WELCOME
You found your way to Civil Candor. That means you are probably right of center and more than a little fed up. So am I.
I’m glad you decided to visit. Please take a moment to look around. If you’re not sure where to start, this post on the freedoms Americans are losing to the political left might interest you.
What is this blog about?
Civil Candor is a political opinion website. Posts discuss immigration, education, foreign affairs, health care, whether the people still have a voice in government, and why our leaders act the way they do.
Who is the author?
Who writes Civil Candor? I am a middle class American who refuses to swallow the lie that wealth, private enterprise, and free market capitalism doom our future. I don’t believe that our country will prosper by giving away what people work for, that spending tax dollars is intended to bolster political careers, or that our position in the world will be damaged by defending our people.
I make my home in Illinois, which is an absolutely dreadful state to live in. The Land of Lincoln has the sole virtue of reminding us what happens when Democrats have their hands on the machinery of government for too long. A brand new 2017 income tax increase, fines, fees, strikes, debt, corruption, and nonstop shootings in our largest city are stark reminders of what liberal public policy buys with our tax dollars.
Can you believe what you read in my posts?
There is no fake news here. It’s all real.
How can you be sure?
I don’t claim to be an expert in the topics I write about. Instead, my Civil Candor posts rely on information provided by members of our government and the federal agencies taxpayers support. There is a list of source material at the end of every post so you can verify for yourself what stands behind these opinion pieces.
Yes, I work.
By day I manage operations for a machine tool company where I try to add value to a manufacturing industry struggling against foreign competition and government regulation.
At night I put my political science degree, cynical view of politics, and business experience to use writing this blog.
What do I believe in? I believe we have the right to our beliefs without fear of sanction from those who disagree. Our tax dollars should be used sparingly and to our benefit. I believe there is something enduringly unique about American citizenship and that it holds responsibilities many clamoring at our door neither understand nor care about. Finally, I believe that public officials should quake in fear at the feet of the people. They serve at our pleasure. We are not meant to serve theirs.
If you want to contact me, I can be reached at feedback@civilcandor.com or use our contact form.
Thanks for visiting. I look forward to your thoughts and comments.
Bob Prokop
Hi, Bob:
I enjoy your work.
I publish Uncommon Sense on Substack. Despite my leanings, my pieces are not overtly political. I have written a piece titled “My Hypocritic Oath” that will release tomorrow. It links to your blog, specifically the “20 Examples of Government Hypocrisy to Make You Angry,” as an example of how hypocrisy results in anger. (I have been an infrequent visitor of that site.) My piece defends such blogging as appropriate to make the points, as opposed to having so-called journalists calling it out. But in contrast, the larger point of my piece is to encourage humor as an effective tool.
This note is to make you aware. I suspect you will find my piece satisfying. You will probably get some traffic.
Thank you for your work!
Hello Joel,
Thank you for your kind words and support.
Yes, I found your piece quite satisfying. Your statement that “public figures don’t care what the population thinks” may be more relevant now than ever as the perception grows among conservatives that we are no longer a part of the democratic process.
I try to be satirical and inject some humor into what I write, but no doubt the anger shows through. It can certainly be the motivation for change, though
I willingly admit that My Hypocritic Oath has a more constructive approach.
Appreciate your reaching out. Will make a note to check in and see what’s to come on Uncommon Sense.
Bob
Hello Bob, I found you by doing a search for Biden/Harris f ups. Your site was on top and I have not stopped reading what people like me are feeling and angry about.
I live in Southern California and like you in Chicago, this once beautiful coastal state has turned to literal “shit town”. I am fortunate to live in a middle/upper class suburb thank goodness but we still have Gascon, Garcetti and Newsom running us into the ground. I truly hope they are all voted out in November. Otherwise I don’t know what we are supposed do to survive. I was born and raised here and the only good thing left is the weather.
Thank you for this outlet. We need to know we aren’t the crazy ones.
Hello, Julie. No, we aren’t the crazy ones. I live in a state run by the likes of JB Pritzker and Lori Lightfoot. Kim Foxx, the state’s attorney for our largest county, is cut from the Gascon mold. Illinois’ debt and Chicago’s astounding crime rate are what we get in return. I have no hope Illinois voters will wise up – history says that won’t happen – but if we can fix the insanity in Washington that will certainly help stop empowering these hacks.
Thanks for reading and for your comments. Best of luck in California!
Hi Bob,
I’m an old gal who lives in Seattle. I was never particularly interested in politics and I have voted both sides of the party line. After watching Donald Trump’s first campaign speech, I was instantly aware that the news broadcast that followed was an attempt to discredit him and paint him as a racist. Having a little knowledge of advertising, I understand how manipulation and using language to influence people works. No one had to tell me what was going on. The media continued their hate campaign throughout his presidency.
I am writing to you because I am so sick to the heart. I am in a constant state of disbelief. Most of the people I know don’t believe what I am saying and the rest of them just don’t want to know. It’s too uncomfortable for them to even consider. It interferes with their “happy vibe.”
While watching Seattle being destroyed in the riots, and BLM/ANIFA ousting the police department along with taking over several city blocks, the mayor was calling to defund the police. That is when I realized that this was bigger than “politics as usual.”
