U.S. "Nero" Brings Hamlet’s Dilemma to the Modern World

U.S. "Nero" Brings Hamlet’s Dilemma to the Modern World

“Things gained through unjust fraud are never secure.”  Sophocles

I didn’t think I’d write about politics again this week, but the subject remains on my mind.  That’s largely because I’m visiting Kiev and almost every Ukrainian I know is asking me the same questions: “What do Americans think of Trump?” and “What’s going on with Trump and Putin?”  When you consider that Ukraine is still engaged in a prolonged war with Russia, this isn’t surprising.  What is surprising is how hard it is to answer.  Does anyone really know where U.S. policy currently stands or if this Administration will let the Russians off the hook for their illegal annexation of Crimea and occupation of the Donbas region (not to mention tampering with our elections)?

“It’s shocking and depressing, but I have no idea what’s going on,” Is all I can tell them, “I think it’s clear that the Russians have a lot of compromat on Trump, but while our system is supposed to be able to deal with this type of thing, the Republicans in power are refusing to maintain checks and balances on the presidency and my country is failing because of it.”  I usually add, “It’ll all come down to the elections in November, if the Democrats manage to take back the House and the Senate, things will be ok, but if people don’t show up to vote and the Republicans maintain control, I have no idea what’s going to happen, except that it will not be good for the U.S. or world.” 

The responses I’m getting to this sad testimonial are usually silence and disbelief.  I’ve just confirmed their worst fears.  How can this be the America that people have looked to throughout history as a moral bulwark against global tyranny and oppression?  How is it even possible?  Sometimes, they say something along these lines and I can only shrug, as I too am asking these questions as daily political headlines continue to assault my world ideology. 

By a strange twist of fate, my return back to the States after decades living abroad coincided with the 2016 election campaign and Trump’s victory.  I feel how Hamlet must have felt upon his return home.  My state of mind is lost in a mild, but tragic despair.  Something is indeed rotten in the United States, as it was in Denmark for returning prince. 

Hamlet is a good parallel.  When I studied the play, we spent a lot of time learning about Elizabethan society and culture to have a thorough understanding of the tragedy’s backdrop.  We then compared it to ancient Greece to better understand Hamlet’s psychological downfall.  Many similar immoral and unethical acts took place in classical Greek tragedy, but those protagonists never struggled with the angst and despair that possessed Shakespeare’s troubled heroes.  The only significant difference is that Christian thought didn’t exist in classical Greece and as such, neither did the notion of moral guilt.  While it cannot be found anywhere in Greek tragedy, it’s everywhere in Shakespearian tragedy.

Hamlet’s immense struggle to right his world is tied to this notion.  His world ideology collapsed when his uncle murdered his father and married his mother and since he couldn’t rationalize these immoral atrocities, his convictions were lost and his sanity was pushed to its limit.  Christian values are still deeply entrenched in the Western mind.  With the rise of a completely immoral and unethical man to the most powerful political office that symbolized moral rectitude and decency, our ideology is also collapsing.  I believe this is the base source of the angst and confusion so many are experiencing and this has led many Republicans to lose their convictions. 

“Excessive fear is always powerless.” Aeschylus

Republican leaders continue to go along with the President because they cannot properly rationalize what’s happening.  They can only focus on the immediate fear losing power and support from Trump’s rabid base.  They’re blind to the forest and only see the trees directly in front of them.  This loss of ideology has led to an ineffectual government where corruption (of mind and legislation) is undermining our very foundations while also pushing many to their mental limits.  Some politicians are taking the easy way out and leaving public office, but their current and recent actions will leave us in ruin.  Many others are relying on stale, rote slogans of support for the President that do not make any sense.  

Trump has started a fire.  It smoldered at first, but now burns out of control.  Will we allow this fire to reach the magnitude of destruction that it did in Rome under Nero (who also typified moral degradation, great corruption and extravagance)?  It was Nero who in AD 64 lit his capital on fire for political purposes, but the fire grew out of control and destroyed the vast majority of the city.  He then blamed it on a new “cult” called Christianity and used it launch the Empire’s first persecution of the Christians.  That disaster finally pushed Roman leaders to start working to have him removed, but many historians believe that Nero’s emperorship pushed the Roman Empire onto a new path that ultimately led to its complete collapse.

