FWIW is short for “for what it’s worth.” This blog’s title phrase has two meanings. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the phrase is used when you are giving someone information and you are not certain if it is useful or not. This blog is a personal blog in which I share my thoughts on politics and contemporary society for what they’re worth.
“For What It’s Worth” is also the title of the rock-n-roll classic by Buffalo Springfield. Authored by Stephen Stills, the song describes the cultural and political turbulence of the 1960s as seen by a troubled and thoughtful onlooker. The song’s message transcends the 1960s and speaks to the cultural and political turbulence of Donald Trump’s presidency some five decades later. [See this YouTube video which was uploaded in September 2020.]
There’s something happenin’ here,
What it is ain’t exactly clear.
There’s a man with a gun over there,
Tellin’ me I’ve got to beware.
It’s time we stop, children,
What’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s goin’ down.
By Stephen Stills
The remaining three stanzas describe the youthful optimism amidst public protests, the growing fear in reaction to the menace of police brutality, and the loss of youthful innocence. The song also describes well my grave concerns about the state of American politics in 2020.
The darkness that pervades the Trump presidency in many ways stems from the unresolved contradictions in American culture and politics. This blog seeks to bring healing and renewal to American politics through the affirmation of America’s foundational political principles and through civil discourse. I seek to engage Americans across the political spectrum who care about promoting participatory democracy, the dignity of every human being, and peacemaking at home and globally.
About Me
I am a Hawaii resident who studied political science at UC Berkeley and the University of Hawaii, worked at the Hawaii Legislature, and campaigned for various local politicians off and on. In 1992, with some friends I campaigned for Bill Clinton in the New Hampshire presidential primary.