Happy New Year, everyone.

Is it time to water the tree of liberty?

Each new year brings a flurry of promised changes, usually in the form of personal commitments to modify behaviors we’ve recognized. In an attempt to stay relevant, we promise to change our ways or improve in some areas. I gave up on that crap long ago.

Mark Twain called them good intentions quickly abandoned, and Jay Leno remarked on their effectiveness by noting the continual increase in the average weight of Americans. Incidentally, the average for men today is 200 lbs., and for women, 170 lbs. Since 2000, there has been a 20 lb gain. We call this anecdotal evidence because the study is observational and draws on several sources.

That’s why I’m calling for a new year’s revolution. I am NOT necessarily calling for the overthrow of our government, although we sincerely need to address many areas; I’m suggesting the overthrow of our fundamental thought processes that have led us to our current position.

I know I just lost 80% of the readers and listeners, but thanks to those still here.

In 1787, Thomas Jefferson wrote… “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure…” meaning that freedom must be constantly defended and that a willingness to fight and die is occasionally necessary to prevent government oppression and preserve liberty.

That was Jefferson’s original intent, but what if there is another interpretation, something we can infer from this statement, perhaps on a personal level?

Liberty and freedom are not the same, though we often use them interchangeably. There is a subtle distinction. Freedom is the broader idea of acting without restraint, while liberty implies freedom within a framework of rules, laws, or consent, meaning freedom from arbitrary control (like government tyranny) and responsibility. Liberty emphasizes defined, agreed-upon rights, such as “freedom of speech,” rather than total license, making it freedom under law rather than the absence of any rule or restraint.

What if we interpret Jefferson’s statement metaphorically rather than literally, as Jefferson intended? I mean, what if we apply his comment to ourselves rather than to our government? After all, we have personal liberties and the freedom to choose our path. What if we apply this to ourselves, think about how to change ourselves first, then the government, and everything else that impacts us?

I dare say changing ourselves would be 90% of the battle.

It’s a new year, and many people consider this the time to make changes: How about a New Year’s Revolution in thinking?

Again, I’m not suggesting a physical rebellion like the one in 1776. I’m talking about personal transformation, changing how you think and react.

Lao Tzu said, “If you do not change direction, you might end up where you are heading.”

That sounds a bit like Yogi Berra, but consider what Lao Tzu means. He emphasizes self-awareness, intentional choice, and course corrections to avoid haphazard results and to stop trusting fate. It’s a powerful reminder that inaction is also a choice and that you have the agency and power to pivot your life if your current trajectory isn’t serving your goals. This holds for our republic as well.

Are there other options?

Are we on the right path?

The truth is that unless we act soon, America will be another failed attempt at democracy, following in the footsteps of every other failed republic.

History has recorded all these previous attempts and failures, step by step and decision by decision. Where do you suppose our forefathers obtained the fundamental ideas and the outline for a vastly improved constitutional foundation for America?

George Santayana remarked, “Those who fail to learn from their predecessors’ mistakes are destined to repeat them.”

No… we’re not paying any attention at all. If we were, we wouldn’t be where we are now. This speaks directly to our failures; for some reason, we make significant advances by accident – out of adversity comes opportunity.

The invention of the transistor and the miniaturization of circuits come to mind. They were stepping stones to the computer and to our exploration of space, but they also spurred the development of the cellular telephone – our portable altars of enlightenment and distraction. And most recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Unfortunately, that knowledge also gives our enemies clues about how to counter our progress and even accelerate our demise. It also creates new business opportunities, particularly in Big Pharma and the healthcare industry. We could cure cancer, but why would we when there are trillions of dollars in revenue available by evading the cure?

It’s strange what you can learn from history.

I don’t play the New Year’s Resolutions game. I find resolutions a weak excuse to delay a necessary confrontation with your demons. Maybe they aren’t real demons, just things you should change but never truly face. But then again, perhaps there are things you really do need to change, like pessimism, a combative attitude, your penchant for a partisan political perspective, letting other people think for you, or not being aware of the material’s source and who’s actually pulling the strings. It’s all there if you care to look. Yes, it’s more convenient to let someone else think for you, but contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t absolve you of responsibility for the results. Minnesota comes to mind.

“You can’t change what’s going on around you until you change what’s going on within you.” – Anonymous

We tend to blame our decisions on the environment. I’m talking about the influences that drive and define us, like the media feeds we prefer that tell us what we want to hear, which is why we choose them. They directly shape what we think and how we react. The mainstream media know our biases and play to them.

