Revolution 2.0

Introduction Gwen Berry came in 3rd in the recent US Olympic trials for women’s hammer throwing, becoming qualified to represent her country in Japan this August. Feeling “pissd off”, she turned her back on the flag while the National Anthem was playing. Instantly achieving the intended notoriety, Ms. Berry has been alternately praised and pounced upon; I doubt she cares which, as long as she gets the desired lucrative attention. Attention that has eluded both of the women who stood facing the flag, hands over their hearts, and came in 1st and 2nd.  Our society rewards being pisssed off more than performance, protest over production, and notoriety over being noteworthy. That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing In case you didn’t hear, Deanna Price won 1st place and Brooke Anderson earned 2nd place in these trials for women’s hammer throwing. They have been completely overshadowed by Berry’s contrived protest. This episode celebrates Ms. Price and Ms. Anderson, and o

Introduction Citizen accountability, training and funding must match police accountability, training and funding. That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing Life is a series of two way streets. Two way accountability. Marriage, business relationships, any relationship in fact. Doctor/patient. Law enforcement and citizen. Life. And I don’t mean just 50%/50%. For things to work the way they should, accountability, effort, needs to be 75%/75%. Ideally, everyone takes 100% responsibility for making things work.  “If he had not resisted arrest and simply cooperated, he’d be fine today.” Likely true. “The officer should have de-escalated the situation, not physically attacked the suspect.” De-escalation is always the better choice when it is a safe option. The point here is to stop trying to put all the responsibility on the “other side.” The one side we should all be on is fixing the problem, not fixing the blame. And the way to do that is to acknowledge and practice mutual accountability. 

Introduction “Let’s Pretend” used to be an innocent child’s game. It was fun, expanded imaginations and was harmless. And forgotten by dinner time. Now “pretend” means that men can be women, that certain bad behavior never happened, that achievement is racist, and so much more. It is no longer just a child’s game; it is a dangerously distorted view of the world that is driving everything from personal interactions to the politics that run our lives. No longer forgotten by dinner time, “Let’s Pretend” is working to infuse itself into our society and government. That is the subject of today’s 15 minute episode. Continuing Let’s go through some important examples of Let’s Pretend in the news and in our lives.  First, let’s pretend that men can become women. Much in the conversation today is the question of can men become women. No, of course they can’t. They can identify as women, and have every right to expect to be treated courteously and with some measure of dignity as they present themselves as w

Introduction Come with me on a decades-long journey, with the selected mileposts for this topic being observations and encounters involving race. Looking back, I see a parallel between my personal experiences, and the path that our nation is on.   That is the subject of today’s 15 minute episode. Continuing I grew up for my first 15 years in a lily white neighborhood in suburban Philadelphia before the civil rights movement in the 60s. This was the Jim Crow era, but not a Jim Crow area, not the Jim Crow geography. My only contact with blacks, and it was not at all in depth, was with our weekly maid, Elsie Kiyah. She was hard working, kept to herself, and was known to be a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roller (Holy Roller), a Protestant movement, pun intended, known for dancing, shaking or other boisterous movements by church attendees who perceive themselves as being under the influence of the Holy Spirit. I also remember getting autographs from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlain (Wilt Ch

Introduction Is this newly minted Federal Holiday designed to commemorate the necessarily long and tortured road from the depravity of slavery to where we are today? A nation celebrating equality under the law, and sufficient and growing opportunities for everyone? Or is it designed as a platform to perpetuate the dangerous lie that America was built on slave labor, that the Revolution was fought to preserve slavery, and that America is still systemically racist, i.e., racist to its core?  That is the subject of today’s 15 minute episode. Continuing Adding Juneteenth takes us to 12 Federal holidays in 2021. Most years there are “only” 11 Federal paid days off; on presidential election years the Feds add Inauguration Day as the 12th day off. That’s right, Inauguration Day is an excuse to have a paid day off. Of the usual 11 Federal Holidays, 4 of them, over one-third of our holidays, celebrate the necessarily difficult and bloody rise from slavery to freedom, listed in order of their annual celebration: 1

Introduction “Give me your entitled, your spoiled, your huddled classes yearning to live for free, the wretched refuse of your indoctrination schools. Send these, the factless, cliche-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the student loan door! But I paraphrase. That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing Let’s review the famous poem on the Statue of Liberty.  “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” The words of Emma Lazarus’ famous 1883 sonnet “The New Colossus” are, at least in some part, known by many people in America–and others worldwide. They are not an official statement of American immigration policy, or even a statement of non-binding belief that was voted on by citizens or politicians. Yet I am struck by the yearning to breathe free language. Yearning. Not a demand. No one marching with signs or trying to ta

Introduction Speaking of history, as we often do here at Revolution 2.0™, what do you know about the Cultural Revolution in China? This 10 year long socio-political purge under Chairman Mao, 1966-1976, The Cultural Revolution damaged China’s economy and traditional culture, along with incurring a death toll estimated to have been in the millions.  We are deep into the dangerous beginnings of our own cultural revolution, a culture war, with its intention of establishing one party rule. That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party from its founding in 1949 until his death in 1976, was well practiced in mass killing in pursuit of his goals. His ill conceived Great Leap Forward, a five-year plan of forced agricultural collectivization and rural industrialization, 1958-1962, resulted in the deaths of up to 40M people, making Mao the greatest mass murderer of all time–even greater than Joseph Stalin, the Russian dictator from 1927

