The scab was once again ripped off the wound of America's history of racial injustice the other night in Minneapolis. In a gut wrenching video, a police officer is clearly shown with his knee on the neck of a supine black man. George Floyd is heard on the bystander's cell phone video pleading to be allowed to breathe. The surreal tableau continues for several minutes as other bystanders ask the police to let up. Floyd was pronounced dead at an area hospital after being transported there.
Nowhere in the police report is Floyd's torture reported. It was noted the suspect was having a "medical incident". After being contradicted by at least two different cellphone videos, all 4 policemen involved in Floyd's arrest were fired by the city. However, the damage had already been done and protests and rioting erupted in the wake of Floyd's death. Protests are happening around the country and other recent incidents of blacks dying at the hands of police are being cited as catalysts for the actions.
Imagine if cell phones were available during the Jim Crow era in the South when more than 4000 black men and women were lynched by white mobs. Okay, forget that thought, as the cell phone owners would have been lynched also. Yes, we have come a long way since Emancipation, but judging by events during the last few weeks, we still have a long way to go before true color blind racial justice is the norm in this country.
Friday, May 29, 2020
Thursday, May 28, 2020
So much winning
As the US posted the 100,000th death from the coronavirus pandemic, the president* has once again moved the goalposts. When a model of the casualty estimate for Covid 19 was published a few weeks ago predicting a maximum toll of 60,000 dead, Cheetolini seized it as a validation of his government's response. As we blew past that total and now seem destined to reach 130,000 or more by August, tRump now says any number of virus related deaths less than a million proves he did a great job managing the disease. Of course, should we reach that horrifying number before November 3rd, he will move the goalposts yet again. Or maybe not. The nitwit-in-chief will have moved on to another shiny object, namely the election campaign before long. Especially if he is able to fill small to middling arenas with red capped MAGATS shrieking his praises as they infect each other. Remember, this is the man who told the nation it would be tired of all the winning under his guidance. If you are a member of the 1%, that is probably true. For the rest of us, not so much.
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
To Veep or not to Veep
Now that Joe Biden is the presumptive nominee for president of the dems, the next bit of suspense will be his pick for vice president. Millions of words have been written or posted regarding the process and who Biden should pick. He has committed to picking a woman, so that eliminates nearly half the population. However, among the 175,000,000 or so of the fair sex in these United States there is a large pool of highly qualified candidates available.
Biden and his team have seemingly whittled down the choices to a half dozen or so, including Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Stacy Abrams, Amy Klobuchar and Gretchen Whitmer. There are a few dark horses also, including Val Demings, but unless Biden goes off the reservation, one of the above ladies will be running on the ticket later this summer. Each one has pluses and minuses as a candidate and office holder.
Harris and Abrams would check off the race box. They are both bright and articulate. However, both are coming off losing campaigns. Harris in particular has question marks regarding her poorly run presidential bid. Many people called it slapdash and unorganized. Abrams probably lost her bid for Georgia governor due to voter suppression by her opponent who was serving as secretary of state at the time. If the tables had been turned and Abrams won in the same manner, she would still be defending herself, probably in court. Still, she does not have much government experience and would be excoriated by republicans as a liberal Sarah Palin.
Klobuchar would certainly complement Biden. She has his penchant for compromise and incremental change. However, with the party swinging to the left, would she be able to excite the Bernie Bros with the mantra of patience and long run change. Don't think so!
Whitmer is attractive as the governor of a battleground state, but as with Abrams she is weak on experience. She is young enough to balance Biden's age problem. Still, I think she is an outside the box pick.
My own personal choice is Elizabeth Warren. She is a hardened campaigner and far enough to the left of Biden to make the case to Sanders' supporters. She has in the trenches government experience at the federal level and she knows how the bureaucracy works. If real reform is on Biden's mind, she is the logical pick. Her age is a big drawback.
Now that I have laid out a logical argument for and against the most likely picks, I'm sure Biden will choose someone I never thought of. Let's hope it's not another Joe in female clothing!
Biden and his team have seemingly whittled down the choices to a half dozen or so, including Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Stacy Abrams, Amy Klobuchar and Gretchen Whitmer. There are a few dark horses also, including Val Demings, but unless Biden goes off the reservation, one of the above ladies will be running on the ticket later this summer. Each one has pluses and minuses as a candidate and office holder.
Harris and Abrams would check off the race box. They are both bright and articulate. However, both are coming off losing campaigns. Harris in particular has question marks regarding her poorly run presidential bid. Many people called it slapdash and unorganized. Abrams probably lost her bid for Georgia governor due to voter suppression by her opponent who was serving as secretary of state at the time. If the tables had been turned and Abrams won in the same manner, she would still be defending herself, probably in court. Still, she does not have much government experience and would be excoriated by republicans as a liberal Sarah Palin.
Klobuchar would certainly complement Biden. She has his penchant for compromise and incremental change. However, with the party swinging to the left, would she be able to excite the Bernie Bros with the mantra of patience and long run change. Don't think so!
Whitmer is attractive as the governor of a battleground state, but as with Abrams she is weak on experience. She is young enough to balance Biden's age problem. Still, I think she is an outside the box pick.
