• About PeterSIronwood

petersironwood

~ Finding, formulating and solving life's frustrations.

petersironwood

Tag Archives: Resistance

Rainbow of Flowers

24 Wednesday Aug 2022

Posted by petersironwood in poetry, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Democracy, diversity, flowers, poem, poetry, rainbow, Resistance, USA

Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels.com

Flowers white 

Suffused with light

Subtle, quiet they delight.

Flowers red

Fierce and fiery floral head

With love and lust are wed.

Flowers all a golden glow

They seem to simply know

Their seeds I indirectly sow.

Yellow bloom

Lights delight in every room 

Dispels the glum; dispels the gloom.

A flower green 

Magic, mythic and unseen

Hidden in the in-between.

The blossoms blue

A royal choice for royal hue

Who celebrates what’s truly true.

Purple shines of dignity 

Reflecting our infinity

Tells that there are limits to our liberty. 

The blackest flowers 

Tilting turret twisting towers

Protect us in our needful hours. 

Every flower large and small

Reminds us all it’s all for all

Cranny, flower, and the wall. 

We walk this earth some little while

May we feel the heartfelt smile

Let flowers sing their silk beguile. 

Let flowers flash their silky smile

As we go walk our final mile

With them, we go; we go in style. 

—————————————-

Author Page on Amazon

Dance of Billions

Life is a Dance

Tools of Thought

Take a Glance Come Join the Dance

Guernica

After All

Listen, you can hear the echoes of your actions

Walkabout Diaries: Bee Wise

Walkabout Diaries: Sunsets

Walkabout Diaries: Life of the Party

Walkabout Diaries: Friends

Walkabout Diaries Mind Walk

How the Nightingale Learned to Sing

You Must Remember This

The Forest 

A Cat’s a Cat and That’s That

Small Steps

27 Sunday Feb 2022

Posted by petersironwood in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Democracy, hope, Humankind, Kindness, life, Resist, Resistance, Ukraine

Small Steps.

Take small steps. 

Be kind to those around you. 

The ruthless dictators of the world stand poised to take their last stand against democracy; against decency; against a world of enough for everyone.

They need inequality. You don’t. 

They need lies. You don’t.

They need wars. You don’t. 

They pretend they have great power. They don’t. 

If Putin’s army decided to do it, they could turn back and liberate their own people.
If Putin’s inner circle decided he was too unstable to rule, they could put in a new “leader.” If he’s a dictator, he too will eventually become unstable. It’s an occupational “hazard” that is a certainty.  By surrounding themselves with “yes-men” and cowardly sycophants afraid to tell the truth, dictators virtually guarantee that they will overestimate their own power and capabilities over time. The same thing happens to drug lords, autocratic bosses, and abusive spouses. 

Human beings are fundamentally social animals. 

Be kind to those around you.

No matter how strong, or smart, or creative a person is, if they really disconnect from their society and their world, they will accomplish little. They can destroy. Just like cancer, they can kill. But they cannot actually accomplish much. 

No-one has infinite energy and attention. A dictator spends so much energy on protecting themselves and consolidating their power, that they have almost nothing left over for actual governance. In addition, since they surround themselves with feckless chickens, they never even get the information that they would need in order to improve their governance.

Dictators destroy the free press. That helps them mislead the people they enslave. At the same time, in ensures that they lose touch with reality.

How can we help save democracy half a world away? 

Photo by RF._.studio on Pexels.com

Be kind to those around you.

Be vigorous in pursuing the truth.

Be kind to those around you.

Get involved in your local politics. Make sure your own elections are fair. Make democracy strong where you are. 

Be kind to those around you. 

Photo by Eileen lamb on Pexels.com

Dictators and would-be dictators seek to divide the people so they hate each other rather than the one who actually wants to enslave them. 

Be kind to those around you.

Dictators not only know no true love themselves; they hate love. They will seek to destroy it. They need a society where mothers inform on their daughters and sons inform on their fathers; where wives inform on their husbands; where brothers inform on their sisters. The dictator wants all loyalty to accrue to them — though they have zero true loyalty to anyone else.

Be kind to those around you. 

If you feel dislike or hatred for another group, ask yourself who benefits from that. Hint: It won’t be you. It won’t be the person(s) you dislike. So who does benefit? While you’re trying to figure that out, you may as well take small steps toward a better world — small steps that hurt no-one. 

Be kind to those around you. 

Any step in that direction is a step in the right direction. 

——-

Author Page on Amazon

Absolute is not just a vodka

Stoned Soup

The Tale of the Three Blind Mice

Siren Song

If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich? 

