You hear over and over again how people wish they had just seen the person they love one more time or done this or that for her before she died On September 18 2022 Sharon left my earthly care for the sweeter embrace of heaven It has now been a full month since her dying but I have not yet come to grips with her being gone although I am grateful that her horrific suffering is at an end I have been chronicling our Alzheimer’s journey for over four years now in The Imaginative Conservative I was in Slovenia when I received a call from the hospice nurse at 2 AM on September 18 I dressed quickly and hurried to the airport and was able to get on a flight home by 7 AM It is far too soon to even consider a time when I might stop cursing myself for not being with her in her last hours and my hands are trembling; I find it hard to breathe I’ve known for over a decade this day would come but I can’t yet imagine a world without Sharon Her death has overwhelmed my heart and broken my spirit I am wrapped in an unbreakable web of regrets I can think of nothing good I did for her for 40 years without effort and nothing bad she ever did without even greater exertion When so many people tell you what a wonderful husband you are you grudgingly accept that they can’t all be lying But you never quite shake the suspicion that they all are fools I take from my wallet a scrap of paper on which Sharon had scribbled a poem a time when her dementia was becoming too apparent to ignore One line I read over and over again: “Overwhelmed by the beauty and promise The burial was October 15 at Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville Sharon’s ashes are buried on a gently sloping hilltop and sacred places for quiet prayer her favorite sanctuary This coming spring I will return to plant dogwood trees I sometimes suspect they are the ultimate cancel culture The real person drowns and disappears in an insipid sugary mix Sharon deserved better than fluff and foam the only effective cure for a sore throat is to chew on raw garlic So I was chewing on a clove of garlic one day when Sharon suddenly grabbed and kissed me She did it so quickly that I didn’t have time to warn her that I was chewing garlic I wanted to warn her because I had grudgingly accepted the sad truth that no matter how much women profess that they love you they inevitably gag and turn away if you try to kiss them with garlic breath But the thing about Sharon was that she didn’t gag at all young woman of 23 didn’t seem to care at all how gross my breath was we were finally realizing that we would soon need to leave each other We were both so sad that I suggested we take a long walk to cheer ourselves up So just as the sun was setting one evening Vincent Millay poems and started reading to her as we walked along “I had you and I have you now no more.” I glanced at her and tears were silently streaming down her face she clung more tightly to my arm and my heart melted even more And then there is the subject of children One of our first dates was babysitting for the infant son of our Foreign Service friends but I think it was Sharon’s favorite date ever And then just before we left for foreign lands and Sharon just adored them—and believe me my nephews are the furthest thing from adorable It was incomprehensible that she adored them and I became completely enthralled with her What else was there to do but spend my life with her Whether it was the destitute children of Manila Sharon always sided with those in need and took care of them Sharon was the most loving person I ever knew but it’s not just her kindness—or brilliance—that defines her So it’s not too surprising that we sometimes found each other irksome Yet many of those traits that I found most irritating One of the first things that attracted me to her was her bizarre inability to flirt she could set a room on fire with her glow I have visited caves that felt less gloomy than a room where she was unhappy but over the decades I came to see it as wonderful because you never had to wonder what Sharon was thinking or feeling In this world of so much contrived affection and fabricated happiness Sharon was something refreshingly rare and genuine One Christmas—we still laugh about it—one of the gifts I gave her was a DVD of what I thought was one of her favorite movies and said “I hate this movie!” On Christmas morning Because when she said she loved you or that she was proud of you or that she would never leave you even though she far exceeded everyone else in almost every category of life She tried damn hard to be perfect—and she nearly was The most interesting thing about this trait was that while she could criticize and complain about most anything She never could neglect anyone—even those who didn’t like her there was something of a direct correlation between how much she criticized someone and how much she loved them her sacrifice for family were endless and ungrudging she was ferocious in defending those she loved a Texas politician in the audience came up to me angrily because she felt my speech had been unpatriotic Such violent expressions of devotion are rare among diplomats I was never more proud; I never felt more loved Sharon also had a strong sense of right and wrong Another of our favorite family stories is about when we visited the Sistine Chapel and a woman in the crowd started taking flash photography but only Sharon spoke up and told her to stop Sharon started to scold the woman in fluent I used to tell her that it is of no use to wage war against every injustice and it is foolish to never be satisfied with how things are We should just accept life as it is and enjoy it To which she would reply that being dissatisfied is the engine of progress and that if people like me ran the world we would still be living in caves and scavenging for food If there remains one thing about Sharon I never could quite understand—and it is a terrible flaw all three of her children and her grandson share—it is her irrational affection for dogs They always calmed her and made her feel better Perhaps because they are such ridiculous creatures she rarely yelled at them and never criticized them Then the last time I visited Sharon was the Tuesday before she passed away I stopped by for an hour to help her eat some brownies I had baked I took her in my arms and gently lifted her from the wheelchair She stumbled forward into me and hugged me her patting of my back was strong and firm I realized that she hadn’t been patting me at all And I laughed to realize that after more than 40 years of trying I had always teased her that if reincarnation were a real thing I would want to come back as her dog in my next lifetime We love people for who they are; we love people despite who they are We may like some things about them and dislike other things This last year was a horrible time for Sharon after I placed her in a nursing home But those years before she went into the nursing home despite being fraught with fear and sorrow We enjoyed every day together: we never fought we said thank you to each other more in those years than in the previous three decades we said please even more often and we held hands and kissed every day I could finally make her laugh and I finally made her happy But ever since she died that same feeling is still there: that same regret that same wish that I just need one more day I don’t think it is ever enough; there is never enough time And I don’t want ever to stop missing her; I don’t want ever to be so happy that I would ever forget missing her I’m left alone with those words of that Edna St Vincent Millay poem: “I had you and I have you now no more.” All comments are moderated and must be civil Comments that are critical of an essay may be approved but comments containing ad hominem criticism of the author will not be published comments containing web links or block quotations are unlikely to be approved Keep in mind that essays represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Imaginative Conservative or its editor or publisher and so relevant to those of us who have experienced losing loved ones to dementia Thank you for sharing this moving and heartfelt essay What a sad and touching tribute to your dear Sharon I know how sad you must be feeling with her gone But rest assured she thrived on your loving care She will always be walking by your side and wouldn’t want to see you sad I found Vera Brittany’s “Testament of Youth” incredibly consoling Although we’re long passed the stage of youth honest grappling with her loss to be the most compelling and comforting portrayal of mourning I’ve ever known I mention it in the hope you might find something in it to help you through these dark days as well for loving sharon so much… and for sharing her with us in friendship and faith… rest in peace dear sharon… God bless the family more and more A heartbreakingly beautiful tribute to the love you shared A beautiful tribute to a shared love story God rest your beautiful Sharon and help you with His grace dealing with her loss Sharon was a wonderful person who will be dearly missed and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" The Imaginative Conservative is sponsored by The Free Enterprise Institute (a U.S Your donation to the Institute in support of The Imaginative Conservative is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law According to Mussomeli's deputy mayor, who helped launch the initiative in 2017, it sparked a total revitalization of the once-underpopulated town, attracting tourists the population gradually dwindled from 25,000 to about 10,000 as residents migrated to the US and other European countries in search of better opportunities This left enough houses to accommodate around 40,000 people but there weren't nearly enough residents to fill them Inspired by one-euro programs elsewhere in the country Mussomeli launched a website aimed at foreigners advertising homes for barely a dollar to American and European investors He told BI that within the first five years almost 300 houses were sold — about 95% of the one-euro home inventory "Now we can see a lot of people from all parts of the world," he said and Spanish speakers now living in the town The program not only revitalized Mussomeli's population, it also triggered a tenfold surge in tourism The COVID-19 pandemic also drew remote workers to the area many of whom decided to stay because of the relaxed pace and low cost of living To accommodate this newfound community, Mussomeli set up its own co-working space The town's recent growth has also attracted substantial investment — tens of millions of euros — from the European Union and the Italian Government These funds are earmarked for new roads and the remodeling of the Old Town's central square "Happy because we have nice people that came here moving to Sicily to tackle its healthcare emergency completes a migratory circle that has been generations in the making When the picturesque hilltop town of Mussomeli started offering abandoned homes for €1 in an attempt to breathe new life into a community grappling with a dwindling population Erica Moscatello felt an immediate pull to the project Moscatello, an Argentinian woman and a distant relative of the guerrilla leader Ernesto “Che” Guevara made the daring choice early in 2021 to uproot her life from Tuscany and relocate with her family to the town of 10,000 people But Moscatello’s initial excitement was hit hard when her son required urgent medical attention. She discovered the local hospital was struggling – the paediatric ward had just shuttered its doors, with the gynaecology and surgery departments following soon after – and, like many hospitals in southern Italy Determined to stop a healthcare crisis in her new home who was the rector at the University of Rosario in Argentina asking whether medical professionals in the South American country would consider starting a new life in Sicily bringing their experience and expertise and saving the threadbare healthcare system in the process View of the town of Mussomeli Photograph: Roberto Salomone/The Guardian“In just a matter of days we received an overwhelming 5,000 applications,” said Moscatello who now works as an ambassador for the Italian confederation of small and medium businesses the field of applicants was whittled down to an initial batch of nine candidates but ultimately scores of Argentinian doctors responded to the call fleeing the economic turmoil at home as inflation hit triple figures for a fresh start In their new homes they were hailed as heroes for helping to keep open medical facilities that would otherwise have been doomed ‘Currently around 99 Argentine doctors are working in Sicily,’ said Erika Moscatello Photograph: Roberto Salomone/The Guardian“After the positive experience in Mussomeli we have continued to receive hundreds of requests from other hospitals,” said Moscatello around 99 Argentine doctors are working in Sicily She said members of the medical teams for the footballers Lionel Messi and the late Diego Maradona had also expressed an interest in coming to work in Italy Alejandro Mario Bertolotti was head of the cardiac and transplant department at Hospital Universitario Fundación Favaloro in Buenos Aires when he read about the scheme in a WhatsApp group chat with former colleagues It came at a time when his family were exhausted by Argentina’s recurrent economic crises “We have struggled so much to overcome them,” he said After discussing it with my wife and four children Bertolotti passed the interview and he and his family arrived in Mussomeli in spring 2023. That year Argentina experienced an annual inflation rate exceeding 100% the first triple-digit figure since the hyperinflation of 1991 and being in Mussomeli made me feel at home,” Bertolotti said Alejandro Bertolotti works in the Maria Immacolata Longo hospital Photograph: Roberto Salomone/The GuardianEthnic Italians and their descendants constitute more than half of Argentina’s population moving to Italy completes a migratory circle that has been generations in the making “When I told my grandmother that I would be [working] in Italy she was moved,” said Francisco Javier Pereyra a general surgeon who worked in a burns unit in Buenos Aires “Her relatives had moved to Argentina from northern Italy.” said: “The economic aspect is certainly one of the reasons that led us to move here there is a healthcare emergency and I wanted to do my part.” Laura Lator Photograph: Roberto Salomone/The GuardianLaura Lator a gastroenterologist surgeon from Buenos Aires “I came from a city of 16 million inhabitants Moving to a city of 10,000 inhabitants was a bit traumatic,” she said and little by little I discovered that the people here in Mussomeli were ready to help us in every way If I needed to take the children to school someone was immediately available to help me.” an Italian who leads the team of Argentine surgeons said the town had welcomed the new arrivals “because these doctors have brought new hope to the people” The move to Italy involved a change in professional culture Argentinian surgeons were not used to personal interaction with their patients but in Italy that was expected “When I saw one of the Argentinian doctors hugging a patient who had just been operated on I understood that integration had been achieved,” Di Lorenzo said Salary-cap legislation imposed over the past two decades to curb public spending has kept salaries low the Covid pandemic was the tipping point and it accelerated an exodus abroad Spending plans published by the Giorgia Meloni government envisage further healthcare cuts the doctor shortage is a visceral political issue with numerous parties calling for the Mussomeli initiative to be replicated in other hospitals and formalised into law Dr Francisco Javier Pereyra (left) Dr Laura Ator and Dr Martin Venturini work at the Maria Immacolata Longo hospital of Mussomeli Photograph: Roberto Salomone/The Guardian“The decision to allow Argentine doctors to fill vacant positions in Mussomeli should be replicated in other areas of the region,” said Luigi Sunseri a regional deputy for the Five Star Movement party “Too many areas in Sicily are deprived of the right to medical care.” Moscatello says the success of the scheme in Sicily has also drawn interest from France and Germany which are struggling with their own doctor shortage But despite their role in keeping healthcare in southern Italy afloat the future of the Argentinian doctors is not assured The Covid emergency decree that allowed them to be hired is due to expire in 2025 Moscatello said: “If their medical degrees are not recognised by the Italian healthcare system all these foreign doctors will be forced to return home, Many moved here to Sicily because the crisis was worsening in their homeland ‘Returning to Italy was like going back to my roots,’ said Alejandro Bertolotti. Photograph: Roberto Salomone/The GuardianFor Bertolotti, it would mean more than simply losing a job. His grandfather had left Italy for Argentina in 1890 to escape destitution in his native Piedmont. “More than a century, I have taken the reverse path,” he said. “Coming back to Italy for me doesn’t mean just improving my life and that of my family. It was like closing the circle of at least three generations of my family. Returning to Italy was like going back to my roots.” Expat who returned 85p property explains why scheme wasn’t right for him I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice There’s more to Italy’s “one euro homes” scheme than just scoring a bargain for less than a pound warns a man who chose to give up his property less than three years into the project Danny McCubbin bought a house in Mussomeli, Sicily in 2019 - but made the decision to return it to the authorities after refurbishment proved too much of a challenge The €1 properties are on sale as part of an Italy-wide initiative to sell off crumbling unused properties in poorly populated towns in a bid to attract new residents and local investment a chef and former marketing professional for Jamie Oliver had originally pitched the idea of buying a €1 house and turning it into a community project as a TV show for Channel 4 “Obviously these towns where you can buy this sort of property aren’t doing so well economically,” he tells The Independent “I’d been going to Italy for 10 years volunteering with a local project He saw 28 potential €1 homes before making his final choice in December 2019, signing up to the terms of the “Case 1 Euro” scheme - which include having to renovate the property within the first three years of ownership delaying his planned move to Sicily for nearly a year and putting the kibosh on the Channel 4 filming project Mr McCubbin had started a crowdfunding campaign to help with the renovations and to set up The Good Kitchen, his proposed community food project. But the delay in moving to Italy slowed the prospect of getting to work on the property, leaving it to fall into further disrepair. Once Mr McCubbin finally did relocate to Sicily in December 2020, Italy’s “super bonus” initiative - involving tax breaks for property buyers - created a shortage of construction workers, making it even harder to get building work started. On top of this, the cost for building materials surged. “These €1 houses often need a huge amount of structural work. You’re not just paying €1 upfront, you’re paying around €3,000 to sort the paperwork,” he says. After the initial outlay, he says, large-scale structural work can run into the tens of thousands. He quickly saw his social enterprise becoming delayed indefinitely by the €1 “dream”. “It wasn’t just the fact that I couldn’t find a builder - the pandemic had a knock-on effect for many industries. My house sat there for a year and I wasn’t able to look after it, to repair the roof,” he reflects. So he began looking at other cheap properties in the Mussomeli area that didn’t need as much structural work, eventually finding an empty shop in the town square. “A lot of people are now buying ‘premium’ houses in towns like this - ones that don’t require a lot of structural work, just cosmetic. While the one €1 project has really been a catalyst to bring people to the town, these are often a better option for people who want to move here,” he explains. In the end, he made the decision to return his €1 home, and instead spent €8,000 (£6,730) on another vacant property which would be easier to renovate quickly and ready to begin using within months. The Mussomeli authorities and the agency who had sold him the home were understanding, he says, as were his crowdfunding investors. He’s since used the funds to train up local staff for The Good Kitchen, which distributes meals to those in food poverty. “There was no drama,” he says. “A young Italian couple have bought the house; I believe he’s turning it into an artist’s studio.” Now he is keen to warn prospective buyers of the difference between a €1 home and a quick fixer-upper. “When you take on a €1 house, you take on a challenge,” he says. “Saying, ‘I’m just going to buy a bargain, renovate it and flip it’ - that doesn’t work. I would say to anyone who’s thinking of doing it - you need to put in effort and time. “Come with a builder, if you can, someone who knows about the potential work needed. “Foreigners make the mistake of coming here and looking at €1 houses that have stunning views, and they neglect to look inside at the structure, or at the street they’re on. Maybe it doesn’t have a community feel, if other houses have been abandoned. “It’s a big decision, not just at €1 - even at €5,000 or €10,000. Get a feel for the place. Don’t be bedazzled by the view - even though the surrounding area is absolutely stunning.” He also warns those who are thinking of buying the properties to start a business: “It’s one thing if you want to move here, start a life here. But I’ve seen B&Bs go broke - €1 houses aren’t always the best scheme for starting a business.” While the initiative didn’t work out for him, he’s pleased that the scheme is bringing expat interest to Italy’s sleepier villages. “It certainly hasn’t been a negative for this town. People are coming to these places to see the €1 houses, but often buying these ‘premium’ houses instead. “It has really been a catalyst to bring people to the town.