My own personal choice is Elizabeth Warren. She is a hardened campaigner and far enough to the left of Biden to make the case to Sanders' supporters. She has in the trenches government experience at the federal level and she knows how the bureaucracy works. If real reform is on Biden's mind, she is the logical pick. Her age is a big drawback.
Now that I have laid out a logical argument for and against the most likely picks, I'm sure Biden will choose someone I never thought of. Let's hope it's not another Joe in female clothing!
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Hot and Dry
I like my chicken wings hot and dry. The garden not so much. We are presently making the transition from a cool, dry spring to what may possibly be a warm, dry summer. Neither situation was or will be good for a gardener who is perpetually short of water for irrigation.
The dry weather has lowered the water table to the point my garden hose goes from a robust stream to a trickle in minutes. I have enough water to irrigate newly transplanted or seeded beds, but not enough to bring in a crop without some celestial irrigation. A promised shower yesterday turned into enough rain for one swipe of my windshield wipers. Thunderstorms are forecast, but with less than a 50% chance.
The more crops I seed and transplant, the more water is required to keep them growing. I think it's going to be a very trying summer.
The dry weather has lowered the water table to the point my garden hose goes from a robust stream to a trickle in minutes. I have enough water to irrigate newly transplanted or seeded beds, but not enough to bring in a crop without some celestial irrigation. A promised shower yesterday turned into enough rain for one swipe of my windshield wipers. Thunderstorms are forecast, but with less than a 50% chance.
The more crops I seed and transplant, the more water is required to keep them growing. I think it's going to be a very trying summer.
Monday, May 25, 2020
Memorial Day meaning
Once again we are called to salute the men and women who have donned the uniform of our country and pledged to defend our freedoms. Yet as before, I remain conflicted about the various meanings of Memorial Day, especially in the era of pandemics.
We pay lip service to our veterans, but when it comes to their health care, both democratic and republican administrations have failed them. The government's response to the Covid 19 pandemic as regards our veterans, especially the elderly is a case in point. Among the rapidly shrinking cohort of WW2 veterans, many were living in nursing homes and the death toll there has been striking. Even at V.A. facilities, many veterans are virus victims.
Beyond our government's shameful treatment of veterans' health care issues, we have always had an ambivalent feeling for those who served. Especially since we now have a volunteer military, the burden of our defense falls on an increasingly small and isolated band of soldiers and their families. For the first time in generations, my own family counts a couple of our own in the service and I am proud of Aiden and Rick and all they have done. But there will be many cook outs today where the last veteran to have served will have been a great grandparent who served in the second world war as a conscripted hero or an uncle who fought in Viet Nam. We are losing our connection to the pact we made as citizens to defend our country and take care of those who do.
We pay lip service to our veterans, but when it comes to their health care, both democratic and republican administrations have failed them. The government's response to the Covid 19 pandemic as regards our veterans, especially the elderly is a case in point. Among the rapidly shrinking cohort of WW2 veterans, many were living in nursing homes and the death toll there has been striking. Even at V.A. facilities, many veterans are virus victims.
Beyond our government's shameful treatment of veterans' health care issues, we have always had an ambivalent feeling for those who served. Especially since we now have a volunteer military, the burden of our defense falls on an increasingly small and isolated band of soldiers and their families. For the first time in generations, my own family counts a couple of our own in the service and I am proud of Aiden and Rick and all they have done. But there will be many cook outs today where the last veteran to have served will have been a great grandparent who served in the second world war as a conscripted hero or an uncle who fought in Viet Nam. We are losing our connection to the pact we made as citizens to defend our country and take care of those who do.
Friday, May 22, 2020
Manly men and dying for the Dow
It seems for many on the right that mask wearing is for wusses. This vibe is coming directly from our liar in chief, who while he was surreptitiously photographed with a mask on while on a tour of a Ford plant yesterday removed it before appearing before the national press. He has said mask wearing makes him "look weak".
The overwhelming majority of Americans are wearing masks in public as health authorities are advocating, but thanks to Cheetolini, a fair number of manly men and women are refusing masks and endangering the health of their countrymen. It is unconscionable to do this if it impacts the health of your family and strangers in the street.
Meanwhile, tRump and many governors around the country hasten to open the nation for business without sufficient testing, contact tracing and isolation of infected people. As Paul Krugman put it in today's NYT, many republicans in Congress have decided that casualties be damned, the economy must get back up to speed so they can stake their political future on it. However, many if not most of us are uncomfortable at the prospect of "Dying for the Dow" as Krugman put it. Restaurant reservations are a fraction of what they were before the pandemic. Without a bona fide plan for dealing with future outbreaks, I for one will continue to eat at home and avoid situations which put me in contact with people I don't know. Dinner and a movie is more like a fantasy at this point.
If the government wants people to have confidence to patronize public establishments again, it must present a clear plan outlining the testing, tracing and isolation protocols to combat the Covid 19 virus. Absent that, the president* and the maskless idiots out there may find themselves alone in dining rooms and public places around the country this summer.
The overwhelming majority of Americans are wearing masks in public as health authorities are advocating, but thanks to Cheetolini, a fair number of manly men and women are refusing masks and endangering the health of their countrymen. It is unconscionable to do this if it impacts the health of your family and strangers in the street.
