the presidency from a prison cell. Only in today’s America, which is not comparable to the nation of my early years. We are the world’s biggest joke and it’s not funny. Trump is a traitor who committed the most grievous crime against our nation on January 6, 2021. He is also guilty of committing the same crimes as the Rosenbergs in the 1950s and should be executed in the same manner. If Trump has any chance of winning the pres

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Greedflation, increases in Medicare, and insufficient increases in Social Security prove that our government and corporate America are colluding to kill older Americans as quickly as possible. My wife and I have one income: our Social Security. We struggled as millions of others do. In 2019 we were surviving, and that is the only accurate term I could use. Today our food bill has increased by about 35 percent. Our gas and electric bill increased 37 percent. Gasoline prices have risen by more than 40 percent. Medicare has risen by about 20 percent. I have found ways to reduce our automobile and homeowner’s insurance, but every other necessary expenditure has increased. The 8.5 percent increase in our Social Security checks we began receiving in January of this year fail to compensate for the increase in the cost of necessities. Greedflation, a planned increase in commodities, and a minimal increase in Social Security in 2024 will endanger our very existence. We

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   If you need a perfect example of a politician with a total lack of intelligence, no one is better than Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana. There is a contest within the once Grand Old Party. It will decide who is the most idiotic and laughable man or woman on the right side of the aisle. Although it is extremely close with such fools as Ted Cruz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kevin McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan, Lauren, Boebert, and others, I nominate Kennedy as the biggest ass in the world of Pachyderms. Everything coming from the piehole of the Senator from Louisiana is disgraceful and a complete fallacy. He is definitely in contention to replace Ted Cruz as the worst senator in American history. After Attorney General, Merrick Garland, answered a large number of moronic questions, with the intention of protecting Trump in future criminal actions, Kennedy made another of his infamous and senseless remarks. “I thought Attorney General Ga

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   The truth is a rare commodity in America today. If someone in power, most significantly a politician, is speaking, whatever they are saying is probably a lie. Over the last 40+ years our government has become highly secretive. They are hiding their own sins from the American people because the truth would result in the loss of elections. Corruption is standard operating procedure in our nation today. This situation was exacerbated during Trump’s illegitimate presidency as the fourth estate recorded between 50,000 and 75,000 lies told by your failed president between 2015 and 2021. Every member of his party followed his example for a single reason, to protect their fascist leader. The worst of the worst is Representative Jim Jordan from Ohio. He screams and yells as he questions individuals with no intention of allowing them to give an honest and complete answer. This is a technique he learned from Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Tucker Carlson on Fox News. As

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   It is an irrefutable fact that today’s pseudo-Republicans hate the principles of our Founding Fathers, and have no interest in the future of the American People. Studies prove that they are opposed to every issue favored by the majority. The leader of their party is a lifelong criminal, a sexual predator, a fascist, the biggest traitor in American history, and the worst American president by far. I couldn’t make this s**t up. The truth is that the real Republican Party began to implode in 1981. Trump and his followers completed its demise in 2017, and it will never return. The ideals and principles of the former Grand Old Party are dead and forgotten. Today’s group has moved so far to the right they have embraced the ideas of fascism. Human rights, liberty and justice for all, and the ideals of understanding and compassion have long been forgotten. Money is their only god, and support from the wealthiest five percent of our nation’s people is priority number o

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   I loved all three professional sports when I was young. I was a huge fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. As rule changes, and even the lack of change became realities, I no longer had any interest in professional baseball or basketball, and in 2023 I am losing my interest in the NFL. First and last, as it is for everything else in America, the primary reason: money. All major professional sports have placed profits ahead of the games. No average working man can afford to attend any of the games on a regular basis. I will also discuss free agency, television profits, and salaries which are beyond ridiculous. America is a money cult, not a nation of people. If you are not rich, you can only dream about the American way of life promised in books and movies. The second reason which caused me to lose interest in other sports is free agency. The greed of athletes destroyed the “team concept” forever. The Monday Night

