A Pence for his thoughts

       Mike Pence spent more than 8 hours explaining his role in the January 6 insurrection to a grand jury empaneled by special counsel Jack Smith.   Pence's ex boss' ears were certainly ringing before the day was over.

      Pence is arguably the most important witness to the events leading up to the attempted coup more than 2 years ago and his conversations with tRump in the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021 will be pivotal in any charges stemming from the incident.  The president's state of mind and his actual participation in the plot to end democracy in America is something Pence was well positioned to have heard firsthand. 

     We may have a long way to go before trials begin, but yesterday's testimony is a start.

Questions without answers

        Why did Tucker Carlson get fired?  Why do a majority of Republicans want Donald tRump as their nominee for president?  Why is Joe Biden's approval rating so dismal?  How can people eat Twinkies?

        Sorry, I don't have the answers to these or other existential questions and I have the feeling they are unanswerable.

Crushing it

      Like the dumpster-trash compacter in the original Star Wars movie, the legal system is closing in on tRump and there is no R2D2 to disable the machine.   The best Cheeto Jesus can do is use the legal system to hold off trials until he dies of old age.   Based on the E. Jean Carroll rape defamation trial which started yesterday, that strategy may not be working as well as his lawyers had hoped.  

       Add the virtual certainty of indictment in Georgia for interference in the 2020 election, the increasing likelihood of charges by special counsel Jack Smith and this fall's civil trial brought by NYS Attorney General Letticia James and the walls are steadily closing.

Et tu Rupert

        Although my schadenfreude meter is stuck at 10 out of 10 thanks to the news that Tucker Carlson was defenestrated at FAUX News the other day, I can't help wondering what's next for the cable "news" channel and its benighted viewers.

      My exposure to Carlson is limited to short clips of his greatest racist and misogynistic hits aired by CNN or MSNBC, but many Fox viewers considered his show must watch TV.   Will these viewers accept Carlson's firing and move on with the network or will they migrate to even more extreme fare in order to get their daily dose of conservative outrage?  Will Tucker turn his name recognition into a presidential campaign?   Stay tuned!

Deja Vu all over again

        It looks like the chaos monkeys in the House are willing to walk right up to the edge of defaulting on the nation's debt and then go over the cliff, all while yelling vile insults at the rest of us.  Meanwhile, even the mainstream media seems willing to play along with Kevin McCarthy's caucus and put some of the responsibility for this mess on President Biden.

       In what can only charitably called a budget bill, McCarthy would have the government slash discretionary spending by as much as 22% in the first year and limit spending increases to 1% per year, which is a defacto cut.   Of course the Speaker won't name the actual programs facing the ax.   To do so would put the onus on Republicans.  Regardless, the whole debate is pointless.   Congress authorized the spending last year.  It is now time to pay the bill.  So, do it.

Culture Warriors

       Gun control, LGBTQ rights, abortion, environmental justice and Black lives matter are just a few of the battles being fought in the ongoing culture wars.   If you strip out the bystanders, it's basically Gen Z and the bulk of Milenniels on the progressive side and most of the baby boomers and what's left of the ''greatest'' generation representing those who think the 1950's was the apogee of American civilization.

       In the case of the latter, it's mostly a rear guard action being fought in state legislatures around the country.  Open carry, "don't say gay", anti environmental bills and voter suppression are the coin of the realm in these venues.  But, increasingly the middle aged and older white men who control these assemblies are being called out for their policies by younger activists.  It will get increasingly ugly before it gets better.   But as the song says, "Change is gonna come".

Smashing the ceiling

     Here we go again.   Given the many stories demanding our attention, the potential for a debt ceiling crisis seems miniscule.   After all, we agreed to spend on the national credit card.  The bill is now due, so pay up already..

    Not so fast, says the house Republican majority.  Unless you agree to unspecified cuts to government programs, we will default on the debt.  Most experts agree that doing so would precipitate a global financial crisis leading to all sorts of unanticipated consequences.  Regardless, the chaos monkeys in the Republican caucus would probably burn the economy down in return for the headlines it would generate and the notoriety  they would accrue.    

