Labor Day: A day NOT to Labor.

31 Aug 2025 4 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

labor day

September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar and one of four Gregorian months with 30 days.  September is my favorite month of the year.  For me, September is the beginning of Fall. Actually, in Wisconsin, Fall is well underway by the beginning of September and by the middle of September the leaves will soon start changing.  You can already see splotches of color here and there and the Sumac is bright red in places.  Technically Fall does not begin until September 21st, but we all know that the real end of summer is on Labor Day.

back to school

In many parts of the world, summer ends when students head back to school (They are already back in Wisconsin and in Minnesota they will head back tomorrow).  The Fall weather and temperatures are perfect (for me anyway) and I love the changing colors of the landscapes.  I love the cool crisp air and the beauty of the trees, shrubs and falling leaves.  I love the many Fall flowers and the aforementioned shiny red Sumac bushes.  The flowers and Sumac bushes will soon be complimented by the Oaks, Maples and Poplar trees which will contribute bright yellows, oranges and reds to the smorgasbord of colors.  The leaves have an almost ethereal quality as they float to the ground and cover it in a rich collage of hues and fading tones.  However, when the leaves start gently falling, the end of Fall comes all too soon for me.

28803_Tha_Falling-Leaves_2018_Horizontal-photo-3

I was born in September and of course my birthday will bring some treats.  However, I would still love the Fall with or without my birthday.  Many people do not feel the same way that I do about the Fall, particularly in Minnesota.  Karen does not enjoy September and seems almost pained by the changing temperatures and climate.  She does not like getting up in the morning when it is 47 degrees or less and she regrets the acorns that are already starting to scatter on the ground.  I love to tease her by bringing some of the first acorns I find on my trail runs home to her.  You can find them scattered on the ground as early as middle August up here.  Karen tells me that she can only think that when Fall comes, Winter will soon be here.  Winter means snow and ice to Karen which is why we now own a home in Arizona. After enduring “Northern” weather for 60 some years, Karen had enough cold, frost, snow, frozen fingers, frozen toes and slippery roads to have no nostalgia at all for a Minnesota Winter.

winter

In many parts of the globe, Fall lasts somewhat longer than in Wisconsin.  Weather-wise, we have a two month Fall that covers September and October.  Never mind that the calendar says Fall ends on December 20; up “North” it really ends right after Halloween.  By then the colors are over and the leaves need to be raked up.  Not to mention, we may have snow long before the “end” of Fall.  If you are lucky enough to live in New England, your Fall will last at least a month or so longer than ours.  I remember in China visiting the famous “Tea House of the August Moon” or in China, it was called “Tea House of the Autumn Moon.”   I still remember thinking how funny that in China, August was the beginning of Fall, at least in Hangzhou where we visited this famous local temple on the lake.  I am sure it is not the same one as in the Brando movie but it was historic and interesting anyway.

download

Well, times have changed.  I once said that “Winter will not matter much to us.  We will be headed to Arizona to escape the Winter.”  However, we are no longer headed to Arizona.  We sold our house in Wisconsin and are now full time residents in Arizona.  We are spending our first ever or have spent (since it is mostly over) our first summer in Arizona.  I miss the beauty of a Wisconsin Fall already.  Thankfully, I will be able to experience a brief sojourn in fall this year.  In two weeks we are going back to Minnesota so Karen can visit her children and I can do my 43rd Jesuit Retreat at the Demontreville Retreat Center in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.

We will probably not have time to go to any church “harvest” dinners.   Many of them have been discontinued as church populations fall and church dinners are becoming a thing of the past.  I will miss the Scandinavian dinners most and even the Lutefisk.  If you do not know what Lutefisk is, you are missing one of the few culinary delights that the Swedes and Norwegians up North have bestowed on America.  Well, Karen would add Lefse and Krumkake and Swedish pancakes to the list and perhaps a few other dishes as well.  Who can forego the famous Jell-O salads which are ubiquitous at church dinners?

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There is scant Lutefisk down here in Arizona but plenty of tacos, burritos, enchiladas and Menudo.  The temperature is about 103 today which no longer seems to bother us.  When it drops to 78 in the evenings we are even chilly.  I would never have dreamed that I could feel cold in 78 degree temperatures.  My motto has always been to adapt and I have traded the Scandinavian culture for the Mexican culture.  I am grateful this Labor Day that I am still alive and healthy and able to share the wonderful Mexican culture that we have down here in Arizona.  I don’t have any Maple Trees with their beautiful colors but the Saguaros and Ocotillos have there own beauty.  Have a wonderful Labor Day.

Time for Questions: 

What is your favorite month of the year? Why? What is your favorite season of the year? Do you enjoy each season or do you have a special season you look forward to?  What does Labor Day mean to you?  Do you know what it commemorates?

Follow the Money: The Hidden Economic Roots of War

28 Aug 2025 2 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,

 

Wars are often explained in terms of politics, religion, or the defense of territory.  Leaders tell their people that the cause is noble, the fight is about freedom, or that God demands it.  Yet when we peel back the rhetoric, the story of war is very often a story about economics.

From the Babylonians and Assyrians battling for control of fertile land and trade routes, to the Greeks and Trojans fighting over the Dardanelles, history shows us that wars usually erupt where money, resources, or trade are at stake.  Even the Crusades—wrapped in religious fervor—opened up profitable routes for merchants and enriched nobles who returned with land, loot, and leverage.


The modern world is no different.  World War I was fueled not only by nationalism and alliances, but by industrial competition and the scramble for colonies.  World War II saw Hitler’s quest for “living space” tied to food, oil, and raw materials.  The Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union pitted two economic systems against one another just as much as two political ideologies.  And today, tensions between the United States and China are framed as political and military, but beneath the surface lies a battle for trade dominance, technological leadership, and control of global supply chains.

Of course, not every war is about economics.  Some are sparked by religion, fear, or pride.  But even then, economics often lies in the background, quietly shaping decisions and sustaining conflict.  Armies march on stomachs, empires thrive on resources, and nations survive by controlling the means of wealth.

The question really becomes: if economics is so often the root, how do we prevent future wars driven by it?  History suggests a few answers:

  • Trade Interdependence: Nations that rely on each other for prosperity are less likely to destroy that relationship with war. Europe after 1945 is a powerful example.
  • Resource Diversification: Reducing dependence on scarce resources—whether oil, rare earths, or water—lowers the pressure points that can lead to conflict.
  • Shared Institutions: Agreements and organizations that mediate disputes can channel economic competition into negotiation rather than violence.
  • Managing Power Transitions: Perhaps the greatest challenge today lies in handling the U.S.–China rivalry. Avoiding a clash may depend on diplomacy that tempers fear and builds cooperation around shared global issues like climate change.

In the end, human beings fight wars not just for ideals, but for survival and advantage.  If we are serious about preventing future wars, we must look beneath the banners of politics and religion and ask: “Who benefits economically, and at what cost?”

Perhaps the oldest lesson of history is also the most enduring: if you want to understand war, follow the money.  Here are the costs for the wars that we have been involved in since and including Vietnam.  Where do you think this money comes from?  Who do you think really benefits from the money spent?

Vietnam (1965–1975)

Iraq (2003–present, incl. ISIS war in Iraq & Syria)

  • Spent to date (through 2023) on operations, reconstruction, etc.: ~$1.79T.
  • Plus veterans’ care obligations through 2050: ~$1.1T.
  • Total (spent + obligated for vets): ~$2.89T. Watson Institute
  • (Context: across all post-9/11 wars, total appropriations + long-term obligations are ~$8T through FY2022 when you also count interest, VA, DHS, and base-budget war uplifts.) Watson Institute

Afghanistan (2001–2021)

  • Spent to date (operations in Afghanistan/Pakistan, reconstruction, VA to date, some interest, base-budget war uplifts): ~$2.313T. (Excludes future veteran care and future interest.) Watson Institute
  • (Same post-9/11 context as above applies.) Watson Institute

Ukraine (2022–present)

  • U.S. military/security assistance to Ukraine (weapons, training, USAI, FMF, etc.): ~$66.9B committed as of Jan 2025 (State Dept.). State Department
  • Broader U.S. Ukraine response (appropriations for military aid, replenishing U.S. stocks, U.S. force posture in Europe, economic & humanitarian aid, oversight, etc.): ~$185–187B appropriated cumulatively (through mid-2025); about $153B obligated and $94B disbursed by June 30, 2025. U.S. Department of Defense+1Ukraine Oversight+1

Gaza/Israel war (Oct 2023–present)

  • Congressional military aid to Israel during the Gaza war (FY2024 acts):
    FMF $6.8B + missile defense $4.5B + Iron Beam $1.2B + other DoD items $0.11B = ~$12.61B. Congress.gov
  • Wider tally including related U.S. operations in the region (e.g., Red Sea/Houthi strikes) through Sept 30, 2024: at least $22.76B total ($17.9B in U.S. support to Israel’s military ops + $4.86B in related U.S. regional operations). (Conservative estimate; excludes non-military/humanitarian spending.) Watson Institute

