Memorial Day memories

       After the parade, the wreath laying and the speeches by local dignitaries, most of us went home and celebrated Memorial Day with a barbeque for friends and family.  Many veterans of WW2 and the Korean War were part of these celebrations.   For the most part they were low key participants in the festivities.  They took their service for granted and most were reluctant to share memories of the horrors of war.  

     As the boomer generation grew older, we added the Vietnam war to our remembrances on the day of memory.   Since then, our military has transitioned from a citizen soldier who served via the draft to an all volunteer force which has been mired in a never ending series of wars in the middle east and Afghanistan.

    As a people, we have developed scar tissue on the national psyche.   We now continuously memorialize the survivors of endless war in a way which minimizes these latest veterans' contributions and the failures of our foreign policy to bring about a more peaceful world.   I don't have an easy solution to either of these conundrums, but I think it is worthwhile to give some thought to them on Memorial Day.

Vaccination machinations

       As we get closer and closer to the goal of "herd immunity" from Covid 19, there seems to be a certain reluctance in part of the population to get the vaccine.   Whether it's part of the MAGA crowd, people with experience of structural racism, ignorance or just skepticism of the efficacy of the various vaccines, it looks like up to 30% of the population will either delay being vaccinated or refuse the shots.

     Lotteries, free food and drinks, cash payments and other incentives are being tried to lure people to protect themselves.   All this and we still have a surplus of the vaccines in the US.   Meanwhile, in many other parts of the world, there is little or no hope of mass vaccination because of a shortage of the life saving medicines.  Many far eastern countries have vaccinated less than 10% of their population and it looks like some of the variants of Covid are much more transmissible than the original strain.

    As we cater to the Hamlets among us in an effort to jab our way out of the epidemic, we ignore the plight of the rest of the world at our peril.  We need to lead the way in production and distribution on a world wide basis or we may soon develop a fortress America attitude leading to our isolation as an island in the sea of a worldwide epidemic.

tRumped

       Watching the latest installment of the tRump show is for most of us a guilty pleasure.   Despite most of us wanting to put Cheetolini and his administration in the political rear view mirror, many of us want to see him pay a price for his wanton lawlessness.   The news the Manhattan D.A's office is seating a Grand Jury to hear evidence of crimes perpetrated by the Trump Organization and possibly by some of its executives is exciting in that there is no possibility tRump or his minions can affect the proceedings.

     Personally, I would like the 45th President to be held responsible for the decay of democracy which happened on his watch.    Other investigations into this issue are ongoing, chiefly in Georgia where tRump sought to convince the Secretary of State to "find" enough votes for him to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.  Although unlikely, there is also the possibility of Federal investigation of the obstruction of justice evidence uncovered by the Mueller report which was covered up and obscured by former AG Bill Barr.  All of these investigations are problematic in that they are inherently political and powerful forces are arrayed against them.

    Al Capone, the notorious prohibition era gangster was not prosecuted for ordering the murder of rivals and subversion of elected officials.   He was finally brought to justice for income tax evasion.  The same sort of reckoning is probably tRump's fate also.  Perhaps a less than satisfactory reckoning for all the damage the man has done to our democracy, but probably the best we can expect.  The spectacle of a trial held in 2022 is something to look forward to.

We've been down this road before

      Infrastructure Week has come and seemingly gone once again.   Republicans are standing by their offer of less than half of what the Biden administration proposed to spend on hard infrastructure such as roads and bridges and human infrastructure like day care.  The negotiators for the GOP seem intent on running out the clock and killing the entire bill rather than make good faith attempts to reach a compromise.  

     Meanwhile, it seems Biden is participating in this kabuki dance in order to convince reluctant Democrats he tried to work with Republicans in the spirit of bi-partisanship, but it was not to be and therefore the Dems need to go it alone.   Obama tried desperately to coax Republicans to participate in governance, but Mitch McConnel's merry band never had any intention to cooperate with the Kenyan Muslim usurper.   Biden may have believed he had the magic touch necessary to coax the GOP to help their fellow citizens, but by now the evidence it is overwhelmingly against that possibility.  Biden needs to negotiate with Joe Manchin and other reluctant Democrats to pass the bill through reconciliation.  That is the only way infrastructure will get done.