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"The town of Mussomeli, Sicily","description":"The town of Mussomeli, Sicily","caption":"The town of Mussomeli, Sicily warns man who sold his after two years","description":"Expat who returned 85p property explains why scheme wasn’t right for him We should not try to right one historic wrong by committing a new one After enduring over a century of white racism now the Asian-American community must cope with a more subtle but just as sinister form of liberal racism: the harsh Orwellian reality that in modern America all minorities are equal but some minorities are more equal than others I was about 7 years old when I first heard the phrase My father had taken me to a war movie in which the white commanding officer had died and a black soldier had taken his place I was confused about why some of the troops resented the new commander and wouldn’t obey him that the other soldiers believed that the black soldier “didn’t know his place.” He furthered explained that it is always the person who matters and not the color It was ten years later before I heard that phrase again this time while working one summer in a small office in Camden The two white female employees were whispering about how much they couldn’t stand the third female employee the most competent and intelligent of the three But as he now enters his penultimate year of high school and the mad scramble for university begins at a profoundly racist-driven disadvantage against accepting it because unlike his father youthful kindness that compels him to defend those of his peers who will have an unfair And he doesn’t yet know that this same prejudice against him will only worsen after university when he enters the job market his chances to follow in his parents’ footsteps and join the diplomatic corps will be reduced simply because he is of Asian descent and Asian-Americans are already over-represented in the Foreign Service Each year the iron grip of our developing Libertopia tightens and eventually the government will enforce quotas at schools and the workplace to ensure racial equity We see this developing in New York City where the racialist mayor is trying to manipulate a new scheme to limit the number of Asian-Americans that can enter that city’s best high schools We see it at various Ivy League universities which has strictly limited Asian-American students to only 19% of the student body if decisions were made only on the basis of academic achievement Harvard would have had to tolerate a student body that is 43% Asian-American this enforced equality is increasingly inevitable We have a special high school for many of our more talented students that is named (at least for now) Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology On July 28 The Washington Post in a deceptively crafted editorial called upon Thomas Jefferson to ensure greater numbers of minority students who are currently woefully underrepresented What the editorial fails to mention is that ensuring a greater number of black and Hispanic students will require reducing the number of another “people of color”—Asian-Americans Asian-Americans comprise 73% of the incoming freshman class even though Asian-Americans comprise only about 19% of Fairfax Country’s population A stunning racial imbalance that puts all other racial groups on notice that they are failing to keep up academically those Asian-Americans who harbor misgivings about their success and express support for more diverse diversity Last October The Washington Post ran an op-ed by an Asian-American Harvard graduate who explained why affirmative action and diversity are important objectives and there are even some current Asian-American students at Thomas Jefferson who wring their hands guiltily and support greater diversity at their school But the one thing all these Asian-Americans have in common is that they themselves will not suffer any loss; they have already benefitted from a more objective honest system that they now want to change the Asian-Americans who are loudest in their support for a rigid Procrustean proportioning based upon race and who are racked with a pseudo-self-guilt are those that have already made the cut It will be those Asian-Americans that come after them that will have to sacrifice their futures for the greater good of diversity These proponents of diversity within the Asian-American community would have more credibility if they were to make it personal: give up your acceptance to Harvard or Thomas Jefferson to another less deserving but more diverse applicant their angst and wokeness reek of hypocrisy And what is true in academia is even more true about my former colleagues in the State Department For decades there has been great consternation that not enough minorities (other than Asian-Americans) join the Foreign Service and that currently there are only a small handful of minority ambassadors A large number of white ambassadors are ashamed and even outraged by this none of them would be willing to give up his or her own ambassadorship to make room for a minority ambassador they want future appointees to make the sacrifice to ease their conscience the message to Asian-Americans is clear: Enjoy your fair share You are 5.6 percent of the population so you will get approximately 5.6 percent of the pie regardless the cost and regardless the injustice To dismiss the hard work of one group that has already done far too well is not too great a sacrifice at the sacred altar of diversity Admissions to universities and positions in business and government cannot to be filled merely on the basis of individual merit but rather in accordance with strict notions of racial equity You must not delude yourself into thinking individual worth is more important than group diversity And the first lesson in learning your place is keeping your mouths shut and being grateful that you live in such an open and equitable society All of this is not to say that there shouldn’t be flexibility and reasonableness in the selection of students or in hiring whether that neighborhood is in an inner city or Appalachia who have studied at less wealthy schools or who have come from broken families should get some special consideration to level the playing field But these are all socio-economic factors and not ones that are based on race or ethnicity there are certain subsets of the Asian-American community that would also benefit from taking into consideration various socio-economic factors The Asian-American community is not monolithic—they don’t all attain the same level of academic excellence to make these factors truly fair—and Constitutional—these socio-economic considerations must be colorblind and equal application of socio-economic factors is not the liberal ideal there is a yearning to create a more perfect union in which each group is represented in each university and workplace in rough proportion to its percentage of the population The notion that the individual should take precedence over the group is as unthinkable to the modern liberal as it was to the white racist of past generations liberals are aghast that even natural phenomena like viruses and hurricanes do not make people suffer in perfect proportion to their percentage of the population They do not seem to be fully conscious of the fact that this is a zero-sum situation Each time school standards are lowered or weakened or modified to admit one person When you say a school needs more diversity Are you not at least implicitly saying that Asian-Americans are not unique individuals Are you not saying that they all look alike But this is exactly what we as a nation are striving to do and the Asian-American community is learning a difficult lesson that many do not want to accept now they must cope with a more subtle but just as sinister form of liberal racism They are slowly realizing the harsh Orwellian reality that in modern America all minorities are equal This essay was first published here in August 2020 The featured image is courtesy of Pixabay “Affirmative Action” and whole racial-discriminatory cult that has grown up around it are A violation of the plain language of the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act The Courts should have slapped this policy down the day after Richard Nixon decreed it The entire Big Diversity house-of-cards could be brought down by getting a significant number (25%?) of White & Asian high-school seniors to simply check the “Black” box This would so befoul the database of the Diversicrats their whole exercise would become untenable This is an intentional mischaracterization of affirmative action and similar diversity programs The notion that liberals seek a society in which Black and Brown Americans are given every opportunity due to their race is laughable and ignores the fact that the NUMBER ONE beneficiaries of affirmative action in higher ed are white women legacy admissions are a significantly larger issue in admissions and this system allows hundreds of unqualified children with nothing but a suitable family name and connections to attend the most prestigious institutions this never seems to be an issue the conservatives worry about I wonder if it’s because their supporters and donors benefit from it consistently I understand that White Americans – specifically those in elite positions – benefit from Asian Americans thinking other People of Color are the villains here thank you for writing this essay because I was able to use it as an excellent example of how deeply affirmative action is misunderstood in this country for a class paper Krishna,for taking the time to share your views I’m flattered you will use my essay in your class even if in so doing you will woefully misrepresent my views and political philosophy In a different essay published in this same online publication I wrote the following: “But the Right is really no better As was once wryly observed about a certain member of the Bush family: “He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple.” Many on the Right are deluded if they think employment and education opportunity are based solely on intellect One significant example is the policy of legacy admissions (which unfairly benefit as many on the Left as on the Right) which remain shamefully and unjustifiably high among America’s top universities And beyond legacies is the glaringly obvious unfairness that those students of any race and gender who come from wealthier backgrounds and live in better school districts will generally have better grades and higher test scores deserves some affirmative action to level the playing field But there is no sense in—and no moral or legal basis for—giving the children of wealthy minority parents any preference over poor children The diversity argument lacks credibility: The wealthy have far more in common with the wealthy of other races than they have in common with the less well-off of their own race Leveling the playing field by basing admissions on socio-economic factors would be much fairer and probably would achieve similar outcomes.” That essay titled “Ten Things I Hate about You,” explains my discomfort and disagreement with what I see as the hypocrisies and inconsistencies of both conservatives and liberals on ten of the most polarizing topics in America today Your failure to adequately research my views and beliefs before critiquing them with such an aura of omniscience and infallibility is disappointing Few people of any age genuinely seek to understand opposing views I wish you good fortune and success in your studies The following has been edited for length and clarity My nephew and I traveled to Italy together a year before the pandemic started "We need to figure out a way to live here." let's make a kettle-corn shop for all the tourists and we can live here." A couple of years ago, I started reading about the 1 euro program where some cities were selling houses that needed major renovations for 1 euro I read a lot about Mussomeli. They do have 1 euro homes but they have a lot of premium homes that aren't 1 euro My house in Mussomeli was listed for 60,000 euros We went back and forth on the price and I got it for 57,000 euros The house I bought is almost 3,000 square feet and my brother and I bought a second house I've found that many people want to move here and get residency "Let's buy a couple of houses and then rent those." My sister and I are looking at a third house right now It's primarily for what they call short-term rentals but it ended up being 31,000 euros after the fees and other additional costs I get asked a lot about how much I'm spending on renovations but it's hard for me to say because there are wants and then there are needs.  I need my walls not to have crappy wallpaper falling off But the kitchens here are way more affordable — building my two kitchens cost 5,500 euros which is generally 4% of the purchase price One thing that surprised me was you deposit it into their bank account which was strange to me but it's very common here Another surprising part was that I bought my house for 57,000 euros but some guy at an office decided my house is worth 80,000 euros then you pay 2% of the assessed value of your primary home I assumed the taxes I paid involved property taxes the property taxes are between 300 and 600 euros annually But if someone said you can get a 3,000-square-foot "Done." It was all the little steps that threw me off I try to take one big international trip a year I've always had a dream of spending every summer in a different country because I don't like to just travel There's only so much you can do in a couple of weeks I've probably got 20 good years of traveling with my good hips and good knees and all that You really have to start scratching things off the list because they're not going to make the next 20 summers.  My house in California is a 1,500-square-foot three-bedroom and it's valued at $504,000.  I probably have two more years before I can retire but I'll be in Italy the majority of the time then eventually go back to the States I'll rent out my house in California for the next 15 to 20 years which is now paid off because I've been renting it out There are many issues with which I still can find no common ground with either party There are many other issues as well that neither party adequately and responsibly handle but there is one issue that I simply could not ignore anymore: racism I have always voted either for the Democratic candidate or my sister Susan It didn’t matter what election was on the line elitist Republicans were just too much for me to tolerate but remained unable to vote for the Republicans I genuinely believed it immoral to for me to do so If only Susan had won those 2016 and 2020 presidential elections and the Virginia governor race compelled me to do what I could never bring myself to do in nearly half a century: Vote Republican the Republicans are too cold-hearted and the Democrats too irresponsible the Republicans too often want to remake the world in our image while the Democrats (almost as bad) keep wanting to save the world On fiscal discipline and burgeoning budgets both parties have shown a shameless hypocrisy that should embarrass us all I’m still not sure which is worse: the tax-and-spend Democrats or the spend-and-don’t-tax Republicans Since my earliest days of political awakening watching Martin Luther King speak during the great March on Washington in 1963 when I was only 11 years old I have believed that countering racism is the most crucial Sitting in front of my grandmother’s black-and-white television in her row house on the westside of New York City that hot I understood that we could only survive as a nation if we could come together as one nation black and white (and all the other hues) of our unique country founded on ideals and principles that placed our aspirations way above those of every other country on earth And it was clear to me at that time that it would be the Democrats who would lead us out of the fear and hatred and elitism of that time and inspire a new generation of Americans who would not judge each “by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Now it is the Democrats—far from all of them but still far too many of them—who are the standard bearers of racism There remain too great a number of hateful racists on the far Right but the burgeoning number of clueless racists on the Left has become overwhelming and now pose a greater threat to our nation than those of the extreme Right The Democrats as a party no longer embrace equality; instead Equity—once not so long ago a word that conveyed a sense of fairness and compassion—has now been rendered a euphemism for racism much like the term “states’ rights” was coopted by earlier racists to hide their racist intent equity as a means to level the playing field and ensure that a socially and economically disadvantaged individual is given a better chance is still laudable But as a party the Democrats no longer believe in the individual they no longer believe that everyone is equal and should be given an equal chance at success I suspect that deep down that many of them no longer believe that minorities can really compete equally with whites (and increasingly with Asians) They will offer lots of excuses—broken families but they distressingly sound like the racists of long ago trying to justify segregation and apartheid any child who comes from a broken family or a poor neighborhood should be given additional benefits and consideration to level the playing field with the richer children who come from better school systems but those are socio-economic considerations poorer children cannot fairly compete against those who have lived lives of greater privilege But the Democrats blur the lines and are unable to see the disturbing danger to our society when an upper-middle-class Hispanic or African-American student has an easier time getting into an Ivy League university than a lower-middle-class white or Asian student Or when a less-qualified job applicant gets a job simply because the mindless mantra of diversity trumps all other considerations Democrats used to believe fervently that race did not matter and that it was only the individual who mattered: that we were all equal under the law and that any idea or concept that threatened individual merit was anathema to the American way of life Far sadder is the truth that most Democrats who harbor these beliefs—again like old racists of yore—would vehemently deny that they are racists at all declared that he never left the Democratic party I shook my head in disgust and concluded that Reagan had sold out to business interests and our increasingly bloated military-industrial complex I still believe his departure from the Democrat party was premature when my political party of the last half-century has clearly thrown in its lot with the forces of racism against the individual Whether the Democrats left me or I left them like Martin Luther King and millions of others who believed in the intrinsic and infinite worth of the individual over the group but they too would be denounced by today’s Democratic Party I’m a long way from ever embracing the Republicans; they still have too many political warts I suspect that the Republicans will now take another lethal dose of hubris and triumphalism and alienate too many Americans who want something better from both political parties I can always vote again for my sister in 2024 The featured image is courtesy of Pixabay I grudgingly tolerate your presence in the Republican party This was the best laugh in a very long time What is missing from this essay is any mention of specific issues in the Virginia governor’s race; isolated from other information the essay comes off sounding as though the author voted for a party rather than an individual running for a specific office I have often had to resort to voting for friends or relatives in the absence of qualified candidates for political office so I certainly sympathize with the general sentiment There were several specific Virginia policy issues but I was perhaps too focused on the “national issue” of race and equity the Republican candidate came off much better as someone you could trust and rely on We’ll see if the Republicans learn the right lessons from this race in 2024 Having been registered “Independent/Unaffiliated” for many years now the “system” is rigged to favor two and only two major political parties But maybe if we had a mandatory “NONE OF THE ABOVE” on every ballot for every office What does “disadvantaged” mean and who will appoint those who decide who is or isn’t Platitudes don’t necessarily translate into good government growing out of critical theory and the anti-individualist orientation of German philosophers is antithetical to American Liberalism The Democratic candidates could have simply read this article aloud and won in the recent Gubernatorial races I’ve been dreaming of exactly such a Constitutional Amendment since I was a teenager but a rule that an election would have to be redone with new candidates if NONE OF THE ABOVE got more votes than any candidate on the ballot would cure the nearly universal delusion that our elected officials really have the support of the electorate It took you too 2016 to realize the Democrats were toxic What was it Winston Churchill was famous for saying “If you 20 and you’re not a Liberal you’ve got no heart If you’re 40 and not a conservative…” I’ll let you fill in the rest So many bromides to unpack…so little time What republicans are there clamoring for war at this point Who really tries to force at this point decadent western values on the world no one who knows me thinks I’m even half that age… But I am doubtful that anti-abortion laws can be enforced without appalling intrusions into the private lives of women My thoughts generally class abortion in the same moral category as suicide but not usually the government’s business I oppose state funding of abortions for the same reason I oppose state-assisted suicide Allowing each state to resolve the legality of abortion seems the more sensible and politically reasonably course of action although frankly no solution really satisfies my concerns I wonder how the author decided in 1972 that Republicans were the war-mongers when it was LBJ who got the U.S the author’s views feel rather knee-jerk empirically-based opinions than like attitudes — perhaps in part an identity — he picked up without much thought as a youth the neocons were war-mongers (I wouldn’t vote for McCain) but they came and went; Reagan wasn’t a war-monger (despite the author’s belief that he was) but someone who worked to keep the U.S and Trump was the same (and was likewise successful) I guess Obama’s totally-nonsensical war in Libya doesn’t mean anything And if the author really believes that Republicans are “pro-rich” (more than the other party) and “elitist” I really have to wonder where he’s been Is he aware that 100% of wealthy Congressional districts are represented by Democrats and that they are the party of the tech oligarchs and most billionaires It’s plain that ordinary working-class Americans (of all races) have figured out something that he is having a tough time with And how can it be “cold-hearted” to work (successfully!) for the best for people Or does the author believe that big-government a healthy private sector and civil society are the way to be “warm-hearted?” And I guess the author doesn’t see culture as important is he just an old partisan who has found that with race issues the Dems have gone a step too far I don’t completely disagree with all you say I certainly think that the Democrats have started their share of military conflicts But that doesn’t get Reagan off the hook as a warmonger but 241 Marines did not have to lose their lives in Beirut They died because Reagan arrogantly (and naively) took sides in a civil war that was n one of our business morally bankrupt Christian militias against the equally ruthless morally bankrupt Shi’a militias was simply stupid It worked out better than Libya did for Obama but both were inexcusable intrusions into countries where we had no need to intervene Reagan did not even have the pretense of UN approval albeit he did have the fig leaf of some regional support for his military action More worrisome is the intimation that the “neocons” are a small faction with the Republican party They pretty much control both parties on foreign policy when it comes to certain issues The neocons provoked the Iraq war and they are doing their best under both trump and Biden to cause conflict in Ukraine and with Iran Note that while Biden has changed some Trump foreign policies he has failed on those issues most important to Israel and to the neocons: he has refused to punish seriously the Saudis for the murder of Khashoggi nor has he re-started negotiations with Iran nor has he ceased supplying military equipment to Ukraine virtually every Republican candidate–other that Rand Paul–were in lockstep with neocon objectives On your criticism of me characterizing the Republicans as “pro-rich” and “elitist” you have a valid point I always had thought the Republicans the party of the rich and the Democrats the party of the downtrodden; that Republicans were more elitist and the Dems more down-to-earth I don’t think either party very much cares for the working class and both cater to the rich and powerful As to the importance of culture and the dangers of big-government but it is the Dems blatant racism and uncritical adherence to critical race theory that has finally triggered me to forsake voting for my sister and finally voting for a Republican I agree with and appreciate most of the comments that added some nuance to the “anti-Republican” statements in the essay but I appreciate even more the author’s willingness to respond to comments and to do so in a non-defensive and self-effacing manner even in the case of reader comments that bordered on being too aggressive for my taste The Democrats are leaving behind the attempts at race neutrality in favor of a post-modern tribalism which I believe can only divide us further Liberalism has been under assault for a while now It seems as though a sort of racial and cultural pessimism permeates the thoughts of the new progressives (and some on the Right as well) I find that to be a dangerous way of thinking I think voting for Republicans at this point is America has a produced generations of young and enraged leftists since the 60s Only when things have gone too far will the more rational liberal adults turn red and this is after decades of voting for Democrats no one is second-guessing the decision by a police officer to use deadly force against an unarmed woman The storming of the Capitol was criminal and a disgrace former President Trump is morally liable for the violence that occurred and quite possibly legally liable as well We may never know for sure because the Democratically-controlled House chose to impeach him for political gain rather than seek a criminal indictment against him as a now-private citizen a criminal trial in a court of law is a more onerous and ponderous task that would preclude