Meanwhile, tRump and many governors around the country hasten to open the nation for business without sufficient testing, contact tracing and isolation of infected people. As Paul Krugman put it in today's NYT, many republicans in Congress have decided that casualties be damned, the economy must get back up to speed so they can stake their political future on it. However, many if not most of us are uncomfortable at the prospect of "Dying for the Dow" as Krugman put it. Restaurant reservations are a fraction of what they were before the pandemic. Without a bona fide plan for dealing with future outbreaks, I for one will continue to eat at home and avoid situations which put me in contact with people I don't know. Dinner and a movie is more like a fantasy at this point.
If the government wants people to have confidence to patronize public establishments again, it must present a clear plan outlining the testing, tracing and isolation protocols to combat the Covid 19 virus. Absent that, the president* and the maskless idiots out there may find themselves alone in dining rooms and public places around the country this summer.
Thursday, May 21, 2020
The conspiracy bug
It's not just a right wingnut thing. Lately I've noticed many left wing bloggers who are buying into a tRump will steal the election with the help of republicans and possibly the military. Aside from the planning such a move would take, The Donald is such a typical schoolyard bully, he would flinch and retreat the minute he was called out by the dems and the media. He would then retreat to his lair at Mar-a-lago and whine ceaselessly about how he was done wrong. Some pundits have even posited that armed MAGATS would barricade the White House to deny access to Biden after the inaugural address. That's another laughable scenario.
The starting point for all this handwringing is tRump's threat to deny federal aid to any state which distributes vote by mail ballots. Michigan and Nevada came in for Cheetolini's wrath in this regard. However, as usual, he shot first and then asked the question. At least in Michigan's case, the secretary of state merely sent out applications for a mail in ballot. There are already more than a few states which allow mail in ballots for anyone who wishes. NY is one of many who make it extremely hard to mail in your vote. I hope that policy changes.
Meanwhile, we will be treated to alternating hysteria from the right and left about how the election will be stolen. Everyone, please give it a rest.
The starting point for all this handwringing is tRump's threat to deny federal aid to any state which distributes vote by mail ballots. Michigan and Nevada came in for Cheetolini's wrath in this regard. However, as usual, he shot first and then asked the question. At least in Michigan's case, the secretary of state merely sent out applications for a mail in ballot. There are already more than a few states which allow mail in ballots for anyone who wishes. NY is one of many who make it extremely hard to mail in your vote. I hope that policy changes.
Meanwhile, we will be treated to alternating hysteria from the right and left about how the election will be stolen. Everyone, please give it a rest.
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
How the reopening of America will go
As everyone knows, prediction is not an exact science. It's more like a cross between an ouija board seance and data from the latest supercomputer. Especially when it comes to predicting human behavior, people mostly get it wrong. However, for what its worth, here are my predictions for the months ahead as we battle or surrender to the Covid 19 pandemic.
States are opening for business with little or no infrastructure to test, contact trace and isolate infected people. Citizens are being given little or no guidance besides the admonition to wear masks in public and try to maintain 6 feet of distance between individuals in public spaces. In most cases, judging by photos and video, people are increasingly ignoring these rules. In fact, in some states, mask wearing has become part of the culture wars. If you are a republican sympathizer, not wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing is all part of '"owning the libs".
Some states will cook their statistics to show no increase in infections and sunny summer weather will help with viral suppression to the point where people will throw up their hands and basically try to go back to normal. Infections will continue at low levels and some will die, but the majority of politicians will hail this as proof the virus is "like the flu" and can be managed.
We will stagger through the summer months and just before or just after the election, the combination of seasonal flu and a resurgence of Covid 19 will tax our health care infrastructure like never before. As Rick Bright foretold a House sub committee we will plunge into a winter of darkness the likes of which we have never before seen. A second round of business closures and lack of economic activity will bring on a second great Depression and like it or not, Joe Biden will be thrust into the role of a second FDR. Dog only knows if he is ready, willing or able.
There you are. I sincerely hope I'm wrong about this prediction, except for the election of a Democratic president, but based on the leadership of the feckless current occupant of the oval office and his enablers in Congress, I wouldn't bet against it.
States are opening for business with little or no infrastructure to test, contact trace and isolate infected people. Citizens are being given little or no guidance besides the admonition to wear masks in public and try to maintain 6 feet of distance between individuals in public spaces. In most cases, judging by photos and video, people are increasingly ignoring these rules. In fact, in some states, mask wearing has become part of the culture wars. If you are a republican sympathizer, not wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing is all part of '"owning the libs".
Some states will cook their statistics to show no increase in infections and sunny summer weather will help with viral suppression to the point where people will throw up their hands and basically try to go back to normal. Infections will continue at low levels and some will die, but the majority of politicians will hail this as proof the virus is "like the flu" and can be managed.
We will stagger through the summer months and just before or just after the election, the combination of seasonal flu and a resurgence of Covid 19 will tax our health care infrastructure like never before. As Rick Bright foretold a House sub committee we will plunge into a winter of darkness the likes of which we have never before seen. A second round of business closures and lack of economic activity will bring on a second great Depression and like it or not, Joe Biden will be thrust into the role of a second FDR. Dog only knows if he is ready, willing or able.
There you are. I sincerely hope I'm wrong about this prediction, except for the election of a Democratic president, but based on the leadership of the feckless current occupant of the oval office and his enablers in Congress, I wouldn't bet against it.
