Farm Boy to Dough Boy – Harry Truman in WW 1

26
October

Here was Harry Truman, age 34, yet to find himself. He’d held a variety of odd jobs and has, for the last ten years, worked his land as a farmer while pursuing mining and oil exploration ventures without notable success. Still there’s a fire burning within, an unquenchable desire to succeed. “There’s no one wants to win,” he notes, “half as badly as I do.” And whatever disappointments he’d experienced, were more than compensated for; he’d found the love of his life and was certain he would soon marry Bess Wallace, 33.
But, before that glorious day, he’d decided to embark on what he expected to be the great adventure of his life. He would fight for his country, the U. S. having entered World War I to help France and Great Britain defeat Germany. That decision would, in retrospect, represent a major turning point, would demonstrate to himself and to others that Harry Truman was indeed cut out for greater things beyond tilling the soil, that a much larger stage awaited him. While eager to enter the war, Truman understood Bess would not take kindly to this decision. He asked to be forgiven for “my enthusiastic action in getting myself sent to war,’ in the hope, he added, that “a little war experience…. will make a man of me.”
We’re fortunate in that we can follow Truman as he goes off to war because he will report much of what happened in the numerous letters he wrote to Bess. (Remarkably, he received a constant flow of correspondence from her as well, even as the war raged in France.) But, before landing in Europe, he had first to be trained as a soldier, specifically as an artillery man, then travel east and ship out across the Atlantic. At the outset he enjoyed such success recruiting men into his unit that they elected him first Lieutenant of Battery D of the 129th field artillery. Training was rigorous, he and his men subjected to much resented inspection routines. The colonel, he remarked, has “eyes in the back of his head and nothing, absolutely nothing gets by unseen.” More importantly, they began “to teach us the English and French methods of artillery fire” (which included weekly exams), an English colonel straight from the Western Front providing instruction, as well as assuring Truman that “I wouldn’t be left out of the greatest history-making epoch the world has ever seen.” Defense against gas attacks were also part of the training regimen. “Had to take a mask like a diver’s,” he reported, “and get into it and then into a gas house and sit there ten minutes.”
At the same time, his entrepreneurial instincts, long in evidence though rarely productive, came to the fore. Army regulations allowed him and his fellow soldier, Eddie Jacobson (a “crackerjack,” Truman noted), to open and independently operate a canteen for his unit. The two purchased their own supplies, set their prices, and, unlike the many other such enterprises on the base, ran it at a considerable profit. At the same time, on a typical day, Truman was also exercising and drilling his men, instructing them and seeing to all their personal needs, particularly clothing. And also getting them out on the firing range for target practice. (“It takes exactly seven and a half seconds for the shots to go three thousand yards. But it seems likes hours.”)
Finally, in March of 1918, after many months, Truman and his unit moved out, left training camp in Oklahoma and headed east to Camp Merritt in New Jersey, a location that allowed this farmer from Missouri to take in the great metropolis of New York City. In no time he became the eager tourist hailing a cab, heading to the top of the Woolworth Building, then Central Park, hunting down the subway and taking in a show at the Winter Garden Theater. Overall, he was unimpressed, both with the performance and with New York City in general. It was, he wrote, “The rottenest Vaudeville show I ever saw or hope to see. It couldn’t even play at the Globe and get by in Kansas City. New York is a much overrated burg. It merely keeps its rep by its press agents, continually harping on the wonders of it. There isn’t a town west of the Mississippi of any size that can’t show you a better time.” Conversations with New Yorkers convinced him that they were incredibly gullible. “Anyone from west of the Mississippi can make these people believe anything. I believe I could sell gold bricks on Broadway and make ‘em cry for more.” He even complained about having a “very uncomfortable pair of feet because they’re not being well acquainted with hard pavements.” He had no regrets, therefore, leaving New York behind, so eager was he to get into the fight, be present at the death of the “scourge of God,” having already come “to hate the sight of a German (they have no hearts, no souls).”
Truman’s trip to France on the George Washington (a converted German liner that would later take President Woodrow Wilson to Europe for the Paris Peace Conference) proceeded uneventfully. Soldiers of the American Expeditionary Force soon learned that all their letters home would be censured and that they were strictly forbidden to reveal their whereabouts or comment upon the conduct of the war. Truman conceded he knew no French (“All I can say is, Je ne comprend pas”), but also revealed that for a time he was being housed in a very comfortable chateau, found the French countryside wonderfully attractive, had already visited art galleries, attended an opera and an American movie starring Douglas Fairbanks. “The country is very pretty,” he wrote, and…. if I had to give up being a Missourian, I’d be a citizen of France.” “I’m for the French,” he added, “more and more. They are the bravest of the brave.” The French girls, though “pretty and chic,” cannot, he wrote, “hold a candle to American girls.”
Soon it was down to the serious business of war, Truman receiving intense instruction in Artillery School, learning topography and the proper methods of artillery fire and troop support. “I had an examination,” he noted, “that would make the president of Yale University bald headed scratching his head trying to think of answers.” He was then obliged to practice every day and pass on the firing techniques to members of his unit. He had by this time been promoted to Captain of Battery D. “You should hear me hand these fellows bunk and make them like it,” he informed Bess. “It’s rather funny for an old rube to be handing knowledge (of a sort) to the Harvard and Yale boys. The hardest work I ever did in my life. I’d rather saw wood or pitch hay.” There was every incentive to get it right because the best prepared artillery battery would be given the privilege of firing the first shots by the brigade at the Germans. Truman’s enthusiasm was unmistakable, his having attained “my one ambition to be a battery commander. If I can only make good at it, I can hold my head up the rest of my days.” Could he stand up under fire? He wasn’t sure. “I have my doubts about my bravery. When heavy explosive shells and gas attacks begin…. I have the bravest kind of head and body, but my legs won’t start. It is sure a great game if you don’t weaken.”
Before heading into battle, his principal challenge, he recognized, was to gain control of the men (including quite a few Irishmen, he commented), many “lax in discipline.” “Can you imagine me,” he wrote, “being a hard boiled Captain of a tough Irish battery?” Still, after he “started things in rough cookie fashion,” he succeeded in shaping up his once unruly unit, his men impressed by his leadership and now prepared to engage the enemy. And in addition, he noted, to loot the enemy, war trophies, e.g. German helmets and iron crosses, being much in demand (Truman admitted the Americans were “souvenir crazy,” and in fact he did purchase German artillery shells fashioned into vases and sent them off to Bess.)
By late summer of 1918, Truman’s unit went into action starting off with a barrage of some 500 gas shells. In his letters Truman did not omit mentioning the dangers he and his men faced from the frequent German shelling aimed at their ranks (though he conceded that the infantrymen had it far worse). But he also reassured her he’d emerge intact. “So don’t worry about me because there is no German shell with my name on it.” He did recount several harrowing scenes in which horses in his unit were killed, certain of his men bolted to the rear, guns first abandoned had then to be retrieved in pitch darkness. “Had shells fall on all sides. I am sure as I am sitting here that the Lord was with me.” Still, he reported, “I have gone as much as sixty hours without sleep and for twenty-two days straight I marched every night,” and “I‘ve almost gotten so I can sleep with a gas mask on.” He had, he boasted, forged the men under his command (numbering 194) into a cohesive, highly motivated unit. “My noncoms now are whizzes. I sorted ‘em over, busted a lot and made a lot. They’ve gotten so they don’t know whether to trust my smile or not, because I smile when I bust ‘em, and the same when I make ‘em.” And he and his men have, he confessed, been supremely fortunate. “I have been very lucky,” he wrote, “in that I have had no one gassed, have not been shelled in any of my positions (and I’ve occupied several in the last month). I haven’t shot up our infantry yet – at least haven’t done it so they could catch me at it.”
The overall toll of the war was devastating, a once beautiful countryside utterly destroyed. “Sahara or Arizona would look like Eden beside it,” according to Truman. “There are Frenchmen buried in my front yard and Huns in the back yard, and both litter up the landscape as far as you can see.” Still, it was clear by the fall of 1918 that Germany stood on the edge of defeat. “I’m for peace,” Captain Truman wrote on October 30th, “but that gang should be given a bayonet peace and made to pay for what they’ve done to France.” A week later he wrote, “A complete and thorough threshing is all they’ve got coming, and take my word they are getting it and getting it right.” (On November 11th, the day hostilities ended, Truman’s battery, for good measure, fired off 164 rounds in the direction of the Germans).
Captain Harry Truman and his unit in the months they’d fought in France, had been involved in four major engagements. He could not have been more delighted about what he’d achieved.
“You know I have succeeded in doing what was my greatest ambition to do at the beginning of the war. That is to take a Battery through as Battery Commander and not lose a man. We fired some ten thousand or twelve thousand rounds at Heinie and were shelled ourselves time and again, but never did the Heinie score a hit on me.”
He had also, he noted with pride, gained the affection and respect of his men. While censoring letters written by some of them he read one that referred to him as “the Captain that could take them to hell and bring them all back.”
Truman’s war experiences had been all he’d hoped for and more. He had shown courage, competence, endurance and an ability to lead while gaining considerable self-confidence under the toughest of circumstances. What lay in the future he wasn’t sure (though he did hint in several letters he’d consider trying his hand in politics). That he would do, and at his inaugural parade, after being elected President in 1948, there were men of Battery D walking proudly in single file on each side of the president’s limousine. They’d come to honor and celebrate the man who had once, long ago, stood with them in the heat of battle.

