Aphorisms and Letters The Grand Experiment—What Went Wrong? A Layman’s Interpretation by Alipio Baldi - HTML preview

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America is celebrating Martin Luther King Day. This national holiday reminds me of how far we have yet to travel before our society eventually fulfills his ―dream‖ of a color-blind society. Mr. King was not a perfect man; not unlike many of us, he was a flawed individual. His personal failings, however, in no manner diminished the essential nature of his vision. Unfortunately, his understanding of racial equality and all that it entails has been pre-empted by radical bigots and political opportunists seeking to promote racial animosity for their own political reasons, supported, in part, by the unwitting few who, however well-intentioned, have lent legitimacy to cynical designs superceding Mr. King‘s vision of a society impervious to color where each of us is measured on the basis of character and quality of substance. These individuals have made a mockery of the very principles he firmly embraced.

• • •

…Let the dead bury their dead, whatever (our) perceived failings, having colored our impressions, devolving into self-mockery and despair occasioned by grudging acceptances/possibilities of what is (now) and will (become), mis-perceived at our own risk, piecing together the fragments of our shattered existence (while) restoring order and meaning to the underlying currents that define who we were, are and hope to become…

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• • •

An alarming number of activist or ―progressive‖ judges, depending on one‘s point of view, entrusted by the American People to correctly interpret and impartially execute (the) law(s) of our nation, are (otherwise) engaging in cultural warfare aimed at rocking the (traditional) political and social foundations established by our Founding Fathers by anointing themselves the Guardians of the ―Social Conscience.‖ Operating behind the protective shield of constitutional law(s), many are disingenuously distorting the Constitution‘s essential meaning (or intent) by injecting their own value judgment(s) into the Law(s) in the manner of penumbral interpretations that seek to fulfill the social and political requirements of their peculiar world view. This (haughty) breach of public confidence must inevitably undermine the average citizen‘s faith in a judicial system widely perceived to be governed by Men rather than Laws.

• • •

Relying on quick fixes rather than focusing on root causes perpetuates the problem!

• • •

A program coordinator at ABC News was fired recently for (unwisely, perhaps) proposing balanced points of view ―unseemly‖ to that news agency‘s left-leaning agenda. It took a great deal of courage swimming against the conventional tide by suggesting

―conservative‖ viewpoints contrary to the network‘s liberal orthodoxy. His sense of fair play may have cost him his job although he may (hopefully) derive some measure of satisfaction in knowing that his journalistic integrity wasn‘t compromised in any way.

• • •

Ambition stokes the fires that (sparks) motivates behavior.

• • •

The Welfare State has ‖succored‖ many an individual at the expense of that individual‘s Individuality by undermining that individual‘s self-awareness; a sense of his or her (inherent) dignity and self-worth, thereby (existentially) alienating that individual from him or her self by becoming less a free-thinking individual than an integral component of the common herd.

• • •

A child‘s maturity level is determined in part by that child‘s (incipient) understanding of things that are factual or real (or possible) in contrast with ideas considered to be a product of wishful thinking or make-believe that are otherwise agreeable in themselves provided that the (rational) limits and conditions of the imagination are properly outlined. A creative imagination, one that isn‘t utterly fantastic, is a necessary component of a potentially active, inquisitive young mind. A child‘s imagination, however, should be grounded on a mature understanding of what is reasonably attainable, morally wholesome and possible or desirable, for that matter, rather than irrational, spiritually harmful, far-fetched or unbecoming while operating within the prescribed limits of a balanced mindset; that is to say, the manner that child will one day be expected to interact with other people; that is to say, by providing in measure what is expected in kind. The absence of sound reality checks, a condition common among dysfunctional households, oftentimes distorts a child‘s (emotional) sense of proportion; conditioned as many of them are by undisciplined, emotionally challenged environments that fail to provide spiritual sustenance and practical guidance to that child. Provided ample opportunities to self-destruct, that child soon acquires disagreeable habits that, reinforced by common attitudes, establishes the rocky foundations of a society populated by lingering, single-minded adolescents who, guided by their own (―exceptional‖) rules of conduct, acquire self-centered and perhaps anti-social points of view devolving into a collection of interchangeable parts reflecting the questionable character of that society‘s lowest forms that must negatively impact its social, cultural and political institutions including schools, churches, political organizations, judicial system, the news media, corporations, all! A free and open society should never impose arbitrary limits or draw uncertain conclusions as to how an individual should (otherwise) think or act however eccentric or unconventional such attitudes may appear; although that society, by example, should seek to broaden exemplary manners and customs essential to the maintenance of proper form if that society hopes to function effectively.