Dictatorships: All for one and none for most

We’re all in this together

The “All for me!” Bee 

Life will find a way

Fish have no word for water

Con-Con Man’s Special Friend

Come together right now

The Mud Pit

Lying to your kids

Happy Darwin Day

The Power of the Unbrella 

P is for Politics

Essays on America: The Game

Lying to your Kids

13 Sunday Feb 2022

Posted by petersironwood in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Democracy, essay, fiction, politics, Resistance, story, truth, USA

Lying to your Children: Lie for me

The squealing brakes startled Josh awake. He screamed. Only for a moment. Because he felt as much as heard, that something was wrong. Beside him, in the driver’s seat, Josh’s dad, Ron, cursed incoherently, though remarkably loudly & quickly. After a few moments of this, Ron turned to Josh like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Josh had no idea what he had done wrong, but he anticipated the usual slap. Only harder. He closed his eyes.

No slap came. Instead, Ron grabbed him by both shoulders and shook him while screaming: “Listen to me! Open your eyes! Look at me! Nothing happened! Got it? Nothing happened! Say it! Tell me nothing happened!” 

Josh was more than fully awake now. He was used to going from sleep to panic in one thunderous heartbeat ever since Mom had run off with that Jared guy. But what nothing was dad talking about…? Suddenly, Josh remembered … there was a heavy THUD! Someone had screamed. They must have hit someone. Now, Dad’s trying to cover it up. 

Running through the entire list of strategies in his communications playbook, Ron decided that if his son didn’t understand, it was now necessary to repeat what was said before but more loudly and with stronger shaking of the shoulders and with an even more menacing look. So, that’s what he did. 

But this time Josh had worked it out. He knew what was required.
“Daddy! Nothing happened!” 

Ron’s face melted back into one that looked vaguely human as he said, “That’s right! That’s right! And, now listen here! This is important! If anyone else asks you, you just say you don’t know nothing and nothing happened. You got that?” 

Josh nodded solemnly, pretending to be completely in awe of and compliant for Ron — something he had learned long ago as a survival strategy.  

The police interview went something like this: 

Police Officer: “So Josh. Tell me about where you were and what you did last evening.” 

Josh: “Sure, Officer. Nothing happened. I mean I went with my dad to see that new movie, The Raiders of the Lost Arc. It was great! And, then, nothing happened. I don’t remember. My dad drove home and I fell asleep. Nothing happened. I don’t remember. Any other questions?” 

Police Officer: “Josh, did your daddy tell you to say that nothing happened? Did he make you promise?” 

Josh: “I don’t remember! Nothing happened!”

Police Officer: “Okay, Josh. I think we get the picture. Thank you for your help.

Josh went out and saw his dad about to be taken into an interrogation room. As he passed by, Josh used a stage whisper to his dad: “I did just like you told me, Dad.” 

Photo by Cameron Casey on Pexels.com

Dad was put away for a good long time. 

Sadly, although Josh came out ahead in this particular snippet of his life, learning to become a more clever liar is not really a good long-term strategy. Josh discovered this for himself, on the way down. Oddly, people said, he was killed by the fall. Of course, in truth, very few people die from falls, per se. It is the landing that kills. 


Moral of the Story: Telling a lie to your kids is like giving them a poison. 

Sometimes, it’s fast acting poison.

Sometimes, it’s slow acting poison. 

But it’s always poison.

And, here’s the real magic of it. It’s poison for the lie teller as well! Yes, indeed! It is a double-edged sword extraordinaire because it cuts the sword wielder as well as the sword shielder. 

Photo by Oliver Sju00f6stru00f6m on Pexels.com

Can you ever imagine that you would intentionally tell your kid the wrong way to perform a skill so that they would get fewer hits, or throw more errors, or serve more double faults, or hurt themselves with tools? Of course not! If they were about to go into a road race, would you cut their brake lines? Of course not! But propagating a lie is exactly like that — handicapping one’s own children in their coming attempts to survive in this world.

Propagating a lie is a big deal. And propagating a Big Lie is an even bigger deal. Whatever the reason, it’s something whose harm is more like a plague or a cancer than a punch. The poison spreads often well beyond the liar and the original target of the lie. When more people lie in the society, there is less trust. When there is less trust, there is more need for regulation and coordination. That inevitably results in friction. So long as all parties play by the rules and tell the truth, it will eventually be resolved and there will be an increase in trust. However, if one side cheats and lies, no matter who wins, there will be a ripple of distrust all through society. 

Which is kind of the point, you see? 

Josh’s dad Ron may not have known how his actions would undermine his own life as well as his son’s. But the people trying to destroy American Democracy? They know exactly why they’re spreading lies and what it will mean. They are spreading the cancer of distrust and division intentionally. Why? Because dividing is how the few conquer the many. It’s a playbook that has been run over and over and over in human history.