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Why can't we all etc., etc.
I had originally thought to write this post about the ties that bind us all as Americans and how, despite the wide ideological divide between left and right we all want what is best for our country and its citizens. Then I read the news today... Oh boy!
From the president* bragging he is taking hydroxychloroquine to his son appearing on Faux News to blame the current pandemic on a liberal plot to deny tRump his mass rallies to the Attorney General calling for government access to everyone's cell phones, today's news is a festival of right wing victimization and attempts to demonize anyone who disagrees with them.
I guess the Covid 19 pandemic, which robbed this administration of its economic talking points is what has caused the most consternation. Despite the president's relentless happy talk regarding treatments, vaccines, etc. and his deflection of his own culpability of the administration's anemic response to the early stages of the disease, the economy is not going to bounce back before the election. The pleasures of eating in a restaurant does not nearly balance the risk of drowning in the remains of your liquified lungs. So instead tRump must find someone, anyone else to blame.
The dismissal of 4 inspectors general of various agencies in the executive branch are further statements of bad faith by the grifter in chief. The inspectors general were set up as watchdogs whose job is to ferret out wrongdoing in the sprawling executive branch. They are supposed to notify congress in the event of corruption by political appointees and to shine a light on policies which have the potential to embarrass an administration. They are the ultimate swamp drainers. Little wonder tRump is firing them.
It is hard to ascribe anything but bad faith to this president, his family and his enablers in the GOP. Despite my best efforts, I cannot believe tRump and his political party care for this country or most of its citizens. November 3rd cannot come soon enough.
From the president* bragging he is taking hydroxychloroquine to his son appearing on Faux News to blame the current pandemic on a liberal plot to deny tRump his mass rallies to the Attorney General calling for government access to everyone's cell phones, today's news is a festival of right wing victimization and attempts to demonize anyone who disagrees with them.
I guess the Covid 19 pandemic, which robbed this administration of its economic talking points is what has caused the most consternation. Despite the president's relentless happy talk regarding treatments, vaccines, etc. and his deflection of his own culpability of the administration's anemic response to the early stages of the disease, the economy is not going to bounce back before the election. The pleasures of eating in a restaurant does not nearly balance the risk of drowning in the remains of your liquified lungs. So instead tRump must find someone, anyone else to blame.
The dismissal of 4 inspectors general of various agencies in the executive branch are further statements of bad faith by the grifter in chief. The inspectors general were set up as watchdogs whose job is to ferret out wrongdoing in the sprawling executive branch. They are supposed to notify congress in the event of corruption by political appointees and to shine a light on policies which have the potential to embarrass an administration. They are the ultimate swamp drainers. Little wonder tRump is firing them.
It is hard to ascribe anything but bad faith to this president, his family and his enablers in the GOP. Despite my best efforts, I cannot believe tRump and his political party care for this country or most of its citizens. November 3rd cannot come soon enough.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Gardening in the North Country
Well, in the space of 48 hours, my north country garden transitioned from near winter to near summer conditions. An inch of rain and temperatures in the upper 60s on Saturday and Sunday provided growing conditions we haven't seen since last Sept. The asparagus beds are popping and the winter over spinach which was sitting still is threatening to go to seed. I seeded carrots and string beans on Sunday and planted geraniums. Of course the weeds didn't take the weekend off, and I had to rescue my parsley from inundation by the new crop of lambsquarters. This week we face more of the same, although rain will probably not make an appearance until after the Memorial Day holiday. I'll even plant some corn this week to keep the local raccoon happy. Ah, summertime, when the living ain't easy if you are a gardener in the north country.
Friday, May 15, 2020
Two Visions
The republican senate's rejection in advance of the democratic house's latest relief bill is a capsule summary of their competing visions for America's future. McConnell and the tRump administration are pretty much on board with Herbert Hoover's views on governmental interference in the economy. Democrats are more in tune with FDR's interventionist view of government in a time of depression.
Of course, with the passage of 90 years since the start of the Great Depression, even republicans see the benefits of some assistance to people in need. Unemployment insurance and Social Security are probably the most popular artifacts of that era and despite constant attempts by conservatives to weaken them, they remain the bedrock of liberal achievements. But the plutocrats who control the GOP have spoken. No more government handouts to struggling working and middle class citizens. Work and/or die is the marching order.
Democrats will pass a 3 trillion dollar bill today with aid to struggling state governments. When red states like Kentucky and Texas start laying off tens of thousands of teachers, police, firemen and first responders, it will be instructive as to how republicans respond. I don't know how this is going to go, but the difference between the two parties' response to the pandemic could not be more stark.
Of course, with the passage of 90 years since the start of the Great Depression, even republicans see the benefits of some assistance to people in need. Unemployment insurance and Social Security are probably the most popular artifacts of that era and despite constant attempts by conservatives to weaken them, they remain the bedrock of liberal achievements. But the plutocrats who control the GOP have spoken. No more government handouts to struggling working and middle class citizens. Work and/or die is the marching order.
Democrats will pass a 3 trillion dollar bill today with aid to struggling state governments. When red states like Kentucky and Texas start laying off tens of thousands of teachers, police, firemen and first responders, it will be instructive as to how republicans respond. I don't know how this is going to go, but the difference between the two parties' response to the pandemic could not be more stark.
