Don’t Tell the Truth, Hide Behind a Euphemism

03 Nov 2023 23 Comments

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

Collateral-Damage

A “New” Introduction: Circa 11-3-2024

Back again with this blog.  In light of the war in the Mideast it is very relevant.  We are now calling for a “Pause” rather than a “Cease Fire” because Netanyahu has said there will be no “Cease Fire” and Biden has supported this Genocide and Second Massacre and does not have the fortitude to stop it.  When did two wrongs make a right? 

My addition to the euphemisms noted in this blog is the term “Anti-Semite Police.”  These are the Israel supporters who attack and denigrate anyone who protests what is happening now.  Mention one thing about Palestinian rights or the horrid conditions that Palestinians have been living under before the Hamas Massacre and you are labeled an “Anti-Semite.”  Talk about an un-equivalent response and you are labeled an “Anti-Semite.”  Talk about the deaths of Palestinians and you will be labeled as an “Anti-Semite.”  The news is full of retaliations against people speaking out against the Israeli response to Hamas’s Massacre. 

The horror of this war will not be diminished by those who want to deny the protests and anguish of either side. 

Previous Introduction:  May, 2021

I wrote this six years ago.  Last week, (May 2021) I was teaching a class on Orwell’s “Animal Farm” and was explaining the difference between analogies, metaphors and euphemisms.  I remembered that I had written this blog several years ago and decided to see if it still had any relevance.  I was struck by what I had said about policing back then since my comments have been supported more recently by numerous examples.  I decided to republish the original blog.  I will go through and correct some egregious editing and grammar problems.

January, 2015

I woke up at 3 AM the morning of January 2, 2015 with military euphemisms on my mind.   Knowing that I would forget the ideas I had, I jotted down a few notes on paper before going back to bed.   A few of the specific euphemisms that were running through my brain included:

  • Collateral Damage
  • Surge
  • Village Pacification
  • Enhanced Interrogation
  • VUCA
  • Shock and Awe
  • IED
  • Drone Kill

Thinking that this was probably a very incomplete list of the euphemisms out there, I decided to Google the following:  Military Euphemism Examples.  Here is what my screen looked like:

Pages of Search Query

You will notice that I now had 254, 000 results.  I next went to the “Glossary of Iraqi War Euphemisms” and I found a site full of euphemisms that I had not thought of.  At this point, I realized that any possible list of euphemisms that I could compile far exceeded the limits of my prose for this blog.  I had originally thought to list a few of the more commonly heard euphemisms and discuss the implications of these words in respect to our thinking and behavior.  I would still like to accomplish this objective but now with more deference to those who have gone before in this effort as well as with increased humility in terms of the extent of the problem we are facing.  (Following this blog, are two references which anyone who wants to explore this problem further should pursue.)  See the late great George Carlin on Euphemisms.

What is the problem you may ask?  David Bromwich put it very succinctly:

“The frightening thing about the use of euphemisms is their power to efface the memory of actual cruelties.  Behind the façade of a history falsified by language, the painful particulars of war are lost.” —– David Bromwich

Dangerous-LiarsLet’s take a concrete example to illustrate the problem more.  The United States Senate recently released a report officially titled as:  Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Detention and Interrogation Program.   Unofficially, it has been called the Senate Report on Torture.   I downloaded and saved the above report (525 pages) which I assume is the condensed version or summary of the full report.  Just for curiosity sake, I searched for the word Torture in the summary.  There were 131 instances of the word in the 525 page summary.

I then typed in “enhanced interrogation” and found 997 instances of the term in the report.  Apparently our Senate is no fonder of the word Torture then its intended victims were.  Given our penchant for euphemisms, I am almost surprised that they did not call it the “Senate Report on Enhanced Interrogation Techniques.”  With such a title, they could probably sell it to Human Resource Managers looking for better ways to screen potential new hires.  I also typed in the word Victim to see how many times this was in the report.  It was found a total of 6 times and in each instance, it was related to the phrase:  “United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.”  Apparently, the word victim is too harsh to use.  Maybe we should call victims of torture something like “unintended recipients of undesired attention.”  You must admit it has a sort of ring to it.  I think it sounds a lot more interesting than “victims of torture.”  We could abbreviate it as URUA which can then be used when needed so as not to offend anyone.

grave yard euphemismA euphemism is a word or phrase used in place of another word or phrase.  However, a euphemism is different than a synonym.  The difference is important because it is insidious and it strikes to the heart of the problem that we are facing here.   This is an example from Baker Editing Services on the use of synonyms versus euphemisms which I think does a good job of illustrating the differences:

“You need to select your synonyms carefully.  Euphemisms are sometimes a good choice as a specific category of synonym when selecting an alternate word.  They are neutral, mild, or vague terms that can be used to express a more offensive or traumatic word or situation without giving offense.  Rather than saying a coworker is a competitive ass, you might say that he is “driven” or “very dedicated to achieving his goals.”

war picturesNotice the difference?  When we use a euphemism, we may be trying not to give offense.  We may also be trying to hide the truth or something that might be unacceptable if rendered in plain English.  Thus in war, words like casualties replace deaths and “suppressing the enemy” replaces “killing” the enemy.  American casualties are reported but not enemy casualties since we don’t really care about the number of freedom fighters (Oh, I meant terrorists) we kill.   We did not really destroy the village and all the women and children and freedom fighters (Oops, my mistake again, I meant terrorists) in it.  We pacified the village.

(‘It became necessary to destroy the town to save it’, a United States major said today. He was talking about the decision by allied commanders to bomb and shell the town regardless of civilian casualties, to rout the Vietcong.) — Peter Arnett

We certainly pacified the town of Bến Tre which now has a population of over 140, 000 people.  Of course, back during the Vietnam War, they were not people, they were Gooks.  I was curious to find out just how many people were killed while we “pacified” the village but I could not find any specific figures.  (If anyone knows the number of people killed at Bến Tre during the offensive, please let me know.) 

Another euphemism or at least it seems to be a euphemism is the concept of “force continuum”:

force continuumA “Use of Force Continuum” is a standard that provides law enforcement officials and security officers (such as police officers, probation officers, or corrections officers) with guidelines as to how much force may be used against a resisting subject in a given situation.

excessive forceThe principle idea here is to use only the amount of deterrence necessary to protect oneself and also accomplish the objectives needed by the situation.  Practically speaking this means that if someone calls you a name, you do not shoot them.  If someone comes at you bare handed, you may use the minimum level of force necessary to protect yourself.  This might mean you would use tear gas or a Taser before you would blast them with a shotgun.  I mentioned that the concept of force continuum seems like a euphemism but perhaps it is more of a misnomer since it often seems like it is an upside down continuum with police shooting first and asking questions later.

The problem of euphemisms is evident in policing as well as in military situations.   However, it is more insidious and subtle here and thus more difficult to recognize.  Nevertheless, it plays an important role in police efforts to prevent crime and violence.  If instead of looking at someone as a human being or a citizen, police label them as “violent perps”, then they will likely use more force than they need to.  Many of the recent examples in the news of “police brutality” reflect this overuse of force due to the stereotyping of African Americans as more violent and dangerous than Whites or other ethnic groups.  Again, we see the problem here is that we are labeling people not as they really are but as we are programmed for them to be. Human life becomes cheap.  Maybe we should call it a “killing” continuum instead of a “use of force continuum.”

euphemismMadison Avenue has become an obscene part of the communication process in both the military and law enforcement.  Hide it.  Obscure it.  Obfuscate it.  Give them what they won’t understand.  Make it sound benign.  Sugarcoat it and they will buy it every time.  We did not kill the man.  We neutralized him.  We did not choke him to death.  We used acceptable deterrence procedures.   We did not abuse the woman; we used standard assault control techniques.   Let’s not say what we mean.  Let’s not call it what it really is.  He injured himself in the course of our investigative process.   She was injured while we were restraining her for her own safety.