America is on a dangerous path right now. Partisan politics have shattered this republic into three major camps: Democrat-Socialist, Republican, and Independent. Each plays a role, and any one of them can be quite ruinous if left unchecked. When they are in balance, America functions democratically; when they are out of balance, one party tries to dominate the others. That was Washington’s warning in his 1796 farewell address. [Full letter]

Even the personal changes we make directly affect the future of this republic.

Let’s start with a basic yet essential piece of information.

America is a republic, and all the rhetoric to the contrary is bullshit…

How do I know?

Because neither you nor I would be able to voice dissent about the government if this were anything other than a Constitutional Federal Republic with a Representative Democracy.

Like many other countries, England has stringent speech laws… This year, they’ve arrested over 10,000 people for online dissent… last year, over 12,000, and the year before, 14,000. Their message was clear: oppose us and pay the price. If America were under Neo-Nazi control, as alleged, you wouldn’t be here… you’d be in a concentration camp or dead. Many other countries don’t bother with the technicalities of arrest; you’re imprisoned or erased.

Think about this the next time you spew hateful accusations or treacherous rhetoric. Lucky for us, we still have the right to speak freely… for now. But if we keep stretching those limits and interpret the US Constitution too liberally, that rubber band may snap, and those misinterpreted freedoms will be lost to oblivion. Liberal interpretations have already created havoc in many cities and states through cashless bail and progressive policies on crime and corruption. It could be nearer than you can imagine if the delicate balance in Congress, the opposite of progress, is upset. Dissenting views are essential to the calculus of government. They are integral to debate, and debate is fundamental to governing.

Here’s a sobering little tidbit for rumination…

The government has a record of everything you say, write, and do. We gave it to them with the advent of ‘not-so-social-media’ and other online repositories. And, oh by the way, look closely at the ‘Right to use licenses for software and website access.’ You may have granted unfettered access to and use of all your information.

Let this sink in…

The US Government has a record of everything you say, write, and do… and AI has access to every bit of data on you. If the government or some enterprising crook wants it, they can get it. So instead of your relentless kvetching about the president this and the president that and how oppressed we are… remember that we are truly a few simple clicks away from living in the hell we created.

YES… We created this situation, and that is precisely my point.

I know this isn’t a cheerful way to begin the new year, but my admonitions, suggestions, and warnings so far have had little or no impact, so I’ll borrow a page from Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals,” the how-to handbook used by the American Socialists – Democrats to destroy America.

It’s all well-orchestrated, and we’re playing along to their sheet music.

Here’s how the Left, and anyone else vying for power, has taken control of what they wish to control.

The process is not limited to coup d’état; it’s now part of every facet of our lives. It sounds cynical, but that’s life in 21st-century America. If you examine every power play over the last 100 years, you’ll see Alinsky’s tactics at work.

Saul Alinsky had remarkable observational skills, and his work in Chicago as a union organizer gave him insight into the business world of the 1930s. His book, “Rules for Radicals,” is a compilation of his observations and strategies.

Here’s Saul’s outline for how to destroy a country:

1. Pragmatism over Ideology
2. Power Dynamics
3. Conflict as a Catalyst
4. Self-Interest
5. Situational Ethics

Here’s how each step works…

a. Pick the target
b. Freeze it
c. Personalize it
d. Polarize it

If you’re interested in an online synopsis, you can enter any of these terms into your preferred AI search tool for a condensed version. AI is the perfect tool for this exercise because it is already liberally biased, and the information above comes directly from the Liberal playbook and UC Berkeley. You can read more online.

AI tells us that:

“Saul Alinsky’s process in America empowers marginalized communities to build power and effect change by identifying local issues, confronting institutions through strategic conflict, and mobilizing residents by appealing to their self-interest and shared grievances, often targeting specific individuals or organizations as “enemies” to create a unified front and force concessions, as detailed in his book Rules for Radicals. It’s a pragmatic, bottom-up approach that focuses on concrete local issues, fosters indigenous leadership, and uses tactics such as boycotts, demonstrations, and public shaming to challenge power structures, influencing groups from labor unions (Cesar Chavez) to modern activist networks.”

This should sound familiar. It’s precisely what the Left is doing throughout America. I’ll save the why for later in the article… for now, let’s discuss the process and its impact. Some enterprising individual even coined a term for the chaos this process causes – Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). Now, not only do you have a familiar enemy to target, but he’s also caused you to be deranged… How insidious!

It’s important to realize that this is all a trap, and the best way to avoid it is to recognize that it exists. Understanding these tactics will help you identify them and give you the awareness to counter them or at least sidestep them.

The real dodge in all of these steps is the use of unnamed and undisclosed sources to substantiate the statement. This is one of many tools used to evade culpability while propagating misinformation.