Introduction Doesn’t everyone want peace? I certainly do, but not at any price, and not by any means. Peace through strength. Peace that builds up those around us is what I want. Do you? That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing Dona Nobis Pacem is the title of a beautiful song done as a round. Only three words in the entire piece; yet it is beautiful, moving and inspiring. How do we get to pacem? I am not a pacifist. Peace does not mean surrender nor does it mean accepting cash and in kind payments from the authorities in return for staying quiet and safe. Today’s Key Point: Peace, true peace, is achieved through working hard and consistently to make real contributions to yourself and to others. The point is not to seek peace for the sake of peace itself; that determined focus can all too easily lead to unacceptable compromises. Work to raise up yourself and those around you, and find peace there. It is the same way with happiness. Don’t seek happiness for the sake of being happy, s

Introduction “After me, the flood,’” is a French expression attributed to King Louis XV of France, the last King before Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were beheaded during the French Revolution in 1793. Louis knew that continuing excesses by the French leadership, royalty and the church, would lead to disaster, in his words, a flood. The flood came in the form of a bloody and extended revolution in 1789. Continuing excesses by our leadership, politicians and progressive true believers, will also lead to a disaster. The difference is that in France the French leaders suffered; in the US, the people will suffer. That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing The biblical version is, “Because they sow the wind, they will reap the wind storm. The plant has no stalk and its bud yields no grain. Even if there’s a harvest, foreigners will gobble it up.” Tragically, those who are sowing the wind today are not going to reap the whirlwind. The consequences will fall on others, while the pe

Introduction Hard work and sacrifice over time is omnipotent; it builds and strengthens individuals, families and societies. Entitlement is a cancer. That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing “But that’s not fair!” “Life isn’t fair.” The child shrieks that something or other is not fair. He came in 3 hours after curfew and his phone was taken for a day. Her supposed best friend did not invite her to a birthday party. Perhaps eons ago, a cave child complained about not getting a desired cut of the saber tooth tiger at dinner. In every case, the parent responded in the same way by accurately observing that life is indeed not fair. And once we get that, life suddenly becomes much easier. We are entitled to, ”Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” And none of that is guaranteed; it was bought with blood and treasure, and must be defended or we will lose all of it.  Many of us want to be a part of trying to make life fair, as we should. And at the same time we need to be very c

Introduction Being polite and thankful is more than just good manners; it forms the bedrock of a well functioning society.  That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing At Revolution 2.0™, we have spoken about https://revolution2-0.org/gratitude-ep-180/ (gratitude), EP 180, 12 Nov 19, being fundamental to living a happy and contributing life. Politeness, good manners, “Please” and “Thank You” are just some of the outward manifestations of gratitude.  Let’s start with an easy example. Many of us have either had someone help us move furniture or we have received that help–perhaps even involving a complete household move. Help like that is rewarded by profound thanks, plenty of food and beverages, and the unspoken but sure knowledge that the person receiving this favor would be just as happy to come through for the other person at any time.  Now let’s look at a somehow less clear example. I say somehow, because it was not always less clear. Gift receiving. The saying that it is

Introduction On September 11th 2001, 9/11, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists seized 4 commercial airliners with the demonic intent of savaging America by crashing 2 airliners into the Twin Towers, 1 into the Pentagon and 1 into the Capitol area, perhaps even the White House itself. Citizen passengers and crew heroically prevented the latter.  That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode Continuing On Flight 93 that fateful, evil-filled day, there was no debate about personal responsibility and who was supposed to do what. There was no nutso group making the case that terrorism centered in the Middle East was somehow created by American foreign policy. Passengers on Flight 93 discovered that the Saudi terrorists who had hijacked their flight were part of a larger group that had already attacked key US targets. It became clear that the flight they were on was to be yet another fuel bomb, intended to crash into a major target, complete with the 33 passengers and 7 crew. The 4 terrorists did not care about their liv

Introduction The recent decision to allow vaccinated people to be in many public areas without masks has given rise to the question, “How will we know if that maskless person has been vaccinated.” Asked differently, do we trust each other? That is the subject of today’s 15 minute episode. Continuing Beyond masks, we see increasing evidence of cheating in online schools. A headline in the Wall Street Journal warns, “Cheating At School Grows Rampant.” The Internet is filled with offers to help students cheat, and with tests being online, cheating is easy. Only the honor system can stop it.  The Honor Code at the United States Military Academy, West Point, states, “A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do.” How is that holding up? Here is a quote from a recent West Point Press release. “The U.S. Military Academy has completed its final adjudication of honor code violations that occurred during a freshman calculus exam in May 2020, while in remote learning away from the academy. Of the 73