Euphemisms are dangerous.  I would go so far as to say they are evil.  They hide the truth.  They convey a message which does not fit reality.  They paint an inappropriate picture of what is happening in our lives.  They distort the facts.   Without seeing things as they really are, we are lost in a fog of illusion.  We are navigating in a maze without any sense of direction.  We are looking in a mirror that shows us what others want us to believe and not what is really happening.   Here is a recent news story about a 90 year old war veteran who was arrested for feeding the hungry.  Notice the euphemisms:

“While video available on YouTube shows Arnold Abbott and ministers being taken away in police custody, the Mayor states that Mr. Arnold had not been arrested, but rather was detained, cited, and ordered to appear in court.  Those cited face possible jail time and have taken the city to court to fight the ordinance.”  CNN,  11-5-2014

Should you get arrested, I hope you will remember the difference between detained and arrested.  It might help in your plea to the court.   Here is another example of a euphemism that has evolved over time.  It is from the pen of the famous cartoonist Scott Adams known for his Dilbert series.

“You’re fired.”  (1980)

“You’re laid off.”  (1985)

“You’re downsized.”  (1990)

“You’re rightsized.”  (1992)

Do words matter?  Of course they matter.  Why would advertisers, marketers, PR people and political pundits go to such trouble to use words to disguise meanings if they did not matter?

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. ‘Of course you don’t — till I tell you. I meant “there’s a nice knock-down argument for you!”‘

‘But “glory” doesn’t mean “a nice knock-down argument”,’ Alice objected.

‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’

‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.’  (From Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass.)

bank exampleThe golden rule applies unilaterally when euphemisms and misinformation must be spread.  The golden rule is “he, who has the gold, makes the rules.”  In most cases, this easily answers Humpty Dumpty’s question about who is to be the master?  The person who has the most gold is the master.  The poor, the underprivileged, the defeated, the economically disadvantaged, the bottom of the pile minorities, and lower income groups do not get to choose the words and make the euphemisms.   If they did, it might lead to a type of new grammar which I would call “reverse euphemisms.”  This is euphemisms named by a group that has nothing to hide or would really like to see the truth out.  Thus, in Michael Brown’s case it would have been said that he was:

  • Indiscriminately slaughtered
  • Butchered in cold blood
  • Executed
  • Assassinated

Eric Garner did not die from aspiration or asphyxiation or not being able to get a breath while in a police restraint.  Eric (it would be more accurate to say) died from:

  • Being strangled to death
  • Choked to death
  • Unwarranted and unnecessary application of dangerous and lethal police procedures

article-eric-garner-wife-1203All lives matter:  Black, Brown, Yellow, White, Blue, Pink or any other color.  No exceptions.  No one’s death is a cipher.  When we diminish the victims meaning and their importance through the use of sophistry, euphemisms and carefully crafted words to hide behind, we increase the probability that no lives will matter.  We must not allow others to hide behind words designed to conceal the truth.   Start speaking the truth.  Say the truth.  Change the words you use to reflect the truth.  The truth may just set you and the world free.

Time for Questions:

What is your favorite euphemism?  Why?  What do you think would happen if we stopped using so many euphemisms?  Would we have more truth or less?  Do you think euphemisms are helpful or harmful?  Why?  Can you trust what anyone means anymore?   What is the difference between a lie and a euphemism?

Life is just beginning:

Here are some good sites to visit if you want to explore this subject further:

 

 

I Wonder as a I Wander

30 Oct 2023 5 Comments

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

20210524_1igantiusstars

I have always loved the phrase “I wonder as I wander out under the sky” from a song written by American folklorist and singer John Jacob Niles.  It was first sung in 1944 by Pvt. Cecil Gant.  The record made it to number one on the Juke Box Race Records chart in 1944 and 1945.  It has probably been sung over a billion times and is a favorite among Christians during the holiday season.  The lyrics are as follows:

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

That Jesus my Savior did come for to die

For poor ordinary people like you and like I

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

Now many of you would know that I profess to be part Atheist and part Agnostic, so Jesus is not my savior.  However, I regard him as a great prophet and teacher of the human spirit.  Seldom have I read anything as significant as the Eight Beatitudes that Jesus gave in a sermon.  These eight messages tell us much about the man and speak volumes in terms of how we need to treat other human beings:

  1. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  2. Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.
  3. Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted.
  4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.
  5. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
  6. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
  7. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
  8. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. — Matthew (5:3-10).

I wonder many nights when I am out under a clear sky.  I wonder what it all means.  I wonder what I am here for.  I wonder about friendship and loyalty.  I wonder about integrity and politics.  I wonder about the world and the climate.  I wonder if wars and murders will ever end.  I wonder if prejudice and discrimination will ever cease.  I wonder if abuse to women and gender-diverse people will ever end.  I wonder if religions will stop persecuting other religions.  I wonder if it was all worth living for.

A wise person once said that there are two “What Ifs.”  One deals with fear and can be paralyzing and enabling, “What if this happens?”  “What if I should fall or break a leg?”  “What if things should go wrong?”  The other “What If” deals with wonder and can lead to positive and rewarding insights.  Insights that raise life and humanity up and create a better world.  “What if we did this instead of this?”  “What if we could have peace instead of war?”  “What if we could eliminate the need for guns and weapons?”  “What if we valued humanity more than we valued money?”

I wonder what would happen if we chose hope and love over fear and greed.  I wonder as I wander out under the stars what life on this planet COULD be like.

The Abominable War on Gaza

23 Oct 2023 25 Comments

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

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Let me make this very clear.  I voted for Clinton, Obama, Hillary, and Biden.  This is not to say that I have always been fond of the Democratic Party.  However as compared to the Republican Party, I view the Democratic Party as more willing to spend money on education, health care and needed social programs for the poor and needy in America and the World.

However, where I draw the line on the Democratic Party and where I see little or no difference with the Republicans comes down to their attitudes on supporting the military and the armament industry as the answer to all the world’s problems.

We are now engaged in what some might call a “Two Proxy Front War.”  We are supporting the Ukraine in its battle with Russia and Israel in its battle with Hamas.  We should not be involved in either battle.  We have become the provider of military weapons to the world and when deemed expedient we become the world’s policemen.

Are the deaths in Israel tragic, of course.  Is terrorism ever justified?  Terrorism is horrible.  It is the most brutal form of warfare.  But terrorism is defined by the powerful not the weak.  It is used by the weak against the powerful.  American patriots during the Revolutionary War were regarded as terrorists by England.

King George III insisted he had “acted with the same temper; anxious to prevent, if it had been possible, the effusion of the blood of my subjects; and the calamities which are inseparable from a state of war; still hoping that my people in America would have discerned the traitorous views of their leaders, and have been convinced, that to be a subject of Great Britain, with all its consequences, is to be the freest member of any civil society in the known world.” — King George III speaks to Parliament of American rebellion

“The Sons of Liberty as an active movement disbanded in late 1783.  In the end, no universal conclusions, judgments, or definitive statements can be made about the Sons of Liberty.  Were they a terrorist organization?  The British certainly believed they were.  After all, the Sons were advocating overthrow of the status quo government and independence for the thirteen colonies.  Were they a patriotic organization?  Many American colonists certainly believed they were.”  — Sons of Liberty: Patriots or Terrorists?

The recent terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel may have set new boundaries for what can be called terrorism.  If the stories of children being beheaded, women raped and civilians taken as hostages can all be believed (only hearsay evidence seems to support the beheading of children), then Hamas has set the bar even lower in what can be tolerated during war.