high drama and theatrics but the point of the impeachment was never for justice to be served anyway Trump narcissistically misled and fooled so many for so long is a great tragedy and that he is gone from power is a good thing but it should not blur our vision to what else is happening It wasn’t as if she were a social-justice activist benignly lugging home a 60-inch flatscreen TV from a burnt-out department store She was little more than a rabid animal needing to be “put down,” at least according to Wisconsin state legislator And she bled out like a diseased dog on the pristine who was shot by a law enforcement officer who was just doing “his duty to protect democracy.” Really Neither her white privilege nor her 14 years of honorable military service could protect her from that bullet was trying to “protect democracy” in her own confused There will be no elegiac memorializing for this piece of terrorist trash No write-ups in the mainstream newspapers about how she was trying to get her life back in order very little talk about the possible hardships she had endured That would be “abhorrent” to use Disney’s new catchphrase She was from the Right and so she was nothing we have our new Unifier-in-Chief helpfully commenting that “no one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protesters… that they wouldn’t have been treated very differently.” I’m uncertain about the accuracy of that comment: It seems that the police were equally ineffective and courageous against rioters this summer and rioters on January 6 but I am certain his comment will serve only further to divide and alienate Americans from one another the treatment by the media has been markedly different the Washington Post blithely and churlishly referring to her military service as “long but undistinguished.” a genuinely good thing that the police officer is being presumed innocent by the Left and the media was the last time any cop anywhere was presumed innocent after killing an unarmed civilian When was the last time no one raised the possibility that the cop was perhaps a little trigger happy When was the last time no one asked about less drastic measures: Why didn’t he fire a warning shot into the ceiling There are probably good answers to all these questions; at least I choose to believe so that it is remarkable that for the first time in a very long time no one is second-guessing the decision by a police officer to use deadly force against an unarmed woman Perhaps we should take President Biden at his word and seriously examine what would happen to any legislator who implicitly characterized the killing of any BLM activist/rioter as merely an animal needing to be “put down” Why hasn’t he been compelled to vacate his seat Where are all the petitions demanding his ouster and where are the op-eds demanding that this sort of nastiness stop on both sides in order to heal our nation should have begun at least with the ancient admonition: De mortius nihil nisi bonum If a woman falls in a forest and no one cares to hear her and whose pains and fears and ideals are marginalized by the ever-righteous media Editor’s Note: Ashli Babbitt of San Diego due to wounds caused by a single gunshot fired by a Capitol Hill police officer The featured image is a screenshot from YouTube While I agree with your article here about a Conservative woman not being given attention by the media (shame on them) for being shot while unarmed I Completely disagree with your assessment of the blaming of this riot on the President and that he “at a minimum…..is morally liable for the violence” then all 43 republican senators are equally as egregious why didn’t the [Democrats] introduce and show the evidence where Trump supposedly urged the “storming of the Bastille” You do a great disservice in denigrating the only President in recent memory that both protects life and met at the March for Life let alone stood up for religious freedom and protection for the Little Sisters of the Poor hospital nurses with Christian consciences Except for the first paragraph is was a wonderful article Since you have inferred yourself as a legal scholar in stating I would be curious as the the specific charges you charge President Trump and then provide a credible source of evidence supporting such a prosecution media narratives would not be accepted as “evidence,” I’m aware of the mob mentality in a few well-videographed incidences but I also observed selfies being taken with law enforcement relatively little violence against officers or property of value other than pushing and breaking objects to gain access Where is the premeditation and aggressive violence meant to do serious harm that would indict Trump for insurrection I’ve enjoyed and admired much of what you have written in the past on T.I.C but starting your essay with anti-Trump rhetoric comes across as a veiled attempt of a quasi-anti-trumper to redirect some of the responsibility onto Trump for this overuse of power (conveniently filmed by an allegedly anti-Trump activist in just the right place) you will be so kind to provide me with some credible evidence against Trump It would serve as a banner event for me personally to persuade me that there is at least some level of coherency behind the propaganda narrative against him Luckily I pushed through that first paragraph and enjoyed the rest of the article your silence speaks louder than your words I should like to add that rather than equating Ms. Babbitt with the Nazi Wessel, you’d be better with the example of https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marinus_van_der_Lubbe in which those same Nazis framed for the Reichstag arson that brought Hitler to power After giving your essay more fair consideration not only did you begin your essay with anti-trump rhetoric but you attempt to portray anyone moving forward in opposition to tyranny with Nazi antagonists and brutal defenders of an out of control regime you will take more time to examine your metaphors so that you can have a more accurate foreboding of what is to come My God you were brave to write this……my heart has been broken maybe it is PTST a flash backs from my youth the protests and killings that happened so long ago “History is written by the victors”……I am glad I am old now I believe this country is filled with good people, I lived in many places including Turkey and Venezuela…everyday people just want a home a job and to provide for their family Why are our current leaders of my generation listening to them speak is painful almost incoherent I pray for every policeman and their family that were killed this past year and the teenager that was killed in Seattle Mussomeli’s characterization of President Trump I do appreciate the fact that he lays out a wonderful case for the extensive and omnipresent media bias regarding the reportage of events which unceasingly adhere to the Left’s socialist narrative and agenda I appreciated the reference to Horst Wessel I was previously unaware of the interesting history surrounding his murder and the way his death became a propaganda tool for the Nazi regime spoiled somewhat by the obligatory anti-Trump comments at the beginning high praise for the main points in the article This gentleman is one of the few with the courage to point them out and I agree with them wholeheartedly How sad that out society and media has come to this point This life was just a valuable as any other life (of any race or political persuasion) The hue and cry needs to be heard loud and clear We need justice in America not just About social justice How on earth can the protests of January 6th be characterised as an assault on America’s democratic institutions when the whole point of the legitimate protest was to support the “democracy” that had been had been denied by a fraudulent Presidential election It has been a generation or more that the politics of personal destruction has been the special of the day And about 2 generations since the whole edifice of education It is little wonder that a life has no value to those on the left The life of an infant in vitro has been stripped of all value ( except as a source of spare parts ) since 1973 We have gone from abortion in rare circumstances to abortion on demand and infanticide Any religious objection or qualms of conscience is mocked Any life is expendable for the sake of ” democracy “ which no longer means what the Greeks considered the demos but a collection of rabble governed by the lowest form of demagogue who praises a killing and condemns as foul any assault on the corruption of true democratic rule Caesarism is alive & well in Washington and I sought to write a comment regarding the death of this woman Reading the comments of others who are opposed to the writer’s characterization of Donald Trump as responsible for this attack on our democracy sent me in another direction Especially in regard to the life and death of Horst Wessel I urge everyone to read the Wikipedia article on the deluded Herr Wessel Try to find the parallels in his world and in ours without choosing which side you’d expect to be on Ashli Babbitt’s death is a tragedy and there has been plenty written about it Whether is the shot was aimed or jostled or on target or not is a question that I am sure is being reviewed cautiously Ashli was led to her death by her common adherence to the beliefs of the commenters here that Trump was worthy of following even as he sought to put himself above our democracy My original point was this: If we all agreed not to repeat the craziness of state legislators from any party or group we could all have a much saner world Thank you Joseph for a well thought out article and thank you keeping Mrs One can only imagine what her husband must be going through There will be no justice for them in this world We must assume that justice in this country has been all but eliminated for such as these When the proper investigation of the January 6 event at the Capitol is completed the results will shock a few never-Trumpers who insist on holding President Trump responsible for the riot received over $70,000 from CNN and other networks for his videos taken at the event which include close-ups of the shooting of Ashley Babbitt I note that this essay contains ad hominen attacks on the only President in memory who has kept all the promises he made to the American people during his campaign in spite of non-stop and unfounded attacks on his person President Trump’s Pro-Life stance should give him privileged standing in Catholic circles And he has done so much to uphold the Constitution and empower the American People What the Election has done is to unmask the corruption underlying the politics of the last 5 decades President Trump’s greatest contribution may turn out to be the exposure of the Deep State and the Cabal and the Bi-Partisan corruption that has plagued our country for many years I’ve been wondering for weeks why I’d not seen or heard anything about this woman or her death than its announcement the day of the riot Because I do not scour the mainstream media for news and as a hermit do not communicate on a regular basis with my fellow Amerikans I was still surprised not to find any mention of her since the “insurrection” in the few headlines skimmed or in the few articles read in a handful of more or less trusted journals I thought that in my old age I must have missed something important that was resolved within a day or two of the shooting that she had a reputation as a terrorist or was a foreign agent or some confusion similar to the policeman who was alternately murdered at the scene of the riot or died later of a stroke Ignoring any serious mention of this woman & her killing without raising grave questions is an unconscionable dereliction of duty on the part of our busybody mediocre media Knowing what I now know my sympathy for her is all the more awakened because I do not believe the storming of the Capitol was either criminal or disgraceful; it is neither temple nor the Holy of Holies I say that as a Christian pacifist & Christian anarchist who loathes violence & mobs & especially any use or threat of weaponry; but who does believe in civil disobedience & that God will do what he needs to get our arrogant attention I say it also as a person who dislikes & distrusts Trump & what I call his Cult of Poisonality; I find him a self-serving politician like most a hypocrite & liar like the media he detests too vulgar & bumptious in attitude to appear more than a petty tyrant or overheated drama queen; someone who was his own worst enemy & enemy of the voters he betrayed Yet I strongly believe he was what this country thoroughly & richly deserved It seems to me the Capitol got the apocalyptic moment it has long earned though I doubt our numbskull pharisaical lawmakers have or will learn anything from their experience: a wake-up call not unlike our blessed Lord’s overturning the money tables & excoriating the moneychangers in his Father’s House is probably beyond their imagination Not only Locke & Jefferson advocated a natural right of revolution but so did Aquinas and we seem to have arrived at this point; if not that of civil war Much sympathy have I also with some of the grievances of those on the Right though none with their love of guns & knives or ways of life specifically what seems to be tendencies toward bigotry & obdurate parochialism If they are outraged about abortion & gender or identity politics about bureaucratic encroachments into family & religious life about rampant hypocrisy & PC moralism or legalism about this country being as much a Plutocracy & Oligarchy as it is a Dumbocracy I am largely with them; yet I do have deep sympathies with much on the Left regarding ecology & the environment & the wretched treatment of our fellow creatures as well as the horrendous conditions the poor & homeless are subjected to in this Land of Plenty are primarily anti-political and more involved with cultural Though much of our politics & economics are indeed riven with injustices their moral & spiritual roots seem to me deeper and if not confronted & dealt with first & foremost there is little chance of resolving the more superficial problems & despair are the deeper pandemics this country has created for itself; they will not be solved at the level of laws that are mostly lies Our very humanity is gravely in question & at stake and neither the authoritarianism of the Right nor the totalitarianism of the Left are in any position to adequately & genuinely confront these critically existential issues A phony oratorical “unity” pronounced from on high is not going to dissolve division & divisiveness any more than will secular education & its pathetic sentimentalities Let us include Ashli Babbitt among those killed this year on public property with honor for her bravery as a citizen exercising her conscience I would appreciate evidence and instances in which President Trump acted like “a self-serving politician like most too vulgar & bumptious in attitude to appear more than a petty tyrant or overheated drama queen; someone who was his own worst enemy & enemy of the voters he betrayed.” So “Traitor ” could be added to the list of flaws enumerated in the sentence I quote from the article May I ask: Which of President Trump’s Executive Orders advanced his own personal “agenda?” What lies did he advance for his own selfish reasons In which instances did President Trump by-pass the Constitution to govern like a “petty tyrant?” When did he show lack of restraint in dealing with the hundreds of antagonistic and downright hostile journalists bent on trapping him in their verbal nets The media gave him extremely unfavorable press even when he deserved accolades it was because the media ignored them and even twisted them in order to eliminate any credit due him He suffered slings and arrows for the American People I believe that President Trump’s Tweets will someday be published as examples of brilliant uses of words to bring back transparency to leadership Accusing him of betraying the People of America is a serious matter; no one forced the many hundreds of thousands of citizens to attend his positive clean Rallies nor did anyone coerce them to shout out in unison “We love you!” Let’s give the American people a little credit for knowing a leader who works to restore their power and their due position President Trump is not responsible for anything that happened at the Capitol Building on Jan 6th He gave a speech and asked his supporters to go to the Capitol Building Perhaps waiting for the conclusion of court cases in at least what appears to be a very questionable election that has to this point not been investigated would have been prudent before writing such a piece It has been amazing to me to watch seemingly intelligent people make pronouncements on what happened without the least inclination to wait for a determination I think that we need to have extensive discussions about what is going on in this country; “A Quiet Killing” is such an example The tragedy of the many deaths and civil disobedience that we have experienced over the past year is totally the opposite of what our country was founded for Pointing out one politician or one policeman or the actions that occurred in one day will not resolve the moral direction that our country seems to be headed in Politicians and the media no longer display any respect for the truth or for opposing opinions It is difficult to find well balanced truth most of what is available is a long litany of condemning accusations We don’t hear about the vast (silent) majority of our citizens that help each other tolerance and cooperation that makes the majority of country work Leadership in our country should be a moral high ground instead of the moral low ground that it has become The extreme right or extreme left is not the direction that the vast silent majority want to follow What we want and need is the cooperation and loving charity that each of us is capable of I don’t understand his descriptions and judgements of the events of July 6 or what he really is an his own belief is an accurate account of what happened that day His bio leads me to believe he is a member of the establishment and a “Never Trumper” He is correct to point out the double standard of how the journalists treat news events or worst fails to recognize or acknowledge these events she was the only person there killed in anger The other reported victims died of causes unrelated The reported death of a police officer by a fire extinguisher was bogus That suggests it is a good thing we have Biden Would his administration also brushed this incident under the rug vibrant young women who happened to be the owner of my Pool Service here in San Diego She attended a “peaceful demonstration” but was instead deliberately murdered by one of our Capital Police Mr Mussomeli’s political persuasions are all too obvious and do not belong in “the Imaginative Conservative” format another ‘never-Trumper’ having an amazing and excellent moment of clarity; unfortunately preaching to the choir I could not find them anywhere on the web in mainstream media or in his Twitter account Obviously these views would be reprehensible but they are not at all the way the mainstream media has portrayed the death of Ms with challenges in her life in the military and as a civilian apparently she was as staunchly pro-Obama as she was pro-Trump Whether you think her anger and actions on Jan 6 were justified or delusional And thanks to the author for remembering her She and her friends had every God given right to civic disobedience – satyagraha and ahimsa – and the policeman had every right by the law too and God’s unfathomable plan of salvation what happened because the Capitol is still in mortal sin – you all know why (Roe vs Wade) – and sometimes the people can peacefully claim God’s mercy for peaceful protest against the popular vote and electoral college alike but it is my point of view that this was more God’s plan than mere tragic political violence if my other comment was distasteful by my awkward attempts to quote a bad nazi German song from memory This was really a clash between Caesar and God she died at the hands of the sword for God’s peaceful case desperately trying her best to speak reason on behalf of an oppressed minority whom the Capitol by will of the popular as well as electoral majority has driven to desperation it is for the president to realize that she and her friends were no terrorists if he wishes to unify a still great nation still thanks to the author for writing this important piece of history This is from a Slovenian with fond memories of the time when Mr Mussomelli was the US ambassador to Slovenia I find it almost unbelievable that despite the very different historical backgrounds the US has been recently divided along the very similar political faultline as Slovenia I hope that both in US and in Slovenia the noble conservativism of people like Mr Mussomeli will be able to prevail over populism and extremism the cop who killed the lady should be tried in court This is at minimum a second degree homicide charge & I think I could argue first degree It was a MURDER which is the deliberate taking of someone’s life If Ashli was Black & the officer was White WDC would know who the officer was & WDC would be ablaze The left likes the No Justice No Peace mantra Oh yeah,that’s right Ashli Babbitt is a White Trump supporter The left did in fact steal the 2020 election & also the life of an UNARMED,5’2″ This election will be reversed but you can’t reverse the murder of Ashli Babbit This lieutenant must go to prison for a long This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" As we have greatly miscalculated Russia’s sense of betrayal and alienation Russia has greatly miscalculated Ukrainian tenacity and patriotism But we have all already fallen into a no-win situation whether with the collapse or humiliation of Russia or the incorporation of Ukraine into a larger federation of Slavic states—or anything in between—we lose None of our myriad blunders over the last 30 years—not our criminal invasion of Iraq nor our absurd attempt to create a democratic or our foolish terminating of the Iran Nuclear agreement or our brutal bombings of Serbia and Libya or our drawing and then redrawing of redlines in Syria not even the militarily and strategically inane enlargement of NATO—can rival the wanton a little more understanding of how the world works a less hypocritical view of the world and even just a slightly deeper knowledge of history and human nature could have forestalled this horror Too much of US foreign policy is now a toxic blend of self-righteous indignation and a frustratingly inconsistent and irritating moralism Over the last few years there have been a number of articles bemoaning the loss of an American bipartisan foreign policy With remarkable consistency from Clinton and Bush to Obama and Trump and now Biden our presidents have been uniformly disappointing in pursuing foreign policy blunders let’s make one thing clear: Russia has blood on its hands The scale of destruction and slaughter is deplorable The Russian military has never been anything but a blunt instrument and if any American or European official expresses surprise by the level of violence now being inflicted on Ukraine The military response was predictable and unsurprising The real failure here is not the excess of Russian military violence but the stunning absence of vision and wisdom on the part of our diplomats and political leaders “War is hell,” as that rarest of human beings—an American adult—once put it That is why we have diplomats and politicians who are supposed to find reasonable means to avoid war Saying Russia has pursued a ruthless war cannot absolve us from all blame although that is what our typically cowardly clueless leaders are already striving to do But that is also to have been expected: that is Perhaps the most obvious way is the manner in which we keep insisting that reality is more important than perceptions It is genuinely bewildering how many officials kept responding to mounting Russian concerns about NATO enlargement by matter-of-factly responding that NATO poses no threat to anyone Is that really an answer to those who live in fear regardless of how misplaced that fear may be Shouldn’t we have at least tried to provide some tangible assurances and guarantees that NATO will not threaten Russia moving NATO closer and closer to Russia’s borders I wish we could chalk it all up to ignorance but these are well-educated children who manage our foreign policy They know how many millions of Russians died to stop the Nazis; they even know that it was Russian blood far more than American and British blood that won World War II They know about Napoleon and they know about Charles XII and even about Batu Khan They know very well the depth and reach of Russian paranoia and yet they scoffed warned way back in 1998 that NATO enlargement would “inflame the nationalistic and militaristic tendencies” of Russia and would “restore the atmosphere of the cold war to (our) relations.”  