The Challenge for the New Generation

Retrospection is powerful.  Yesterday as I sat through two basketball games my grand daughter was playing, I had this very interesting in-depth conversation with her brother, my oldest grandson. Logan is a highly intelligent, handsome eighth grader and is in double accelerated courses in all subjects.  As he sat next to me, I began to ask him about his subjects at school with math being his favorite. I knew at that moment my DNA had run aground so I began a gentle probing of the depth of his understanding of math. Over the next ten minutes I felt the breath being sucked out of my lungs at the depth, the breadth and the enthusiasm I witnessed from Logan as he answered my probes; each a bit deeper than the previous.

That conversation found its way to my retrospection gene. Through that gene and pondering last night and this morning about the aggregate implication going forward, I began to think about the challenges of Logan's generation.  One cannot begin to grapple with the potentials without factoring in the fabric of the world today in which the Logans of this world are being exposed. Social media is a normal for them. Many of the Logans spent time with their parents and grandparents showing them how to do simple things on their new-fangled smart phones and probably respectfully laugh about it after. I would!  

Drugs both use and trafficking are a new normal. Suicide at younger and younger ages are far less shocking thus part of the new normal.  The endless wars in the Middle East and now the heavy cloud of homegrown terror, school lock downs, etc, are part of that normal.  Then there is this huge elephant called National debt and student loan debt that has tentacles for many painful years.  Today I watch a speech by Obama enticing college age kids to sign up for more Federal funding for education and my mind is processing who will pay for it.  Free college has to equate to, for me at least, one of the stupidest ideas I have ever heard and I can say that in working heavily in college education for a decade.  Who will pay? That, for me, is the question nobody wants to talk about but it will be talked about but too late.

I am sixty-eight years old and from my life and career I have been given tremendous challenges and opportunities to internalize many things from and at a global perspective. Given that insight, it is perhaps my greatest concern as to what the generation of my five grandchildren will be facing in what seems like a world, a political system gone mad for those are the infrastructural institutions and greenhouse careers, families and values.

My view today is far past the Trump / Clinton debacle, the ineptitude of our Congress, President and Supreme Court. My view is about the values and principles my five precious grand children will evolve into and from as their mid life of adulthood looms ever nearer.  Abortions, drug use, same-sex marriages, LBGTQ now a powerful political faction, campaigns driven by incalculable billions of dollars, America is no longer viewed as the strategic global power it has been since World War II due in great part to this last eight years of weak presidential leadership.  

My hope is that my grandchildren will have the same opportunities I did which is founded on the principle of working hard, staying focused, seeking to be the best and to beat the competition thus Winners Win and Losers Lose.  I fear that that is not the mantra of this next generation for their are too many safety nets, bad examples, too many distractions and not enough strong, forward thinking teachers and parents and role models to exert influence.  

The great news for me is that my five are being parented by parents that love them, lift them in prayer, invest themselves in their precious live and live God's Word in their parenting. What a blessing! I believe we all are mandated to ponder and to prayer for this next generation which will be much, much different than mine, the Baby Boomers. This new generation will make less money and generate less wealth and all previous generations in our nation's history.  There is far too much laziness augmented by funded safety nets that somebody will have to pay for. Too many nations own far too much of our debt thus too much of our future. That is a major anchor to opportunities for this next generation.

I love my Logan, Noah, Isabella, Gracie and Hopie more than they will ever know but through that lvoe my concern is heavy for the world into which they will bring children, careers, etc.  It is not our place as Christians to worry for we believe what our God has told us but some times it is hard not to be concerned; I am very concerned.

Mr Trump Letter

Dear Mr. Trump ..... I would simply ask that if you are truly serious about leading our nation, and I believe you are, that you must, MUST, stop saying and doing things that are handing the White House the Clinton Machine. Your comments and public behaviors and persona are making it harder and harder for me to make a sound, solid case of defense of you as the right person of the two to be the POTUS.

This is not the first time you have read or heard this I know but even during a family birthday party last evening I found myself searching for right words to address logically why you are the better candidate. But Sir, almost daily you say or do something that cause those of us the have faith in you to take pause and ponder what on earth are you thinking and / or doing!