Many are talking about the one-sided narrative being played out in the press.  War victims and atrocities by Hamas are being tallied daily while brutality by Israel seems to be ignored and is not counted.  Much of America and Europe takes the side of Israel while much of the rest of the world sides with the Palestinians.

Some say the animosity between the Arabs and Israel only goes back to the early 1900’s.  Others look at the ancient history of the Levant and talk about thousands of years of warfare between the Israelites, Philistines, Canaanites, and other tribes.  Does history make a difference or should it be ignored in trying to find a solution?

Of course, there is another reason not being discussed that also explains why Britain and now the USA want to support Israel.  There is no doubt that politics and ideology are at play here.  There are many who see the persecution of Jews over the centuries by every nation in the world and sincerely believe that the Jewish people have a right to their own nation and self-determination.  No one can read the history of antisemitism without feeling sorrow and horror at the means that have been used to persecute and murder Jews.

However, economics also plays a major role in this part of the world.  Oil became the main fuel in the world after the development of new engines replaced coal driven engines.  This happened shortly before the beginning of World War I.  Britain, France, and Germany all fought over the vast oil reserves in the Sinai peninsula with each seeking to control the oil and wealth that would flow out of the ground.  Arabs were regarded as an impediment to the regular and uninterrupted oil flow that was needed by the developed world.  What better strategy than to allow a Western style nation to sit right in the middle of the Arab world.  A country that was a democracy and that would help to protect Western interests.  Does anyone wonder why Israel was allowed to develop nuclear weapons with no argument while we have spent years studying and arguing about Iran developing even the potential for nuclear weapons?  One could well note that since the birth of Mohammed in 570 CE, Arabs have been viewed as an enemy of Western culture.  The history of the Crusades is some evidence of this animosity.

So now we are faced with a major decision.  To support Israel or to support Palestine?  No other choices were put on the table as our President rushed to Tel Aviv to declare that “He stands with Israel.  We have their back.”  The first time an American president has visited Israel during a time of war.  Biden hastened to Israel to offer support and armaments, while opining that the attack against Hamas should not murder innocent civilians, women, and children.  This last claim is rather disingenuous since how does anyone aerial bomb a city while not killing women and children.   As of this writing the present tally for the Gaza War between what Biden referred to as the “teams” stands at:

Israel Dead                 1400

Israel Wounded          3400

Palestine Dead           4385

Palestine Wounded    9700   

16516

Then Biden comes home to the USA to give one of the worst speeches in history on October 20, 2023, to assure America that we are doing the right thing in Israel.  The logic in this speech and the assertions he makes are time worn tropes and generalizations that only serve to obscure the realities of the path that Biden wants America to go down.  I am going to take several excerpts from his speech and give you my thoughts on his words.  The selections do not follow the correct order that Biden gave them in his address.

“History has taught us when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction.  They keep going.  And the cost and the threat to America and the world keep rising.” — President Biden

Apparently, this is only true for the dictators that we do not like or do not support.  It does not seem to be historically true for those dictators that we have supported.  Here is a list of our friendly dictators.

The United States and its Friendly Dictators

“Many of the world’s most repressive dictators have been friends of America. Tyrants, torturers, killers, and sundry dictators and corrupt puppet-presidents have been aided, supported, and rewarded handsomely for their loyalty to US interests. Traditional dictators seize control through force, while constitutional dictators hold office through voting fraud or severely restricted elections and are frequently puppets and apologists for the military juntas which control the ballot boxes. In any case, none have been democratically elected by the majority of their people in fair and open elections.

They are democratic America’s undemocratic allies. They may rise to power through bloody ClA-backed coups and rule by terror and torture. Their troops may receive training or advice from the CIA and other US agencies. US military aid and weapons sales often strengthen their armies and guarantee their hold on power. Unwavering “anti-communism” and a willingness to provide unhampered access for American business interests to exploit their countries’ natural resources and cheap labor are the excuses for their repression, and the primary reason the US government supports them. They may be linked internationally to extreme right-wing groups such as the World Anti-Communist League, and some have had strong Nazi affiliations and have offered sanctuary to WW ll Nazi war criminals.

They usually grow rich, while their countries’ economies deteriorate, and the majority of their people live in poverty. US tax dollars and US-backed loans have made billionaires of some, while others are international drug dealers who also collect CIA paychecks. Rarely are they called to account for their crimes. And rarely still, is the US government held responsible for supporting and protecting some of the worst human rights violators in the world.”  From The Friendly Dictators.

Friendly dictators

Abacha, General Sani —————————-Nigeria

Amin, Idi———————————————Uganda

Banzer, Colonel Hugo —————————-Bolivia

Batista, Fulgencio———————————Cuba

Bolkiah, Sir Hassanal —————————-Brunei

Botha, P.W. —————————————South Africa

Branco, General Humberto ———————Brazil

Cedras, Raoul ————————————-Haiti

Cerezo, Vinicio ———————————–Guatemala

Chiang Kai-Shek ———————————Taiwan

Cordova, Roberto Suazo ————————Honduras

Cristiani, Alfredo ——————————-El Salvador

Diem, Ngo Dihn ———————————Vietnam

Doe, General Samuel —————————-Liberia

Duvalier, Francois ——————————–Haiti

Duvalier, Jean Claude—————————–Haiti

Fahd bin’Abdul-‘Aziz, King ———————Saudi Arabia

Franco, General Francisco ———————–Spain

Hussan II——————————————-Morocco

Marcos, Ferdinand ——————————-Philippines

Martinez, General Maximiliano Hernandez —El Salvador

Mobutu Sese Seko ——————————-Zaire

Ozal, Turgut ————————————–Turkey

Pahlevi, Shah Mohammed Reza —————Iran

Papadopoulos, George ————————–Greece

Park Chung Hee ———————————South Korea

Pinochet, General Augusto ———————Chile

Pol Pot———————————————Cambodia

Rabuka, General Sitiveni ————————Fiji

Montt, General Efrain Rios ———————Guatemala

Selassie, Halie ————————————Ethiopia

Salazar, Antonio de Oliveira ——————–Portugal

Somoza, Anastasio Jr. ————————–Nicaragua

Smith, Ian —————————————-Rhodesia

Stroessner, Alfredo —————————–Paraguay

Suharto, General ———————————Indonesia

Trujillo, Rafael Leonidas ———————–Dominican Republic

Videla, General Jorge Rafael ——————Argentina

Zia Ul-Haq, Mohammed ———————-Pakistan

“Like so many other, I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of Palestinian life, including the explosion at a hospital in Gaza — which was not done by the Israelis.” — Biden

Both sides claimed the bombing of the hospital was the result of the other sides missile efforts.  As far as I know and as of this writing there has been no independent collaboration of these claims.  Why has not a UN team been assigned to go to the hospital to determine conclusively who was at fault in this terrible atrocious bombing?  Instead, our President with no apparent evidence blames Hamas.  It may well have been a Hamas missile but let’s see the evidence.

“Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy — completely annihilate it.” — President Biden

The Wilson Center, a non-partisan think tank states the following:

“The war that began as an intention to stop NATO expansion and seize control of Ukraine is now being fought over a few regions that have no strategic value for Russia except as a land corridor to Crimea.” — The Wilson Center

The war began to stop NATO expansion, something we had promised we would not pursue.  Instead, we did.  The resulting threat to Russia pushed Putin into a corner.  When any rat is in a corner, it will attack.  That is what Putin has done.  Now we are supporting a war between two countries, neither of whom is a member of NATO.  The real reason for this war is the perceived threat to our economy that a rising Russia posed.  We have already cited China as our next major world enemy.

“Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.  Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, and innocent Palestinian families are suffering greatly because of them.”  — President Biden

This assertion that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people is untrue.  As much as we would like to believe that Hamas is only a small group of terrorists who do not reflect the values of the Palestinian people, it is not true.  Hamas was elected by the Palestinian people in 2006 to govern Gaza:

“Legislative elections were held in the Palestinian territories on 25 January 2006 in order to elect the second Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). The result was a victory for Hamas, contesting under the list name of Change and Reform, which received 44.45% of the vote and won 74 of the 132 seats, whilst the ruling Fatah received 41.43% of the vote and won 45 seats.” — Wikipedia

“It’s a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations, help us keep American troops out of harm’s way, help us build a world that is safer, more peaceful, and more prosperous for our children and grandchildren.” — President Biden

This claim is so full of baloney that I don’t know where to start.  The idea that creating ever more armaments for the world and growing our military even larger will better protect us is incredible.  It is like saying that more guns in America are going to make us all safer or that the more weapons we can sell to the world will make us safer.  To describe weapons as an investment ignores any economic facts.  Education is an investment.  Childcare is an investment.  The environment is an investment.  Infrastructure is an investment.  An investment is something that returns more than it gets.  Bombs and bullets do not return more.  They destroy more.

When are we going to learn that you cannot have both guns and butter.  You never could and we still can’t.  Either we build a strong economy based on factors that save lives and make lives better for everyone, or we build an economy that will destroy more and more lives.  Destroying lives, even if in other countries, will eventually destroy our nation.

“The security package I’m sending to Congress and asking Congress to do is an unprecedented commitment to Israel’s security that will sharpen Israel’s qualitative military edge, which we’ve committed to — the qualitative military edge.” — President Biden

The United States has given Israel over $260 billion in foreign aid since World War II. This includes:

$260 billion in combined military and economic aid

$10 billion in contributions for missile defense systems like the Iron Dome

$10.6 billion in assistance through the Defense Department, including air and missile defense support, and industrial base investments

More than $14 billion for Israel’s air defense system and other weapons purchases

Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid. US legislators have long seen Israel as an ally to help protect US strategic interests in the Middle East.

Israel has the most powerful army in the Mideast.  How much more powerful can we help to make them?  When will we stop?  If there are lessons of war, we should have learned by now that a powerful army and many high-tech weapons systems will not necessarily defeat a determined adversary.  The wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan should have taught us this fact but apparently, they did not.

“And let me be clear about something: We send Ukraine equipment sitting in our stockpiles.  And when we use the money allocated by Congress, we use it to replenish our own stores — our own stockpiles with new equipment — equipment that defends America and is made in America: Patriot missiles for air defense batteries made in Arizona; artillery shells manufactured in 12 states across the country — in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas; and so much more.”  — President Biden

Great, we can clean out our stockpiles and make room for new weapons.

“We are, as my friend Madeleine Albright said, ‘the indispensable nation.’  In moments like these, we have to remind — we have to remember who we are.  We are the United States of America — the United States of America.  And there is nothing — nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together. — President Biden

We cannot even elect a speaker of the house these days without violent acrimony.  Our own democracy now teeters on the brink of destruction.  Liars and thieves have become common place in political circles.  A value on ethics and morality has been discarded in favor of opportunism, getting reelected and protecting ones party.  Greed is the lubricant for all our political institutions.  Our country is divided into camps and ideologies that have no common ground nor do they seek any common ground.  We cannot agree that we need to make major changes to protect and restore our climate.  We cannot even get rid of an antiquated measurement system that requires two sets of tools to work on anything.  Yet we have a President who says that there is “nothing beyond our capacity.”

Let’s cut the bull and baloney.  I do not believe that we should stick our heads in the ground and ignore the rest of the world.  I do not believe in isolationism.  But I also do not believe that we need to take sides in all the worlds conflicts.  If we can be guided by the same spirit that guided Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, we can save ourselves and help the world.  But if we are guided by a spirit which values money, oil, and self-interest above all else, then we will surely become another failed empire.

Biden claims that he is making the world safer for Americans.  This is another piece of baloney.  He is not making the world safer for Americans, Jews, Muslims, Arabs or anyone else.  All he is doing is throwing gas on a raging fire.  If we keep going down this path, we will find that there is no place safe in the world for anyone.

“One of the mistakes which some political analysts make is to think their enemies should be our enemies,” — Nelson Mandela

I particularly enjoyed this article. Dr. De Zayas is very astute and his articles are very insightful.

21 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized

The Tides of Human Rights

Customer Service PLEEEZE!

19 Oct 2023 19 Comments

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

Upset girl receive bad news talking on cellphone

Customer Service (CS):  Hello, this is American Bank serving True American Patriots.  Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to today?

Me:  Hi, my name is John Persico, and I am calling about a lost credit card.

CS:  Could you please verify your account with us.  I need your name, address, telephone number, last four of your social security number and your secret pass code.

Me:  John Persico, 2034 Abbitt Avenue, South Phoenix, 85117.  Phone is 520-671-4583 and last four of my SS is 2245.  My secret pass code is 9867453287.

CS:  Could you also verify your date of birth; month, day, and year.

Me:  09/17/1946

CS:  Thank you, Mr. Persico.  We see that you have an account with us.  What can I help you with.

Me:  Well, my wife and I just came back from a vacation, and we seem to have lost one of our credit cards.

CS:  Do you know the number of your credit card?

Me:  Are you serious?

CS:  Don’t worry, I can look it up.  Do you know the date of issue?

Me:  Sometime in the past four years I would guess.

CS:  Great, I think I have located the number.  Do you know where you lost the card?

Me:  Well, we left Phoenix two weeks ago for Cape Town, South Africa.  From there we went to Johannesburg and from there to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.  When we left Victoria Falls, we went back to Phoenix by way of Zurich, Switzerland.  Then we went to Newark, NJ and finally landed in Phoenix.  I think it was either lost or stolen somewhere between Zimbabwe and Phoenix.

CS:  Oh, I thought you said it was lost?

Me:  Well, I guess it could have been stolen.  What’s the difference?

CS:  If it was lost, we have our lost credit card department.  If it was stolen, I must send you to our stolen credit card department.

Me:  What do you mean “send” me?  I thought you were going to handle it.

CS:  I am very sorry, but I will have to route you to the right department.  Do you want stolen or lost?

Me:  I will take lost.

CS:  Please stay on the line while I forward you to our Lost Credit Card department.  Thank you very much for your time.  Would you mind filling out a brief survey concerning the service you received today?

Me:  Maybe later.  I would really like to get this card issue resolved first.

CS:  I understand, please stay on the line.

Lost Credit Card Dept:  Due to the large volume of lost credit card calls, there will be a minimum delay of twenty minutes before we can connect you with a lost credit card service provider.  Would you like to stay on the line, or we can give you a call back?

Me:  I will stay on the line.

TIME DELAY:  Twenty-five times I am asked if I still want to stay on the line.  Meanwhile I am listening to some of the worst music I have ever heard in my life.

Lost Credit Card Operator (LCCO) Hello, whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?

Me:  My name is John Persico.  I am calling about a lost credit card.

LCCO:  I would be happy to help you with this issue.  Can I have your name, address, phone number, last four of your Social Security number, date of birth and your secret passcode?

Me:  I gave all that information before.

LCCO:  I am very sorry, but I must ask you again as we are a different department.

Me:  Okay, Okay.  Jesus, I can’t remember my name.  I think my address is 2034 Abbitt Avenue, South Phoenix, 85117.  Phone is 520-671-4583 and last four of my SS is 2245.  My secret pass code is 9867453287.  My date of birth is 09/17/1946.  Oh, Oh, I just remembered my name.  It is John Persico.

LCCO:  Thank you, Mr. Persico.  How can I help you?

