TheWiseOldFart

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart Every action has consequences. In 1981, no one paid any attention to Ronald Reagan’s seemingly unimportant demand from his own political party. The mainstream media referred to it as “party unification.” What it really meant was the beginning of fascism within our federal government, and the repeal of rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Reagan demanded unquestioned loyalty from every member of the Republican Party. Every member of the House and Senate on the right side of the aisle was required to support Reagan’s policies without dissent. Thus began the end of deliberation and compromise within the Capitol. This one action is the primary reason why our government is dysfunctional today. This unwritten rule for all right-wing politicians continued throughout the George H.W. Bush single term, the George W. Bush administration, and continues under Trump’s fascist rule. However, under Trump, his party has become extreme, openly displaying its plans to end democr...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart The working parts of our government have been temporarily laid off. Trump claims that he will fire a large number of them before they have an opportunity to return to their jobs. Meanwhile, approximately 565 men and women who make large salaries and do nothing for our nation’s 340 million people, members of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, continue to receive their wages and benefits. The United States has the most corrupt and incompetent government in the world. Millions of Americans, including yours truly, were conned in 1980. We gave our votes to a second-rate actor who promised to lead our country with integrity, intelligence, and honesty. Like all Republicans, he lied. Immediately after his inauguration on January 20, 1981, Ronald Reagan declared wars on the working class, women, and minorities. A short time later, he virtually made Christianity our nation’s “one, true, religion.” His fiscal policy was abysmal. The only Americans benefitti...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart Yes, Richard Millhouse Nixon was a crook. However, he was also the last true Republican President. His accomplishments were many, and for all Americans, not just the super-rich. As the American President from 1969 to 1974, he was the last Republican “working president.” The following are some of his most important successes. Ford, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Trump can only claim two important accomplishments among them. Foreign policy: In 1972, Nixon reinstated diplomatic relations with Communist China. There had been no official meetings for decades. Nixon engaged in negotiations with Soviet Premier, Leonid Brezhnev, for the purpose of creating SALT, an agreement to halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In 1973, Nixon signed the Paris Peace Accords, officially ending America’s involvement in South Vietnam. Prisoners of war, held by the North Vietnamese, were released and allowed to return home. Aided Israel: During the 1973 Yom Kippur War...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart I’m an old, angry man. My anger is mostly under control, with the exception of a few ‘crazy’ minutes every day. I have reasons for my rage, but the only one that matters is what is happening to my America. As most of you know, I am an original baby boomer. I was raised in Los Angeles, California, during a time of great change. I was far too young to understand or appreciate the gravity of the situation. In a very real way, the 1950s and 1960s were a bloodless revolution against the establishment. If you weren’t alive during those times, you will never understand most of what was happening away from the television cameras. ‘They’ called us “hippies,” flower children,” and other terms meant to be derogatory. However, we wore them as badges of honor. The United States of America had become a nation controlled by capitalism. Our leaders preferred war over peace. Wars were “good business.” Unfortunately, President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s successors ignored his parting...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart Republicans don’t understand the word “work.” Back in 1981, Reagan began the right-wing policy of spending less time working, and more time for personal reasons. Ronald Reagan turned 70 years of age just two weeks after his inauguration in 1981. He was clearly incapable of maintaining a work schedule required of a man responsible for more than 300 million people. He took lengthy afternoon naps to “recharge his batteries.” George W. Bush took naps, but he was more famous for his long vacations at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. After his inauguration on January 20, 2001, he left for a “much needed” vacation. A committee focused on information acquired by various national security agencies, came to a decision on January 26, 2001. They made a suggestion to the new president which included a serious consideration related to future terrorist attacks and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. It would oversee the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump are responsible for the demise of the Party of Lincoln. Those who call themselves “Republicans” today are imposters. They have no resemblance to their predecessors. Ten years ago they surrendered their integrity, principles, and morals to Putin’s puppet. They are more appropriately called the “American Nazi Party” in 2025. After years of research, reading and re-reading the history of America’s 249 years, I am positive that Reagan, Bush, and Trump are the three worst presidents in America’s 249-year history. Their actions, demands, and policies forced the demise of the once Grand Old Party. These three old, white men ignored the needs and wishes of the majority of our nation’s people, choosing to serve our country’s wealthiest men and women: billionaires/oligarchs. Reagan, Bush, and Trump share many qualities, none of them positive, progressive, or relevant to making America a great country. All three wannabe dicta...