“Fortune cannot aid those who do nothing.” Sophocles

Is Trump our Nero and will U.S. voters overcome this challenge that has befallen other civilizations before us and put out the fire that is starting to rage, or will the masses remain in this ideological daze long enough to allow him to take down the civilized world before snapping out of it? 

I don’t know the answer, but I’m hopeful and thus, will continue advocating for as many firemen as possible to show up at the polls this November to extinguish this threat to our democracy and provide us with a new birth of moral decency, so that government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from this earth.

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Wake-Up, America!

Wake-Up, America!

“It is a sin to be quiet, when it is your duty to protest.”  Abraham Lincoln

After watching the disgraceful Putin-Trump Helsinki summit/press conference this week and seeing how few Republicans rebuked the President for his appalling anti-American behavior, I’m wondering what it will take to awaken American patriotism on that side of the aisle and how did we ever become so rabidly divided that for so many "leader/party" is now before the country itself?

After living in Russia for the rise of Putinism, I find the rise of Trumpism eerily similar.  Putin’s first major achievements in pushing toward authoritarianism were undermining the freedom of the press and the rule of law.  Trump is following that playbook.  The calling of real news fake and fake news real has already reaped massive rewards for him, the largest being his election itself.  Also, continually attacking law enforcement and labeling the Mueller investigation a “witch hunt” has created distrust and confusion that has resonated with many of his supporters and greatly undermined their ability to process information that conflicts with their “alternate fact” based beliefs.  Instead of dealing with real facts, they just write them off as fake or partisan and with the GOP controlled congress rubber-stamping partisan investigations there is nothing pushing them to confront their dispositions.

Putin quickly took control of Russian media when he was handed the presidency and managed to get the Russian masses to write-off the Western press as fake news and to only believe Russian state-controlled news.  In America, many Republicans now ignore the most trustworthy, historical news sources and only accept what Fox news or partisan online news sites like Breitbart feed them.  Once you take away peoples’ ability to question their views, the battle for Truth is lost. 

Political dogmatism is the new norm and love of country doesn’t come into consideration if it goes against the President or his policies.  An old ideology based on nationalism and fear apparently seems fresh to many Americans who’d fallen through the cracks or were left behind by the emergence of the new global economy.  While they may be rightfully angry over their situation and with Washington itself, pushing the blame solely on Democrats, minorities, and/or foreign trade is not going to solve any of their problems.  In fact, what is currently unfolding will only make their problems worse.

There is something inherently wrong with a political party that will ignore its own long held beliefs and the destruction of our institutions because they are not willing to risk losing power over the short-term.  The current GOP has done just that.  They immediately stopped being deficit hawks and increased the national debt by $2 trillion over Trump’s first 14 months in office despite having a strong economy.  The GOP has always been the party of free trade, but they supported pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  They also shrugged off the start of a trade war with our main partners and allowed the administration to start putting unnecessary and harmful tariffs on a wide spectrum of needed goods. This will cause inflation and hurt U.S. businesses.  Lastly, the party that labeled itself the law and order and national security party are now content to ignore this President undermining the rule of law, our democratic institutions and a foreign adversary manipulating our country with the sole intent to diminish our standing in the world and our economic and ideological well being.  It seems too absurd to be real, but it is happening- every day.

I believe the economy will become an issue too big for voters to ignore, but that will only happen once we enter a major economic crisis, so while change will eventually come, it will likely be too late and we’ll all be down on our backs, hurting with significantly weakened institutions.  Foreign Direct Investment was down 32% in the U.S. in 2017 despite a strong economy.  That’s an unheard of drop.  Tourism is down.  Job growth in 2017 was slower than in 2016.  The stock market is up largely due to stock buybacks fueled by the tax cuts that helped only the very top tier.  This is not the way forward and once we hit the tipping point on consumer and investor confidence, it will be a steep and painful ride down. 