Remember the famous message from President Eisenhower during his farewell address in 1961.  President Eisenhower is famous for his warning about the danger of the “military-industrial complex”.  He stated,

“We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.  The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”

Conclusions:

  • Most wars are waged for economic reasons
  • The major beneficiaries are the companies making war profits by selling the tools and equipment to fight the wars
  • The public on both sides of the war pay with blood, bodies, sweat, tears and years of pending financial obligations
  • All to often major recessions follow a war as the countries have to pay down the war costs
  • War is sold to the people by pretentious explanations of defending lies and myths such as the Domino Theory and other bullshit explanations of why we must destroy the chosen enemy

 

Why Democrats Lost — and What They Must Do Next

24 Aug 2025 15 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Robert Reich and I have at least one thing in common.  He hates bullies and so do I.  In his most recent book, “Coming Up Short”, he talks about how he had to deal with bullies because he was so short.  My dad was 6’4” tall and could often be a bully.  I had enough abuse from him growing up that I also came to hate bullies.  I had many fights when I was younger where I defended either myself or equally often other people physically against bullies.  Robert Reich points out that one major reason for Trump’s popularity is that he is a Bullie’s Bully.   Millions of Americans who have been bullied by an unjust system of economics, education, justice, health care and government see Trump as their protector or even savior.  Reich notes:

“A large portion of America has felt bullied and harassed for decades. They’ve worked their asses off but haven’t gotten anywhere. Employers have fired them without cause or notice, made them into contract workers without any security or rights, spied on them during working hours, and otherwise treated them like children.

They’ve been bullied by landlords who keep hiking their rent. By banks that keep adding large fees to whatever they owe. By health insurers and hospitals that charge them an arm and a leg. By corporate grocery monopolies that push up food prices.

Many of them voted for Trump because he promised he’d be their bully. He blamed others — immigrants, people of color, transgender people, foreign traders — for what they endured. He thereby found scapegoats for their deep feelings of powerlessness, vulnerability, and shame. It’s one of the oldest of demagogic tricks.

Democrats could have put the blame where it belonged — on monopolistic corporations and billionaires that abused their wealth and power by taking over our politics.

Democrats could have demanded higher taxes on big corporations and the wealthy to pay for childcare and eldercare. Tougher antitrust laws to break up monopolies. Labor law reforms that made it easier for workers to form unions and gain bargaining power. Universal health care. Strict regulation of big banks so they couldn’t shaft average people. And an end to big money in our politics.

But they have not — not loudly, not with one voice, not with the clarity the people need to hear.” — Robert Reich 8/24/25

The 2024 election is already being dissected in books and think-tank reports, but the clearest story is this: Democrats misread the electorate as well as deserted the electorate.  Caught up in arguments over gender identify, abortion rights and WOKE manifestos, the Democrats preached to a crowd with more important concerns on their minds.  Jefferson said that Democracy was a rule of the majority with a concern for the minority.  Democrats have reversed his message.  They now practice a rule for the minority with little or no concern for the majority. 

They believed that campaigning on democracy and abortion rights would be enough to hold the White House.  Those are vital issues, but voters were telling pollsters something else — they were worried most about the price of groceries, rent, and gas.  In swing districts, immigration and border control loomed even larger.  By downplaying those concerns, Democrats left the playing field wide open for Republicans.

Validated voter studies show that turnout favored 2020 Trump voters.  Younger and non-white men — groups Democrats once counted on — swung toward Republicans in significant numbers.  Many of these voters wanted practical answers on wages, security, and fairness.  They didn’t get them.

So, what must Democrats do if they hope to regain the House, Senate, or Presidency?  Three steps stand out.  

First, make the economy the front page of their campaigns, with plain talk about jobs, housing, and cost of living.  Find people who can speak the language of the average American and not in a voice only understood by Ph.D. graduates.  I am often bewildered by the terminology that some of the Democrats throw out.  Yesterday, I learned that the new vocabulary for “homeless” people is now “unhoused” people.  Do the Democrats really think this is going to make a difference to the people living in cardboard boxes throughout America? 

When I look at the new head of the Democratic National Committee (Ken Martin), I see a man who exemplifies everything that is wrong with the Democrats.  If his bio on Wikipedia is to be believed, Ken never did a day’s physical labor in his life (At least not in any paid position.) What makes this an even more grievous fact, is that he was given this position after Harris’s loss to Trump.  I doubt a guy with his background has any clue about the problems of the working class in America.  By the way, I am sure Ken is a nice guy, a good husband and a good father.  But that is not going to get Democrats elected.

Second, develop a credible immigration strategy that pairs border security with fair reforms.  Like it or not, immigration has been a major issue for Americans because as Reich noted, both parties have demonized immigrants as vulgar, uncouth, criminals who only want to take jobs away from legal Americans.  This is not an unusual state of affairs.  Even Benjamin Franklin had his biases when it came to immigrants.  Many of these changed over time as Ben observed the habits and ethics of other immigrant groups to the colonies. 

I have said we need a “fair immigration policy” and not an “anti-immigration policy.”  A number of years ago (at least seven) I wrote a series of blogs on the subject of immigration as I could witness it down here in Arizona.  You might say that we are on the front lines of immigration and have a long history of immigration.  The land I now live on was once part of Mexico until the Gadsden Purchase in 1853.  Some of my neighbors have history going back to Mexico over two hundred years.  See my blogs:

Third, speak in everyday language.  Too often Democrats rely on insider jargon that alienates working families.  Like it or not, most Democrats have become associated with the idea of PC or political correctness.  I am no enemy of using terminology that minorities and others find more respectful and less insulting.  However, some of the PC efforts have become ludicrous and only help to make the Democrats laughing stocks and open to scorn from the very people they need to help support them.  Here are a few examples:

  1. The use of “people experiencing food insecurity”

In May 2025, a debate over language use within the Democratic party was highlighted by the Washington Post.  One specific example given was referring to individuals as “people experiencing food insecurity” instead of the more direct phrase “people going hungry” or maybe even people “starving to death”!

  1. The replacement of gendered terms like “spokesman”

The movement towards gender-neutral language has led to the replacement of many words to avoid implying a specific gender, regardless of the individual’s identity.  For instance, the term “spokesperson” is often used instead of “spokesman” or “spokeswoman.”  I have a problem remembering which words to use.  Should I say fireman or fireperson?  Should I say postman or postperson?  Should I say fisherman or fisherperson?  Of course I do not want to offend anybody, so the only answer is to say nothing?  Or should I check with each fisherperson first to see what they prefer?  How do you say fisherperson in Spanish?

  1. “Person of color” (POC) instead of “minority”

Some find the term “POC” to be an overly broad and imprecise label that lumps together many distinct racial and ethnic groups, despite its progressive origins.  I am concerned about this label since I have always thought that being a White person I had some color.  I realize that many people see White people as more pink hued than white, but pink is still a color even if I do not like the idea of being a Pink person. 

In Conclusion:

Democrats do not need to abandon values of equality and freedom.  They need to marry those values to tangible solutions that the average people can feel in their daily lives.  They need to drop some of the bullshit that makes everyone think of them as WIMPS.  They need to fight and not keep talking about “hands” across the aisle.  When someone punches me in the face, I do not hand them a rose.  If Democrats want a path back to governing majorities they are going to have to:

  • Walk like the majority
  • Talk like the majority
  • Act like the majority

As long as Democrats insist on being isolated people who live in expensive mansions and go to exclusive Ivy League colleges,  they will not have a chance to get back into power.  Don’t tell me about their good intentions.  As the saying goes “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” — Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153)

 

In Defense of Buffy Sainte-Marie

20 Aug 2025 4 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

What I am going to say will be very controversial.  Many people reading this blog will take umbrage at my opinions.  The good thing is that you will not be charged any fees for my opinions.  You are free to take them or leave them.

Perhaps if I were a Native American or a member of a Federally Recognized Tribe my words would carry more weight.  However, I am not an Indigenous person.  As far as I know, I have no Indian relatives and no Indian blood in me.  I do not claim to have an Indian Chief in my ancestry or a relative who was an Indian Princess.  I also must issue the following caveats.  I am a fan of Buffy Sainte-Marie.  I not only respect her, but I admire her.  I will tell you why in a little while.

Now I understand the charges against her quite well.  I have talked about cultural appropriation as an evil done by either stupid or misaligned people.  I do not believe that America ever did right by the people that we stole this land from by genocide, fake treaties, and scams.  As a resident of Arizona, I still see tribal people being taken advantage of when it comes to mining, drilling and water rights.  If an Indian might make some money on something worth selling, there will be a bunch of rich fat White people who want to screw them out of it.  I hear White people say, “It’s a shame we broke all those treaties with the Indians.”  These well-meaning people should get their heads out of their asses.  We are still breaking treaties made many years ago with the Indians.  When it comes to profit, there is no limit to the perfidy of some White people.  I think it was Sitting Bull who said, “I believe in Christianity, but I do not see many White People practicing it.”  I think the same can be said of many so-called Christians today.

