No White House For Old Men

Today is when people from all walks of life have the opportunity to vote for the next President of the United States. It is not about Democrat or Republican. It is about America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." This election has not been run on the things that have made America great, namely, values, ideas, and innovation. It has been run on lies, behavior that wouldn't be accepted in elementary school, and with the best either candidate could muster being "he's worse than I am." With an eligible voting population of 239,247,182 (1.), it is apparent that our processes and institutions have been gamed and that neither candidate is fit for office.

The retirement age for males in America is 66 years old. The life expectancy for men is still less than women. The U.S. Census Bureau stated that in 2017 life expectancy was 77.7 years (2) The C.D.C. begged to differ and put life expectancy for males at 76.2years in 2018. (3) Unlike my dad and grandad, the good news is that the odds are good that you will enjoy seeing the return of your taxes under the guise of a pension. 

The bad news is that on January 20, 2021, Either President Trump or newly elected President Biden will be sworn into office to serve a four-year term. Trump will be seventy-four years old, and Biden will be seventy-eight and two months years old at the start of his presidency. President Trump has a family history of late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Neither candidate charged with holding the "nuclear football" has undergone cognitive functioning assessments or neuropsychological tests before running for office. Both prospective candidates are in the age group with the highest onset of Alzheimer's. (4)

God willing, neither man suffers this affliction, but no matter how good their health care providers are, no man or woman in their seventies can claim to be at their peak either mentally or physically. A few notable exceptions will claim a lifetime of experience is invaluable, and it is. Still, it is not as valuable in the most disruptive time in human history as it used to be. Septuagenarians have much to offer their families and their communities but being an expert in black and white photography, gasoline cars, banking, or other 20th century practices is a different world from that of Blockchain, Augmented Reality, Nanotechnology, Edge computing, and robotics. It is part of the circle of life, but a country in a globally competitive economy needs a younger president who understands the values of the "new." A president who can protect the values America was founded upon and that prior generations sacrificed so much to achieve. 

A candidate at the peak of his or her faculties who is in the midst of life rather than just before the end of life. On a daily basis, a man or woman who is motivated to better the lives of all as dealing with work, education, bringing up children, etc. is a daily challenge for them as well, and not just a distant memory from another era.

Why America Is Great

It would be easy to see the variety and vastness of the nation's natural resources and beauty and pick those as your reason. Some, especially those who have not traveled much, may push their chests out and proudly proclaim it's the people but great people thankfully live throughout the world. 

What makes America great is that since its founding on July 4, 1776, only 244 years ago, it has relentlessly pursued the dream it was founded upon and fought to protect its progress. America is not a duplicate of any other country. It is a group of men and women who listened to their inner voices and had the courage to pursue possibilities collectively. A country self mandated to provide equal opportunity for all and overcome human beings' weaknesses and frailties to fulfill our true potential. 

The people that point to the myriad failings in America thus far, if constructive and genuine, are providing a valuable service to all in identifying what our next steps of progress should be. They should also be thankful that in this country, they can do that and then compare America's meteoric rise in 244 years to a country such as China with a written history of over 3,500 years. (5).  The preceding sentence is in no way, shape, or form a reflection of one people's superiority over another but rather a confirmation that American democracy is on the right path and must not be complacent in protecting that path.

Humans Can Justify Anything

Wir sind jetzt alle Berliner

America has a sound democratic foundation, but its weakness and strength lie within its people, and 2020 has conclusively proved Americans are no better than anyone else in the world. President Kennedy uttered the famous line Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a Berliner) in a speech given on June 26, 1963, in celebration of freedom but rewind a few years prior to that and the good people of Berlin and the rest of Germany had gone from friends to captors and murderers of their neighbors who had been systematically dehumanized, isolated and persecuted.

Hitler rose to power on the mandate of making Germans proud again of themselves and their nation. He was skilled in using the media of the day, and he quickly erased all opposition within the political arena and the media. When courage and conscience are dormant, evil will always arise and usually with a smile on its face. It took a war and a defeat for the German people to regain their courage, conscience, and sanity. As George Santayana stated, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." (6)

Den Of Thieves

With few exceptions, the world is filled with amoral leadership, and the laws that we, as individuals and communities, adhere to don't seem to apply. This modus operandi is especially so if you can buy off other country's indignation with a sizeable investment in their economies. America currently has an amoral leader who plays fast and loose with the truth on matters and looks the other way when it suits him. President Putin not only treats his citizenry like pawns, but he also has the audacity to kill and maim people in other country's. In one of the best pieces of advice regarding American diplomacy, Roosevelt stated, "Speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far." (7) The current President seems to prefer to rant loudly and carry a small stick. He is not alone in his timidity, but the ex-KGB employee he has to deal with only understands force. As with most dysfunctional leaders, it is better to speak softly and yield your "stick" via back channels if necessary. To do nothing empowers the bully to further action hence Russia's blatant interfering in the American election process.