Supply and Demand

       As the pace of business reopening continues apace across the country, there seems to be a shortage of workers willing to take jobs for what had previously paid the minimum prevailing wage.  Here in the North Country, that wage was in the $10-12 range and aside from farm and orchard work, most retail establishments had little trouble filling them.   My oldest daughter worked several jobs in the local mall while studying at the local community college nursing program and found there were many applications for even the lowliest jobs.   Now, those same jobs are begging for applicants.

     There are many news stories being written regarding the worker shortages.  The most popular is federal and local unemployment benefits are too generous and are keeping "lazy" workers on the sidelines.   We are about to find out how true this trope is as many states are now refusing the additional $300/week in supplemental federal benefits.  These same states are preparing to knock any worker off their unemployment benefits if they fail to take virtually any job offered to them.

    The second strain of stories being written about the worker shortage is about businesses who have upped their starting salaries to $15/hour while raising the wages of veteran employees who were already making that much.   Very often, these businesses received many applications and noticed their employees were upping their game as far as customer service is concerned.

    I am sure some of the worker shortage is caused by the "generous" government benefits people have been collecting during the course of the pandemic.  However, due to less immigration and a falling birthrate, there are less people available who are willing to accept jobs which don't pay a living wage.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the months to come.

To mask or not to mask...

        It's becoming more and more confusing.   Some stores in this area are "recommending" masks while shopping.   Others make it optional depending on individuals' vaccination status.  The Divine Mrs. M and I had breakfast at a local diner on Sunday morning and we were the only persons in a fairly crowded room to wear our masks until we were seated.

      I think the CDC was between a rock and a hard place when it issued guidelines for masking in America last week.    Without "vaccine passports" and the necessary bureaucracy to check them at every public venue, it is virtually impossible to tell who has been jabbed.   Leaving everyone to go by the honor system is the only way guaranteed not to ruffle feathers.  It is also an invitation to those who are vaccine hesitant to jettison masks.

     I don't know what the answer is, but until enough of my fellow citizens are vaccinated to reach herd immunity, I will continue to wear a mask in crowded situations among possibly non immunized people.

Cryptic currencies

      Paul Krugman in today's NYT makes a great point about cryptocurrencies and gold.    After saying he really sees no point in  Bitcoin, et al, comparing them to a financial bubble or a long running Ponzi scheme, Krugman says they closely resemble gold's allure to investors.   You can't use either to buy a car, pay your bills or otherwise make normal financial transactions.

      I think there is a fundamental difference between gold and the various cryptocurrencies.   Aside from its former use as the backer of government issued paper money, gold has always had a fascination to humans.   It is shiny.   It doesn't tarnish and it can easily be worked into fine jewelry to adorn both men and women.

     Bitcoin and its fellows are like collectors' items such as baseball cards.   Their fungibility depends on people valuing them in a similar way.   Right now, a Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays rookie card can be worth thousands of dollars to the right buyer.  The same goes for bitcoin.  To sell your baseball card you must find someone who values it in the same way you do.  The same is true for cryptocurrencies, which is why they will never attain the status of government backed money.   That is, unless a government chooses to assign a value to bitcoin and back it like regular money.   Not going to happen, since any government already has its own currency.   Meanwhile, there is no intrinsic value in cryptocurrency as there is with gold.   The bubble may not have fully inflated yet, but as with tulipmania in the 17th century, the reckoning is liable to come hard and fast when it does happen.   

    

The eyes of Texas

      The last time a New York Yankee pitcher threw a no-hitter on the road was July 12, 1951.  I was still an embryonic human being four months from birth.   Last night, Corey Kluber came one walked batter from a perfect game as he pitched the no-no against the Texas Rangers in Arlington.