But lets return to the subject of this blog.  Buffy Sainte-Marie passed herself off for many years as a Native American.  She has now been outed by relatives and others who seem to take great delight in maligning her.  I am going to try to offer a defense for her in this blog.  I have already said that I am a fan of hers.  I bought all of her albums back in the sixties and seventies.  I went to a tent concert she did up in Northern Wisconsin a few years ago put on by reservation people.  I have never personally met Ms. Sainte-Marie, nor have I ever corresponded with her.  I am not getting paid one penny for the viewpoints I am offering.  I have already confessed to being White so you can accuse me of bias if you like.  I prefer to think that I have always stood up for the underdogs in my life.

Let’s look at the three of the main charges against her in more perspective.

  1. She is not a real Indian
  2. She took awards that could have gone to real Indians
  3. She sang songs and agitated for Indian rights when she is really not an Indian.

 1.  She Is not a Real Indian:

There is an old adage which says, “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.”  In my eyes anyway, Buffy Sainte-Marie looks like an Indian, acts like an Indian and sings Indian like songs.  What’s missing here is Buffy does not have the right set of genes.  Genes or no genes, she is more of an assimilated Indian than many Indians I have known who live off Reservations.  Years ago, we assumed that an Indian could be assimilated by going to an Indian School, wearing White clothes and forsaking their native language.  They could then be accepted as a White person by the larger White community.  At least this was the logic following the Indian wars and the ongoing efforts by White communities of both the USA and Canada to assimilate the Indigenous peoples.

Well, Buffy Sainte-Marie did a reverse assimilation.  She assimilated herself into the Indigenous culture in Canada and was even accepted by a Canadian Tribe.  Records show that she was adopted by a Piapot First Nation family in accordance with Cree law and traditions.  Members of the Piapot family have supported her claims.  Whether she was accepted or adopted into the tribe, she is an assimilated Indian by any stretch of the imagination.

2.  She took awards that could have gone to real Indians:

I am not quite sure I understand this criticism.  Buffy Sainte-Marie did take awards that were earmarked for native accomplishments both socially and culturally.  Specific awards and honors received by Buffy Sainte-Marie that were designated for Indigenous people include:

  • Four Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards: She received these awards at a time when they were specifically designated for Indigenous musicians.
  • Two Aboriginal Peoples’ Choice Music Awards: These awards were also designed to recognize Indigenous artists.
  • Four Juno Awards intended for Indigenous people: For example, she won the Juno for Indigenous Music Album of the Year in 2018 for “Medicine Songs”.
  • Four Indigenous lifetime achievement awards.

Many of these awards for Buffy have since been revoked by  the authorities issuing them.  Most of the awards concern her musical skills.  I hear the claim that a Real Indian could have won these.  This rings hollow to me.  During the sixties, Buffy is the only folk singer that I knew or ever heard who sang “pro-Indian” songs.  Her “My Country Tis of Thy People Your Dying” and “Now that the Buffaloes Gone” made as much impact on my awareness of Native American issues as did Dee Brown’s book “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.”  Dee Brown was also not Native American.  He was a White author from the American South.  He was born in Louisiana and raised in Arkansas.  His best-known work, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” detailed the history of American expansionism and its impact on Indigenous peoples.  Should we take Dee’s book off the shelf?  More’s the pity if you do folks since I never heard one peep during my high school history classes on how much shit we did to Native Americans.  Buffy’s songs and Dee’s book were some of the first major influences upon my White life in terms of the real truth about Indian history.

In March 2025, CARAS announced that it was revoking Sainte-Marie’s Juno Awards and her induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame based on the finding that she is not a Canadian citizen and therefore doesn’t meet the eligibility criteria, according to Variety.

3.  She sang songs and agitated for Indian rights when she is really not an Indian.

Here  I would like to judge Buffy Sainte-Marie on the basis of the good that she did for Native American causes and not the bad that she did.  Yes, she lied about her genes and her lineage.  Yes, she continued to insist that she was a true Native American.  She had either brain-washed herself or she really came to believe that she was an Indian.  I certainly do not know the answer to which motive guided her.  I know some of her relatives accused her of trying to smother the truth of her ancestry even by threatening them with a lawsuit.  Shame on Sainte-Marie for this.  Should she have been quicker to apologize?  Yes, I think so.  But does this make Buffy evil?  Does she deserve to be stripped of awards that she earned not by being Native American but because of the songs that she wrote and the messages that these songs sent.

 From “Now that the Buffaloes Gone” by Buffy Sainte-Marie

Oh, it’s all in the past you can say

But it’s still going on here today

The government now want the Iroquois land

That of the Seneca and the Cheyenne

It’s here and it’s now you can help us dear man

Now that the buffalo’s gone.

From “My Country Tis of Thy People Your Dying” by Buffy Sainte-Marie

When Columbus set sail out of Europe, then stress

That the nation of leeches that conquered this land

Are the biggest and bravest and boldest and best

And yet where in your history books is the tale

Of the genocide basic to this country’s birth

Not many people would have the courage to pin such lyrics whether Indian or White.  In my neighborhood, it is dangerous to put up a Democrat for office sign.  Many American “Heroes” have said that the “Only good Indian is a dead Indian.”  What exactly besides sing has St. Marie done for Indigenous people?  I asked ChatGPT this question and received the following reply:

Major Contributions Beyond Music

  1. Trailblazer on Sesame Street
  • From 1976 to 1981, she became the first regular Indigenous presence on Sesame Street, aiming to teach children that “Indians still exist.” Native News Online+12Wikipedia+12Teen Vogue+12
  • In a landmark moment for representation, she famously breastfed her son on air in 1977—likely the first such instance ever shown on television. Teen Vogue
  1. Educational Advocacy & Philanthropy
  1. Pioneering Electronic and Multimedia Art
  • Her 1969 album Illuminations was groundbreaking—using Buchla synthesizers and quadraphonic technology to forge a new sonic frontier. It’s now seen as a pioneering work in electronic and experimental music. Pitchfork+2Vogue+2
  • She also embraced early computer technology—using Apple II and Macintosh systems in the early 1980s to record music and produce visual art. Wikipedia
  1. Media Representation & Hollywood Influence
  • In 1968, Buffy insisted that all Indigenous roles in her episode of The Virginian be filled by Indigenous actors—a first in Hollywood. She held firm despite managers’ objections and succeeded. Teen Vogue (Teen Vogue interview referenced in images)
  1. Humanitarian Voice & Global Activism
  • As a vocal participant in the Red Power movement, she provided a platform for Indigenous concerns through grassroots concerts tied to the American Indian Movement. PBS+5Teen Vogue+5Teen Vogue+5Native News Online+1
  • Her humanitarian spirit led to widespread recognition, including an Oscar, Golden Globe, and honorary doctorates for her work spanning activism and arts. PBS+13Wikipedia+13Teen Vogue+13
  • Through media such as the documentary Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On, she continued advocating for Indigenous rights, touring, and raising awareness well past her prime—into her 80s. muskratmagazine.com+11PBS+11Wikipedia+11

In Summary

Buffy Sainte-Marie’s legacy encompasses far more than her powerful protest songs.  She broke new ground in television, revolutionized arts and education, fought for authentic Indigenous representation, and used her influence to empower Indigenous voices globally.  Her initiatives—from Sesame Street to the Cradleboard curriculum—continue to shape conversations around identity, learning, and equity.

John’s Conclusions: 

Go ahead.  Say “so what.”  Say “who gives a damn.”  Tell me she is a liar and a hypocrite.  Tell me all her good works should be erased because she wanted you to believe that she was an Indian.  Tell me she is not really an Indian and that someone else would have done all the stuff that she did anyway.  Tell me that you can cast the first stone at her for lying because you have never lied in your life.

That’s all I have to say folks.  A courageous humane person made a big mistake but the good that she did and still does should not be forgotten.  If you want to tell me how bad a person she is, tell me what you have done lately for the benefits of our Native brethren.  I don’t think all the awards and recognition that she received should be given back to her.  That is the past.  What I do believe is that she should be given a special award for White people who have contributed to Native American Causes.  Like the Jewish people have their “Yad Vashem” to recognize non-Jews who helped save or give their lives for Jews, perhaps we need a similar hall in our country for people who helped Native American causes or even gave their lives to protect Native Americans.  Here are two examples in case you are wondering if such people ever existed.

  1. Samuel Worcester (1798–1859)
  • A Christian missionary from Vermont who worked among the Cherokee.
  • He defied Georgia state laws aimed at forcing the Cherokee off their lands and was arrested in 1831.
  • His case, Worcester v. Georgia (1832), went to the Supreme Court, which sided with him and affirmed Cherokee sovereignty.
  • Although he survived prison and lived out his life, he endured years of hardship and persecution for standing with the Cherokee at great personal risk.
  1. Edmund D. Pepperman (1901–1930)
  • A white civil rights attorney in Oklahoma who represented Native clients against oil companies and corrupt guardianship schemes during the allotment era.
  • He was murdered in 1930 while investigating abuses connected to Osage oil wealth.
  • His death highlighted the dangers faced by allies who tried to expose exploitation of Indigenous communities.

Buffy’s Song – A Poem by ChatGPT and John P. 

She sang not only with a voice,
but with the marrow of her bones—
a cry against forgetting,
a hymn for nations silenced.

