Baltimore ...

I am totally confused …

I have to admit it. I do not understand politics, and perhaps, I never will.

The news reports concerning police brutality and racism have left me totally confused. I am a strong believer that all lives are sacrosanct, be they white, black, yellow, brown, or red. Discrimination still exists. Not only about race, but also about gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, and handicap.

Some say that it is an American phenomenon, I disagree. It is part of the make-up of the human being. It exists everywhere, often morphing into many shades, ranging from the ridiculous to the sophisticated.

Some Examples

·      In Italy, it surfaces as those from the North versus those from the South, disparagingly called terroni or from the dirt. It also shows up whenever locals talk about extra-communitarians, meaning from outside the European Union.

·      In Israel, it manifests in the attitudes that the Jews from Eastern Europe have toward Jews from North Africa and Ethiopia. It also shows up vividly in the views of Palestinians and Arabs in general. Let’s not overlook the perception of some that non-believers are unclean.

·      In India, discrimination is pervasive between different casts. Some folks are even called the untouchable. Male children are preferred over female, who are often provided fewer educational opportunities.

·      In Japan, foreigners are looked down upon. A country that celebrates 97% national purity looks less favorably toward those who come from inter-marriages or other races.

·      In Mexico and Argentina, those who have European ancestry feel superior to the natives or indios or those who are of mixed race, often called mestizos.

·      In South Africa, during the apartheid days, people were categorized into three distinct groups with different rights and privileges: white, colored, and black.

·      In France, the French referred dismayingly to folks returning from the North African colonies as pieds noirs (black feet).  The French’s attitudes towards non-French are well documented.

·      In China, those who do not come from the main ethnic group, feel discriminated. Tall people from the North, I was told at a symposium in Shanghai years ago, look down on their to shorter countrymen from the South.

The case of Baltimore

It was easy to accept the notion that part of the problem in Ferguson, a predominantly Black town, was lack of representation by Blacks in the police force and in local government.

But Baltimore is another case all together.

The Democrats have been in charge of Baltimore for the past 58 years. A two billion dollars stimulus was earmarked for Baltimore during the Obama’s administration. Not a dent was made to the conditions of the poor.

Where did the money go? Some suggest that it was mostly spent to create bureaucracies to administer the stimulus, and to satisfy local union demands. Sadly, little reached its intended beneficiaries. Some suggest that corruption and mismanagement had a hand too. 

Since the launch of the Great Society by President Johnson the country has spent more than 22 trillion dollars to fight poverty.  Yet the number of poor people has grown, albeit the standard of living has risen a little.

In Baltimore, the Mayor is Black, the prosecutor is Black, and two members of the House of Representatives are Black (Cummings and Edwards). Unlike Ferguson, people expected an even-ended investigation of the death of a young Black male at the hands of the police. It has, so far, not turned up that way.

What we have witnessed to date is incompetent statements by the Mayor and a rush to judgment by the Prosecutor. Outcome? No justice and a temporary truce!

The Chain of Command

In the chain of command, we have a Back President, a Black Attorney General, a Black Mayor, a Black Prosecutor, a Black Police Commissioner, and a 45% Black Baltimore Police Department.

One would guess that they should be able to put their arms around the problem. So far, we have witnessed the actions of an F-Troop, a popular comedy of yesteryear, where all well-intended actions resulted in utter failure.

Senator Moynihan’s 50-year old analysis of the needs of the Black Community was ignored.  He had deafly isolated the issues that matter, but the politicians have ignored them. The chickens are now coming home to roost, they say.

Similar problems to Baltimore exist in all the urban ghettos of America. Democrats cannot blame Republicans for these failures. The failures transcend political parties. The solution? A non-political one, for sure!

Your thoughts???

'YOU DID NOT BUILD THAT" - MY VIEW

President Obama and other like-minded politicians have been pilloried for suggesting that if you built a business, “you did not build that.” The reaction to this statement has been vehement! The perceived insinuation was that if you succeed in America, you do so thanks to the government.  Many found this insinuation laughable!

I have been thinking about this exchange.

The role of government is to put in place policies and programs that make it possible for people to reach their goals. The national infrastructure of roads and streets, highways, railways, was built to promote commerce. The government is responsible for our national defense, ensuring a safe and healthy environment, the protection of our parks and national forests, access to affordable education, and many other initiatives designed to ensure our liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

Our banking system facilitates the flow of capital to and from entrepreneurs and businesses, and public institutions. The government is the watchdog, making sure that the practices are fair and consistent.

Individuals do take advantage of these policies and programs when pursuing their lifelong objectives, be it in academia, business, or the public sector.  

We all know that no two people are alike. Some are more ambitious, some are more gifted, some are harder workers, and some come from wealthier families. Ambition, intelligence, family economics, and willingness to work harder are not distributed equally. What separates many is the willingness to take risks.  

It is true that some benefit from special circumstances such a superior intellect, inheritance, being at the right place at the right time, and/or special connections. So what? Life can be inherently unfair! If life hands you a lemon, try to make a lemonade.