Even though such hardliners as Kissinger and Brzezinski warned against offering Ukraine NATO membership Ukraine can never be just a foreign country … should function as a bridge” between Russia and the rest of Europe None of this is to discount the justifiable fear felt by Russia’s neighbors who have suffered whenever Russia invaded/“liberated” them which naively handed over its entire nuclear stockpile in 1994 in exchange for guarantees from both the Western powers and Russia that its territorial integrity would be safeguarded.) It was for the US to bridge that chasm of distrust and fear and foster trust and provide assurances to both sides in the current crisis we thought we could forestall this war by exercising our economic might—but only childlike Americans would think economic pain could convince any country to forsake its perceived security This is especially true of Russia where suffering for one’s  homeland is almost a national sport Another childish thing is to see one’s own actions in a far more positive light than those of the other putting more troops ever closer to Russia and supplying Ukraine with more and more military equipment served only to exacerbate tensions but we could only see those steps as being supportive of Ukraine and preserving the peace Yet we all know that a cornered bear is far more dangerous and Putin’s calculation was rather straightforward: attack now before even more military equipment is sent to Ukraine or risk far greater casualties a year or decade from now is a purely defensive military alliance and decades of European peace prove it There was nothing “defensive” about NATO’s 78 days of bombing Serbia during which hundreds (at least) of civilians were killed Serbia had not attacked any NATO country; Serbia posed no threat to NATO While there are legitimate arguments that may have justified military action—such as the brutal treatment of Serbia’s Muslim minority—it was not in keeping with any notion of mutual defense as set forth in the NATO charter And if NATO can interfere once in a country like Serbia that did not threaten it why should any country near NATO’s perimeter feel safe from a future attack I agree that NATO poses no real threat to Russia Being afraid of NATO is like being afraid of the guests at your grandmother’s tea party What I think or Biden thinks or Blinken thinks is irrelevant to those responsible for Russia’s security dreary history of multiple invasions has warped its historical perspective We should have found diplomatic ways to assuage those fears Yet another infantile notion tossed about by diplomats and politicians who should know better is that “any sovereign nation should be able to join whatever alliance it wants to join.” Thus NATO’s much-heralded and incredibly imbecilic “open door” policy You hear this senseless blathering and you just want to scream: Grow up Invitations to join NATO have the air of someone being invited to join a social club rather than a military alliance And getting invited has all the trappings of getting an invite to high tea with the Queen If Putin made one strategic error it was in taking NATO too seriously But Russian paranoia always trumps good sense just as American inconsistent moralism always wins over pragmatism If there is one thing that is especially irritating about spoiled children it is their double standards the teachers touted the Monroe Doctrine as a cornerstone of American power and prestige And we have been wielding that power over the Western Hemisphere for two centuries without ever thinking any neighboring country has some inalienable right to join a foreign alliance our resolve to prevent Latin American countries from determining their own future caused considerable bloodshed For years we financed a ruthless regime in El Salvador that had death squads exterminating thousands of civilians we violated our own laws to undermine a communist takeover we were so nervous and frightened by that unthreatening Marxist regime We reacted far worse (given the weakness of the threat) to those mere footholds of communism than Russia has to the stranglehold it feels from NATO One can only imagine what our reaction would be if in another decade or two Mexico tries to allow China a military base on its territory And then there is that other example of American hegemony: the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 shouldn’t Cuba—having been invaded by Cuban dissidents financed by the US—have been allowed to have Russian missiles to ensure against any further invasions We retain this moral disconnect: we want to both preserve our right to forbid Western Hemisphere countries from allying with foreign states but we also want to preserve the myth that each sovereign country has the right to join whatever military alliance it chooses The Cuban Missile Crisis ended with Russia backing down As former Secretary of State Dean Rusk triumphantly put it: “We’re eyeball to eyeball and I think the other fellow just blinked.” More childish bravado The real reason we avoided nuclear war in 1962 was that the Russians realizing that we genuinely feared for our existence if those missiles were installed They didn’t argue that US perceptions were absurd and that America had nothing to worry about from a few nukes in Cuba If only we had as much sensibility when it came to Russian fears about Ukraine joining NATO during the missile crisis by reaching a compromise with us; we showed neither virtue regarding the current crisis refusing every effort at a genuine compromise It is impossible not to feel sympathy for the brave Ukrainians who are standing up to Russia What child doesn’t dream of heroically standing up against a larger So we easily fall into the emotional trap of conflating courage with goodness to see bravery as affirmation of the rightness of a cause It’s a clever ploy by advocates for either side in a conflict to emphasize the courage of their favored group there is both courage and cowardice on both sides but courage has nothing to do with the wisdom or rightness of a cause For more than a decade in the 1960s and 1970s Vietnam duped many sentimentalists in the West to look upon it as the good guy simply because it was fighting a much larger opponent; many of these sympathizers were later surprised when their Vietnamese heroes invaded Cambodia shortly after the war with America ended but we should try to look beyond the current carnage and the pull on our heartstrings to see more clearly the root causes of this horror And we should never forget that for all his good qualities even high officials who should know better such as the then-Assistant Secretary for European Affairs began a conference by characterizing the earlier dispute between Ukraine and Russia in Manichean terms of absolute good against absolute evil childish description should have been met with derisive laughter but nearly all those sage and august ambassadors attending the conference quaffed down the kool aid eagerly Is it just coincidence that Putin chose February 21 to announce that Russia was recognizing the two Ukrainian breakaway provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk February 21 was exactly two years after President Biden’s now infamous tweet insisting that Putin did not want him to become President because he was the only candidate who had ever “gone toe-to-toe” with him Choosing your best pal for your sports team And while there is some benefit to having people around you that you are comfortable with there are few people less qualified as leaders than professional staffers: people who progressed in their careers primarily by being well-trained guard dogs for their masters Other than being extraordinarily devoted and efficient in catering to their bosses they have remarkably little to commend them Sycophancy is a poor quality for leadership Professional sycophants are the worst possible leaders in times of crisis: they bluster and whine they are full of self-righteousness and fear They should be ashamed for helping to precipitate this horror One should never host a block party and then snub one of your neighbors by not inviting him Children like to exclude those they don’t like so much The US should have taken Gorbachev’s plea to join NATO seriously rather than mocking it like snooty little triumphalists One should never think that compromise and accommodation are synonyms for appeasement Children like to think of things in black and white; grown-ups know better But too many of our leaders have been stuck in a time warp—the only years that matter to them are the decade from 1938-1948 and that decade began with Chamberlain shamelessly appeasing Hitler But even children should be able to see that not every opponent is another Hitler and that not every dictator is out to conquer Europe But to Biden and the leaders of both political parties the other 5,000 years of history are but a mere footnote; all they understand is a decade that is irrelevant to this crisis We would have done better to have focused on parallels with World War I and even the Peloponnesian Wars One should always put oneself in the other person’s shoes Another lesson that children often fail to appreciate but that our diplomats at least should aspire to There is a simple question we should all have asked ourselves: What would I do if I were the Russian president But would you risk the security of your country Would you sit by idly as an adversary moved ever closer to your borders How would your own people judge you if you left them vulnerable to encirclement and attack One should never gloat over those who lose Who will lose and what will be lost is still unclear but all those American armchair cheerleaders should understand that the only thing worse than a Russian victory would be Russia’s defeat A swift victory would have been better for all involved and a protracted war of attrition will cause far greater destruction and loss of life and ultimately have a dangerously destabilizing impact on both Ukraine and Russia But war is almost always a brutish slugfest One should always be clear in one’s own mind about the value of things This is a particularly difficult concept for children to grasp we joined NATO to protect our vital national interests in Europe is obviously not in our vital national interest or else we would already be engaged militarily as we would if Germany or France had been invaded But if Ukraine is not in our vital national interest then should it even be considered for NATO membership How does joining NATO magically make Ukraine more important to us There is broad consensus in America that we would fight if one of our traditional European allies was attacked Would there be that same consensus if say Bulgaria or Montenegro were attacked Do Americans even know Montenegro is in NATO Does the average American even know Montenegro is in Europe but we ought not to ignore our own culpability as if that is an excuse for repeatedly doing things wrong Appallingly self-satisfied about our moral superiority and hubristically dismissive of Russian history and xenophobia we have helped plunge Europe into a conflict as useless and avoidable as was World War I That our hatred of Russia far outweighs our affection for Ukraine is now obvious America should candidly confess that it is not that we loved Ukraine less the Ukrainians have been horribly led astray by the West They genuinely believed that after the fall of the Soviet Union they would be welcomed into Europe and not remain an adversary starkly explained why Russia would be willing to launch nuclear warheads at Western Europe: “The principle is: why do we need the world if Russia won’t be in it?” the whole of Europe will fail.” This heroic defiant warning has been met with the usual emotional outcry of support that one has come to expect from the childlike masses—reality must never get in the way of sentiment We have all already fallen into a no-win situation or the incorporation of Ukraine into a larger federation of Slavic states There is only one clear winner regardless of the outcome of this crisis and that is China China will bring Russia ever closer into its orbit as Europe pushes Russia further away The whole point of the US opening to China half-a-century ago was to create a new counterweight to the Soviet Union that will have to contend with two belligerent nuclear powers that have grown closer to each other and more suspicious of the West war sometimes provides an opportunity to fix long-festering problems we could ensure a good outcome that would preserve Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and also assuage Russia’s fears even though a decade from now we will find ourselves in a far more precarious global situation all because we failed to bring Russia into the European fold The featured image is courtesy of Pixabay by releasing a lot of nations from decaying empires It is a shame that the clowns in Washington and Europe are not REQUIRED to read this essay Thank you… though I fear it is too late Thank you for cutting through the [falsehoods] from both sides Eye opener on current crisis if only US diplomats like to give peace a chance Very wise counsel from a very experienced diplomat Russia should have been welcomed into NATO in the 1990s or the organization abolished It’s too late to correct that strategic error gracefully an intelligent and perceptive analysis amidst a poisoned sea of hysteria there is nothing good that can now emerge from this war we can only pray that we are spared from the unthinkable worst that might befall us I recognize that the author has a lot of experience in the area on which he writes But there’s so much nuanced thinking expressed here that I come up with a big zero and no final position on the part of the author except that he deems everyone involved to be stupid I tried to make my essay as straightforward as this very complicated issue would allow To simplify it more would have been misleading though perhaps a better writer could have done better that may actually be a fair representation provided we specify that they have been “willfully stupid.” At a minimum I guess I should have added Schiller’s famous quotation: “Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain.” Regards Mr Joseph Mussomeli Thank you so much for interacting with readers and answering questions China’s yuan is appreciating and US dollar is depreciating how much economic sanctions on Russia and removing Russia from SWIFT would impact Russia more importantly impact the world Wouldn’t Russia turn oil pipelines back on for Ruble-Yuan-bitcoin Gold backed payment system but not for dollars and euros Lastly what would you agree that the best way out to exit the war is for Biden to negotiate with Putin in this current Ukraine crisis rather than supplying more weapons to Ukraine The mistake in this article was at the beginning or military or political leaders could rationally discuss Charles DeGaulle or could discuss Napoleon for more than 10 minutes with an open mic Even less can they discuss Thucydides or Cicero I wish I had plagiarized this comment about milk! I am far from an expert on global financial issues but I would be very surprised if China and Russia did not discuss this financial threat prior to the invasion use your brains and your words rather than your fists Agreeing to an immediate summit between Putin and Biden would go a long way to lowering the violence but our diplomats–who are supposed to prefer talk to violence–are adamantly opposed arguing that to meet with an adversary is too great a concession To Amy De Rosa…thank you….I was trying to think of something to say like your comment!! but below is a link to an article I had published Saturday at The American Conservative trying to grapple with some of the same issues I certainly don’t have the background or experience that you do It’s very enlightening; wish I had read it before drafting my own Author’s observations are perfectly aligned with what UofC distinguished political Prof John Mearsheimer has been saying since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea Eight years wasn’t enough for US to correct its course of action His recommendation on making neutral Ukraine makes lot of sense Likewise it would probably make sense to make neutral Taiwan Like he said dealing with China maybe a whole new ball game The mindset of the oligarchs and much of the political class is narrow and self righteous but so do the incompetent US leaders also do but generally conclude that responding is not needed or else hopeless I certainly agree with you that our form of government is better than that of Russia although I would be reluctant to use the term “thug” for either them or us The problem with using such terms is that once used (and believed) there really is no point in ever compromising or even talking with the other side: If they are just thugs even though it may seem counterintuitive: while “thugs” are far worse than us in a moral sense the morally superior are often far more dangerous the morally suspect can generally be dealt with easier than the self-righteous Because we are always so absolutely certain that we are on the side of good we more easily do bad things–because we can always justify our actions as “we meant well.” From Iraq and Afghanistan to Serbia and Kosovo and now Ukraine we never doubt how good we are and how pure our intentions are and so we never hesitate to cause suffering and death It is very important that your voice reaches the leader of the West And the main message Is that “the only thing worse than a Russian victory would be Russia’s defeat.” No matter how such defeat will affect Purim’s fate it will bring about unpredictable changes in Russia and and hardly strengthening prospects of peace in Europe What the foreign policy our leader carry out reminds me is someone waiving a red flag in front of a raging bull What do you think this someone what’s to achieve knowing some of those currently involved in guiding our policy on Russia I firmly believe that this is personal and has little to do with rational decision-making Their loathing for Russia is so deep that they are willing to fight to the last Ukrainian in order to hurt and humiliate Russia It sounds like you’ve mostly watched Russian propaganda. Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT1_DeXUyU4 Enlightening piece that was written with serious effort to see from outside the “morally superior” US paradigm it makes the Ukrainians – who are defending/fighting for their freedom and autonomy – out to possibly be doing the wrong thing or that they are not “good”: “So we easily fall into the emotional trap of conflating courage with goodness to see bravery as affirmation of the rightness of a cause.” It is true that it’s possible in some circumstances to wrongly associate courage with goodness (though I think Socrates wouldn’t call this courage at all as it isn’t in accord with wisdom) but how could you imply that the Ukrainians are not righteous in this case I did not intend to suggest that the Ukrainians are not righteous in defending themselves especially in their treatment of the Russian minority in Ukraine There has been considerable discrimination against those Russian speakers including a law back in 2015 forbidding schools to teach in the Russian language We see this sort of thing throughout history: a smaller country bravely defending itself against a larger but itself being a smaller tyrant against others I see many comparisons to South America without the impact from a much larger brother All I can say is that without the participation of the true church God has an unbelievable amount of patience with His children So tired of sons and daughters being killed I believe every politician needs to put up a child to the front lines We hope you will join us in The Imaginative Conservative community The Imaginative Conservative is an online journal for those who seek the True and the American Republic in the tradition of Russell Kirk and other leaders of Imaginative Conservatism Some conservatives may look at the state of Western culture and the American Republic and see a huge dark cloud which seems ready to unleash a storm that may well wash away what we most treasure of our inherited ways Others focus on the silver lining which may be found in the next generation of traditional conservatives who have been inspired by Dr We hope that The Imaginative Conservative answers T.S redeem the dream.” The Imaginative Conservative offers to our families Editor’s Note: The featured image is “Autumn Landscape. Frederiksborg Castle in the Middle Distance” by Christen Købke (1810-1848), courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Thank you so much for expressing so well my thoughts and emotions about this wonderous season The Berkeley, California, resident booked her first flight to Mussomeli, Sicily, in 2019 and quickly ended up buying not one, not two, but three crumbling properties at a bargain price has a construction background and envisioned three dream projects: a vacation home she’s spent about US$35,000 (nearly AU$53,000) working with a local crew on her vacation home Get the first look at the digital newspaper curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox Get the NewsletterBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Despite the stress of renovating a home across the world through the pandemic Daniels says the Mussomeli lifestyle has brought more happiness into her life One of the biggest reasons why Daniels decided to buy in Mussomeli was how welcome she felt when she visited The real estate agent who sold her the houses cafes and other parts of Mussomeli to really get a sense of what it’s like to live in the town Daniels now considers her “like a sister.” and Rubia Daniels says she made fast friends with Katerina Montagnino (left) a resident who is now like a sister to her Credit: Mickey Todiwala/CNBCMussomeli is tiny but Daniels says many people have strong bonds “It’s much easier to make friends in Sicily than it is to make friends back in California,” Daniels says Daniels became fast friends with Katerina Montagnino Daniels hosted Montagnino and her husband during a recent trip to California and she’s even godmother to their 2-year-old son That’s not to say that Daniels’ California neighbors aren’t friendly people are always in a rush” shuffling between work and home and they don’t have time for social activities Sicilians approach leisure time much differently from Americans most Sicilians take part in a daily lunch and nap break from noon to 4 p.m Big family dinners are common and can last from 9 p.m And it’s both easy and affordable to travel around Italy and the rest of Europe The cost of living is low for a high quality of life by American standards A nice meal out might be 10 euros (or about AU$16.30 while a round-trip flight out of Italy can be less than 50 euros (about AU$81.40 roughly 90% of Mussomeli residents already own their homes if not multiple properties through inheritance laws Daniels sees a direct relation between high living costs and high stress which leads Americans to overwork and means less time to invest in friendships and other passions “It’s a much more stressful way of living,” Daniels says Now that she lives in Mussomeli for part of the year “it’s much easier to be happier here than it is to be happier back at home,” she says The biggest challenge for me over here in Sicily is just the amount of carbs that they consume Each visit is another example of how lower financial stress more social time and moderate physical activity (many people walk in the hilly town) can lead to better health outcomes “People here, they consume a lot of alcohol, nicotine, carbs, and they live longer than most places,” Daniels points out. “I believe it’s because the level of stress is so low and (the fact that) the community is so active that that gives them longevity.” “The biggest challenge for me over here in Sicily is just the amount of carbs that they consume,” Daniels says jokingly. Latest EditionEdition Edition 6 May 20256 May 2025Will the last person to leave the Liberals please turn out the lights The year 1989 may well be seen by future historians as one of those rare pivotal years of this past millennium—like 1066 and 1914—that profoundly altered the direction of Western Civilization still too early to say for certain that we as