In Times of Crisis, the Truth Always Seems to Vanish

By Roy Ortega 

"The first casualty in war is truth." - Sen. Hiram Johnson (R), California, 1918

In a time of crisis, where do you go to hear the truth? Government leaders, most notably our current president, are some of the most prolific liars in the universe. Putting your trust in their words is mostly an exercise in frustration and futility. Much of our media are severely compromised by their allegiance to the bottom line, not the truth. Purveyors of honest, unbiased journalism are hard to find.

With a coming war that could easily spiral into a planet-ending nuclear conflagration, where can you go to find intelligent, truthful information that can help you make decisions about your own life?

Truth and Honesty Disappear

As I sit here writing these words, the U.S. is exchanging bomb-a-grams with one of its longest-existing world foes, the Islamic Republic of Iran. When the president of the United States stood before the American people to announce his "successful" bombing raid on Iran's nuclear facilities, I knew instinctively he was lying. Why? Because the objective, historical record shows he lies and lies a lot. Also, this president doesn't seem to understand that there is no such thing as "success" in war. War, by nature, is failure. True to form, the Iranians quickly responded by saying that the bombed facilities were largely undamaged and that their nuclear program is still intact. I don't know if the Iranians are lying or not, but there is a long history of strife and hostility between both countries that taints the veracity of both their claims.

So, Who is Telling the Truth?

As a former journalist who spent his fair share of time in the news trenches, my default position in a time of world and national crisis always tends to fall on the cynical side. That's a hard position for me because I am not a cynical person. I want to believe in the honesty and good nature of people, but experience has taught me to question everything that needs to be questioned.

History and Precedent

So, back to the main question I have raised: How do you know who is telling the truth about this ungodly war our country is about to wage?

My answer is this: Take the time to learn and understand history and precedent. Use your knowledge and understanding of the big picture of events before deciding if someone is offering truth or spitting total fabrication. Your learned perspective should be based on your ability to think critically. Seek multiple sources, especially those with a known history of honest journalism. Never take the word of a known liar.

Roy Ortega may be reached by email at rortega54@elp.rr.com

Links:

Where to find the truth? - Robert Reich

The More I Retreat from Religion, the More I Understand It

By Roy Ortega

I have spent most of my adult life trying to understand why religion exists. I haven't found many answers inside religion. Getting closer to religion has always led me to more questions. But the further I have stepped back from religion, the clearer I have understood why humans are drawn to it. 

I don't recommend everyone watch the following video. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind. I only offer it to show how I tend to view things. 

 Video: Why Religions Were Created

Roy Ortega may be reached at rortega54@elp.rr.com. All comments are welcome. 

Trump is Destroying America's Elder Population

 By Roy Ortega 

I am heartsick watching my fellow retirees facing this awful, cataclysmic, life-changing period of our history. Trump is killing us. I don't mean that rhetorically. I mean it literally.

Social Security at Risk

As a Baby Boomer I am reminded of the sacrifices made by my parent's generation to defeat a soulless, hateful demagogue named Adolph Hitler.

I am shocked, sick, tired and fed up with the rise of still another evil dictatorship. This time, it is happening in our lifetime and in our own country, no less.

If you can't see the close parallels between 1930s Germany and today's Trump world, you weren't paying attention in history class.

Prior to WWII, Hitler set out to rid society of those whom he deemed useless and an unnecessary burden on the country's economy. It included all racial and ethnic minorities, the physically disabled, the mentally incapacitated and, to no one's surprise, the elder population.

Unless Americans rise quickly against Trump's tyranny, many American senior citizens will find themselves homeless, destitute and without medical resources. No Medicare, no Medicaid, and worse, no Social Security. This isn't alarmist thinking. It is a reality we are facing at this moment. It stands to reason that without these critical resources, almost all earned over a lifetime, scores of American senior citizens will be left to fend for themselves. Many will die penniless and alone. If this doesn't sound like Hitler Germany to you, you are not human.