Despite openly going against world order, Russia has been the biggest geopolitical winner over the last few years and no one is holding them responsible.  They have also taken the Internet and used it masterfully to work against the Western world and breed division.  On the political front, Russia’s online propaganda campaigns coupled with massive monetary support has led to the election of a anti-EU prime minister in Greece, the election and re-election of the authoritarian government in Hungary, the election of a former Communist pro-Russia president in the Czech Republic, the rising of Marine Le Pen in France, and they tipped the scales in both the Brexit vote and the last U.S. election.  They’ve also illegally annexed Crimea and started a war in Ukraine.  These are just a few examples and since there've been only limited repercussions; they’re still at it.  Further, an early obvious fact from the U.S. tariff war with China is that it will hurt American agriculture largely to the benefit of Russian suppliers who will take our place. 

We all need to open our eyes and realize there is a quiet Cold War still going on and if we do not band together as a people (and with our allies), we are going to wake-up one day living in a world that is worse than anything we’ve ever imagined and from that chaos no one will see a better tomorrow or fairer system for a long, long time.   

  

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As the Ale House Turns

As the Ale House Turns Podcast Debut and Review

When I arrived at the Ale House at around 7pm for my first ever podcast experience, I kicked open the door, clapped my hands together and yelled, “Let’s get ready to podcast!”  The few patrons planted on the bar rail turned to look at me with what could be construed as a mild disgust, but not seeing anything worthy to maintain their interest, turned back to their drinks.  You see, the Old Town Ale House, among many other things is a drinkers’ bar.  Many of the regulars prefer to be left alone to their thoughts and most won’t bother themselves by paying attention to the shenanigans that are constantly unfolding around them.

The podcast, As the Ale House Turns, is hosted by the bar’s proprietor Bruce Elliott,

Bruce and Liz holding court at the Ale House

aka the Genius, and his “go-to girl”, Pub Crawl Liz.  When Bruce saw my grand entrance, he came over from the front window where the crew was setting up the equipment for the show. 

“Hey Ukraine Mike, are you ready to make some podcast magic?”

“Of course, I’m really looking forward to it.  You know, I used to host a radio show in school, so I’m not too worried about it.”

When bartender Kim came over to get us some drinks, Bruce told her I was going to be their podcast guest.

“Oh really, do you know what you’re going to talk about?” she asked Bruce.

“Of course, we’ll start with how Ukraine Mike compares the Slavic chicks with American ones.”

I immediately jumped in, “Whoa, whoa, whoa- I don’t want to hear this.  I don’t do the pre-interview.  I don’t want to know any questions or points of discussion.  I need to go in cold otherwise the conversation might come out stilted.  It has to be spontaneous; the listeners deserve that.”  I told them.  Bruce looked at me the way you’d look at a Trump supporter defending why taking refugee children away from their parents is the right and proper thing to do. 

I decided to hit the bathroom before any other indications of where they might take the discussion emerged.  I’ve learned this little broadcasting trick by being a good listener to Howard Stern growing up and contrasting his interview style with those of late night TV talk show hosts.  Even now, watching hosts like Jimmy Fallon tediously walking his guests through prearranged questions and discussion points ruins the entire interview for me.  I just cannot enjoy prepackaged dialogue. 

When I returned from the toilet, I sat with Bruce at the bar and drank a beer.  Finding the Ale House and befriending Bruce has been a godsend for my acclimation back into U.S. society after spending 20 years in Eastern Europe.  I find it somewhat telling that the best new friend I’ve made since my return home is someone in his mid-70s, but then again, I’ve never been an ageist and the guy has many interesting tales and strong opinions. 

For me, friendship has always been about what someone brings to the table.  I don’t care if you’re 20 or 90, if you’re intellectual, entertaining, have some good stories to share or thoughts to inspire, that’s all that really matters.  Sadly, so many people these days are just so terribly boring and narrow minded.  It’s as discouraging as it is depressing.  I still cannot believe that in today’s world such a virulent and racist strand of anti-intellectualism can undermine our entire society like it has.  I’ve never seen or expected such cultural and racial divides in America.  For me, the country is in a tailspin, a mad dash to the bottom.

Against this broad and disturbing backdrop, there are some souls trying to make a difference.  Trying to raise their voices loud enough to reach some of the people lost in the crowd.  Bruce is one of these people.  He’s been regularly calling out and dissecting the political disaster on his entertaining and insightful blog, the Geriatric Genius and in countless discussions at the bar.  I see the podcast as another tool in his arsenal to further these thoughts and ideas.