• • •

How many ―sensitive‖ and ―caring‖ types are likely to disregard the salutary requirements of their fellows!

• • •

The American Constitution is oftentimes referred to as an evolving or living document. I prefer ―living‖ document, myself. Its elasticity is grounded on the assumption that our society is a living organism subject to the vicissitudes of enlightened opinions, changing social and moral values and evolving standards of decency. America is not the America of the eighteenth century; neither are most Americans. What has not changed, however, are the underlying assumptions of Freedom and Natural Rights that every citizen is entitled and the protection of such inalienable rights by our government. What quickly comes to mind is Prohibition. How ill-conceived! Or the ―Unborn.‖ What law protects their Rights? Or laws conferring arbitrary advantages and special privileges to certain individuals or favored (―political‖) groups at the expense of others? I am not at all certain that this is what the founding fathers had in mind when this document was initially conceived. Its flexibility wisely allows our judicial system to adapt to political, social and economic arrangements vastly complex in proportion to the evolving requirements of a pluralistic society. It was not intended, however, to undermine, through judicial fiat or perverse legal interpretation, the freedoms that every American should properly enjoy without exception. It was not intended to divide and conquer in order to advance an individual (or group‘s) social and political agenda.

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It was not intended to promote arbitrary designs by prejudicial jurists with political axes to grind. It is a (legal) document understood in its ―strictest‖ sense, subject to revisions and amendments by both legislative branches of our government whenever called upon or required or by Referenda and Plebiscites sanctioned by Popular Vote.

• • •

I don‘t believe in the ―Age of Innocence‖, although I believe that recent generations have witnessed a rescission of innocence in proportion to mitigating sentiment in contrast with sentimentality.

• • •

In its quixotic attempt to eliminate handguns, New York City has conceived a hare brained plan whereby any citizen possessing a firearm may redeem it, no questions asked, in exchange for gift certificates. This Pollyannish initiative appears to be catching on in other high crime urban centers as well. This political gimmick has little if anything to commend itself. Handguns are dangerous, of course. Although I agree that gun licenses should not be issued arbitrarily and only under extraordinary circumstances, isn‘t reasonable to assume that the vast majority of individuals willing to surrender their ―weapons‖, that are (otherwise) gathering dust inside clothes closets, dresser drawers and kitchen cupboards, or stuffed inside a sock, for that matter, represent a small minority of law-abiding citizens who, in any event, would be unlikely to use them, unless pressed, unlike hardened criminal elements in the community who wouldn‘t give a second thought to surrendering the tools of their trade unless they were compelled to do so? A fifty-dollar gift certificate from Macys is insufficient compensation for the criminally-minded. That‘s 20th century liberalism for you!

