The Post-Partisan Emporium

  Trump, Shapiro and the War on Social Security The death of "Entitlements" DONALD JEFFRIES Ben Shapiro, the smarmy young elitist who co-founded conservative platform The Daily Wire, took a break from fondling the Wailing Wall the other day. Next to enthusiastically shilling for Israel, his key issue seems to be eliminating Social Security. You know, the primary income most retired people rely on. Shapiro came out with both guns blazing, firing away at….American senior citizens. He called retirement itself a “stupid idea” and said it was “insane” that the retirement age hasn’t been raised. This has long been a Stupid Party staple- just keep raising the retirement age. That way there will be less of the old, useless eaters to pay. Shapiro inaccurately referred to the fact that Americans are living longer, when actually the life expectancy rate in this country has been falling for the past several years. That’s because of our crack Medical Industrial Complex, and our preservati

  Fred Smith the Gandy Dancer The term Gandy Dancer came from North America. It referred to the railroad workers who built and maintained tracks in the 19th and early 20th centuries. FREDERICK R SMITH Gandy Dancers ~ Bing.com image It’s not my job to run the train, The whistle I don’t blow. It’s not my job to say how far The train’s supposed to go. I’m not allowed to pull the brake, Or even ring the bell. But let the damn thing leave the track And see who catches hell A poem of unknown origin ~ best describes Fred Smith’s relationship to the track his entire career Foreword Paradoxically, the journey back to understanding the past opens a new door to discovery. That is true even for individuals such as myself who have journeyed through life in a profession rich in history. With that in mind, the goal is to bring you something unique and enjoyable, a respite from today’s overarching and revolting realities. I hope you enjoy another trip back in time as we travel “Along the Iron Road.” B