Me:  I lost my credit card or perhaps it was stolen and ……….

LCCO:  Did you say stolen?

Me:  No!  No!  No!  I did not mean stolen.  I am sure it was lost.

LCCO:  Do you know where you lost it?

Me:  I haven’t a fuckin clue!

LCCO:  Well, it generally takes between ten and fifteen business days before we will reissue a new card to you.  Perhaps your old card will turn up.  You can call us back after ten days and we will process a new card for you.

Me:  I would like to do that now.  Can you make an exception.  We have many of our auto bill pays on this card.  Our phone company has already rejected our monthly cell phone payment. I need a new card to reestablish this account, or I will not have any cell phone service.

LCCO:  I am very sorry for your inconvenience.  I can forward you to our Exceptional Claims Department and they will be happy to help you further.

Me:  No, please do not forward me.  Isn’t there some way that I can get a new card sooner than two weeks.

LCCO:  Please hold the line while I check with my supervisor on that question

TIME DELAY:  Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep

Me:  Are you still there?  Is anyone there?

Phone:  Please hang up and dial again, you are no longer connected.

Goodbye!
Log in
Your  BANK credit card ending in 5591 was reported lost or stolen on October 19, 2023 and will no longer work. A new card with a new account number will be mailed to you.
Card delivery details
Expected to arrive: October 23, 2023
Delivery address: 9069 W TROY DR # 2498
ARIZONA CITY, AZ, 85123-8934
If you have questions about this request, please call us at 1-877-324-2131.

Compassion:  The Sixth Most Important Virtue for a Good Life

16 Oct 2023 9 Comments

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

Compassion is number six of my seven essential virtues for leading a happy and successful life.  Every Saturday I start my day with the following prayer:

  • Help me to be strong and kind in the face of adversity, attacks or injustice perceived and help me to always be Compassionate in dealing with others.

what is compassionCompassion is the most important of the seven virtues.  Compassion is just one stroke short of love.  Compassion leads to love but it takes some doing to get there.  The journey involves a number of steps each predicated on a trait or behavior that is uniquely human.  In this blog, I want to describe the journey to compassion and beyond to love.   Each step of the journey is a commitment to humanity.  If you do not care about others, you will not be interested in the journey.  Compassion is the opposite of narcissism.   A narcissist loves them-self.  A person with compassion loves others.  With a narcissist, it is “all about me.”  With a compassionate person, it is “all about them.”

5aHomeless-Corbis_435_290The journey starts with sympathy.  We think of sympathy as “feeling sorry for someone.”  It is the ability to have feelings for another person.  We see another person who looks hungry or unhappy or ill and we feel some sense of remorse or regret for the other person.  We might be distressed for them or we might simply be glad that we are not in their shoes.  A part of us hurts or aches for the other person, but we do not identify with them on a deeper level.  Our sorrow goes no further than to perhaps wonder what had befallen them to bring such misery.

“Sympathy is feeling bad for someone else because of something that has happened to them.”

compassion two childrenOur next step in our journey to compassion takes understanding.  We need to try to understand others and to put ourselves in their shoes.  We must avoid separation and thinking that we are so different from others.  We must avoid judging others.  When you couple understanding with sympathy, you have taken the next step.  You have now arrived at empathy.  To have empathy for others, is to combine sympathy and understanding.  You are sorry for those who are less well-off then you are, but you do not separate yourself from them and instead you seek to find the common ground that links you to the other person.  Sympathy involves the heart.  Empathy involves both the heart and the mind.

“I always think that if you look at anyone in detail, you will have empathy for them because you recognize them as a human being, no matter what they’ve done.” — Andrea Arnold

By the way, not everyone thinks empathy is a good thing.  Paul Bloom, psychologist and Yale professor, argues that empathy is a bad thing—that it makes the world worse.  While we’ve been taught that putting yourself in another’s shoes cultivates compassion, he says it actually blinds you to the long-term consequences of your actions.  He blames empathy for war and many other social injustices.  You can see his argument for his case against empathy at:  “Against Empathy.”   This is a short 3 minute video where Bloom makes his case.  I personally think his case is fraught with logical fallacies and unproven assumptions.  However, I suppose the fact that he is a Yale professor will sway many people.   

we must actThe next step in our journey is action.  All of the empathy in the world will not make a difference if we do not take action.  Empathy + Action = Compassion.  Compassion is the way we make a difference to others.  Jesus said “Feed my sheep.”  He did not say to just take pity on them or to simply have empathy for them.  Empathy by itself does not clothe the poor, feed the hungry or help the weak.  We must make action and doing a part of our empathy for others.  This is true compassion.

africanamericanwomen

As I said before, compassion is the opposite of narcissism.  Compassion is about what you can do and will do and are doing for others.  There are many stories of compassion.  Hollywood, novelists, ministers and pastors of all stripes will tell us story after story of compassion.  We hear these stories and are touched.  We sympathize and empathize with the victims in these stories.  But are we moved to take action?  Unless we take action to help others, we can never get to true compassion or love.  Love goes beyond compassion.  Love entails pro-active measures to care for others.

Compassion + Pro-Action = Love

Compassion can involve two types of action.  It can entail reaction or pro-action.  Compassion that is reactive takes place when you see a need and do something about it.  However, there is a final step in the journey.  Love is our ultimate destination. When you love others, you do not wait to be asked or wait until the need is apparent.  When you love, you are pro-active.  You reach out before you are asked.  You seek for those that need help and you do not simply wait for them to arrive or show up on your door step.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13

I can recall a situation where I once had a friend in need.  I called Mike up and asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said “No, he was ok.”  I thought that I was doing a very fine thing by being pro-active and asking if Mike needed any help.  A short time late, I found that another friend (Bob) had gone over and actually rendered some assistance to Mike.  I asked Bob how this came about as I noted that I had called Mike and he said that he did not need any help.  Bob replied: “Yeah, he told me the same thing, but I did not believe him.  Mike will never ask for help.”

acts of loveBob’s actions made a great impact on me, since I had seldom gone further in my life than either waiting to be asked for help or sometimes asking others if they needed help.  It would never have occurred to me to just show up and help.  Perhaps, you might think that simply showing up and helping someone is going too far.  However, think about yourself.  Would you really ask others for help?  I know I probably would not.  Pitching in to help when not asked may not always be warranted but I now see it as something worth endeavoring to do more often than not.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”  — Ralph Waldo Emerson

I did not include love as one of my seven greatest virtues.  This was no accident.  Many writers have described love much more adequately than I have.  The Greeks over two thousand years ago described four types of love.  Love has been the subject of more novels, poems and songs than there are stars in the sky.  We are constantly bombarded by the use of the word love.  How many times have you been told “I love you” by some relative or perhaps a friend who seldom goes any further than their admission of love for you?

I am skeptical of love for two reasons.  First, I am still not sure that I know what it is.  Second, I hear the word used so often that I doubt anyone else really knows what it is either.  If everyone in our world who was professing love really loved, I cannot believe that we would have the wars and violence and cruelty that we see every day on the TV and in the papers.  I think “true love” probably exists but I do not think it is practical for my daily journey through life.  It is one of those things that like happiness we do not seek but it finds us.

free sandwiches for the homelessCompassion is a much more useful and practical virtue for my life.  I can deal with compassion and I can be more compassionate if I really aspire to.  I am not sure I can be more loving.  I have a hard time “loving” others whom I dislike or who do unkind things to people I do like.  I more often “love” others who think and act like I do.  I may be taking the easy way out, but if I can be more compassionate to others and if someday I am thought of as a compassionate person, that will be enough for me.  If you are further along in your journey through life, then you should consider including love as one of your “most” important virtues.  No one will be a worse person for it.  For me today, compassion for others is enough of an effort.

