"How did things ever get so far?"

 "How did things ever get so far?"

There's a scene in The Godfather where, following years of gang warfare, the titular character opens a discussion of peace with that line. And as I daily see the destruction of our nation and everything it (or Republicans) ever stood for being cheered on with glee and pride, that quote keeps popping into my mind.

The problem is frustratingly complex. The Powers That Be - call them the One Percent or whatever - have created a system where our government is run on the surface by two opposing ideologies. If we vote, then we have no choice but to choose one or the other, and the gap between the two widens every day. Politics have become a with-us-or-against-us, fundamentalist religion. Ideals no longer matter, all that matters is the camps and cults of all-or-nothing ideology and ideologues.

Any sort of discourse is shouted down. Jon Stewart was lambasted for simply interviewing Bill O' Riley. The Teamster's president was scolded for the unforgivable crime of opening a dialogue with Republicans. There are certain far-left sacred cows on which any discussion whatsoever is forbidden. The pendulum was pushed as far as it could to the left over the past decade, politically, culturally, and through cancelling, and now it's taken a hard swing to the far-right. The far-left makes a shocked Pikachu face, but what did they expect? Now the far-right are setting horrible, dangerous precedents in giving Trump unlimited power as president - but wait and see how much they cry when the pendulum swings back to the far-left.

If we even still have free elections in 2028.

Despite what the mainstream and social media insist, half of this nation simply isn't liberal. They're never going to vote for the side that pushes further and further from their core beliefs, no matter how insane and dangerous their own ideologue is. Vilifying and shaming them ala the Democrat Party only pushes them further away. You'll never shame someone into voting for your side. The same goes for the centrists. Either vote for the sane party that pisses in your face and insists it's raining honey and just accept that things will just slowly get worse, or vote for the bat-shit insane party that vocally agrees with your ideals, but uses them as an excuse to burn our democracy to the ground.

Look, I get it. There are people I thought were my friends who will never speak to me again simply because I spoke out against Hillary Clinton and the rabid divisiveness she and her followers fermented. I've been called a misogynist and accused of turning a blind eye to sexual assault because I dared to disagree with the harmful, misandrist feminist doctrine of "toxic masculinity." I've been called a white supremacist and a Nazi for calling CNN out on their witch hunts against teenagers who were harassed for wearing MAGA hats, or a certain young man whose only crime was defending his life against rioters and arsonists. I’ve been insulted up the wazoo for speaking out against the Woke hijacking of every traditionally masculine IP and form of art or entertainment that exists, rather than creating new properties. So yes, I get it. I get the anger. I understand being fed up with the Democrat party and their hypocritical doctrine of shrouding themselves in social issues so they can cry "hate" whenever they're questioned. Biden was unquestionably a senile puppet, and unknown figures were governing in his place. Sure, the stock market revived towards the end, but average Americans found it nearly impossible to get by. Believe me, I get it.

But that doesn’t mean I’m going to support a brainless, constantly-lying, willing Project 2025 puppet who actively destroys our economy. I’m not going to support the dismantling of necessary social infrastructure – especially when it comes to educating our children. I’m not going to support laws that destroy individuals’ rights to simply live their lives. I’m not going to support openly dismantling the checks and balances that protect us from tyranny. And (though the list goes on and on and on) I will never support standing by a dictator and aiding him in invading an innocent sovereign nation, bombing its cities, kidnapping its children, and murdering and raping its people. It’s one thing to feel our tax dollars and young people’s lives should not go to defending Ukraine. It's another thing completely to openly kiss the ass of a dictator, and treat his suffering victims as if they are the real enemy.

It's understandable to want our government to put America first. We're paying taxes after all. But nothing Trump is doing will actually put America first. Tariffs can only work if you already have an industry for Americans to purchase from. We don't, and it will take years to bring production up to speed. I don't see any effort being made whatsoever to make this happen, though. So in reality, his tariffs are just going to bleed Americans dry. If he really wanted to cut waste, he would cut the billions if not trillions that we give away in corporate subsidies. Instead, he's mainly cutting those departments that are watchdogs for his cronies, or who dared to speak out against him and his crimes.

In short, we are stuck in a good cop/bad cop game. No, both parties are not the same, but they are both tools of the One Percent to use against us.

Don't believe me? Look at the way Chuck Schumer folded faster than Superman on laundry day over the budget (thank you, Simpsons), giving Trump and his ilk everything they wanted at all Americans’ expense. Look at the way Obama ran on universal healthcare, only to give us the ACA instead, all the worst parts of socialized medicine with extremely few of the benefits. Look at the way only Al Green and Bernie Sanders (you know, that guy the Democrat party vilified because it was “Hillary's turn”), have actually been fighting Trump. The rest just sat there waving their little ping pong ball paddles while he lied and lied, and talked of annexing other nations. So yes, the Democrat Party is just the good cop, and a tool of the One Percent. Because if we keep our pitchforks aimed at each other, we can't turn them on them.