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   2006. This was the first year the F-35 combat aircraft rolled out of the Lockheed-Martin factory in Fort Worth Texas. In September of 2023, problems with the aircraft continue and there is no expected date for mass production. The Pentagon’s budget is nearing one-trillion dollars annually. However, projects like the F-35 have proven not to be cost effective. This is government waste at its worst. The recent estimate claims that one aircraft will cost about $120 billion, with long term costs estimated to reach $1.3 trillion over an estimated 66-year lifespan. Here’s what’s interesting. Tests of the F-35 have been inconclusive. In a simulated “dogfight,” it lost to the now antiquated F-16. No one can guarantee its effectiveness or reliability in actual combat situations. Let’s look at another situation reported from the Herlong Army Base in Northern California. It has been reported that there are hundreds of Abrams Tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   On this day, 9-18-23, what are House Republicans doing? They are focusing on two things. First, they want to impeach President Biden, although there are no valid reasons. Second, they want to put thousands of American out of work by shutting down the government. I ask you, what good will these two actions accomplish for the American people? Who in the hell are these guys? Why are they in Washington? Over the last 14 years the men and women who call themselves Republicans have earned the label of “the party of no.” It is true that they have accomplished nothing of value since the inauguration of President Barach Obama, but a more accurate label would be “the party without purpose.” Today’s fake Republicans refuse to perform the jobs for which they were elected. The path they have chosen will destroy every positive accomplishment made by a real government over the last 60-70 years. The most accurate name for the members of the once Grand Old Party of today is “b

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   What do these six words have in common? The first five are reminiscent of Trump’s two impeachments, and Moscow Mitch McConnell’s refusal to give him a fair trial. These same five words are proof that the rich and powerful are always above the law. The sixth word is of no value because justice in America is non-existent if you are a Republican politician. Yesterday, Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, was acquitted on all charges of corruption by the Texas Senate. He remains under investigation by the FBI. Sound familiar? From Trump to Matt Gaetz dozens of Republican politicians continue to commit felonies and receive a free pass. Over the last six years our government has proven we are a nation without laws, and therefore a nation without justice. Paxton’s supporters in the state senate are promising retribution for more moderate Republicans who brought the charges against Paxton. This is another example of how all Republicans act once elected. They are incapa

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   It began with Ron DeSantis in Florida, and is quickly spreading throughout every red state. The men and women who call themselves Republicans in the 21 st century understand that the truth is the enemy of autocrats and their efforts to end democracy. The accurate term is censorship and is being conducted by traitors to our way of life. The past is of greater importance than immediate concerns about the future. If we fail to learn from our mistakes, we will make them again and again. Nothing proves this fact more accurately than the four years between 2017 and 2021. During those dark years, Donald Trump and his fake Republican Party attempted to move our nation backwards into its vile and racist past. Freedoms, guaranteed by the Constitution, were gradually removed. The second Civil War had begun. Advances in human rights over the previous 60-70 years were under attack and the future of America remains in the balance. The path to fascism begins with the remova

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Everyone and everything somehow receive a free pass when done in the name of Jesus Christ. This is the basic Christian philosophy, if you are one of millions who use the Bible for your own benefit, to protect your personal beliefs. Not for true believers. I dare anyone who proclaims themselves to be a Christian, to show me anywhere in the New Testament where Christ encourages and approves torture and murder. Until I was 16, I was a Catholic. As a pre-teen I considered the priesthood as an option. I read the Bible, and continue to believe that Jesus Christ was a man of peace and love. It is of no concern for me if He was the Son of God, or a prophet, his words had deep, spiritual meaning. Someone should explain these facts to radical “Christian” groups, supported by many of our leaders in Washington, including the last Supreme Court Justice confirmed by Moscow Mitch McConnell’s political party. On Thursday, 9/14/23, five adults and one 15-year-old girl were arr