Think about it. 

How can a relatively small group of criminals take over a country? They can do it by distracting everyone else into thinking the enemy is not the crime gang but the other victims of the theft of a nation. They cannot possibly do it by telling the truth. The truth is that only the ruling crime family will necessarily benefit by a dictatorship. Nor can the Crime Family take over by force. There are far too few of them. And, they are cowards to boot. They could co-opt the military. They tried that but it didn’t work. 

Telling poisonous lies is their major remaining option. 

It’s evil, but it’s understandable, given that all they care about is power. 

But ordinary people lying to their own children? 

There’s something deeply disturbing about that, most especially when the lie isn’t even for the benefit of anyone involved. 

The parent won’t benefit. 

The child won’t benefit. 

No-one who overhears the lie will benefit. 

The only person who benefits is the would-be Diktator of AmeriKKKa (let’s use “Dik” for short) because the lying parent is practicing giving away their own agency and putting it in the hands of the Dik. It’s no accident that some of the lies put their own life at risk along with the lives of their family & friends. They are being trained to put the Dik above the life and welfare of what they previously loved most dearly in the world. 

Photo by Izaac Elms on Pexels.com

—————————

Essays on America: Labelism 

Essays on America: The Game

Identity Theft

Absolute is not just a vodka 

A Lot is not a little 

Stories of a fictional child sociopath

Stoned Soup

Three Blind Mice

Author Page on Amazon

The Winning Weekend Warrior – Sports psychology book aimed to help you win more — whatever that means for you.

Turing’s Nightmares — SciFi scenarios about the possible future impacts of AI on our lives, our families, our society.

Fit in Bits — How to stay more fit by working more variety & fun into daily activities.

Tales from an American Childhood — A partial autobiography that examines incidents from the 1950’s and relates them to contemporary issues.

P is for Politics

08 Tuesday Feb 2022

Posted by petersironwood in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Democracy, peace, poem, poetry, politics, Resistance, USA

Politics starts with P

Often politics stars with P

Political Posturing has twice as much P

The former Pee-Resident really put the Pee in Politics

Thank his Pal who got him Putin office. 

Photo by Julius Silver on Pexels.com

Pride begins with P

Prejudice begins with P

Petulance and Pestilence 

And Putrid and Pathetic

Did I mention Putin and Putin’s Puppet?

Photo by Min Thein on Pexels.com

 

Perhaps, we the People ought to ban the letter P.

Phase out Paranoia and 

Purge Pathetic Pain and Pelf.

Purloin the letter P.

Proscribe it from the alphabet!


It seems the perfect plan!

But can we stand to ban the plum? 

Dare we deign to eat no peach?

Would we desire a pleasureless life? 

Would endless strife surpass our Peace? 

But then a thought occurs to me:

What if banning letter P

Doesn’t even impact what is real?

It’s just a game to make us squeal. 

Photo by Charlie Solorzano on Pexels.com

Imagine folks who lie

And ban the naming of that lie.

Imagine folks who beat

And steal your winter wheat. 

To get away with crime,

More than just one at a time.

Easier just to break all law.

Do it once & hide the flaw. 

Now your gang can really go to town!

Turn it all — all upside down! 

And if you are blind enough to think

Capitol attack is peachy pink.

Photo by Todd Trapani on Pexels.com

Could never come your way 

Well, guess again, I say.

There will be so many deaths

It will take away your breath

s.

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

The label’s not the thing

Wherein we’ll catch the king. 

What happens in our life

Determines peace or strife. 

Here’s the path to paradise:

Garden, love and plant a pine.

Be sort of nice; not blind of mind;

Being kind works many a time.

We will paradize our place.
And love our human race.

—————————-

Essay on America: Labelism 

Identity Theft

Where does your loyalty lie? 

My Cousin Bobby

The Ailing King of Agitate

Guernica

The only “them” that matters is all of us

Con-Con Man’s Special Friend

Siren Song

The Mud Pit

We’re all in this together

Fire and Ice

The All for me Bee

Life Will Find a Way

Author Page on Amazon

“It is in our very nature 

To improve our very nature.” 

Inside Trump Tower

11 Monday Oct 2021

Posted by petersironwood in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

essay, politics, Resist, Resistance, treason, USA

It is a good thing to try to put oneself in someone else’s shoes. We shouldn’t fool ourselves about how well we can do that, but for some situations, we do a pretty good job. For example, if we watch a movie and someone gets attacked by a Great White Shark, we know we would feel pretty terrified and it’s a fairly good assumption that they are going to be terrified. 