Time for Questions:

 Are you a compassionate person?  Do you have compassion for strangers as well as friends and relatives?  Can you be compassionate towards people of different ethnicity, philosophies, religions and political ideologies?  What makes you a compassionate person?

Life is just beginning.

“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you.  If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”  ― Barack Obama

Take the time today to reflect on a bad decision you made

12 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized

Several years ago, I attended a Men’s group meeting in Luck, Wisconsin.  This was an interesting group of men led by Mr. Dan Beal, a former high school principal.  They had been meeting every other Wednesday for over eight years.  Each meeting, one man hosts a subject or idea or topic for discussion.  With plenty of coffee and snacks, the group met for about two hours and shared their ideas on the subject.  Good fun, fellowship and camaraderie are had by all.  In addition, one always learns something from sharing ideas with other people.  The subject for the following weeks discussion was selected by a Mr. Russ Hanson and dealt with selecting a single decision in our lives that we most regretted and then speculating on “What would our lives have been like if we had made another decision.”

I tried very hard for a week to think of a single decision that I regretted and that I would do over.  I had a difficult time to come up with one.  I called my friend Bruce and ran the question by him.  He said “It does not seem doable. How could you make another decision?”  I agreed with this perspective, but it seemed somewhat arrogant to say that there was nothing in my life that could not be changed or perhaps another road that I could have taken.  I decided to use the following decision as the basis for my contribution to the group.  I made this decision when I turned 18 years old.  The year was 1964.  I made it a time right after high school when I could not get into college and the Vietnam War was building up.

The decision I made has profoundly affected my life ever since.  Indeed, it is probably the single most important decision I have made in my entire life.  Its repercussions still affect my life to this day.

I decided to go into the USAF.  You may ask why and here are my reasons:

  • I liked the uniforms and thought they would attract more women
  • I assumed it took more brains to be in the Air Force than the Army or Marines
  • I had some vague ideas about being a war hero
  • I was sick of living at home and wanted to see the world

I now note that this decision was a major mistake.  I will not bother you with the myriad reasons why.  Suffice it to say that none of my reasons for joining the Air force really panned out. The path that I should have trodden, the decision that I should have made was this; I should have joined the US Marines.  We were expected to speculate as best we could on the changes that the decision would have made in our lives.  However, I can safely say that in my case, this is not mere speculation but a true unadulterated fact.  I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that if I had joined the Marines and been a Jar Head instead of a Wing Nut the following changes would have occurred in my life.

I would have had relations with a lot more women. Maybe as many as Wilt Chamberlain and as some of you know that is more than 20,000 women.  It turns out, according to reliable statistics, that the Marine uniform is very sexy to more women than the US Air Force uniform or most any other uniforms.

I would quickly have been selected for OCS and risen in time to at least a 3 star General.  I would have been decorated many times over, seen true combat and no doubt have been at least awarded a Silver Star, a ticker tape parade on Broadway and a meeting with then President Lyndon B. Johnson, whom I might add I subsequently met but that is another story.

As a result of my war hero status, I would have pursued a career in politics and easily have become a US Senator from Wisconsin and perhaps even run for President of the US.  With my brains, good looks, and military connections, It is highly likely I would have become the next President of the United States instead of Richard Milhous Nixon.

I would now be receiving a tremendous pension. I would be rich beyond belief and living in a great big mansion near Bone Lake where I would be protected by a whole bunch of secret service men who no doubt would be partying with local women even as I speak.

And last, but not least, if I had been a US Marine instead of an Air Force wing nut, I would have a cool tattoo of a bulldog on my right arm instead of the bare skin that now adorns it.

Thank you for allowing me to share my fateful decision with you all here today.  I can only hope that if the Hindus are right and I am reborn again, I will make the right choice on my second time around.

By the way, for those of you who might have missed it, there is a moral to this story: Clothes really do make the man!

Well, that was my talk and my contribution to the following weeks discussion.  Now it is your turn.  What decisions have you made that if you had your life to do over, you would change?  Why would you change it?  How would your life be different today if you had made the other decision?

Manufactured Drama: TV’s Phony Marriage to Reality

05 Oct 2023 5 Comments

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

Update:   Oct 5th, 2023

I wrote the following blog ten years ago.  I think it still holds its validity despite the fact that some of the named TV shows are no longer on the air.  My general premises remain accurate.  

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

I get a lot of strange looks from people when I tell them that I do not have a TV set.  Furthermore, I emphasize that I would not watch TV if I did have one.  Many people then apologize and tell me that they agree with me and that TV is really bad but that they only watch the “good” stuff.   Pause!  Inevitably, this reasoning is followed by: “You really should watch:  The History Channel, The Discovery Channel or PBS.  There are some good shows on these channels.”  They generally ignore my explanation that I can catch any “Good Stuff”  on the Internet via Netflix On-Demand or even direct at the various channels where I can access archives of previous shows.  Thus, I see what I want to see, when I want to see it and without commercials or other idiotic distractions.

Of course, there is the problem that I slowly and inexorably become out of touch with the “mainstream” culture.  As new versions of “Survivors, X-Factor, American Idol, Pawn Wars, Game of Thrones, and NCIS come on, I have no clue as to what these shows are about or who stars in them or why I should watch them.  I feel like a person born in the 18th century who is suddenly catapulted into the 21st Century.  My clothing, concepts, ideas and knowledge of the current zeitgeist marks me as a “Stranger from a strange land.”  I am a Stranger in the midst of all these TV viewers with their myriad diaspora of shows each complete with followers, devotees and addicts.  God forbid I say anything negative about the Teutuls or Duck Dynasty or Holly Boo Boo or SNL.  I must be old or ancient or senile.  How could I miss the beauty and aesthetics of these shows?  (By the way, I will not include sports shows in this blog, since they merit a topic all by themselves.)

Nevertheless, for hours at a time, I am frequently obliged to watch TV.  It happens this way.  Karen and I go to visit a relative, friend, daughter etc.  We sit down in the living room in front of a MEGA 200 inch TV complete with loudspeakers, amplifiers, megaphones and surround sound.  We talk for a few minutes and then the TV gets turned on.  In the next three to four hours, we see snippets of over a ZILLION shows.  My mind starts to reel from the paucity of knowledge and useless amount of information that is being directed at me from the BOOB tube.  I am gracious and do not say anything negative about TV.  Fortunately at some point, I am saved.  Either it is time for dinner, time to leave or time to go to bed.  In either case, my brain is overdue for “time-out” from TV land.  The good part of this travail is that I am now current again with 21st century culture. I now know what moves the hoi polloi.  I can converse with some degree of discernment on the relative merits of Simon Cowell as a judge versus Kelly Rowland.  I can reminisce with those who mourn the death of the Sopranos or Breaking Bad.  Furthermore, I have new content with which to write my next 1000 blogs condemning the inanity that I have somehow managed to survive before my brain totally rotted.

