“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.” ~ Seneca

Steps to understanding intent.

What are we looking for?

It’s Sunday morning, October 26th, 2025. The events of the previous several months have been a torrent of data points, allegations, innuendos, accusations, and hypocrisy; an emotional roller-coaster, embellished by some of the finest performative political posturing a person could possibly tolerate.

There was much joyful anticipation about the possible peace in the Middle East and between Ukraine and Russia. Reactions suggest that people view promises as sources of anticipation, influenced by personal aspirations and disappointment when those desires don’t materialize. But we don’t look inward for the root of the dream; we’re being lied to and misled by the mainstream media and their advertising tactics.

Yes, I said advertising. The American Media is a for-profit enterprise that sells opinion as truth, far from the philanthropic organization it purports to be. They are in it for the money: $10.9 billion for 2024, and projected to top $40.5 billion in 2025.

I’ll open with a question to ponder as you read or listen to this column…

“How much is enough?”

America is presumed to be the land of plenty, but plenty of what???

The word plenty has broad connotations, and even the denotation is somewhat nebulous. There are prolific uses for “plenty” as a general descriptor, like too many other words in our lexicon, we misuse it, compounding the problem by adding to our misunderstanding of the idea that America is the land of plenty; but again… plenty of what.

The literal meaning is that we have enormous tracts of land and boundless resources available for expansion.

Metaphorically, it represents hopes and dreams, an ideal where anyone with the drive can make them come true. It’s seen as a land flowing with milk and honey; abundance.

Symbolically, it represents an ideal society and the possibility of a utopian existence in which basic needs are met without struggle.

This is the America of plenty, but being true to human avarice, we expect more when we have enough to be satisfied and fulfilled. We have enough to live comfortably, but we are programmed to chase someone else’s dream called wealth.

During this last election cycle, the media painted Trump as the savior of democracy or the pariah of civilization. This is what we call politics, but it is actually advertising. There are precious few truths in advertising. I addressed this in my last column: Bullshit.

Partisan political advertising creates insatiable appetites and unfilled promises. We expected #47 to hit a home run as soon as he took office, despite the enormous impediments placed in his path. Partisan politics set expectations that no one could ever realize, yet our gullibility bought this unrealistic bullshit, expecting us to act on it.

Partisan politics and the mainstream media set up untenable presumptions for the incoming president. So, on day one, nothing happened. None of the fantastic assumptions came to pass. The immediate reaction was that Trump was a fraud, a charlatan, and a huckster, which augmented and compounded partisan political Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS).

He hadn’t even taken office… but assumed, then convicted as a failure!

“But there is no joy in Mudville… Mighty Casey has struck out.”

~ This is the final line in Thayer’s poem, Casey at the Bat.

Think about our present circumstances in the context of Thayer’s poem. Were our anticipation, aspirations, and ambitions for this new president well-founded, or based on hopeful optimism related to the previous administration? It’s not over… this is a long game, not a quick couple of signatures and a handshake.

The Left would have you believe #47, like Casey, can’t hit the floor with his hat. How could they appraise his effectiveness before he’s just started, or is this pre-programming and gross presupposition by the delusional socialist base against him? How is it possible for a leader to broker peace in 8 different prolonged hostilities and not even receive a casual acknowledgment for his efforts? How is he Hitler, Stalin, a Nazi authoritarian, megalomaniac, and an existential threat to our way of life and democracy itself?

I will remind you that if these accusations against #47 were even remotely true, we would never hear another word from his detractors… and this unconscionable mayhem in the streets would have been quickly and efficiently silenced. There would be no illegal alien problem, no violence or Antifa riots, no protesting for Palestinian rights, no Congressional shutdowns, and no other issues implicating government missteps or unfairness. There would be no dissent! So read and understand your god-dammed world history, so think before you open your pie-hole.

Confucius reminds us that we have two ears, but only one mouth.

We should listen at least twice as much as we speak!

Remember, the man’s been in office for only 10 months. Most presidents’ don’t do this much good in their lifetimes, but somehow manage to ruin the republic with a few strokes of a quill or the infamous autopen. Biden comes to mind immediately. It will take decades to untangle the imbroglio he created.

~ I highly recommend that you follow this link for a clearer understanding of this word…

Instead, Trump embarked on an agenda he’d had four years to consider, with a cabinet of business and thought leaders he’d carefully considered. They were not DC’s favorite sons and daughters; they were people he could trust, and those who were passionately loyal to America, not to a partisan political party or platform. It was now about the republic.

I’m not a MAGA-maniac, but a passionate patriot who still believes in what we could be, despite what we’ve become. I’m hopeful.

Lincoln said: “Whether you look for the good or look for the bad in a person, you’ll find it.” This includes every situation we face, as well. If you intend to find a problem, you’ll never be disappointed because your quest becomes a self-fulfilling goal.

There are, however, situations we create that are bad from the start and cannot be salvaged, especially those begun with bad intentions. That’s reality.

These ten signs indicate whether there are bad intentions.

~ There’s only time for you when they need something.