Introduction A discussion that’s in the news recently centers around the question of whether current government largesse is eroding the American Work Ethic. My question is whether the flood of government money is exposing the lack of a work ethic, and not eroding one that supposedly exists. That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing Today’s topic was triggered by the question of whether the “American work ethic” is being eroded by stimulus spending, including enhanced unemployment, personal stimulus checks and general government largesse. My conviction is that the so-called American work ethic is not nearly as pervasive as we might like to think. Much of the push to become and stay employed has come from not having a whole lot of options. The choice used to be that if you want to live at all well, you had to work. Then something called the social safety net came into being. Government unemployment benefits first appeared in 1932, followed by Social Security with its very modest start in

Introduction If the Arabs laid down their weapons there would be no more war. If the Israelis laid down their weapons, there would be no more Israel.  That is the subject of today’s 15 minute episode. Continuing Let’s start with a quick look at the history of the Middle East starting in 1948, when the UN created Israel by partitioning Palestine. Prior to that, many Jews had emigrated to Palestine, the ancestral home of both Israelis and Palestinians. Following the announcement of an independent Israel, five Arab nations—Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon—immediately invaded the region in what became known as the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The five attacking countries announced their intention to, “Drive Israel into the sea.” Heavily outmanned and outgunned, Israel stunned the world by not only surviving but capturing 1,900 sq. miles of Arab land, including East Jerusalem; the Israelis had been granted West Jerusalem in the partition. The attacking countries had promised the Palestinians that they would

Introduction What does “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” mean? Is it: A call for equal results, with nothing less being acceptable? A cry for equality under the law, reasonably equal opportunities, and visibility for everyone? Or, Empty virtue signalling, seeking attention and advantages for the signallers? That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing Let’s look at some definitions so that we can develop a shared vocabulary. I will start with the definitions used by  those who are pushing this triad as the path to fairness. Diversity is the presence of differences within a given setting referring to a diversity of identities, like race and gender, and, in some cases ethnicity, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation. Inclusion is about people with different identities feeling they are being valued, leveraged, and welcomed within a given setting (e.g., your team, workplace, or industry). Equity. An approach that ensures everyone access to the same opportunities. Equity recogn

Introduction We are in the midst of continuing arguments about the Constitutional limits of the enumerated powers of our intended-to-be limited government. The additional, perhaps more necessary, discussion needs to center around what governments are capable of doing, and what they absolutely cannot do. And the vital tasks that only we, you and I–and Father Damien–can accomplish. That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing Father Damien, AKA Saint Damien of Molokai, 1840-1889, was a Roman Catholic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priesthood_(Catholic_Church) (priest). He was recognized for his ministry to a colony of lepers, which he led from 1873 until his death in 1889. His mission was on the island of Molokai, where he had volunteered to meet the spiritual and other needs of those doomed to die of leprosy (Hansen’s disease), unloved and unmourned. Until his arrival. Father Damien cared for his patients and established leaders within the community, helping to build houses

Introduction Does being an American mean that we hold to principles like “America First” and “Me First”? That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing I am going to draw a comparison between the America Firsters in the ‘40s who would have had us far less prepared for WWII, and today’s Me Firsters who are in the process of having us far less prepared to defeat COVID.   In 1940, the America First movement threw its weight behind Wendell Willkie, the Repubican candidate for President running against Franklin Roosevelt in his effort to be elected for an unprecedented third term. The core issue was opposition to Roosevelt’s giving aid to Britain when that country was the lone holdout against Nazi Germany. Wilkie, the Republicans and others including Charles Lindberg, the American superhero who was the first man to fly across the Atlantic, were dead set against entering the war in Europe which had started in September of ‘39. As well the one in Asia which Japan had started in ‘31 with its invasi

Introduction That was the answer to a Catch-22 trick question posed to Christ by the Pharisees in an effort to embarrass him in front of his followers and others.  In this context Christ’s answer supported the idea of paying taxes. That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing This is a useful example of authorities trying to trick a leader of the people. Here is some context to bring this example to life. “Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘We know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay tax to Caesar or not?’ If Christ has said “Yes”, the Pharisees would have used that to turn the people against him. If he had answered “No” that would have been treason.  “But Jesus, knowing their intent, said, ‘You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?  Show

Introduction Both sides of the police accountability discussion are using their agendas to sift, sort, and alter the facts. That is the subject of today’s 10 minute episode. Continuing Derek Chauvin, 45, was convicted on all counts in the George Floyd case, including two counts of murder, and is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison. Cries of “He did not get a fair trial,” and, “Chauvin’s knee was on Floyd’s back, not his neck,’ still echo. Sixteen year old Ma’Khia Bryant, had just attempted to attack a woman with a large knife, when she was lunging toward a second woman with the same knife, attempting to plunge it into her intended victim when she was fatally shot by white Officer Nicholas Reardon. All three women are black. Loud criticisms of “Hey it was just a knife fight,” and, “He could have shot her in the leg,” are rife in the media. All of these contrived positions are designed to forward different agendas, with no regard for either the facts or the consequences.  “Believe your e