Our Story

By the time Jo Anne and I retired in 2017, we had spent the previous decade planning the path we would take to ensure a smooth transition into our golden years. But it wasn't easy. Stashing money into our retirement accounts was difficult as we both worked to build our careers and raise three sons, all the while paying a mortgage, credit cards, car payments and utilities. Our modest incomes never allowed us to splurge on vacations or fun-filled diversions of any kind, but we still managed to take the boys on yearly Spring Break jaunts to such "exotic" places like the Grand Canyon, the Gulf Coast and even Las Vegas.

The worst financial hit we ever took was following the 2008 recession when we saw my 401k account

diminish in value by 40-percent. Republican President George W. Bush's economic policies created a nightmare scenario that left many of us wondering if we would ever be able to retire comfortably. My 401k had been humming along quite nicely until the 2008 recession hit. The impact was followed by a job loss and near financial ruin - two topics I'd rather not remember much less talk about.

But we didn't panic. We were still 10-years away from retirement and figured we had plenty of time to recover. It took eight years to recoup the losses from our retirement fund. Somehow, we managed to recover well enough to retire comfortably in 2017.

Big Trouble Ahead

Today's retiring class will not likely be so lucky, if you can call it that. As of this writing, 401k savings are diminishing by double-digit levels every day with little or no prospect of recovery any time soon.

The deliberate trashing of our economy at the hands of a corrupt, ignorant and morally bankrupt president combined with his effort to eliminate all social programs will surely destroy what little we have left to support ourselves in our waning years. Everything we own and worked so hard to build over a lifetime is now in jeopardy. There is no rational explanation for any of this. None.

Only the whims and prejudices of one man. ONE MAN.

Roy Ortega may be reached at rortega54@elp.rr.com. All comments will be read.

Useful links:

Four Threats To Social Security From Trump Policies

Social Security Checks In Danger? What To Do | Investor's Business Daily

Trump Administration and DOGE Eliminate Staff Who Help Older Adults and People With Disabilities - Medicare Rights Center

The Russians Are Still the Bad Guys

 By Roy Ortega

For many of us who lived through the Cold War, the Russians are still the bad guys. It is totally inconceivable to us that our current government has chosen to side with a country that literally wanted to wipe us off the face of the earth. 

Photo Credit: Reuters

In the 1950s, 60s 70s and 80s, the Soviet Union was our enemy. The Soviets had a clearly defined goal of spreading their communist ideology to the rest of the world. It started with the Russian victory over Germany in World War II and continued into the post-war era. It was the basis for the wars in Korea and Vietnam. In more recent history, Russian expansion was abundantly evident with the annexation of Crimea and the current war in Ukraine. Nothing has changed in the last 70-years to convince us that the true goals of the Russians have really shifted to our favor. To the contrary. 

The motives of the current Russian leadership are no less dastardly today than they were when they aimed their nuclear missiles at our cities from launch sites in Cuba. In October of 1962, we came within hours of wiping each other out in what could have resulted in "mutual assured" destruction. For us boomers, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a seminal event in our lives along with the Kennedy assassination and the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Boomer Children and the Cold War

Today's boomers were children during the Cold War. The stories of Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev slamming his shoe on the podium and the frightening quotes attributed to him - "...we will bury you" - remain permanently etched into our minds. The fears, worries and anxieties expressed by our parents filtered down to us in ways that haunt us to this day. In school, the daily drills included the infamous "duck and cover" instructions in the event of a nuclear strike.  

Duck and Cover Drill

I remember this time in history very well. My siblings and I sat on the front stoop of our house one October day waiting for our dad to come home from work. In 1962, I was 9-years old. At the time, my dad was an Air Force reservist assigned to an air transport unit at nearby Randolph Field. As he pulled into the driveway, my dad could see the worried look on our faces. Moments earlier, we had been sitting in front of our black and white TV set when a news bulletin interrupted our afternoon cartoon show. On the screen appeared CBS newsman Walter Cronkite

Walter Cronkite

informing the world that a nuclear strike was a real possibility. At our age, we only understood the sense of fear that had suddenly gripped our community. Our city, San Antonio, Texas, was high on the list of targets due to a large presence of military installations. I vividly remember my dad's calming assurances that no matter what happened, he would be there to protect us from any harm. 

