I did not come to these beliefs lightly, It took almost a half century for the scales to fall from my eyes, as the Bible says.

When I was young, my dream was to go to the USAF Academy in Colorado and become a fighter pilot. I ended up going to Harvard instead, and that probably started the process of deprogramming.

I have reached my present political orientation in fits and starts; I have at times been an optimist and full of hope and admiration for America. That was before the Presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020, to which I contributed as much money as I possibly could, were derailed and sabotaged in the most corrupt and cynical way. I saw the real face of the American system, and it all suddenly made sense - in a horrible, depressing and frightening way.

I feel at this point I could say that it was not I who changed, but my country. I grew up in the 1960's and 70's, when change was still possible, when we had things like the Church Committee to try and reign in the CIA and FBI; when we could still influence policy by getting out in the streets. When I was 14 I read Steal this Book by Abby Hoffman. George Carlin was educating us all. My social studies teacher - a USMC vet - taught us the cynical motto of the US war machine: "war is good for business, invest your son".

I had a giant peace sign and poster of RFK in my room. It was a different time, and change seemed possible - even likely.

Alas, those days are gone.