What have I learned from watching 21st Century TV?   TV today is all about “Manufactured” drama.  But you may argue, isn’t most literature and entertainment about drama?  Circus acts, war stories, murder mysteries, Shakespeare, opera, cartoons, police stories, sitcoms, sports and almost any other form of entertainment that one can think about all involve drama.  How is TV today different from “traditional” drama?  Let’s start by looking at the definition of the words we are using here:

Drama: 

1: a:  a composition in verse or prose intended to portray life or character or to tell a story usually involving conflicts and emotions through action and dialogue and typically designed for theatrical performance.

    b:  a movie or television production with characteristics (as conflict) of a serious play; broadly :  a play, movie, or television production with a serious tone or subject <a police drama>

Manufactured:

1:  to make into a product suitable for use

2: a:  to make from raw materials by hand or by machinery

     b:  to produce according to an organized plan and with division of labor

     c:  prefabricate <a manufactured home>

To get a better idea of what I am talking about, I will use a concrete example.  Let’s look at Shakespeare’s Macbeth and compare it to the TV show X-Factor.  Macbeth was a story about a fictional King who may have been meant to resemble in part a real Scottish king of bygone times.  The play’s main plot involves the desire of Macbeth to become King and the greed and depths of depravity that can bring someone to immoral acts to achieve their goals.  The themes are powerful because we can all identify with them.  The story is fictional, the lines are made up, and the characters are drawn from Shakespeare’s fertile mind.  Nevertheless, nothing seems contrived or artificial about this play.  The themes of power and ambition are strong because they resemble many such struggles throughout history.  In fact, all of us can imagine wanting something so bad, that we might even consider unethical acts to obtain it.  Macbeth becomes an icon for the individual who will sacrifice their morals and ethics for ambition.

X-Factor is a TV “reality” show in which singers and entertainers compete for a chance to win a grand prize. The format has one hundred contestants battling it out for just twenty-four places.  Each of four judges gives their favorite contestants one of their six seats.  The drama of competition is heightened by having four judges who alternately select and then reject the very people they selected.

The X-Factor producers are forced to create cruel twists to the competition because viewers are becoming immune to sob stories, a psychologist has claimed.  Chartered psychologist Dr. Rick Norris believes that program makers have to keep shocking the audience to keep up high viewing figures.  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2449808/X-Factor-producers-deliberately-creating-cruel-twists-claims-psychologist.html

Watching or reading Macbeth evokes themes of morality, justice, greed, ambition, loyalty and ethics.  Watching X-factor evokes themes of contrived, fake, phoney, pseudo, cruel, malicious and obnoxious behavior.  Watching Macbeth involves strong emotions wherein I can reflect on the morals that must mitigate behavior and action in the real world.  Watching X-Factor, I am appalled by the fake melodrama and artificial behaviors of the judges and contestants.  While Macbeth has no claims to be “reality” drama, TV shows like X-Factor seek to portray themselves as real.

The feeling I get from watching most current TV shows can be summed up as “CONTRIVED and PHONY.”  Real people don’t behave like TV people do.  Real people work 9 to 5 jobs and don’t live on Fantasy Island or spend their days at Pawn Shops.  However, real people can be coerced by TV producers to act like “drama queens.”  A few examples will illustrate my point.  The following is from a graduate thesis:  Behind the Scenes: Uncovering the structures and manipulations of Tabloid Talk Show Workers, Guests and Audiences.  – By  Kelly Thompson Losch Deshotel

The producers have the ability to persuade and intimidate guests into any behavior they feel is beneficial to the program’s ratings. One associate producer (AP) tells the guests that they will be portrayed as cowards if they do not defend themselves during the last segment when the studio audience is given the opportunity to voice opinions or ask questions about the guests on the program. “Get mad, get out there into the audience, they’ll respect you more if you fight back,” this AP exclaims.  Directly following the commercial break, the guests jump out of their chairs and dart into the audience after every audience comment.

The next example is from Entertainment News and is about the Survivors.  In a question about the “reality” of this show the author states:

We’re not too sure about the “pure” aspect of the show, especially since nothing on Survivor is as real as you want it to be. The contestants are filmed as they walk to Tribal Council along jagged rocks and beautiful oceanic views, but as a matter of fact, the contestants merely walk about 500 meters before they get picked up by a production vehicle with blacked-out windows. The contestants are not allowed to talk during this one hour drive to Tribal Council and if they arrive at the Tribal Council destination before dusk, they have to wait outside of the Tribal Council area until the atmosphere is perfect for filming. Several contestants have complained about this fact in the past and have revealed that the time spent at Tribal Council sometimes stretched into the early hours of the next morning to get all the dialogue pinned down.

 With very little research it can be shown that almost all of the drama on TV is “Manufactured.”  There is little real about “reality” TV and there is even less about TV that can be said to have any ethical, moral or spiritually redeeming value.  TV was becoming a vast wasteland in the sixties and it has continued its march towards degeneracy, vulgarity, and mediocrity with little or no resistance from the vast millions of viewers in TV land.   In search of a means of transcending the banality and ordinariness of everyday existence, millions of Americans have become addicted to fake synthetic versions of life that seem to offer something missing in their own lives.  Turn on, Tune in and Drop out.  Americans have added TV to drugs in their search for an alternate reality.   The reality on TV is the reality of dreams while the everyday reality that most TV addicts lead is one of frustration, monotony and boredom.

 Get a life.  Turn the TV off.  Use your imagination.

Time for Questions:

What do I have against TV?  Why criticize something that brings so much joy to so many people’s lives?  Did a TV fall on me when I was young and forever prejudice me against the BOOB tube?  What would happen to America if people spent less time watching TV?  What if instead of 36 hours per week that people spent watching TV, they only spent 18?  What if we demanded an end to the fake reality that is a daily occurrence on TV?  What if TV was more informative and educational and less exploitative and demeaning?  How much TV do you want your kids to watch?  Do you think most images and characters on TV should be role models for others?

Life is just beginning.

Debate versus Discussion:  Why Debates are a Waste of Time!

28 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized

Date:  September 20th, 2020.  I wrote this four years ago (Sometime in 2016) before Trump was elected. As you can see from last nights debate, the situation has only become worse. There was little or no discussion or clarification of issues. The debate was a debacle which gave a black eye to America and shows how far politics under Trump has descended into madness and hysteria. God save our country.

Date:  September 28th, 2023.  The debate I am referring to above was during the last presidential election in 2020.  After watching the Second Republican Debacle last night (Sept 27, 9PM EST), I decided to repost this blog AGAIN.  Believe me, it is still relevant.  These are not debates.  These are “Clown Shows.”  There is no question as to who the winner is.  The real question is “Who are the biggest clowns.”  Debates are useless but read on and you will find out why or at least why I think they are useless.

Dr. John Persico Jr.'s avatarAging Capriciously

(Listen to the Debate Song, while you read my blog this week.)

berniedebateOnce upon a time, I thought debates were the answer to the question of “how do we discover the truth?”  I thought that if you put two intelligent people together and each took opposing positions on an issue, that through the interplay of ideas the truth would emerge.  If you think about this a bit, it is the basis for our judicial system in America.  One side argues for the defendant, the other side argues for the prosecution or against the defendant.   It is also the basis for an academic exercise called Dialectical Research or Dialectical Inquiry.

dialectical inquiryA dialectical investigation is a form of qualitative research which utilizes the method of dialectic, aiming to discover truth through examining and interrogating competing ideas, perspectives or arguments.  This latter method is often applied through the use of case studies in which students or investigators discuss…

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For the “Love of It”

24 Sep 2023 16 Comments

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

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She does it for the “Love of It.”

This just might be the most remarkable comment that anyone can make today about anyone else.  It is more than a comment.  It is adulation.  It is respect.  It is devotion.  It is a singularly exemplary behavior when you think about it.  I am not going to say that there are not lots of people who warrant such a compliment.  But in many respects, they are unsung heroes and heroines.

download (1)We are surrounded by people who only do things because they get paid for it or because they will be rewarded by power, fame, or fortune.  If the highest calling we can have in the world is to love others, then the next highest calling must be to perform some task or effort simply for the “Love of It.”  Not because we are going to receive any payment for it.  Not because we expect to get a promotion for it.  Not even because we expect to get a pat on the back for it.  Simply because we do it for the “Love of It.”

