CONVERSING WITH BEN

BEN CALDERONI

 A CONVERSATION

 WITH 

BEN CALDERONI

Just a couple of weeks ago, while lecturing south of the border, I was able to sit down with Ben Calderoni for a chat in his office in central Mexico.  Since I took notes during the visit, it was fairly simple for me to adapt them to an interview format.  And so, in order for our readership to know more about the ex-Marine on "Calderoni's Corner," I share them with you.  However, owing to the many topics which Ben touched upon, these notes clearly indicate that they should be shared in 2 installments.

John B.:  Ben, thanks for taking some time to sit with me, as I know you've got many of your irons in different fires.  I, like many of our readers, want to know more about you.  I've known you for some time, but still think that, perhaps, I don't know the complete Ben Calderoni story.

Ben:  John, I don't really know if I'm that unique, but I'll try to fill in some of the details.

John B.: Obviously, you've got an extensive Latin American background.  Where did all that begin?

Ben:  I have many, many  early memories of Mexico.  My dad was a pilot for a major Mexican airline.  Tragically, he died in a plane crash, and my mom had to consider what life was then going to be like for my siblings and myself.  Fortunately, we had an older relative living in Brownsville, Texas, who insisted that our family move to south Texas.

John B.:  Was that relative Dr. Calderoni, about whom I've heard so much in Brownsville?

Ben:  Yes, he was well established in Brownsville, with his medical practice.

John B.:  Can you tell me some more about Dr. Calderoni?

Ben:  He was a first-rate gentleman, who never grew tired of emphasizing education.  Owing to his influence, I attended St. Joseph's Academy in Brownsville, which provided me with a pretty good foundation.  Dr. Calderoni  expected that we would give our best in whatever we undertook, be it education, athletics or life in general.  And he always insisted that we were honest in all of our dealings.

John B.:  From Brownsville, you went on to the Marine Corps and the University of Texas, true?

Ben:  Yes, and those two experiences were important as defining moments in my life.

John B.:  How so?

Ben:  The Corps was an extension of the values that I learned from Dr. Calderoni, for there was true merit in the Marine emphasis on commitment to your fellows, honor, duty and love of country. In many ways, the Marine Corps imbued me with the discipline needed to further my education at UT.  Fortunately, I had great instructors in the College of Business and was spurred on to finish my undergraduate degree there.

John B.:  Speaking of UT, my fondest sports memories revolve around the University of Arkansas defeating the University of Texas on the gridiron in the old Southwest Conference.

Ben:  Well, that may be; but I'll bet you I've got more memories of the Horns stomping the Razorbacks!

John B.:  Perhaps we can take in a Hogs vs. Horns game, if one ever comes around in our lifetimes.

Ben:  That would be great.  I've never been to Fayetteville.

John B.:  Well, to get back on track, you have an extensive background of many years in working as an executive with American oil companies in Latin America.  How did that come about, and what did you take away from that experience?

Ben:  My fluency in Spanish, combined with a good business degree from a major university and the discipline imparted to me by the Corps, proved to be an attractive combination.  And so, after a very competitive selection process, I made the cut and was able to spend a major part of my career in Latin America.  As an American, it was enlightening for me to observe what went on, politically and economically,  in the Third World.

John B.:  Do you mind sharing why you might be considered a political conservative?

Ben:  To me, those terms like "liberal" and "conservative," were always relative.  First and foremost in that regard, I considered myself an "American," and that word, used as a noun or an adjective, carried virtually all the values that I grew up with that were reinforced by my service with the Corps and my education at UT.  You can call me a conservative; but, to me, I'm just an American

John B.:  If I recall correctly, I believe that you actually voted for Obama in 2008?

Ben:  Unfortunately, and like many people, I was taken in by a campaign that pulled the wool over our eyes and carried on the fiction that Obama was a moderate Democrat.  Very early, then, the stage was set for major deceptions that came  in the first few months of the Obama administration,

John B.:  What kinds of deceptions, Ben?

Ben:  Right from the start, I was shocked by this president's appointments.  His so-called "czars"  looked more like a Marxist honor roll, and the policies that they proposed were far off the mark of American values.  Like anyone else, I favored some changes in health insurance, such as portability of coverage and coverage of preexisting conditions, but I was totally unprepared for the lies that set us up for the ACA and its takeover of a major portion of the American economy.  In dealing with politicians, you've got to expect a certain amount of "bullshit," but out and out lies, that's something else!  And the worst kinds of lies are those that are on the personal level, such as lies that will personally and adversely affect people.  And the best example of that is our president, knowing that he was lying, telling the American people they could keep their health insurance policies, and - to lie even further - he was going to save the average family 2,500 dollars a year!  And, personally, I don't see how this president will ever live down those lies.

John B.:  Go on, Ben, it sounds like you're hitting all the right chords.

Ben:  Eventually, I couldn't figure out where the lies began, and if they were really lies, or were just statements coming out of Obama's mouth, because of his ignorance.  I am not hesitant at all to say that I will put my University of Texas degree up against Obama's much ballyhooed Ivy League education any time!  The man has made so many misstatements of fact that it's incredible.  On the international front, he has managed to alienate our allies and to embolden our enemies.  That we still have Israel and the UK as friends is amazing.  Owing to his fixation on the dreams of his very disturbed father, he appears to want our country to somehow pay for all the past sins of colonialism. It is more than clear to me that this man was very poorly educated and totally missed out on what traditionally we have considered a Western, liberal - "liberal", in the sense of the 7 liberal arts - education.

John B. :  Ben, you're on a "roll."  Don't stop now.

Ben:  I can fill my blood pressure rising, but I'll continue.  In such a short period of time, I have seen a major change in American culture.  People pay more attention to celebrities than they do to serious ideas, just as Obama is like a moth, drawn to the flame of fame, hanging out on the golf course with his celebrity pals.  And just who are performers and movie stars, by the way?  They are nothing more than nice looking people who can memorize a few bars or a few lines, nothing more. Yet, this administration courts these people, who pontificate like they were oracles! This, in turn, is reflected in our society, in which a huge number of Americans feed their egos by aping celebrities.  Combined with an education  system which indoctrinates more than it educates, the results have been catastrophic.  And this goes hand-in-hand with an expanding number of individuals who are literally encouraged by this administration to become wards of the state and not use their God-given abilities to improve themselves. 

John B.:  So, Ben, it sounds like you are seeing a major erosion of American culture.

Ben:  Absolutely!  On many fronts, what passes as culture is nothing more than trash and pornography.  If this stuff is expressive of American values these days, then we are on very scary ground.  And, while I'm at it, one of the foundations of our country is religious freedom.  Yet this administration seems bound and determined to force actions on religiously-founded institutions that would be in violation of the precepts of their beliefs.  Here, I'm referring to "Obamacare" once again, which would force Catholics, evangelicals and fundamentalists to include coverage for abortions and birth-control in insurance coverage for employees.  Formerly, these things were left to individual choice; but, like so many things having to do with government these days, it boils down to the power of the government overwhelming the individual conscience.  And, as one who proudly served his country, it is painful for me to hear of handbooks approved by the Pentagon and circulated by the military that refer to Christians as "extremists."

PLEASE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE FROM MY VISIT WITH BEN, WHICH WILL BE SHARED IN A FUTURE POSTING.