Even though the government tries to level the field, some individuals are more successful than others. Their success should not be trivialized! These folks contribute directly and indirectly to our national wealth by creating good paying jobs for many, paying the lion share of our taxes, and so forth. In spite of the many hurdles and obstacles, a few will rise above to achieve more. We should celebrate the accomplishments of others rather than poo-pooing others' success. 

Is it not this the American dream? To come from humble origins and reach the top of the heap, be it financially, academically, or politically?

The landscape is full of archetypes that illustrate our history:

·      Politics -- someone like Obama, Clinton, Carter, and Nixon has had the audacity to dream to some day become president of the country and actually achieve the dream.

·      Government – you can find at least four members of the U.S. Supreme Court who are sons or daughters of immigrants or of an oppressed minority, e.g., Alito, Scalia, Thomas, and Sotomayor.

·      Business – you can find  a large number of immigrants and refugees who have risen to the pinnacle of commerce such as Soros, Zaffaroni, Groves, Gupta, and Nadella, to name a few.

·      Academia –  you can attract scientists such as Einstein, Kinsey, Fermi, Teller, and Oppennheimer, to name a few.

My View:

It is mindless to engage in arguments that tend to divide people, to set one group against another, in order to score political points.  We need more, not fewer successful people.

We serve no useful purpose when we lower someone so that others might feel better for their lack of success. They say that misery loves company. Is that the point?

Fostering jealousy and envy does not serve well the larger society. 

Let's accept that government does a lot to help us without attacking those who manage to rise above others in income, prestige, or position. Both points of view are valid, both extremes are half truths, in my view.

And Your View?

What would you do to combat ISIS or ISL?

We are constantly bombarded, no pun intended, with images of bombings, executions, and other unimaginable terrorist acts. Newspapers, magazines, TV programs, and other media fill their programs with unspeakable acts of cruelty – man versus man. There is no lull in the continuing slaughter of innocent people. The main culprits are fanatical people who twist their religious beliefs to justify their actions.  There is no letting up!

There is little agreement regarding what to do in response.  The choices are limited, but time is running out.  So what are the choices?

·      Some justify the barbaric actions of terrorists as rooted in injustices and age-old grievances. They blame unemployment, colonialism, revenge for the loss of family members, and intolerance of others with different beliefs and culture. These people suggest that we should open-up a dialog and work toward political accommodation. 

·      Others believe that the most appropriate way to combat the spread of terrorism is to surround the cells wherever they are and destroy them. The belief is that force must be met by force, and that the problem will not go away until every terrorist is wiped out from the earth. Their assumption is that this problem cannot be contained and/or resolved with half measures. 

·      Another group sees the problem as a rite of passage.  Young disenchanted folks performing unspeakable acts out of rage or deeply felt religious fervor. They suggest that the solution rests among their midst, e.g., their elders, kinfolk, or ethnic group. The problem is that the rite of passage has been going on for more than 30 years. 

Group Dynamics

Years ago, when I was studying group dynamics, I was taught that groups respond to threats in three ways to defend themselves:

1.    Flight – they use logic and rationality to make the problem go away or to reduce its threat.  This intellectual exercise satisfies the need to try to make sense of things we do not fully understand.

2.  Fight – they invoke the use of force to bring about resolution to the problem confronting the group.  By wiping out the threat, order is restored and one can return to normalcy.

3.  Flow – they use the proverbial California defense of "going with the flow." This “whatever” response is an attempt at postponing dealing with something with which you rather not.

The three strategies above mirror the three choices I presented above. I guess my group dynamics lesson has not been repealed by father time. Regardless of the choice one might advocate, it is crystal-clear that we are stuck.   We are polishing the brass while the ship is sinking. 

ISIS or ISL

     ISIS or ISL is a new phenomenon. They are a fundamentalist Sunni group attacking and slaughtering other Sunnis and Shiites. They despise Christians and Jews. They view others who believe differently as infidels who must be converted or executed. They view everybody else as an enemy, an evil that cannot be tolerated. Dogma is their god. Un-repentance is their style.

     Bombing them from the air is a way to keep them away, perhaps contain them, but is it really the solution? Sending emissaries to try to negotiate with them has been fruitless, except when we are willing to pay ransom for the release of our captives. Hoping that the countries affected solve the problem has been also ineffectual. So what else should we try? 

     I remember a quotation I heard from Osama bin Laden, when commenting on his native culture: “A strong horse is better than a weak horse.” 

     Is our approach that of a strong horse or a weak one? You are the judge.

Announcing the Publishing of My First Novel

My first novel is now available on Amazon.com in paperback or in digital format (Kindle).  

The title is: Giacomo’s Luck Runs Out.  I used the pen name of Dr. Antonio G. Sacchetta. 

The novel chronicles the odyssey of a young man, who as a youngster leaves his native village in Sicily to join his grandfather in America. 

It is a perilous journey with excitement and many challenges.  Along the way, he recognizes a major flaw in his character, and his inability to keep an important promise doom his life.

The novel is pure fiction, although the setting is real and somewhat autobiographical.  If you like reading adventures and human drama stories, you might enjoy this novel.  

I am already working on another novel that explores an important human dilemma.

I welcome your feedback, should you have the opportunity to read it.  Thank you in advance!