Word Play

24
October

Recently, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, interviewed on CNN by Fareed Zakaria, predicted that ongoing reforms in his country would soon enable Greece to “punch above its weight.” (Mr. Mitsotakis did spend six years in the U. S. studying at Harvard and Stanford.) Sometime earlier, the veteran journalist Andrea Mitchel, noting that no one had expected Donald Trump to cross into North Korea to meet with Kim Jun Un, speculated that it was likely an “audible,” assuming that most everyone in her audience understood the football reference, a term referring to a quarterback who on his own changes the upcoming play at the line of scrimmage.
If an “audible” can be considered part of everyday parlance, what other sports words or references have entered our vocabulary? Which sports have contributed more than others? Can we gauge the popularity of a sport based upon this measure? Probably not. Interest in soccer has exploded in the U.S. Yet that sport has not contributed much to our vernacular (“push the ball forward”). Auto racing enjoys a huge following, but, except for “victory lap,” “pit stop” has had little impact on our language. Then again, neither has the enormously popular game of golf (“par for the course,” “mulligan,” “gimme”), or hockey for that matter (“enforcer,” “face off,” “dropping the glove”), or surprisingly basketball (“slam dunk,” “full court press,” and “the ball is in their court”). There’d be little expectation of contributions from pool (“behind the eight ball”) or cricket (“bowled over”). Before turning to those sports that have expanded our vocabulary, let’s first consider the body of general sports terms that enrich our everyday conversations.
“A” game… also ran… all-star… ahead of the game… ahead of the pack… a run for your money… bad sport… back in the game… ballpark figure… bench… be in the race… bounce it off… bloodied… bush league… bye… betting man… catch up… cheap shot… Cinderella team… cheerleader… champion… come from behind… comeback… come into play… dead last… deep bench… defending champion… drop the ball… end game… even money… fair play… fans.. fair weather fan… field (a team)… first string… front runner… fix is in… gamer… game on… gamesmanship… game face… game plan… game, set, match… get the ball rolling… got game… get a jump on… good sport… go to the mat… grandstanding… game over… heavy hitter… head fake… hot hand… hot streak… home team… in the zone… in the hole… in a league of their own… in the running… it’s a whole new ballgame… It’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game… junior varsity… keep your eye on the ball… keeping the pressure on… lost a step… level playing field… long shot… last licks… meet your match… money player… may the best man win… match up… misplay… nip and tuck… odds on favorite… out of bounds… on the ball… old college try… out of your league… off and running… off to the races… on the fly… on the run… out of the running… one-sided… odds-on favorite… off the wall… opening round… overmatched… outplayed… playing catch up… play ball with… pass the baton… play by play… picked off… run out the clock… runaway… running up the score… rookie… rematch… running start… run the table… runner up… rope-a-dope… race to the finish… rain check… sitting on a lead… scrimmage… sportsmanship… square off… scored… score card… second team… scoreboard… subpar… shadow boxing… showboating… sure bet… showdown… second string… sweet spot… that’s the way the ball bounces… tryout… toss up… take one for the team… time out… tie… team player… top of your game… team spirit… three strikes and you’re out… team up with… trash talk… wild card… wheelhouse… winner… win, win… winners circle… win or lose… winning streak… wait ‘til next year… unforced error… underdog… upset.
Where should we turn to uncover more specific verbal crossovers?
HORSE RACING – Across the board… At the drop of a hat… by a nose… down to the wire… dark horse… fast track… finish line… hands down… home stretch… in the saddle… jockeying for position… photo finish… neck and neck… play the field… quick off the mark… race to the finish… rein in… right out of the gate… saddle up… spit the bit… spur on… starting gate… stretch run… thoroughbred… trifecta.
FOOTBALL – Backpedal… blindsided… blitz… bomb… carry the ball… bench… bench player… end run… fumble.. ground game… hail Mary… handoff… kickoff… Monday morning quarterback… moving the goal posts… out of bounds… piling on… playbook… political football… punt… quarterback… run interference… run with the ball… sack… sidelined… spike the ball… tackling.
BASEBALL – Backstop… batting average… born on third base… ballpark figure… balk… Bronx cheer… between the lines… bullpen… catch… curveball… drop the ball… go to bat for… grand slam… hit a home run… in the ballpark… hit it out of the park… heavy hitter… keep your eye on the ball… major league.. on deck… off base… late innings… pitch… out of left field… pinch hitting… pitching in… play hardball… play the field… right off the bat… rhubarb… run down… screwball… softball (question)… strikeout… step up to the plate… switch hitter… three strikes and you’re out… touch base… thrown a curve.
Most surprising is the linguistic imprint of boxing. No longer does it have the audience it once did, but it has surely left its mark.
BOXING – Back into a corner… bare knuckles… beat to the punch… blow by blow… come out swinging… beat the daylight out of… contender… counted out… counterpuncher… down for the count… down and out… don’t count him (her) out… early rounds… fair fight… go the distance… go toe to toe… have someone in your corner… hang up the gloves… haymaker… hit below the belt… hit the canvas… infighting… knockout… knockout blow… land a punch… lightweight… low blow… mouthpieces… on the ropes… no holds barred… one two punch… pack a punch… pull your punches… punch drunk… put the gloves on… round… roll with the punch… saved by the bell… square off… sucker punch… take a dive… take it on the chin… take the gloves off… take a punch… throw in the towel… throw your hat in the ring.
So, next time you’re at a loss for words, sports lingo could come to your rescue, to “get you back in the game.”

