Interesting question. Who is the person in the title? He is a figure of history, most important in the seemingly eternal division of Ireland and the IRA. He signed a treaty with England to begin a new state, ending the bloodshed. Unfortunately, the IRA split into two factions and warred with their own. Michael Collins died at the age of 31 and the bloodshed continued for decades. Ergo - the question. What if he had lived? I ask does it matter, for he died, his personal charisma and influence died with him, and there is no use sending good minutes and possibilities down the track to the dump, wasting energy on what if and what if not.
It seems to me that is precisely what we have done this past decade. Ever since the poisonous character and true bent of Trump and acolytes came upon the scene, we have wasted precious, fleeting time on those perennials what if and what if not. Who cares. The deeds were done, the destruction ensued, the dangerous path to autocracy was begun, serenaded by their own perverted version of a broken, crooked, lying yellow brick road. We should have learned our lesson from a perusal of past events, but we did not, discounting them, disregarding their import. We could not distinguish between scholarship and understanding, recognition of directional arrows versus fake 'historical' conclusions meant to destroy all that was progress and instead meant a return to dark times.
The question posed thus is how do we know when to study history and when to move on. Simply answered, it is when there are positive results awaiting rather than wishful wistful time wasting, ersatz thinking. It is a clear, very distinct path, often overlooked by those who wish it to remain in hiding and by those who refuse to believe the worst can happen again. As a result - a Dark Ages for that beleaguered nation. Getting out requires strong efforts, meaningful ones that ask not what if, but suggest 'we must'. Hesitancy must be left by the wayside and brave, frank words must be spoken.
Michael Collins died; 31 years old. His what if remains unknown and frankly, unimportant. There was reality, facts, to deal with, to contend with, far more important than words that have no backing or positive force behind them. Interpretations are not facts, are easily disputable, hence often time wasting precisely when time is of the utmost. Sadly, we are coming off such a Dark Ages period, slow to recover sensibility, and are suffering the consequences ensuing from our lack of purpose, focus and truth. Truth.
Truth. Why did it take so long for a responsible media to callout, sing out the truth of Trump. He was never of true caliber for presidential qualification. His truth was that he was a poison, arising from false thinking, from what if thinking, rather than reality-based thoughts and plans. That required courage, clear vision and an understanding of the truth of reality rather than the overwhelming response we had; a plethora of what if he had not been elected, what if Clinton had won, what if, what if, what if. For naught.
We refused to see what was there in plain sight, preferring to seek that little bird of hope whose trilling was sadly so muted as to disappear totally.
The media failed us, by omission and commission. Now, they trumpet justifications, blaring announcements of more indictments of history, call upon the people to act, but they already have. Those of the deluded segment rebelled, posed an insurrectionary threat to this democracy of ours. We, the other segment, have been late to the plate, not always swinging straight and true, full force, often popping off fouls rather than hits. Time to end the slump, for our very existence is at stake.
Others have said it better than I. A retiring from journalism writer used these words. Read them. Internalize them for they represent the truth, the reality now and what awaits us in the future. The choice is ours. The fuel is ours. No more wasteful what if, but rather a what we must accept as truth and necessity and act accordingly.
Democracy is at stake in the midterms. The media must convey that.
“How do you cover a candidate who is effectively anti-democratic? How do you cover a candidate who is running both against whoever the Democratic candidate is but also running against the very democratic system that makes all of this possible?”
Journalists simply can’t allow themselves to be megaphones or stenographers. They have to be dedicated truth-tellers, using clear language, plenty of context and thoughtful framing to get that truth across.
If Trump runs, he will be running “against the very democratic system that makes this all possible.” And he’s bringing the vast bulk of the Republican Party along with him.
We simply have to get it right."
There are those who will favor that broken brick road and those are the ones we must face down, overturn, repair the harm they have inflicted upon this nation, the rights they have endangered, even curtailed and abrogated, the threat to democracy they truly are, the rot within that must be removed and replaced with solid foundations and bracings. Hard work, often unpleasant, but there it is.
As the writer wrote - We simply have to get it right.
The words of Mike Pence, when questioned as to his possible removal of papers, answered - "No, not to my knowledge," he said"
That is garbage. One must know what is going on in one's office; that is the responsibility one assumes when occupying an office. Failure to do so means tragedy for us.
We can and must do better. There is only an ugly alternative boding ill for us and the world in general, including the planet known as Earth, home.
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