• • •

A friend of mine recently stated that he envisions a day when America will return to a (de facto) separate but equal society. That would be unfortunate, if such an event were indeed possible, considering the hard fought efforts of individuals and groups spanning generations who strove to achieve a color-blind society contrary to the racial designs of bigots who, unfortunately, will always be among us. Neither would a movement as such, for a variety of reasons; secure a moral consensus among the American People who would properly consider such designs as morally repugnant and offensive to a society‘s standard of decency. His argument, however, appears to have some validity from the standpoint that our nation seems to be more group oriented than at any other time since the early 20th century. Ironically, this trend appears to be declining among Blacks and Whites, although a reemerging phenomenon appears to be gaining momentum among ―recently‖ arrived ethnic groups spanning second and third generations or perhaps it only seems that way. As our (collective) body of shared values continue to diminish under the dynamic influence of multiculturalism and where the evolution of self-contained communities, especially in our inner cities, continues mapping their (own) chartered course, such events must inevitably give rise to expanding pockets of diverse groups who, as a rule, feel more at ease in their (own) ethnic environments perceived to be culturally and socially sympathetic to their needs contrasted by ‖homogenous‖ groups who, increasingly threatened by ―foreign‖ values that provide little, if any meaning, seek refuge of their own.

• • •

Tolerance for alternative lifestyles neither seeks to advance nor support a particular lifestyle but ―accepts‖, rather, an individual‘s right to engage in a lifestyle of his or her own choosing provided that the adopted lifestyle neither challenges nor antagonizes

―conventional‖ customs or manners; that is to say, that are otherwise considered ordinary or common or perceived hostile towards that society‘s (own) partial values.

• • •

The absence of (ethical) standards must inevitably promote moral and spiritual confusion while ushering the decline of civilized manners whenever ―customary‖ standards of right and wrong, good and evil no longer provide substantive meaning or moral authority. Moral Relativism, I believe, promotes moral laxity. Whether as (casual) observers or active participants, each of us is equally to blame, more so the former for our indifference!

• • •

The expression ―Feet of Clay‖ implies a transitory, material existence that is essentially weak or flawed or (otherwise) subject to decay; contrasted with spiritual existence that is eternal, everlasting and timeless. If one allows that worldly values are the off-springs of worldly customs, (alone); that is to say, restricted to non-spiritual matters, and that eternal values are necessarily eternal in meaning; neither limited by space nor time, which would otherwise render them meaningless and incomprehensive in form; universal or eternal Values must necessarily embrace all existence, including the ―Material‖ that (always) was, is and will become, without exception; the expression or starting point of God‘s own Creation, in His own Image consonant with His own laws or (Eternal Values), whose impressions have been (indelibly) stamped on all things potentially eternal. By this argument alone, worldly and eternal cannot be separated otherwise such equivocations that must inevitably follow would negate the eternal order of things that transcends, although embracing, the worldly order of things each in conjunction with Eternal Designs.

• • •

I was deeply moved the other evening while watching President Reagan‘s birthday celebration hosted by Republican Party notables.

Addressing his well wishers, his boyish countenance revealing signs of age however retaining its youthful glimmer, his delivery, once flawless, however a tad slower and unsteady, I was suddenly overcome by fits of tears. Once again it was 1981 but of course it really wasn‘t 1981 and therein lay the rub, that this great and gentle man, who was/is a genuine American Hero, a Man for all Seasons and 22

one of our nation‘s greatest presidents, would not be among us much longer.

• • •

Under the provisions of a proposed law sponsored by our co-presidents designed to promote smoke-free environments, tobacco consumption will soon be restricted or prohibited altogether in public areas traditionally frequented by smokers including restaurants, barrooms, casinos, racetracks and pool halls among other social venues. To ensure proper compliance, undercover ―health agents‖ will covertly insinuate themselves in these ―dens of iniquity‖ and report any violations to the federal agency(s) charged with its enforcement. Preliminary warnings will be issued to first time offenders followed by fines, stiffer penalties and suspension of licenses.

• • •

Sincerity, not Intention, is the Hallmark of Forgiveness.

• • •

The greatest sinners are the Corrupters of Virtue.

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Central Europe, because of its strategic (military) importance, will invariably find itself caught in the middle of a geopolitical tug-of-war between East and West.

• • •

Everything being equal, democratic forms seldom match up favorably against autocratic designs unrestricted by the codes of civilized conduct. This is especially true as it relates to our war against (cunning) terrorists adept at using our nation‘s (own) rule of law to their (own) strategic advantage(s).