PRESIDENTS IN PRINT

8
September

Early in April 2019, President Donald Trump hinted to reporters that he’d be writing a book. It would, he assured them, be “explosive” and would “settle scores.” And no doubt he knew it would be “hugely” lucrative, publishers, in recent years, willing to provide presidents with outsized cash advances for their literary projects. Should it come to pass, Trump would likely be the first Chief Executive to write a book while still in the White House. But he would also join many other presidential authors who’ve written about themselves, their experiences in office, or indeed about any other subject they judged important. Some publications appeared before they were elected, others after they’ve left office. Not all have been noteworthy. Still, they represent, in one way or another, valued additions to our historical record. Which books should we remember? Which deserve honorable mention?
George Washington, “first in the hearts of his countrymen,” was not, however, the first to write a book. That distinction belongs to his successor. The irascible, combative John Adams was a deep thinker and a prolific writer (diaries, letters, pamphlets, an autobiography). His principal concern: how to construct a government that represents the popular will and protects the people against the powerful, which he identified as the “rich and the well-born and the able.” In his magisterial three-volume work, A Defense of the Constitution of the Government of the United States of America, he gave his answer – a separation of powers in the Central Government with “orders of men watching and balancing each other (as) the only security; power must be opposed to power and interest to interest.” “It is,” he insisted, “of great importance to begin well. Misarrangements now made will have great extensive and distant consequences.” Contemporaries did not always appreciate John Adams, but few questioned his service to the nation, his commitment to the freedoms for which Americans had recently fought.
The Founding Fathers, while debating the proper structure of central authority, were more closely wedded to their respective states (Hamilton probably excepted). That explains Thomas Jefferson’s most influential book, Notes on the State of Virginia. In it he offers an encyclopedic, detailed survey of his native state, even as he was refuting a prominent French naturalist’s (Buffon) theory regarding the degeneration of species in the Western hemisphere. Historians consider this book the essential Jefferson, i.e., incorporating his core beliefs regarding liberty, freedom of speech and religion, checks and balances in government, the bedrock virtues of agriculture and of yeoman farmers and his insistence upon limited government. Also exposed are the long unresolved tensions of the South, Jefferson doubting the inherent capacities of the black race, while warning that plantation owners would one day pay dearly for maintaining a slave society. Readers gain exceptional insight into America in the late 18th Century and into the mind of one of our most influential thinkers.
Strictly speaking, James Madison doesn’t belong in our survey. He did leave us his notes on the proceedings at the Constitutional Convention, but what he recorded were the words of others. And we know about his influential essays in defense of the proposed Constitution printed in various newspapers. Still, he will qualify because those writings (along with essays by Alexander Hamilton and John Jay) were gathered together and published in book form in 1787 (The Federalist). Students of this period credit Madison for his penetrating analysis and his challenge to conventional wisdom by arguing in favor of an expansive Republic, such as the U.S., where he predicted numerous and diverse interest groups would emerge, thereby fragmenting a potentially dominating majority. Add the checks and balances built into the Constitution and the division between Central and State authorities and you may just succeed in curbing the excesses of the powerful. To this day Madison’s views remain a starting point for studying and judging our federal system.
It would have been hard, if not impossible, for anyone to match the years in public service of John Quincy Adams, in a career that saw him as Ambassador, Senator, Secretary of State, President of the United States, and then from 1831 until his death in 1840, a Congressman from Massachusetts. Almost as impressive was the fact that he kept a diary nearly every day for close to 70 years (that would total 15,000 pages), a diary first published in 1874, and more recently in 2017 (two volumes). In addition to family matters and daily observations, we read of his growing outrage at the mortal threat he believed slavery posed to his beloved Republic. Not spared were the Founding Fathers who had, he said, “the Declaration of Independence on their lips and the merciless scourge of slavery in their hands.” To Adams, slavery was “the wedge which will ultimately split up the union.” Although he did not live to witness secession by the South and the horrific Civil War that ensued, he did, years before, predict the conflict and that black emancipation would be the result.
The shadow of slavery also spread across the administration of James Polk, once America incorporated Texas and gained extensive territories after victory in the war with Mexico. Polk died shortly after his term expired, but he did record daily events during his years as president. The Diary of James Polk During His Presidency, 1845-1849 (four volumes, not published until 1910), offers insight into this most energetic administration involved with such crucial matters as the annexation of Texas, the Mexican War, the acquisition of the Oregon Territory, as well as significant tariff legislation and financial reorganization. Polk kept his pledge to serve but one term. Even so he managed to be that rare Chief Executive singled out by historians for actually achieving all his stated objectives.
Debating the causes of the Civil War probably started the day Grant and Lee concluded hostilities in 1865. All agree that whatever the underlying factors, political leaders in the 1850s failed to rise to the occasion, but rather allowed events to overtake them. Much of such
criticism specifically targeted President James Buchanan (1856-1861). Bristling at these charges, the former president in 1865 published Mr. Buchanan’s Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion to defend his actions. Congress, he declared, was responsible given its inability to resolve outstanding sectional issues. Besides, had it not been for the Abolitionists inflaming public sentiments, the armed conflict could have been averted. The most sensible approach, he claimed was simply to have been patient and allow slavery to die out on its own. While war surely was not inevitable, given the vitality of the institution in 1860 and ongoing plans to expand slave territories, there was little likelihood slavery was then on the road to extinction.
Slavery did not end until southern armies were swept from the field and the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution signaled the end of this grim chapter of American history.
Regrettably, even the transcendent Lincoln, the unrivaled master of memorable prose, left no book documenting his role in these critical years. (Collections of his speeches, letters, wit and wisdom did become available.) Imagine the impact of his words had he had the opportunity to consider and reflect upon his tumultuous years as president. Unexpectedly, such a singular contribution does emerge, but from a most unlikely source, Lincoln’s supreme commander, General Ulysses S. Grant. Dying of throat cancer in 1885, and in straitened financial circumstances (victimized by a con man), his friend Mark Twain persuaded him to write his memoirs. Despite persistent pain, he turned resolutely to the task (completing as many as
25-50 pages a day) and produced a two-volume work, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant. In concise, unadorned prose, filled with candid observations, he composed what arguably stands as the best of all presidential memoirs. It focused first upon his participation in the Mexican War, then takes us through his Civil War battles and the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House. Grant regarded the war against Mexico as “one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation.” In 1865, at Lee’s surrender, Grant avoids any expression of triumph, but rather is “sad and depressed” though acknowledging that the Southern cause was “one of the worst for which a people ever fought.” Nonetheless, Lee, he concedes, “fought so long and valiantly and had suffered so much.” There are countless other revealing observations in this most valuable work. The book proved an instant best seller, an enormous money maker, thanks to Mark Twain’s ingenious marketing scheme. (He employed Civil War veterans, in uniform, to peddle the memoir.) Grant died several days after completing the manuscript but would, as he had hoped, eventually leave a fortune to Julia, his wife.