Thursday, May 14, 2020
Make a new plan, Stan
Really, the federal government needs to make any kind of plan to contain the Covid 19 virus pandemic as states begin to reopen. Here in the North Country of New York, one of seven regions the state has recognized as representing homogenous groupings of people, we have qualified for "Phase 1 reopening. This designation includes construction, mining, wholesale trade, some retail (such as garden centers) trade with curbside pickup and agriculture, forestry and fishing. Social distancing must still be maintained and if goals are met, Phases 2,3, and 4 will gradually commence to fully reopen the economy.
Needless to say, if any resurgence of the disease is reported, another lockdown will commence. Some will say this plan is awkward and hard to administer, but at least it is a plan. The only plan put forward by the tRump administration is to cheerlead for a rapid opening of all sectors of the economy with no federal testing or contact tracing program. They will send ventilators however, when droves of newly infected workers wind up gasping their last breaths in hospital ICUs.
From the very beginning of the pandemic here in the US, all we have gotten from Cheetolini is an endless stream of happy talk and word salad meant to obscure the fact he not only had no plan to deal with the emergency, but had no interest in developing one. The very fact his name would be on such a document would expose him to blame if it didn't succeed. If there is one thing this emergency has taught us, it's that tRump bears no responsibility for anything bad that happens on his watch, while he claims all the credit for anything good. In other words, each state is on its own to navigate the pandemic, while our purported leader watches anxiously for any plan that works so he can claim his vision caused its success. We are so screwed!
Needless to say, if any resurgence of the disease is reported, another lockdown will commence. Some will say this plan is awkward and hard to administer, but at least it is a plan. The only plan put forward by the tRump administration is to cheerlead for a rapid opening of all sectors of the economy with no federal testing or contact tracing program. They will send ventilators however, when droves of newly infected workers wind up gasping their last breaths in hospital ICUs.
From the very beginning of the pandemic here in the US, all we have gotten from Cheetolini is an endless stream of happy talk and word salad meant to obscure the fact he not only had no plan to deal with the emergency, but had no interest in developing one. The very fact his name would be on such a document would expose him to blame if it didn't succeed. If there is one thing this emergency has taught us, it's that tRump bears no responsibility for anything bad that happens on his watch, while he claims all the credit for anything good. In other words, each state is on its own to navigate the pandemic, while our purported leader watches anxiously for any plan that works so he can claim his vision caused its success. We are so screwed!
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Depression amidst the depression
Opening up the virtual news this morning gave me a bracing dose of depression. A columnist in the NYT described one member of her family's state of depression as we approach 9 weeks of lockdown due to the pandemic. Bordering on suicidal, the person's distraught state inspired a call to the state of Maine's mental health hotline. Aside from some advice like hiding sharp objects and medication from the depressed individual there was little else to be done. The state had no beds available in its suicide prevention half way houses.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's conservative majority made it plain they consider House subpoenas of the executive branch to be harassment of the president, although numerous subpoenas of the previous occupant of the oval office by a republican congress were just routine oversight, I guess.
Republicans won 2 congressional seats in Wisconsin and California and of course the narrative in the MSM was "Dems in Disarray" once again, despite the fact both were traditionally republican districts.
Finally, Dr. Anthony Fauci and other medical experts testified at a virtual Senate hearing and confirmed what most people already knew. The pandemic is not over and if states open without meeting CDC guidelines, they risk a spike in new cases leading to an increase in deaths. We have not even gotten through the first wave of the pandemic and we risk a rising death toll even before the second wave hits this fall. In a chilling interview, Jared Kushner, the noted epidemiologist opined the tRump administration did not think it would support another lockdown of the population no matter how many new cases occur. If you are not depressed now, you probably never will be. Congratulations!
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's conservative majority made it plain they consider House subpoenas of the executive branch to be harassment of the president, although numerous subpoenas of the previous occupant of the oval office by a republican congress were just routine oversight, I guess.
Republicans won 2 congressional seats in Wisconsin and California and of course the narrative in the MSM was "Dems in Disarray" once again, despite the fact both were traditionally republican districts.
Finally, Dr. Anthony Fauci and other medical experts testified at a virtual Senate hearing and confirmed what most people already knew. The pandemic is not over and if states open without meeting CDC guidelines, they risk a spike in new cases leading to an increase in deaths. We have not even gotten through the first wave of the pandemic and we risk a rising death toll even before the second wave hits this fall. In a chilling interview, Jared Kushner, the noted epidemiologist opined the tRump administration did not think it would support another lockdown of the population no matter how many new cases occur. If you are not depressed now, you probably never will be. Congratulations!
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
To mask or not to mask...
Much has been made of the president's* refusal to wear a mask during the pandemic if for no other reason than to set an example for the rest of the country. As we all know, if a coronavirus had been sweeping the country during Obama's presidency and he was seen without a mask during a public appearance, right wing heads would have exploded.
I only indulged in this bit of nostalgia to illustrate a larger point about what it will take to reopen the country safely. Mask wearing has become a culture war flashpoint and tRump's refusal to wear one is encouraging his supporters to likewise rebel against medical advice. Video of a crowded restaurant in Colorado which opened for Mother's Day against state regulations showed almost no masks in evidence and no social distancing.