• • •

Although American Foreign Policy should never enthusiastically embrace or commit its intellectual and material resources to nations of questionable (moral) character, geopolitical realities dictate that it remain flexible whenever its national interests are at stake.

• • •

Provided that the acquisition of (new) knowledge is properly assimilated and that individuals are mindful of what history has taught them, a society should acquire certain advantages over preceding generations. (We ―stand on the shoulders of giants‖)

• • •

The time and place of our passing is written in The Book of Life. (Aunt Alice)

• • •

Assumptions extending beyond reasonable limits rise to the level of the incredibly absurd!

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The biblical allegory of the Beast and the Dragon as written in the Book of Revelation foreshadowed, perhaps, the emergence of Science and Technology and society‘s insatiable attachment to Material Things (False Prophets). It seems that our society‘s consummate pursuit of Material Things proportionate to its increasing indifference to Spiritual Things has sterilized our souls in a manner that has left many of us intellectually and morally barren and susceptible to whimsical notions of corporeal designs.

• • •

A modernist version of wealth creation has superseded the (industrialized) ―smokestack‖ economy ushered by the Industrial Revolution over a century ago. Softer skills in the field of information, commercial and industrial technology, computer and software designs, among others, are gradually replacing the diminishing demands for unskilled labor (especially) among manufacturing and factory workers whose positions are facing daunting challenges from computer-based technologies. The challenges facing our schools will prove to be enormous in the coming years. The American workforce will need to become properly schooled and trained in order to meet the specialized requirements of an increasingly high-tech global market environment or otherwise run the risk of having their jobs outsourced. To the swift of mind indeed go the spoils!

• • •

Excessive wealth accumulation, I believe, is a subconscious reaction to our fear of death inasmuch as we attempt to hold it in check by focusing our attention on material pursuits rather than the other way around.

• • •

That Economics will never achieve the status of an exact science is understood by the problematical parameters of arbitrary designs; fragile models subject to prejudicial or variable assumptions. They offer at best, an impressionistic view of economic reality.

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While recently visiting the Smithsonian with a friend, (Patrick Kelly) I could not help noticing how underrepresented the Greek and Roman exhibits were in relation to Northern African and Central American exhibits on display. In fact, the latter were (the) more prominent. Although Western Civilization has not yet assumed a subordinate role vis-à-vis the politically correct cultures of antiquity, i.e. Civilizations of ―Color‖, the pattern(s) unfolding are unmistakable. The inevitable marginalization of Greco/Roman‘s immeasurable contribution(s) to Western Civilization is well under way.

• • •

If the supposed importance of heated arguments were properly measured (beforehand) in proportion to their presumptive standing, there would (arguably) be fewer arguments.

• • •

The obsessive fascination with Socialism by Western European nations never ceases to amaze me. Its precedential shortcomings should be apparent by now after prolonged experience with failed (economic) policies. Even fledgling Third World countries, when given the opportunity, are superceding its flawed assumptions with more reasonable designs favorable to free and open markets. I can‘t help wondering whether free enterprise isn‘t better suited for the demands of energetically robust societies rather than thoroughly exhausted ones content on living off their remaining capital; expending what little energy is left on meeting the custodial requirements of its aging populations rather than the urgent requirements of its younger citizens.

• • •

The opponents of ―Wealth‖ oftentimes ignore its humbler origins by rejecting off-hand the many hardships that many financially successful individuals had to endure—hard work, taking calculated risks and self-sacrifice in order to acquire their fortune(s). That many financially successful individuals should decide to pass along the fruits of their labors to their families and loved ones instead of having them arbitrarily redistributed to other individuals, should be a prerogative of acquired wealth; a privilege enjoyed by those who have properly earned it and should enjoy the right of disposing it as they think fit. I am not speaking of income taxes, which every citizen is expected to pay his or her ―fair‖ share, however the (morally) insidious Estate or ―Death‖ tax, that truly constitutes a miscarriage of justice!

