Trying to Forget 2023

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart

 

I am writing this article on the morning of January1, 2024. I am celebrating the end of one of the worst years in my life, and remembering some of the good.

As a political writer, I mourn the end of truth, the rejection of facts and acceptance of blatant lies as reality. I am saddened by the increase in corruption in our government, and its complete incompetence to perform its function and duties. I fear the rise of fascism not seen in America since the dark days of the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. I am completely disgusted by the irrefutable fact that America has become a nation void of laws. The rich and powerful continue to be immune from being punished for their crimes against the people of the United States of America. Only indigent Americans pay full price for their crimes.

America now ranks last in quality of life. The 2010 Decennial Census and the 2020 Census revealed that adjusting for inflation, the income of the average working man had declined, not risen, for several decades, while the number of our nation’s millionaires and billionaires increased, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2023, America’s economy moved from capitalism to a plutocracy. “Greedflation” continues to be a major problem for most of our country’s people.

I don’t know what will happen to our nation’s people over the next few years, but I am not optimistic. For most of my 77 years I remained hopeful that the patriotic members of our federal government would defeat the evil doers in Washington. However, now that one entire party has embraced Donald Trump’s fascist policies, all hope is lost.

Sadly, the invasion of Ukraine will enter its third year in February. The conflict predicted to last one month by Vladimir Putin has now cost countless deaths in Ukraine of innocents, but also the estimated demise of nearly 300,000 of Russia’s military.

Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu continues what can only be called “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinian people in Gaza, and our government continues to support his war crimes.

Also lost in 2023 were numerous Americans who will be remembered for generations to come. In the world of music and television the world lost Tina Turner, Suzanne Somers, Matthew Perry, Raquel Welch, Richard Belzer, Alan Arkin, David McCallum, Richard Roundtree, Tom Sizemore, Jimmy Buffett, Burt Bacharach, David Crosby, Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, and Norman Lear, among others.

However, our greatest loss is undoubtedly our sense of humanity. America was once respected for its compassion and understanding. These positive qualities have been replaced by anger, hatred, and acts of domestic violence exemplified by the fact that there are more mass shootings in our nation than days on the calendar. No one can argue that the United States has become the most dangerous nation in all of developed nations over the last six years.

I join with millions of people in our country and around the world in hope for real change in 2024. Every nation must choose strong but caring leaders who will seek improvement for the lives of their people. Leaders who rule with the priority of advancing their personal goals and ambitions must be cast aside and replaced with women and men who will serve not dictate.

Vote and vote wisely. Voting for a political party is ignorant.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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Source: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/12/31/2213257/-The-year-in-review-Influential-people-who-died-in-2023?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_6&pm_medium=web

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