Some notes and anniversaries over the past weeks (June 21-28, 2025):
1. "Humble foreign policy" (2000), "No dumb wars" (2008), "America First" (2016, 2024). If I ran for President in 2028, my campaign pledge would be, "War with everyone." Because if history's any indication, I'll accomplish the opposite of what I promised, and we'll have peace with everyone.
2. I visit my library at least once a week. Recently, the librarian was removing books to throw out. Not donate, throw out. She said that when 70 people donate their copies of Angels and Demons, almost all of those copies will never be recirculated or bought at a thrift store; people who had any interest in reading it have done so, and the books just take up space. I think she exaggerated the copies of Angels and Demons she had received as donations, but the point was made.
It's noble to believe that every book copy is precious, and I'd recommend donating books you no longer want to keep; don't throw them out yourself, as someone else might want to read them. But let the librarian or booksellers assume that responsibility. They ought to know the market better than you.
I was reminded of this when I noticed that June 22 is the birthday of Dan Brown, author of Angels & Demons. I wrote "The Da Vince Code Phenomenon," about Brown's most famous work, 18 months ago.
3. June 23 marked the birthdays of sexologist Alfred Kinsey and World War II code-breaking computer scientist Alan Turing. Four years ago, I used the occasion to write about sex laws.
4. Elon Musk turns 54 today. A couple of months ago, I wrote about the curious political journey of Musk's grandfather, who may or may not have influenced Musk and Donald Trump's territorial expansion goals.
5. Year 237
On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, thereby putting it into effect. 237 years later to the day, President Trump bombed Iran (DC time, not local Iran time). The number 237 holds meaning for some people (including myself, if only for entertainment purposes), although it appears the X/Twitter site obsessed with "Kubrick" numbers didn't notice this anniversary. 237 years may be symbolic of the birth and death of the Constitution. However, it's not the first time a President started a war without congressional authorization, so singling out this attack may seem arbitrary.
Presidents who start wars commit even greater crimes than those who ignore due process of law in jailing and deporting people, in the same sense that murder is an even greater crime than kidnapping. I hope those who attended the No Kings rallies a couple of weeks ago understand this. Bombing countries without so much as asking Congress for authorization was bad when Clinton did it in Serbia and Obama did it in Libya. Hopefully, Trump has stopped with just the one night.
However, this recent anniversary prompts something I've wanted to discuss. I've perceived the history of the Constitutional Republic as three 80-year periods, with the current one ending in 2028. The first was the Slave Era, spanning from 1788 to 1868. Of course, slavery itself suffered a permanent death in 1865, but there was chaos and disagreement in handling the aftermath, leading to President Andrew Johnson's impeachment. The election of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to the Presidency was the definitive closure of the first phase of American history.
The second was the Empire Era, where the territorial gains of the Slave Era were consolidated with further displacement of American Indians by new settlers, along with territorial acquisitions beyond the shores. America became an empire and a colonial power, one among several.
After the Empire Era came the Superpower Era, with 1945-48 serving as a transition phase that saw the atomic bomb dropped, the end of World War II, the Nuremberg Trials, and the creation of the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Defense, including a new Air Force branch.
By 1948, America had established the institutions necessary for its project of global domination. The agenda wasn't about, or only about, stopping the spread of communism. That is clear by American behavior after the Cold War. Not long after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, President Bush invaded Panama to further domestic policy drug-control goals (supposedly). It has been non-stop invasions, bombings, embargoes, and coups around the world ever since, much like the Cold War. Any country that refuses to kow-tow to America's demands is presented to the American people as a "threat" to "national security" and "our freedom.".
Speaking of the Superpower Era, it's important to note that Bill Moyers passed away on June 26 at the age of 91.
Moyers was a White House staffer under Kennedy and White House Press Secretary for two years under Johnson. He later worked for CBS News and then PBS, where he brought Joseph Campbell to fame with The Power of Myth series of interviews. I've seen very little of it, but I may get into it someday.
It was the late 2000s when I watched Moyers's 1987 PBS documentary "The Secret Government: A Special Report by Bill Moyers." I just watched it again upon hearing of Moyers's passing. If I taught American politics classes, I would make it required viewing.
The program brought up the "anything goes" or "the ends justify the means" culture of the National Security State, established in 1947. I believe this was extended to domestic policy, especially following 9/11, with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and agencies like ICE. The Secret Government has only gotten bigger and is filled with agents who were apparently raised on ideological hate or were programmed to be cruel.
At this moment, I suspect that "The purpose [of the Trump Administration] is to set the stage for imposing martial law by November 2028 in an attempt to circumvent the Presidential election and keep Trump in power." That may be stopped, or it may succeed. In any case, that year will mark the beginning of a new era.
I'm not predicting what it will be like. I don't know if the U.S. will disintegrate through foreign and civil wars and bankruptcy, or make significant institutional changes while keeping the shell of the Constitution intact. However, we are currently experiencing drastic changes. We're currently in the transition phase.
Over the past 80 years, the overall expansion of rights and tolerance in America is something to be thankful for, as are the technological developments and, in my opinion, the advancements in pop culture. These years could be looked upon with fondness. At the same time, the federal government acted like a mafia boss over the entire planet and placed increasing controls over individuals at home.
May those who are personally inclined to view their neighbors, whoever they are, as friends rather than enemies be the founders of a new era of freedom and peace.
Subscription prices to JL Cells are the lowest that Substack allows: $5 per month or $30 per year (a 50% discount). If you enjoy the content, please consider a paid subscription, support me using PayPal with an amount of your choice, or contact me if you prefer an alternative method. At this point, I cannot promise that a paid subscription will provide bonus material, but it will help keep this going. Thank you.
James Leroy Wilson writes The MVP Chase (subscribe) and JL Cells (subscribe). Thank you for your subscriptions and support! You can contact James for writing, editing, research, and other work at jamesleroywilson-at-gmail.com.
Do watch The Power of Myth if you get a chance. Campbell radiates wisdom, and one piece of advice has really stuck with me. Paraphrasing, if you think of yourself as analogous to a light bulb, which shines for a while, then burns out and is discarded, that's depressing and makes life seem rather pointless. So, don't identify with the bulb, identify with the light, which began before your bulb was made and continues after it is gone. With that kind of thinking, death loses much of its sting.