• • •

Muckraking does not seek to expose political corruption for the benefit of an (enlightened) society but seeks perverse pleasure, rather, in exposing the moral and ethical failings of flawed individuals.

• • •

The decline of great civilizations is not entirely owing to economic reasons. It is a gradual process precipitated by a variety of factors including economic disruptions, natural disasters, over-population, famine and disease. It is often times, however, the result of self-destructive tendencies common to decaying cultures that have grown (morally) listless and (intellectually) indifferent to their (historic) traditions because of their (material) opulence, perhaps.

• • •

What is it about an affable scoundrel that makes us wink at improprieties or worse, legal transgressions? I‘m referring, of course, to our own President William Jefferson Clinton who, along with the First Lady, have offered us Whitewater, Madison Savings and Loan, Rose Law Firm, Cattle Options, Travelgate, Filegate, Loral Communications, Buddhist Temple Fundraisers, (the) Lincoln Bedroom, (the) mysterious ―suicide‖ of Vincent Foster, Sex Scandals and Arkansas Mafia for our consideration. Suspicious ‖suicides‖, in particular, do not seem to make much of an impression on liberal journalists eager to protect one of their own by glossing over the legal and ethical failings of their favorite sons and daughters (which is putting it mildly) and reporting them on page 23 of the Washington Post or the New York Times; that would otherwise have discredited a Republican Administration and brought it down to its knees. That many of us can look at ourselves in the mirror each and every day and see a reflection of Mr. Clinton, is most troubling of all. Perhaps that explains why the Public has been willing to provide him with a free pass!

• • •

We should all stand on guard against falling prey to unwarranted suspicions as they oftentimes relate to other people who may otherwise think or behave differently than we do. On the other hand, we should also be wary of individuals of questionable character.

In other words, we are ultimately defined by our (own) actions and the way we behave towards other people. The liberal exchange of ideas does not necessarily imply their acceptance although we should all properly respect (creditable) thoughts and opinions in whatever manner they may differ from our own private viewpoints.

• • •

Does anyone remember when (Sport) was only a game?

• • •

Nothing quite captures Americana as vividly as a Frank Capra film.

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Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a recent tax audit, was able to recall 14 years after the fact, $1 dollar (each) deduction for ―worn out‖

panties she generously donated to the poor (ugh!), however drew a blank when called upon to provide details on a $1,000 dollar investment in futures that grossed $100,000!

• • •

―Irresistible Impulse,‖ or the devil made me do it, has become the latest excuse employed by defense attorneys superseding, in part, the more traditional Insanity Plea.

• • •

I was watching a heavyweight championship fight the other night at a friend‘s (Robert Favata) home. I forget which (boxing) federation was sanctioning the bout; there are so many nowadays that it‘s hard keeping track. Boxing, I feel, has lost much of its mystique in recent years. The holder of the heavyweight championship belt was once considered hot stuff. The popularity of the modern fighter, however, is problematical. Some fighters, no doubt, still capture our imaginations. Many, however, have become the products of media hype. The fight game was once considered a poor man‘s sport, not a sport tailored for millionaires and prima donnas fighting once or twice a year for obscene paychecks exceeding what many of their predecessors earned over a lifetime.

Perhaps that was part of the ―glamour‖ that attracted the working classes who were able to ―connect‖, in some manner, with hungry boxers fighting for nominal purses; average Joes that they could otherwise relate to.