The race is your's to lose as I view it for your opponent has so much baggage to drag knowing even more will pock mark her Administration if allowed access to the POTUS. But it is strictly up to you to show the nation and the world that yes, we can believe in you, trust in your judgement and will be a beacon of honesty and forthrightness as our POTUS.

I think I do not ask for much and I believe I speak for millions of Americans that wish for the person to emerge and steady-state as I describe above. I would gladly discuss this with you if you wish. I am a seasoned veteran of internal politics and you being your own worst enemy. That Sir, is called stupid.

My disappointment with the RNC is unparalleled but you have shown you can go it without them, sadly. But you must build effectively coalitions, stop shooting the messengers and cease with the thin-skinned antics. My college basketball coach would look me in the eyes and strongly tell me to 'grow up and fight the winds before me." Mr Trump, those words are sage and most applicable to your situation for your situation is the situation of this nation's worth and value ahead.

Show us the leader I believe you are; and I and we are looking. You cannot let Clinton beat you; YOU CANNOT! You have media stacked against you which you could mitigate. You have alienated women which you must mitigate. You have to ignite We the People to you purpose and your cause. I believe you can do that.

No temper tantrums, prepare for the next debates, be strong, gentlemanly and statesmanlike; it will pay rich dividends, please.

Feel free to contact me, please

Jim Williams

profjimwilliams@gmail.com

POTUS Gut Check

Last night my wife and I watched the FRONTLINE program in the attachment about the CHOICES IN 2016. It was, as always, excellently produced and researched. It is a parallel of the Trump / Clinton history that shows clearly the founding and inclinations and drives we so blatantly see today.

For me the most resounding reality of watching the FRONTLINE was that truly we have come to a sad state of politics in America is these two are the best this nation can produce to lead it, We the People. If you watch this and leave your political boots and spurs at the front door, you can begin to see that both these people have invested a lifetime in themselves under the pretense of wanting to serve our nation.

Arrogance, narcissism, opulence, above the law, immoral, ungodly are only a few of the traits both these candidates have devoted their lives to investing in. You may or may not like my comments but I have invested much time in prayer for our nation, this election and these candidates which, please know, has not been easy. The Debate was certainly not a surprise to me and especially the apparent wire HRC wore meaning she was being coached from off stage somewhere. True or not true, for me, it perfectly matched the biographies of the Clintons. Trump's fumbling showed clearly he had not prepared for he probably have never prepared for anything in his life. So, at the aggregate, neither of these people surprised me nor can I imagine they will for history is always a great predictor of future behavior!

So as I sit here I find no sorrow, no pity, no remorse, no great, grand hopes for either of the marginal candidates and I find that sad for I should be really excited about the leader of my nation but I find myself with that same bland feeling I felt in 2008 in that race. So maybe I am the problem and everybody is is right or better or smarter!

Here is my fundamental belief! I believe what we are given as choice to lead our nation is precisely what we deserve as a People for as a People, we have for over a generation has pulled farther and farther from God's principles in His Word, the Bible. Societal decay is now rationalized as a "right" and we see how well that is working out. I believe God has had enough of this godless nation and is allowing all of this to happen to remind us of the bad choices we are making as a nation.

Our world is perhaps the most toxic and dangerous in our history thus we need leadership at the national level that is clear-eyed, future thinking and strategic.  It is that prism through which I look for a POTUS and it is the prism that greatly concerns me with these two. Clinton is experienced no doubt and having traveled in 122 countries doeth not a successful leader make. Look at John Kerry for proof.

In other words, America is facing a choice and that choice simply is if we want to "Make America Great Again, it is not Trump nor Clinton that can rightly lead that journey, but God and His People can and must. 

We need a national revival pleading with God to embrace our nation once more!

Please take the time to watch this FRONTLINE:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/the-choice-2016/

The Election

Good morning. It has been two months since I wrote my last blog and I have chosen to step back from the blogosphere to season, assess and evaluate and thus project this crucial election coming in November.  Never have I felt the stakes greater in selecting the next POTUS as I view the whole demographic, societal and global landscape shifting in a very dangerous vector.  My words are not about a specific candidate but most reading this know now who you will cast your vote for and next to nothing will change your mind.  As I understand it now roughly forty percent will vote for the Republican and forty percent will vote Democrat.  That, for me, takes us to my age old prism of Pareto and his 80/20 view of life on this planet; a view I full embrace and believe.