Certainly, the honor for most prolific of presidential authors should go to the hyperactive, irrepressible Teddy Roosevelt (with upwards of 35 books to his credit and, by one estimate, 150,000 letters!). Indeed, Roosevelt relied upon income from his writing to help support his large family. His range of interest was vast: consider his books on history, biography, nature, hunting, travel adventure, the American West, the Rough Riders in Cuba during the Spanish-American war, an autobiography, as well as Letters to His Children. Teddy was a fervent advocate of the “strenuous life,” of being a “doer,” engaged “in the arena.” “I have,” he said, “a perfect horror of words not backed up by deeds.” Roosevelt, in truth, produced plenty of both.
Roosevelt’s hand-picked successor as president, William Howard Taft, mostly lived in the shadows of the flamboyant Roosevelt. Nor did his literary output measure up to the publication record of his predecessor. Taft did, however, after leaving office, support himself by writing articles and delivering paid speeches, an avenue of opportunity future presidents would fully exploit. His collected lectures, particularly at Yale (Questions of Modern Government), and Columbia (Our Chief Magistrate and His Powers) were published. But lest we dismiss Taft as a colorless placeholder wedged or between two notable presidents (Roosevelt and Wilson), there is a published collection of letters to his wife (My Dearest Nellie), 2011, in which he is often gossipy and insightful, commenting upon the major issues of the day, the Washington scene, and the new social and political landscape of the Progressive Era. And let’s not forget he had yet one other major role to play – Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (1921-1930).
Because Roosevelt wanted once more to be president, in 1912 he ran on the Progressive Party ticket, thereby helping to elect Democrat Woodrow Wilson, who is our next presidential author of note. No surprise here because Wilson was an academic (with a PhD in history and political science from Johns Hopkins University), and that’s what professors do – write. He authored what became the standard university text on late 19th Century American history, in addition to a biography of George Washington, and a five-volume historical survey of America. His book, The State, presented an unusually expansive view of government’s obligation to promote the general welfare, an activist position he later assumed upon becoming president. Still, his most celebrated work was Congressional Government (originally his doctoral dissertation, 1885). In it he expressed admiration for Great Britain’s Parliamentary system of party government and was highly critical of our system because it encouraged obstruction – via congressional committees, the checks and balances and separations of power, the courts, the special interests, etc. The book raised numerous provocative issues, many still debated, made especially relevant during periods of government dysfunction.
No volume of presidential wisdom emerged from the widely popular Warren Harding (that is, until scandalous stories surfaced), but his successor Calvin Coolidge did leave us with an autobiography. Like the man himself, reviewers noted it was remarkable for its brevity but short on revealing observation. Herbert Hoover, who followed, had much more to say. His least controversial words were to be found in his 1909 text, Principles of Mining (Hoover was an engineer). Later, in two of his books, The Challenge of Liberty and his Memoirs, he vigorously defended his actions as president during the onset of the Great Depression and deplored, what in his view, was the New Deal’s assault on liberty and its alleged flirtations with Fascism.
Our two greatest presidents before Franklin Delano Roosevelt, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, left no books. Roosevelt, the third member of this illustrious trio, surpassed them, but regrettably produced no major work. (If only he’d not been pre-occupied with the Great Depression, The New Deal and the Second World War. His wife, Eleanor, almost as busy, nevertheless, wrote one book after another.) Publishers, however, capitalized on FDR’s many years in office and produced the usual assortment of books (collections of his speeches, letters,
quotations, public papers, along with his Fireside Chats, as well as his early plans for the New Deal – On our Way). Overall, Roosevelt would influence the public less with his writings and more through the spoken word, his radio broadcasts and speeches, providing a re-assuring voice during perilous times.
Harry Truman picked up the slack after FDR’s somewhat meager output. Truman was an avid student of the past, his “debt to history,” he declared, [being] “one which cannot be calculated.” He wrote two well-received books about those critical years after World War II with the Cold War already underway. While these volumes (Years of Decision and Years of Trial and Hope) offered much useful information, they were also a godsend for Truman. Having accumulated little personal wealth, the royalties from sales became his principle source of income. (A presidential pension did not exist. Not until 1958 did the government provide one via the Former Presidents Act.) We also have an autobiography, a memoir (Where the Buck Stops), as well as several compilations of letters, including Strictly Personal and Confidential: The Letters Harry Truman Never Mailed. He wrote frequently, lovingly, to his wife Bess (who, uncomfortable in the White House, returned often to their home in Missouri), plus a volume of letters to other relatives. That he was a family man no one could doubt.
With Dwight Eisenhower in the White House, there was much ground to cover and many stories to tell. given his lengthy military career, followed by two terms as president (let alone his lifelong passion for both bridge and golf). Starting with Truman, but more fully realized under Eisenhower, publishers saw the commercial possibilities of packaging in book form a Chief Executive’s own words, both before and after he occupied the White House. So, with Ike we are treated to his diaries (two separate volumes), letters, also Letters to Mamie (his wife), speeches, favorite stories (At Ease) and state papers, and of course his major work, Crusade in Europe. Here is Ike directing troops through American-led campaigns in North Africa, Italy, and the cross channel invasion of Europe, all the time trying to keep certain prima donna generals (Montgomery and Patton) in check. (For that book, he received a publishers advance of $635,000, which would have been heavily taxed had he not received a favorable decision from the Treasury Department, taxing it not as ordinary income but as capital gains.) The book became the basis for an Emmy-winning ABC-TV series (26 episodes), the first such documentary produced for television.
The hero of World War II won the White House in 1952 and again in 1956, all of which Eisenhower recorded in Mandate for Change 1953-1961 and The White House Years 1956-1961. Historians have, over time, become kinder to Eisenhower than many of his contemporaries, his effectiveness and relative ranking as Chief Executive steadily rising with the passage of time.
It is generally acknowledged that the two books written (to what extent is not clear) by John F. Kennedy (While England Slept and Profiles in Courage) were primarily “campaign” documents (encouraged by Joe Kennedy, father of the future president) to enhance his reputation and provide a measure of gravitas to the young, ambitious Senator from Massachusetts. It worked wondrously as Profiles in Courage became a best seller and won a Pulitzer Prize. Three years later Kennedy captured the presidency, possibly because Richard Nixon, his rival, had not yet written his book, Six Crises, his own exercise in self-promotion.
Lyndon Johnson was more a force of nature, given to persuasion and exerting political pressure than to literary composition, yet he pursued by now a well-worn path, resulting in a familiar spate of books. There was the usual collection of speeches, state papers, quotations, press conference compilations, in addition to an account of his years in office, The Vantage Point, plus reflections on developments both at home and abroad, The Choices We Face. Having left office under the cloud of Vietnam, the accounts of his years in office seemed not to have left a lasting impression.
Richard Nixon’s “delayed” answer to John Kennedy’s Profiles in Courage, his self-inflating Six Crises (1962), detailed formidable challenges he had already faced and successfully overcome. These self-described triumphs, however, apparently were not enough to bring victory in the 1962 California gubernatorial contest against Pat Brown. But Nixon was nothing if not persistent. Six years later he won the White House. Upon leaving office in disgrace (1974) he attempted, in the years that followed, to rehabilitate his image, projecting himself as a shrewd observer of international affairs (e.g., Real Peace, 1984; No More Vietnams, 1985; In the Arena, 1990). Many acknowledged his sophisticated understanding of the world scene, but he could not fully dispel the image of “Tricky Dick” long attached to him. Still and all, he was pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford, who explained that decision and other matters in his only book, A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald Ford. Ford’s brief stay in the White House, his modest demeanor and generally moderate views did not make for literary fireworks.
