Darkness or Light?

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Related Post “The Generals”, October 1, 2025.  (There are several comments.)

September 30 – October 1, 2025, seems to potentially be as historically as significant as January 6, 2021.  The ultimate outcome is going to depend on the American Citizen, collectively, you, I, everyone else.  I’d suggest that you at least take the time to read Robert Reich’s post, and the Wiki about Russell Vought, one of the chief architects of Project 2025.  I’m also including for your own information some photos and information about the East Wing of the White House, which is apparently under construction as an immense formal ball room.  Apparently it will not be a victim of the cuts.

You and I and our fellow citizens are the solution, period.  There are millions of ways to impact.  Sitting on the sidelines is not one of them.  It will not be easy, to complain is not enough.  You’re needed for the long haul.

Do Something.

It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

Robert Reich October 2, 2025.  [Also, from Robert Reich in my inbox October 5, 2025: “A National Trauma”] And Oct. 6.

Wiki About Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget, apparently a crucial architect of Project 2025.  More from Heather Cox Richardson Oct. 6

Also take the time to get acquainted with Stephen Miller, a key leader of the deportation crowd.

Oct 7.  An excellent summary of the Ku Klux Klan from National Geographic publication “Secret Societies” 2017, republished 2020.  Complete Title of Publication: Secret Societies True Tales of Covert Cults and Organizations and Their Leaders.

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History: East Wing of the White House

White House Postcard view of East Terrace 1902.  “East Wing” added about here in 1905 by Teddy Roosevelt.  This postcard dates from 1904,

The U.S. presidents and the U.S. Capitol, 1905. All Presidents shown up to and including Theodore Roosevelt (standing second from right). Found in the basement of the North Dakota farmhouse of my grandparents, who came to North Dakota in 1905.

POSTNOTE October 3:

There’s no need to dig deep on this current disaster: Revenge against Democrats (which is people like me) is front and center in the Presidents rage; but paramount is favoring the filthy rich.  Best to have “friends” who  own the ship of state (whatever that happens to be) rather than help the masses who in the final analysis are always the ones who are the source of the riches in the first place: they do the work and spend their money to buy the goods which generate the profits for the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

Every Sunday I go to Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, and every Sunday we get a newsletter with an assortment of news related to the Parish.

Last Sunday, the Gospel was Luke 16:19-31 “The rich man and Lazarus”.  It is not an affirmation of those who pine for the gilded age, particularly those who have fought their way into the temporal heaven (Scrooge McDuck comes to this old man’s memory – cavorting in his money bin….)

Last Sunday Fr. Gillespie had a column on the front page of the newsletter, “Mind the Gap” which was spot on, and I’d like to share it with you: Fr. Gillespie on Lazarus… 9 28 25.  You don’t need to be Catholic, or Christian, or believer in any religion to relate to this story, which is even more timeless today than long ago when whoever authored Luke wrote the story.

None of us have any idea what happens with our spiritual essence when we die.  There are endless beliefs.

Fact of the matter is that the idiots who are the filthy rich won’t be taking it with them, and likely the ones who win the lottery when their benefactor dies may not be dedicated to continue their commitment.

I haven’t read the book Fr. Gillespie mentions, on the “Have-Yachts”.  But, anyway, take a look at his column, and maybe even read it.  He is a brilliant writer.

COMMENTS (more below)

from Mary: Thanks for sending this.

from SAK:

Many thanks Mr Bernard,

Of course I am going to read Mind the Gap – having heard that so many times on the London Underground (Subway). In fact in Lego Land once I noticed a miniature train station & the speakers shouted “Mind the Gap” when the train approached.

Fr. Joseph Gillespie is indeed a good writer. I thoroughly enjoyed the article/sermon. It is loving in the sense that he does not attack this or that policy or politician but still makes a point.

 

The Generals et al

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We can’t know how September 30, 2025, will play in the history books years from now, but today is the first day.  Pay close attention and get, and stay. in action.

My first thoughts this day go back to Union staff days where, on infrequent occasions, we “Union Thugs” were asked to help a local union planning to strike.  (One time I was President of the Union staff for the state teachers Union that employed us.  Now, that did make the news.  That strike lasted only a few days.  It was 1979, if I remember correctly.)

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The Government Shutdown started at midnight Sep 30, 2025,

The shutdown has all the earmarks of a labor-management conflict.  Without going into the weeds, I have one observation (among many) unresolved disputes often have something in common:  at some point matters came to a head, and there is a walkout.  It’s always the other sides fault….

In my experience then, which was only from the labor side, walking out was the easy part.  Getting back in, and back to normal, was the hard part, and the prudent local and the opposing management considered this fact.

I only knew the Labor side over 50 years ago; but Management had exactly the same problem – just “the other side of the same coin”.  Regardless of the issues, ultimately there had to be an agreement to settle, which required compromise, whether the walk-out was one day or a month or even more….

I can’t remember any local going on strike more than once.  This is not to say that there were no frustrations, or threats in subsequent negotiations.  The prospect for both sides was too dismal to reprise.  Best to eat crow in essentially private arguments in bargaining, rather than enter into a public spectacle over which both sides had little control.

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Which brings me to “The Generals”, the title of this post.

Also on September 30 was street theatre day at Quantico Marine Base in Virginia.  Fox News personality Pete Hegseth and guest star of “The Apprentice” (aka “Management”) came to wow a gaggle of generals (aka Labor) from all over creation. The Big Show was obviously made for TV where management could be in the spotlight as “star”.

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This is not to make light out of what are two hugely significant events which not coincidentally happened on the very same day.

We will be well advised to not only follow this carefully, but also become active participants.  The stakes are immense.

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As for the Generals, I think one of the problems the Public has is that relatively few adults have actually been in the military and make their judgements based on TV/Radio, movies, social media and print news: chaos and blood.  As the old saying goes “if it bleeds its leads”.   The President wanted a big show; he got it, with no applause….  In the theater it was a big dud.

I am not naive about the military, both from personal and family experience.

I was in the U.S. Army voluntarily for a tour as an enlisted man in 1962-63,  I didn’t realize it at the time, but the “Vietnam era” had begun about a year earlier, and we were being trained for future service in Southeast Asia.  I declined the opportunity to go for officer training; and ended up as Company Clerk in an Infantry Company which, a few years later, saw heavy action and lots of losses in Vietnam.  I and my colleagues were the lucky ones.  But we safely experienced in training what our later colleagues had experience in person.

Dog Tags. U.S. Army 1962-63

Never have I regretted my experience in the military.  Those Generals who have risen to the top of their respective pyramids are generally very strong and effective leaders, as are their subordinates, down to the most basic level.

I have absolutely no idea what those Generals were thinking yesterday, as they sat obediently in a theatre where doubtless legions of Marines have sat in the past for one lecture or another (one of my grandsons approaching his 7th year as an active duty Marine, though not at Quantico.)

As for the Generals, the stark fact is that we, all of us, every one of us, have to be the “Generals” in the days ahead.  We are the one who decide who or how we’ll be governed, and we do this by our actions (or lack of same).

POSTNOTE: For historian Heather Cox Richardson’s view of September 30, 2025: here. Also,  Robert Reich, today short video.