Let’s imagine how it feels inside the experience of a person who lies constantly and absurdly about how wonderful and great he is; how beloved he is by everyone; how he is the best at everything. Let’s say he declares himself to be a wobble-free genius. Can you imagine how empty he feels inside? He believes himself to be utterly incapable of anything which is why he insists he are successful at everything. 

I saw the results of such a pathetic hypothetical person once up close and personal in real life. Trump took over a golf course that I was a member at. He made some nice improvements. At that point, I didn’t know him from Adam. But some people at the club did and they quit. Some of those people had been former club champions. So what does Trump do? He orders that the plaques be redone with his name as club champions for those years. He not only had not won those tournaments. He had not even played in them. 

Photo by BROTE studio on Pexels.com

Just imagine how you would feel looking at a trophy with your name on it knowing full well that you had done nothing to deserve it. Would you feel proud or ashamed? My guess is that you would feel ashamed. This false “accomplishment” tarnishes every real accomplishment you ever had or that you ever will have. This is a normal response. 


But Trump, for whatever reason, has such subterranean self-esteem that any semblance of praise, however false or ill-deserved, feels to him as a seeming life-saving desperate drop of moisture for the shriveled old soul that lives within the shriveled old body. If someone flatters him and he knows it’s flattery, he values that more than he would an honest complement. Because to him, opinions about his abilities or behaviors don’t interest him in the slightest. He’s not going to change because of feedback from this or that politician, family member, thinker, advisor, etc. But he just wants the shadow of true praise that is not based upon fact at all but upon power. 

He failed as a businessman. He failed as a family member. He failed his own honor when he dodged the draft a half dozen times. He proved himself a racist by calling for the death penalty for four black youths — who it turned out were innocent. Trump didn’t really know anything about the case. He just wanted to take advantage of an opportunity to put his “hat in the ring” for being a racist candidate. Just in case anyone slept through Act 1 due to jet lag or too much wine or whatever, Act 2 was ranting and raving about Obama being an African. “I’ve got proof and I’ll show it the day after the day after the day after the day after….” And, let’s think about it. Here’s a guy — Trump — whose known as a golfer, a playboy and a real estate developer. He’s on record supporting many liberal policies like being pro-abortion. Why would he really care whether Obama was born in Africa? This guy who dodged the draft six times and is already cheating on his taxes suddenly becomes outraged at a particular part of the Constitution that says you must be born in America to be President. Seem plausible? 

In case the fifteen foot high blinking neon-Nazi sign from Act 1 wasn’t bright enough, let’s put on the fifty foot high blinking neon-Nazi sign in Act 2. Oh, and if that doesn’t do it for you. I mean, if you were really really zonked on for Acts 1 and 2, don’t you worry! The message of this play is simple and if you didn’t notice the neon-Nazi signs before, now they flashing out a new warning on the subway walls: “Civil War! Then, make me dictator of AmeriKKKa!” 

It’s evil and it’s horrible, but it’s also pathetic. Imagine how empty and worthless TFG must feel that he wants the support of people, like him, who derive their sense of worth from something like their supposed race (itself a fiction) or their gender or their inherited wealth — and not from anything they’ve ever accomplished. 

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

At this point, an image occurs to me. A black hole, metaphorical but also quite literal, exist at the very center of TFG. In order to fill it, he is compelled to suck every shred of truth and goodness from everyone around him. More and more people get sucked into the vortex. Who knows? Maybe in some parallel universe, it all comes out as beautiful anti-matter. That may be nice for them. Over there. In that universe. 

But for us, back here on the earth we’re familiar with, it’s just plain out — terrible. It exacerbates the emptiness disease that TFG has become. It corrupts all those around him. They all know they’re lying and they each know each of the others is lying. Just like the false championships, if anyone famous goes along with the big lie, that action tarnishes everything good these Senators and Representatives and Newscasters ever did. It outweighs everything from the day, 40 years ago, as a cub scout, they helped someone cross the street to the day that they helped craft significant legislation. All of that is gone. And, for what? Nothing. That’s the real hell of it for them. For nothing. 

All of them realize that if there is a coup, none of them will ever be safe again. And, they’ve already pledged their allegiance to the dictator. So, they have no real power. They have to do whatever the oligarchs tell Trump to make them do. They were afraid they’d lose power if they acted ethically; so instead, they acted unethically and as a result lost every shred of power. It’s a great dramatic thread for a farce. Unfortunately, it’s embedded in a real tragedy. And that kind of takes the fun out of it, at least for me. 

They could, theoretically, have a great awakening and decide as one to throw off the shackles of the oligarchs and rejoin the difficult game of government by democracy. They would have more power than they ever had before because they would be free to work creatively and solve actual problems with actual work. They would help build a better world for their children and for everyone’s children to live in. They would certainly feel cleaner. That would be something that they could be proud of; that they wouldn’t mind the history books touting; a legacy for grandchildren. 

