Candidate Roulette My Way

Now that the presidential race is heating up, Fox News has restarted candidate roulette. Every Friday their panel puts money down on who they think will be the democratic candidate. In this, probably my last column, I thought it would be fun to do the same. Obviously, I will not be around to see how accurate I am but conjuring with different results amuses me. 

So, let me begin with the big news, I’m convinced that Donald Trump will win reelection. Part of this is my wishful thinking in that I believe the opposition would be a disaster. What is more, I believe he deserves to win. He has done a far better job as President than I ever imagined.

So, let me turn to the pygmies who want to take him down. Not one of them has presidential timbre. They have ambition, arrogance, and little else.

Joe Biden has to be the first on the list. He really is Sleepy Joe. Throughout his long career, he has achieved almost nothing. About the only thing going for him is that he is a genuinely friendly person.

What will really bring him down if he gets the nomination is the corruption associated with his son. I believe there really was double dealing with respect to China and the Ukraine. If so, it will be impossible to suppress.

Next comes Bernie Sanders. He is old news. Worse than that he is old Socialist news. And if there is something even worse, it is angry old Socialist news. In short, Bernie is no fun anymore.

Next comes Elizabeth Warren. Let me be blunt. I hate dear old Elizabeth. She is one of the meanest people to engage in national politics. And this meanness will have an ever-sharper point as her ridiculous ideas are exposed. 

Elizabeth says that she believes in capitalism. But she hates every capitalist she has ever met. As they say, with friends like this, who needs enemies? Should she ever get into the White House, both our economy and our democracy are doomed. 

After this comes Kamala Harris. Once I thought she was a serious prospect. It has become increasingly evident that her policy ideas have been cobbled together strictly for effect. In essence, she has no center. 

But what really decided me was the way she has responded under stress. She gives out a little girly laugh. I simply cannot imagine that this is what Americans are seeking as president.

After this comes Pete Buttigieg. I almost want to call him Little Boy Blue. He is blowing his horn but with each discordant note, he demonstrates how emotionally immature he is. Sure, he is smart, but we need a president who is a grown up. 

I am going to say something about Kirsten Gillibrand, not because many people think she is a viable candidate, but because she is such an absurdity. This is a woman who should have reached her highest political level as vice president of her high school student government. If she is a champion of womanhood, then Chairman Mao was a champion of human kindness.

Gillibrand is a first-class opportunist, but Corey Booker is giving her a run for her money. He too seems to switch to cute slogans in order to gain attention. I’m repeating myself- but where is his center? Personally, I hate suck-ups. 

Bill DeBlasio has been an object of derision ever since he was first elected Mayor of NYC. Nevertheless, he seems determined to outdo himself. I am not the first person to call him a socialist clown and yet he seems determined to make everyone in the nation come to the same conclusion.

As for Amy Klobuchar, I like her. I think she is a nice and sincere person. I further believe she is doing a decent job as Senator from MN. Unfortunately, that does not make her presidential material. Has anyone seen the strength required of a president in her recent presentations?

As I contemplate the next candidate I want to laugh out loud. Our fairy godmother from the yoga universe, Marianne Williamson has grit if nothing else. As proof, if any is needed that the democratic pursuit of the presidency has descended into low comedy. Next somebody will be nominating Minnie Mouse for president.

Several have decided to push the environmental button. As we approach the impending elections it will become ever clearer that the earth is not about to explode. Yes, we need to do something about the environment, but destroying our economy and our way of life is not the answer. 

For example, Andrew Wang says we need to get to higher ground-the oceans are rising, the oceans are rising! But oh, I forgot- it is the insanity that is rising. If the American public could just calm down they would see how ridiculous this is. By the way, who is Wang, anyway? 

This is only half of the announced candidates, the other dozen or so one percent-ers richly deserve their elevated ranking. Whether they are talking about education or opening up our borders, or claiming that our economy is totally unfair, they cannot make a case if they depend on facts.

My dear fellow Americans, electing a president is not a game show. We all know from whence Trump came, nevertheless, he had real achievements before he became president. None of the members of the democratic vaudeville acts can say the same. Bring back Hillary Clinton!

Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus

Kennesaw State University

Cutting off Our Noses

When I was a small boy my mother said it all the time. You children are cutting off your noses to spite your face. In other words, in defying me, you children are only hurting yourselves. “This is good for you, so do as I say,” was her motto. 

In fact, my mother was often right. We children did defy her and often to a bad outcome. What she wanted us to do would have benefitted us, but we were too stubborn to admit it. 

Now I look around at the crises engulfing our nation and I see millions of people eager to cut off their noses in order to win a political argument. They, especially the liberals, are prepared to destroy our democratic institutions. They want to win at all costs.