In ballads of resistance,
she wove the stories hidden
beneath the treaties broken,
beneath the trails of tears.

Her guitar became a council fire,
her words—sharp arrows of truth,
piercing the walls of power,
lifting the dreams of the young.

She stood for the water,
for the mothers and the missing,
for children stolen by schools
that tried to burn away their tongues.

Scholar, warrior, poet,
she gave her strength to voices
that history tried to hush,
but could never erase.

Buffy sang of survival,
not as a whisper of sorrow,
but as a thundercloud rising,
a promise of dawn.

And still her song endures—
a river that refuses to dry,
a drum that will not fall silent,
a flame carried in countless hands.

For every child who learns their language,
for every elder whose story returns,
for every Indian standing proud—
her music lives,
a sovereign heartbeat,
forever strong.

What Do Sun Tzu, Musashi Miyamoto and Magnus Carlsen Have to Say about Life, Love and Death?

18 Aug 2025 10 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I have lived much of my life thinking and planning ahead.  I have often been laughed at because of how far ahead I like to plan.  But for some reason, I grew up believing that the secret to life (if there was one) lie in being ahead of the game.  I learned to play chess quite early on and by six, I could beat my father who taught me the game.  Three of my heroes in respect to planning are three men who all excelled in the art of strategy albeit very different arenas.  I am going to briefly introduce these three men and then invite you to sit down and listen to a discussion between the three men on strategy. 

Magnus Carlsen (Born 1990) is considered by many to be the greatest chess player who has ever lived.  He has now surpassed both Bobby Fisher and Garry Kasparov as the greatest champion ever.  Magnus is a genius on the chessboard which in some ways is a metaphor for military strategy and planning.  Carlsen is from the cerebral world of modern chess and is a wizard who plays out strategy on a strictly cognitive level. 

“Carlsen is a five-time World Chess Champion, five-time World Rapid Chess Champion, and the reigning (shared with Ian Nepomniachtchi) eight-time World Blitz Chess Champion.  He has held the No. 1 position in the FIDE rankings since 1 July 2011, the longest consecutive streak and trails only Garry Kasparov in total time as the highest-rated player in the world.  His peak rating of 2882 is the highest in history.  He also holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak at the elite level in classical chess at 125 games.” — Wikipedia

In terms of mortal combat, Musashi Miyamoto is hands down the greatest fighter who ever lived.  Musashi is from the deadly pragmatism of samurai combat.  He was a swordsman in feudal Japan (1584-1645) who went on a quest to defeat the greatest swordsmen of his time.  He was undefeated in 62 duels to the death with the Katana.  There is nothing fake or theoretical about facing an opponent with a 37-inch razor sharp sword capable of cutting you in half.  Musashi went on to memorialize his fighting strategy in a famous book called “The Book of Five Rings.”   

Sun Tzu (544 BCE) was a Chinese military general, strategist, philosopher, and writer who lived during the Eastern Zhou period.  Sun Tzu derived his strategies from ancient statecraft and military philosophy.  He wrote a famous book on strategy called “The Art of War.”  It has been used for centuries as a bible for military strategy.  I have referred to it so many times in my strategic planning sessions that I feel like I almost know it by heart.  The book is also widely used for strategy in business and life.  It teaches you to be prepared for anything and the number of quotes that you can gleam from this book about strategy are almost unlimited. 

In this blog, you are going to be privileged to listen to what these three men have to say about living, loving, fighting and dying.  It might surprise you to find that each man is in his own way a humanist and idealist but also a pragmatist.  If having all three of these traits together sounds impossible or quite contradictory, then listen to their discussion and decide for yourself.  I think you may just find a number of useful ideas about life from these men. 

John:  I am very glad that the three of you can meet with me today.  I have introduced each of you to my readers, but it was probably gratuitous since you are each very well known.  Can we start off by talking about life and living?  Though each of you deal in some sense with combat and finality , what about the work of daily living and making a good life for oneself? 

Sun Tzu: Life must be ordered like a campaign.  To live well is to understand terrain—your circumstances—and to position yourself so that conflict becomes unnecessary.  The greatest victory is to live in harmony with the world without struggling against it.

Musashi: Living is training.  Every day is practice for the Way.  To hold the sword and the brush in balance, to adapt fluidly—this is how one lives without wasting time.

Carlsen: In chess and in life, position matters more than immediate gains.  If you think ten moves ahead, you can avoid many of life’s traps.  But it’s also about enjoying the game, not just winning it. “Without the element of enjoyment, it is not worth trying to excel at anything.”

John:  What about loving?  Does love play a role in your lives?  If so, how?

Musashi:  Love is dangerous if it binds you to attachment.  Yet the Way is also compassion.  The warrior should protect, not just destroy.

Sun Tzu:  Love is alliance.  To love is to strengthen morale, to bind others to your cause.  Without loyalty and affection, no army—or family—stands.

Carlsen:  Love requires intuition.  Like in chess, you don’t calculate every detail—you feel the position. Trust in the flow between two people, rather than forcing the moves.

John:  Fighting is something that I have experienced a great deal of in my life.  I have experienced physical fighting and emotional fighting.  My father taught me a great deal about fighting.  I have come to believe that anything worth having is worth fighting for.  Sometimes it has seemed my life has been more about fighting than about love.  What are your feelings about fighting? 

Sun Tzu:  Needless fighting is stupid and folly. “To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill.  To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.”

Musashi:  You cannot always avoid the duel.  When you must fight, commit totally.  Strike with no hesitation, see beyond form, and your opponent will already be defeated in spirit.

Carlsen:  Fighting is about controlling the board.  You win by shaping the game, so your opponent runs out of good moves.  Aggression without calculation is reckless; patience is its own weapon. “Some people think that if their opponent plays a beautiful game, it’s okay to lose. I don’t.  You have to be merciless.”

John:  What about dying?  Does war and life and fighting mean that we must accept death as a potential price that we pay for living a good life? 

Musashi:  Death is nothing to fear.  To follow the Way is to be ready to die at any moment. If you cling to life, you will hesitate, and hesitation kills.  I have written that, “The Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death.”

Sun Tzu:  The wise commander spares his troops.  To die meaninglessly is folly.  But to give one’s life for a greater order, when no alternative remains, that is the ultimate discipline.

Carlsen:  In chess, every game ends with death—the king is trapped.  But the beauty is that the board is reset, and you play again.  Perhaps death is just the end of one game, with another waiting.

John:  This has been quite an interesting conversation.  Let me end the discussion with one final question that I would like each of you to speak to.  How does one find meaning and purpose in life and live a life of integrity while pursuing these goals? 

Musashi:  Meaning is found in the Way — in disciplined practice of one’s craft, whether with the sword or the brush.  Purpose is not in wealth, fame, or fleeting pleasures, but in constant refinement of the self.  Integrity is to act without hesitation, without deceit, and without wasting time on what does not serve the Way.  A life devoted to mastery is a life of purpose.”

Sun Tzu:  Purpose comes from aligning one’s life with harmony — with heaven, earth, and the order of things.  To live with integrity is to understand both your strengths and limitations, and to act with balance rather than recklessness.  Meaning is not found in chaos, but in creating stability for yourself and others.  When your actions serve a greater order and bring benefit without needless harm, your life has purpose.”

Magnus Carlsen:  For me, meaning is about challenge and growth.  Chess has taught me that purpose lies in doing something you love, pushing yourself, and finding joy in the struggle, even when you lose.  Integrity means competing honestly — no shortcuts, no excuses — and respecting your opponents.  If you live true to what excites you, and stay consistent with your values, you’ll have both purpose and integrity.

John:  Thank you all very much.  You have given me a great deal to think about.  I am hoping my readers also find value in your wisdom and insights.  

Conclusions:  I mentioned that I thought that all three men blended the values of humanism, idealism and pragmatism.  Here are my reasons for saying so about each man. 

Miyamoto Musashi (samurai, artist, strategist)

  • Humanism: Surprisingly present, though in a hard-edged way. Musashi’s writings show care for clarity, honesty, and living authentically. His calligraphy and painting also suggest an appreciation for the fullness of human life, not just killing.
  • Idealism: While somewhat limited, Musashi rejects romantic notions and insists on practicality.  Yet, he is idealistic in his devotion to the Way — a life lived with complete discipline and readiness for death.
  • Pragmatism: Very Dominant.  Musashi is above all a pragmatist — he won by adaptability, by not being bound to tradition, and by focusing on what works in the moment.  His famous line “Do nothing that is of no use” captures his essence.

Sun Tzu (general, philosopher, system-thinker)

  • Humanism: Strong, but collective rather than individual.  Sun Tzu emphasizes preserving life — “The skillful fighter subdues the enemy without fighting.” His concern is with the well-being of troops, states, and the larger order of society.
  • Idealism: Present in his pursuit of harmony, he believed conflict should serve higher goals — stability, order, prosperity — not destruction for its own sake.  His writings contain a vision of a just, balanced world.
  • Pragmatism: Essential to Sun Tzu’s work is a manual for success in the real world. He advocates preparation, intelligence, deception, and efficiency.  No illusions — but always tied to a broader purpose.