• • •

Richard Milhous Nixon, thirty-seventh President of the United States, passed away over the weekend. A Conservative‘s Liberal and a Liberal‘s Conservative, Mr. Nixon was an enigmatic man of prodigious intellect and talent. He was a man who hoped to be loved by all but was loved by few…..including many of his political ―supporters‖. He resigned from the Office of the Presidency once impeachment proceedings appeared imminent. His most belligerent detractors on the Left have never quite forgotten his role in the Watergate cover-up although if the truth were known, ―Alger Hess‖ was the underlying catalyst behind their unwavering contempt for the man. This staunch anticommunist was vilified by communist sympathizers, fellow travelers, and useful idiots not to mention a number of Conservatives who, as his party‘s Elder Statesman, (properly) rejected his overtures to (Communist) China. His unfortunate flirtation with Keynesian Economic Policies (Wage and Price Controls) and prolonging the ―Great Society‖ by introducing fresh initiatives, threw a monkey wrench into the economy but enough of that! Seeking (public) forgiveness, if not self-forgiveness, this tormented soul sought redemption in seclusion and productive writing. His political ambitions softened by age, Nixon‘s geopolitical literary output subsequently earned him international acclaim and the grudging respect from his political enemies, many of whom he oftentimes consulted with on Foreign Affairs in his later years. Should history one day shed its political bias and evaluate Nixon‘s career objectively, he will be remembered as one of the twentieth century‘s most influential Statesmen but certainly not one of its more memorable Presidents.

• • •

America‘s relative decline as the world‘s eminent global leader is not unprecedented when understood by the parallel decline of many (Great) Nations. Times may change. Events influencing the winds of change, however, remain remarkably constant. A condition common to many Great Nations in decline is complacency; a weakening of (national) resolve that eventually causes many (erstwhile) Great Nations to gradually abandon their moral bearing. Having grown too comfortable, perhaps, many oftentimes acquire a taste for easy living, maintaining the status quo and aversion for confrontations; choosing to appease or soften criticisms both foreign and domestic, rather than standing on its traditional principles. In other words, that Great Nation subconsciously surrenders its role as World Leader because it has lost the Will to Lead. Its national designs become increasingly unclear, its moral purpose, uncertain. The Rabble grows restless, their material demands, insatiable. Rooted in pleasure, Human Nature‘s inordinate capacity for consumption, having gone unchecked, losses all sense of moderation and proportion. Beleaguered by the overwhelming demands of its citizens, government must either pay proper tribute or risk shaking an already tremulous foundation. The loyalty of the Rabble must be preserved at whatever cost lest that nation‘s political ―leaders‖ fall out of favor. A depleted treasury must find creative ways of raising revenue however dry the well in order to pacify the demands of its citizens; engendering more spending promoting a vicious cycle of tax and spending policies sapping the energies and moral vitality of its productive citizens who grow increasingly cynical while the Rabble grows more demanding and the government more obliging.

• • •

Vanity: Moral Superiority and Self-Righteousness.

Appetite: Acquisition of Material Things.

Flattery: Nourishment for the Ego.

Each for their own sake…

• • •

Adornments are enhancements to dress requirements serving no functional purpose, other than satisfying Vanity.

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My wife (Rose) and I had dinner the other evening at the Westchester Premier Theatre which featured a play, Sayonara, adapted from a novel written by James Michener. The story (in a nutshell) is about inter-racial marriages between American servicemen and their Japanese girlfriends and the conventional (racial) barriers that stood in their way. Alas, one couple commits double suicide because neither could any longer bear the thought of living apart from the other. This is too much! I must be spiritually and morally obtuse because these hackneyed storylines seldom seem to ―move‖ me.

• • •

Retroactive taxes are unfair to taxpayers, not to mention unethical and in my opinion, unconstitutional. Taxpayers should not be blind-sided after the fact; that is to say, forced to pay taxes on what basically amounts to paying taxes on taxed income that has already been spent or planned on being spent, perhaps, but provided ample opportunity to properly assess (beforehand) the impact prospective tax increases, or tax reductions, for that matter, will have on their household budgets. Faced with the prospect of paying (marginally) higher taxes, taxpayers may (otherwise) decide to manage their finances accordingly by (either) spending less or postponing spending on all non-essential items. Designed to provide a safety net for fiscal mismanagement, this egregious measure undermines financial planning while defla