Our American democracy is one of the glories of human history. There has never been such a stable democracy anywhere previously and yet many people take it for granted.  They take it so much for granted that they are not prepared to defend it.

Let us first understand what a democracy is. Democracy is rule by the people…all of the people. As we have typically said, this means rule by the majority but with strong respect for minority rights. 

In fact, it means something even more fundamental. It means rule by law. This is how the people govern themselves -it is through the law and respect of the law. This is the only way that we can be fair to one another.

And yet here we are with politicians proposing to open our borders. And here we are with other politicians supporting sanctuary cities. And still others proposing that we destroy our law enforcement agencies. We are even openly disrespecting our police officers.

Democracy does not mean anarchy. Democracy does not mean non-stop insults. Democracy requires cooperation and mutual respect. 

Which brings me to political correctness. Once upon a time, the American democracy was proud to sponsor free speech. Nowadays, many in politics (liberals in particular) want to close down anything they find offensive. They describe this as compassionate, but it is profoundly anti-democratic. 

When I hear the word racism bandied about with no evidence, my heart cringes. When I hear people accused of treason without evidence, my heart breaks. Don’t people care about the vile things they say about others? 

Yes, it is true that President Trump can be careless in his language. His Queens upbringing has produced a directness and sometimes a crudeness that many find unpresidential. Given our history, they are correct. His presidency stands out.

But it doesn’t mean that he is not doing what is in the best interest of our nation.  Whatever his critics might say, he is doing his best to protect our democracy. 

Although he is accused of being a dictator, he has not actually locked up any of his foes. Despite being accused of destroying the free press, he has engaged in no censorship. Those who accuse him of doing so are in fact, far more guilty of these offenses than he is. 

Democracy took millennia to evolve. In the heat of the moment millions of Americans seem eager to throw it away.  They should think twice. They are behaving just the way my sister and I did when we were children. My sister and I were not evil. Neither are progressives. They are merely acting like stubborn children. The actions they pursue, however, are likely to do more harm than good.

America has many problems. We all know that. Democracy is never a done deal. But we must always remember that it is a work in progress. 

When we have problems, people become impatient. Nonetheless, big problems take time to work through. Trying to rush things invariably makes things worse. 

We are going through a period of cultural transition. It is hard to know exactly how things will work out. But throwing a tantrum will not help. Nor will throwing mud on one another. 

The world 100 years from now will look different from our own. So, let us work together to make sure it is a better and democratic one. 

Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus

Kennesaw State University

Race Relations Today

          Dealing with my pancreatic cancer has given me an opportunity to spend a lot of time with Atlanta’s medical health system. It has been a revelation. The medical care I have received is far superior to anything you might have heard about from the Democratic talking points.

            Contributing to my care have been the vast numbers of high quality African American professionals and semi-professionals. They have been knowledgeable, kind, and intelligent. They, as well as all my caregivers, deserve my praise. 

            Let me tell you a story to put this into perspective. It’s a story I have told in my memoir, Too Lazy to Chew: A Memoir of Discovery. It’s a story that comes from when I worked in the New York City Department of Welfare back in the 1960’s. 

            My fellow caseworkers and I took a dim view of how our mostly black clients were being treated by the system. We believed that the powers that were did not really care about the welfare of these poor people. Administration seemed to be all words and no action. 

            But then the NYC Department of Welfare did something unexpected. They came up with a new policy that we all cheered. We thought that they were finally doing something to benefit our clients. 

            The plan was this: they were going to find clients who had not finished high school, who were mostly single mothers, and help them get a GED. And then those who succeeded were going to be provided with the resources to get a college degree. After this, those who succeeded would be hired by the Welfare Department. They would become Case Assistants and finally earn a living wage. We believed that this would finally facilitate meaningful upward mobility for these poor women. 

            But then came the shock. Our current Social Work Assistants were appalled. Indeed, they were furious. This made no sense to us Case Workers-us white Case Workers. How could they be opposed to giving meaningful help?

            Then came the answer. As our current Assistants explained, they were the peers of the women now being helped. But they had made different life choices. They did not drop out of high school because they became single mothers. They got jobs and were still working at them. 

            So where was the fairness, they asked. Where were their college degrees? They were the responsible ones and now the irresponsible ones were going to be their bosses. Where was the fairness?

            This is where we are today with respect to responsible African Americans. We are giving them no credit. It’s as if they do not exist. Today we speak about “race relations.” The focus is on the grifters, the revolutionaries, the layabouts. The ones who scream the loudest about  being cheated are taken at face value. Many assume they are the “real” African Americans, but they are not.

            The real African Americans are the ones I met in the medical health system.  The real African Americans are the engineers, the accountants, and the social workers show help make our system work. They are the real heroes.

            Too often it is assumed that African Americans do not have the ability to keep up with other Americans. This is absurd. Most African Americans are decent, hardworking people who deserve a thank you. God bless them. 