Magnus Carlsen (modern competitor, thinker, cultural figure)

  • Humanism: Clear and direct.  Carlsen is grounded in relationships, respect for opponents, and joy in play.  He emphasizes fairness and humility — deeply humanist values in a competitive field.
  • Idealism: More subtle but his idealism lies in his belief in chess as a universal language and art form, where truth can be found through the board.  His pursuit of perfection in play is, in a sense, idealistic.
  • Pragmatism: Very strong. Carlsen is known for his practical style — grinding small advantages, avoiding flashy risks, and adapting to opponents.  His quote “I believe in good moves, not psychology” shows his pragmatism at work.

Several years ago (2016), I went to NYC to watch Magnus play the Russian Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin.  It was the first time the International chess tournament had been held in NYC since the epic battle in 1974 between Fischer and Spassky.  I would have been 28 years old at the time in 1974 and had long since given up chess playing.  I might have been a very good player but as with so many things in my life, I did not have the discipline or courage to stick with the game.  Nevertheless, the strategic comparisons between America and Poker and Chess and Russia have significantly influenced my life.

In studying strategy, it has led me to the twin concepts of predictive strategy and opportunistic strategy.  One thinks many moves ahead while the other seizes the moment.  I have found that both are necessary in life.  A good strategy in life will be built on an understanding of the relationship between the two.  On a more practical level, I have applied this to our travels.  Karen and I have now been to 45 countries and every one of the 50 U.S States.  All, and I say this proudly ALL of our trips have been great, and each one seems to be better than the last one.  I submit that this is due to having a great traveling companion but also to a plan based on looking down the road while seizing those moment-to-moment opportunities that pop up. 

One Final Note Please:

If you are interested in what Miyamoto meant by the “Way” that he referred to, it is a philosophy he developed that encompasses the following attitudes and virtues. This information is from Google AI.

  • Discipline: Musashi emphasized the importance of self-discipline in all aspects of life, considering it a crucial element in achieving any goal and overcoming challenges.
  • Mastery and self-improvement: Striving for excellence in a chosen path and mastering oneself, thoughts, and actions.
  • Understanding and applying strategy: The “Way” also refers to the art of strategy (Heiho) which, for Musashi, transcended just combat and applied to all aspects of life.
  • Holistic approach to life: He believed the principles of swordsmanship could be applied to various pursuits and aspects of life, encouraging individuals to understand the “Way broadly” to see it in everything.
  • Balance: The ideal warrior, according to Musashi, excelled in both martial arts and the arts, a concept known as Bunbu Ryodo. 

In essence, “The Way” for Musashi represents a life-long journey of learning, self-cultivation, discipline, and the pursuit of mastery, not just in martial arts but in all aspects of life. Not a bad way of living I would think.

I great deal of my information is based on information I extracted from ChatGPT 5.0. The final blog is a composite of research, theory and some of the quotes from on-line sources.

What is Wrong with the Democratic Party Is Even Worse Now Than It Was Seven Years Ago!

17 Aug 2025 14 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

night mare

I wrote this blog seven years ago on Jan 21, 2018.  Not much has really changed with the Democrats except that Trump was re-elected.  I was an independent then and I remain an independent now.  My biggest attitude change is that I see MOST Democrats as clueless and an impediment to the changes many of us want in America.  I am not talking about the devasting and disastrous policies of our present so-called leader.  I am talking about a set of policies that will build on the true American Dream for a Democratic nation founded on a separation of church and state and equally concerned for the minorities in the country as well as the majorities.  A country where no one will tolerate constant wars with other countries much less a war between the haves and the have nots in our own nation.

Recently such people as Robert Reich, James Hightower, Bernie Sanders and many others even in the Democratic Party have echoed the sentiments which I noted seven years ago.  I called it a party of cowards with no vision for the future and totally beholden to corporate money.  I am not talking about the Republican party.  My only defense for voting for Hillary, Biden and Harris is that I saw them as the “lesser” of two evils.  It is a sorry state of affairs when millions of Americans either see no reason to vote or must choose between the lesser of two evils.

I have made very few changes in my original blog.  Where noted my changes will be in {  } and in bold lettering.  Lets start off then seven years ago:

January 21, 2018

It’s been a year now since the bad dream or worst nightmare in the history of this country burst upon us.  For many of us, we still cannot believe it happened.  Never in America has a man with so little character and absolutely no qualifications to be president been elected to this office.  In my lifetime, I have seen several presidents whom I did not think were good presidents.  Nixon and Ford come to mind.  I thought Clinton should have been impeached over the Lewinsky thing.  I thought Reagan’s Star Wars Initiative was the height of stupidity.  Neither of the wars started by either Bush did one thing to make America or the world safer.  But the new president takes stupidity, arrogance and downright evil to new heights.  Every day, Americans wake up to a Trump tweet declaring our hatred and belligerence to the rest of the world.  If there was ever a great depression, it is the feelings that many Americans now share about the fate of their country.  {This last statement may be the truest thing I have ever said}

I wanted to start a blog this week without going into another political diatribe or rant as some would call them.  I know we all get tired of the unremitting bad news from the papers, radios, TV, Internet and incessant analysts that surround us like flies on poop.  Bad news sells and in our 24/7 daily schedule of unceasing commercial bombardment, we now must hear bad news from any part of the world and not just our own local geography.   If a mother murders her babies in Angola, we will see it on the front page of our local news.  If a young woman is raped in France, we will be treated to a torrent of trending stories until they get tired of the story or catch the perpetrator.  News is now not only 24/7, it is global as well.

Shortly after Trump was elected, the analysts started to figure out why Hillary lost.  {Now they are trying to figure out why Harris lost}  I think I counted over 20 different rationales for Hillary losing.  Everyone had their theory.  The idea of multiple causality seems to have eluded many as each pundit hawked their own explanation.  I won’t bore you by subjecting you to the list.  In a complex answer, each of these theories would be weighted and we would find that some carried more weight then others.  Among the weightier was the issue of racism.  Nevertheless, no single cause contributed entirely to Hillary’s defeat.

One issue is still important today.  There is no longer any reason to worry about Hillary’s email server or about her seeming lack of warmth.  These problems are water under the bridge.  The problem though that is still substantial and that must be addressed concerns the problems within the Democratic Party itself.  {Even more true today than seven years ago.}  If the Democrats want to regain their former influence with Americans, they must do more than fight Trumpism.  They must also stand for something.  The Democrats may be looking better today {This is a real big maybe.}  but that is only because the Republicans and Trump look so bad.  The Democrats were once seen as the party of the working class and the champions of the underprivileged.  They clearly lost this mantle in the years leading up to the Trump debacle.  The Democrat Party has three big challenges:

  1. Moral cowardice
  2. New ideas and creativity
  3. Championing all classes as well as the working class

quote-a-coward-is-incapable-of-exhibiting-love-it-is-the-prerogative-of-the-brave-mahatma-gandhi-10-58-44

Moral Cowardice:

John F. Kennedy wrote a book called Profiles in Courage.   It was about senators who defied the opinions of their party and constituents to do what they felt was right and suffered severe criticism and losses in popularity.  One of the famous stories in Profiles in Courage concerned Senator Sam Houston.  He was pulled from a train by an angry mob of constituents and threatened to be hanged because of his vote.  He steadfastly faced the mob and explained why he voted the way he did and why he would do so again.  Stories like this are rare and while that makes them inspirational, it also makes them sad.

We have a US Senate with 100 members and a US House with over 400 members.  On any given day, most of these men and women are more concerned with their poll numbers than what is good for the America people.  Partisanship has become the norm in Congress with both sides mutely aping their leadership’s call to “back their party.”

I remember well the drum beat to the first Iraq War called Desert Storm in 1990.  A year before the invasion, I could hear the calls going out for an Iraqi Invasion.  I looked for some logic for this war but could not find it.  I waited for my political leaders to counter Bush’s need for an invasion.  Almost everyone in Congress sat mutely by while Bush and his cohorts planned the invasion.  Gradually, they found more and more reasons to invade Iraq.  Gradually, the religious leaders jumped on board to support the administration.  Billy Graham declared it a justified war and held hands with George H. W. Bush while he pretended to agonize over his already foregone decision.  And still I waited and wondered why so few Democratic leaders challenged this war.  Where were the Democrats?

The Second Gulf War was not a repeat of the First Gulf War.  It was an even worse unmitigated disaster.  Trillions of dollars spent, and nothing accomplished except to make some private war contractors rich.  Where were the Democrats?  They seemed to be out looking with the Republicans for the so-called Weapons of Mass Destruction that Saddam had supposedly stockpiled.

