What is the state of this great union?

More than a century ago, our family's ancestors escaped from South Russia (Ukraine). The bloody Bolsheviks starved and slaughtered millions of Russians and destroyed thriving farming communities in what was known as bread-basket of the world.

For my wife Carol and myself, revolutionary Uganda, where I was contracted to develop an international school, life was not nearly so horrifying. Thirty years with schools in North Coast Forests, the mountains of India, the desert of Saudi Arabia were delightful by comparison. We value our overseas adventures. Nevertheless, without exception, it was always great to be home again in California — a great state in a great nation!

Sure, there are problems here. (Makes life interesting.) There's too much junk food, and far too many gadgets, garbage dumps, and guns. However, we in this Western potluck of people are far better off than just about everybody else on this bewildering planet.

Of late, Americans have been stumbling between democracy, dictatorship and plutocracy. Note this sinister directive to agents from the KGB, Political Intelligence Department: “Recruit, politically ambitious westerners who are susceptible to flattery, egotism, and greed.” You may be aware of one extremely charismatic and highplaced American who has taken this to heart. He has become the underboss to Russia's PoisonerPutin.

Ukraine is being horribly ravished, Europe is alarmed and the democratic way of life is threatened by the Russian agenda. MAGA becomes meaningless and if things continue to go the Russian way in America, come November 2024 the new mandate may be: MRGA!

— John Wiebe, Arcata