When presidential historians and other politicos attempt to rate our nation’s 47 presidents, there are always a large number of opinions. As a writer who has been involved in American politics since 2012, I feel qualified to offer my opinion, based on years of reading historical fact and current articles from legitimate sources written by the world’s most respected journalists.   My assessment of our presidents is focused on the 13 men I have experienced in my nearly 79 years. I rate them by applying how well they served all of our nation’s people, their abilities to make decisions which positively affected all of our nation’s people, their loyalty to our country and their willingness to do the right thing every time, regardless of political consequences. Of the 13 men who affected me and those I love since 1956, I believe that only one could be considered great, five were good, and four were a disgrace to the principles and values of our founding fathers. The remaining three were ...

  There are two days in my life I will always remember. I was a senior in high school on November 22, 1963 when a truly great president, John F. Kennedy, was murdered in Dallas Texas. I was out for a morning run on September 11, 2001. As I was coming up the street on which I live, my wife was in the front yard waving at me. I thought it was because my mother, who was under hospice care, had passed. She led me inside to watch the television. What I was seeing seemed unreal. My emotions were immediately out of control. Sadly, the cowardly and tragic events of 9/11 produced changes in our country which continue to cause harm to the principles of our nation. The intentions of the First, Fourth, and 14 th Amendments to the Constitution were greatly damaged with the passing of the Patriot Act, and the creation of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE. 9/11, and the passing of these two unconstitutional actions happened under the watch of George W. Bush. The Patrio...

The undeniable truth is that neither political party exists today. The Party of Franklin Delano Roosevelt is nothing but a memory, and the last Republican president who led the Party of Lincoln was Richard M. Nixon. Yes, Nixon, just check his record. After Ronald Reagan’s victories in 1980 and 1984, cowardly Democrats feared losing elections and began moving away from their liberal principles and more to the right. The party of FDR has never been the same. In that same year, 1980, the election of Ronald Reagan signaled the beginning of the end of the Grand Old Party. Reagan proved that he was a better actor than most people believed. He fooled me and millions of others who were looking for a real leader to take residence in the White House. Reagan informed the entire Republican Party of what his presidency would involve. He was in charge. There would be no opposing opinions or arguments when he declared the party’s position on any issue. In other words, free thought and alternate ideas...

Two statements are accurate: “All Governments are bad, some are simply worse than others,” and “all humans are flawed, some by honest mistakes and some by choice.” Some people choose not to believe that evil is a reality and threatens everything that happens every day in America. These same people fear the inevitable advancement of Artificial Intelligence, AI, for one reason: computers are far more intelligent than any human being. Think about it. If you are a septuagenarian, as I am, you know that over time those we consider to be of great intelligence prove us wrong. Human beings are flawed; some more than others. We must study history, and we must learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of others. Republicans continue their attempts to hide the truth by erasing historical fact. Racism, bigotry, homophobia, religious prejudice, and misogyny would be removed from our history books if those who call themselves “Republicans” have their way. If you would like to experience the essence o...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   My standards for evaluating America’s presidents are very high, but at the core is one question: “How did each president affect the quality of life for the majority of all America’s people?”   My opinion begins with the Declaration of Independence.   “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness .”   How well a president adheres to these principles proves h is or her value or lack of as our nation’s leader.   PRESIDENTS COME GO BUT FEW WILL BE REMEMBERED A S “GREAT”   In America’s 248 - year history, it’s easy to remember presidents which could be labeled as great. Most were “adequate,” a few “good,” and sadly a considerable number were “bad.” There have been 46 presidents, Grover Cleveland twice, but no t consecutively.   My selections for the worst in histo...