I had a button many years ago that said on one side “Democrats: The Party of Wimps” and on the other side “Republicans: The Party of Greed.”  I do not know who printed this button but thirty years ago, the writing on the wall was clear.  The Democratic Doves feared the Republican Hawks.  Better to be labeled a Hawk than a Dove.  The term liberal was once a term of pride but under the Democrats it became associated with wasteful spending and half-baked solutions to social problems.  Bleeding heart liberal has now become a term despised by all.

creative-and-innovative-thinking-skills-4-728

New Ideas and Creativity:

I live in two counties.  Both are predominantly Red Republican strongholds today.  However, my county in Wisconsin was once a Democratic stronghold.  Wisconsin was once a great bastion of Democratic ideas.  It was a state that was proud to have produced such champions of the underdog as Fighting Bob La Follette, William Proxmire and Senator Gaylord Nelson.  If anyone had ever told me that Wisconsin would have gone Red, I would have said they were crazy.

Now many of my “old” friends and many of my acquaintances in Wisconsin (A state I have lived in on and off for nearly twenty years now) are old line Democrats.  I confess I would rather have Democrats for friends than Republicans these days.  We share many of the same values even though I have never and will never be a card-carrying member of the Democratic Party or any other party.  I take pride in voting as an independent and not someone mindlessly following some party.

I have been each year for the past seven years to the local county Democratic Fundraisers.  Each year, I have listened to Democratic speakers who are jostling for political positions with hopes of defeating the Republican incumbents.  In some cases, more recently they have succeeded.   I can only hope this trend will continue but I am dubious.  My skepticism comes from looking at the people I see running.  Generally, they are well intentioned.  Some might even have the moral courage I want to see in leadership.  However, too many of the candidates that I have seen are either stuck in ideas from the past or lack new ideas that would bring some creativity and innovation to the Democratic Party.

Our political system not only needs new people, we need new ideas.  The same old ideas that worked in the past will not work in the future.  We need forward looking people that can challenge the existing system by promoting innovative ideas that do more than just support the status quo.  Our education system, our health care system, our prison system, our military system, our legal system, our infrastructure system and even our electoral system are all in need of more than reform.  They all need a complete restructuring.  These were systems designed for the 19th and 20th Century.  We need systems for the 21st and 22nd Century.  It is folly to think that simple reforms or piece meal patches to these systems will fix the blight and decay endemic in them.

I see too few of the emerging Democratic leaders as having a vision beyond fighting Trumpism.  That is clearly a start, but we need more than just reaction to Trump we need pro-action in our politics.  We need positive ideas.  We need new ideas.  Good intentions are not enough.

{On Tuesday of this week (August 11,2025) I had a meeting with one of the local officials of the Pinal County Democratic Party.  I wanted to show her how AI could be used in the upcoming mid-term elections to help sharpen focus and elect more progressive candidates.  I was still hoping that since she was a newbie to the leadership, she might be open to some new ideas.  Less than five minute into my synopsis of how AI (See the end of this blog for AI political information) could be used; she stopped me and said “Sorry, but I think AI is unethical.”  I jumped back in and admitted that it did use huge amounts of energy but I retorted “True, it absorbs a great deal of electricity but if we do not elect some forward thinking candidates we won’t have any energy to worry about.”}  

{“The Republicans with their denial of climate change and Trump with his dismantling of the EPA and clean energy will have destroyed the world as we know it.”  She was unfazed and replied that “She had her ethics and that was all there was to it.”  End of story.  I parted company with her and realized that it was futile talking to her.  I give you this brief story which is 100 percent true as just one illustration of what is wrong with the Democratic Party.  A party that seems stuck in the past and wondering why they are losing races and no one wants to be associated with them.}

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Championing All Classes as well as the Working Class:

Once upon a time, the Democratic Party was known as the champions of the working class.  They stood up for unions, higher wages, income parity and equal opportunity.  The working class was once the class of high school graduates.  Today, more than one-third of the adult population in the United States has a bachelor’s degree or higher.  The average earnings in 2016 for those ages 25 and older whose highest educational attainment was high school were $35,615.  The average earnings for those with a bachelor’s degree were $65,482 compared with $92,525 for those with an advanced degree (Census.Gov).  The composition of the American workforce has undergone a long evolution from the agricultural era though the industrial revolution to the new information era.  Definition of working class has continued to change as social structure has changed in the age of computers and the Internet.

As educational levels continued to increase, aspirations by Americans continued to increase.  Whereas once perhaps most Americans saw belonging to a union and retiring with a pension after 30 plus years to be the epitome of working life, that vision became obsolete.  The typical worker today sees themselves as a college educated salaried worker whose interests are more aligned with their company then with any union.

My father worked for the Post Office for over 30 years before retiring.  He never thought it was a fun job or an interesting job.  For my father, it was a job that paid the bills, had good benefits and would enable him to retire with a good pension.  My father’s aspirations and attitudes towards work were like most of his generation.  The idea of being passionate about your work would have been a joke to my father and his peers.  Times have changed dramatically.  Workers today want to believe in their work and their companies.  Workers want their jobs to be challenging, rewarding and fun.  The old days of waiting to enjoy life until you retire are dead.

The workers in America are different than they were twenty or thirty years ago.  The Democrats forfeited their allegiance to the American worker and allowed the Republicans to become the champions of the American worker.  From coal miners to computer programmers, from trailer parks to gated communities across America, once proud Democrats have become Republicans.  The sad part of the story is that the Democrats did not seem to raise a finger to stop the migration.  They did little or nothing to prevent it from happening.  They allowed the Republicans to become the standard bearer of wealth and prosperity.

Unfortunately, few workers realized that their Republican champions were more about privileges for the elite than sharing the wealth.  Or that gains for the upper class would come at the expense of other classes in this country.  The concept of Trickle Down is alive and well in the Republican Party.

Conclusions: 

Democrats need to build a new party.  Trumpism is a short-term aberration.  {I don’t believe that this is true anymore.  Trump might be short-term, but Trumpism should be a synonym for the Republican Party.}  Euphoria might be high right now for Democrats who see Trump as the best thing to ever happen for Democratic candidates.  With one of the lowest popularity ratings of any president in history, Trump will help insure a wave of Democratic Party victories.  However, it can be nothing but short-sighted folly to mistake the present disgust for Trump with a disgust for Republican principles in general.  The Republican Party became strong because they offered the American people a vision of society which promised a better life for millions of them.  Unless Democrats can come up with a compelling vision of society that addresses a wide spectrum of workers, the Republicans will regain power once their debacle with Trump is over.  {Actually they regained power despite ther 2020 debacle with Biden.  One could easily lay the blame for this on Biden and the Democratic Power Structure.}

“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”  — GEORGE WASHINGTON, Farewell Address, September 19, 1796

“If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power.” — DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, speech, March 6, 1956

AI for Democracy: Smart Tools to Strengthen Progressive Wins in Pinal County

Goal

Leverage Artificial Intelligence to:

  • Counter authoritarian messaging
  • Engage and mobilize voters
  • Support fact-based, progressive policies
  1. Data-Driven Voter Outreach
  • Predictive Targeting – Use AI models to identify persuadable voters and low-turnout supporters for focused engagement.
  • Issue Mapping – Match voters with the issues they care about most (e.g., healthcare, climate, reproductive rights).
  • Turnout Propensity Scores – Prioritize outreach to those most likely to vote if contacted.
  1. Rapid Response to Misinformation
  • Real-Time Monitoring – AI scans local social media and forums for emerging false narratives.
  • Fast Rebuttal Drafting – Automated content library to push out fact-checks in plain language.
  • Local Storytelling – Quickly create sharable, people-first content showing the impact of progressive policies.
  1. Volunteer Empowerment
  • AI Chatbots – Handle volunteer signups, FAQs, and event reminders.
  • Route Optimization – Maximize canvassing efficiency with AI-generated walking/driving maps.
  • Virtual Training – Simulated voter interactions for canvassers to practice persuasive conversations.
  1. Personalized Communications
  • Smart Messaging – AI crafts personalized emails/texts based on voter interests.
  • Multilingual Outreach – Translate campaign materials into Spanish and other key languages (with human review).
  • Micro-Videos – Short, tailored clips for TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook audiences.
  1. Building Trust in Democracy
  • AI Listening Tools – Analyze community discussions to guide messaging and policy focus.
  • Civic Media Creation – Produce short podcasts, radio spots, and graphics with clear, local facts.
  • Moderated Virtual Town Halls – Keep online conversations civil, focused, and inclusive.

Ethics & Safeguards

  • Transparency about AI use
  • Protect voter data privacy
  • Avoid deepfakes or manipulative falsehoods
  • Focus on truth, empathy, and community building

Bottom Line:
AI is not about replacing human judgment — it’s about amplifying our ability to connect with voters, protect truth, and build a stronger, more inclusive democracy in Pinal County.

Making friends as an adult (an idea for you) by Brock McGoff

15 Aug 2025 4 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , ,

I am reposting the following blog from a new friend of mine.  His name is Brock McGoff.  Brock McGoff is a men’s lifestyle and personal development creator who runs a YouTube channel, a TikTok account and several podcasts. He also sold two blogs and a watch site in 2023.  He is a very talented individual who really know his way around the new media.  This particular blog really caught my interest since for years I facilitated Men’s Awareness Groups in Minneapolis at the “Men’s Center” on Park Ave.  My best friend Rev. William Cox was the director of the Center.  We had many men who were suffering from loneliness, veterans trauma AKA PTSD, post divorce depression and of course for many Gay men,  the social ostracism of living a different lifestyle.