            One of the lessons we should have learned a long time ago is that the more you reward something, the more you get of it. The more you reward sloth and anger the more you get of it. 

            So, let’s start rewarding the good guys. Let’s start putting the focus on the people who have been helping me and helping you. If I can do a little bit to highlight their value, it will please me to no end. 

            Let me add an addendum. We have also been hearing about how terrible white people are. With all the accusations of racism, we would suppose that every white person who is not a radical socialist must be a white supremacist. Nonsense, more nonsense.

            Ordinary white Americans have been called irredeemable. Its as if they have made no progress in accepting Black Americans. Presumably they are as racist as their ancestors were one hundred years ago. 

            But let me explain.  If whites are truly irredeemable, race progress is impossible. That’s what irredeemable means-it cannot be fixed.

            So, if whites can’t be fixed, racism can’t be fixed. We are doomed to be racists forever, so why try to fix things? It’s a waste of time. Do you think this is true? I don’t. So let’s cut out the absurdities. There is work to do in making America what it should be. 

Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus

Kennesaw State University

             

On Jewish Anti-Semitism

Representative Ilhan Omar is an anti-Semite. She was raised on the mother’s milk of anti-Semitism in Somalia. Representative Rashida Tlaib is also an anti-Semite. She was raised on the mother’s milk of anti-Semitism in the Palestinian community. They both hate Jews and Israelis and have said as much many times.

            This is not controversial. Almost everyone in the US is aware of their attitudes. Not just ordinary Americans know this, but politicians do as well. This includes Jewish politicians. 

            The question is: What are we going to do about his uptick in anti-Semitism? We know what Nancy Pelosi decided to do. She decided to do nothing. Instead of condemning it in the House of Representatives, she decided to do nothing. Instead of condemning it in the House of Representatives, she elected to pursue party unity.  She absolutely refused to identify the squad as doing something wrong.

What has received far less attention is that Chuck Schumer has said nothing. Here is a New York Jew who is leader of the senate Democrats and it is as if he has lost his voice. He too seems to favor party unity over the defense of his fellow American Jews and the Israelis. 

My sister who lives in New Jersey tells me that the Chuck Schumer disease seems to be very prevalent in her neck of the woods. The vast majority of her friends and relatives- including many of the Orthodox community- are also refusing to speak up about liberal anti-Semitism. What is this about?

Actually, my sister came up with what I think is the correct explanation. She reminded me of how German Jews responded when Hitler came to power. Instead of resisting him and the Nazis, they attempted to cooperate. In other words, they ignored his anti-Semitism and sought to help people who hated them. 

How could they have done this? As my sister reminded me, they thought of themselves more as Germans than as Jews. Their goal was to demonstrate that even though they were Jews, they were really good Germans. 

We are seeing the same thing today by liberal Jews. These folks think of themselves more as liberals than as Jews. Their goal is to prove that they are good liberals wherever cockamamie directions the progressives go. 

This a common human phenomenon. We saw it among communists during the 1930’s. The instant Stalin switched from opposing Hitler to making a treaty with him, many of the Communist Party switched their attitudes en masse. They didn’t think about it. They simply took the orthodox position without considering the consequences. 

This sort of idiocy is endemic to the current condition. People have adopted all sorts of ideas inimical to this situation in order to remain faithful to the community to which they perceive themselves to belong. 

This is a formula for suicide. Ignoring self-interests puts an entire community in jeopardy. Those who are producing this mayhem may not realize it, but this does not reduce the damage done by their foolishness. 

I began this column by talking about Jews, but I am not just talking about Jews. This sort of absurdity is on display among liberals of every ethnic and religious persuasion despite the nonsense being spouted by Democratic candidates for president.  They jump on the bandwagon to confirm their liberal credentials. 

These people are destroying democracy! Consider this: in opening our borders they want to let in hundreds of millions of people to flood into every corner of our country. By saying this is legal, they are preparing the way for them to vote in our elections. If so, it won’t be long before they dominate the political direction we are going. 

Some may say these non-Americans have an interest in the decisions our politicians make. That is true, but is that reason to hand them the keys to our nation? Other folks also have an interest. The Chinese certainly do. The Europeans do as well. So do all the folks in Africa. Actually, I guess everyone in the world does. 

So here is my modest proposal. Let everyone in the world vote in American elections. Citizenship should not be an issue. It is jingoistic. 

Once upon a time American citizenship was considered sacred. No democracy can survive unless citizens continue to believe it is sacred. We Americans have a responsibility for protecting our citizens. Sacrificing that for the sake of non-Americans who are living wretched lives in fact hurts not only Americans but those outside for whom we grieve at risk. America first should not just be a slogan.  

Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Sociology

Kennesaw State University