Absolutely @Kinsman Redeemer ............ at the core, the problem of this election is the deep moral issues in America today. I believe the worst of it began in the 1960's when ethics were discarded and "If it feels good, do it" became the mantra of boomers and they raised their children in a valueless vacuum.
We used to have one party who stood up (at least to a degree) against the cultural morass, and we used to have a Church that did as well. Now we have Republicans, and sometimes "Christians" supporting an amoral, corrupt narcissist.
And those of us who maintain that morality and character matter are given NO choice in this election.
May I recommend to you the novel "Once an Eagle" by Anton Myrer. It has been used in the curriculum at the Army War College for many years. I first read it as a young Lieutenant in the late 70s. It's the story of two Army officers: Sam Damon, who earned a battlefield commission in WWI, and Courtney Massengale, born of wealth and position who went to West Point. Courtney used his political skills to stay one rank ahead of Sam.
I aspired to be an officer of Sam's stature and character, but I never quite got there. I found it interesting that so few officers ever read the book. I was a voracious reader during my tour in Germany, before the invention of VCRs and satellite TV. No, I wasn't a hermit, as most evenings I would dine at the local gasthaus, working on my German conversational skills.
Now that I'm (much) older, I sometimes long for the "good old days", whether it was as a platoon leader or battalion staff officer. I came to relish the responsibilities of being in a leadership position. The leader's code is simple and to the point: "Everything my unit does,
or fails to do, is my responsibility." That was the genesis of Harry Truman's "The Buck Stops Here", as he was a Field Artillery officer in WWI.
I'm deeply concerned that even in the military, the code of the leader is fading as much as our morals.
