I have a feeling that after I "disposed" of the Rev. Wright problem, I still find Bill Ayers still 'sticking in the craw' of some people ( like Fox news)--
I don't like any part of Ayers or condone any of his conduct 40 some yrs. ago--I was a middle aged man with a family at that time , had 2 sons with long hair and beards , suffered along with many other people, the futility of the war , the human losses, the fault of the Admin.in their failures in execution and in lying about the real situation to the American people ---
but to respond to these idiosies by committing outrageous atrocities ---that succeeded only in distracting the public from the horrors of the war --replacing one horror for an other -- only now, idiots have found a way to go one step further --suicide bombers!! Well, some do acknowledge the error of their ways-- , after they cool down--he never has --as a coward, maybe he could not live with fact that innocents were killed etc. and so it was easier to boast --to wish that more damage was done ---for that, the community of Oak Park in Chicago rewarded him with a professorship and seemed to have accepted him into their cultural milieu---20 some yrs. later, in comes young Barak Obama starting out as a community organizer but also dreams of a political future and Ayers and others in the community seemed to take a shine to the young man and proceeded to give him a boost and he naively accepted--did Bill Ayers go around bragging about his past --probably not unless it was pushed in his face and the neighbors had made their peace with it so it probably was never an issue and needn't be one now.

Scenes from a Concert Hall

The trombone stands tall on its stand,
The stand now stands alone,
Lonely while Trombone begins his song.

The piano, grand as grand is, awaits,
A human who sits -- united,
Achieve what neither could do alone.

Norman Arkin (1924-203?)

Politicians vs. Statesmen

In my stumbling around, trying to understand the politics and motivations of politicians -- the innate love of country as opposed to the fierce desire to get elected -- the wonder and the glory of planning the future of planning this great democracy and the great fear that one might not be able to reach the levers of power --- Why can't budding politicans act like statesmen? Is it because most of them were trained as lawyers? --- A lawyer is taught to defend his client to the end --- never admitting any fault --- only the positive points of his case --- no matter how bad or black this client's case is --- he is defended to the hilt!

A jury member is usually so dazzled by the rhetoric and distractions, innuendoes, word play, razzle-dazzle --- he can be misled into a vote that is not in line with reality. Even judges may be fooled --- hopefully the opposing lawyer is equally adept! But what does that really achieve??

Certainly, in politics, it can be fatal to our democratic form of government. Maybe there needs to be, in addition to law colleges, a statesmanship university, where the client to be defended is the democratic structure, the will of the people, the growth and prosperity of all sectors of society --- where the creators of the nation's wealth are rewarded, as well as the builders and workers compensated, and last but not least, the "petty" consumer upon whom the whole edifice stands --- shares proportionally the fruits of their total labor.

It should not really be a race, but a cooperative effort. The more one-sided a solution is, the more likely it will have unintended consequences.

How easy for some, in the mad rush to the top, to let the ideals of youth, those that were taught so well by schools, churches, and especially parents, those virtues that had been forged and polished over the centuries, through strife and fire. Truth-telling instead of blatant lies --- fairness and sharing --- instead of greed, welcoming the stranger, not fearing his otherness.

Reflections on the 2008 Election

In the great fires of life's travails, tragedies and tribulations many of us are consumed by the flames --- our inability to cope, our hate and our frustrationswith these forces of darkness that seem to overcome us, yet there's others of us, who are forged like steel, and somehow can see light through the smoke --- and with their new strength can pick themselves up, ignore the evils they are powerless to change, and concentrate on the scraps of "good" that can be found --- build upon it and rise seed-like as healthy plants in a pile of dung. Out of the decayed matter, of the past, can be found the nutrients to feed new life.

To those who were partially consumed in the fire of their hatred, and were stunted in their growth, Reverend Jeremiah Wright was their leader --- an anachronism --- and among those who rose from the fire, strode forward toward the light, maybe some forgiveness for the past --- but mainly a steely concentration towards the future, and attention to the task at hand, and Barack Obama is their new symbol of hope.

Let us all hope and pray that he has the strength, fortitude, and good sense to turn this great country around,and set it back on the path our forefathers started it on.

In a monumental election, the American people, in one grand gesture gave black people a gift, much more generous than monetary restitution for the sins of slavery --- more healing than empty words --- in one stroke, a bold attempt to wipe the slate clean and hopefully prepare us all to face the struggle as one people. `

A Personal Prayer

Dear God,

Whenever I paused for breath
In my headlong dash thru life,
I searched for you.
I’ve looked at the gods
Others have embraced,
But somehow, the magic is not there for me.
Suddenly a though warms me, yet scares me,
Is it possible that I have looked
In all the wrong places
That I must look within to find you?

If you are locked in my inner heart –
How can I tell?
The way is unreachable
So blocked with all the junk of my life
Piled high with egotistical garbage,
Glass blocks of vanity
A morass of idle doodlings –
If I were somehow, to tear away all this,
Would I find the key to set you free
Would you be there??