~ They constantly bring up the past.

~ They demean your goals.

~ They don’t keep their word.

~ They don’t celebrate your successes.

~ They make everything your fault.

~ They belittle you.

~ They never apologize, because they are never wrong.

~ They nit-pick or find fault in everything.

~ They are not your advocate.

Do any of these indicators ring true in our seated Congress, the opposite of progress, or our governmental administrations, or maybe in your workplace or sadly, in your home?

My seat in the bleachers suggests that this list defines politics with ten easy-to-follow indicators, and the atmosphere in our republic.

We’re only ten months into this administration, and I think a little leeway is called for here. But… forbearance is not an American virtue… We want drive-thru government… like Wendy’s.

– Rated as the worst possible fast-food drive-thru overall – Fox News.

It was only his first week on the job, and he was judged an abject failure! No one could possibly meet these expectations, yet since he was called a Fascist, Nazi, Authoritarian, Monarch, he was a failure and deserved it. He was their scapegoat.

– If you fail, your absolution is to blame anyone else… Amnesty!!!

Ten months into this administration, we are hypercritical of every aspect and every action. We are programmed to be captious regardless of reality. Review the list of bad-intention attributes above and consider what they reveal about partisan politics, and what we have become as Americans.

Americans are what I call “Spring-Loaded”. It’s a reflex action, as in Spring-loaded in the pissed off position. We’re ready to fly into a rage at the slightest provocation. When someone says or does something that triggers our ire, we attack instead of considering our predisposition to retaliate in light of the truth or aim of the comment.

“Still, a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.”

– This line is from a Simon & Garfunkel song called ‘The Boxer.”

I’ve been a vocal critic of Twenty-First Century administrations, especially the Biden–Harris regime from the beginning, but successful leadership is like too many things in life, a matter of perspective. From the Left, it was everything they could ever want, but from the Right, it was an unmitigated disaster. I assess the overall impact on the republic financially and socially. I quit listening to the media’s talking heads and instead interpret the state of the union using more tangible and pragmatic guidelines. Several media pundits call these new theatrical antics, ‘performative government.’ Here’s another rabbit hole I may jump into someday.

Now there’s an interesting title for a series… ‘Dickens, through the Lookingglass…’

Considering any issue from the other side’s perspective exposes an entirely different view, or God forbid, that we could possibly be wrong, which we all know is un-American. We’re indoctrinated to appraise and judge situations based on personal biases – our prejudices, shaped by what we’re told to think rather than using our discernment and intelligence. Discernment and intellect have been removed from most educational curricula and replaced with partisan political talking points called triggers. We’re taught the appropriate responses and reactions, which are reinforced by mainstream media advertisers posing as news organizations.

My desire for this new administration stems from my calamitous assessment of the previous regime and the inertia of the US Congress, the opposite of progress, taints my outlook for our future. We are truly blessed to live in America, so in this regard, we are rich; we have something that few people in the world have – unlimited opportunity. But we still want more… So, according to Seneca’s quote, we are poor because we have so much but still crave more.

I selected the opening quote by Seneca because I think we expect too much, want too much, and demand too much from those around us. We demand so little from ourselves and freely blame others for our decisions. We act on, or react to, trivial details and inferences that we interpret from these statements, regardless of their accuracy.

Were these substantive and actual commitments or merely hopeful aspirations and greedy misdirection’s?

Some introspection is in order, I think.

We effortlessly compromise on things in our lives, but demand so much more from everyone around us. We have no problem breaking a promise or going back on our word, but the slightest violation from those around us sends us into a rage, even if the infraction is on an interpretation of a spurious comment. But then, we have an excuse for everything, don’t we?

It’s never, never, never, never, ever our fault, right?

“Look for three things in a person – intelligence, energy, and integrity. If they don’t have the last one, don’t even bother with the first two…” ~ Warren Buffett

There’s a critical message in that statement from Mr. Buffett: we rely on the first two and disregard the latter, the most crucial characteristic of the three. I offer the currently seated US Congress, the opposite of progress, and their ad agency, the mainstream media, as sterling examples of Mr. Buffett’s comment.

If you have all the facts, you can make an informed decision, but if your data is flawed or contrived, you will make dysfunctional choices. Yet maybe that’s why the information is intentionally misstated or misleading? They intend to trigger a response… Do you recall the articles and columns that discuss indoctrination?

Our initial, spring-loaded reaction, is to accept the data, ignoring its validity. Next is the response. We are predisposed, indoctrinated to jump from receiving the data to accepting it as valid because of the source, and then springing into action. But between hearing and acting we skip the critical step to investigate further and consider the source… which would be the smarter thing to do. Consider the source and its partisan political prejudice, preconceptions, preferences, and predilections.

The results of rash action vary, but are most often regretted, closely followed by shifting blame to cover or excuse the transgression.

As I watch the incredible advancements #47 has made in the past 10 months, I marvel at his accomplishments, yet I misconstrue, ponder why the country isn’t celebrating. I think Seneca’s quote opening this column explains it well. Poverty is a state of mind, not a lack of material possessions; it’s an insatiable craving for more. Perhaps another piece of this puzzle is America’s general narcissism, even me… I’m not perfect, and don’t pretend to be, but I am self-aware enough to admit it.