Of all the partisan mind games, media poison spreading and misquotes and twisting that have been thrust upon us, We the People, perhaps that most concerning for is is a statistical assessment that the Millennials will be the most apathetic generation on voting in the history of your nation.  The Vote is a right earned through blood too many of us take for granted. I will admit there were times in my earlier years that I fell into that same void and for that I am regretful.  That is made more acute to me when I realize I have been more involve, more invested and more concerned about this election than any other in my life. I realize the reason for this is my escalating concern for my young teenage grand children and the world we are creating for them as our legacy.

There are three fundamental sea changes that have brought us to this place in world history and America is front and center in that massive village is choosing via our leadership to step back from leading this village.  The infamous adage, either lead, follow or get out of the way, sums up my view on our position in the international stage for, through this current resident of the White House plus the tepid, do nothing Congress and a very dangerous Supreme Court, America has stepped away from our post WWII leadership. role.  These fundamentals are:  1.  social media.  2.  weakened military presence and use. 3.  a generation of politicians vested in themselves and not for public service.

The advent of Social Media has taken on a life of its own.  I continue to be baffled by the term "radicalize" when referring to ISIL ability to cause a young person to leave family and friends and future to travel to war zones to take up arms, enjoy beheading and mass killing.   I keep hearing it is via social media but I believe that medium is an enabler but not a cause. I believe the cause is a much deeper caustic cauldron we have yet to fathom. But Social Media certainly is part of it allure of some insane pull to go do what we are seeing now daily in our own nation.  Isn't it interesting that something so good on the front end can so rapidly be turned into a vicious weapon!

Our military is stretched my immeasurable deployment with the over use of equipment wearing out and not being replaced and upgraded. I place this wreath squarely at the feet of Obama and this "strange" Secretary of Defense which I sense is simply a pawn to this boss. There is purpose for civilian leadership of the military but it is my belief that the civilian leadership has failed the leadership in uniform and chooses to not see nor hear their concerns and needs. As a Commander-in-Chief, that is unacceptable on a grand scale. The recent coup d'etat in Turkey is recent evidence of how nations deal with populace fears and concerns and I realized as I watched that unfold that the fervor, venom and populational unrest in our own nation is perhaps heading this that same corrective direction.  This POTUS, in my humble opinion, has been a disaster as Commander-in-Chief for his reign will be tagged by historians as an Appeaser instead of a leader. Appeasers are always dangerous!

If the sixteen candidates in the GOP were the best America had to go after one not their on, Trump as a non-politicians, then we are in serious generational trouble. Watching the weaknesses and fear of these Gang wither to him was surprising yes but worrisome even more.  But specifically to Mr. Trump. I have watched him, listened to him, prayed for him, pondered him. I have watched cable news media show their true Liberal bias on a scale I would never have imagined. It has sickened me so much I rarely watch CNN for it is overwhelmingly sickening to me to watch these famous "panel of experts" pander to minorities, against police and attack, not debate, but attack any semblance of a sane, rational comment by a Conservative. For me CNN should be remove from the airwaves and I have always loved CNN's global reach and professionalism; no longer.

I will close by stating that the very thought of another Clinton in the White House is anathema to me and I simply cannot understand how a sane, normal, intelligent human being could be swayed to that cesspool of criminal behavior and corruption via the view they are above the law. But apparently forty percent of Americans are still soaked in the kool aid. I want only the best for my grand children and this election will be a step forward or backward on a scale I could never have imagined. Trump has been duly selected as the GOP candidate and then to watch the GOP plays its evil games to undercut him thus assuring a Clinton ascendancy is worthy of criminal indictment.

So yes, this Election has two generations  riding on it and please do not forget the now $20 trillion debt by our government, the largest employer on earth, that my grandchildren will be burdened with.  Never forget this morsel;  When it comes to free stuff, never forget that nothing is free!  

Across the Horizon

It has been just over two months since I published my last blog. I decided to step back and just drink the water of our world to assess direction, pitfalls and concerns.  We have just gone through a GOP Convention  and Trump, I feel, presented his case well.  I think the greatest and overshadowing reality is seeing so boldfaced the bias in the  media.  It is not wonder We the People are misrepresented, confused and angry.  The racial reporting by the talking heads and the police hating in print and on cable news leaves no doubt when our nation is residing in a cesspool sadly.