Norman Arkin Jan. 1972

RANDOM THOUGHTS @4 A.M.

Three men go to a foreign country on a study mission for a news paper . They are free lancers- think-tank members who may be charitably called moderately inclined—definitely not ideologues. Two of them arrive at one conclusion while the other sees things quite differently------who sees what he wants to see ,who is lying and who is so committed to the status quo ??

How necessary is it to a capitalistic economy to have constant growth---expansion--- an ever-rising stock market---money flow fuels the growth but also blinds the chasers of it to a number of unintended consequences.

Was the rapid expansion of world free trade and open borders, cheap labor , etc., worth the near destruction of the US middle class? The small farmer, home-grown mfg. workers and the small shopkeepers .

Is the destiny of America to end up a country governed by politicians so corrupted by the need to raise inordinate amounts of cash in order to insure their re-election—preyed upon by hordes of special- interest lobbyists so willing to give them the cash in return an ear-mark or two ??---with a stock market that more and more resembles Las Vegas where the multi-million dollar investment of the small investor supplies the the liquidity pool for the big fish to swim-- to make their deals –the buying ,selling, merging and cutting up of companies for short term gain –the sopping up of vast amounts of credit for these deals making it more expensive for legitimate ones that might actually enrich the economy!

The near total destruction of the moral basis for several of the finest professions---the doctor -the teacher -the lawyer – the nurse-- the politician (formally known as the Statesman).

The corruption of the spiritual and philosophical segment by bureaucratic and grab for power ,self- righteousness--- competing for the souls of men ---- and instead of a peaceful ever- expanding search for “truth” -- a vigorous drive of each group to copy-write their early texts as “The Truth.” Of course, this ended the peaceful search ! {see HG Welles , “Tolerance” }

IN the mad rush to mine the inanimate resources {the raw commodities } and the animate { Cheap foreign labor }there was little or no thought to the unforeseen consequences accruing to the middle and lower class workers---they were not helped up but rudely lowered down---! Where are the elder statesmen who could see the the folly of this mad rush to use foreign labor to build so cheaply over-seas ---- import or allow the flow of immigrants {legal and illegal} -- to do the menial jobs here more cheaply ?--- the vast pool of American workers , now without their factory jobs, competing or the low wage jobs with the immigrants ( legal and illegal} ---they or their children , not educated for the higher category of employment making it necessary to import foreign engineers, doctors, nurses etc..

Is there some basic flaw in the un-employment figures—why does it only show 4-5% jobless?? Are some people no longer looking ? Are jobs usually taken by teen-agers now taken by ex- factory workers ? Should a
$20.00 an hr job replaced by a $10.00 an hr job only be counted as one half a job?? We are a great country of consumers but are we still a great country of workers --- How many hamburger-flippers does it take to equal an auto builder ?

I contend that the small farmers, shop- keepers , factory workers nurses , general practican doctors , librarians & teachers are the moral fiber and back bone of this nation –these are the seeds and the yeast that grows the heart of our country---nourishes the youth that might some day may supply the statesmen that we so sorely lack.

GDP is the indicator of economic wealth- it indicates nothing about its distribution or its uses –is the health of its citizens as well as the repair of its infrastructure attended to in proper time or do we wait for tragic news to open the purse strings ??

Capitalism is the great economic spur that drives our GDP growth forward and greatly rewards the winners and even the also-rans do quite well but for the 20%-30% “losers “ -- I know that they don't have any legal rights (welfare just degrades them and makes them lazy)but what about moral rights—rights to a living wage –rights to a proper education --the moral right as a citizen of America to get a little step up toward the middle class??

Norman Arkin

An Open Mind?

I, Norman Arkin ,ascribe here and now ,my first will and testament, being of unruly mind , un-sound body, shaky moral sense ,unsteady will---- however, with a well-tended and with a generous response of the digestive system ,thereby affording as good a basis for an examination and full discloser of what the real me is about-----Up to now –these last 84 years, I seem to be ,to paraphrase Winston Churchill ,--- a hill of beans wrapped in a cloak of middle –class mediocrity ! At my age , I’ve given up trying to fool myself .

To be blunt ,I am posting these random thoughts in the hope that some kind soul, in picking thru the dross , chaff and dry bones might, luckily, come across some nuggets (probably Fools Gold) that might cast some lite on this person , mentioned above, as to his true character, if any , his worth to society , hardly monetary --- his knowledge of science –sketchy at best –but his appetite for its findings and conclusions -- insatiable ----his love of music is boundless --- is studying voice and trombone daily -- yet he has yet to make even a small dent in the distance between home and Carnegie Hall-----He loves to talk ,but he needs to listen more ! Of course , everyone is welcome ---the meal is spare –much water has been added to the soup ---but all are invited to are to share!