     Meanwhile, the full faith and credit of the US is held hostage as those with no moral scruples prepare to torch the economy in preference to letting the Biden administration govern as it was elected to do.  What a world...

When a society breaks down

      What do two shootings in widely separated spots in the country have to do with societal breakdown?  pull up a chair and I'll tell you.

      A few days ago in Kansas City, Mo., an 85-year-old man shot and almost killed a black teenager who knocked at his door, mistaking the man' s house for an address where his younger brothers were playing with friends.   In a separate incident in the same time span in Hebron, NY, a 65 year old shot and killed a woman who pulled into his driveway by mistake and was backing out at the time.  What scared these two old white men that they would shoot first and ask questions later, if at all?

      For one thing, a rampant gun culture is partly to blame.  Who would live in a world which encourages shooting and would not be tempted to "protect" themselves with state of the art firearms.  For another, fear of crime is the calling card of the rightwing media older white Americans choose to consume.   If every youth, person of color or indeed anyone who doesn't look like you is a possible criminal, then of course, shoot first.

     Why does Faux News, its rightwing copycats and in the latest outrage, a congressional committee holding a hearing in NYC encourage this fear of crime and "the other"?   Many of these outlets and prominent politicians come from the hothouse of the right.   In a revolving door, politicians move from legislating to wingnut welfare organizations bankrolled by billionaires who apparently believe they will benefit from the chaos presently engulfing our society.   Playing with fire has always been a metaphor indicating harm from a double edged weapon is a possibility.  The plutocracy in this country believes it can radicalize ordinary citizens and remain above the fray.   I'm afraid their actions are changing America in ways which will eventually harm them as well.

Teaser weather

     We had a preview of summer over the weekend and it was delightful.    Temperatures rose to the mid 80s with bright sun and low humidity.  Spinach, radishes and turnips are up and growing.  The local golf courses were packed.   Alas, mother nature has decided a couple of days of great weather is all we will get for the near future.  By tomorrow morning we will be flirting with the freezing mark and between rain and colder weather it looks like the rest of  April will be challenging in the garden and on the links.  Such is life at latitude 44.

The lawless judiciary

       A judge in Texas uses the plaintiff's "legal" argument to justify his ruling to ban an FDA approved drug for medicated abortions.  Meanwhile, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas continues to sully his legacy as it was revealed he and his wife have accepted millions of dollars worth of "hospitality" from a conservative Texas billionaire.  Welcome to 21st century justice, Republican style.

    All you have to do as a thought experiment is to imagine Democratic leaning judges making similar rulings and/or accepting gifts from for instance, George Soros, to imagine the conservative outrage.  It is truly a "justice for thee, but not for me" moment.

Participation in Democracy

        Two young black men were expelled from their positions in the Tennessee legislature for their part in a protest against gun violence on the floor of the house.   They were immediately reinstated by the local authorities in their districts.  Ironically the racist Republicans who voted to expel the two well spoken young men have probably done more for democracy in that benighted state than they intended.

      The turnout of young black men has dropped in the last two elections and Republicans have made inroads among that demographic.   By dropping their masks, Tennessee Republicans have shown where their hearts and minds are.  Two charismatic spokesmen for democratic participation will have a positive influence on Gen Z black men in 2024.

Running dry

         Despite the plentiful rain and snowfall in the west this past winter, an NYT article this morning highlights the problems a 23 year drought has caused.   It looks like the federal government will have to step in and impose a settlement on western states  squabbling over water rights.  At stake is the continued viability of population growth in the southwestern US.  

      While climate change is probably exacerbating the problem, the southwest has endured punishing droughts of as long as a thousand years in the past.   If this is our future, a federal solution to the problem is imperative.  

Last gasps

      the outrage meter is presently cranked to the max on cable networks and social media.   The Tennessee 3 is a thing as is the ruling by a Texas judge outlawing the safest method of inducing abortion via medication.   Add to this the 132nd mass shooting of the year and there is a perfect storm of issues the major political parties can run on in next year's elections.   How they do it and who they appeal to will make all the difference in the results.

