By Ray Cardello for August 29, 2022 Season 12 / Post 44

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”

Dickens wrote that opening in 1859 about the French Revolution of 1775. He could have written the same about the last six years. Many feel that we were heading in the right direction during the years that Donald Trump was in the White House, just as we were during the resurgence of America under Ronald Reagan. If only Trump had the unifying personality and charisma of Reagan, he might still be in charge, and we would not be experiencing the demise of America under Joe Biden.

For generations, we have had two major political parties that had different views on the government’s role in our lives, but there was always a sense that both were striving for a better America for her people. Somewhere along the way, the divide between these two beliefs widened and continued to accentuate our differences and blur our commonalities. Our country has morphed into two factions, the Right and Left, and we no longer have the same desires for our future.

The Left now sees our country as evil, built on the backs of slavery, and designed to take care of the “haves” at the expense of the “have nots”. The Right still sees America as the great country envisioned by our forefathers. We see the opportunity offered to everyone to follow their dreams and to build a quality life for their family.

There is minimal compromise as our government is now strictly by the numbers. Forget about any bipartisan votes. Bills are voted on along party lines, and the outcome is evident before the roll call. It does not matter what the cause is, whether it is for the military, education, immigration, medical insurance, or infrastructure, there will be no negotiating. To cross over is considered betrayal.

It is extremely frustrating to be in the minority. There is very little chance of blocking an initiative of the majority side. The Border and Fentanyl smuggling are two of the biggest issues facing America, and even these cannot conjure cooperation. The government has two primary jobs; to protect our sovereignty and to ensure our safety. The destruction of our Border, the flood of illegals, the smuggling of fentanyl, and the moves to defund the police make it easy to see that your best interest is not on their screen. Why does this party still enjoy the support of so many? Government handouts is the quick and dirty answer.

I listened to Rob Reiner and Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) discuss the Biden Presidency with Bill Maher this weekend; it was alarming. Reiner claimed that the first two years of Biden’s term were the most successful in American history. Klobuchar nodded enthusiastically in agreement, as is the media. They are giddy with the legislative accomplishments of this senile President. Nearly $8 Trillion has been committed to an infrastructure bill that had little to do with infrastructure. The Comeback Kid signed an inflation reduction act that was more about green energy than bringing down costs. And finally, Joe announced he would forgive $10,000 of student loans for anyone with a loan balance and an income less than $125K. He doesn’t have the authority to do this, but who cares? Nobody will realize that until after the midterms.

We need to survive this Alternative Universe of Biden by slowing him down while he is falling down and supporting every Republican candidate. Vote and pray may be the answer.