TheWiseOldFart

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   If you choose to be ignorant and Trump is elected in November, you will “get what you paid for.” He will not be a president who ser ves our nation and its people, he will use his powers to pardon himself from his own crimes, including treason and espionage, and exact revenge on every true American who would like to see his humungous derriere behind bars for the remainder of his disgusting life , where it belongs.   “America isn’t easy.” This was a line from “The American President,” spoken by actor Michael Douglas.   Think about what this means, because it is very true .   WHETHER AMERICA SURVIVES OR CEASES TO EXIST IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY AMERICAN   The United States of America is a lazy nation in the 21 st century. Everyone wants the easy wa y , the quick way. No one wants to work long and hard for what they want. Produce farmers in California will confirm that younger, American citizens refuse to work in their fields: the work is just too h

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart Let me take you back to how America’s economy functioned in the 20th century. When I was a young man in the late 1950’s and 1960’s I learned about capitalism and how our country flourished throughout the early 20 th century. If a corporation declared a profit of 30 percent or more, it was considered to be one of the top corporations in America. These profits were shared with their employees, and reinvested into their companies to ensure continued growth. Of course some of the profits were awarded to a successful management team in the form of shares in the corporation or bonuses. PROFITS ARE NOW OFF THE CHARTS, AND EMPLOYEES NO LONGER SHARE IN THEIR SUCCESS Today’s large corporations declare profits of 300, 400, 500 percent or more. We have no way of knowing the real number thanks to the tax code. The tax code contains 6,871 pages. Most of those pages are what we call “loopholes,” ways for the super-rich to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. They

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart “America is a business, not a country.” This was a line spoken by Brad Pitt in a movie more than a decade ago. Sadly, it is based on fact. In 2024 our nation’s greedy corporations have left capitalism behind, and have created a Plutocracy. Our country’s 760+ billionaires have complete control of the former Grand Old Party, and partial control over some Democrats. They make every decision which will affect your life and the lives of those you love. At the top of the “worst of the worst” is America’s petroleum industry. They have lied to the American people throughout my 77 years. Whenever they find the smallest excuse, they raise prices unnecessarily. Although they have few restrictions about where they are allowed to drill for oil and gas, no new refineries have been built in more than three decades. THE TRANSPORT AND DRILLING FOR PETROLEUM PRODUCTS ARE  DANGEROUS TO HUMAN LIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT Drilling for petroleum products is a dangerous profession. Even m

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart I love protests; there is nothing more democratic than a peaceful protest focused on a miscarriage of justice or a demand for equal rights and protection under the law. What is happening on our college campuses today reminds me of my experience in the 1960’s. Contrary to lies told by fake Republicans, today’s protests have nothing to do with their invalid claims that the participants are anti-Israel. These protests are in support of the Palestinian people, and how wannabe dictator Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting a form of genocide. REPUBLICANS CONTINUE THEIR EFFORTS TO RECREATE OUR COUNTRY IN THE FORM OF A THEOCRACY It has become clear to every informed American that right-wing politicians seek the repeal of the First Amendment. If Trump finds a way to rig the November election, as he and Putin did in 2016, and is once again gifted the Electoral College, he plans to make Christianity America’s only recognized religion. This is at the core of why rig