One of the obvious points of contention is the present partisan political impasse that Seneca’s quote exposes in our government. How much is enough? Regardless of your position on the Schumer Shutdown situation, we all suffer because some want more. The Socialists have shut down the country because they aren’t satisfied with their original agreement – now they want more! And this republic’s citizens are their hostages.

The situation in Gaza is precisely the same. Hamas agreed to a ceasefire; to release the hostages and the mortal remains of those captured during their October 7th, 2023, raid. The Left agreed to a continuing resolution to keep the government open. Now, both of the willing participants to these contracts want more, setting the expectation that any capitulation would be met with additional demands.

Hamas accepted all the terms of the agreement to create an amicable environment and open dialogue, giving the opposition hope of resettlement, but it took advantage of this opportunity. Once the refugees are in Gaza, they would demand more, and more, and more, and more, and more, and more, and more, using the citizens as hostages, human shields, and bargaining chips.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would hesitate to respond with an all-out attack because they value all life as sacred. Killing innocent civilian non-combatants would defame Israel’s image as a peaceful and accommodating country.

Hamas sees these two million Palestinian refugees as expendable pawns in the struggle. Hamas’ ends justify their means. Remember, Hamas used the people as shields by putting weapons caches and rockets in hospitals, schools, and neighborhoods. Hamas has set the precedent and will undoubtedly continue to use it. Where is the integrity needed to ensure peace and abide by the cease-fire stipulations?

And so, we’re clear, their ends are the eradication of Israel at any cost. That’s what their slogan means – “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

How foolish are we to assume that they only want to move Jews from the land and not follow through with their admitted eradication of the Jewish population?

Have any of Hamas’ actions over the past 77 years of this conflict, or the thousands of years of antisemitic animosity shown any other intent than to eradicate Israel from the Earth with this Jihad and Globalized Intifada calling for their utter destruction; Hamas will not stop until they accomplish their Holy Crusade, as Allah demands!

We, the people of this republic, are nothing more than pawns in this game of political one-upmanship called the Schumer Shutdown, much like the Middle East conflicts and wars. The citizens trapped in these contests are nothing but tools, partisan political pawns. We’re unwilling participants and unfortunate collateral damage. We are considered inconsequential in making the decision, but crucial to its implementation as useful fools. We’re not volunteers; we’re conscripts.

These situations, this animosity, these wars, this contention, were manufactured to give the aggressors a significant advantage, using innocents as human shields, and I recognize that the Christian world places a significantly higher value on life than the Middle Eastern Death-Cult religions that celebrate and encourage martyrdom and sacrifice as paths to the highest levels of heavenly rewards.

That’s all we are. We’re tools for these partisan political power grabs.

Nietzsche warned: “He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. But the way I see it, only a monster can kill another monster…”

I use these two recent examples to illustrate the obsession with avarice and the problems it creates. Concentrating on gain for gain’s sake is obsessive and compulsive, and using people as pawns in any contest is reprehensible. Wanting more for the sake of having more displays moral and ethical bankruptcy. Where’s the integrity in agreeing on a solution for peace, then violating its terms to demand more? And where is the integrity in agreeing to a continuing resolution, then failing to follow through with that agreement, holding the citizenry as financial captives?

The two situations I use in this column are a small sample of myriad examples. We have eyes, but we do not see, ears and do not hear, and minds, but we do not think. We always want more…

How truly poor are we?

Well… I did it again. I added a bunch of links, and I apologize for this egregious encroachment on your sensibilities and time, but I want you to appreciate what I intend in this column.

The devil you say…

October 28, 2025

~ the Author ~
Charles R. Dickens Was Born in 1951, Is a Veteran of the Vietnam War, for Which He Volunteered, and the Great-Great Grandson of the Noted Author, Whose Name He Shares.

He Is a Fiercely Proud American, Who Still Believes This Is the Greatest Country on the Planet, With Which We’ve Lost Control and Certainly Our Direction. He Grew Up in Moderate Financial Surrounding; We’re Not Rich by Any Stretch, but Didn’t Go Hungry – His Incredibly Hard Working Father Saw to That. As Most From That Era, He Learned About Life From His Father, Whose Story Would Take Too Long to Tell, Other Than to Say That, He Is Also a Fiercely Proud American; A WWII and Korean War, Veteran Marine.

Charlie Was Educated in the Parochial System Which, Demanded That You Actually Learn Something, and Have Capability to Retain It Before You Advance. He Attended Several Universities in Pursuit of a Bachelor’s Degree, and Chased the Goose Further to a Master’s, and Has Retained Some Very Definite Ideas About Education in This Country.

in Addition, Charlie Is a Retired Blues Guitar and Vocalist – a Musician. This Was His Therapy Career. Nothing Brings Him as Much Joy as Playing Music, and He Wishes That He Could Make a Living at It… but Alas… Life Goes on!