And we are all the victims.

TTFN

-Tony

Return of the Blog!

Good morning, everyone out there in blog land. It's been forever since I've written here. This used to be the centerpiece of where I put my thoughts and feelings, but that all kind of went by the wayside with the rollercoaster ups and downs of life getting in the way. So, as our world becomes more and more insane, I'm going to fire it up again. I know I've said this on and off over the years, and don't know if anyone actually reads blogs anymore. But either way, someday, when this pattern of subatomic particles I call me has returned to chaos, this modest footprint will remain.

The biggest change to my life is that my wife Jennifer passed away back in November of 2024. It started with an infection, and then eventually she caught COVID. Her weakened immune system couldn't handle it, even though she had had her vaccinations. The only thing I can say to all of you is that little things can turn into big things, especially where your health is concerned. So please, take care of the little things whenever you can, you all matter, both to yourselves, and someone else.

So, having said that, let’s start my return to this blog with the eulogy I read at her funeral. Jennifer Pfitzer LaRocca, 1972 – 2024. May she rest in peace, and thank you to everyone who touched her life.

Good afternoon. I look out at our family and friends, and I thank you all for being here. We are here to celebrate the life of Jennifer LaRocca, nee Pfitzer, beloved daughter of Ken and Jean, watched over by her Aunt Betty and Grandmother, Rose, wife, and devoted mother of Joseph and Amanda. I say "to celebrate," but I know many of us don't feel like celebrating right now. One of the wisest statements I ever heard came from my cousin, who is a deacon. When my grandfather passed away, long ago, my grandmother said to him, 'I'm so mad at God right now!" And he just shrugged and said, "Eh, go ahead. He's a big God - he can take it!"

And that's the pain we’re going through. We feel sadness, confusion, and even anger at our loss. But the important thing to remember - and yes, I stole this right out of Eulogies for Dummies - the important thing to remember is that it's OUR loss That's why we're sad, for ourselves, because we miss her. But we also need to remember to be happy. Because, right now, Jennifer is in a place where there are no hurts, physical or emotional, no fears, and no sickness, only happiness, peace and joy. A place where she can dance, jump, and play in a way she hadn't been able to for a long, long time.

We all see the world through our own lenses. My children are sad they can't play video games with her anymore. I tell them that she's in a place where there is no lag, where she can play RPGs we can't even imagine at infinite resolutions, with ray tracing beyond our wildest dreams. Now, some of you are looking at me, and thinking, "Why is he talking about video games?" Well, the reason is, it was one of her ways of spending time with her children. Time is the most precious thing one person can ever give another because no amount of money can buy one second back. And Jen always made time for her children. And it wasn't just playing games or laughing over videos. Whenever they were hurting, she would stop whatever she was doing, and listen. Maybe she wasn't always able to solve their problems or give them the answers they wanted, but they always came away feeling heard, loved, and most importantly, knowing they mattered. She chose to help others and taught her children to do the same.

Some say that Social Media is a blight upon the land – and they’re right! But In the past few weeks, I've received texts and emails from Jennifer’s friends around the world. And the one quality every one mentions, that also stands out in all of my memories, was her capacity for kindness. She had no meanness. We all know people who trash talk others, who say nice things to their faces and then say something mean behind their backs, to try and fit in, or make themselves look better.  But Jen wasn't like that. She didn’t step on others to try and make herself more popular. She didn't have a mean bone in her body. She didn't find meanness funny either. Even in TV shows or movies, jokes that were mean-spirited or unkind always made her angry on behalf of the victim. That's the kind of person she was.

She was shy, but she was also fun. She loved to share music with her children. Music which, as Amanda reminded me when we were picking out hymns for this service, isn't exactly liturgical. She would often take Joe to concerts. You'd never catch her singing in public - but the three of them would sing together, sometimes in the car, or around the apartment. And it would always make me smile.

See, that's another reason for us to be happy. Not just for where she is now, but for the memories she gave us of the times we were lucky enough to spend with her. And more than anything, she would want that happiness for each of us.

I'll wrap this up by saying that some of you have sent Mass cards, which detail perpetual prayers for Jennifer's soul. Again, I thank you all for your love and kindness. But - and I hope I'm forgiven for my presumptuousness here - when Jennifer met Jesus a few weeks ago, I have no doubt that he saw right away that she was someone who would give food to those who were hungry, water to those who were thirsty, and if they were cold, would always give them her coat.
Again, I thank you.

TTFN

-Tony