On October 2, Jamal Khashoggi was killed in Instanbul inside the Saudi Consulate by two-legged cowardly dogs. It was the act of a bruised ego with power and an insult to the peoples of Turkey and Saudi Arabia and their ancestors before them. It was also an act of blatant disrespect to Allah and the prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). President Trump stalled, ignored the findings of his people, and then took the investment money and jobs that came with it. Agnes Callamard, the U.N. special rapporteur for extrajudicial summary or arbitrary executions, said, "…The masterminds not only walk free, they have barely been touched by the investigation and the trial.

As we speak, President Xi Jinping is responsible for illegally imprisoning hundreds of thousands of Muslims for reprogramming. (9) Muslims around the world should be united in ending this atrocity. America, while not wanting to be the "World's Police," must be the world's moral compass, and it cannot do that with an amoral president. History has already shown us the choice of looking the other way and wishing for a change instead of judging what is transpiring always has a costly negative ending. America and the world cannot afford a morally bankrupt U.S. President.

What Your Vote Gets You In 2020 And Who Will Win The Election

Vote Trump: 

Lincoln went bankrupt three times in his life. Trump thus far has been bankrupt six times in his life while still maintaining a lavish lifestyle. Some of the small business creditors that supplied his enterprises are ruined forever. His record points to Trump not being an expert in fiscal control or wise investments, which is a problem seeing as our national debt has never been higher. 

In fairness to Trump, his instincts to invest 1 billion dollars in continuing research and development in Artificial Intelligence and quantum information science (as well as brokering a peace/business initiative between the U.A.E., Bahrain, and Israel are laudable. Trump's First Step Act in 2018 was the first meaningful criminal justice system reform in years, as was his tax cuts and jobs acts, which mainly benefitted corporate entities slashing the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. If it wasn't for Trump's repeated big little lies and amoral character, one could make a case for voting for him.

Vote Biden:

I feel sorry for Joe Biden. His loyalty has been rewarded with a chance to be President in the autumn years of his life, but like his counterpart in the Republican party Bob Dole, his chance is fifteen years past his "sell-by date." A vote for Biden is a vote for the lesser of two evils. It is clear despite a gallant effort and good genes that he will not be capable of seeing out his term in office and that a vote for him is essentially a vote for the first woman president of the U.S.A. and, even better, the first African American and South Asian American woman to hold the highest office in the land. 

As promised: Who Wins The 2020 Election:

President Trump will get a second term. As you can imagine, it doesn't please me to say this, but if the Democrats wanted to win, you don't pit an old man against an old man. You don't allow someone to be so carelessly vetted that his son's shenanigans can pull him and your candidate down, and you don't let your opponent define the field of battle. American Independence and American success were fought by defining the battle-field and by a relentless pursuit of our founding ideals, including "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (and women) are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Trump hasn't changed, and sadly neither have the Democrats so, the same result will occur.

The Next Four Years

Americans are not sit on their butt people. They are born from tougher stock and are make it happen people. America at home and in the business place will strive to do things the American way and uphold our founding principles and values. With weak and/or amoral leadership, they have no choice but to work hard to do so. I'll be with you in the trenches on that journey, so if you see me, say hi.

References:

1.     U.S.A. Eligible voting population 2020.  https://www.electproject.org/2020g

2.    Life expectancy https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p25-1145.pdf

3.    CDC Life Expectancy  https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db355-h.pdf

4.    Alzheimers https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4619185/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alzheimers-disease-the-facts/

5.     China https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/china-history.htm

6.    George Santayana  https://iep.utm.edu/santayan/

7.    Roosevelt: Worth reading the history of this quote.  The source might surprise you. https://historynewsnetwork.org/blog/122544

8.    Jamal Khashoggi https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-khashoggi/saudi-sentences-five-to-death-three-to-jail-over-khashoggi-murder-idUSKBN1YR0SY

9.    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50511063

10.https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/trump-administration-investing-1-billion-research-institutes-advance-industries-future/

Photography References

The White House at night courtesy of The White House/Creative Commons

A snippet of the Declaration of Independence courtesy of Creative Commons

A portion of the Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Czes?awa Kwoka, a child victim of Auschwitz, as shown in her prisoner identification photo taken in 1942 or 1943 by the SS. Courtesy of Poeticbent at English Wikipedia., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Self-portrait of Tracy Caldwell Dyson in the Cupola module of the International Space Station observing the Earth below during Expedition 24. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

George Floyd RIP.

President Trump wearing a MAGA hat. Courtesy of Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Joe Biden courtesy of Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

President Donald Trump courtesy of The White House via Wikimedia Commons

Michael Savage is an entrepreneur, educator and named one of the top 100 producers in the U.S. by A/V Multimedia magazine.

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