As states open haphazardly with no plans for widespread testing and contact tracing followed by isolation, mask wearing and social distancing become even more important to help contain the virus. If the leader of the country sets a bad example and encourages many to flout medical advice, we may wind up with a second closure of the economy before the first wave of the pandemic recedes. The very depression tRump desperately hopes to avoid will become inevitable if 40% of the country engages in magical thinking.
I believe the culture of "rugged individualism" endemic in this country encourages people to take any government directive, no matter how innocuous as an infringement on their freedom. Tracking peoples' movements and contact tracing will be a hard sell in this country as opposed to nations where the citizens feel a more collective responsibility for one another. That is the reason it is so important for officials to practice what the medical authorities are preaching. Unfortunately, we are being led by deeply stupid men at a critical time. Better buckle up...oh, wait!
I only indulged in this bit of nostalgia to illustrate a larger point about what it will take to reopen the country safely. Mask wearing has become a culture war flashpoint and tRump's refusal to wear one is encouraging his supporters to likewise rebel against medical advice. Video of a crowded restaurant in Colorado which opened for Mother's Day against state regulations showed almost no masks in evidence and no social distancing.
As states open haphazardly with no plans for widespread testing and contact tracing followed by isolation, mask wearing and social distancing become even more important to help contain the virus. If the leader of the country sets a bad example and encourages many to flout medical advice, we may wind up with a second closure of the economy before the first wave of the pandemic recedes. The very depression tRump desperately hopes to avoid will become inevitable if 40% of the country engages in magical thinking.
I believe the culture of "rugged individualism" endemic in this country encourages people to take any government directive, no matter how innocuous as an infringement on their freedom. Tracking peoples' movements and contact tracing will be a hard sell in this country as opposed to nations where the citizens feel a more collective responsibility for one another. That is the reason it is so important for officials to practice what the medical authorities are preaching. Unfortunately, we are being led by deeply stupid men at a critical time. Better buckle up...oh, wait!
Monday, May 11, 2020
Greed, Stupidity and the pandemic
I think it is somewhat amazing how most of us think the higher up you are on the economic pyramid, the smarter you must be. Fortunately in this time of pandemic, we are being shown this is a particular brand of magical thinking. For one thing, we have a president* who is not only stupid, non empathic and incurious, but who surrounds himself with those who share the same traits, starting with his son-in-law.
What tRump, his cabinet and many of the .01% share is the sheer luck of being born to wealthy parents or grandparents. Betsy De Vos is another example of this slide into kakistocracy. Barely able to string two sentences together, she brings a startling brand of stupidity to the department of Education. If she had been born to average middle class parents, she would probably be lucky to maintain that standard of living. However, being the heir of billionaires, she will never have to test her mental acuity against the rest of us. Being the scion of a brilliant or ruthless success is no guarantee you will be similarly gifted. It will, however proof against ever having to display the aforementioned talents. Assuming careful management, many generations of a billionaire's progeny will live comfortable lives insulated from contact with the other 99.9%.
Another pundit makes the point there were shuttered storefronts in some of NY City's most expensive neighborhoods even before the pandemic. He posited the landlords of these empty spaces decided in true Randian fashion they would rather let the stores stay empty than accept what the market was willing to pay. Is this fealty to ideology or just stupidity enabled by wealth and power.
The US response to the pandemic is possibly the worst in the world. We the people elected the most inept administration in history and we now have a perfect storm of incompetence as the nation suffers. Remember this the next time someone who was born with a silver spoon in their mouth lectures you on how we should deal with the current crisis.
What tRump, his cabinet and many of the .01% share is the sheer luck of being born to wealthy parents or grandparents. Betsy De Vos is another example of this slide into kakistocracy. Barely able to string two sentences together, she brings a startling brand of stupidity to the department of Education. If she had been born to average middle class parents, she would probably be lucky to maintain that standard of living. However, being the heir of billionaires, she will never have to test her mental acuity against the rest of us. Being the scion of a brilliant or ruthless success is no guarantee you will be similarly gifted. It will, however proof against ever having to display the aforementioned talents. Assuming careful management, many generations of a billionaire's progeny will live comfortable lives insulated from contact with the other 99.9%.
Another pundit makes the point there were shuttered storefronts in some of NY City's most expensive neighborhoods even before the pandemic. He posited the landlords of these empty spaces decided in true Randian fashion they would rather let the stores stay empty than accept what the market was willing to pay. Is this fealty to ideology or just stupidity enabled by wealth and power.
The US response to the pandemic is possibly the worst in the world. We the people elected the most inept administration in history and we now have a perfect storm of incompetence as the nation suffers. Remember this the next time someone who was born with a silver spoon in their mouth lectures you on how we should deal with the current crisis.
Friday, May 8, 2020
The coming of idiocracy
If things return to normal by Thanksgiving and extended families celebrate the holidays together, your crazy, conspiracy driven uncle may be touting what is today's best seller on Amazon. " Plague of Corruption" is a stew of conspiracy theories which would make a 9/11 truther blush. Written by a disgruntled doctor who was the author of a retracted study tying a retrovirus to chronic fatigue syndrome and an antivaxxer who has subjected his autistic daughter to a series of discredited treatments, the main theory of the book is Covid 19 was cooked up by a cabal of researchers in the US and China and the entire pandemic is a hoax designed to make billions from a vaccine for the disease. Anthony Fauci is mentioned as one of the movers in this scheme.