When I was recently invited to be a guest on the show, I jumped at the opportunity.  The interview started with Liz pushing the opening discussion into what she thought would be a point of conflict- the recent ending of my guest blogger role on Bruce’s blog, but that was easily avoided.  One cannot inspire animosity between people if it isn’t there to begin with.  We then delved into some of my background and history, which led to many good tangential conversations and anecdotes.  I was surprised that we barely touched the surface of the politics during the show, but after hearing the final product, I think it’s safe to say that that wasn’t needed and we all had a blast. 

I think it’s a great podcast and the feedback has been very encouraging.  Why do I say this?  Because it was full of laughs and interesting discussions about history, culture and the world at large.  We talked about real things in a fun way while also being self-deprecating and shooting zingers back and forth.  It’s actually the way we always talk to each other, the only difference this time is we had microphones in front of us and a guy named Jordan working a soundboard to put the conversational magic into the digital bottle.      

After we wrapped, we continued the discussion at the bar for a few more hours.  It’s relationships like these that keep me going.   They constantly force you to defend your positions, hear new ideas and learn new things.  I like being intellectually challenged.  Sartre once said that many people didn’t like him because he believed it was the role of the citizen intellectual to probe the metaphysics of peoples’ beliefs and by doing this he often found hostility because so many people did not like to be forced to think about why they actually believed something.  That quote jumped out at me when I first read it years ago and it stays with me today.  I get the feeling that Bruce kind of follows Sartre’s belief himself. 

Of course, one needs to employ tact when trying to reach others with conflicting thoughts and ideas.  I’m still learning these finer conversational tactics, as you can read in other blogs I’ve posted here, especially my first blog, Schlitzed, when I was trying to uncover the metaphysics of a young woman’s rabid anti-Obamacare beliefs only to find a full glass of Schlitz being poured over my head and then the girl running out of the bar in tears.  I’m still sowing the garden though with the hope that some seeds will take and we will all be better off for it.   

Regarding Pub Crawl Liz, she’s the ground wire of the show, as she keeps the interviewees (and the Genius’) feet on the ground and the discussion moving along an easy to follow trajectory.  She has a good feel for this.  I glad that our friendship is deepening as we get to know each other better.   

That’s about it this week.  I think the podcast is worth a listen.  I attach the SoundCloud link below and you can also find and follow it on Itunes.  I hope you enjoy the banter- let’s keep pushing ourselves forward and cultivating our gardens---

The Podcast:

https://soundcloud.com/user-882101380/episode-8

Also, for those who want to read about the “Schlitzed” incident mentioned above, here is the link to that blog-)

https://libertinereflections.blogspot.com/2017/12/schlitzed.html

Some Reviews of the Episode:

“The kid’s a natural.”  Humphrey Bogart on my first podcast performance.

“We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness.  Ukraine Mike’s appearance on As the Ale House Turns has alleviated some of that loneliness and we are grateful for that.”  Dr. Albert Schweitzer-

“Loving Chicago is like loving a woman with a broken nose and that podcast is part of the romance.”  Nelson Algren-

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A European Tour Part II: Monte-Carlo-Madrid

Please find the second (and final) installment of my European Journey blog that was started two weeks ago.  If you missed the first part, it can be found by clicking the link below:

https://libertinereflections.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-european-tour-prague-to-monte-carlo.html

A European Tour Part II: Monte-Carlo-Madrid

“Each day provides it own gifts.”  Marcus Aurelius

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia

I read some more Marcus Aurelius on the overnight train from Monte Carlo to Barcelona and arrived in the morning.  I had a few hours to check out the city and grab lunch before jumping on the train to Madrid.  I put my backpack into a locker and left the station.  I walked over to Las Ramblas, the large pedestrian street where there are many street performers and vendors.  It was packed with tourists, dirty and with many homeless people and drunks begging despite it being so early in the day.  I wasn’t expecting this.  After walking up and down the street and watching the performers- jugglers, dancers, fake statues that moved when you dropped in a coin, etc. I stopped at a little sidewalk café and had a sandwich and a beer.  I wasn’t feeling the love for Barcelona upon this first impression. 