In seeing this bias via observant assessing, my stomach turns on CNN which is really sad yet eyeopening after so many years.  We are now facing a Democratic Convention so I will have more of a sense of the Liberal bias by the media.  In my whole life I have never felt more strongly that the Clintons back in the White House after this last eight Obama years would be a global disaster with corruption in the mainstream.  Perhaps I am wrong and frankly hope I am but my gut and my heart says Trump and the GOP, as divided as it is, must be the new resident.

With all this choppy water with sharks swimming everywhere, my greatest concern is for my grandchildren and their world. Too much national debt and rising, drugs galore, societal values eroding; yes my concern is great for Logan, Isabella, Noah, Gracie and Hopie.

I am absolutely convinced that America has turned so far from God that we are witnessing life without God after so many years of ridding schools, churches and lives of God's principles.  There are those that will read this that will scoff or rationalize I am just an old man ranting but in my heart, I believe my sentence of this paragraph is exactly what is happening.

So we will see what Philadelphia provides but my greater concern is the deterioration for the rest of the Obama presidency as the Middle East melts via ISIL.  This is inexcusable and will be a black mark on the Obama legacy as will the Iran Nuke debacle so prepare for nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorist soon if not already.

Your thoughts on my comments are appreciated.

The Values from the Post WWII Era

 A little earlier I was watching through tears a Charlie Rose interview with Michael Kinsley who now has latter stage Parkisons Disease. I have watched him many times in interviews and contributions and always appreciated his insight and energy. To see the devastation of this terrible disease was cutting to my heart in realizing we are both basically the same age.  In one of his responses to Rose, he spoke of the four stages of life which always interests me. Sadly, he never spoke of Heaven nor anything spiritually but that is a choice he has made. 

Interestingly and thus what caught my attention was about the "value" he had been given and experienced from his parents for he was a typical, whatever that means, Baby Boomer with two parents at home, calmness in the home and time investment by both parents into his young life.  He is a brilliant man thus I found myself probing and prodding the canals of my own childhood looking into the mirror he described to see if I could see mine in there any where.  Mr. Kinsley's childhood and mine are sort of but not very similar.  

Please keep in mind the predicate of my mindset is on the horrific nature of that dread disease for but for the grace of God I would be there as well as would be each of you reading this.  His closing comments fundamentally were about with only minutes of life remaining, what becomes most important?

All the cars, the wealth, the desires that tend to fallow our lives on the journey turn to mist and what you are left with are memories in snapshots.  Wow, think about that!  I have no doubt that when my time is no more on this earth that that next moment I will be transformed to my heavenly home in my heavenly body so it only gets better from here and I believe that in my Faith in God.  For those that do not share that faith, I realized per Mr. Kinsley that one moment after end of life, there is no hope and that really purged me into the reservoir of what the essence of life is and why. 

The values I derived from my childhood are certainly unique to me and quite ununique to Kinsley. He was reared in wealth, two parents doting on him, assured of college at Harvard where his father attended.  He was apparently smothered in love and adoration by both his parents and that yielded a scholar with amazing writing skills that loves his family and even more is that love as the reallity of the Parkinsons looms ever near his time remaining on earth. Watching him through this lens took me to tears and near sobs.

My life, destiny and journey based on experiences is quite different and in fact completely different. Yes I had two parents but being doted on, loved on, energized, pushed, etc, were not the verbs I can recall.  Alcohol was a major force in my upbringing due to my father. My mother was a hard charging, tough love, saving, work for every nickel lady that I admired for her drive.  A value she bestowed on me which lasted me to this moment was "always work hard for your boss and he will always take good care of you."  Well, that did not always hold water through the trajectory of my life but still the value equation was sound and I still adhere to its merit. Another value was always be on time and never quit. Amen to both as those that know me will attest.

There was never discussion nor expectation of a college education as to my parents being financial partners in the journey.  Basketball provided me the means to get my college thus I poured my heart and soul into that venture. The force that fueled I realized in retrospect was the overwhelming desire to leave the place where I was, to be part of something big and good to experience the nations of the world. I knew that by age twelve or so. Happily I can say that I got to experience all of those in that last sentence but it came with a cost and it came with much good so while Kinsley's value source was quite different than mine, I would not change one thing, now, about what I was given to work with.