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   In 2022 the darling of the NRA, Lauren Boebert, faced a runoff during her reelection bid. It appeared that the people of Colorado’s 3 rd district were facing the reality that this woman was totally unfit to hold public office. However, she retained her seat by a few hundred votes in Washington. The question now is can she win in 2024? Boebert is displaying a high level of desperation. She is refusing to support her previous position regarding Republican’s baseless efforts to impeach President Biden, and her adamant support for the worst man in American history, her mentor and idol, Donald Trump. Her usual brash and annoying verbiage seems to have disappeared. In fact, Boebert is staying away from Washington and her fellow Freedom Caucus cronies. She has been “hiding out” in her home state. “I have these dual aspects of national and home,” Boebert told POLITICO as she sat outside the community center in this one-road town that runs parallel to the Colorado Riv

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   “Convict Hunter Biden of Anything.” “Impeach Joe Biden without a legitimate reason.” “Protect Trump even if he is convicted of treason.” “End democracy and create a fascist state.” These are the goals of today’s fake Republican Party. McCarthy is owned by the Freedom Caucus, a group so far to the right it can only be labeled as fascist. Unlike Trump, who was impeached twice for violating the Constitution, Biden has done nothing wrong. Quite the opposite, he saved our nation from additional damage from the Covid-19 disaster created by Trump. He also saved an economy which was moving closer to a depression, while saving millions of jobs. He signed an infrastructure bill which was decades overdo which will help to repair roads, bridges, schools, and decaying government buildings. And America is once again a supporter of the Paris Accord which will aid in the lessening of climate change. However, the failed men and women who call themselves “Republican

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   It’s easy to remember the difficult, and sad times in our life. Why is it so hard to remember when we were truly happy? Let me begin with an irrefutable fact: if you spend hours each day on social media, you will never be truly happy. Social media stresses the importance of wealth, fame, power, and acceptance into a level of society which is unrealistic. Your life will lack fulfillment if your only goal in life is to obtain material things. Let’s make time for a little introspection. Try very hard to remember a time you wished would last forever. Maybe it was the first time you knew you could ride a bike. Could it have been the first time you played baseball, or basketball? It could have been the first time you were kissed by a boy or girl, or danced with someone who you were sure would become the love of your life. We remember our failures and rejections, but not the successes and the joy of our first love. One of my favorite axioms was written fo

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Aaron Rodgers will be 40 this year. He has never been praised for his work ethic, or his training regimen, and it showed on Monday night. On the first offensive series for the Jets, he suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury after a mild tackle and was forced to leave the field for the remainder of the game. Rodgers has never been known as a “team player.” Last season he lied to his team, claiming he had received the Covid-19 vaccine. His lack of leadership was well-known and a point of contention in Green Bay. However, It would be unfair for me to single out Rodgers, and not mention the over-hyped Bills’ QB, Josh Allen. For the last four years sports announcers touted the greatness of Allen, although he has never won the big game. Last night he looked like a rookie and embarrassed himself and his team. He made poor decisions, was inaccurate, and focused solely on one receiver. However, the Bills failed badly in all three phases of the game. It ended in o

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   I’m not sure about what I watched this weekend. The 2023 NFL season began last Thursday, and the 2022 champion Kansas City Chiefs appeared uninterested. Sunday, multiple teams appeared to have forgotten how to play the game, as upsets became normal. I know much of this is the result of free agency in the off season, but the label “professional” should mean something. I’ll begin by telling you that I turned off three games today, including the Sunday night game between the New York Giants and the overrated Dallas Cowboys. This was less interesting than a knitting contest. The other games were between the hapless Pittsburgh Steelers who were hosting the San Francisco 49ers. The Steelers were so courteous to their guests they surrendered any hope for a real game in the first quarter. The other “contest” involved the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns. I think the Bengals forgot that they were scheduled to play a game on Sunday. It was obvious the