By now, most people would be rolling on the floor with uncontrolled laughter. However, a significant minority of our fellow citizens will be liking this garbage on facebook, and the hoaxer in chief will probably read a bullet point one page condensation of the book and let it color his "thinking" on the course of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, as the country hastily moves to reopen the economy, the case numbers and deaths attributed to the coronavirus will skyrocket. I had occasion to patronize two local businesses yesterday. I needed salt for a water softener and I had to get my pickup inspected. I saw no masks in evidence at either business aside from the one I was wearing. Social distancing was not being practiced. If this is an example of all businesses in the North Country, there will be a full ICU at our local hospital before long.
By now, most people would be rolling on the floor with uncontrolled laughter. However, a significant minority of our fellow citizens will be liking this garbage on facebook, and the hoaxer in chief will probably read a bullet point one page condensation of the book and let it color his "thinking" on the course of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, as the country hastily moves to reopen the economy, the case numbers and deaths attributed to the coronavirus will skyrocket. I had occasion to patronize two local businesses yesterday. I needed salt for a water softener and I had to get my pickup inspected. I saw no masks in evidence at either business aside from the one I was wearing. Social distancing was not being practiced. If this is an example of all businesses in the North Country, there will be a full ICU at our local hospital before long.
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Red Queen or Mad King
For those of us who get our news through the mainstream media or liberal leaning websites, it seems we are being herded like lemmings toward the Covid 19 cliff. There is no national testing and contact tracing regime, many states are still seeing increases in infection and even those that might fulfill the government's criteria for reopening in several weeks are being frogmarched to open again by pressure from that government in the person of the Mad King himself. We are all now "happy warriors", enlisted to die for a good economy.
I am tired of huddling in the house, especially on days like this when the sun is shining and the spinach and asparagus are starting to grow. I miss hugging my grandchildren and sharing meals with them and their parents. We are fortunate here in the North Country to have avoided the horrors experienced downstate and on Long Island. However, the beast is still out there and we need to be smart to defeat him. Instead, we are treated to the spectacle of our president* exhorting workers and consumers to come back to the factories and stores and restart the economy so he can brag about it all summer and fall. Meanwhile, in meat packing plants, nursing homes and prisons, all places where people are jammed together for hours at a time, coronavirus infection rates range from 40 to 99% of the population.
It seems like an Alice in Wonderland situation. We have attended the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and now we are on our way to the Red Queen's court. Will we lose our heads, or will we decide it is only a deck of cards after all. But wait, I see a rabbit...
I am tired of huddling in the house, especially on days like this when the sun is shining and the spinach and asparagus are starting to grow. I miss hugging my grandchildren and sharing meals with them and their parents. We are fortunate here in the North Country to have avoided the horrors experienced downstate and on Long Island. However, the beast is still out there and we need to be smart to defeat him. Instead, we are treated to the spectacle of our president* exhorting workers and consumers to come back to the factories and stores and restart the economy so he can brag about it all summer and fall. Meanwhile, in meat packing plants, nursing homes and prisons, all places where people are jammed together for hours at a time, coronavirus infection rates range from 40 to 99% of the population.
It seems like an Alice in Wonderland situation. We have attended the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and now we are on our way to the Red Queen's court. Will we lose our heads, or will we decide it is only a deck of cards after all. But wait, I see a rabbit...
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Cannon Fodder
As with poorly trained and equipped troops shoved into combat by their officers and chewed up by cannons and machine guns, so to are the masses of our fellow citizens becoming a sacrificial offering. In many states, most or all retail and service industries are reopening with no plans to safeguard the customers. Public health experts have warned without test and contact tracing plans along with isolation of Covid 19 positive cases we can expect the coronavirus to rampage across the country in coming weeks.
The ironic part of this story is a majority of people agree with the experts this is a terrible plan. No one wants to get on a plane that is guaranteed to crash. Without a robust plan to stifle transmission of the virus, we are all being forced onto that plane. Meanwhile, conservative state supreme court justices are meeting via Zoom to tell us to suck it up and take one for the team. The team in this case is mostly rich white people who won't be mingling with the rest of us any time soon.
I have not been a frequent viewer of the Rachel Maddow show lately. She has increasingly had a very dark view of American politics without her trademark snarky humor. I watched last night and apparently, she has no more f**ks to give. Her stupified amazment at the sight of the president* touring a mask making factory in Phoenix without a mask was must see TV.
A noted expert on pandemics has said there will be no normal society to return to until there is an effective vaccine for Covid 19. This may take anywhere from a year to "who knows when". Meanwhile, the old, the sick and the immuno compromised among us will be culled as we develop defacto herd immunity. Welcome to tRump world.
The ironic part of this story is a majority of people agree with the experts this is a terrible plan. No one wants to get on a plane that is guaranteed to crash. Without a robust plan to stifle transmission of the virus, we are all being forced onto that plane. Meanwhile, conservative state supreme court justices are meeting via Zoom to tell us to suck it up and take one for the team. The team in this case is mostly rich white people who won't be mingling with the rest of us any time soon.