      The buzz of the possibility started in the 6th inning and I hung out past my normal bedtime to witness history.   Many pitchers in the Hall of Fame never pitched  a no-hitter.  To do so requires nine innings of near perfect pitching and an opposing team's failure to capitalize on the inevitable mistakes made by the pitcher.   There were a few good plays made by Yankee fielders behind Kluber, but for the most part, he baffled the Rangers' batters with a wicked slider and an accurate changeup.

      Sure, there are many problems in the world today probably more pressing than a baseball no-hitter.  However, as a  lifelong Yankee fan, I am indulging myself.  Go Yankees!!!

Wishing and hoping

        Kevin Drum is a spoilsport.   In a post on his blog, Jabberwocking, he mocks the "evidence" of UFO sightings by Air Force and Navy pilots which has finally provoked an  assessment by the intelligence community.   While most of us, I think, would like the "aliens are among us", meme to be true, especially if they are an advanced species with tender concerns for human race,  Drum blows off the possibility.

     Referring the blurry pics most often advanced to prove UFOs exist, he wonders that earth must be the crossroads of the galaxy with the multiplicity of sightings, especially miles above ground in out  of the way corners of the earth.  Now, if only a flying saucer would land in Times Square at noon some day.  Nah, the UFO phenomena would be permanently debunked in that case.   The saucer pilots would just be another NYC event.

Same as it ever was...

       Once more, the beltway media is hyping the "Democrats are doomed" storyline so much beloved by the GOP media whisperers.  The latest salvo from the doomsayers is the renewed violence in the mideast.  As usual, despite the provocation of Hamas and its rocket barrage of Israel, a pretty large percentage of media outlets have focused on the IDF's response and the toll on civilians in Gaza.  

      Biden, so the press would have you believe is damned no matter what he says or does.   An increasing slice of the Democratic officeholders in DC are pushing for the US to pressure Israel to call for a ceasefire with Hamas.  This is perfidy, according to the GOP.   Republicans loyalty to the increasingly anti-democratic forces in the Israeli government threatens to open a fissure in America's policy toward Israel.

     The media continues to hype this potential conflict between the parties despite the fact the present administration has continued to defend Israel's right to respond to the Palestinian's attacks.   No matter, says the media.   It's a crisis and according to most outlets, the administration is failing.   What they don't say is no matter what Biden says or does, they will opine it was the wrong thing.  Mission accomplished.

Whose idea of normal

        We seem  to be living in an increasingly polarized world, both financially and politically.   Economic inequality is at levels not seen since the 1920s.   Our fractured polity has not been so divided since the Civil War.   The solution to these problems demands our full attention.   Instead, we obsess over tRump's many crimes on the left and the injustice of "cancel culture" on the right.

      I wish I had the solutions and could lay them out in a coherent and persuasive manner.  Instead, as Paul Krugman suggested and the recent sightings of UFOs seemingly verified by the Pentagon suggest, we may be in the throes of an alien invasion and opposition to space invaders may be just the thing to unite the human race.   Little green men may be able to do what we manifestly cannot do ourselves, namely focus our attention on a problem which we can all agree on.   I am only being facetious, but the problems remain and perhaps a credible  outside threat may be just what we need.   Any other suggestions?

Closing in

      As the staff at Mar a Lago begin the annual process of shutting the club down for the summer, the question being asked is if and when the most famous occupant of Marjorie Post's iconic mansion will be vacating the premises.

      Ordinarily, Donald J. Trump, aka "the former guy", would be preparing to move up to his golf club in New Jersey.  However, rumors of an imminent indictment of the 45th president by the Manhattan D.A's office have thrown this migration into doubt.  It seems that under Florida law, the governor has the power to "investigate' the circumstances of the indictment and supposedly can delay the extradition of the subject for the duration of the investigation.   One can imagine the confrontation of Florida officials and NYC cops on the steps of tRump's resort.