a society set ourselves on a dangerous collision course that year but none should be surprised if it turns out that lost opportunities in 1989 (and subsequent years) will have dire consequences for the rest of this century and Washington have all the elements of a jumbled Greek tragedy: good intentions and that most crucial of all ingredients: overweening hubris I was a mid-level American diplomat who had just gotten an assignment he had dreamed of for many years: Senior Watch Officer (SWO) in the State Department’s Operations Center That year witnessed a stunning number of crises but the two most influential were the Tiananmen Square Massacre and the Fall of the Berlin Wall How we interpreted and responded to these two crises have paved our path for the foreseeable future We might have changed direction at various points along the way and we are now—as in any true tragedy—increasingly unable to make amends When I began work in the Operations Center the Department had already set up a twenty-four-hour task force to more closely monitor the unfolding drama in Beijing as thousands of idealistic students led spontaneous mass demonstrations against China’s totalitarian regime which has a unique blending of communist The intent of those demonstrators—calling for a more open and just society—was seemingly benign and the demonstrations were peaceful By early June the drama unfolding in Tiananmen Square had been going on for well over a month and at least one high-ranking expert on China suggested that perhaps the twenty-four-hour task force could be reduced or even dismantled completely since it was clear that the Chinese government would resolve the impasse with the demonstrators through peaceful means This came as a shock to most of us who were not experts on China but who had been following the daily events in the Square and the daily statements by both the demonstrators and the regime This peculiar notion among some experts that the Chinese always would seek compromise and consensus seemed rooted in a naïve admiration for a China that had already made great strides by the end of the Eighties When the heavily armed troops arrived in the square and started shooting the unarmed demonstrators the United States was unprepared and shocked What followed were the usual calls for restraint There were even a few calls for suspending economic ties with China the United States decided that it would be punishment enough to simply suspend high-level meetings with Chinese officials sent National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft and Deputy Secretary of State Larry Eagleburger secretly to Beijing in July—just a little over a month after the slaughter of the demonstrators—to assuage Chinese fears of any severe consequences for having slaughtered their own children the official line was that these emissaries were sent “to impress upon the Chinese government the seriousness with which this incident was viewed in the United States.” But if that were the case there would have been no reason for keeping the visit secret.) That initial secret mission to China in July—we had been told to inform anyone who asked that Eagleburger was not available because he was serving as a master of ceremonies for some event elsewhere in the United States—was not disclosed until December when the information was leaked to a media outlet From a subsequent visit to Beijing that same December there is a now infamous photo of Scowcroft toasting the architects of the Tiananmen Massacre with champagne The United States appreciated stability and respected force The United States would not try to isolate or punish China’s regime for the murder of hundreds of its own citizens the United States would continue to push for greater and deeper relations with China including eventually allowing it Most Favored Nation (MFN) trading status and entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) and would repeatedly tolerate China’s violations of its WTO obligations and its wholesale theft of our intellectual property like to talk about human rights and fair play but in the end they were pragmatists and were always guided by realpolitik But it was never realpolitik so much as naïveté and wishful thinking If there is one lesson for Americans to learn from the missteps of the last thirty years it is that American foreign policymakers are never more unrealistic than when they think themselves realists quite a different drama played out in Europe as Gorbachev’s efforts at reform and openness challenged the authoritarian regimes of Eastern Europe culminating in the Fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9 most observers now believe that the Fall of the Wall had been inevitable once Gorbachev had set in motion a process of reform and that there was no turning back could have cracked down and could have prevented the collapse of the old structures that kept the Warsaw Pact countries and the Soviet Union intact But those in power refused to use force and so the old order crumbled many Soviet experts speculated that there would be a harsh crackdown as there had been in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968 Suspicion of Russian motives was so intense that few truly believed that the end of the “evil empire” could end in a bloodless surge of freedom and openness But Moscow stood by and quietly watched the events in Berlin unfold fully knowing that they would likely trigger subsequent events breaking down the old system throughout the other Warsaw Pact countries The reaction in Washington was disappointing While there was general relief and even euphoria in witnessing the collapse of tyranny and the birth of a new freedom for Eastern Europe a certain nostalgia for the Cold War was born even before our old nemesis was interred It still fills me with revulsion how many times over monitored phone calls high-ranking US officials only half-jokingly confided that they yearned for the more predictable when our military and intelligence agencies had true purpose and were not left vying with other government agencies to fight pseudo wars We had defined ourselves and our self-worth too much with fighting our Soviet foe and we were left aimless once it had been vanquished Despite all our talk about freedom and despite all our assurances that the end of the Soviet Union would herald a new relationship with Russia No one sent emissaries to Moscow for champagne toasts or to offer reassurances of continued strong ties All we offered was half-hearted economic support and an abundance of pity As one Russian official ruefully acknowledged even then There is only one plausible explanation for how Washington reacted so differently to Beijing and Moscow: Washington was more comfortable dealing with the pragmatic bloodiness of Tiananmen than the courageous refusal by Russia to use violence against its own citizens and citizens of Warsaw Pact states It turned out that Mao was right after all: Political power—and international respect—come from the barrel of a gun The new American attitude toward the failing Russian state was best exemplified by then-President Bush’s dismissive attitude toward Gorbachev’s suggestion that Russia And now the provocative actions taken by a resurgent Russia over the last decade seem to prove that Russia had not changed its evil ways and needed to be reined in indefinitely the persistent expansion of NATO ever closer to the Russian homeland the illegal creation of a new state in Kosovo against all precedent and many other actions on our part were seen not as provocations against Russian security but legitimate actions to keep a belligerent Russia at bay In Euripides’ masterpiece, Medea few literary critiques focus on Jason’s perfidy and arrogance and instead heap all the blame on Medea for her horrific actions And while Russia is far from guiltless for its many recent actions against civilized standards of conduct we refuse to see how our actions prodded Russia into the monster it is becoming triumphalism overtook baseball as America’s favorite national pastime We had “conquered” the Soviet Union and had “won” the Cold War explained that we had “out spent” Russian and driven it to financial and moral bankruptcy many of us continue to believe even today that Gorbachev and others who firmly believed in a more open system played only bit parts in the unfolding drama and that former President Reagan with his trite call “to tear down this Wall” played the pivotal role We succumbed to the worst angels of our darker nature our basest inclinations as a nation—exceptionalism and triumphalism we let lose the basest instincts of Russia and China For Russia those flaws are obvious: a disturbing inclination toward authoritarianism and a sometimes well-founded but malignant paranoia of foreign countries; China’s darker nature is equally obvious: a firm conviction in its own superiority and aspirations to regional we were midwife to what China and Russia have become today the Great Russia yearned to be part of Western civilization but has never—even after playing crucial roles in rescuing Europe from Napoleon and Hitler—been embraced has never sought anything but fealty and obeisance from the West—as is its due since in China’s eyes we are all barbarians It is a sad irony that we sought compromise and cooperation with the one state that vies with us for supremacy and wealth while denigrating and lamenting the state that wanted to be part of us—that is The evil empire turned out not so evil after all while the Middle Kingdom turned out monstrous a monster even willing to devour its own children as the blood-soaked pavement of Tiananmen Square proved As the world slips into a dangerous multipolarism on its way to a new unipolar world dominated by China still too focused on our old nemesis and our own fading influence hoping to rekindle our once-unrivaled power our chief architect of our rapprochement with China had focused his studies on Metternich rather than Napoleon He—and we—could have learned more from Napoleon’s dire warning that “China is a sleeping giant; we should (have) let her sleep.” especially the reference to the Tiananmen Square Massacre Nor do I expect it to be mentioned at the next Chinese Olympics Ditto also for weak leadership after the Berlin Wall fell I do tend to agree that many in the US government actually missed the Cold War and were unprepared to a new era where it was over and the USSR was no more By the time of the next Beijing Olympics few will dare remind us about what happened in 1989 I wouldn’t be surprised if even American broadcasters carefully refrained from offending China’s rulers by referring to the bloodiness of their crackdown 30 years ago As we have seen with Google and other US companies Mussomeli missed the main difference between Russia and China in 1989 The differing responses to Tiananmen and Berlin were not rooted in Chinese and Russian culture or aspirations The main difference was that the two communist systems were at different points in their respective life cycles China’s system was in its early middle age nearing its peak but not having forgotten its battles for hegemony and legitimacy Many of its cadres were still true believers who would not think of questioning the need to do whatever was necessary to preserve the communist party’s monopoly on power The USSR had done the same thing back in 1956 the USSR was approaching the point of exhaustion It cynical leaders maintained the system for the sake of their own class privilege not out of sincere belief in communist ideology or their country’s righteousness It would eventually have collapsed because of the problems inherent to a command economy put enough pressure on Moscow to hasten the process by about a decade I do not understand the assertion that “Russia yearned to be part of Western civilization.” It is simply not true Peter the Great desired certain superficial aspects of the West but he decisively rejected the underlying substance of Western culture – decentralization and liberty (One author I read recently described it thus: Peter demanded that the boyars stop referring to themselves as his slaves and as dutiful slaves they obeyed.) Since then the Slavophiles and their heirs have rejected even the superficial Westernization that Peter brought Russia’s leadership has always defined its nation against the West I completely agree with your assessment that by 1990 the Russian economy was faltering and certainly most Russians had lost faith in their ideology This helped break down the old system more quickly But I am less sure about your implicit assessment that the difference between China and Russia communism is that they are at different points in their life cycle but I fear that China has adapted (distorted?) Marxism to such a degree and is capable of manipulating the world’s most modern economies to an even greater degree that its economy will prosper long into the future It will not experience the fatigue of the Russian economy and its leaders will not lose faith in its ideology–largely because it lost its faith long ago when the Gang of Four were deposed I suspect–but would be delighted to be mistaken–that China poses a longer term and more serious threat to America than Russia ever did I also find myself both agreeing and disagreeing with your comments about Russia Russia has always been suspicious of the West and has often feared its infection it has been a mix of admiration and disdain I tried to allude to that in the truncated phrase about Russia’s loathing of foreign countries Today we see the results of Russia succumbing to its worst nature and instincts we are back to the more traditional Russian impulse to define itself as against the West This was admitted by a Russian official last week–can’t recall who–who confessed that Russia was giving up on trying to be part of the West and now would follow a different course and covetous of power—but this doesn’t make them much different from the leaders of every other nation-state On March 10 American ambassadors from across the globe descended on Washington for our annual conference: a few days to forget about the day-to-day hassles of running embassies and coping with irate host governments and a chance to share big thoughts and ideas about where we as a country should be going the main speaker began her talk with all the moral indignation and self-righteousness that should have made seasoned diplomats wince Almost the first words uttered were to characterize the situation in Ukraine as a “classic Manichean struggle between absolute good and absolute evil.” I started to laugh but a quick look around the room dispelled any thought that others might be sharing in the absurdity of the assertion everyone was nodding their heads solicitously as the litany of Russian transgressions was chronicled An image of cattle in a meadow lowing contentedly while chewing their cud came to mind They understood their marching orders: We were wearing the white hats and those Russians were wearing black hats that matched their twisted Only a week later this self-fulfilling prophecy seemed validated as Russia moved to annex Crimea We should not expect our political leaders or our media to view foreign policy concerns in too complex or nuanced a manner are generally garnered where simple themes and stark contrasts between us and our adversaries are most pronounced But from our diplomats we should expect better It is a sad irony that the hiring process for being selected into America’s diplomatic corps (the Foreign Service) has arguably the most intellectually rigorous standards of any government institution The vetting process is designed not only to favor those with broad knowledge of current events and history but also to weed out those who are incapable of complex analysis and whose minds are rigid and inflexible if a candidate were asked to write an essay on the causes of World War I she would likely be rejected if her analysis only focused on the hegemonic designs of the German Empire and the “bloodthirstiness” of the Kaiser and ignored the roles France and Great Britain played in precipitating the war once one becomes a diplomat all that natural ability to think deeply and see problems from all perspectives can be a serious impediment to career advancement whenever higher level policymakers have made a decision about who are the “bad guys” in any given international situation the herd instinct is triggered and most of those thoughtful mentally flexible diplomats reflexively see crises in stark black and white terms And there is no better example of this distressing phenomenon than the desire to foster a new Cold War with Russia and render the Russian leader as Satan incarnate the vast majority of foreign policy “experts” would take issue with the view that Russia is anything but dangerous and unreliable could see anything but sinister motives in Russian actions over the course of the last decade of all the serious foreign matters with which we must grapple in the coming years this animosity toward Russia may be the only one on which there exists such a broad consensus of liberal and conservative opinion the motives that engender this broad consensus vary among our political elites: Many liberals are hellbent on revenge because of allegations of Russian interference in the November election; many conservatives still missing the good old days of the Cold War find it easy to conjure up images of a malevolent and resurgent Russia; many others are understandably concerned about the provocative actions that Russia has taken over the last few years Putin has set Russia on a collision course with the “free world” and only courage and spending trillions of more dollars on military hardware can counter his hegemonic designs on Eastern Europe and beyond as we have all heard repeatedly since 1945 that stands “with conquering limbs astride” the Volga There is a good amount of history that weighs in favor of those who distrust Russian intentions To suggest that Russia has been saintly would be as absurd as arguing that it is demonic The point is that this is not a black and white issue and absolute opposites are not the reality we live in either in our personal lives or among nations The Russophobes will offer a plausible list of grievances against Mr Putin—who they never tire of calling a “thug,” as if diplomacy were little more than playground name-calling The list includes the mass slaughter of Syrian civilians the brutal repression of Chechen “terrorists,” the possible assassination of political opponents the annexation of Crimea in violation of the 1994 agreement to safeguard Ukraine’s territorial integrity the ongoing conflict in the eastern portion of Ukraine and Russian efforts to influence the 2016 American presidential election You look at this list and you have the makings of a lucrative Hollywood blockbuster where the bad guys are truly villainous and the good guys are undeniably virtuous And life is no more a Hollywood set full of comic-book heroes and villains than it is a struggle of absolute good against absolute evil Their counter-list of grievances against the U.S and our allies is quite lengthy: the seeming encirclement of Russia as NATO persists in its enlargement the creation of Kosovo in probable violation of the post-World War II understanding not to alter and change borders the unilateral abrogation of the 1972 ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) Treaty by the U.S. the installation of missile defense systems in former Warsaw Pact countries the brutal bombing of Libya… just to name a few Putin has been extraordinarily accommodating to the West providing broad and unprecedented access to Russian bases and overflight permission during our attack on Afghanistan resolutions on the invasion of Iraq or bombing of Libya and providing strong diplomatic support in restraining Iran’s nuclear program And while Russian efforts to influence and even undermine our recent presidential election are worrisome most Americans remain blissfully unaware of our own efforts to influence the 2011 Russian parliamentary elections when then-Secretary of State Clinton publicly called for an investigation into allegations of electoral fraud thereby precipitating mass protests against Mr we are too quick to get teary-eyed over the “people’s uprising” against a legitimate and democratically-elected Ukrainian president who happened to want warmer ties with Russia Russia’s violation of the 1994 accord guaranteeing Ukraine’s territorial integrity is disturbing  When any country deems it in its own best self-interest to do so American policy-makers also prefer to ignore the long-term consequences of our Kosovo policy broke with seventy years of precedent and offered a legal and moral argument for Crimea’s annexation The population of Crimea has a Russian majority that some insist had been discriminated against by Ukraine and Crimea had been part of Russia for nearly 200 years before Khrushchev gifted it to Ukraine in 1954 Many would legitimately argue that Kosovo and Crimea are not the same and that the horrors perpetrated on Kosovo justified creating a new state the result—violating the principle of preserving the territorial integrity of all European states—served as a potent catalyst to Crimea’s annexation Those of a Manichean bent will dismiss Russian complaints as contrived and exaggerated: a figment not just of Russian imagination “The Cold War is over” is the tiresome refrain from NATO each time it adds a new member closer and closer to the Russian border the year before the onslaught of new members had begun warned that NATO enlargement would inevitably trigger a new Cold War given justifiable Russian concerns for its own security Even a superficial understanding of Russian history—devastating invasions by Mongols Napoleon and Hitler—should have given NATO greater pause themselves having suffered at the hands of Russian armies prevailed and the vacuum left by the collapse of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact was recklessly filled by an ever-expanding NATO This same argument—that the Cold War is over—was used to dismiss Russian fears about installing missile defense systems in Eastern Europe: Talking points went out to all U.S embassies explaining that the Russians have nothing to fear and that these systems were not directed against them Russian concerns about these missile defense systems did seem overblown and absurd At least Russia’s fears seemed baseless until the 2016 presidential campaign when almost every Republican candidate urged accelerating those very same missile defense systems—that we had been saying for years had nothing to do with Russia—in order to send Russia a tough message To think in Manichean terms is not just bad theology; it is also dangerous diplomacy The appeal of dualism has always been that it offers a clear and allows us to entertain the false notion that the “children of light” are without blemish When this religious sentiment infects the political arena the damage done to relations between states can be profound Dualism always seduces by providing easy answers to hard It protects us from too much introspection The Manichean mindset also has appeal because so many of those who reject the absurdity of absolute good against absolute evil fall prey to that other absurd absolute: That everyone and every country is equally guilty  This “moral equivalence” argument is as mindless and dangerous as its Manichean counterpoint while neither side is ever completely to blame both sides are never absolutely equally to blame has become increasingly provocative in its actions and it owns much of the blame for heightened tensions with the West Americans don’t have to forsake their sense of moral superiority to embrace a keener understanding of their own transgressions and mistakes in dealing with Russia and other countries Of all the childish things we should put away as responsible adults this penchant for demonizing the other and always making excuses for ourselves should be high on the list The crucial question to always ask is one we were all taught in kindergarten: Would I have done anything differently if I were in that person’s situation This is a skill every diplomat and political leader should cultivate: what would I do if I were the leader of this other country If our leaders were courageous enough to really ponder this question they would be surprised and humbled While many of us would never countenance the brutality of some of Mr it is unlikely that any of us would have supinely tolerated the continued encroachment of NATO or the persistent demands of the West for U.N resolutions to legitimate attacking this or that country we might even conclude that for Russian leaders to have