250th anniversary of the United States 

As it should be, a lot has been made this year of the 250th anniversary (birthday) of our 

country. It is a time to reflect back on what it has taken to bring us to where we are today.

One of my siblings reminded me that, in fact, we have been alive for about 1/3rd of that time -- just think about it. If you divide 250 by three ... you get my age! Either I am very old or the country is very young -- and both are true.

It made me reflect back upon conversations with my father. He told us that in discussions he had with his grandfather, that his grandfather described working all winter with other men on downing logs near the Conewango Creek, then rafting them together, and when the ice melted and the water came up, they floated them down the Conewango, Allegheny and Ohio Rivers to Pittsburg and Cincinnati where they sold the timber.

My Dad said that once at his destination, his grandfather would sell the logs and depending on how much money he had made -- he would either buy a horse and ride home or, if the profit was small, he would walk back home to Chautauqua County. Can you imagine it?!

Imagine -- not just the idea of walking home from Cincinnati, but the effort that was put into the whole enterprise. And in reflecting more upon it -- my Dad's grandfather was just a generation or two away from those who founded the country. So, the country is indeed young.

We tend to think, for example, that the Civil War was a long time ago, but -- when you think about it this way -- it is really not that long ago. We are still a young country.

Because of the resilience, strength and extent of our country, Americans today tend not to travel much beyond our borders. Why go anywhere else when we have it all here? "If I want to go south, I can go to Florida. If I want to go west, I can go to LA." That's good enough for me!"

Yet, in the 20th century, we did go well beyond our borders. In World War I, we went to France, and the boys came home singing: "How you gonna' keep them down on the farm, after they've seen Paree'!"

Then came World War II, Korea and Vietnam. We had our footprint all over the world.

Also, back in those days, we had the military draft, and young men from all over the country were brought together and sent all over the world. I was a part of that at duty stations in Japan and Vietnam. While there, I met men from all over our country -- Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, LA, New York City…. The military was a melting pot. We not only got to see other countries, we got to better know and understand our fellow countrymen.

With the end of the draft, we seem to have lost some of that commonality of interest. We have become more isolated not only by not visiting other countries, but from not meeting and getting to know each other as we did back then.

I hope that, somehow, we can bring back those days of seeing ourselves as connected internationally as well as working together for our country's common interest. Time will tell if that happens.

In the meantime, there is still much to be thankful for. "Happy 250th birthday, America!"

                            This article was printed in the Jamestown Post-Journal

                                                            August 29, 2026

 

 

The tails that wag the political dogs

 

By Rolland Kidder

 There has been a lot of "hoopla" recently about how the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are taking over the Democratic Party. At least that is what conservative tabloids like the New York Post and their allies would make you think.

 In truth, the history of the Democratic Party, at least in New York State, is that there has always been a "free-for-all," especially in New York City, between the liberal wing of the Democratic Party and what are called the "regulars,"--those with a more centrist view of politics.

Back when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was Governor of New York and then President of the United States--a new political party was created in New York State called the "Liberal Party." That was done, in large measure, to give the liberal segment of the party a voice in state and local politics without upsetting the larger, governing party of regular Democrats.

Since then we have seen "liberals" become "reformers" and, for a while, they renamed themselves as the "New Democratic Coalition." Then they became "progressives," and now, they are calling themselves "Democratic Socialists." But, these terms essentially describe the same group of people--they are passionate advocates who want change, want government to take the lead, and they often look first to government for solutions to human problems rather than to the private sector.

As the Democratic Party is the dominant political force In New York City, political power there flows back and forth between these two groups--the liberals (reformers) vs. the regulars. Nothing has really changed much in that regard.

The liberal/reformer influence in the Democratic Party spans, but to a lesser degree, the whole country. This wing of Democrats often can influence or dominate primary elections…but it does not usually win general elections. Democrats who want to become President or to be elected to high office usually have to have at least one foot in the "middle of the road" in order to be elected.

The Republican Party has a similar issue going on in that their "right wing" can greatly influence their primary elections. Usually, though, when a conservative wins the White House in a general election, it is because they have appealed to middle-of-the-road voters--think of Ronald Reagan, a Republican and former Governor of California who was supported by what were then called "Reagan Democrats."

The difference right now, of course, is that the MAGA right wing of the Republican Party has taken control in Washington--and that is not normal for the Republican Party or for the country. We are now seeing in real time what can happen when "the tail" of a political party is not only "wagging the dog" but has become the dog.

We are now under the control of a President who says one thing today, and the opposite tomorrow, often reversing himself, and blaming others when he fails. Donald Trump is no Ronald Reagan. He is good with rhetoric but not with governing--his approach is to govern by edict, not through consensus.

So, the overall lesson is that both political parties in our country have very vocal, outspoken minorities--one left and the other right--that can dominate the news cycle. These "tails" are not going away--they will continue to be a part of our political life.

What the Nation needs right now; however, is to get our politics back to the center where most of the people live.

 

This article was published in the Jamestown Post-Journal

August 15, 2026