I wonder how the Nazis who were still alive in Germany after the war explained their role to their grandchildren. 

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

———————————-

Trumpism is a new religion 

The Ailing King of Agitate

Essays on America: The Stopping Rule

Essays on America: Wednesday 

The Invisibility Cloak of Habit

What about the butter dish?

At Least he’s our monster

Cancer Always Loses in the End

Donnie Boy Gets his Name on a Tennis Trophy

Donnie Boy Takes a Blue Ribbon for Spelling

Antifa? 

Essays on America: The Update Problem

Absolute is not just a Vodka

Come back to the light

Author Page on Amazon

Stress Fractures!

26 Sunday Sep 2021

Posted by petersironwood in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

America, Democracy, Resistance, USA

Stress Fractures!

From Wikipedia, 9/26/2021

Stress fracture
Other namesHairline fracture, fissure fracture, march fracture, spontaneous fracture, fatigue fracture
pastedGraphic.png
Stress fracture of the second metatarsal bone (below the knuckles of the second toe)


“A stress fracture is a fatigue-induced bone fracture caused by repeated stress over time. Instead of resulting from a single severe impact, stress fractures are the result of accumulated injury from repeated submaximal loading, such as running or jumping. Because of this mechanism, stress fractures are common overuse injuries in athletes.

Stress fractures can be described as small cracks in the bone, or hairline fractures. Stress fractures of the foot are sometimes called “march fractures” because of the injury’s prevalence among heavily marching soldiers.[2] Stress fractures most frequently occur in weight-bearing bones of the lower extremities, such as the tibia and fibula (bones of the lower leg), metatarsal and navicular bones (bones of the foot). Less common are stress fractures to the femur, pelvis, and sacrum. Treatment usually consists of rest followed by a gradual return to exercise over a period of months.” 

A few weeks ago, I was playing tennis as I regularly do about 3-4 times a week. Also, as usual, my feet really began to hurt after two sets. I find that changing shoes typically helps the situation, so I sat down to change my shoes. It was extremely difficult to get my foot into my shoe — I had to bang it hard to get it in. Finally — success!

Photo by Kindel Media on Pexels.com



So, I was ready to play a third set. But after two points, I realized there was no way I was going to play more tennis. I hobbled home and could barely mount the shallow steps to the front door. It was “Labor Day” so most places were closed. We finally got my painful ankle X-rayed and the doctor who read the X-rays said, “Good news! No new breaks in your ankle.” 

That was good news. 

Except that so far as I knew, I had never broken my ankle in the past! That brings to seven the total number of broken bones I’ve had. 

I was born with flat feet and all my life I’ve had flat feet and pronated ankles. Now, however, things had moved to a new and much worse chapter. I could literally put zero weight on my left leg. Now, I can walk. Which means, I can now play tennis. 

Sort of. 

How could I have broken an ankle and not have been aware of it? Because of the structural defects in my feet, instead of having an arch that works to distribute the stress of running, jumping, and landing, one of the key bones in my arch has moved downward and toward the midline. So now, every time I land hard, the stress is not distributed evenly through the arch but smashes down into the outside of my ankle bone.

That sucks. And it makes playing tennis iffy. And, it’s painful. And, potentially dangerous.

Not so much as the fracturing of American democracy however. 

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

The Trumputinists have been waging a War on Truth against America for years. They stepped up their game significantly with TFG. Who benefits from the War on Truth? 

Not the American citizens! 

The man who got TFG Putin office benefits. 

America has long been the major thorn in the side of Putin’s ambitions to reconstitute the USSR and possibly even to “rule the world.” It’s a crazy ambition, to my way of thinking. But not to would-be dictators. 

I like tennis. 

But some folks like stamp collecting. And some like to quilt. And some few like to destroy the love and livelihood of others in order to gain power. (Essays on America: The Game).

About 2400-2500 Americans were killed by the sudden attack on Pearl Harbor. FDR immediately declared war on Japan. That was like a traumatic bone break to a human body.

The Trumputinists, through their campaign of lies, false cures, false promises, and executive orders have driven up the number of deaths of Americans from the pandemic by hundreds of thousands. They have killed more Americans than were killed in 9/11 and Pearl Harbor and the War in Vietnam, and the Middle Eastern wars combined.

In 1860, the South seceded from the Union. Did Lincoln declare war on the South? No. Did he attack the South? No. The South attacked Fort Sumpter. Do you know how many Americans they killed? 

Zero. 

Two Union soldiers were killed in an accidental explosion while they were leaving the fort.

Even before the pandemic hit, TFG was rolling back safeguards on the food supply, clean water regulations, and clean air regulations. He was isolating America from our allies.