      Considering the DOJ is probably going to indict tRump for obstruction of justice during the Mueller investigation and the Fulton County D.A. in Georgia may bring charges of election tampering it could be a hot time in Palm Beach this summer!

Cognitive Dissonance

       Cognitive Dissonance is defined as the conflict involved when someone tries to hold two very different views simultaneously.   I think that is a pretty accurate description of the present state of the Republican party.

      Many in today's GOP, especially elected officials know there was no problems with the 2020 elections.   Republicans at all levels of government were elected in more than adequate numbers.  If, indeed, the party was the victim of a rigged election, then whoever rigged it did a very poor job, considering Republicans made significant gains in the House and lost the Senate due to the incompetence of their candidates in Georgia.   These same officials have to somehow reconcile a fairly decent showing in the elections with the wipeout experienced by the top of the ticket.

      The failed former president lost the popular vote by over 8 million.  The Big Lie becomes much harder to swallow when viewed against the good showing the rest of the party made.   Having Liz Cheney rub your face in it doesn't help.

     So, the party is now defenestrating Cheney from her leadership position for telling the truth and will install a more moderate member whose main qualification is the ability to talk while also licking the former guy's shoes.   Heads will explode in the coming months.

Power to the people?

       The new Republican mantra seems to be 'we are now the party of the working class'.   Of course, the pronouncements of Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz and a few other populist wannabes are not the stuff of policy by the party.   

     The recent rejection by several Republican governors of free federal money to continue expanded unemployment benefits to the unemployed in their states gives the lie to any newfound genuine populist policies by the GOP.  No less a mouthpiece than the Chamber of Commerce has condemned aid to the unemployed as hurting business.   Indeed, a majority of business owners, especially in low wage service industries depend on a large pool of desperate unemployed people willing to take starvation wage jobs in order to avoid homelessness.    To the extent some unemployed have rejected minimum wage jobs in favor of living wages is a tribute to Democratic policy.

    The relatively minor jobs gains reported in April are probably a one off.   As many economists have said, recovery from a pandemic which involved tens of millions of lost jobs is not a straight line exercise.  There will be ups and downs.   All schools are still not open full time.  Many day care centers have not reopened yet and the unemployment statistics for women tend to bear this out.

      The economy is trending better, but there is still much suffering in this country.   The need for more stimulus is evident, as is the necessity of more investment in human capital.   I'm pretty sure the party of power to the people is Democratic.

The Ides of May

      Another cool weekend in the north country resulted in slow growth in everything from asparagus to the weeds trying to choke my first bed of carrots.   Even lawn grasses seemed to take a week off as temperatures at night remained in the upper 30s to low 40s.   After a fairly warm and dry start to the gardening season we are now stuck in a cool/cold and moist regime.  The long range weather is calling for warmer weather for the 15th and beyond, but I'll believe it when I feel it.

Butt kissing for fun and profit

       I don't usually make consecutive posts on the same subject, but the nauseating actions of NY 21's representative in the last 24 hours has inspired me to highlight Elise Stefanik who has been likened to a "power hungry automaton"..  Frankly, this is an insult to power hungry automatons everywhere.

      In keeping with her usual M.O., Stefanik refused to face the media, either national or local.  She appeared on podcasts by tRump sycophants Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka.  In both "interviews", she praised the former guy as the greatest protector of the Constitution.  Stefanik, who originally won in my district promising to work across the aisle with Democrats has since thrown bi-partisanship under the bus and has basically endorsed the "own the libs" policy of the tRumpist wing of the GOP.  It seems a fait accompli she will oust Liz Cheney and become the number 3 Republican in the House caucus.  

     Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney and a handful of other Republicans are all that is left of the traditional wing of the party in Congress.  Stefanik and those who think tRump is the future of the party are ascendant.  Lies and hypocrisy is their stock in trade.   Expect more of the same until or unless they  are repudiated on a national basis for several election cycles.  I'm not holding my breath!