The purpose of the Men’s Center was to support men.  It was not to endorse misogyny or put women down.  It was not to create a movement that worshipped being machismo.  Along the road, I discovered the many problems that men faced in life which seem to be ignored by the larger society.  Depression, fear of job loss, losing touch with their children post divorce.  My M.S. thesis was “The Problems of Divorced and Separated Men.”  I realized that many men did not get even joint custody of their children but back in the 70’s were expected to support them without the benefits entitled to a co-parent.  Co-parenting did not exist in the minds of most divorce judges in those days.  Anyway, Brock touches on a theme here which still has a great deal of validity for many men.  I am sure you will enjoy his writing. Brock’s blog starts after this picture.  All the pictures are from Brock’s files.

This week, I want to focus in on friendship.

Don’t worry, I still have some snacks for ya down below 😉

But the meat and potatoes of today’s email is about making friends.

Specifically, making friends as an adult man.

An adult man with a family and a job and financial obligations, and maybe a few hobbies to boot…

Back in the day…

Back in the day, you’d collect a handful of close friends during the first 20 years of your life. You know:

  • Kids who lived on your street growing up
  • Classmates from middle and high school
  • Your college roommates

Then, you’d keep most of these friends for the rest of your life.

The original crew: my older brother and our two best friends who lived across the street.

College pals on a cruise (we thought we were so classy 😂)

These days, though, everyone scatters. They move across the country for a job or spouse.

Even your new friends might relocate in middle age. It’s just normal now.

The percentage of men with six or more close friends dropped from 55% in 1990 to just 27% in 2021.

Psychology Today

It’s hard to make new friends. It takes time, effort and vulnerability.

But we need friends. Loneliness leads to depression, and social isolation can shorten lifespans.

Try this at home 👇🏼

When I moved back to Tucson, I was determined to make some dang friends.

As a busy dad, here’s what’s working for me right now:

About once a month, I invite 7-8 guys from my neighborhood over to my house for a beer or three (or water…it’s really not about drinking).

All different kinds of guys:

  • Dave is a retiree who’s lived on my street for 30 years.
  • Edgar is an accountant who moved in two months ago.
  • Eugene is my age and also has two young kids.

I provide a cooler, table snacks and background music. The back gate opens at 8p.

We hang out and talk for a couple hours, then everyone heads home.

This doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m an introvert. I’m uncomfortable at parties.

Leaving Homer Simpson GIF

Me at social functions | Source: Giphy

But I’m forcing it. I’m making these gatherings happen.

And you know what? Most of the people I invite show up.

I think most people are just waiting for an invitation to hang out.

And, the more time we spend together, the closer we become.

We’re becoming friends. It’s amazing!

✍🏻 Your Homework

Host your own neighborhood hang.

Do it this week.

Go knock on some doors, or if you already have contact info, send an email/text.

Your place, Saturday night, 8p.

Maybe one guy will show up. Fine! Do it again next week.

Email me with your results…

What is Behind All These Bullshit Lies and Conspiracy Theories?

11 Aug 2025 5 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , ,

In previous blog posts, I discussed two men whose lives had been damaged by false claims.  The claims misrepresented the truth and attempted to replace truth with slander designed for one purpose.  That purpose in both John Kerry’s case and John McCain’s case was to impugn them because of political positions they had taken on certain issues.  The truth did not matter.  The heroism of both men did not matter.  The damage to them personally did not matter.  The only thing that mattered to the propagators of these insults and lies was whether or not they could successfully destroy the reputation of two men and minimize their political influence.

In the case of Kerry, the lies were intended to prevent his run for the presidency.  In the case of John McCain, the lies were spread to nullify his influence in the Senate and as a revenge for his taking positions that were deemed inimical to his parties preferred interests.

I sent the following query to ChatGPT concerning these attacks.  I am going to post my query and show you the information that this AI engine gave.  Keep in mind, this is a non-partisan reply not attached to any efforts to extort money for any reason.

“What were the motives for the attacks against Kerry and McCain?”

The motives behind the attacks on John Kerry and John McCain—both decorated Vietnam veterans—stemmed from a mix of political, personal, and ideological factors. Despite their military service, both men became targets for smear campaigns, often by fellow veterans or political opponents. Here’s a breakdown of the key motives for each:

🎯 Motives for Attacks on John Kerry

  1. Political Opposition (2004 Presidential Election)
  • Kerry ran against incumbent President George W. Bush in 2004. As a decorated Vietnam veteran, Kerry’s service was central to his campaign.
  • Bush supporters sought to neutralize Kerry’s military advantage, particularly since Bush himself had avoided combat in the Texas Air National Guard.
  • The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth aimed to undermine Kerry’s credibility and patriotism, casting doubt on his war record and medals.
  1. Ideological Resentment (Anti-War Testimony)
  • After returning from Vietnam, Kerry became a prominent anti-war activist, famously testifying before the Senate in 1971.
  • He accused U.S. troops of war crimes—a stance that many veterans found deeply offensive and betraying.
  • Several of his attackers served in Vietnam but not with Kerry, and harbored long-standing anger toward his anti-war activism, not just his candidacy.
  1. Personal Animosity
  • Some individuals in the Swift Boat group had personal disagreements with Kerry going back to the Vietnam era.
  • The group’s leader, John O’Neill, was recruited by the Nixon administration in the 1970s to publicly rebut Kerry’s anti-war testimony—making it a decades-old ideological feud.

🎯 Motives for Attacks on John McCain

  1. Political Intra-Party Conflict
  • McCain frequently clashed with the Republican Party base and right-wing activists.
  • During his 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns, McCain was seen as a “maverick” who criticized party orthodoxy, making him a target for hardline conservatives.
  • Activists like Ted Sampley accused him of being untrustworthy and disloyal to conservative causes.
  1. Ideological Extremism
  • Groups like Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain promoted conspiracy theories claiming McCain was a “Manchurian Candidate” or communist collaborator—a narrative entirely without evidence.
  • These were often fueled by Cold War-style paranoia and deep distrust of the U.S. government, especially among fringe veteran groups.
  1. Retaliation for POW/MIA Reform
  • As a senator, McCain worked to normalize relations with Vietnam and debunked myths that American POWs were still alive there.
  • This angered POW/MIA advocacy groups, some of whom believed the U.S. government was covering up the existence of missing soldiers.
  • McCain’s efforts were seen by these activists as a betrayal of the POW/MIA cause, despite his own 5½ years as a prisoner of war.

🧾 Comparison of Kerry vs. McCain Attacks

Category John Kerry John McCain
Primary Political Motive Undermine 2004 campaign Undermine Republican campaigns in 2000 & 2008
Core Smear Falsified war record, dishonorable discharge Collaborated with enemy, “Manchurian candidate”
Main Accusers Swift Boat Vets (not same unit) Fringe veterans (Sampley, Kiley)
Real Underlying Motive Anger over anti-war activism Resentment over POW/MIA policies and intra-party clashes
Impact Damaged public perception, coined “swiftboating” Less impact, largely discredited

✅ Final Insight

The attacks on both men were rooted in a combination of politics, personal vendettas, and ideological warfare.  What’s ironic is that both Kerry and McCain were legitimate war heroes, yet were attacked not for what they did in combat, but for what they did afterward—one by opposing the war, the other by seeking reconciliation and compromise.

These smears illustrate how military valor doesn’t shield someone from political weaponization, especially in the age of media spin and partisan polarization.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusions:

Over the last 100 years, the USA has witnessed a decline in morality and ethics.  Greed while always a pervasive influence in the world has become a hideous monster that lurks behind every deal and transaction that is now made.  An entire Congress, Supreme Court and Presidency is run by greed and self-interest.  A so-called Christian nation, Jesus would not recognize many of his followers.  Men and women who want to return the country to a state where money and economics are the raison d’etre for being.  The United States has been coopted by a lust for power and money.  The Shining City on the Hill no longer shines because of its Virtue.  It shines because of the reflection of the sun on its cheap gold plating.

The lack of virtue and morality in the country is amplified and reflected by a media that has one purpose:  Make as much money as it can for its corporate sponsors.  Congress exists for the same reason.  Politicians are guided by the rule as well.  Make as much money as they can for their corporate sponsors.  The man sitting on the throne whom we call a President knows he must also direct the country towards making as much money as he can for his corporate sponsors.  Courts, military, and every legislature in the country are guided by the same rule:  “Make as much money as they can for their corporate sponsors.”

Friends of mine inevitably bring up these questions:  “Can we do anything about it?  Is there any way to get the train back on its track?  What is possible in the face of so much corruption and greed?  What if we keep going in the same direction?  Are we witnessing the end of the American Dream?”

I want to say that hope only disappears when we become hopeless.  Where there is hope, there is possibility.  Regardless of how dismal and dark things are, they can only become darker if we give up all hope.  These are more than, “The times that try men’s souls”.  These are horrible times that destroy hope.  I wonder what history will say in 50 or 100 years about the terrible things America is doing to the world in the name of Exceptionalism and National Pride.

