SERIOUS THINKING

     "What hath G-d wrought?" Often asked or verbalized during times of natural disasters, the time has come for us, the humans, to take responsibility for what man hath wrought. We were given a beautiful planet, clean air and water, beautiful vistas, mineral wealth, opportunities to better ourselves and everyone else, yet....look what man hath wrought.
     "For me a picture has to be something pleasant, delightful, and pretty - yes, pretty. There are enough unpleasant things in the world without us producing even more."
                                   Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1841 - 1919
     Renoirs are generally stunning Impressionist art, adding beauty and meaning to life. But the 'art' of mankind in general has not always fulfilled that mission, to create something pleasant, something pretty, to contemplate, to take pride in and of, has it? Just looking at the vistas of the world in general, what have we done? Nor does it matter where or when, for every country has treated  its natural environments as a continuously running feature that does not need care, and that in fact, can repair itself. We are learning otherwise.
     But nothing can compare to the ugliness of us, what we have done to others, to ourselves. We have slaughtered by the millions, mistreated millions more, nor does this seem to be lessening in any meaningful way today. Stick a pin in a map or the world, spin the globe and stop it on a whim and I bet there will be a war or rebellion or oppressive government or all, in that spot. Such is what man hath wrought.
     We can help other countries, but we can better help ourselves first if we are to encourage others to do the same. Up until recently, that was our role in the life of the world. We have abdicated that role, given up the throne, so to speak, and ceded it to bullies, both here and in the world. Trump and minions, Putin, Orbach, Duterte, Assad, Erdogan, rulers of African countries and Caribbean isles far too often - there is no lack of names to list here. So why? Why do we do this?
     There is a painting by Gaugin, I believe in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, done during his Tahiti years, that has an intriguing name. "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" If we, mankind, could only answer those questions correctly, we would, as the jargon goes, be 'in like Flynn'.
     But instead we have gone backwards. We now have threats emanating on an almost daily basis from any number of countries. Take your choice. North Korea. China. Russia. Iran. Tiny little countries who are emboldened by the behavior of the big guys. And in our country, why we bully the 'others', those we deem lesser, of no true import to our lives. So we have a president who tantrums as a toddler, except they are much cuter and learn to improve their behavior. He does not, certainly is not cute, and grows ever more demented in his behavior and mannerisms. Yesterday he was channeling our old foe, Khruschev, who also thought  banging on a table was the way to get his way. It was not.
     And in the meanwhile, there are millions of people suffering from Trump's madness, his ugliness of soul and heart. So he who can 'relate' to them, he who would get hundreds of millions of nut saving money from his father has had his agencies send out advice to the employees who are receiving no paycheck, and who are seeing their homes in danger, their children deprived of food, debts going unpaid, rent unpaid, car loans unpaid - so babysit, they are told, have garage sales, walk  dogs - I can just about contain the nausea in my soul at this cold advice, this uncaring advice, but what can one expect when a sociopath runs the country? When the Senators of his supposed shared political party do not have the courage, the honor, the honesty, the caring, to turn away from him? This is certainly a picture painting the ugliness of our souls here today in America.
     So our government, the one which is supposed to represent us, to strive for our good, now threatens to go into court to take the land away from landowners in Texas for that damned wall. We give a farm bailout because of the destructive tariffs of Tariff Man and where does it go - to a company owned by Brazil!!! Oh yeah, he loves Americans, does he not?!
     Graham has turned out to be a creep. Others have joined him or are showcasing their lack of morality and care, and the shutdown goes on. Pretty picture this is not!
     Perhaps we need to turn to art to find our true place in life, our true purpose here on this earth. "Truth is beauty and beauty truth." Remember that? How many essays did we have to write based on that statement? Did anything sink in or have we descended to that bottom level of hell where it seems that perversion and beer loving traits are the best recommendations for a Supreme Court Justice? Where a tax fraud and a severely challenged man gets to run the asylum? Where we simply do not care for each other, not as people, not as Americans, not as anything?
     Serious thinking is called for and immediately. Time is running out and I shudder to look ahead even two more years of this man and his debilitating effect on our morality as a nation. I shudder to think what will be if the Democrats cannot find their inner strength and pull together as one, united behind a good, no, great candidate and no - not Biden or Sanders - something or someone new, who can generate enthusiasm and hope. Serious thinking on call here, folks - from us and our representatives. Hound them till they realize that too. Otherwise, well, the picture ain't pretty!