The Arrest of Judas - the Sagrada Familia

I then went up to the Gaudi Church- the Sagrada Familia.  This was an unexpected treat and the architecture and design was unlike anything I’d ever seen before.  Gaudi mixed Gothic with Art Nouveau and somehow made the whole thing work.  The result is a masterpiece.  I strongly recommend seeing it to anyone visiting the area.

I then walked down to the Picasso Museum.  The museum lacked major works, but it had many drawings, sketches and other paintings, especially from his youth, so you get a deep understanding of how Picasso’s work grew and changed over his life.  It was fantastic and by the time I finished perusing the collection, it was time to catch my train.  I made my way back to the station and boarded for Madrid.  

My father, his wife and my aunt and uncle were due to arrive early the following morning on the red eye from New York and I wanted to make sure I was at the airport on time.  Their plane got in at like 6am and the plan was to drive straight from the airport to Toledo for a day/night and then down to Seville, Granada and Cordoba. 

Puerto del Sol - the center of Madrid

I arrived in Madrid in the afternoon and found a rooming house right off Puerto del Sol for $12 a night.  Puerto del Sol is the main square in the center of the city.  It’s also where I’d catch the bus to the airport the next morning.  It wasn’t much of a room and it wasn’t clean either, but it was cheap with a convenient location.  I dropped my things and went out to explore the city. 

Unlike Barcelona, I was blown away with Madrid from the start.  It’s a vibrant place full of energy.  Even now, many years later and many trips all around Spain, I still believe it’s hands down the best city in the country despite the fact that it is smack in the middle with no sea or beach nearby.  The food, culture, museums, nightlife- it’s all world class and the people of Madrid are my favorite Spaniards.  They are relaxed, open and have a palpable zest for life.  I get the impression that people view Madrid vs. Barcelona in a similar way as San Francisco vs. Los Angeles.  People will prefer one over the other and that’s just the way it is.  I’m a Madrid – L.A. man myself.       

I walked around the center to get a lay of the land and then rushed to check out

Goya's Dog

the Prado Museum before it got too late.  The Prado is one of the best museums you will find anywhere- the paintings they have by Goya are my favorite but the place is stuffed to the gills with masterpieces (Caravaggio, Titian, Rubens, Ribera- the list goes on and on).  Like all great museums around the world, you cannot do the Prado in one or even two visits, so I scavenged around for the artists I wanted to see and then headed out after a couple hours still digesting the beauty and inspiration of the pictures.

Goya's Colossus 

I spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around the outdoor patios of some tapas bars in Plaza de Santa Ana.  I found a few places that Hemingway used to frequent that still had strong character and good affordable food.  I then took a nap before heading out for the night. 

One of my tapas bars in Plaza de Santa Ana

"Our lives are what our thoughts make it." 

Once rested, I smoked a joint, grabbed some more tapas and beers and then went to a bar I had scouted earlier called Viva Madrid.  I was beaming with positivity that comes from exploring a place for the first time.  After Verona and Monte Carlo the previous nights, I knew Madrid would likely offer another life experience.  

Viva Madrid is a small hole in the wall bar on a narrow pedestrian street and it was packed from the time I arrived.  Everyone was friendly and outgoing.  I met a fellow American named Mark when ordering another drink.  He heard my accent and we started talking.  It’s funny how people are so much more friendly when they’re traveling.  He was in town for business and staying at a high-end five star hotel.  I didn’t feel the need to mention that I was at a $12 a night crap hole around the corner. 

My favorite little bar in Spain's capital-  Viva Madrid

Mark saw K.D. Lang when he was checking into his hotel and spoke with her stylist.  She told him about a few clubs that Lang’s entourage and likely K.D. herself were going to go to later.  He said he would be going later and invited me to join him, which sounded like a good plan.  I had my Monte Carlo winnings to cover the expense, so I wasn’t stressed about the economics of hitting a high-end disco.  Later, a German guy who was studying Spanish in the city for the summer joined our group.  He was a good addition, as he spoke pretty good Spanish, unlike Mark and me.  Around midnight, we grabbed a cab and headed to the club “K.D. Lang’s stylist recommended.”  