acted in any other way toward the West than they have would be a dereliction of duty Putin once famously remarked that the dissolution of the Soviet Union was the greatest peaceful geopolitical disaster of the twentieth century But perhaps the greatest geopolitical disaster of the last century is that we failed to have the vision and grace to offer Russia a clear path into a larger European security framework after the collapse of the Soviet Union The chance for creating a new framework that could include Russia would have been far easier during the nineties Some will argue that former President Obama already tried with his “reset,” but that effort was doomed from the start because he entrusted the reset to certain individuals many of whom had deep misgivings about Russia and Mr Putin and who were never fully committed to the process It is as hard to give up an old enemy as it is to give up an old lover While the chances of success now are far less than before a fruitful and open relationship with Russia would be so advantageous to America that it is worth the tremendous effort and dire risk of failure Russia was extraordinarily helpful during the Afghanistan campaign and in forging an agreement with Iran; it could be far more helpful in combatting ISIS and in countering the spread of Islamic extremism a Russia that was a full partner in ensuring the security of Europe would usher in a new era of genuine peace and prosperity that would benefit the entire world This essay first appeared here in April 2017 The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politics—we approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now “It is a sad irony that the hiring process for being selected into America’s diplomatic corps (the Foreign Service) has arguably the most intellectually rigorous standards of any government institution if a candidate were asked to write an essay on the causes of World War I…” Having passed the foreign service exam and been through the vetting and interview process I can tell you the questions asked bore no resemblance to… intellectual discourses on history I was flummoxed when the first question I was asked in the personal interview was how I would respond if I discovered the ambassadress was having an affair with a subordinate This is their main concern regarding potential foreign service agents That is the intellectual level at which the state department operates How many personal friends do I have who are either Muslim or from “other diverse groups” PC scum rule the roost there as everywhere in the federal government but I wouldn’t be too surprised if the questions have degenerated as you indicate When I took the exams 37 years ago the questions I recall being asked were: the relevance of NATO and how should we deal with growing tensions between China and Vietnam That’s nothing – when I took the US citizenship exam all the questions were in Spanish From the sounds of it – people in the other booths (the ones from Latin America) were doing better than me having stupidly studied the constitution of the United States instead Member of the European Parliament Janusz Korwin Mikke reports often that during sessions of the committee on foreign affairs for the EU parliament – no matter what subject comes up from what part of the world – the answer to the problem is always the same: women’s rights Korwin Mikke tells us “no one in the West is expected to know anything about the history of the countries of the world nor do they think to distinguish between differences in culture It is simply enough to know that gays have a right to marry and that women must be guaranteed the right to an abortion – and the Westerners that armed with this knowledge they can confront any problem of international politics.” When Korwin Mikke visited the United States for a State Department sponsored conference this 70-plus year old gentleman who survived World War II communist imprisonment and through it all managed to publish several books on politic economy said “Americans have become amazingly stupid since the times of Reagan No one in the State department knows anything about Russia They only talk about gay rights and women’s rights – that’s all they know.” (quotes are 90% accurate paraphrases from memory of live interviews) my dad was career Army—–he spoke 5 languages and had a classic liberal arts education despite spending his high school years in an orphanage and never going to college Many of his military contemporaries were likewise enlightened despite their humble beginnings The problem today is education is indoctrination not education I agree that we should stop demonizing Russia and driving it into the arms of Communist China Russia is returning to its Orthodox Christian roots She is as Christian as America is (or was) Apparently it's pretty difficult to attract potential homeowners to Italy — despite its reputation of stunning coastlines cobblestone towns dotted across the countryside villages across Italy are proposing new schemes to lure people to buy property two towns — one near Naples and the Amalfi Coast are offering dream Italian homes for just one euro The tiny, rural village of Zungoli, in the Campania region, is offering up 15 properties — with photos of those homes located on Zungoli's official website.  "People must really come see for themselves the beauty of the place, taste the great food and breathe the fresh healthy air," Paolo Caruso, mayor of Zungoli, told CNN Piazzas and pavements have just been revamped Read more: Italy's abandoned villages plan to save themselves from ruin by selling homes for $1 or less Magaraggia, an Italian law firm documenting the trend of one euro properties in the country listed a total of 11 municipalities in February offering the cheap deal. The firm found that the scheme fared pretty well — most villages said that their first batch of properties were already gone having received 5,000 requests for its first 100 properties But, that hasn't been the case for everyone. As Business Insider reported in 2015 an Australian woman from Melbourne traveled nearly 10,000 miles to buy a home for just one euro in the village of Gangi in Sicily she discovered that she actually would need to pay more than $17,000 in fees and permits to renovate the aging home "I stayed there for a week and looked at all the ones that were for sale," that woman "They were all terrible and needed to be knocked down and rebuilt." Macnaughtan's experience with the one euro Italian homes is not novel: both Zungoli and Mussomeli offer a similar catch for perspective buyers buyers must pay a 2,000 euro (around $2,248) security deposit and commit to refurbishing the home interested parties are required to meet with the notary to come up with an agreement for refurbishing the home within three years — or risk losing a 5,000 euro ($5,620) security deposit There is also a 400 euro ($449) fee for tailored services to be paid after the purchase of the one euro home I traveled to Sicily to report on the various towns that are selling homes for as little as $1 in a bid to revive their economies that are suffering from the effects of depopulation I got to travel a lot around the Mediterannean island to areas that are seldom explored by tourists — and I was bowled over by its natural beauty While the $1 homes won't be winning any pageants the towns that they inhabited were overflowing with rustic Italian charm Despite its many assets, Sicily still flies under many travelers' radars. In 2018 tourists spent just over 15 million nights on the island — in comparison tourists spent just over 69 million nights in Veneto meaning that — by my calculations — now is the time to go I'm by no means a professional photographer but below are some of the best pictures I managed to capture during my time reporting from Sicily Source: CNN Travel. Read more: I stayed in one of Italy's ghost towns that's selling off homes for $1, and I was treated like royalty Source: Virtual Sicily. Read more: Meet the Americans, Brits, and Europeans flocking to Italy's rural ghost towns to buy abandoned, dilapidated homes for $1 Read more of Tom Murray's $1 home coverage here The only time you can be really sure that both the Republicans and Democrats are wrong is when they all agree with each other This is certainly true in the recent case of poor Representative Mary Miller besieged and berated on all sides for saying something that very few of us would ever really dispute when the camera pans outward that you realize that this cherubic looking youth singing this sweet lyrical song is a member of Hitler’s Youth The director could have chosen another way to convey the fact that Germany’s youth had been captivated by the false promises and half-truths of the Nazis but putting the words in the mouth of this young singer made a far more profound impact on the audience I have not seen the film in several decades but the only scene that I can still remember is that song being sung in some German beer garden I suspect something of the same sort of reasoning went through the mind of the freshman Republican representative from Illinois when she decided to quote Adolf Hitler in a speech declaring that “Hitler was right on one thing ‘Whoever has the youth has the future.’” This comment drew swift and severe bipartisan criticism with Republicans vying with Democrats to outdo each other in castigating Representative Miller for such an “outrageous” statement It reminded me that I have always taught my children not to think one political party is always right and the other always wrong that they will find that the Democrats are right sometimes and the Republicans are right other times and that the only time you can be really sure that they are wrong Her Hitler reference also reminded me of my own prepared statement before a Senate Subcommittee after I had been nominated to be the United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia in 2005 In my prepared remarks—which were fully vetted and cleared throughout the Department of State—I thought I should include some reference to the horrific genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge on its own people during the Seventies but settled on a line often attributed to Stalin: “The death of one man is a tragedy The death of a million is only a statistic.” Perhaps it was because we were not so politically correct 15 years ago and the cancel culture had not yet reared its ugly head but no one seemed upset at all that before a subcommittee of the US Senate I had quoted a genocidal monster as reprehensible as Hitler we are more comfortable quoting a mass murderer who does not discriminate based on “race or national origin” in orchestrating his slaughter Of all the absurd commentary attacking Representative Miller none can rival the self-righteous silliness of Illinois Governor J.B who called the remarks “unfathomable.” He went on to explain himself thusly: “Let me be clear: Hitler got nothing right This reprehensible rhetoric has no place in our politics.” Wow That’s quite a ridiculous statement even for an American politician if someone quoted Hitler as believing that the earth revolves around the sun we should insist like a latter-day Ptolemy that the solar system is geocentric because to quote Hitler about astronomy would make no sense when there are so many more qualified and eminent thinkers to rely on But when it comes to manipulating an audience and deceiving the youth of a country who better than one of history’s most despicable and ruthless leaders To quote Hitler in this narrow manner is a far clearer and more riveting way to convey an important truth than quoting just about anyone else just as quoting Stalin on genocide during my Senate hearing was a more jarring and edifying way to express the horror and banality of mass murder I understand the universal loathing for Hitler (and Stalin) but this unwillingness to have any objectivity and to demand (as Senator Tammy Duckworth did) an elected official’s resignation because of appropriately quoting such a vile creature is absurd Shall we shut down our nationwide Interstate highway system just because Eisenhower was inspired to support that system of roadways after seeing Germany’s massive construction of the Autobahn system during the Nazi period Shall we ban Volkswagens from those same highways because the Volkswagen was a huge propaganda success for Hitler Shall we again outlaw homosexual relationships because some of Hitler’s earliest and most violent followers were gay we should start treating animals cruelly and ban PETA since Hitler hated hunting animals and the Nazi regime was quite enlightened when it came to protecting animal rights This entire sordid episode by Democrats and Republicans to get on the bandwagon to pummel Representative Miller reminds me of the now-long-forgotten outrage back in 2001 when the liberal comedian Bill Maher had the effrontery to question former President George W Bush’s ridiculous assertion that the 2001 terrorists were cowards One can plausibly argue that the acts themselves were cowardly since civilians were targeted and certainly the acts themselves were evil and unjustifiable but describing 19 men who willingly gave up their lives for what they pathetically thought was a higher cause as cowards was and remains silly had to retract a truth in order to keep the guardians of political correctness at bay This is too bad and sadly distracting from the points that Maher in 2001 and Miller today were trying to make Americans may grow up and be able to assess matters in a mature and unbiased manner but that day is nowhere to be seen on the horizon The featured image is the official portrait of Representative Mary Miller, and is in the public domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. All comments are moderated and must be civil, concise, and constructive to the conversation. Comments that are critical of an essay may be approved, but comments containing ad hominem criticism of the author will not be published. Also, comments containing web links or block quotations are unlikely to be approved. Keep in mind that essays represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Imaginative Conservative or its editor or publisher. Good essay, but I’m not sure there is universal loathing for Stalin. Robespierre had the same position about using state-sponsored education as the vehicle to propagandize the youth of France. Ms Miller might well have quoted him instead of Hitler. But, as Hitler said about the Armenian genocide, “Who remembers Robespierre?” Well said. The world has gone crazy, especially the political class! Mr Mussomelli is absolutely correct. Well said! As a Christian pastor must I fear that I could be castigated or cancelled every time I teach Law and Gospel? Well…..yes. Not everyone rejoiced at the Truth our Savior taught. To be human today and share the truth is to risk. We are called to do just that. No wonder the Governor wants us to be “safe.” I would be obliged to agree with you had the quote been mentioned in a speech that was anywhere else. It’s clear that berating her is just a means by which the Democrats and Republicans (many of whom initially supported the sentiments she was espousing) can cultivate better optics for themselves as the nation seeks to exert control over detractors of the neoliberal order. But let’s be clear, they are chasing better optics because the situation doesn’t look too good from most standpoints. There were plenty of white nationalists and neo-nazis represented in that crowd. Saying hitler was right about something is a generally benign statement in a variety of contexts, but in this particular instance, it becomes more of a charged piece of rhetoric. It was a poor decision on her part because, whether intended or not, she certainly perked the ears of those that wish to have that sort of rhetoric made more explicit. And a person in the political realm, Miller included, should know how to read the general atmosphere and act accordingly or suffer the consequences of public disapproval and associated betrayals. This is the fire that all political actors play with. Stalin had the “Pioneers,” the equivalent to Hitler Youth satirized as “Spies” in 1984. Poisoning the young is a well known tactic. On September 10, Mr. Mussomeli lamented that “I sometimes still worry that all the publicity centering around 9/11 drowns out the cries of those who died that day. I don’t want that to happen. The dead deserve to be remembered, to be honored, to be missed. And not to be used. The tragedy of their dying was corrupted from the very start by our leaders who failed to understand why they died and who used their dying for their own objectives.” As a policy just don’t ever mention Stalin and Hitler in a public discourse. Why go there? If you don’t mind everything getting side tracked, go ahead. I have made it my own practice just to leave them out of the conversation. Hopefully she’ll stand tall. 98% of the population doesn’t know about it, doesn’t care or actually gets it. The Twitterati are a belligerent minority. Ignore them. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Imaginative Conservative is sponsored by The Free Enterprise Institute (a U.S. 501(c)3 tax exempt organization). Your donation to the Institute in support of The Imaginative Conservative is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. 2019 at 9:40 AMshutterstock.comshutterstock.comIf you’ve ever dreamed of packing up and heading for the quaint Italian countryside it’s just not in the cards for most people It’s not cheap to pack up your life and take it across the pond finding a place to live as an ex-pat can be hard because a beautiful Italian town is selling picturesque homes for less than $2 Each home costs about $1.12 (after converting a euro to a dollar) shutterstock.comScoring one of these homes isn’t easy, though. Like owning a home anywhere, there’s some red tape to cut through before you can begin your dream life. Each home must be renovated in three years or the owner risks losing their $5,595 deposit, according to the program website so you’ll have to have a little more cash in the bank than the initial $1.12 to buy the house Those fees include administrative and transaction fees Other Italian towns, like Sambuca and the Sardinian town of Ollolai if you’re still interested despite all the hoops you’ll likely have to jump through you may even have some options to choose from it might be cheaper to book a flight to Italy and stay in an Airbnb You can pretend you live there for however long your stay is and you won’t have to get your hands dirty in the process Italy's small towns may be scenic respites from touristy cities like Rome and Venice but they're struggling to hold on to residents Across the country, quaint villages and rural hamlets have taken to selling their abandoned properties for a single euro or less in hopes of boosting their populations Read more: 9 cities and towns where you can get a home free, or buy one at a massive discount The town is 2,500 feet above sea level, so there's less concern about it being washed away by the next big flood Take a look at the abandoned stone properties that the government is selling for 1 euro Renovations are expected to cost about $75 per square foot Additional costs such as notary and secretarial fees amount to between $2,800 and $4,500 The town has engineers and architects to assist with the renovations but buyers are allowed to assemble their own renovation crew This 800-square-foot home comes with three bedrooms and a bathroom This house on Via Architetto Costanzo has five bedrooms they'll stop off at landmarks and local restaurants but visitors only have to pay if they wind up purchasing a home Correction: An original version of this article misstated the average price per square foot of renovating a home.  Mussomeli was born in New York City on May 26 He graduated from Camden Catholic High School in 1970 He then went to Rutgers University for two years before dropping out and becoming an upholsterer and then spending several months hitch-hiking through Europe he attended Trenton State College and graduated summa cum laude in 1975 In 1978 he earned a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers Law School Mussomeli served as a law clerk to the Appellate Court of New Jersey from 1978-1979 and then worked one year as a Deputy Attorney General in the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement Mussomeli entered the Foreign Service in September 1980 and began his career serving in Cairo Mussomeli served in the Department as staff assistant to the Undersecretary for Security Assistance Philippines as a consular officer from 1984-1986 His subsequent tours included: North Korea Desk Officer (1986-1988) and Inspector for the Office of Inspector General (1992-1994) and as a member of the Senior Seminar (2001-2002) He recently concluded a tour as Deputy Chief of Mission in the Philippines (2002-2005) Mussomeli has received several awards including two Superior Honor Awards National Security Advisor John Bolton has thus far failed to maneuver the world into yet another Made-in-America Middle East conflict Yet he might soon have the justification he wants In the American lexicon there is never any such thing as wars of aggression This has not been a particularly auspicious time for the warmongers amongst us despite truly valiant efforts to justify an attack on Iran led by National Security Advisor John Bolton and inspired by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thus far failed to maneuver the world into yet another Made-in-America Middle East conflict Everything looked so promising less than two years ago but then a series of unexpected setbacks placed serious barriers in our path to another war of liberation Even though after sixteen years we still haven’t finished our wonderful euphemistically named “Enduring Freedom” campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan we sense a growing urgency to force the Iranian people to embrace our way of life and our definition of liberty Before he became President Trump’s National Security Advisor before an audience of MEK (Mujahedeen Khalq) supporters—an organization that we once had honorably placed on our list of terrorist organizations but that has somehow been exonerated since 2012 even though it had been responsible for the murder of Americans Bolton vowed that before 2019 he and they would celebrate the end of the Mullahs in the streets of Tehran.