“Always forgive your enemies, but remember their names.”

— John F. Kennedy

As we experience this year’s holiday season it is important to remember family and friends and what they have done — supporting us, helping us, guiding us, and in some cases perhaps even betraying us in this “Best of all possible worlds” as Dr. Pangloss so wisely counseled. — as we enter our new “Democracy.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean we have to continue to associate with them. Intelligence and wisdom are not always equally allocated by the ‘Higher Power’ as I learned during a nearly 5 year sojourn in a New York State prison for having exposed corruption, exercising my freedoms of press and speech. I learned the hard way, for instance, that in the Hamptons — a typically right wing financial succubus — that Truth is not appreciated, nor rewarded. I’m a slow learner but I eventually do get the picture. Idi Amin said it best when he said, “We do have freedom of speech, but we don’t guarantee freedom after speech.” Well, folks, I’ve got news for you — his wisdom is about to come to a left wing Starbuck’s near you.

For example, lower Manhattan politicians are useless and self-absorbed, and the City Council as well as the Community Board are more interested in getting re-elected than they are protecting pedestrians or supporting journalists. Making it illegal to call someone Fat is now a law but don’t try to make it safely across Canal Street. Bike lanes don’t making walking safer. Writing about the true nature of press freedom in Manhattan has no better support than the weak knees of major newspapers — either in New York or Washington. Social media has become compromised and is now guided by elite billionaires.

Have you noticed how all of your heroes are suddenly visiting that former Post residence in Florida? I mean, who goes to Florida willingly? Okay, that’s not fair, lots of nice people love Florida. But, to make the trip just to apologize to some guy? For telling the truth? Or making an opinion known? Well, I’ve done that. And, let me tell you, it doesn’t pay if you’re looking for any support. This is no time for resistance, opposition, contrariness, or even having an opinion that differs from what our new overseers and leaders tell us to say, do, support, or even think. It is time to be compliant, agreeable, and even helpful. Allow those around you to be arrested, tortured, beaten, abused and destroyed as I was — A Civil Death — without objecting or being difficult. Allow all of your assets to be taken or destroyed, spend huge amounts on legal fees that only delay the inevitable — so that when you’re done you have nothing, are unemployable, have no medical insurance with deteriorated health as you age, and are shunned by your “friends” — which brings us right back to the point.

After the opposition comprehends their utter stupidity, or is merely a glimmer in their deeply ignorant minds, they may want your advice. Don’t bother.

Just remember their names.