Eisenhower's Opinion of Robert E. Lee & the 2024 Vote

[Editor’s Note: This is the latest edition of Tick’s Notes and Tunes. It is a transcript of a fictional radio broadcast with direct links to the tunes being played. The transcript is in 3 parts.

(1.)The first is the first half of a transcript of the radio broadcast with tune links; (2.) The Editorial: (which normally deals with the subject in the title of this post) Today it’s about Eisenhower’s Opinion of Robert E. Lee and thoughts about the 2024 Vote ; and (3.) The second half of the radio broadcast with tune links.

The purpose of this blog is to discuss, enlighten and educate the reader about relevant political, economic and business matters and to help maintain both a record and an appreciation for good old man-made music before AI makes man and real music a mere afterthought. ]

Hey America

And whoever else may be listenin’

I was lookin’ for a tune to start us off with a flash

And as luck would have it

this is the first tune I landed first

And it’s just so great I can’t resist…

https://youtu.be/rNS6D4hSQdA?si=uAxGdSM0q9O8bO-G

That of course was Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

Is there anyone any better?

And That for younger folks who may not know

was “Track of My Tears”

Folks our Assistant Executive Producer of Everything

Has just informed me that she needs

To get home early tonight to take care of

Somethin’ or other

So we’re gonna let her out of her early

Now normally we play Suzi’s garage specials

In the second half of the show

But tonight we’re gonna make an exception

And play two delicious morsel from the garage

Now so she can do what she’s gotta do.

So to finish the first half of tonight’s show

We’ve got two tunes

First up are the Raves with

Don’t Chop Down My Tree

https://youtu.be/a3p15ERs9lI?si=pW2jwUrGFS0HmpzB

I think the guyz out there will definitely recognize our next

Group. At this point they need no introduction on DJ Ltd

https://youtu.be/mEV-jiwrU2k?si=unojYjKw6vK8NVx0

Wow! That’s all I can say

That’s all anyone can say

Wow!

You’ll have to pardon me

I may need some quiet time after that

Zombie gal is just so so so sizzling

And the other guys in that bad are just tops too

Whatever their names are…

That was, I think, Messer Chups playing

Under the alias

The Invisible Surfers

Doing a tune

That was/is called

“Eves Like the Deep Blue Sea

But I’m sure that Dick Dale is clearly smilin’

Well, it’s that time again folks

Trivia time

Meaning

Its time to hear from our station manager

To learn about things big

But usually small….very small

Just kidding…

Take it away Rufus…

————————————————————————————————-

Hey folks. Rufus Coldwater here.

Every American should watch the following video of former President Nixon talking about his rival John Kennedy ,who was often called “Jack” as well the rest of the Kennedy family.

https://youtu.be/d2Zsk9FGhEo?si=nwH2Dee6axYPIwzG

Wasn’t that amazing?. Can you imagine political opponents talking like that about each other today?

I wonder when politicians started being so mean to each other? Late 2015 or maybe 2016 perhaps? I wonder who came on the political scene in 2016?

Here’s another good question: If there was only one spot left in heaven and our two candidates arrived at the Pearly Gates, I wonder who your angel, saint or other religious gatekeeper of choosing would allow in? Is that a relevant question? Dah? Maybe that has something to do with the vital importance of the rule of law. Don’t give me that crap that we are electing President (who has to deal with the rough and tumble and harsh realities of the World) not the next Pope. Anyone who votes for a sleazy character has absolutely no right to gripe about corrupt politicians. And if we acquiesce in electing corrupt politicians to office we will become nothing more than a huge banana republic, Putin’s Russia or a 300 million strong mafia family ruled by thugs. And besides both candidate have advisers. Of course, half of one candidates advisers are either in jail, have done time or have been disbarred.

How did we get this way? But I can’t help to note videos like this next one of Eisenhower. Can you imagine a President saying this today?

https://youtu.be/mOrtOlU8f9Y?si=5zSm_jvGxXOMQnEq

And, I don’t think Ike was thought of as being a racist either. After all, he ordered federal troops into Little Rock Arkansas to enforce a court order to integrate their schools back in 1957.

See https://youtu.be/ZzT5v_ICU6I?si=npkyd5dZz4d25VoY)

Moreover, his views on Lee were fairly widely held, and not just in the South. I can’t help but to think that at least some, if not a substantial portion of the appeal of the alt-right to MAGA folks, and the wannabe Mafiosos out there is caused by militant Wokies and BLM folks attacking traditional White America’s culture heritage. While admittedly some of the values associated with that culture needed to change at least somewhat, too many times the Wokies and BLM have gone overboard, sometimes seemingly out of a sense of sheer spite, in insisting upon and implementing that change, often vilifying White American heroes in the process, particularly Southerners. But this is all a complicated subject. All I’ll say is that its very destabilizing when the minority and their allies force the majority of any society to change their cultural attitudes. It’s not practical politics and frankly it’s dangerous. Backlash is guaranteed and I think that’s what we’re seeing right now.

And then of course, there’s the border. But boots on the ground down there have indicated that in recent months things have in fact stabilized quite a bit. Nevertheless, immigrants should realize that not learning the English language, having their own radio stations, stores etc., while seemingly innocent enough becomes quite disquieting at some point, especially when in the last decade or so, the U.S. has found itself overrun with tens of millions of new residents. Enough to make up a whole new state. It’s scary.