The Values of the post WWI, the Baby Boomers some call us are a vast list to accomplishments based on pushing and driving to accomplish and then to thoroughly enjoy the pleasures of the accomplishments. Some chose to use their bodies versus their brains and that never turns out well. But what I see lacking so vividly today is a lack of driving, pushing to accomplish and a desire to succeed.  I do believe social media, electronics and the economy are part and parcel to the why but the value to accomplish through hard work is direly missing. My wife and I are so blessed to see that push and drive in both our children and in their chosen spouses so we know our grandchildren are being filled with the Post WWII values still.

So the question, what are your Values you are instilling into your children and grand children for this is a generational matter?

B R E A K I N G N E W S

Good morning with now cup one under my belt, I am emboldened to venture to the cave of words that I have remained distant from for too long some say. Let me first say that it is still amazing to me to realize in so many ways and places that people actually read what I write and even more strangely to seek my thoughts and advice; kind of creates a glow in my belly when those times fly by.  

Our world is a vineyard of dichotomies and misadventures that is fraught with the minefield of a bitter and embittering election cycle for President of the United States. People may wish or choose to ignore the unignorable but the POTUS election 2016 is epic and will be studied by historians long after I am gone and the ignition cap is spelled T R U M P.

Even inside my family there is angst with any hint of a comment that might have an odor of supporting Trump. It is actually quite funny to me to watch people on tv that will posture their comment with a smirk or insinuation of negative about Trump, worthwhile I wish to add, but then as the words flow you realize that at the root of what I think is a majority of the electorate is that they are less for Trump the man and more for the disgust with the others still in the race. I know that is the category where I reside.  

For me, I cannot envision another Obama-type in the White House but then I could not imagine that Obama that is in the House now being there so the old adage about politics creates strange bedfellows is so very true.

Last night as Trump cleaned out by landslides five states, it is my belief we will see the caustic rhetoric subside, perhaps, as I believe there is a clear view that Trump might actually have a clear path to the convention with going above the 1237.  

The shenanigan pulled by Cruz and Kasich showed the degree of desperation and the results of last night I am quite sure have both of them reeling rightly this morning. For me the real concern I have for my nation is with the Clinton Machine and that is, by any other term, what it is in getting a two-for-one package with huge dollops of corruption, criminal activities, heavy baggage and then then age old Bill issues and societal values that will be rolled out yet again for the camera lights of the world to drink from the overflowing well of salaciousness the Clintons provide. 

Please know I am certainly not over sighting Trump's history of wives and no doubt other dealings we will learn about but it all shapes up to be a Trump / Clinton Duel at El Diablo that the Americans will be sickened by and the world will scoff about and in the end, it will be We as a Nation that will be pushed further toward the scrapyard of greatest we once were.

If there is an absolute reality of this POTUS slug-fest it is this; AMERICANS ARE SICK OF THE ESTABLISHMENT and I am one of those. I sincerely believe the entire Congress should be given a sixty day moratorium under threat of impeachment for nonperformance on any piece of legislation that is not heavily bipartisan with a metric on how much legislation time is spent each day working on crafting. To learn of across the street from the Capitol huge, fancy call centers where Congressmen are directed to spend several hours each day calling for donors since law prevents them from calling from the House, I find that deplorable and rancid of a grand scale.

As I have written many times, there is simply too much money and too many lobbyists in an ever bloating Federal government and I think the conglomeration has surpassed manageability. Look at the VA for just one example.  The VA is a metaphor for what I believe is the impossible task of bringing true accountability to the table thus making it a political pawn in a sickening, embarrassing game. There are so many VA-types that is just inspires this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach at the thought and impact on millions of veterans and their families.

I began this write with BREAKING NEWS for that is a new tv event to get your attention.  Our nation is sick and the populace sees Trump, because he is bold and blunt and not part of the infamous Establishment as a hoped for fix for this ever growing cancer of a government made more cancerous over these two terms with Obama and a truly inept Congress. Americans want change out of sheer desperation and Trump appears the tallest of the pygmies; that is truly sad but very true I believe.

At the root of all of this, I believe, is the result of a nation that has grown more European meaning more godless.  Heroin, abortion, suicides, aberrant behavior and lifestyles have and are becoming the sick norm in our nation.  Never forget Sodom for reference. America has walked away from God; THAT IS THE BREAKING NEWS.