Stress fracture.

He divided the country using the methods that would-be dictators have used for centuries. (See: The Myths of the Veritas: Stoned Soup).

Stress fracture.

TFG replaced patriotic, non-partisan experts throughout government with inept lackeys who would do anything to curry favor with the Putin-backed coup. 

Stress fracture.

TFG did everything he could to destroy the careers of any patriotic Republicans who stood up to him. 

Stress fracture.



TFG, millions of dollars in “dark money” and the Trumputinist backers have subverted confidence in elections and passed “laws” that mean that they can simply “overturn” elections when they don’t win. Nonetheless, they have also passed laws to suppress the votes of POC, the elderly, Armed Services personnel, Native Americans, and students. Suppressing the vote, aside from being unfair, guarantees that inept, cruel, and corrupt politicians will be the norm.

Stress fracture.

The Trumputinists deny that their deadly attack on the United States Capitol was a crime. They claim it was just a regular day of tourism. 


Major stress fracture.



America faces serious problems such as the need for immigration reform, wealth inequality, racial injustice, crumbling infrastructure, COVID, cybercrime, social media companies giving in to brutal dictators like Putin, climate disasters. The Trumputinists pretend to want to be part of the solution but actually are doing everything in their power to prevent these crises from being addressed. 

Stress fractures.

As the stress fractures in your body continue to multiply, you will begin to bleed to death internally. And, being unable to move, you will be unable to battle predators of any description.

It’s past time to bring to justice those who are trying to destroy our democracy, even if that makes Putin upset. 

Photo by Donald Tong on Pexels.com

It’s important to remember that in the last Presidential election, Republicans and Democrats worked together throughout the country to run the election. Those were actual Republicans — Americans who are typically more conservative than their Democratic colleagues. Those folks are being threatened with physical violence as are their families unless they pledge to be Trumputinists. Of course, the Trumputinist don’t call themselves “Fascists” or “Trumputinists” but so what?

(Essays on America: Labelism). 

Stress fracture. 

People who stormed the US Capitol; politicians who support the overthrow of democracy; people who threaten violence against actual Republicans who do not support the big lie — they all need to be dealt with legally, but quickly and thoroughly. 

One thing we do know from history: trying to placate a cruel ego-maniacal dictator by, say, giving them Poland, does not work. Ask the ghost of Neville Chamberlain.

I honestly cannot think of how the Trumputinists could make it more clear. 

They are not playing on team America. 

They have already attacked American democratic institutions and stormed America’s Capitol. 

They have already killed 1/2 million innocent Americans. 

They are still perpetuating the big lie. 

They certainly have no business being seated in the Congress of the United States of America.

Many of the Trumputinists have been trained to deny the efficacy of masks, social distancing, and the vaccines. 

But many Democrats have been trained to deny the severity of the crisis we are facing. Ignoring the X-rays and pretending it’s all business as usual won’t knit my bones back together. 

Ignoring the fact that Trumputinists are fighting an undeclared war on our country will not make us safe any more than shutting our eyes will make us safe from the circling wolf pack or the growing climate crisis or the unsustainable chasm in wealth and opportunity.

Trumputinists killed a half million Americans (and counting) by not addressing the pandemic realistically.

(See: The Truth Train).

Democrats will allow many millions to be killed if they do not address, with everything in their power, the slow coup that is breaking America. 

“There is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it…if only we’re brave enough to be it.” — Amanda Gorman





https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_fracture

A Parachute Ripped by Lies

10 Friday Sep 2021

Posted by petersironwood in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Democracy, pandemic, poem, poetry, Resistance, truth

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

You need not wear a parachute

If you should plummet from the sky.

For gravity is just a hoax

That’s spread by all those liberal folks*. 

If what you’re hearing irks, just mute! 

Just listen to The Crooked Guy! 

You need not care he rakes in cash

Entices you to act the ash.

You need not wear a safety belt,

And brakes are over-rated too. 

Your faith is bountiful and strong!

It’s clear that nothing can go wrong!

Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

For all that matters? How you felt!

Who cares at all if it was true! 

You prove to all how free you’ll be

Repeating Pravda endlessly. 

Photo by Julius Silver on Pexels.com

You break a bone or crack your head — 

Then see your favorite talk show host!

Some salted trash or ragweed mash

Will cure each ill; just send them cash.

Photo by Vinu00edcius Vieira ft on Pexels.com

If you should die from what they said, 

Well, they don’t care — so why your ghost?

With Voldemort at last in power

You’ll doubtless think your finest hour. 

The problem is dictatorship

Is something people die to leave!

So why lean in to tyranny? 

Have faith in our democracy. 

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Don’t pee into the power strip;

Insist on rights but act naive.