It was a bit of a hike out of the center, but it was worth it.  The place was thumping with techno music and was packed with beautiful, sexy people.  It was a real Madrid club scene.  Before I knew it, Mark returned from a drink run and offered me a little white pill. 

“What is it?”  I asked him.

“It’s a party pill- good stuff.  Take it.”    

“I’d love to, but I can’t.  I’ve got to meet my family at the airport tomorrow at like 6:30 in the morning and have to get up at 5 to catch the bus.”

“Get up?!?  It’s past 1am now and the place is just getting started- I don’t think you’re going to sleep tonight.  Take it and let’s make it a night!”  I hesitated.  Mark added, “It will wear off in a few hours and K.D. Lang will probably show up soon and I’ll get us into her group.”

I thought it over.  It was my first night out in Spain and I’d somehow found myself at a very trendy club surrounded by beautiful ladies, and nice, outgoing people giving away free party pills.  I decided not to fight the energy, “Ok, you’re right, let’s do it.”

He handed me the little white pill and I downed it with my beer.

The night went off the rails from there.  After a little while on the dance floor, we met an interesting group of French girls and I hit it off with one of them.  Later, we all went to another club around the corner that the stylist also mentioned to Mark.  When we were in transit between clubs, I rolled the rest of my weed into a joint and we all had a smoke.

The second club had a similarly great scene and after a while on the dance floor, my French girl and I wandered into a little lounge off to the side where we could sit on cushions on the floor and actually have a conversation without having to scream.  We parked ourselves in a corner and talked, drank, smoked cigarettes and made out for what seemed like only a short time, but was actually hours.  Before I knew it, I checked my watch and was shocked to see it was going on 5:30am!  I freaked, as my father had told me that I had to be at the airport when he arrived.  I said hurried goodbyes to everyone, gave my girl a goodbye kiss, we hugged and I left.  I think she was surprised in a bad way by how I high tailed it out of there so abruptly.  Matter of fact, so was I.     

I grabbed a cab by to my rooming house.  I was wet with sweat from the drugs, Spanish heat and dancing, so I needed a quick rinse and then had to immediately grab the bus to the airport.  

When I got to my hotel, no one was at reception.  I found that the shower was a communal one for the floor and when I went into it, it was locked.  For $12 a night, you didn’t get much.  I had to pay for a shower, but the place was still closed down for the night.  I couldn’t find anyone to help me, so I washed up in the sink, changed quickly, grabbed my backpack and caught the bus to the airport. 

I slipped off to sleep on the bus, but once at the airport, I was awake, late and stressed.  It was going on 7am.  This was before the age of cell phones, so I had no idea if my family was waiting or not.  This was going to be the first time I saw or really even spoke with my father since leaving the states well over a year before.  I got to the arrival hall and found that their plane had landed, but the information desk said that they were likely still in customs and baggage claim.  I was relieved and took a seat.  It was then that the stress dissipated, only to be replaced by exhaustion from staying out all night.  The effect of the party pill was pretty much gone by now, but with all the alcohol and smoking, I needed to crash badly.  I leaned my head back and closed my eyes hoping to get a short recharge.    

Within only a few minutes, the arrival doors opened and my dad, his wife and my aunt and uncle came out with a bunch of luggage in tow.  We all embraced and said our hellos and then my father said, “It was a nightmare flight, lots of turbulence the whole way.  None of us slept a wink.  You’ll have to drive us to Toledo, we’re exhausted.”  He then handed me keys to a mini van they’d rented.

Marcus Aurelius 

"Nothing happens that we are not formed by nature to bear."

“Oh, sorry to hear that,” I said, “but ok.”  I put on a brave face and took the keys.  I wasn’t about to say anything about the night I just had or the fact that I also hadn’t slept and was trashed. 

The next thing I knew I was driving a big van with my family, who had all fallen asleep immediately as we hit the road, out of Madrid and down to the great city of Toledo--- all the while praying that I didn’t pass out and kill all of us.  Aurelius was once again correct when he said, “The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing.”  Like Monte Carlo the night before, and Verona before that, this European tour was promising to be one for the ages- if I made it out alive!  Viva España!

Toledo, Spain

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