Frank M. Weeks: What is needed is a functional, empathetic leader

To The Daily Sun,

The religious zealot professed that the president was chosen by a god (the other gods deferred on an opinion) to make the country great again, while the clairvoyant historian claimed that the president would be the greatest of the 21st century (forget the next 80 years). We are blessed with this new saviour. With that in mind, some political terms with their definitions:

"Anarchy": a synonym for "chaos"; "...a state of order due to absence or non-recognition of authority." Best way to achieve security during anarchy is through power-maximum behavior and ruthless self-enforcement, e.g. totalitarianism. The result is that some type of war is the norm. An example is anarcho-capitalism ("laissez-faire capitalism"), which is the unregulated private enterprise production of services; commonly referred to as "production wars"("Encyclopedia Britannica"). Or: In the present pandemic war, the daily COVID-19 tested and unmasked president who flaunts his own recommendations and leaves policy up to the governors, but then belittles their decisions. Concurrently, the governors then second-guess themselves and defer decisions to the local politicians. They then worry about the threats from belligerent citizens. These Jasmine patriots posture with their threatening verbosity and their muskets to intimidate whoever, but are abetted by the president. This chaotic vicious circle morphs into a class war "everyone for themselves" attitude, or anarchy.

What is needed is a functional, empathetic leader, who doesn't regard 80,000 deaths as collateral damage! "We have it under control. It's going to be just fine."(22 Jan., 2020). Really?

"Political Islam": this is a CCG phrase that defines Islam as being a political system rather than a religion of 1.9 billion adherents, and is conveniently used to deflect accusations of religious bigotry. Interestingly, this is not a Quranic term, but was coined by Michael S. Kramer in his 1980 best seller(?) "Political Islam." His alleged objectivity is diddled by his American-Israeli heritage, although he eventually received his PhD in Near East Studies from a liberal Princeton University. He later taught for 25 years at Tel Aviv University. He has professed that "pro-natal subsidies" should be eliminated for Gaza Palestinians as a means to prevent their population growth. Is this eugenics with a masque? He has not written about Political Judaism("blood and soil citizenship"). Unbiased, not quite!

"Democracy of Goods": "Rich and poor can equally enjoy the same mass-produced benefits of capitalism." This is an attempt "to reconcile a basic tension between capitalism(which invariably concentrates wealth in the hands of a few) and democracy(which emphasizes the basic concept that 'all men are created equal')." Rich and poor have access to luxuries, but "the rich enjoy a greater variety...", such as daily COVID-19 testing. Is there is a difference between some generic watch and a Tissot? This is the distorted concept of the Zerrspiegel, in that "wants" become "needs" and "luxuries" become "necessities"("Advertising the American Dream": Roland Marchand). You buy it, even if you can't afford it!

Allahu 'Akram!

Frank M. Weeks

Gilmanton Iron Works