[*] How frustrating it must be to see 2019 come and already be nearly half gone without any loss of Iranian lives he was not the only one who misestimated the timeline to war with Iran I confess to having given several lectures over the last several years predicting 2019 would be the year for an aerial bombardment of Iranian nuclear facilities Bolton nor I could imagine the host of setbacks this administration would encounter on its quest to start another conflagration in the Middle East there were those pesky European allies of ours who have steadfastly adhered to the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran and have even sought ways to continue trading with that country our European allies seem not as spineless and gullible as they were in 2003 when we led most of them into our other grand war Then there was that unfortunate hacking into pieces of a world-respected Saudi journalist at the behest of the Saudi Crown Prince While it is not at all surprising that the Halal Butcher would order such a crime The House of Saud is usually much better at covering its tracks—September 11 is a good example of their skill A third problem came from our other close Middle East ally Netanyahu might actually be convicted and go to prison on corruption charges But of all the unanticipated barriers to bloodshed the most frustrating and inconceivable has been the Iranian regime itself and seemingly possessed of otherworldly patience the Iranians have until now refused to take the bait Even though the Iranian economy shrank by 1.5% last year and is expected to contract by 3.6% this year (compared to 3.8% growth in 2017 before sanctions were re-imposed) the Iranians continue to adhere to the nuclear deal and have refrained—thus far at least—from providing the United States any legitimate justification for attacking them But recently things have started to look up for those yearning for more chaos and greater bloodletting in the Middle East Netanyahu was well on his way to becoming Israel’s prime minister for a record fifth time While still haunted by those corruption charges as Prime Minister he will be able to further guide U.S there was never any possibility of the Crown Prince being indicted on murder charges but many had hoped that outrage over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi would last a little longer and restrain his activities and power But other than a few editors at the Washington Post almost everyone else has moved on Iran finally threatened to reassess its nuclear commitments The change in tempo has been most evident in the United States On April 15 the State Department officially designated Iran’s military unit the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) This designation of a foreign government’s military is unprecedented and is indicative of how determined the Trump Administration is to resolve the Iran issue Secretary of State Pompeo announced sanctions against any country Although over one hundred companies have already stopped doing business with Iran the Iranian reluctance to be provoked requires tightening the economic screws further the United States announced that it would deploy the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the Middle East region although our largest Middle Eastern air force base is in Qatar there is no clarity yet as to where those bombers will be stationed which maintains sensible relations with Iran might well object to the use of its territory to conduct airstrikes; there would be no such objection from the Saudis In making the announcement of these new deployments Bolton explained their purpose: “to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.” There are always myriad lessons to learn from history; it’s just difficult to discern which lesson is most applicable to current circumstances When Cato the Elder ended each of his speeches with a longer version of the phrase Carthago delenda est probably many of his Senate colleagues rolled their eyes in exasperation or laughter But eventually he got his way and the walls of Carthage were savagely torn down and the population destroyed tried to be reasonable and tried to accommodate the Romans but accommodation was not what the Romans were really after almost as cranky and nearly as vindictive as Cato will also get his wish and we will be rid of the Iranian Mullahs once and for all Wars have a way of producing unexpected results even if those results are not realized for a long time afterward has much more in common with another Roman His unexpected defeat at Carrhae against the Parthians—the Iranians of that time—stunned the Roman world there really is no chance for the Iranians to win any military conflict against the United States But that was and is also true of Iraq and Afghanistan An orchestrated accident—the Persian Gulf may prove similar to the Gulf of Tonkin—is a real possibility We may soon learn how well or poorly those new Russian SAM systems Iran purchased work against our aircraft Prospects for another illegal war of aggression are improving daily But in the American lexicon there is never any such thing as wars of aggression * “John Bolton Speech on Iran. War is Coming!” Tell that to Gold Star families whose loved ones were blown up by Iranian IEDs or those missing limbs from those gruesome bombs This article is one-sided and so incomplete I certainly agree that Iran poses a significant danger to US interests and is responsible for many American deaths And they are far from “accommodating” in many matters of concern to us Iran has in fact been surprisingly accommodating about adhering to its nuclear commitments even though we have reneged on our commitments I thought they would have torn up the nuclear deal many months ago–and obviously Iran’s reluctance to do so thus far has surprised almost everyone Bolton (and perhaps Trump) wants war and that means Iran can never do enough to appease us Take a look at Pompeo’s 12 demands and you can readily see that the only real choice we are giving Iran is to either fundamentally alter itself or to be fundamentally altered by military attack Your other point about Iran being responsible for American deaths is not debatable If we are to weigh the number of American deaths caused by Iran (directly or indirectly) and those caused by the spread of Saudi-funded Wabbiism if you look carefully at when Iran attacks us This dates way back to 1983 and the killing of our 241 Marines in Beirut but an act that was precipitated by our choosing sides in a civil war We were greeted by all sides as peacekeepers when we first arrived and then we started bombing Shiite villages in Lebanon I have written several other articles that go into greater detail about the Iranian attacks on American interests for TIC over the last two years; no need to restate them here but my anger is for both those who take that life and those who needlessly and recklessly place that life in danger Your thoughts have always been read with great interest What is your answer to the murderous spread of Islamic terrorism in Africa or the arming of Islamic forces in Lebanon and Syria Do you see a relationship between the 150 billion dollars given to Iran and the escalation of those ongoing efforts to spread Islam all of which are attributed to the ‘worlds most active supporter of Islamic jihad,’ Iran War of Liberation or defending peoples from genocide How far back are we willing to look at the victims of the spread of Islam by the sword and conclude How right was Belloc in predicting the ‘rise of Islam’ again was it ‘losing’ in Iraq and Afghanistan or was it ‘sacrifice’ I should confess that I am far from an expert on Africa so I hesitate to say too much about the spread of Islamic extremism there But what is certain is that our two Islamic greatest threats in Africa are Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al-Shabaab in Somalia Both of these groups hate Iran as much as they hate us They are Sunni fundamentalists and have been inspired by Saudi-funded Wahabbi teachings There is also a growing fundamentalism among Shiites in Africa but they are a minority (I think less than 20% of the Islamic population in Africa) and do not constitute a serious threat–yet–to US interests The situation in Lebanon and Syria is far more serious and the Iranians are playing a central and deadly role there Israel has good reason to be worried and so do we The question is whether we can temper Iranian involvement there better through confrontation or negotiation But it is unrealistic to think Iran will ever forsake its fellow Shiites especially given how cruelly they are treated by Sunni extremists Assad treated/mistreated everyone equally based on their loyalty rather than their religion essay in which I discuss Belloc’s prescience is the most serious threat to our way of life but we are foolishly focusing on the wrong enemy Iran poses a more traditional threat to us People are too quick to forget that it was the 2003 Iraq invasion that simultaneously led to strengthening these Sunni nonstate groups and also strengthening Iran I suppose I would characterize that as “sacrifice” I liked your story about the Sri Lanka bombings Most of the Arab states seem to enjoy spouting warlike rhetoric but they seem to be remarkably ineffective when it comes to actually fighting Blaming the Saudi’s for 9-11 is a little misplaced Osama was frustrated in his attempts to effect change in Saudi Arabia and so attacked the country he viewed as Saudi Arabia’s biggest supporter / customer It might not be possible to bring democracy to Asia If you want to effect change in these benighted lands long term propaganda campaign aimed at the largest segment of the population That’s how the commies prepare for their conquests I completely agree on the Arabs using hyperbole and wild warlike rhetoric I realized that cultural phenomenon while stationed in Egypt in the early Eighties Whenever I would play backgammon with an Egyptian it was like going to war and they never could stop opening their mouths to predict in very colorful terms my imminent demise Remember Saddam warning us in 1990 that it would be the “Mother of All Wars”… quite an exaggeration I’m not sure this same inclination to wild rhetoric is in the Iranian culture too I also agree that it would be “misplaced” to blame the Saudi government directly for 9/11 The Saudis would have loved to capture bin Laden; he wanted to destroy the House of Saud as well after all who funded AQ and who continue to support extremists And the House of Saud itself is indirectly responsible for 9/11 and many other atrocities because of the huge amount of funding it provides to fundamentalist groups that spread its intolerant I’m not convinced we need or should even try to change them I think Trump has good instincts when he says we should not be interfering in other countries and cultures is believing that these countries and cultures can be our allies We don’t have to overthrow the Saudis but neither should we consider them friends and allies Nov 15, 2022 | | 0 You must be logged in to post a comment I agree with the Comment Policy All rights reserved.Reproduction of material from westportjournal.com without written permission is strictly prohibited All of the money donated here is added to Westport Journal’s editorial budget Please make your donation recurring if you can You and all of our readers will benefit from your generosity Following is a transcription of the video:  Narrator: These are Italy's famous dollar homes I'm not gonna talk because there is a pigeon living in this bit a picturesque town in Italy's countryside in danger of dying out until the government started selling abandoned homes here practically for free And while the pandemic may have delayed some of these plans even though the true cost of these homes is a lot more than a dollar Narrator: Over 20 towns across Italy have started selling abandoned homes for a single euro The towns selling these dollar homes are small and most of them are far out in the countryside And they've been suffering from rapid depopulation for decades It caused so much damage that for some homeowners it was cheaper to cash in on insurance and move somewhere else completely Many moved to escape the poor job markets in their rural hometowns the population has decreased by 30% since the 1950s Marco Cicio: There's not much work here right now Narrator: And according to The Wall Street Journal it's been especially bad in the last 15 years and that makes more than a million people in the last 20 years who have moved away from Italy's rural regions and closer to the urban cities and other parts of the world to have a job So here we have a lot of houses without people inside Narrator: What's left are beautiful towns with abandoned homes Toti: So we decide to repopulate this part of the town set up websites where prospective buyers could scroll through the homes for sale where they've lost 9,000 residents since 2014 They would pay newcomers almost $800 a month to move here for three years and start a small business It didn't take long for publications to pick up the story Tom Murray: The headline kind of writes itself It's a beautiful home in rural Italy for a dollar Gillian: The very beginning started on Facebook Narrator: All the other stories sounded pretty similar Bert Smets: Read an article in a Belgian newspaper Narrator: Most of the newcomers came from the US and Northern Europe Giuseppe Cacioppo: I'm happy for the people arrive in Sambuca He's the guy who launched the program in Sambuca Sambuca got the widest media coverage after Giuseppe put 16 homes up for sale in early 2019 Younger woman and younger man for stay in Sambuca Narrator: Even though the towns are small and rural Gillian: What Sambuca has that I haven't experienced elsewhere is really the history of it Tamara Holm: I love how you can just see the stucco peeling off and the old stone just popping out right behind it Gillian: You literally could take a photo anywhere round about you everyone we spoke to said the locals here were welcoming to the new faces and energy and she invited my wife to make it with her Nina Smets: It was the best lasagna I ever tasted Narrator: So landing a dollar home in these idyllic towns may sound perfect Toti: You have to spend money to make the contracts for the taxes and another $400 for a real-estate company Narrator: That could bring up the total to about $3,000 which meant they started at a dollar but ended up selling to the highest bidder More than 100,000 people sent in requests for 16 houses She's from Scotland and was one of the lucky auction winners in Sambuca and this is the first time that we've seen it Narrator: She ended up paying $1,100 for her new home Gillian: So I picked up the phone to my long-suffering husband Narrator: Only one home in Sambuca actually sold for the dollar listing price Most of them ended up going for a few thousand but the most expensive home went for $28,000 Gillian: We bought the house for the 1,000 euros Narrator: The deposit amount ranges from $2,300 to $5,600 Homeowners will get it back if they start renovations within a year and agree to finish within three years of getting designs approved Gillian: It's a safeguard for them to make sure that they don't almost give away these properties and then they sit vacant again 'Cause they want people to be in and using them Narrator: And since most of the homes were in pretty rough shape they sometimes come with a requirement to spend at least $17,000 on renovations They're from Belgium and were two of the first people to purchase dollar homes in Mussomeli They purchased four $1 properties and have finished renovations on one of them Tamara: And also they don't have large hardware stores Still nothing compared to the $124,000 that Forbes reported one Sambuca resident expects to spend renovating And that's for a home that was supposed to cost a dollar Gillian: The fact that we'll have a holiday home for life for a fraction of the price that we would spend elsewhere more than 100 of the houses have been sold in the past year all 16 of the original euro homes went in a matter of months And some people who didn't win a dollar home at auction stuck around to buy a normal listing a couple from Arizona who bought their home from a private seller for $20,000 but it's gonna be beautiful when it's done Narrator: The dollar-home sales stopped across Italy due to the coronavirus Tom: Italy was kind of seen as Europe's ground zero for coronavirus cases with the majority in the much more densely populated north This means that there are a lot less cases in the south but the south is actually worse affected economically because it's a lot poorer Narrator: Gary and Tamara haven't been able to travel to Sambuca since Gary: They gave us some more time for the planning phase So we've been able to work with our architect to sort of nail down all the odds and ends that we wanted to do the program has started up again in Sambuca Tamara: And it's called "casa for 2 euro." So there's hope that all these newcomers will bring about change in these rural towns The building companies can have a job also Tamara said you'll also see postings for English classes Tamara: And I also think it's helped tourism because for the last couple of times I've been there I've been seeing more and more tour buses coming through so I really think it's put Sambuca on the map more people in once sleepy towns will create some friction Tom: One of the local newspapers had launched something of a smear campaign against the new Belgian inhabitants after one of them was arrested for being drunk and disorderly So there are some cultural differences that will need to be worked out Marco: People come out of town to eat food here Narrator: As for whether all this new energy will really save these shrinking towns the reaction to myself and the newcomers in town was really I think they were just excited to see some fresh faces there will be a new bed and breakfast at Piazza Roma Please email if you would like to be allow listed Get Cappers Farmer Delivered Directly To Your Inbox Two Boyce Middle School teachers were honored with the Promising Practitioners Award from the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education English language arts teachers Amy Homer and Morgan Olsen were recognized on Feb 26 at the PAMLE 2018 Conference in State College The Promising Practitioners Award “is presented to teachers who are just beginning their middle school careers These beginning teachers have made a positive impact on both their school and community.” Homer and Olsen were nominated for the award by Dan O’Rourke previously served as long-term substitute in the district before joining the Boyce faculty in August 2017 She holds her undergraduate and graduate degrees in education from Slippery Rock University After teaching at Streams Elementary since 2004 Olsen recently transitioned to middle school English and language arts She earned her bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University her master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in library and information sciences at Pitt If you have an account and are registered for online access sign in with your email address and password below Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe Copyright © The Almanac | Contact | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Are we a nation of ethnic and racial groupings each unique and deserving of equal opportunity unhampered by racial or gender prejudice For the first two centuries of our nation’s history—indeed for most of the world’s recorded history—the great Cult of Exclusivity held sway it is the misguided but potent myth that one race of people is better—more honest ethnic groups have resisted the siren call of this mythology But for the last half century of our nation’s history a new myth has arisen which for convenience we might call the Cult of Diversity This new cult is the flip side of the older Cult of Exclusivity: they share in common a devaluing of the individual and an irrational allegiance to tribalism and the collective While the Cult of Diversity is less malignant and more morally palatable it is nonetheless equally toxic to a society that is founded upon the principle that the common good is best ensured by safeguarding individual rights and aspirations The end game for each cult is the same: to permanently Balkanize American society along tribal lines but also lines based on other categories such as gender on an otherwise indistinguishable Wednesday in Washington a moral gauntlet that we as a nation have yet to pick up: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Character not color character not ethnicity nor religion nor social nor educational status We were far from fulfilling that dream when he spoke those words on that hot August afternoon few if any of our leaders on the left or right truly embrace that ideal Fifty-five years later and we are further from that lofty goal than at any time since Jim Crow swaggered through our streets and alleyways Race now is arguably more indelibly seared into our social consciousness than at any time since the heyday of white racism white racism still exists and has probably worsened over the last few decades while this new liberal racialism has grown both fighting against the old racism and unintentionally nourishing it: this slavish sentimentality toward diversity has exacerbated tensions and emboldened racists who use it as “proof” that other races and ethnicities are inferior and cannot compete on a level playing field When discussing the pernicious nature of Jim Crow laws we generally focus on the intrinsic unfairness to those individuals who were deprived of the opportunity to achieve their full potential simply because of the color of their skin But there has always been another aspect that has been far less often discussed: how discriminating against African-Americans and other minorities damaged society by preventing some of our best minds and most talented people from reaching their full potential and thereby advancing our society This anti-progressive aspect of Jim Crow warranted greater emphasis as does the anti-progressive aspect of diversity-at-any-cost today which also prevents some of our best minds from improving society by reaching their potential liberal has argued that it is a myth that our Constitution is or even should be “color blind.” This principle was famously articulated by Justice John Harlan in his dissent in the 1896 case of Plessy v when he wrote that “our Constitution is color-blind and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens.” Ignoring Harlan the majority in Plessy enunciated the infamous principle of “separate but equal” accommodations for different races spuriously arguing that as long as the accommodations were truly equal finds its modern-day advocates on the Left who insist that there exists such a thing as “benign racial preferences.” These liberals like their racist forerunners in the Plessy ruling refuse to see that no racial classification is ever benign As there was nothing equal about separate but equal there is nothing benign about benign racial preferences are unfairly—and unconstitutionally—denied a job or a place in a university when race is used as a criterion Other supporters of diversity will admit that the preferences are never truly benign but insist that the present mistreatment of individuals is justifiable for the advancement of racial justice this admission is at least consistent with the liberal inclination toward protecting groups rather than individuals liberals want races and genders to be treated equally but they seek to provide special treatment for some thereby sharpening and institutionalizing divisions They are like the old Stalinists who insisted that the state would eventually wither away but in the meantime the state needed to be made stronger than ever before This new racialism is less reprehensible than the old racism because it is not expressly founded on the unjust principle of one race being superior to another Just as a 19th century racial theory would argue the inherent worth of one race over another the new theory insists that there exists some unproven inherent worth in enforcing racial proportionality This belief is uttered so frequently and with such utter surety that few anymore even stop to consider whether there is any basis for it over the course of only a few weeks this past winter a number of editorials (dressed up as news articles) expressed concern about the lack of diversity in the Winter Olympics (but not professional basketball!) These articles take it as a given that diversity is always and everywhere a good that must be attained and that any lack of diversity is somehow a betrayal of our Founding principles the school superintendent insists that “we need teachers who reflect our students.” By this he does not mean that they should inspire our students as dedicated he merely means that they need to have the same complexion as those they teach; that only people of the same color or background can serve as proper role models for students During my own high school days my most inspiring teachers were a black history teacher and a nun who taught English I don’t think I suffered any psychic harm from not having white male role models as teachers and neither do students today unless the school system indoctrinates them with a phony need for such role models where this irrational yearning for diversity has reached greater depths of silliness is distressed that Asian-Americans disproportionately excel at academics so he now seeks to scrap an entrance test that governs admissions to eight specialized high schools he explains with all the Orwellian logic we have come to expect from some liberal politicians In fairness to those who support affirmative action and other programs to ensure racial opportunity there is more than a little truth to the assertion that racism (and sexism) still persists and that certain races and ethnicities have been unfairly treated: most profoundly Africans and Native Americans Arguments in favor of race-based affirmative action generally fall into three categories: (1) the demand to redress centuries of exploitation (2) the belief that the diversity of groups is intrinsically valuable (as opposed to the value of the individuals within that group) and (3) the belief that those who come from disadvantaged socio-economic environments should be assessed differently from those who are wealthier and have lived a far more privileged life While the first two arguments are specious the third argument is valid and warrants greater analysis The argument that the use and abuse of certain groups warrant special treatment as a form of “reparations- lite” for past iniquities is emotionally compelling where there is a narrow class of individuals and a relatively short period of time—such as reparations for Japanese-Americans who were incarcerated