I would like to see an evening news report which starts off by honoring people who perform many thankless tasks simply for the “Love of It.”  The world is full of such people.  While I await such a news program, I would like to share a few of the stories and thankless tasks friends I know perform that have touched my life.  I would love to hear about stories or such efforts that you are familiar with in my comments section.

evalia

Evelia Zajac

We first met Evelia through a mutual friend in Arizona City.  Evelia then told us about a good dentist she went to in Sonoita, Mexico.  Evelia is a Mexican citizen who has lived in the USA for over 60 years now.  Like many Americans, we now go down to Mexico for good dental service that is affordable.  We decided that since Evelia and Karen were both needing more dental service that we would carpool with Evelia to the dentist.  It is about a three-hour drive from our home to the dentist’s office.

Over time we discovered that Evelia did not only go to the dentist in Sonoita, but she also took supplies and food to an orphanage in the town.  Furthermore, she organized “caravans” at least twice a year to go down to Puerto Penasco in Mexico.  Puerto Penasco or Rocky Point has been called the Arizona Riviera.  Beautiful beaches, beautiful town, and a beautiful ocean.  It is a favorite destination point for USA tourists with a nice selection of waterfront hotels.

Evelia would stockpile clothes, food, and other materials during the year for both the orphanage in Sonoita and a St. Vincent DePaul charity center in Puerto Penasco.   Through her church and word of mouth many people learned of her charity trips.  Twice a year ten or more cars will show up at Evelia’s house on a Friday morning.  We will load all our trunks with her goods and other products that we all contribute and proceed together across the border in Lukeville and on first to the orphanage in Sonoita.  We will unload lots of food and sundries at the orphanage and then spend a little time visiting with the young children that live there.  Next, it is on to the St. Vincent DePaul in Puerto Penasco.  The remainder of our goods will be deposited at the donation center.  Often the people there will have a big pot of stew and we will sit around for some time talking to them before going on to our destination.

Our destination is most often the Hotel Playa Bonita.  Evelia will take care of reservations.  This is a beautiful hotel right on the beach with a very nice restaurant.  Most of the caravanners will spend the weekend eating, dancing, and listening to nightly music on the patio.  Some will go back on Sunday and some of us will stay until Monday.  Karen and I always like to go visit the old town section of Puerto Penasco with its many markets and tourist goods.  We never fail to help contribute to the Mexican economy.  We look forward to these trips every year.

If you are asking what Evelia does this for and why she does this, I will tell you.  It is simply for the “Love of It.”  We have known Evalia for over 12 years now and she is one of the most charitable and caring people you will ever meet.  She has no thoughts of remuneration or rewards for her efforts.  No matter where she sees anyone needing help, she extends her effort to help them.  Karen and I have been blessed to meet such a wonderful woman who always steps up when help is needed.

kwame

S. Kwame Rice

Sylvester Kwame Rice is one of my best friends.  Kwame and I met when we were undergraduates together at Rhode Island College in 1971.  I was 25 and Kwame was 27.  We were both veterans, both in our first year of college and both attending on the GI Bill.  Kwame was a Navy veteran, and I was an Air Force veteran.

We had both signed up for one of the mandatory electives required for a B.S. degree.  I will never forget the class.  I do not remember the instructors name, but it was an intro 101 class in sociology.  The instructor had wanted to have a class with lots of discussion (or so he said.)  Well, we had quite a diverse group of students.  Gay students, African American students, White students, and Latino students.  We anxiously awaited the group discussion topic.  During the second class, the instructor announced that we would discuss Anti-Semitism.  We were astounded and appalled.  To the best of our knowledge, there were no Jewish students in the class.  We challenged our Professor but to no avail.

Several of us met after class and with Kwame and I as ringleaders we decided we were not going to stick with only discussions of Anti-Semitism.  We would bring up discussions of racism, sexism, homophobia, and any other type of discrimination we could think of.  We had not spent four years in the military to simply lay down and ignore what was happening in our own country.  Our discussions over the next semester proved quite enlightening and challenging.  Kwame and I became best friends and have remained so ever since.  I do not know what became of our instructor, but I think he might have decided to change career fields. 😊

Now if you do not know how Kwame received his middle name and the name he goes by, I want you to think about who Kwame Nkrumah was:

“Francis Kwame Nkrumah (21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He was the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana, having led the Gold Coast to independence from Britain in 1957.[1] An influential advocate of Pan-Africanism, Nkrumah was a founding member of the Organization of African Unity and winner of the Lenin Peace Prize from the Soviet Union in 1962.” —- Wikipedia

My friend Kwame is also a fighter for freedom and justice.  He became a teacher, principal and is now a minister.  Kwame has spent the better part of his life trying to help make the message of Dr. Martin Luther King a reality.  An America where racism and prejudice does not exist.  Kwame could have made a great deal of money in many other career fields, but he never backs down from a challenge or speaking out when he thinks he should.  Now retired he still preaches regularly, and he serves as a minister at a Veterans Center in Rhode Island.  He is not paid for these efforts.  He does them for the “Love of It.”

karen and dulcimer

Karen Yvonne Persico

Karen is my wife and my best friend.  Karen spent fifty-five years as a nurse and 40 of those years as a Home Health Care nurse.  Fifty years ago, you did not go into nursing for the money.  Karen is one of the most frugal people I know.  Even if we have the money, she would rather shop at Goodwill than a Norstrand or Macys.  I have a hard time convincing her to buy herself anything.  While she may be frugal when it comes to spending money on herself, she is the opposite when it comes to spending it on other people.  Whenever I ask her about a donation to a charity, she is always ready to share what we can.  Not once in our thirty-three years of marriage, has she ever said that we could not afford a donation to help other people or causes.  She is always ready to help someone in need with time or money.

About fifteen years ago, while we were on a motorcycle trip to Arkansas from Minnesota, we stopped in a small town in Arkansas called Mountain View.  Upon arriving we found that the town was known as the Folk Music Capital of the World.  The middle of the town is organized around a park known as the Pick’in Place.  Every weekend, people from all over the countryside gather here to play mountain music together on guitars, violins, mandolins, and a rather interesting instrument called the Mountain Dulcimer.

The Dulcimer is a four or three stringed instrument somewhat like a guitar that you play on your lap.  It is relatively easy to make one and inexpensive to purchase.  It is a small lightweight instrument.  While watching the various groups that self-organize to jam together at the park, Karen immediately recognized the value of such an instrument.  Light weight, good sound quality, and relatively inexpensive, it would make an excellent instrument to take on our many trips together.  No problem to store it or carry it.

Karen spent some time trying to teach herself to play but finally found an instructor back home in Minnesota.  Since then, we have been to many music festivals together and the highlight for Karen is learning and playing with other Dulcimer people.

The costs to date for Karen’s musical hobby have included travel, instruction, dulcimer strings, tuners and of course the few dulcimers that Karen has acquired over the years.  You must have at least a baritone and a standard if you are going to play in a group.  I used to ask Karen when we were going to get our money back.  But you see, money was never the issue.  Karen plays for the “Love of It.”  She loves music and with being in a choir and playing with a Tucson Dulcimer Ensemble, she has the best of two worlds.  She plays music and helps others enjoy the music.

About every few months, the Tucson Dulcimer Ensemble plays at venues that include churches, assisted living centers, nursing homes, senior centers, hospitals. Many of these venues do not have a budget for music but that is no concern for Karen and her friends in the Tucson Dulcimer Ensemble.  You see they don’t play for money.  You guessed it, they play for the “Love of It.”

Now just for a second what if politicians, lawyers, auto salespeople and real estate developers worked for the “Love of It?”  Can you imagine what a different world it would be?

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If you liked this blog and it evoked memories of someone whom you really admire for their ability to do things for the “Love of It”, I would really appreciate your leaving a short story or message about this person and why you feel they warrant this description.    

 

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