     On the issues of reproductive freedom, gun control and voter suppression and intimidation, Democrats have been handed the tools to build a lasting coalition of young, educated and female voters who will probably remain with the party for their lifetimes.   Republicans are left with a mostly older, white and poorly educated base which increasingly looks for bullhorns instead of dog whistles when it comes to election slogans.  Covid disproportionately weeded out many of these voters and many of their older voters will die in the coming decade.  There may be a last gasp of this coalition in 2024, but it could just as soon be the first landslide victory for the Democratic coalition.

Easter comity

       The Divine Mrs. M and I had a lovely Easter Sunday that for once involved no cooking on our part.  We broke bread at our daughter's in-law's home and a wonderful time was had by all.  Of course, I was warned by said daughter that politics and religion were taboo subjects as some participants at the feast do not share my sentiments on the subect.  With one minor exception, I complied with the gag order and found it was easier to do than I thought.   Instead of preaching to the choir or engaging in fruitless arguments, we chatted about nothing in particular and concentrated on the positives of living in the north country.  It's funny how easy it is to not be dragged down the rabbit hole of partisan political discourse.

Republicans for fascism!

      From claiming indictment is politically advantageous for the twice impeached, disgraced former president to passing a 'fugitive uterus act' in Idaho to expelling two black state legislators in Tennessee for the crime of protesting gun violence, the Republican party has gone all in on fascism as it attempts to take power by undemocratic means throughout the country.

     The putative standard bearer for the GOP, Donald Trump faces legal jeopardy in several different venues ranging from a civil suit alledging  sexual assault against several women to leading a coup against the legitimately elected president, Joe Biden in 2021.  

    Meanwhile, the state of Idaho wants to make it illegal for citizens to cross its borders in search of abortions.  The legal ramifications boggle the mind.  For a state which trumpets its libertarian bona fides, this is clearly a case of overreach.

       Finally, Tennessee trumpeted its racism as the state legislature, ruled by a supermajority of GOP members, expelled two blacks while failing to do the same for a white woman who participated with the men in a demonstration demanding action on gun violence less than two weeks after a mass shooting at a Christian school in the state.   Republicans let the entire nation know that Jim Crow is alive and well in the Volunteer State.

      Taken together, these incidents show the Republican party is declaring it is a racist, fascist cult of personality which appeals to the Id of its base, largely older, white males who increasingly feel threatened by a multicultural society they neither understand or trust to govern.   

Travel notes

         The Divine Mrs. M and I recently returned from a trip to Cancun, Mexico.   In and of itself, this is hardly earth shattering news and I would not ordinarily report it.  We had a fine time and contributed moderately to Mexico's balance of payments account.  The interesting thing about our vacation was the travel to and from the resort and our house.

       Thanks to airline rapacity there were no non-stop flights within easy driving distance of the north country, so we opted for one stopover flights to and from Burlington Vt.   This involved timing our arrival at the airport to include a 15 minute ferry across lake Champlain in the middle of the night.  The security at the airport was not too onerous and the trip to Cancun was uneventful.  Coming back was another story.

      Security was a breeze at Cancun international airport.   After a  4 hour wait for a tardy plane, we flew to JFK in New York which is where the fun began.   Airport security in NY is among the most dehumanizing experiences I've ever gone through.  The TSA's motto should be, "give us your huddled masses so we can reduce them to the shedding of bitter tears".    After gathering our disheveled belongings and putting our shoes on (yes, they are still wary of shoe bombs in NY) we proceeded to our gate and then to an hour long tour of the back runways at JFK.   Once airborne, the flight lasted less time than we spent on the ground.  We finally got home approximately 18 hours after leaving out hotel.

      I know most travelers have far more horrible experiences to report on, but the needless inconveniences visited upon us by the travel industry are very discouraging to future trips as far as I'm concerned.