It helps that Jimmy Carter has lived a long life (A Full Life), but it’s also the case that he had a flare for writing (credit him as the first president to produce a work of fiction, The Hornet’s Nest (Georgia’s Stacey Abrams, a romance novelist, would be the second, were she to be elected), and much like Teddy Roosevelt, Carter drew upon a broad range of experiences and interests both before and after his term of office. We have his White House diaries and multiple memoirs, but he has also filled a shelf of books written on such diverse topics as women’s rights, aging, the Israeli-Palestinian impasse, outdoor life, his faith, spirituality, peace. Even at age 95, there could well be another volume forthcoming from this prolific author and tireless “do-gooder.”
One would not have expected Ronald Reagan to approach the literary productivity of Jimmy Carter. Reagan was, after all, more comfortable in front of a movie camera or at a lectern than at a writing desk. Nevertheless, he dutifully produced (or had ghostwritten) the by now standard output of published letters, favorite stories, timeless wisdom, speeches and autobiographies, and An American Life, relating to his years as president. A hundred years had passed since a president (Grant) had published a diary, which Reagan did in The Reagan Diaries, accounting for nearly every day spent as president. America appeared just as surprised by and enthusiastic about the book, as it was nearly a century earlier when Ulysses S. Grant had penned his engaging account of his life and battles. These Reagan diaries reveal someone not much different from his public persona – straight-forward, without much artifice or deep insight, convinced of America’s genius, the evils of Communism and the pitfalls of taxation and central authority. Also, that he very much loved his wife Nancy (Mommie) and could not bear the times spent away from her. For those unalterably critical of Reagan, his diaries could serve to soften their assessment by revealing an up-front affable guy who, while he sought public adulation, never seemed too full of himself or overly vindictive toward his critics.
The tributes directed toward George H. W. Bush at his death in 2018 offered praise for his being the last of the old school gentlemen, decent, kindly, with a keen sense of responsibility and devotion to duty and to public service. Little was mentioned regarding his literary output for, in truth, he followed by now the well-worn path of diaries (China Diary), collected speeches and letters and two autobiographies, one while Vice President, the other Looking Forward, far more inclusive. He teamed with Brent Scowcroft to write A World Transformed, an account of the dramatic conclusion of the Cold War (rekindled, unfortunately, in recent times).
Compared to several of his predecessors, Bill Clinton’s output was decidedly meager. But in two respects, he outdid them all. In his autobiography, My Life (2004), Clinton consumed nearly 1,000 pages to tell his story. (He was given to verbal excess as well.) The book sold in the millions, but given its length many wondered whether most readers got through it all. This may have been but a minor concern to Clinton since he received a $15-million advance from his publisher (Knopf). Clinton had declared, “The era of big government had ended.” Nevertheless the opportunities for big presidential book advances was just underway. (See Barack Obama.)
So, by this time, every president could expect to be put through his varied publishing paces (viz., quotations, public papers, uplifting speeches, recollections, favorite causes, etc.). Accordingly, George Bush came forth with his memoirs, two in fact: A Charge to Keep, 1999, and Decision Points, 2010. Of interest here, Bush first consulted with historians before undertaking the second book. He was encouraged to read U. S. Grant’s Memoirs, which he did and came away impressed. Then, similar to Grant, he set out “not to write an exhaustive account of my life as president” but rather focus upon select critical moments along the way. Bush also headed off in some unexpected directions. His was the first presidential book (A Portrait of My Father) about a father who also once occupied the White House. (Only John Quincy Adams had such an opportunity.) Bush’s Portraits of Courage featured original portraits, well-executed oil paintings, by the president himself, to accompany the text. Then there were several books exploring his penchant for “Bushisms” chronicling his occasional misuse and abuse of Standard English language and usage (e.g., “I think we agree the past is over,” or “Is our children learning?”). With Bush in retirement we likely will, in the future, be treated less to literary output than selected artwork.
It is fair to speculate whether either of the following two presidents would have won office had it not been for the books they wrote. Barak Obama published Dreams From My Father in 1995, a compelling coming-of-age memoir in which he shared with readers his effort to understand and come to terms with his biracial identity, having been born to a black father (from Kenya) and a white woman from Kansas, America’s heartland. Reviewers considered it as an honest, mature, revealing, compelling personal quest by Obama to locate himself within American society. A year after its publication he was elected to the Illinois State Senate. Then in 2006 he published The Audacity of Hope, elaborating upon many of the positions and policies he’d staked out in his electrifying speech two years earlier at the Democratic National convention. Best sellers, both these books helped introduce Obama to a wider American public and helped propel this first-term Illinois Senator to the Democratic Party nominee for president in 2008. Now the public awaits the publication of his memoir recounting his two terms in office. Expectations are high, especially in view of the extraordinary world-wide reception given to his wife Michelle’s autobiography, Becoming, and the fact that Obama received an eye-opening multi-million dollar advance to write the book. Will it outsell Michelle Obama’s memoir? Time will tell.
Just how much he contributed to The Art of the Deal, 1987, is not clear but Donald Trump nevertheless claims authorship, regards it as his second favorite book (next to the Bible). And well he should because it remained on the New York Times Best Seller list for nearly a year and contributed mightily to his image as an unrivaled winner, one Trump carefully cultivated over the years. The book guides us through his blockbuster real estate deals and boasts of the riches accumulated along the way. Included is his blueprint for outsized success (“Think big.” “Fight back.” “Deliver the goods.” “Use leverage.” …. while also advising that “a little hyperbole never hurts,” and to be sure to “play to peoples’ fantasies”). The book served both to establish and reinforce Trump’s reputation as a savvy, aggressive swashbuckling businessman who knows how to get things done and vanquish the competition. When in 2016 he ran for president millions believed him when he proclaimed, “We need a leader that wrote The Art of the Deal.” And on November 8th he was “dealt” what many characterized as a rare “inside straight,” winning key electorates and landing in the White House. We shouldn’t be all that surprised. “I just keep pushing and pushing,” he confessed in his book, “to get what I’m after.”
With the 2020 election season underway, books by presidential hopefuls have become part of the conversation. Many of the Democratic primary candidates have already written “their books,” including Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, and Pete Buttigieg. “Campaign Publications” have now become a standard feature of election strategy, with candidates eager to tell their stories to the public while personally pocketing substantial advance royalties. Such payments, however, can spark controversy.
Can writing a well-received book undermine a potential presidential bid? Can a self-proclaimed Socialist maintain credibility, if it turns out he’s a millionaire, especially one who has consistently raged against rising income inequality in the U.S.? Bernie Sanders has revealed that he earned over a million dollars in two consecutive years. The source of his new-found riches – advances and royalties from two books he wrote – Our Revolution, A Future to Believe In and Where We Go From Here. Will robust book sales prove to be a potential liability? Can Bernie remain a tribune of the common man when he earns a seven-figure income?
Early speculation had it that a collection of Trump’s unending stream of tweets would provide the necessary ingredients (not unlike the diaries of many of his predecessors) for a presidential memoir. Fully annotated, we’d have a daily barometer of the moods and meanderings of this most mercurial Chief Executive. But then, as we’ve noted, Trump recently remarked that he intends to write a book (this time without the assistance of Tony Schwartz, ghost writer for The Art of the Deal, who had long since broken with Trump). In Trump’s world, critics, opponents, enemies abound and must be confronted. Few doubt that on most pages he will take aim and fire at an almost endless series of targets. Some commentators immediately responded to the possibility of a Trump memoir by accusing him of using his office to enrich himself, forgetting that all modern presidents, had, with their publications, done likewise. One observer, untroubled by the prospect of another book by Trump predicted it would once again top the best seller lists – suggesting, however that this time it be properly listed – under Fiction.

