Author Archive

Words of wisdom from George Washington by Chris Harper

Posted: May 21, 2024 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
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By Christopher Harper

In my successful efforts this week to avoid the nattering nabobs of negatism, I

turned to American historian Joseph Ellis, the author of a wonderful 2001 book

about the revolution.

In eloquent and thoughtful chapters, he explores important episodes about

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton,

James Madison, Ben Franklin, and John and Abigail Adams.

An exploration of Washington’s Farewell Address swept me away from the

bickering of talking heads and ignorant “experts.”

In 1796, Washington had decided to retire after two terms as president. But he

wanted to leave the country and the government with some wisdom before his

departure to Mount Vernon.

As Ellis notes, Washington makes three important points:

–Political parties may do more damage than good to the country.

“They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force;

to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a

small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to

the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration

the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than

the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels

and modified by mutual interests.”

Washington’s concerns were on the mark. Within months after Washington’s

retirement, the government became divided between the Federalists and the

Republicans.

A primer on Palestinian groups

Posted: May 14, 2024 by chrisharper in Uncategorized

By Christopher Harper

Many pro-Palestinian demonstrators know little about the history of the Middle East. Here is a basic primer on the conflict between Israel and Palestinians:

Q. What was the Balfour Declaration and its importance in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians?

A. The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during the First World War. It announced its support for establishing a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, then an Ottoman region. The declaration was in a letter from the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community in Great Britain and Ireland.

Q.  What is the Palestinian definition of the “occupied territories”?

A. The Occupied Territories, which include the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, are subject to the jurisdiction of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, with the division of responsibilities overlapping in much of the territory

Q. What are the main points of United Nations Resolutions 242 and 338?

A. United Nations Security Council Resolutions were passed (respectively) in the aftermaths of the 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli wars.

Resolution 242 (reaffirmed in 338) was designed to provide the framework for peace negotiations based on a “land-for-peace” formula and has become the foundation of all subsequent negotiations and peace treaties in the region.

The resolutions called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces “from territories of recent conflict,” an Arab “termination of all claims or states of belligerency,” and a recognition of the State of Israel and its “right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.” The resolution also called for “achieving a just settlement of the refugee problem.”

Q. What does the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” mean?

A. Hamas supports the elimination of Israel.

Q. What is the relationship between Hamas and Iran?

A. Iran provides financial and military support for Hamas.

Q. What is the role of religion in Hamas?

A. Hamas considers itself a movement based on Islam, which is the dominant religion among the Palestinians.

Q. Why did Hamas oppose the role of the Palestinian Authority?

A. Hamas viewed the Palestinian Authority leaders as those who spent most of their lives outside of Israel, while Hamas leaders had fought from inside the country. In late 2017, the Palestinian Authority tried to pressure Hamas into reconciliation by cutting payments for fuel, electricity, and government salaries. However, a preliminary deal between the PA and Hamas failed over disputes about public finance and Hamas’ refusal to demilitarize. In March 2018, an assassination attempt on Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, which the PA blamed on Hamas, doomed prospects for compromise.

Q. Why have Jordan and Egypt refused to allow a Palestinian state within their borders?

A. Both countries consider such a state to be a security threat.

Media’s opening attacks on Trump allies

Posted: May 7, 2024 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
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By Christopher Harper

The media hit squads have launched their opening salvos against two key Trump supporters, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick.

“As the chances that former President Donald Trump will pick South Dakota GOP Gov. Kristi Noem as his running mate are growing, so too is scrutiny over everything from her policy positions to her new teeth,” The Wall Street Journal wrote recently. “Her stance on abortion. Her opposition to TikTok. And most puzzling to many, her decision earlier this month to post a lengthy video on Instagram praising a cosmetic dentistry practice in Texas for fixing her teeth.”

In a recent speech, Noem expressed her exasperation about media stories.  “I mean they’re just attacking me like crazy right now,” Noem said, according to an audio recording obtained by POLITICO. “But listen, that’s a good thing. It’s a good thing because it makes you stronger, and it teaches you really what you’re up against, and it makes you recognize how much they lie, how much they will twist, how much they will manipulate. And you just have to be strong and be happy warriors.”

In a similar assault on a major Trump supporter, The New York Times attacked McCormick, the Republican nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania, a must-win state in the 2024 presidential election.

“David McCormick’s origin story goes something like this: He grew up in rural Pennsylvania, southwest of Scranton. He baled hay, trimmed Christmas trees and otherwise worked on the family’s farm. And from those humble beginnings, he rose to achieve the American dream,” The Times stated. “But interviews in Mr. McCormick’s hometown, as well as a review of public records, news coverage from his childhood and his own words, suggest that he has given a misleading impression about key aspects of his background.”

The McCormick campaign issued a lengthy rebuttal of DaTimes story: “The New York Times has published a story filled with frivolous lies about my childhood. If it weren’t so demeaning to my parents’ lifelong teaching careers and the town. I’m so proud to have been raised in, it might be funny. The simple fact is The New York Times is lying….I knew getting into this race could mean things would get nasty, but it’s sad to see we’ve fallen so far that one of our nation’s oldest papers of record is pushing the Democrats’ baked narrative.”  For more, see https://secure.winred.com/mccormick-pa/nyt-response-email-acs

Noem and McCormick won’t be the last Trump supporters to face increased attention. Unfortunately, It’s a long time until November with plenty of journalistic time and space to fill.

My commencement address

Posted: April 30, 2024 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
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By Christopher Harper

If I were giving a commencement address this year, it would go something like the following:

Graduates:

I want to congratulate you on becoming the least-educated class in recent history.

During the past four years, you have made excuses during COVID for missing class, turning in late assignments, and failing to meet the requirements of many courses. 

You have learned to make excuses or blame someone else for your mistakes.

Since COVID has ended, you have honed your skills for making excuses. 

Then, you decided to protest for much of your senior year.

Fifty-two percent of you will be underemployed a year after graduation, meaning you are working in jobs that don’t require the degrees you earned, according to a recent report by the Burning Glass Institute, which analyzes the job market. Five years out from school, the report said about 88 percent of you who are underemployed will be “severely” underemployed.

Peter McCoy of The Wall Street Journal wrote recently: “Here is a brutal fact for the college class of 2024: There aren’t enough college-level jobs out there for all of you. Some of you will snag them. Others will have to settle for jobs that don’t require a college education. And history shows that many of those who start out in a job that doesn’t require a college education are still toiling in that kind of job a decade later.”

Also, you have amassed an enormous debt to pay for your degree, and it may take decades to pay the money back. 

Nevertheless, the federal government recently decided people don’t have to repay their loans. That’s one of the few upsides you have that others didn’t.

As you head out into the real world, I recommend improving education for your families from the beginning of school through college and beyond. 

Otherwise, my sobering message will be given time and time again. 

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