The Russian Goal Remains

Long ago, the Russians openly vowed to dominate and control us. Their actions since then have proven repeatedly that they still intend to fulfill their goal of expanding their sphere of influence and dominance to as much of the world as possible. Vladimir Putin has stated many times he longs for a return to the former Soviet Union's prominence on the world stage. In Donald J. Trump, Putin knows he has the perfect dupe to help him achieve his goal. 

Roy Ortega may be reached at rortega54@elp.rr.com

Links:

Cuban Missile Crisis | JFK Library

cronkite and cuban missile crisis - Google Search 

Cuban missile crisis | History, Facts, & Significance | Britannica

Fact: America's Southern Border is Extraordinarily Well-Protected

By Roy Ortega

Talk of a "national emergency" that requires a deployment of U.S. troops to the southern border is idiotic and completely misguided. There is no national security crisis on the border. Contrary to what right-wing politicians and conservative media pundits say, there are no massive waves of desperate, wild-eyed immigrants looting, raping, pillaging and terrorizing our border communities. It's just not happening.

Here is one fact you will not see on the right-wing media: The U.S. border with Mexico is extraordinarily secure and well-defended. It has been since the mid 1800s. There are currently more than 220,000 U.S. Border Patrol officers, Customs agents, local police, Sheriff's officers and military personnel already protecting the entire 1,254-mile stretch of border with Mexico.

Here are more facts: Within 50-miles of the border from Texas to California, there are numerous military installations providing a wide range of defense-related activities.

Here is the breakdown:

-20,000 Border Patrol officers assigned to the border.

-5,000 Local police, sheriff's officers and state troopers on the border every day.

-38,000 active-duty personnel at Fort Bliss, (El Paso, Texas).

-21,000 active-duty personnel at Holloman AFB (Alamogordo, New Mexico).

-11,000 active-duty personnel at Davis Monthan AFB (Tucson, Arizona).

-5,680 active-duty personnel at Fort Huachuca (Arizona).

-14,000 active-duty personnel at Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma
(Yuma, Arizona).

-115,000 active-duty Navy, Marine and Coast Guard personnel, (San Diego, California).

The notion that America is under siege by foreign immigrants is a complete fabrication and intended solely as a ploy by partisan politicians to keep Americans in a state of fear and worry. Folks, there is no national security threat on the border that existing resources cannot handle. None. Sending more troops to the border to deal with this imaginary crisis makes no sense. It is a total waste of money and clearly intended as a PR boost for the new president's "tough guy" image.

Links:

Active Duty Military Installations | Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott

Military-Posts-on-the-Border-1.pdf

Roy Ortega may be reached at rortega54@elp.rr.com. All comments are welcome.

Help from Above - S.V. Ortega and The Blizzard of 1949

 By Roy Ortega 

No one expected a storm of such calamitous proportions. The year 1949 began ordinarily with little or no 

 S.V. Ortega Aboard an
Air Force C-46

fanfare. But only two days into the new year, one of the most powerful weather events ever recorded mercilessly ravaged the country. 

Arctic Blast

Most Americans had already settled back into their normal lives following World War II. Sgt. S.V. Ortega had returned home from post-war duties with the U.S. Army in Germany two years prior and waited for new adventures in the newly minted United States Air Force.   

S.V. Ortega Prepares for 
Air Drop over Oklahoma

At Randolph Air Force Base near San Antonio, Texas, Ortega spent most of his duty time training for his role as a reserve maintenance specialist and loadmaster aboard a C-46 Skytrain cargo plane. The plane was attached to the 4th Air Force Reserve Region at Randolph. Like everyone else in Texas, Ortega paid little or no attention to the massive Arctic winter storm gathering strength in Northwestern Canada thousands of miles away. 