These are some Watch Words:

– sources say…
– Industry Experts say…
– An undisclosed source close to the situation said…
– People claim or say…
– Confidential sources tell me…
– Whistleblower…
– Leaker…

These preceding words and phrases provide the necessary cover to propagate lies using mal, dis, and misinformation. No one is named, no source is identified, so no one can be held accountable, and there is no one to corroborate the comment or allegations. It’s the perfect cover for spreading lies.

Here’s another clue… It’s all about exposure, not substance; it’s about the performance and being in the public eye, and it’s about the campaign.

Why is winning more important than the potential gain for the Republic?

AI tells us:

“Politicians often prioritize winning because of strategic, psychological, and systemic factors inherent in electoral politics. This focus is driven by the primary need to secure and retain power, which is a prerequisite for implementing any policy, whether for the republic or for personal or party interests.”

To prove this point, I reference the following information.

Here’s a little tidbit that went right up my ass…

I just saw my SSA statement for next year, then I read the tax regs for 2026. It was advertised in the media and by the gubmint that there is no more tax on social security, when in truth it’s a fucking deduction – “The new senior deduction allows eligible seniors and their spouses who are 65 or older to deduct up to $6,000 each from their taxable income for tax years 2025 through 2028. There are adjusted gross income limits to this deduction. It is only available to single filers making less than $75,000 or couples making less than $150,000.” So… IF you qualify, you can DEDUCT up to $6,000 for an individual and $12,000 per couple if you meet the stipulations. – From the Jackson Hewitt website.

I discovered that the ‘other deductions’ – the line that covers tax in the SSA statement – were $650 for me and the same for my wife. Since we file jointly, that’s still $3,500 in tax – that is not how I define NO TAX!

I admit that $12,000 is a decent deduction, but it doesn’t make SSA tax-free as the administration advertises. I wonder what the limitations are on the ‘No Tax on Tips’ stipulations, and how they calculate overtime.

BOHICA! Bend Over… Here It Comes Again!

I am so fed up with this bullshit of partisan political lies and misdirection. Son of a Bitch! Stop pissing on my head and telling me it’s raining… The next time they come up with some cock-a-mammy idea, I asked that they please include a tube of ass-lube. I’m getting raw!

I guess their next target is VA benefits.

• Sorry for the coarse language… It’s on me for hoping that this or any administration would prioritize their actions for the people who elect them, instead of just maintaining power.

However, maybe it is time for us, the citizens of America, to demand a robust redirection of this country.

We had a saying in the military – “Cheer up, things could get worse, so I cheered up, and things got worse…” Funny how these truisms turn out.

So… here we are at the beginning of a new year, facing a replay of the past 25. If this is any indication of what’s to come, I think we need to seriously consider the wisdom in Jefferson’s comment I used as a subtitle. Are we at the point of no return? I believe so… I’ve spent the past months examining the magnitude of lies and deception in this country and how the partisan political parties exacerbate and perpetuate the intentional deception and extortion of the American taxpayer to maintain their positions of power.

The recent revelations in Minnesota are only the tip of a massive iceberg of fraud, waste, and abuse in this republic. I’m confident it will ultimately trace back to the elected officials managing these funds, programs, states, and this country. And I’ll double down on that bet; a significant portion of this money will eventually trace back to incumbent partisan politicians. All of this alleged malfeasance supports their lust for power.

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence rather than authority; still more so when you add the certainty of corruption by authority.” ~ Lord Acton

I know I’ve used this quote many times before, but it continues to ring true in so many instances that I can hardly ignore its relevance. As I consider the changes I need to make personally, I see cases around me and recognize that this is one large tapestry of causal impact; ignoring any of it only allows it to worsen. So here we are, entering a new year with the exact same threadbare expectations and shabby excuses, hoping against all hope that things will change for the better. Yet yesterday, last week, last year, the year before that, and the decades before that tell a very different story. We kicked that can down the street until we don’t even recognize it.

“We live on an island surrounded by a sea of ignorance. As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shoreline of our ignorance.” – Substitute indifference for ignorance and reread this.

“Behind it all is surely an idea so simple, so beautiful, that when we grasp it – in a decade, a century, or a millennium – we will all say to each other, ‘How could it have been otherwise? How could we have been so stupid?” – John Archibald Wheeler, Physicist

In 1787, Thomas Jefferson wrote… “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure…” meaning that freedom must be constantly defended and that a willingness to fight and die is occasionally necessary to prevent government oppression and preserve liberty.

Is it time for resolution or revolution, figuratively and maybe even literally?

“Cheers to a year of New Adventures.”

For the Amalgamated Heavy,

January 1, 2026

~ 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!