20/20 VISION

29
July

Of course it is too early. We have more pressing matters at the moment besides fixating on the 2020 presidential election. But we can’t help ourselves. We’re hooked already. There are endless polls to weigh, fund-raising totals to measure, issues to debate and primaries to handicap. And looming over all of this is the demonic presence of Donald Trump, insatiably grabbing for the daily headlines. So, to feed this ongoing frenzy let us offer up two certainties: 1. Donald Trump will surely be re-elected; 2. Almost any Democrat will capture the White House next year.
Trump Will Triumph
• The general consensus is that the economy is doing pretty well (jobs, stock market, low inflation, consumer confidence, etc.). Trump will surely claim credit for this.
• Presidential incumbents have a decided advantage. Most chief executives get a second term.
• Money is pouring into Trump’s coffers. He ran on a shoestring in 2016. This time his financial resources will be impressive. Money helps greatly in messaging and in getting out the vote.
• Trump’s base has been unshakedly loyal and highly motivated. He begins with a solid core of support. Republicans back him to the hilt. Evangelicals, a solid electoral block, remain fully supportive.
• Trump reigns as master of the media. Beyond the torrent of tweets he is a daily presence in the newspapers, on TV, social media, etc. His “brand” is instantly recognizable.
• Russia will likely do its part (in an even more sophisticated way) to boost Trump vote totals.
• Fear, anxiety and anger remain highly effective motivators and Trump will continue to stoke the flames of resentment and vilify the many “enemies” of America.
• Abortion, immigration, guns remain hot button issues that will get out the Trump voters. Add to this, the ceaseless stockpiling of Conservative judges.
• He will continue to signal that he is the champion of “white” Americans.
• A “win” related to China, Russia, North Korea or Iran will surely boost Trump’s standing. Starting a war would also likely help his cause.
• Divisions among the Democrats will dampen motivation and reduce turnout (also likely to shrink owing to various strategies of voter suppression by Republicans).
• Trump cannot afford to lose the presidency. Not only will his immense ego be crushed, but he would face prosecution on many fronts, with convictions not unlikely. Accordingly, out of desperation, he’s likely to resort to any tactic to avoid defeat.
A Democrat Enters the White House
• Hilary Clinton ran what is widely conceded to be a highly flawed campaign in 2016. Democrats will learn from these missteps and improve their election operations.
• The 2018 elections demonstrated that the tide is turning to the Democrats
• Women, African Americans, Latinos, gun opponents, environmentalists, climate change campaigners, etc., have all mobilized and will be out in force in 2020. Republican attacks on health care insurance will galvanize legions of voters.

• Trump’s extremely narrow triumph in 2016 resulted from a once-in-a-lifetime, highly unusual, set of circumstances, unlikely to happen again.
• Even with a “good” economy Trump has never been able to rise above a 50% approval level. He has, since 2016, not gained supporters, whereas registered Republican totals have shrunk.
• Chances are the economy will falter and certainly slow down further in 2020. The stock market has, in all likelihood, peaked, plus the strong economy has not benefitted millions of Americans. If you’re boasting about a robust economy but individuals are not experiencing it – look out.
• Multiple ongoing investigations of Trump’s activities may produce damaging revelations.
• With no one able to curb the president’s erratic impulses, there’s no predicting how far off the grid Trump could go.
• Trump fatigue will set in, triggering a widespread desire to return to “normal.”
That’s where matters stand as of now. The edge goes to the Democrats. But they also enjoyed the advantage in 2016. And you know what happened.

GO GIRL

21
July

Back in the day we just weren’t aware, or simply didn’t care. The fact is that words we commonly used often were male centric, i.e. privileged men, and tended to ignore or diminish women. But women began to take notice, increasingly took offense at the linguistic tilt all too apparent. So many words long embedded in the language were cited as examples. There were, of course, freshmen, chairmen, firemen, postmen (and mailmen), Congressmen, clergymen, weathermen, repairmen, handymen, countermen, fishermen, etc. A person on the lam often triggered a manhunt. The common man and everyman stood for us all, and most understood, if not everyone appreciated. the middleman. To be assertive was to man up and earn praise for being a “stand-up guy.” Few doubted the advantages an “old boy network” could confer or in having a reliable “right-hand man.” Mankind, it was understood, was intended to include everyone and on the same basis since “all men are created equal.” Having revealed the problem, what changes have come about?
• It won’t do any longer to refer to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cutler. Mrs. Cutler has a given name which should be acknowledged. Ms. has become widely acceptable.
• Be careful about using the word “girls” when referring to women. “Gals” is not an improvement. It would also be prudent to drop or severely limit the use of “little woman”, “bride,” “ladies first,” even “lady,” and surely “better half.”
• You’d best purge your vocabulary of such words as sweetie, honey-bun, bossy, feisty, sassy, bubbly, cute, in connection with women. Also, be cautious when applying diva, drama queen, prima donna, or characterizing female conversation as gossip or gabbing. Avoid referring to women’s utterances as whiny or shrill.
• Resist criticizing assertive women as “pushy” when the term strong is commonly used to describe similar behavior in men.
• Don’t be surprised when past accounts of women are presented as “herstory” or when high achieving women are praised as “sheroes.”
• Don’t express puzzlement when names such as Addison, Harper, Carson, Brett, Kelly, Val, Alex, Blake, Jayden, Dana, Drew, etc., are now given to the girls and boys.
The verdict is still pending on using “guys” when addressing a mixed group. Best advice: be careful out there. Verbal land mines can ignite when you least expect them (though manicurists are typically women).