during World War II—some specific and limited compensation is valid This is not so in the case of an open-ended and indefinite period of special treatment for other groups such as African-Americans and Native Americans There are many problems with this argument including the fact that most Americans—even those now considered white—immigrated to the U.S long after slavery was outlawed and those who directly benefitted from slavery and other abominations are now long dead There must be some moral statute of limitation for guilt—especially collective guilt—or a society will be forever divided the group itself is too large and too vague: how do we exclude the tens of thousands of new African-Americans who have immigrated to the U.S How do we research and exclude those few thousands of African-Americans who are the descendants of black slave owners How to account for those who gained their freedom long before the Civil War And what about those of mixed race: do we allow anyone with even “one drop” of African blood to take advantage of affirmative action programs And what about the latest liberal fad about the paramount importance of gender identification versus actual gender in gaining access to bathrooms What if someone self-identifies as African even if he or she is clearly Caucasian Shall they too gain access to affirmative action benefits what does it do to the collective psyche of a group when they are perceived and perceive themselves as victims in need of special accommodation based on long ago historical injustices those who wallow in their victimhood and lament everything that has gone wrong are the ones who never seem able to mature and progress in life A second more insidious argument for compelling gender and racial diversity is the belief that within each group there abides a unique value not of the individuals that comprise the group I believed this fairy tale once upon a time could uniquely contribute to a more dynamic and progressive community While liberals rightly abhor the false belief that any race or either gender is intrinsically superior to another belief that there is something intrinsically superior in group diversity The liberal mind is capable of a certain cognitive dissonance that allows it to simultaneously believe that we are all the same and that we are all equal that we all have the same skills and abilities but also that various groups have something special that sets them apart and that we lose something if they are not included But my experiences of the last 40 years convince me that no group or class brings anything unique to the table; only the individual does A good case study would be the Department of State A long line of both liberal and conservative Secretaries of State from Powell to Clinton to Tillerson have all mindlessly mouthed the muddled mantra that we must build a Foreign Service that “looks like America.” The subtext to this seemingly innocuous statement is that we need to keep changing and massaging and tampering with the process for recruiting new officers in order to equalize the number from each gender and to ensure a certain quota of individuals from various ethnic and racial groups we remain far from having a diplomatic corps that has the same proportional complexions as America.) When I first entered the diplomatic corps in 1980 I believed there were valid justifications for taking steps to redress past wrongs including being compelled to resign once they were married blacks and other minorities were woefully underrepresented due at least in part to a white elitism that pervaded the State Department since its inception There was an argument at that time that the Foreign Service was out of touch with the real world As a glaring example it was often cited that the State Department had no sympathy for the plight of Jews under the Nazi regime because the Foreign Service was almost completely comprised of white well-to-do graduates of Ivy League schools The argument goes that if we had had a diplomatic corps at that time that “looked more like America” perhaps we would have been more assertive in defending those seeking refuge from the Nazis it was a great disappointment to me to later find that having a diplomatic corps that was more diverse really made no difference Last year a class of new diplomats asked me what was my greatest disappointment as a foreign service officer I explained that upon entering the service I had expected that all the DWEMs (dead white European males) who had managed the Department for its first two hundred years were becoming extinct and that women and minorities would provide greater insights and deeper awareness of the world we live in what I discovered was that DWEMs come in all colors and all genders A bureaucratic compulsion toward an unseemly conformity pervades the Department Given a few years in the bureaucracy women and minorities are molded into the same likeness and become indistinguishable from their white male counterparts They had proven themselves no better or worse I had a female colleague in the State Department noted for both her brilliance and caustic wit who once observed that when she first entered the Foreign Service a woman needed to be twice as good as a man to succeed I do not share her view since I know there are women and minorities who still are unfairly held back always getting a pass when they threaten to use the gender or race card It is a much more complicated situation than she would allow but there is one fact implied by her assertion that is undeniable: suspicion about the qualifications of women and minorities has grown over the last few decades because of policies designed to advance a more diverse workforce Yet there is a third argument in favor of affirmative action that is plausible: that socio-economic factors unfairly tilt the playing field in favor of those who are wealthier and have more stable family and social environments This is a legitimate and compelling argument but it has nothing fundamentally to do with race or gender It does little good to create a new hierarchy of rich powerful elites who are proportionally balanced by race and gender when the underclass continues to be ignored and dismissed Universities and business enterprises ought to take into consideration the social and economic challenges that potential applicants have experienced a black student from an inner city school (or a white student from a small town in Appalachia) who comes from a single-parent home who must work to help support his or her family and yet still maintains a decent grade point average may very well be a smarter and more dedicated applicant than some white (or black) student from suburbia who goes to the best schools and whose parents can afford to send him to special courses to prepare him for standardized tests in their headlong desire to have students that reflect racial diversity universities too often select minority students who have had all the same privileges as their white colleagues rather than students who have had to cope with serious socio-economic challenges taking into consideration economic and social factors may well disproportionately help minority applicants but not because of their race or ethnicity If you want a student body or a business or a diplomatic corps that really “looks like America” then do it on the only basis that counts: economic and social status And if our premier universities really want to have a truly diverse student body they should start by getting rid of legacy acceptances Legacies are an appalling affront to any sense of fair play They are in reality affirmative action for the wealthy and arguably would not withstand a legal suit that argued de facto racial discrimination nearly a third of Harvard’s incoming class last year were legacy admissions That the wealthy and powerful can ensure their children’s acceptances into the best universities is a scandal There are many risible examples of legacy admissions How such an intellectual mediocrity was ever accepted is only explainable by who his father was Get rid of legacies entirely and have more students at Ivy League schools come from the lower and lower-middle class and there will be a real revolution in education and genuine progress toward a meritocracy As the historian Will Durant once observed there is always tension between those demanding equality and those seeking liberty I am reminded of Vonnegut’s Handicapper General determined to preserve equality no matter what the cost to society or the individual cannot shake their attachment to racial politics The Democrat proponents of “diversity” are the rightful heirs of the Democrat creators of the “black codes” and “Jim Crow” laws they have one common theme: an abhorrence for the individual and an unfounded faith in the value of racial distinctions If Harvard’s next entry class without legacies or affirmative action would be 70% women and 45% Asian If professional basketball still disproportionately favors African-Americans then so be that too Are we a nation of ethnic and racial groupings or are we a nation of individuals We are not white Americans and black Americans or male and female Americans Long live the individual and damn the classifications The featured image is courtesy of Pixabay. Thank you for that excellent piece, Mr. Mussomeli. I share your views on this subject almost completely. As far as this line: “The liberal mind is capable of a certain cognitive dissonance that allows it to simultaneously believe that we are all the same and that we are all equal, that we all have the same skills and abilities, but also that various groups have something special that sets them apart and that we lose something if they are not included,” that sums it up quite well. These two views are contradictory, as you said, yet so many hold both these views concurrently. And if you were to ask someone why they might advocate one of those approaches instead of the other in a given circumstance, I suspect the answer, consciously or not, is simply “I choose whichever one is more politically advantageous for my side at the moment.” And regarding your point on the folly of fighting hard bigotry with soft bigotry, I’m reminded of a great quote from Chesterton: “The reformer is always right about what’s wrong, but he’s usually wrong about what’s right.” Thanks very much for you comments, Kyle. I was not familiar with that Chesterton quote. It sums everything up quite nicely! According to CNN the latest cheap real estate listings come from two Italian towns Homes are selling for €1 (about $1.13 U.S.) in Zungoli a rural village near Naples and the Amalfi Coast The catch is that new homeowners must pay a security deposit and commit to fixing up their properties many of the homes are already in decent shape Websites have been created for both Zungoli and Mussomeli letting prospective buyers shop online (although the Zungoli site might be a little tricky to navigate if you don’t speak Italian) The application process for homes in both towns can be done online but you'd still have to fly to Italy to finalize the details Zungoli is known for its cobblestone paths it received national recognition as one of Italy’s most beautiful villages in 2015 tells CNN that interested buyers should book a plane ticket and “come see for themselves the beauty of the place It boasts verdant farmlands and views overlooking the Etna volcano and Valley of Temples residents can sometimes see a weather phenomenon called the “Sea of Clouds." "Looking down you see the valley covered in a dense blanket of clouds as if the town were suspended mid-air,” says heritage councillor Toti Nigrelli “We want customers to experience all this.” [h/t CNN] © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved According to CNN Websites have been created for both Zungoli and Mussomeli [h/t CNN] British buyers who dreamt of creating Sicilian idylls on a budget — renovating dilapidated houses bought for just €1 (88p) before the pandemic — are being thwarted by a shortage of tradespeople and the soaring cost of materials It is a far cry from the fun and games seen in Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job the new BBC series in which Amanda Holden buys two flats for €1 in Sicily and convinces her friend bought two adjacent houses for €1 each in the town of Mussomeli in 2019 First she was prevented from visiting by the pandemic and now a builder shortage has thrown her plans to Christine Mussomeli has been appointed to the position previously held by Lou Angelo who has been promoted to associate high school principal Mussomeli comes to the district from the Pittsburgh Public Schools Science and Technology Academy She had been with Pittsburgh Public Schools since 2002 Mussomeli earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Duquesne University She was selected from among 69 applicants for the assistant principal’s position Mussomeli to our leadership team,” said Dr “She brings to our district outstanding credentials and leadership experiences in both the humanities and the sciences she has a track record of success in challenging leadership positions.” Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. you may have become aware of a certain phenomenon Numerous Italian towns have adopted a scheme of selling abandoned homes off for 1 euro, or about $1.12 at the current exchange rate Urbanization has led to the dwindling populations of provincial settlements as cities and their suburbs thrive and become overpopulated The headline-grabbing low prices are designed to combat that and what success there has been so far has led to a proliferation of similar strategies being deployed across the country Read more: A picturesque Sicilian town succeeded in selling off its abandoned homes after auctions started at just $1 The strategy has received plenty of media coverage and many of the towns have become inundated with offers from foreigners on their cheap properties A home for $1 was always going to be too good to be true and most of these properties are often in a dilapidated condition requiring thousands of dollars in restoration and renovation to make them habitable again — let alone nice I recently traveled to Sicily to visit three of the towns that have adopted the $1 home plans — Sambuca and Cammarata — to see what foreign buyers are really getting themselves into Here's what some of them look like inside and Read more: A picturesque Sicilian town succeeded in selling off its abandoned homes after auctions started at just $1 After visiting many of the $1 houses in person I can honestly still say that despite the garbage and in need of thousands of dollars in renovations but the properties I visited had bags of historical charm all three of the towns I visited were delightful and the weather was incredible — I barely saw a single cloud The only criticism you could levy at them was just how quiet they are why these strategies are being tried in the first place that some residents in Sambuca were already learning English to begin operating walking tours With the media storm surrounding Italy's $1 homes it may not be long before the towns are full of Americans Property listings for as little as $1.60 (that’s €1) include some of the most gorgeous places on the planet Many small towns in Europe – mostly in Italy – have schemes to attract buyers in a bid to reverse depopulation and restore old homes Listing websites enable foreigners to browse the options for sale These programs revive old parts of Italy while preserving centuries-old character The catch is that these homes come with caveats that include an undertaking to renovate and to do so within a time limit, usually of one to three years, Home Beautiful magazine reports Fees held in escrow are sometimes associated with inking the deal to ensure the buyer holds up their end of the bargain and the costs of a reno could be as little as $US25,000 (about $AU37,000) or as much as $US500,000 (about $AU750,000) Case 1 Euro is a listing portal for one such scheme, run by the Municipality of Mussomeli, in Sicily. If you buy one of their properties, you have three years to renovate, the rules stipulate. Properties are promoted like any campaign in Australia, with photos and an precis of the location and features. A slice of the Mediterranean just 90 mins from Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula Inside an award-winning Gold Coast Mediterranean hideaway complete with dedicated 'children's wing' Mediterranean masterpiece with private beach the ultimate luxury escape “Buy your dream for €1 in the fabulous town of the Sicilian hinterland, just a few kilometers from the enchanting beaches and the historic temples of Agrigento,” the scheme’s website explains. “In Mussomeli you will live the ancient Sicily, the real Sicily. Mussomeli is the city of the Manfredi’s Castle and traditions. In Sicily you will not only buy a house, but you will have the chance to experience our culture, our traditions, the slow and relaxed life of one of the most peaceful and safe lands in the world.” Unsurprisingly, one of the FAQ’s provided is: “Is it true or is it a joke?”. The answer? Yes, it is real. The program is managed entirely by the local council. The works can be done with or without local construction companies but there are builders and architects based in the city. Buyers need to travel to Mussomeli to physically inspect the property and obtain a quote for repairs and updates. If the sum is satisfactory, the hopeful buyer fills out a purchase request and must submit it, in person, at the municipal offices. The contract outlines the time limit for the restoration (three years to completion), and includes a €5,000 surety (about $AU8000) to the council, valid for three years, which they will keep if the buyer fails to fulfil their obligation and leaves the property in ruins. And why are the houses so cheap? Tax reasons, of course. The tax structure makes it financially undesirable to own more than one property. If a family inherits a second home, it may make more sense to flog it for a pittance. “In Italy, the property tax on the first house is not paid (only for Italian citizens),” the Case 1 Euro site explains. “If you have more than one house, you have to pay for it. Many citizens, therefore, having more than one property, have to pay a maxi-tax to the Italian Government, so they prefer to sell the houses at €1, rather than pay an extra tax.” 4 Baths4 ParkingView listing Euro flair is married with crisp finishes, for house that looks like a resort. 2 Baths2 ParkingView listing Original Mediterranean architecture was respected and enhance in a  luxe renovation four years ago. The information on this website is intended to be of a general nature only and doesn't consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. where we are privileged to live and operate A WOMAN who bought THREE of Italy’s €1 houses has warned of the real price of renovating the bargain-priced properties Sicily – but quickly realised that it would total a MASSIVE €60,000 first became aware of the €1 homes after reading an article about the small Sicilian town online She planned to retire in the country for many years and bought up a property in the spring of 2019 When she arrived she fell in love with the town that “sits above the clouds” and ended up buying three homes instead - including one for each of her sons She said: “They were all very excited and have different dreams and aspirations for the houses in the future “My youngest is planning to open a Brazilian Coffee Shop!” While she hadn't intended to buy so many homes she added: "It's how the people make you feel that makes you say Several towns in Italy have made headlines in recent years for offering up the practically free houses to buyers The Sun previously reported that there are around 25 regions who have taken part in the scheme Many of the areas have a dwindling or aging population and hope to build the community again the properties which range from small houses to larger villas are all in a very rundown condition "People need to have a level of reality," Dias said "They're revitalizing the town and that's why the house is coming to you for €1 she has warned that potential buyers should go into any purchase with their eyes wide open This is because anyone who buys a house in Mussomeli has to renovate it within three years Mrs Dias herself has already spent $12,000 on labour and materials for the first house and expects that it'll cost her about $20,000 Dias claims that she ultimately "loves the architecture of the house and the history" of the old building She said: 'There are plenty of construction companies there that make things very easy and the person who works in the city department is helpful he'll give you the best guidance." Although the pandemic has impacted her planning a bit she now hopes that the town will extend the deadline for renovations she also plans to take another group to buy houses this June the adventurous home owner has plenty of key advice for those looking to purchase their own €1 in Italy she says to read up on the place you're hoping to buy as they all have different structures for payment and rules governing when renovations must be done and by whom she also advises buyers to give themselves at least a week to house-hunt and to be prepared that other people may want the house that you have your eye on let them know you want to sign up for the house "There are lots of people searching for these homes and you need to be ready," adding: "Make sure you have options." The small town of Mussomeli is almost bang in the middle of Sicily “You drop a pin in the middle of the map and there it is,” says Alexandra Stubbs who lives in Wiltshire and runs an online wine business named last year “the most beautiful one in Sicily” in a regional poll Mussomeli is one of dozens of small towns in Italy that are selling empty or dilapidated homes for the price of an espresso “I was quite smitten — it wasn’t a part of Sicily I’d ever explored,” Stubbs says “I was interested [in the houses] but I was quite sceptical as I guess most people are when they hear about it.” Registered in England No. 894646. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. ‘It truly is not too good to be true,’ says home buyer A man who bought a €1 house in Sicily is encouraging others to “go for it” and says the scheme “truly is not too good to be true” a 56-year-old digital consultant who has lived in London for the past 17 years took the plunge after seeing articles about the €1 initiative which aims to breathe new life into Italian villages by offering bargain homes There are usually strings attached for applicants such as committing to renovating the property within three years and spend the majority of their time living in the community Mr McCubbin said he had always dreamed of living in Italy and the scheme gave him the final push he needed “I have been volunteering for a community in Italy for over 10 years and it has always been my intention to move here one day,” he told Ladbible. “Friends from all over the world started sending me more articles about the project. I remember at the time that everyone seemed to be fascinated by this idea and I wanted to find out for myself if it was really too good to be true.” He settled on Mussomeli, a town with 11,000 residents on the island of Sicily. After visiting three times and viewing 25 properties, Mr McCubbin found his ideal home. He described the process as “easy” and said the town has been very welcoming to all the €1 home buyers. “They know that we are helping to breathe life back into this town,” he said. Although his original plan was to live in Sicily part-time, Mr McCubbin, who is originally from Australia, decided to take a “leap of faith” as Brexit loomed and apply for Italian residency before the end of the transition period. “I know Italy has its challenges as well but there is a great sense of community here, especially in Sicily where people have struggled for such a long time,” he said. Not knowing anyone in the town, and with only basic Italian, Mr McCubbin described it as a “huge risk” to leave London, but said: “I knew in my heart that this was the right move for me.” He plans to set up a not-for-profit community kitchen from his €1 home, and is currently renting a place while renovation work is completed. A crowdfunder for the project, which aims to help vulnerable people while providing opportunities for young chefs from around the world, has so far raised £22,000. Mr McCubbin encouraged anyone considering the €1 scheme to “go for it”. “It truly is not too good to be true,” he said. “Be prepared to put in the hard work to see as many houses as you can, you will never be able to buy a house remotely.”