Adult’s a verb; not just a noun.

Lie’s not truth and up’s not down. 

——————————-

  • This is satire. Gravity is not a hoax. And, should you feel compelled to jump out of an airplane from high in the sky, you will definitely want a parachute and not rely instead on a Faux News commentator’s words to cushion your fall. 

———————————

Essays on America: Wednesday

What about the butter dish?

Happy Talk Lies.

Plans for us; some GRUesome

Essays on America: The Stopping Rule

Essays on America: The Update Problem

Where does your loyalty lie?

Essays on America: My cousin Bobby. 

Come back to the light

Roses gilded by the sunset

Fascism Leads to Chaos

26 Monday Oct 2020

Posted by petersironwood in Uncategorized

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

America, Democracy, Dictatorship, economy, pandemic, politics, Resistance, USA, Vote

One of the sadder misconceptions about a fascist dictatorship is that life will at least be clear and predictable. There will be clear rules, laid out in black and white, and if you keep your nose clean and do as you’re told, you’ll be safe and your family will be safe. Only trouble-makers will get in trouble. In this view, Democracy seems like a cool idea, but in reality, there is endless discord and disagreement. Some begin to think that we’ll all be so much better off if we just have one source of information that we all agree on, regardless of how bogus that source is.

What will actually happen under a dictatorship is the opposite of this promise. 

There will be more chaos, not less. 

Photo by NEOSiAM 2020 on Pexels.com

Think about it. In our current society, truth ultimately rules over power. Yes, of course, there are people who are afraid to speak truth to power. And most of us have had that boss who is simply inept or opinionated and doesn’t care much about reality. But they are the exception. Most people in a corporation can be brought round if you have truth on your side. For some decision makers, convincing them of what is best for the organization as a whole is enough. But sometimes, you also have to find a way to explain that it’s also in their personal interest to do what’s best for the company. But most bosses and managers don’t act like complete jerks. And part of the reason is that they know they will be held accountable in some way if they behave too far outside the norm.

In a culture where power trumps truth, however, the only thing that matters is power, not truth. Some people will nonetheless have a tendency to be regular in their behavior. So, you can count on that, at least. Except, of course, that you cannot count on that. Because at any time, and for any unforeseen reason, that person who follows some principles or values or code or flow-chart  or best practices — they can be over-ridden by someone higher up. If they don’t toe the line, they will be fired and someone else will replace them who will do as they’re told. 

You might be doing a great job when all at once you’re fired — not for anything at all related to your performance — no, you could be fired for telling the truth. And, you could even be fired for your brother telling the truth. 

There is no predictability. There is only chaos. Chaos is what a dictator thrives on. By continual change, dictated from the top in completely unpredictable ways, the dictator gains more and more control. For instance, let’s imagine that the dictator (or even a would-be dictator with inside knowledge) brokers a wonderful trade deal with China in which both parties benefit; a real win/win situation. If this happens in real life, word will leak out and eventually there will be confirmation and the stock market will tend to go up. But it’s a lot of work to make such a deal. 

Imagine instead that you decided to grant some monetary favors to some of your largest donors. You tell them that you’re about to make a big announcement of a wonderful trade deal with China. They buy stocks low. You make your announcement. The stock market goes up. They sell stocks high. Everyone discovers there’s no “there” there and the stock market goes back down. Meanwhile, your friends made millions.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com



For everyone else though, it’s simply chaos. It makes financial planning hard; it makes career planning difficult; it makes all planning difficult. Remember: at any time and for any reason, an “order from headquarters” could render all your previous planning useless. The person you have teamed with for years could be hauled off suddenly for a political crime. Of course, at first you’ll find it hard to believe. After all, you’ve known Frank for years. He never seemed like the type to step out of line. But there is no-one to plead the other side in a dictatorship — not honestly. All trials become sham trials. The outcome is known in advance. If the powerful like you, you go free, no matter how heinous your crime and how strong the evidence. If the powerful don’t like you, you’ll be jailed, or executed, or (most fun of all) tortured until you give the names of five or six of your friends as also being enemies of the state. Truth doesn’t matter any more. The rule of law doesn’t matter any more. 

More and more wealth will be funneled to the already very rich. That will make everyone else more desperate and crime will increase. More and more people will be incarcerated essentially being a slave work force. They will literally be working and surviving and nothing more. No more attempts at rehabilitation. Who wants them rehabilitated? They are cheap labor. And, what’s equally important, they serve as a great reminder to everyone not in prison that prison is theirs for the asking. All they have to do is utter the truth or fail to shout “Heil Hitler! Heil Hitler!” loudly enough and they too can have a one way ticket to hell. 