In any event, despite what the Republicans say the economy is good. Now hear me out. Unemployment is very low. Interest rates are very reasonable and importantly inflation is way down. Down so far that the Federal Reserve finally reduced the Federal Funds rate a week or so ago. To the naysayers, I would point out something I was told a long time ago by my economics professor. He said, “ prices are always sticky for most commodities.” In other words, once they go up they don’t usually come back down regardless of who is in office. And this is, in fact, true for almost everything you try to buy except perhaps gasoline whose prices do bounce up and down especially when oil supplies become “iffy”. But the fact of the matter is that current inflation is under 3 percent. And, the inflation that we did have was largely caused by external factors such as Covid, the war in Ukraine, sour relations with Russia, China and the Middle Eastern conflict, which interrupted the supply of everything from wheat for bread to microchips. (Naturally, the size of the federal deficit has had some effect on the inflation rate, however, a lot of the deficit is traceable back to the financial crisis of 2008.) In any event, if you disrupt the supply of anything it causes an increase in its price. And again this is true regardless of who is in office. The true problem now is that with prices being sticky, wages have to increase to catch up with the level of prices caused by things that have either already occurred or that are now being caused by external foreign events. Hence, the trend right now to see folks wanting to go on strike for higher wages to catch up with those higher sticky prices we now all pay. In short any economic pain being felt right now by consumers is not because of current inflation but because of the inflation that occurred in the past.

Meanwhile Donald T wants us to become an isolationist country and would very much like to leave NATO, which along with the U.S. has been largely responsible for maintaining world order ever since the end of World War II. His buddy Putin and Xi I’m sure would just love that. For them that’s a dream come true. The dissolution of NATO would be a national security disaster of tectonic proportions. I simply cannot believe a Republican, would be taking Donald T’s position on foreign policy and NATO membership. If we become isolationist the Russians will gain influence if not practical control -over all of Europe. Taiwan will fall to Peking and the Chinese will have their new aircraft carriers parked off the coast of Los Angeles and Russians submarines submerged under the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge. The Republican party is now run by people who never went to history or government class but instead spent all their time smoking who-knows-what in the boy’s room. And any traditional Republican (pre-Trump) will tell you (correctly) that the tariffs that Donald T proposes are inflationary, and if David Ricardo and Adam Smith (former historical stalwarts of free trade Republican philosophy). are correct, Trump’s tariffs would weaken any potential for future growth in future GDP. And all of this newfound Republican philosophy is based on antiquated beliefs that were in vogue hundreds of years ago.

What started out as a bad reaction to NAFTA and free trade twenty years ago by mostly blue collar workers has morphed into cultural war over immigration and the perceived loss of White control over American governance, politics and culture. And, the MAGA Republicans have decided to make a deal with the devil himself to get their country back, even though they haven’t really lost it (if they were smart enough to nominate moderate pragmatists), and even though going back as Trump envisions it, is extraordinarily bad policy. It is nothing short of a right wing take over of the soul of America by a few hard right wing oligarchs. No, White folks are just too divided to stay cool and govern rationally instead of out of the fear fanned by the flames of the Antichrist himself. I very much see it this way and I’m not even religious. It’s just amazing how a reasoned and balanced approach can often provide an insight into faith itself.

Well, I see I’m out of time just as I’m getting out of line. So, I guess I’ll go. Thanks for listening everyone.

This is Rufus Coldwater.

—————————————————————————————————————

Thanks Rufus.

That’s one Helluva lot to think about, for sure!

And I really do appreciate that you are so fair and balanced.

Yuck Yuck

Okay folks…here’s a group

That we’ve played a few times now

Yes, yinz can count us as big fans of this group

They’re From across the pond

And we play ‘em

Because

They don’t suck

They do their job

Boy do they and

They are simply great

Here once again

are the Hawkmen

With a tune that’s sure to please

Love is Blind

https://youtu.be/zAUnFTZrC2Y?si=dodoXUmI1fyJmUWd

You’ve Got a Friend might be the tune

Most folks would come up with

If you asked them to name

One song by our next artists

But to me, this next song tune

Is what I think of

When I think of the

One and only

Former hubby of

Carly Simon

I really shouldn’t say that

Because both he and Carly

Probably get sick of hearing that

So, I guess I’m just sayin’ it for the youngsters out there.

Anyway here’s

The man with the velvety voice

That’s just made to ease and please

Here’s James Taylor

With

Handyman

https://youtu.be/S_lDP67LwoY?si=RWRIF5HNVTgehO2U

Well, it’s that time again

Buck’s just a poundin’ on the control room window

Screamin’ cut cut cut….meanin’

Time to wrap it up

And so we will, with a cover of a cover

All Yinz seniors out there will remember this huge hit

For a gal named Little Eva way way back in the early 60s

Then Grand Funk Railroad, had a huge hit covering it

In the 70s

Well, here’s a guy who doesn’t get nearly enough love

When there’s talk of the greats of 70s rock

This guy is not only a great guitar player

But he’s a great singer as well

And in our wrap up tune tonight

He proves that even age can’t hold him down.

To sing and play at the same time

In the range he’s doing it here

Is just a marvel to behold

Here’s the former front man of Grand Funk

Mark Farner

Doin’ Locomotion

https://youtu.be/m1blSlPSVro?si=9SR-P6inxSaYDfro

Well, as Porky Pig would say

tha tha tha tha it folks

aa aa aaa and …

Don’t let the bed bugs bite

Good niiiiyyyiiight !

And Suzi says bye too!

————————————————-

END NOTES:

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