In truth our actions are based on the same evil that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.  The same evil that built the Golden Calf.  The same evil that has forever driven the wars and desecrations that infect civilization.  It is a disease that we have never found a vaccination for.  A disease that has gone from a minor infection to a pandemic.  It is a disease for more and more and more.  And the remedy that those infected with it find lies in more money, more things, more power, more and more and more.  And the media spreads the virus and disease with every kernel of its existence.  From text, to video, to radio, to the internet, the one constant is the media beating the drum for more and more and more.  Buy more and you will be happy and successful.  More is the secret for salvation. You will only go to heaven if you have more stuff than your neighbors.

So, buy now and don’t wait. 

Who are the Forgotten People in America?   

07 Aug 2025 3 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

I am Sick of Oscars, Emmys, Gold Medals, Silver Medals, and all the other rewards that the high and mighty give to each other.  I am sick of the celebrity roasts where the super stars tell each other how wonderful they are.  We all bow down at the stars implanted in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  We eulogize someone who runs the 100-meter dash in under 9 seconds.  We drool over singers who have voices that would make angels weep.  We fantasize life with a gorgeous actor or actress whose beauty makes us look positively bland.  The celebrities of America have replaced the nobility of old Europe and Ancient Egypt.

I don’t deny that these people have talent or that they have worked hard at developing that talent.  But many of these people are simply born with genes that the rest of us can only marvel at.  No amount of practice in the world would be enough for Usain Bolt to become the fastest man alive.  No amount of practice would be enough to make Pavarotti one of the greatest tenors who ever lived or Lise Davidsen one of the best sopranos in the world today.  Many of our stars are so beautiful that it is incomprehensible to those of us with NORMAL genes that anyone could have the genes that Sydney Sweeney has ☹.  There is a considerable amount of success simply built into the genes one has as well as the people you know.  Who do you know that is on the 100 list of invitees to the Inaugural Ball?  When was the last time you were invited to the Oscars or the Country Music Awards?

But what really burns me up is not the self-congratulatory escapades of the “Rich and Famous” or the masses worshipping at their altars.  It is the total disdain and ignorance of the heroism and incredible feats of discipline and fortitude that most of us ignore because we are so blinded by the Broadway lights that flash on others.  Let me give you one example of an unheralded human being to make what I am talking about more obvious.

A few years ago, the old Veteran Center in Eloy Arizona had a full-time director and coordinator.  Her name was Sonnette Cherry.  Sonnette was a dynamo.  She organized events each month for the local veterans.  She wrote grants to keep the center open.  She found funding to take several disabled veterans to visit the Wall in Washington D.C.  She liaised with other veteran centers in the area to insure that all vets had access to important information.  She arranged for people from the VA in Tucson to come up regularly to talk about benefits and she scheduled Veteran Service officers to regularly help disabled veterans file for disability benefits.

In addition, she was always there if a veteran needed help either physically, emotionally or financially.  Big Deal, you might say “She was only doing her job.”  Yes that is true doing a job with low pay and long hours.  However, in addition Sonnette was working on her Master’s degree at the University of Arizona and taking care of her 13 children.  Could you manage that, or would you want to manage that?  Sonnette never got a medal or an Oscar for doing her job though she certainly deserved one.

Now I point out this woman, not only because she is a friend but because she works hard (as many of you do) but like you will never get a medal or pin or celebrity honor for her work.  She will get no star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame now will they have a special dinner in her honor at the White House.  There are many other unheralded and unsung people like Sonnette out there doing a job that Usain Bolt or Sydney Sweeney would not touch in a million years.

I would like to see a People’s Award that every city would give regularly to people like Sonnette and YOU who work their butts off for other people and rarely get a mention.  It would not be based on competition but simply given for doing good deeds.  Sure, we see posters for Teachers and Doctors and Firefighters as “Hero’s” but those are generalizations.  The vast majority of teachers (I have been one for 50 years now) will never be “Teacher of the Year” or receive any kind of an award.

The best awards I have ever received in my teaching career came from a few letters that I later received from students telling me what a difference I made in their lives.  Believe me, these letters did not only make my day, but they also made my year.  Nevertheless, I have wondered why I never received a single award or honor in my fifty years of public education.  I have no doubt that this is true for the vast majority of those “Heroes” whose posters we put up on billboards.

It is high time, well beyond high time in fact, that we do more to honor people like Sonnette who have accomplished more than anyone scaling Mt. Everest or running the New York Marathon ever did.  We are looking in the wrong direction for stars.  Many of the stars are standing in our midst but we are so blinded by the aura of the stars manufactured by TV and the Media (We now have Internet Super-Stars) that we fail to see the stars in our own galaxy.

Look for a star today.  I have named one that is in my orbit.  I could have told you stories of many others, but you would have gotten bored or wondered if I was taking bribes 😊.  I assure you that you know someone who goes above and beyond helping others all the while doing tasks that even Hercules would have run away from.  Here are a few of my other “Heros” that I did not talk about.  In reverse alphabetical order

  • Evelia Zajac
  • Darlene Tervo
  • Louis Schultz
  • Carol Salvatore
  • K. Rice
  • Karen Persico (My hard working and very caring wife)
  • Gary McLean
  • Socorro Luna Galusha

I could keep going through the entire alphabet, but this blog is already too long.  Maybe you can start filling in where I left off.

Who Spreads More Bullshit?  Fox Propaganda Network or CNN Clickbait Press?

06 Aug 2025 3 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Excuse me for the euphemisms I used in the title for our leading right wing and left wing paid media.  In reality, they are both brothers or sisters in that their “raison d’etre” is to make money.  It is not (as our founding fathers would have hoped) to “educate and inform” the citizenry.

I am taking a short break with this blog from my skewering of some notable conspiracy theories to address the above question since the purveyors of the misinformation, lies and bullshit are even more culpable than the morally corrupt who start these scandalous lies.  In fact, the media are even more guilty since they profit mightily from keeping these conspiracies going.  The following information comes from my favorite muse ChatGPT.

The question of whether Fox News or CNN spreads more misinformation, lies, or disinformation is highly contentious and often depends on political perspective. However, we can ground an answer in media studies, fact-checking data, lawsuits, and journalistic standards rather than ideology.

________________________________________

🔍 Definitions Matter

  • Misinformation: False or misleading information, shared unintentionally.
  • Disinformation: Deliberately false information, spread with intent to deceive.
  • Lies: Knowingly false statements.

________________________________________

🧾 Fact-Checking and Analysis

  1. Independent Fact-Checkers (e.g., PolitiFact, Media Bias/Fact Check, Ad Fontes Media)

Source    Reliability Rating     Bias Rating

CNN          Mixed to High         Lean Left

Fox News  Mixed to Low         Right to Far Right

  • CNN has been cited for mistakes, especially with anonymous sourcing, but generally corrects errors and upholds mainstream journalistic standards.
  • Fox News has a split personality:
    • Its news division (e.g., Bret Baier) tends to be more factual.
    • Its opinion shows (e.g., Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity) have been repeatedly flagged for spreading falsehoods, conspiracy theories, and disinformation.

________________________________________

⚖️ Legal Evidence: Dominion Lawsuit Against Fox News

  • In 2023, Fox News settled for $787.5 million with Dominion Voting Systems for knowingly spreading false election fraud claims after the 2020 election.
  • Internal emails showed Fox personalities and executives knew the claims were false but aired them to retain viewers.
  • This is a clear-cut example of deliberate disinformation for profit and political gain.

CNN has not faced a comparable legal loss for deliberate disinformation.

________________________________________

🔥 High-Profile Incidents

Topic                                       CNN                                                         Fox News

Iraq War (2002–03)     Supported invasion initially                  Strongly promoted WMD narrative

COVID-19                       Mixed messaging                                  Spread vaccine/mask disinformation

2020 Election Fraud   Rejected false claims                             Amplified fraud theories

January 6th                  Framed as insurrection                            Justified actions

________________________________________

📊 Public Trust & Academic Studies

  • Studies (e.g., from MIT, Harvard, Pew) show that Fox News viewers tend to be less accurately informed on major events compared to viewers of CNN, PBS, or BBC.
  • CNN has been accused of bias and sensationalism, but rarely of systematic disinformation.

________________________________________

✅ Conclusion

Fox News, especially its opinion programming, has a more substantial and well-documented record of spreading disinformation and lies, particularly when politically or commercially advantageous.

CNN is not without bias or error, and sometimes engages in editorial framing that reflects a liberal viewpoint, but it has stronger mechanisms for fact-checking, corrections, and accountability.

Conclusions:

My conclusions are to avoid the mainstream paid for profit media as much as possible.  Broaden your media choices to include podcasts, webcasts, articles published by independents or people that you admire.  Be careful of anything or anyone selling you something or who has a profit motive in hand.

  • Do not rely on any one source for your information.
  • Do not accept anything as gospel truth
  • Verify and corroborate any information you receive
  • Be tentative: Move information up a hierarchy as more data and sources support the information. 
  • Be open to other opinions. Do not accept anyone’s word as 100 truth
  • My father used to say “Believe nothing of what you hear and ½ of what you see. I still think that is good advice. 

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