Our Eight Book
Struggling for One America, published in America, co-authored with Daphne Barak. It is our eight book, Daphne’s seventh, mine fourth. We have two more co-authored books in the works. One is pop-culture and political. The other is purely political. I have another manuscript, waiting to be printed. It is talking about the demise of America in the hands of non-Americans. Hopefully all three will be published in 2022.
Struggling for One America
Our eight book, Struggling for One America, is the genesis of the “Trump vs Hollywood: The Two White Houses” documentary we co-produced. Daphne conducted interviews with twenty four Hollywood stars and entertainers. They answered questions about racism, divided America, and Trump persona in America.
Struggling for One America book is different from the documentary for two reasons. One, it also talks about two newly naturalized Americans and how they performed their civic duty. As the co-authors of this book, we had to manage lots of variables during the Covid-19 incarcerated months and worked hard to deliver on time.
Two, the book puts into perspective what transpired on election night on November 3rd, 2020 and why the name of the documentary changed. Plus, the ironies in America. Like for example, everyone in the book talked about a problem in America without blaming the other side, meaning in a civilized fashion.
To reflect the fluidity of the problem America is currently facing, the name of the book also went through changes. Originally, it was supposed to be “Fighting” For One America. It ended up becoming “Struggling” For One America. At least one of the co-authors, soon after the book was printed, sought the title should have been: “Struggling America.”
America is Struggling
Come well into 2021, America is for sure struggling. Yet, it has also been struggling for a long time but not many in America were noticing it or did not want to notice it. Until Donald J. Trump became the 45th president, that is. Nonetheless, half of America did not like to be reminded how much America was struggling. Hence, with the help of the rest, they got rid of the 45th president and replaced him with the 46th.
Almost a year into the replacement administration, nothing much changed in America if not to the worse. Internationally, America is pulling back from the Middle East and Central Asia. It has already significantly pulled back from Africa. Next to go is Latin America.
Domestically, the economy was loitering in the misery index all throughout the past 24 years until the 45th president came to the Oval Office. Ever since the 2020 presidential election, the East is rising again full speed, while America is meandering. Bickering continues. As a result, the majority in power is in oblivion across the board.
In the Hands of Democrats
America is struggling in the hands of Democrats. They control the White House, the US Senate, and the US Congress. Two liberal states, California and New York, are also trifecta Democrats. They make up about a quarter of the US economy. Two most populous and wealthiest states failing socio-economically coupled with an inept federal government in the hands of Democrats make up a recipe for disaster.
Recently, a disaster came in the name of Afghanistan. Only a couple months later, the US Congress decided to inquire formally about this international mess. The US generals in charge were summoned and questioned on Capitol Hill. They simply testified that they did what the “bureaucrats” in Wash DC told them to do and their hands were tied.
In other words, in the hands of Democrats, America questioned the Afgan mess and found out that those that were posing the questions were responsible for the mess. If this is not “being in oblivion” what is it? In that sense, it is good that this 117th US Congress does not conduct any other formal inquiries. What if more international mess comes around and blame the members of the US Congress?
In truth, the mess in Nagorno-Karabakh, the shut-down of the F-35 production line, no sale of Patriot missiles are some of the problems no one presently is questioning. It must be noted that they are not the only tip of the iceberg. There are other vitally important military projects that are recently cancelled. Yet, no one in America will notice their socio-economic and politico-military impact until they are too late to fix them.
In the Hands of Republicans
If only two most liberal states in the Union were a little bit more Democratic instead of becoming more and more Autocratic! In the hands of Republicans, at least, they would have had a better economy because of lower taxes and less spending on social programs. Like JFK said it when the economy is in tatters nothing will be right in the Republic.
In the hands of Republicans, California and New York could have had a growing economy. In turn, the sole superpower of the planet could have continued with its economic hegemony for another decade. Instead, rapidly growing China and the rest of rising stars of the East from India to Turkey are now projected to take over more ropes in their hand.
Today, “New Turkey” practically dominates the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. It exerts influence in North Africa, Horn of Africa, a large portion of the Middle East, Central Asia and the Balkans. China on the other hand dominates the South China Sea and is in the final stages of putting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to become fully active.
In the hands of Republicans, together with their Democrat cohorts in the US Senate, America is nowadays struggling. These senators are the ones that passed the CATSA 231 against “New Turkey” and caused the demise of the F-35 and Patriot programs. No one could argue that these US Senators are not to blame for the fast building of the BRI either. They were and still are in power. Hence it must be their doing.
Struggling America Now Competes Against Allies
America once had a hegemony. It was enjoying the good life in prosperity with the Western Alliance partners. Now, America no longer has economic, military and moral leverages to compete against the rising powers of the East. As a result, it must now take on its Western Alliance partners to survive.
For example, recently, America pressured Australia to cancel a ninety billion dollar military order from France. America took that order, instead. France, already frustrated with the loss of client states in Africa and the Middle East, did not expect this back-stabbing from America.
America did a similar coup against its Arab allies too. S. Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, reportedly, did not have access to their investments in America for a while. On top, they are forced to buy more and more military platforms from America. So much so that, with the coming of the Biden Administration, Egypt, S. Arabia and UAE reoriented their foreign policy objectives away from America.
Simply put, struggling America is nowadays eating its friends and it is losing them as fast as well. Where will this end up, no one can tell at this time. First of all, America must become more “Democratic”, meaning less autocratic. For that, Republicans must revisit what they stand for and stop shedding its allies into pieces.
On Second Thought: Struggling For One America
On second thought there is no alternative for Struggling America. Struggling for One America is the only way out. America must struggle to fix morality, economy, and military back to its old glory moments in history. But first, it must also deal with the fourth pillar that made America great in the first place. That is the Free Press. Since it is already dead and buried unlike the other three pillars wounded but recuperating, and there is work to be done.
On that note, we, as co-authors, embarked on a progressive project that may become yet another book but first it has to make an appearance as a useful and effective instrument for this Struggling America. We believe it will.