DAY BREAKS

26
June

For much of our lives daily patterns are largely prescribed, allowing little leeway, limiting choices. Infants know nothing more than to sleep and eat. Soon it’s on to day care and pre-K, followed by years of formal schooling, often through college and beyond. Interspersed over the years are varying periods of leisure activity – sports, music, video games, social media, summer camps, etc. Then it’s endless workdays for those fortunate enough to find full-time employment. Add commuting and much of each day is fully taken up. This makes weekdays, holidays, vacations and Sunday social activities squeezed in, precious departures from the rigors of routine. Then add children to the mix and accept the reality that the range of unscripted activities become alarmingly narrow, your life’s calendar largely filled.
This is by way of introducing a recent discussion among some two dozen retired active seniors reflecting upon their current roles and choices of daily activities. Having once led lives tightly scheduled, what is it that fills their days now that they are free of most ongoing obligations? Predictably, the range of responses was extensive. Here, in no particular order, is what they offered to illustrate how they spend their time.
• They can, without guilt, sleep late (assuming they’re able to sleep). No alarm clocks; leisurely breakfasts; read the papers.
• Endless doctor appointments for all manner of aches, pains, infirmities, exams, check-ups, tests, therapies, medications. “Waiting” rooms take up time.
• Ah, the grandchildren. Pictures prized, shared and continually replenished. Skype, Facebook for instant access; birthdays celebrated; gifts given; babysitting essential. Both parents working. Also attendance at Little League baseball games, school plays, performances and dance recitals; unqualified love.
• Consider relocation to the Sun Belt or to wherever the children and grandchildren are living.
• Eating out. Cooking can become an unwelcome burden. Restaurants beckon, are leisurely, affordable. Eat your favorite foods or be venturesome. Conviviality and conversation over long lunches.
• Shopping can fill extended swaths of time. Even with “necessities” already acquired, there’s nothing like hunting down bargains, sorting through the latest gizmos and fashions, or simply navigating the aisles and racks along with other seekers. There’s no rush – and most every store accepts returns – no questions asked.
• In-home entertainment choices are virtually unlimited. TV, podcasts, You Tube, Netflix, Amazon, etc., etc. A vast storehouse of information and entertainment awaits. Binging permitted.
• Travel. So many places to experience. Tours make it comfortable and convenient. Not so easy if you’re single. Also destinations begin to look the same.
• Hobbies. Often mentioned, but few examples offered other than bird watching. Instead, some talk of ‘bingo and much discussion of bridge and Mah Jong.
• Concerts, theater, operas. Increasingly the preserve of seniors, with reportedly few younger folks in attendance.
• Volunteering. Numerous opportunities at local hospitals, blood banks, public schools, churches, nursing homes, etc. Tutoring, shopping for and driving the homebound.
• The most moving statements were from those attesting to the supreme satisfaction derived from helping others; selfless efforts toward making the lives of others less isolated and lonely and more comfortable. Some offer companionship, provide meals or telephone regularly to let them know they’ve not been forgotten.
Overall, the sense was that retirement and advancing years represent a challenge to fill large blanks of free time, to be useful, feel needed and to discover meaning and purpose when there’s no obvious script to follow. Advance preparation can only take you so far. The rest requires imagination, improvisation and a willingness to reach out and remain open to new paths and possibilities.

YOU REALLY SHOULDN’T

24
June

People do bad things. Evil exists, many insist. But here we’re not talking about such stuff – violence, hatred, discrimination, indifference, etc. We’re concerned with “good people” who, on occasion, act in ways that are thoughtless and inconsiderate. You can assess your own standing on these matters after reviewing the following list. The “Test” will be self—administered and graded.
• You decide not to purchase an item and put it back on the shelf where it doesn’t belong.
• You notice you’ve not been charged for a relatively minor item . . . and say nothing.
• You pretend you didn’t receive a message from a person you were supposed to call back.
• You take far more than your share from the smorgasbord.
• You deliberately avoid a question that was put to you.
• You pass on a juicy rumor for which there is scarce basis.
• You ignore instruction to separate recyclables from your garage.
• You do not put a matching pair of shoes back in the same box.
• You walk across the street to avoid encountering a beggar.
• You avoid assisting an injured individual assuming someone else will help.
• You fail to share an umbrella during a heavy downpour.
• You cut into a long line of traffic waiting to exit.
• You fail to move promptly at an intersection so that the car behind you must wait for the next  green light.
• You go far beyond the posted limit at the supermarket express check-out aisle.
• You push the elevator button repeatedly, even as it is on its way.
• You don’t bother to look if someone is behind you when exiting a door.
• You avoid leaving a tip when such an opportunity presents itself.
• You do not challenge an obvious falsehood and by your silence convey assent.
• You park over the line in a space to keep someone from using the adjacent parking spot.
• You copy portions of another’s work and present it as your own.
• You destroy a sizeable spider’s web after the creature had just painstakingly constructed it.
• You break in repeatedly when someone else is speaking.
• You fail to pick up after your dog.
• You add trash to a garbage can already overflowing.
How did you score? Are you likely to mend your ways? This test will be repeated without prior notice.

Minor Disturbances

20
May

Smooth sailing is not something we typically count on. “There’s always something” is a phrase familiar to most of us. Consider these “petty annoyances” that often mark our days.
• The price of gasoline jumps 8 cents at the pump in one day.
• A paper cut occurring in the AM plagues you throughout the day.
• At a busy Doctor’s office waiting room, two people are called in even though they arrived after you did.
• Looking forward to wearing a particular outfit you then notice it is stained.
• You finally arrive at a parking spot only to discover you have no change for the meter.
• It starts raining at an outdoor event, even though the forecast made no mention of precipitation.
• You’re obliged to phone a person you have no wish to talk to. Unfortunately, there’s no answering machine to record your message.
• An important letter that you mailed is returned for insufficient postage.
• You look forward to your breakfast waffle only to discover you’re out of maple syrup.
• While in the shower, the hot water suddenly runs out.
• At the post office, the person ahead of you on line has numerous packages to be mailed.
• The bread slice in the toaster gets stuck, doesn’t pop up and is burned.
• At a complex intersection the arrow just jumped red. It will now be a lengthy wait.
• The check you counted on to be “in the mail” is not.
• Desperate for a parking spot, you spot a car with brake lights on  presumably preparing to pull out, except that it doesn’t.
• You await an absolutely critical phone call. The phone rings. It is a solicitation.
• You check your receipt. You were charged the regular, not the sale, price.
• You’re put on hold and after a lengthy wait the operator finally gets on. As you prepare to speak, you’re suddenly disconnected.
• You wait in the examining room of a doctor’s office for a physician who never seems to arrive.
How many of these scenarios have you encountered? For sure you have may others to add. Such common annoyances we “accept as part of life. We know to move on.

