TheWiseOldFart

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   If you believe that Fox News is legitimate, bringing their audience facts about current events from around the world, you are making a choice, allowing yourself to be brainwashed. The truth is, Fox was created by Rupert Murdoch in 1996 for two purposes: increase advertising revenue by any means possible, and to become a propaganda machine for right-wing extremists. Their original primetime personalities included one man and one woman who apparently had credentials offering them an opportunity to claim the title of “journalist.” However, after the Roger Ailes scandal, related to sexual harassment and assault, Megyn Kelly resigned. Later it was discovered that their most successful host, Bill O’Reilly, has falsified the contents of his books, and also engaged in actions making him a sexual predator, he was forced to resign his lucrative position. Today, there is only one legitimate journalist on Fox. Bre Baier will never be allowed to report in primetime. The tr

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 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 futu