Willful ignorance vs. principle

      So, it looks like my local congresscritter, Elise Stefanik, will be moving into House leadership as she steps over the soon to be prostrate political body of Liz Cheney, the present number three the GOP caucus.    Our Harvard educated representative has made a conscious choice to back the failed former president's big lie concerning the 2020 election than Cheney's stand for the truth.

      For an innocent bystander, this presents a Hobson's choice.   Cheney is on the side of the angels in this matter, but her overall record as a torture apologist and hard right conservative makes it hard to discern any virtue in her.   Stefanik is a facile liar and an opportunist of the first order who is willing to advance the pernicious lie tRump has advanced that millions of illegal votes led to Joe Biden's election.  This flies in the face of reality, but so far in her career, Stefanik hasn't let truth get in the way of political advancement.  

     Cheney is betting on a tRump comeback in 2024 along with the death of our democracy.  Cheney is no Joan of Arc, bu in the long run her party will shake off its thralldom to the orange menace from Mar a Lago.  Stefanik is bettingt my political money is on her and the few Republicans in congress who are defending our small d democracy.

Weather woes

      As I wait for the first asparagus of the season to get big enough to harvest, i am once again struck at how cool this spring has been, aside from a couple of anomalous warm periods early on.   The recent rains are good for the perennial crops, but is now interfering with spring plantings.  This seems like a pattern that has obtained for the last few years.   We seem to have a cool, wet spring followed by a warm and dry summer.  The spring crops are planted late and suffer in the heat.  Meanwhile, the summer vegetables are being planted late and need irrigation to mature.   If this is the new normal, i don't like it.

Two visions of the future America

       The NYT Op-Ed pages today offer two very conflicting visions of America's future if Joe Biden's expansive social welfare plans are enacted by Congress.   As usual, the conservative, anti spending screed by Bret Stephens is a bad faith effort, filled with straw men.  Paul Krugman's pro spending opinion makes apple to apple comparisons.   One man's socialist hellhole is another's budding utopia.

     Stephen's assumption is "socialism" by definition is bad and will lead us down a path of decline as we slip into a system ripe with corruption.   He mentions a story of a Greek national who told him the only way to get prompt medical attention under that country's system is to bribe the underpaid doctors.  Likewise, he disparages France's "unhappiness" and conflates additional social spending and early retirement as driving the dissatisfaction.  He concludes the high number of people living in poverty in the US is the price we must pay for "freedom".

     Krugman's perspective is to compare us with that notable  "socialist hellhole", Denmark.   There, the government offers free, high quality child care to all.  Labor force participation is higher in both France and Denmark than in the US and by most indexes they are happier than we are.   Krugman logically concludes government spending on human capital is a fine thing for the 99%.

    The main disagreement between Stephens and Krugman is the role of government in our lives.  Stephen's preference is the present system where the wealthy are subsidized by the government on the backs of the middle and lower classes.   Krugman advocates the government as the great equalizer, redistributing a minor portion of upper class wealth in the service of a more equal and inclusive society.  Which vision would you prefer for our future?

The Afghan "Dilemma"

        As US troops begin withdrawal from Afghanistan this month, the usual suspects are coming out of the woodwork to tell everyone more in sorrow than in anger that Joe Biden is making a big mistake and somehow keeping several thousand troops in the country is going to benefit our  national interests.

       We have all seen this movie before.  From the spectacle of our troops and diplomats leaving the roof of the embassy in Saigon (excuse me, I mean Ho Chi Minh City) to the more orderly evacuation of troops from Iraq, we don't seem to notice the native populations really don't want a bunch of trigger happy foreign troops patrolling their countries.   Maybe the naysayers are right this time and if we keep spending billions of dollars on a corrupt administration of US toadies in Kabul it will somehow turn out differently.  I doubt it.