231
Robert . H. Little
935 Middlefield Road
Palo Alto California 9430l-3395
July 9/89 Sunday
A great day for Tennis. Wimbledon.
Because of rain, two finals were crowded into the same day.
Beginning at 8.00 am. Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova
They were both magnificent. Steffi was the winner. She won
the first and third sets.
Next, Stefan Edberg, last years champion faced Boris Becker.
Two wonderful people playing magnificent tennis.
It was very exciting. Spell binding.
Why should I be so deeply interested. It is not the game
itself. However, I can identify with both champions and
their opponents. We all need heros. Few of us achieve much
personal glory. When people lived in small towns, they
could be proud of their village. People could be proud of
their children and grand children as they passed on the
family culture. Today, not much culture, just television.
I borrowed some glory from the wonderful people I watched
today. I will store them in my memory bank. Some people
fill their memory banks with what I call garbage. It can
haunt them later. As the computer people say. GARBAGE IN
GARBAGE OUT. It is one way of going nuts or taking to
drink.
I believe it was Sir Francis Bacon, 400 years ago, who said
that if good men do not help run the country, then bad ones
will take over. {The Athenian Greeks probably said the same
thing.}
There are plenty of fine men in our country of whom we could
be proud to have as political leaders. If they are from a
successful family, many people say they are not self made
men. If they are poor, they tend to become obligated to
special interests. Candidates must reveal their personsal
finances in great detail. The news media may attack them
in a nasty manner. This makes it difficult for the
President to persuade successful people to enter Government
Service. Heros are having a hard time. A certain element
delight in making money by dragging down the heros.
It has been a wonderful day. Sunny & warm. Some wonderful
food. My apricots are ripening. Picked over a dozen.
Yesterday, Nelica, the eleven year old daughter of my nephew
Tom and his wife Libby came in third in the 800 meter race in
a contest for North Eastern New York and New England. This
makes her eligible to compete in Spokane Wash for the Junior
Olympics. The parents will not consider this until next
year. She will still be in the twelve and under class.
Her older sister Molly is a natural piano player.
The whole family were about l0 years in Afghanistan where Tom
was administrator of a l00 bed eye hospital in Kabul. The
only hospital in the country that treated eyes did eye
surgery. and provided glasses.
Katy, the youngest sister sang hundreds of Afghan songs in
Persian. The Afghans express their culture that way.
Katy became an excellent translator of Persian.
Nelica, the runner, is also an enthusiastic student. She has
received several commendations at school, including a
Presidential medal for excellence in math.
Her father Tom has always been a runner, a cyclist and a
mountain climber. A few years ago.the whole family took a 3
weeks trip to Kashmir and climbed a mountain.
Tom and Libby and the children have led a life of danger and
excitement and great purpose. They filled a great need and
set a great example. There were about l00 people connected
with the hospital. The children mixed with these people,
many who were dedicated adults from various countries.
The girls were not segregated by age group as happens in many
so called advanced countries. It is very unnatural for
children to be segregated in this way.
Since humans became part of the planet, most children were
born into some kind of social group. Sir Julian Huxley said
that evolution in humans was speeded up because a cultural
group could develop a superior life style and imprint a
better set of values on their young. Groups with a poor
life style tended to die out. Thus humans had a chance to
escape the tyranny of instinct.
The British Royal family appear to follow such a system.
Prince Philip claims that their family is about l000 years
old and tries to perpetuate a way of life by passing it on to
each generation.
Prince William, the older son of the Prince and Princess of
Wales, who 4 years ago was called William the terrible , has
become a model gentleman with the ability to talk to all age
groups. He discusses horse breeding with his grandmother,
the queen and instructs his young brother in proper behavior.
The upper classes call this good breeding. When the late
King George the Fifth was told that he would die of cancer,
he replied, {Let me die quietly like a well-bred animal}.
Many small groups of people have created well-bred children
in spite of humble circumstances. In any free country
this should be a reasonable goal. However various political
factors have made it difficult.
It is 1l.00 PM. I have had a good
day. Gardening , good food and talking to friends , long
distance, are some of the joys of my mature state. I am also
happy about my computer, my good cooking equipment and a
trouble-free car. {Olds Cutlass Ciera, 4 cyl.} I have sharp
vision which I bless every day. I hope to keep it that way
by avoiding a destructive life style.
It may not seem right to talk of joyful days in such a
troubled world but one must make the most of simple joys.
I hope that all of you, my friends, can do the same.
July l0/89. Back to the reality of Monday morning. There is
so much talk about the world's troubles. Seldom are
solutions suggested except spend more money. Solutions tend
to clash with vested interests.
Many people feel that civilization is breaking down. We may
be entering a time of chaos.
Problems.
The failures among the S & Ls was predictable and
avoidable. Over a hundred years ago, the banks in the
Western States guaranteed each others deposits. This led to
a financial disaster. A system was then developed wherein
a bank shareholder, in case of a Bank failure, would lose
his investment plus a penalty of the equivalent amount.
For example, if a person owned stock with a par value of
$50,000 , they could be liable for another $50,000.
This had a sobering effect.
However. some years ago, a midwesternn Senator or congressman
lost $40.000. in a bank failure. He was able to pass
legislation where the Federal Government guaranteed deposits
up to $10,000. The argument was that this would prevent a
poor person from losing their life's saving. Gradually, the
total crept up to $100,000. and a depositor could have many
separate accounts in different banks. This did not help
the poor, it created poverty.
This enabled some unscrupulous people to offer high interest
rates on government supported deposits and practically steal
the money.
This great tragedy affected the whole world. I could see it
coming. Millions of other people must have been aware. The
members of congress and others in the Government surely
must have seen the debacle coming. If not, why do they
expect a pay raise.
We have been told that, bailing out the S & Ls will cost the
taxpayers over 200 Billion Dollars. But the causes of this
great tragedy, have not been remedied. We the people will
still be guarantying bank deposits. Still a worry.
So many groups talk peace and create conditions that bring on
war. The destruction of the worlds forests and farm lands.
The pollution of the lakes and oceans. This can only lead to
a frightful world hunger ending in chaos and breakdown of
governments.
Many banks and government agencies have made foolish loans to
countries in central and South America. I would say to
Tropical countries that are deeply in debt. Pay much of
he interest in your local currencies. We will invest this
money in your country to save your tropical forests. Instead
of wiping out the forests. Have small clearings. Use the
forests as a permanent source of income. Villagers, instead
of selling hand-made garments could use simple sewing and
weaving machines. We could help.
The developed countries could and should flood certain
countries with condoms. Various religious groups would
scream about it but they are cruel to do so.
Mahatma Gandhi said, India is a nation of villages. If the
villages are destroyed, India is destroyed. But all humans
are designed to be part of a village. We are not just
numbers.
After World War l , a country preacher, William Aberhart,
with a radio station, talked about a book called SOCIAL
CREDIT. by Col. Ingersol of England. This happened in
the Province of Alberta Canada. Other country preachers took
up the call. Aberhart, as head of the Social Credit party
became Premier of Alberta.
He found hundreds of mildly retarded girls in institutions
because the authorities said, "If we let them out they will
get pregnant" "Sterilize them and let them out." said the
premier. After that he was called WILD BILL ABERHART.
None of the members of his party had had previous government
experience. All they had was honesty, courage and horse
sense. But it was the best Government that Alberta had had
for a long time. When sterilization has been tried in
this country in recent years, there is a cry of genocide.
So for twenty years there has been a steady increase in the
percentage of retarded babies.
In spite of the problems, there is still great hope. We
have a fine President. The knowledge and facilities are
avaiable to create a more livable world.