Pleasant Surprises

25
April

Most all of us occupy a position somewhere between life as a “vail of tears” and “life is just a bowl of cherries.” We have our good days and our bad, but even during the latter, pleasant surprises occasionally come our way; these unexpected upbeat moments are there to be savored. Here’s an illustrative sampling:
• Your houseplant certainly looks dead. Still, you water it. Not long afterward you look again. Miraculously, it’s come back to life.
• You’ve not been to the dentist in ages. A checkup is long overdue. To your complete amazement – no cavities!
• You never win. Still, it’s a charity raffle, so it’s a contribution. Utter amazement: your number is called. The prize is yours!
• You’ve stained your favorite blouse. You apply a common household stain remover. You’re not optimistic. To your great surprise – it works!
• As you wait to board the plane, ahead of you on line is a crying baby in its mother’s arms. You pray they will not be seated nearby. They are not! What a relief.
• You arise suddenly and assume it is time to wake up. Checking the clock, however, you discover it is far too early to get out of bed. How sweet it is.
• After many years you return to your home town. It has not changed much, and there are people there who recognize you.
• They are expecting heavy rain but you must venture out. The rain never arrives.
• A police car, lights blazing and siren screeching, is racing toward you from behind. What a relief when it speeds on by.
• You check your bank account. The balance is markedly higher than you expected.
• Your gas gauge is perilously close to empty. Then you spot a service station straight ahead.
• You expect your wife to explode because you are so late. Inexplicably, she doesn’t.
• You are fishing in an area that appears altogether unpromising. But then you land the biggest fish of the day.
• You shut off the TV because your team seems hopelessly behind. Later on, checking the final score, you discover that they rallied from behind to win.
• You are expecting a whopping bill. It arrives, but is far less than anticipated.
• Off to a gathering, you hope a certain person will not be there. She isn’t!
• You’ve looked all over for your “lost” cellphone. There’s only one place left where it might be. It is!
• You’re sure you “blew” the exam at school. When the test is returned, however, your worst fears have not materialized. You passed!
• You are convinced this “blind date” will be a drag, a waste of time. But it turns out great!
• Because there’s a “Huge Sale” on a particular jacket you’re looking for, you are sure they will be sold out. Turns out there’s one left in your size.
• The product you dreaded having to put together comes fully assembled.
• A battery of medical tests you’re sure will reveal something suspicious, comes back clear.
• Your eight-year-old insists you take her to the latest animated film. You can’t imagine sitting through it. You go and are delighted.
Not everyone may be familiar with the word “serendipity,” but all recognize that experiences such as those above, are not unusual, and have a way of lifting spirits and making your day brighter.

The Weight of the Past

8
March

The past is inescapable. It happened and cannot be denied. It may not serve as a shackle, but is often a restraint. This is true for individuals, also for societies and nations. New directions can be pursued, innovations undertaken while individuals can be “born again,” and change course. Nevertheless, original paths may be obscured, but rarely obliterated, beliefs questioned, but not entirely discarded.
Our intention here is to identify particular core beliefs long held by Americans and to assess their current influence, i.e., their ability to affect the way we now think and act, even as contemporary circumstances change and despite the fact that their persistence may at times be detrimental to our wellbeing and best interests.
Believers – America’s religious foundations and commitments are solid and have endured. We were, we proclaimed, the particular beneficiary of God’s Providence. Denominations proliferated, churches were everywhere, ministers were respected and influential members of the community, and the Bible was revered. We were a “God fearing” people. Today tens of millions remain convinced of the validity of traditional religious truths, but increasingly more and more Americans have abandoned religious belief and reject religious observance. Nonetheless, American leaders continue to pay more than just lip service to religion, and it remains at the core of the value system of American society, and, in recent decades, has, in many instances, increasingly emphasized fundamentalist interpretations of our religious (read Christian) heritage. Many of the cultural battles today are rooted in religious opposition to changing patterns of behavior. Questions of gender classification, single sex marriage, homosexuality, feminism, out-of-wedlock childbirth, and critically, the legality of birth control methods and abortion, are all affected by deeply held religious convictions. Addi-tionally, current debates over creationism, climate change, school prayer, private sectarian schools, religious freedom and tax exemption almost always include religious advocates.. Whatever the future course of the U.S., one cannot imagine a time when for better or for worse religious beliefs will not be a prime consideration, part of the national discourse on crucial policy decisions.
Exceptionalism – Americans from the outset believed they had embarked upon a special unique destiny. Separated from Europe and protected by distance and ocean barriers, they would “escape history,” create a society unlike any other before them while avoiding the limitations that had beset other peoples. They would, as a consequence, have little to learn from them. American self-assurance and superiority was a given. Today the basis for such confidence is not self-evident. Other countries have caught up, organized their societies in ways often more satisfying to their citizens. America’s problems – inequality, gun violence, a shrinking middle class, political dysfunction, a growing carbon imprint, etc. – have become more pronounced and worrisome. Nevertheless, our heritage of exceptionalism has resulted in a certain smugness, unwarranted self-conceit, and complacency. All will be fine because we are Americans, and remain a “chosen people.”
Color Counts – Whites held sway from the beginning. Non-whites, principally Indians and African Americans, never had much of a chance. Exploited and told they were inferior, their subordination continued generation after generation. Today, despite the arrival of millions upon millions of people of color and despite the integration of a large majority of them into America society, “white privilege” remains a fact of life, even if certain voices assert that white people are about to be supplanted by “others.” Such distortions and “white flights” from reality stoke fears, aggravate divisions and conflict and remain a serious obstacle to harmony and progress.
Market Capitalism – Americans may not have “discovered” capitalism and the free market, but they have indisputably elevated it to heights not seen before and turned it into a system of vast productive capacity, impressive innovation, startling wealth accumulation, well-being and rising standards of living. Americans learned how to channel and deploy capital, perfect business organizations and techniques, organize labor, develop complex distribution systems, generate consumer demand and both constrain outside interference while encouraging government investment and “rational,” albeit limited, regulation. America enshrined private property, competitive markets, entrepreneurial freedom and energy, the rule of law and the superior ability of free markets to best respond to the needs of society. Surely capitalist success played a prominent role in elevating the U.S. to the forefront of nations in the 20th Century. The celebration of our capitalist inheritance has, however, become a problem of late because of structural problems that have emerged. Wealth inequality has advanced unchecked, wage gains have been limited, market power has increased for the largest corporate entities, government expenditures are consistently outpacing revenues, and the political influence of the very wealthy has reached disturbing proportion. Still the past successes of capitalism have created formidable obstacles to those who today work to move more forcefully to combat climate threats, introduce substantive tax reforms, provide universal affordable health care, encourage more responsible corporate behavior and modernize the nation’s infrastructure. Defenders of classic capitalism are quick to invoke the importance of “free market” solutions, the sanctity of private property and fears of “socialism”, class warfare and the menace of “Big Government.” Of course the goal is to reap the benefits of free enterprise while curbing its abuses. There is no assurance, we can get there, however, because of our unyielding allegiance to the gospel of capitalism.
Technology – Rarely have Luddites surfaced in the U.S. We have welcomed, celebrated and adapted most every technological advance that came our way. The list is endless and includes the telegraph, railroad, telephone, phonograph, automobile, airplane, electric light, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, motion picture, radio, air conditioner, television, frozen food, microwave oven, VCR, computer, cell phone, electric car, MRI, robotic surgery, drone, etc., etc. Our enthusiastic acceptance of each innovative technology usually came without our giving much thought to possible negative consequences. The desire for new technologies became a form of addiction. Each advance was seen as an unquestioned indicator of continued progress. But recent technologies and methodologies, more than ever before, may prove to be mixed blessings. Unauthorized gene manipulations, computer hacking, errant drones, cyber attacks and bullying, Facebook privacy invasions, and “fake news” incitements on the internet, cell phone interruptions and other misuse by automobile drivers, artificial intelligence threats to our jobs – all these were not foreseen or were minimized because Americans have consistently welcomed, focused on the benefits of technology while downplaying harmful consequences.
Additional topics could be examined here. Such discussions would further illustrate the constraints that our particular historical experience imposes upon us. History is not destiny. Nevertheless, the past burdens the present, introduces barriers and prescribes limits on how much we can alter the way things are.