Finneran: The World Gone Mad

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Tom Finneran, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

 

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Tom Finneran

It’s not you.

And it’s certainly not me.

We are not wrong in our assessment that others are completely nuts.

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The world has gone mad.

Let’s examine the evidence:

** The Boston Globe embraces the idea of sixteen-year-olds voting. Can this newspaper get any sillier? Yes, I know that sixteen-year-olds fervently believe that they already know everything, that they are smarter than everyone else. In that aspect, they closely resemble Globe editorialists. They know next to nothing about history, human nature, government, taxes, or work. Their brains are not fully developed. They are susceptible to moodiness and resentments. “Free stuff” would certainly appeal to their exalted sense of self. They don’t need coddling or patronization. They need to be told to do their homework and to go earn all that free stuff in their free time. And yes, I know that “they are the future”. That’s why I’m extremely worried about the future.

** Politics can be a very rough and unforgiving sport. Thus, I try to refrain from any undue criticism of various candidates. Such restraint does not, however, encompass the media which revels in political nonsense. Since Elizabeth Warren’s decision to drop out of the presidential race we have been told that hateful misogyny stalks the land. Huh? Here in ultra-blue Massachusetts where she finished third? Or in reasonably blue New Hampshire where she finished fourth? Misogyny??

Massachusetts Democratic voters are not misogynists. They have elected Elizabeth Warren, twice. They have elected women to fill four of the six state constitutional offices. They have helped to elect women to serve as three of the past four State Senate Presidents.

New Hampshire has similar credentials. The state’s two United States Senators are women---Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen. Kelly Ayotte served as a U.S. Senator and as state Attorney General. Senators Shaheen and Hassan have also served as Governors of New Hampshire.  There is no misogyny problem in either state.

In fact, we might inquire of Amy Klobuchar about any perceived misogyny in New Hampshire. Miss Klobuchar is a relative stranger to our region, hailing from Minnesota. One might think that she would be most likely to feel the hostile sting of all those grumpy old misogynists in the Granite State. But lo and behold, she simply went out and earned more than double the votes of Senator Warren.

Senator Warren’s setbacks are certainly disappointing to her many supporters but let’s not blame Massachusetts and New Hampshire voters for biases which they do not bear. To do so is simply lazy irresponsible journalism. We are not misogynists. We are not racists. We are not xenophobes. And we are at least as well-informed as the commentators who discern a non-existent hatred in every heart.

** America has a dangerous and undue dependency on China for medicines. Reports indicate that up to eighty percent of the United States supply of anti-biotics is made in China. This is head-shaking and dangerous. China is not an ally. It is a vicious thieving thugocracy. The nation’s health should not have such a glaring vulnerability. I am reminded of another distressing dependency---our need for Russian engines to provide the lift capacity for various satellite launches. Need I point out that Russia is also a thuggish regime whose main interest is to weaken and diminish America? How is it that two extremely critical national needs---life-saving medicines and national security---are left in the tender hands of Putin and Xi? Might America’s leaders, corporate and political, act upon the principle of putting America’s health and safety first? Is that too much to ask from Washington DC? Is that too much to ask in this world gone mad?

 

 

Tom Finneran is the former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, served as the head the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, and was a longstanding radio voice in Boston radio. 

 

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