I have not been a frequent viewer of the Rachel Maddow show lately. She has increasingly had a very dark view of American politics without her trademark snarky humor. I watched last night and apparently, she has no more f**ks to give. Her stupified amazment at the sight of the president* touring a mask making factory in Phoenix without a mask was must see TV.
A noted expert on pandemics has said there will be no normal society to return to until there is an effective vaccine for Covid 19. This may take anywhere from a year to "who knows when". Meanwhile, the old, the sick and the immuno compromised among us will be culled as we develop defacto herd immunity. Welcome to tRump world.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Careening forward
Now that our fearful leader has decided 135,000 deaths by sometime in August is a cheap price to pay for his re-election, I can only imagine what the toll will be by this time next year. It is liable to make our present body count look like a day at the beach.
By surrounding himself with charlatans and sycophants, tRump has accelerated the GOP's hostility to expertise at a time when the nation needs it most. Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birks have been sidelined and their prescription for more social distancing is seen by many republicans as getting in the way of their maintaining power. The consequences will become apparent in coming months. As many pundits have said, taking care of the health challenges associated with the pandemic will actually spur the economy in the long run. However, the long run probably means republicans will lose control of the Senate as well as the White House this November. Hence the emphasis on economic recovery instead of disease mitigation.
If this strategy is to succeed, the body count will have to be muted. I remember the daily death counts during the Vietnam war and what it did to LBJ's presidency. Expect the numbers to be discounted as we head into summer. Already, some pols are saying many of the casualties are in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The implication is the deaths of 70 year olds are not as important as younger, more healthy people. Of course many of these older Americans are the base republicans need to get elected. If the Faux News crowd dies off, it's hard to imagine where future GOP voters will come from.
By surrounding himself with charlatans and sycophants, tRump has accelerated the GOP's hostility to expertise at a time when the nation needs it most. Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birks have been sidelined and their prescription for more social distancing is seen by many republicans as getting in the way of their maintaining power. The consequences will become apparent in coming months. As many pundits have said, taking care of the health challenges associated with the pandemic will actually spur the economy in the long run. However, the long run probably means republicans will lose control of the Senate as well as the White House this November. Hence the emphasis on economic recovery instead of disease mitigation.
If this strategy is to succeed, the body count will have to be muted. I remember the daily death counts during the Vietnam war and what it did to LBJ's presidency. Expect the numbers to be discounted as we head into summer. Already, some pols are saying many of the casualties are in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The implication is the deaths of 70 year olds are not as important as younger, more healthy people. Of course many of these older Americans are the base republicans need to get elected. If the Faux News crowd dies off, it's hard to imagine where future GOP voters will come from.
Monday, May 4, 2020
It's too darn dry
I spent the weekend at Casa Monzeglio #1 getting tomato, eggplant and pepper transplants into the cold frames where they can acclimate themselves before i set them out in the main garden. Pruning fruit trees and cleaning old weeds from the garden beds with a huge assist from daughter Merry and son in law Nick was also on the agenda. I didn't get to mow any grass, although with the cool and extremely dry weather we are experiencing it won't be noticeable for another week or two.
Getting a bed ready for spinach planting yesterday, I noticed the soil is still moist, but I was able to till soils which ordinarily are not workable until mid June. If we don't get any rain this week, I will be spending next weekend watering everything I have planted so far. Many large commercial growers were able to get their corn crops in early this year, but I'm thinking they are also looking to the sky for a little rain.
Getting a bed ready for spinach planting yesterday, I noticed the soil is still moist, but I was able to till soils which ordinarily are not workable until mid June. If we don't get any rain this week, I will be spending next weekend watering everything I have planted so far. Many large commercial growers were able to get their corn crops in early this year, but I'm thinking they are also looking to the sky for a little rain.
Friday, May 1, 2020
Stock market happy days
I have been puzzled by the performance of the stock market in the face of the recent devastating economic news related to the Covid 19 pandemic. The economy contracted 4.8% in the first quarter. 30 million people have lost their jobs and yet the market has now regained most of the losses it suffered in March and April.
My thinking has been for years that there is so much money sloshing around in the world economy chasing profits it has no alternative than investment in the stock market. Much of the money is controlled by the .01% and they have little interest in the microscopic returns on treasury bills these days. Paul Krugman in the NYT this morning makes the same point. As he has pointed out many times before, the interests of Main Street and Wall Street have diverged to the point there is little if any shared vision of the economy. Most of us depend on economic activity to live and raise our families. Bezos, Gates, Buffet, et. al. play an advance version of Monopoly with the goal of amassing the greatest fortune possible. For that purpose, the market is the only game in town.
In the same issue of the Times, another columnist proposes a universal basic income for everyone making less than 100,000. As recently as last year, most people would have laughed at the possibility of such a policy. Now, fully 2/3 of the democratic caucus in the House are advocating some sort of recurring cash payment to Americans, at least for the duration of the pandemic. A thousand a month may not sound like much to the Masters Of the Universe, but for many right now it makes the difference between going hungry or not. Income redistribution in the name of a fairer society may be pie in the sky, but if we are putting the order in, I for one am definitely in favor of a UBI.
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