I wonder why people can’t see how mentally unsound Biden is, or how fast his administration is crippling our country.
I hope I live long enough to see people come to their senses.
Val
Hello Val,
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. It is truly appalling that the left continues to press their agenda despite incontrovertible proof that it will destroy our nation. From the top down it’s all about the narrative. The consequences are irrelevant.
Like Seattle, Chicago burned and businesses were looted during the George Floyd race riots. Despite the surging murder rate, car jackings, and businesses attacked by smash and grab thieves our governor signed a no cash bail law that swaps social services and complaints against the police for legitimate law enforcement. Every week we read about children shot dead. Public officials say we have to put a stop to it. The violence continues.
My mother turned 95 last week and only wants to live long enough to see Biden out of office and replaced with a real leader. My father, a World War II vet, passed away several years ago. I’m glad he doesn’t have to experience what’s happening now, because it would have ruined the end of his life.
Hang tough, Val. November’s coming. Time to put America back together.
Bob
Your definition of American is quite different from many other American’s definition.
One thing I think you have not thought out is that without immigrants we will have a serious dwindling of our tax base in years to come.
Of course nobody likes change at first, but it is change that keeps us growing and alive .
Iyou admit to being cynical and it is similar to being clinically depressed. You espouse the same errors in thinking :
All or nothing
Mind reading
Catastrophic thinking
For just a few thinking errors.
I wish you would wise up and begin to enjoy life.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. I admit it makes me depressed to hear the argument that our economy depends on the taxes generated from illegal immigration. It’s hard to imagine anyone not being cynical while they watch what the Biden administration has created at our southern border.
Will admitting millions of low wage workers with minimal skills and education have a positive impact on our federal tax base? I doubt it. The social spending Democrats propose has a tremendous cost. Illegal immigration may benefit states and municipalities through sales taxes, fees, and the like but the revenue generated has to offset the cost of social services, education, and other taxpayer-supported benefits. Illegal labor also erodes wages and opportunities for American citizens and legal residents.
I won’t bother bringing up the ethics of suspending the rule of law for solely partisan political reasons. Like most Americans I welcome any immigrant who comes here legally, but a mass grant of amnesty sends the wrong message to both Americans and foreign nationals.
Democrats do not “blindly” hate Trump as you seem to claim. Trump spouts racist rhetoric constantly, acts like an authoritarian by trying to jail his political enemies, has used the office of the presidency to enrich himself and his family and has failed on most of his campaign promises. All Trump has accomplished is protecting wealthy white interests. He hasn’t repealed and replaced Obama care and has skyrocketed out deficit. He hasn’t earned a second term and has ruined the Republican party.
I appreciate the Democratic Party talking points, Anonymous, though I’m stuck on who the political enemies are that Trump is trying to jail. Isn’t that what Democrats did to as many Trump associates as they could get their hands on?
The executive branch doesn’t have the authority or the power to repeal and replace Obamacare. I’ll admit this is a massive Republican failure, though it’s seems a bit hypocritical that the Dems who drew up the legislation are trying to replace it with Medicare for All while they attack Trump for trying to repeal the ACA.
Skyrocketed the deficit? Let’s be serious. Trump isn’t the one who passed the COVID relief bills. Congress did. Pelosi is still holding up the next outlay because Republicans won’t agree to tack on as much additional deficit as she wants in a bill that includes spending item after spending item that has nothing to do with pandemic relief and everything to do with funding party priorities to score points before the 2020 election.
I live in NJ where a Democratic Governor was elected who wants to make NJ a sanctuary state. Scares me to the core. I couldn’t agree with u more. Thanks for your insights.
The same thing happened to us here in Illinois, Terry. Our Republican governor signed the “Illinois Trust Act.” Later, on the campaign trail he claimed that Illinois should not be a sanctuary state. It doesn’t matter any more because like you, we are going to get a Democratic governor on Tuesday. We already give driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants and soon to be Governor Pritzker wants a state health care plan, so you can guess where that’s going.
Thanks for your remarks. Tuesday night is going to be interesting.
I used to live in NJ and huge groups of people just hang out and party, smoking/drinking/drugs near the Delaware River on weekends and the police don’t do anything about it. Not sure why. It’s unbelievable the residents have to tolerate this. They have complained and nothing gets done.
Thanks for your voice of reason Bob. Lets Support Pres.-Elect Donald Trump in his efforts to right the ship of state that is the United States of America. The “Fearful Ones” will continue to lie about, bully and intimidate Trump supporters in an attempt to make sense of why Hillary lost. The answers are clear if they want to “peel the scales from their eyes”. However it is dubious they have the introspection necessary to do this as the re-election of Nancy Pelosi as House Minority Leader proves.
Doc Watt
They either lack introspection or are sacrificing a has been until they have more weight to throw around in Congress.
It is absolutely appalling that so many are willing to lap up the propaganda disseminated by the Democratic Party. Trump may be able to right the ship of state, but I doubt he will ever convince the deluded liberal hordes just how far off base their beliefs are. No matter. We won, right?
Thanks for visiting, Doc.