I have decided to stop writing Thoughts of the Day. To a few that will be a relief, to others a disappointment. My reasons are myriad, but in the end, they boil down to two principal points: First, I do not want my voice to become angry, which persistent political polarization will cause, and second, I like the wisdom of George Bernard Shaw, exemplified in the rubric above. When what was once fun becomes a chore, it is time to move on. Politics, while necessary, has never been “nice.” It has always been a “blood sport,” as anyone familiar with early American history knows. On July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson’s Vice President, shot and killed his long-time political rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel near Weehawken, New Jersey. Thus far, despite rising levels of vitriol, none of our major politicians have resorted to killing their opponents. Nevertheless, time moves on. I turn eighty in a couple of weeks, and, while I will still read three papers a day and peruse news on the internet, I want time for writing reviews and personal essays and to read more books, and I want more time with family and friends. I would like always to be able to laugh.
Thoughts of the Day began in January 2008 and were, at first, aimed at financial markets. They followed a series of Market Notes begun in March 2000. They morphed into political commentary, as 2008 became 2009. In February 2010, at the sensible suggestion of one of my sons, titles were added. Six years later, in February 2016, rubrics were added as well. Between research, writing, re-writing and editing, each takes twenty and forty hours. In all, I have written over 1000 such essays – more than a million words. My idea, not always successful, was to emphasize reason over emotion – to view the world through a clear lens. The polarization of the electorate, and the meanness that is a consequence, has made the process more difficult and, frankly, less fun. And I have always felt that if one does not enjoy what one is doing, move on. Life is too short. In 1967, I left Eastman Kodak for the Merrill Lynch training program. Then, the future was bigger than the past. In 2015, I retired from Wall Street, with the future smaller than the past. Since, the future has shrunk further.
What I shall miss are the people I have met through these scribblings, people all around the world who care deeply about freedom and liberty, truth and tolerance, civility and equality, free markets and opportunity. At heart, I am an optimist who tends to view the glass as half full. Yet, I worry about smug politicians who spend money without regard to revenues; a media that advocates, rather than reports; schools and universities that promote a “cancel culture,” and that deny conservatives the opportunity to speak; giant, social media companies (not unlike Trusts of late 19th Century), which have become monopolists that control content and speech, while protected from liability under Section 230 of the 1996 Communication Decency Act; and big corporations that have become “woke,” as they bow to shifting political winds. Keep in mind, unless commonsense prevails, censorship, identity politics and political correctness, all enshrouded in a miasma of hypocrisy, are predictors of Orwell’s 1984.
I appreciate your many responses over the years, both positive and negative. You gave me confidence and helped me think through issues more clearly. This decision does not reflect any changes in my opinions – my heart remains with the conservative cause, but I will leave it to others to take up the pen. We all have opinions. You have yours, and I have mine. We must sort through our differences to find common ground. That calls for civil debate and deliberation. Generally, I have found that both sides want the same thing – personal liberty and responsibility, equal opportunity, accountability, rule of law and tolerance for others. Differences most often lie in the means to achieve common goals. Yet our politics – and attitudes toward discussing them – have become over-heated. And I recognize I have been both victimizer and victim. However, I have tried to avoid unfair accusations and/or confrontations. Another quote from Mr. Shaw is applicable: “Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty, and the pig likes it.”
What I will continue to do is write short reviews of books I have enjoyed and personal essays. The forty or so personal essays that have been written over the past five years should be published this fall under the title of “Essays from Essex: Nature, Its Miracles and Mysteries.” An exciting aspect of this book-to-be is that my grandson Alex Williams has agreed to provide half a dozen drawings, including, I hope, the cover illustration.
None of us can predict what tomorrow may bring. It may be that the pull of political commentary will yank me back to my computer. But I don’t think so. I look forward to spending more time with my wife and, when this Coronavirus finally disappears, with our children and grandchildren, in their homes.
I pray that reason and civility will return to our national politics – that victors will be humble, and losers gracious, and that meanness and retribution will disappear. Despite our differences, we should never forget the great good luck that is ours to live in this country. And may our government in Washington never lose sight of the fact that it is the people who are sovereign.
Thank you for allowing me into your lives, and I will understand if you choose to be removed from receiving my future reviews and personal essays.
In politics, let reason replace passion; in our lives, let truth be our guiding light. Good luck and best wishes,
