CONVERSING WITH BEN: PART II

A CONTINUING CONVERSATION 

WITH 

BEN CALDERONI:

JOHN B. LEARNS MORE

BEN CALDERONI

NOTE:  In Part I of the interview, in an oversight, I failed to acknowledge the role of Don Jose Calderoni, Ben Calderoni's grandfather, in making it possible for Ben's mother, Ben and his siblings to leave Mexico and live in Brownsville, after the tragic death of Ben's father.  Both his grandfather, Don Jose, and Uncle, Dr. Calderoni,  were instrumental in forming Ben's character.

PART II

John B.:  Ben, when considering all the chatter throughout cyberspace, I've often wondered how much good we're doing, how many people we are reaching and how much alternative thought we are furthering on Two for Texas.  Do you see people like us making a difference against the tremendous odds thrown up by the captive media and a popular culture that derides traditional values?

Ben:  What else can we do!  Both you and I have been defined by our country.  We are who we are.  I often encounter negativity from acquaintances on the golf course, who say all they want to do is to enjoy their retirements and be left alone - and they have every right to do that. At the same time as they are wanting to take their ease in their later years, however, they say they are put off by the current direction of America, but they are reluctant to get involved. That sort of thinking escapes me. It is a defeatist attitude.  Let's take the example of Socrates, who was accused by the elite of the power structure in Athens of corrupting Athenian society.  Socrates could have saved his life by agreeing to take leave of his native city, but, rather than to do that, he refused to compromise. He was, after all, an Athenian who had been defined by his life, education and experiences in Athens.  To leave would have been, in effect, a denial of himself.  I believe we have a parallel here. For us not to get involved in trying to make a difference would not only be turning our backs on our country, it would also be the worst sort of self-betrayal. We cannot compromise!

John B.:  When we boil down all of  the developments that have taken place in America over the last 5 years, what concerns you most?

Ben:  I remember distinctly an international business course at UT, which covered how corporations functioned under different forms of government, and hearing the professor lecture on Mussolini's Italy and how the government related to the economy and major segments of Italian society.  Under fascism, there was a melding of government, business and industry, education, finance, labor and the media.  Government's role was paramount, and the dictator, Benito Mussolini, did not permit any straying from this model, which was called "corporativism."  It pains me to consider, after all our history of functioning under the world's longest-surviving written constitution, that a home-grown form of corporativism may be emerging in America.

John B.:  What signs of this type of fascism do you see in America?

Ben:  Just look around, brother!  Wall Street is now in the pocket of our president.  The system is allowing executive decrees to accomplish those things that used to require legislation. The EPA is striking out on a path to dominate industry by unprecedented actions that will set a precedent for more and more government control.  With a few exceptions, American society is fed a steady diet of pro-administration pablum.  And, with products of the American educational system graduating with great deficiencies in the finer points of comprehension, to wit in reasoning and critical analysis, the numbers of those who actually possess the ability to question what they are told on CNN, MSNBC, ABC and the like are declining.  And, as far as organized labor is concerned, their overwhelming support of the Democratic Party has bestowed upon them a favored slot  at the government trough.  To take it a bit further, the Maryland and Virginia suburbs surrounding the District of Columbia have now become the hot-spots for American wealth, surpassing places like Silicon Valley.  If the "49-ers" were still around, they would be rushing for our nation's capital, because that's where fortunes are made, deals done and influence peddled.  And it's all being accomplished at the expense of you and myself and the great American middle class.  Those who now wield power do not "make things," instead they make regulations, sometimes pass legislation and pass along the goodies to their followers, who in turn burn taxpayer money.  They, in fact,  have little or no frame of reference allowing them to relate to Main Street U.S.A.

John B.:  What do you believe we can accomplish on Two for Texas?

Ben:  Well, you've got your point of view, and I've certainly got mine.  I know you feel that the blog should be a platform of opposition  to the destructive trends that we are witnessing.  But I also am of the opinion that Two for Texas, if the right support is garnered, could serve as a launching pad for change.  I believe I have previously mentioned to you that it is absolutely imperative that we have a grass-roots movement for honesty, integrity and balance in the various media that keep us informed.  The media, after all, are dependent on the life's blood of advertising.  If Mr. and Mrs, America would rise up to the extent that the big corporations advertising in the media get the idea that their profit margin could be adversely affected by a public disenchanted with the news and opinion that they are pandering, then there could be some change.  What now is passing as journalism is so biased and slanted that I also feel that a few well-aimed legal actions could possibly make a difference.  Perhaps, also, a Ghandi-like boycott of the major media outlets could also be considered. Hopefully, you and I will be able to explore some possibilities in that regard in the future.

John B.:  Ben, are you truly hopeful for the future?

Ben:  What a question!  Look, I cannot be otherwise!  If I learned nothing else from my time spent in the Marine Corps, I learned that individuals who persevere can overcome tremendous odds when they have faith and belief in themselves and confidence in  that which is right, Godly and true.  I know in my heart of hearts that the leftists now sowing discord in America are also sowing the seeds of their own destruction.   It very well could be that Obamacare, which is by its very conception an extremely fragile house of cards, could be the beginning of the end.  When Obamacare signs up a huge number of enrollees who are old, sick, decrepit and poor, but few who are healthy, young and motivated,  who - at least in theory - will be paying for the system, the first cards will start falling and they, in turn, will set off an avalanche of American disaffection.  Socialism, which is morally bankrupt, will then show Americans that it is an old, tired and pathetic idea that bankrupts nations and spreads misery.   We need to consider that, and we need to be prepared.

John B.:  Ben, not wanting to wear out my welcome, I feel that I should amble on back to the hotel and prepare for this afternoon's lecture.  My time with you has been more than a little stimulating, and I hope we can do it again in the near future.

Ben:  I would look forward to that.  Have a good lecture!