I have as of my seventy sixth year retained the warm affection for my country that was instilled in me during my childhood. I outgrew the knee-jerk Sixties hatred of these States, and shed the trappings of the Noam Chomsky view of world history that I, like so many others of my generation had, out of the best of intentions, adopted.

The emotional set I bear today centers on grief: deep sadness and mourning for the grievous wound that was inflicted on our body politic, our nation, by the events of Nov. 3, 2020. In the pit of my stomach I have a profound sinking feeling that I can only articulate as a non-verbal conviction of the inevitability of Jan 6th instant's events following the political crime of the century. As Frank Gaffney asked out loud yesterday on-the-air -- I paraphrase -- "Could it have worked out any better for the Dem's if it had been PLANNED?"

NB Apologies to Mr. Gaffney; I am working out of my shaky, old, memory here. I will drum up a link real soon now.