Blizzard of the Century

According to National Weather Service records, the first in a series of snowstorms made its appearance

in North Dakota on the morning of January 2, 1949. As the storm approached the Texas-Oklahoma area, residents began to worry. "The wind kept getting stronger and the snow heavier as the day went on, and by evening the blizzard was at its full fury," said Oklahoma resident Helen Sides. By the time it was over six weeks later, the entire length of the country from Northern California to the Southeastern U.S. had been buried in mounds of snow and ice. Cities

were choked with snowbanks as high as 40-feet and traffic came to a standstill. Even the City of Los Angeles received several inches of snow, a strange rarity for residents. In the rural areas of the Midwest, farmers and ranchers struggled mightily to keep their stranded livestock fed. Emergency announcements for assistance rang throughout the country. Nothing moved for days. 

Help from Above

Ortega aboard a 
C-46 Cargo Plane

At Randolph where the weather remained relatively calm, Ortega and the crew of his plane were ordered to begin preparations for air drop operations over North Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona. Operation Hayride/Haylift was about to commence. A call had gone out earlier for tons of supplies, equipment and bales of hay for stranded cattle. "We loaded up all of the materials and flew north," said Ortega. "But when we arrived in the area of operations, we couldn't find the exact location of the livestock." Ortega said the crew was forced to push hay bales out, not knowing if the cattle could reach them. They learned later that their drops had in fact hit their target. 

According to Air Force archives, a total of 40-humanitarian Airlift operations and 23-hay bale sorties

were flown over a five-county area of the Texas Panhandle in just one day.

Headlines across the country lauded the success of the Air Force air drop operations during the 1949 Blizzard. Historically, these operations were seen as the government's solid commitment to providing humanitarian relief in times of critical disasters, a commitment that continues to this day. 

During his life, Ortega often expressed his pride in the role he played in helping snowbound residents overcome the effects of the powerful Blizzard of 1949. 

Roy Ortega may be reached at rortega54@elp.rr.com. All comments are welcome.

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Links:

vol-29-no-4-its-going-down-in-history.pdf

BlizzardOf1949-WPark.pdf

January 1949 Blizzard

Blizzard of 1949 - Nebraska State Historical Society

The Worst Blizzard In Utah Ever Happened In 1949

What America learned from the sweeping Great Plains blizzards of 1949 | News | buffalobulletin.com

Religion. Again.

 By Roy Ortega

As a non-religious person, I am often asked to explain why I choose to be an atheist. I feel compelled once again to clarify my position. I have never said I was an atheist. True, I don't believe in religion. I parted ways with Christianity (and all religion) almost three decades ago. But does that make me an atheist? You tell me. How do you define the word "atheist?"  

If you ask me if I believe in God, well, that's another discussion altogether. My answer is that I don't know if God exists. No one alive knows. But many people do believe there's a god and that's fine. That's what we call faith. People are free to believe whatever they want as long as they don't harm anyone else. Most of the religious folks in my friend and family circle are good and decent people. Sadly, the history of religion is full of violence and acts of unspeakable cruelty against others, especially against non-believers.   

But please allow me to dispel some misconceptions about being a non-believer:

• I don't hate your god.
• I don't worship a devil or a devilish figure.
• I don't lack faith in humanity. To the contrary.
• I don't eat babies.
• I don't have any shortage of love, caring and compassion for others.
• I don't lack morality. My moral compass points in the right direction.
• I don't feel something is missing from my life.
• I don't lack spirituality. My spirituality is strong and fully intact.
• I don't wish harm on anyone.
• I don't believe we came from nothing.
• I don't denigrate good religious people.
• I don't think your holy book (Bible) is a bad book, necessarily. There are a few good things in it. 
• I don't dismiss the Book of Deuteronomy, either. But others need it more than I do.  
• I don't believe I am doomed to hellfire and damnation for not believing as you do.
• I don't spend much of my time thinking about what happens when my life is over.
• I don't feel offended if you pray for me. It tells me you're thinking of me, and I deeply appreciate it.

I hope this clears up a few things about non-religious people like me. 

Roy Ortega may be reached at rortega54@elp.rr.com. Your comments, criticisms and praises are welcome.