What happened when Mao became dictator of China? Educated people were sent out into the fields. Many were executed. Society was turned completely on its head. Russian Revolution: Same. Hitler’s Germany — much of it was bombed, millions killed, turned ordinary people into monsters. It’s always the same. The founding fathers had seen it over and over in country after country in age after age. Absolute power cannot be safely bestowed on anyone — not even a person of great character and wisdom.

George Washington faced danger, exhibited leadership and helped our young nation survive. 

Yet, he did not want to be king.

Photo by Life Matters on Pexels.com



Donald Trump ran from danger, exhibited no leadership and will have needlessly killed a quarter million Americans. He’s isolated us from our allies. He’s divided the country against itself. He’s railed against the free press since day one. He’s replaced non-partisan experts throughout government with inept lackeys. He is preparing for a fascist state. He’s a willing accomplice in the destruction of American.

Yet he does want to be King. 

And if he does? Life will be less regular and less predictable and less organized. It will be more chaotic as well as more sadistic. Is that really the world you want your kids and grandkids to grow up in? 

Photo by BROTE studio on Pexels.com

———————————————

At Least He’s Our Monster

Where Does Your Loyalty Lie?

Essays on America: The Game

Essays on America: The Update Problem

Essays on America: The Stopping Rule

The Loud Defense of Untenable Positions

Happy Talk Lies

Author Page on Amazon

Index to Pattern Language for Cooperation & Collaboration

Comes the Dawn

09 Wednesday Sep 2020

Posted by petersironwood in Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

America, optimism, poem, poetry, politics, Resistance

Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Pexels.com

The vast and varied tree of life 

Is old beyond imagining; 

Has felt the pulse of peace and strife;

Has seen both hawk and dove take wing. 

Comes the dawn. 

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

The storm drapes dark depressing gloom;

The lightening fells a thousand trees.

Yet morning’s sun and roses bloom.

The fallen trunk is home for bees.

Photo by sungmu heo on Pexels.com

Comes the dawn. 

That life is always tearing down 

And building up again is true.

The random stupid scowling clown

Tears down and down; will drown in blue.

Comes the dawn.

Photo by Dana Tentis on Pexels.com

Awaking from our lumbering sleep;

We’ll put aside deluded dreams

That march us all along like sheep.

We’ll look for facts instead of memes.

Comes the dawn.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The truth will reign o’er stupid games

Like “Who’s got Most” or “Bigger Than!”

Or, “Let’s not Solve but Point False Blames.”

“Believe my Lies, Devoted Fan!”

Comes the dawn.

After torrent, after fire

After storm of fear and hate;

After the end of crooked desire;

After evil’s deathly date —

Photo by Kristin Vogt on Pexels.com

Comes the dawn.

Trumpism is a New Religion

Essays on America: Wednesday

You Bet Your Life

Rejecting Adulthood

The Stopping Rule

The Update Problem

Unmasked

The Truth Train

The Pandemic Anti-Academic

The Watershed Virus

Author Page on Amazon

My Captain’s No Captain

06 Sunday Sep 2020

Posted by petersironwood in Uncategorized

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

America, captain, leadership, pandemic, poetry, Resistance, USA

Photo by Aneta Foubu00edkovu00e1 on Pexels.com

He steers the listing ship of state

With blinded, bulging eyes

And gaping, rancid lips.

Photo by Trace Hudson on Pexels.com



The more he fails, the more he flails, 

No big surprise he screams and wails; 

With jiggling, wriggling hips. 

Photo by Marc Coenen on Pexels.com

A fool, a lout, who loves to pout.

With every breath he lies;

With every order tries

To kill another thousand souls.

For those are Pappa Putin’s goals.

He’s one of Moscow’s favorite moles.



He kills for rubles? Lack of scruples?

I don’t care. Do you? Or you?

And once the toll quadruples?

Photo by Mike on Pexels.com



We finally call a fraud a fraud

And oust the ruthless prig?

And throw him in the brig?



It’ll make poor Vlad both sad & blue.

But I won’t care? Will you? Or, you?

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

—————————————

The Truth Train

The Pandemic Anti-Academic

The Watershed Virus

Unmasked 

Life is a Dance

Try the Truth

Roar, Ocean, Roar!

The Ailing King of Agitate

Author Page on Amazon

Photo by GEORGE DESIPRIS on Pexels.com
← Older posts

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • May 2015
  • January 2015
  • July 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013

Categories

  • America
  • apocalypse
  • COVID-19
  • creativity
  • driverless cars
  • family
  • fiction
  • health
  • management
  • nature
  • poetry
  • politics
  • psychology
  • satire
  • science
  • sports
  • story
  • The Singularity
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Veritas
  • Walkabout Diaries

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • petersironwood
    • Join 644 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • petersironwood
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...