31 May 2021
Burn pits
The US military must be prohibited from using burn pits. This is needed particularly when the military is at home or in another country on its own volition. Given the harmful effect of the pit smoke in the environment and on the health of nearby humans, its collateral harm is not a normal consequence of the use of force either domestically or internationally. It may also qualify as a war crime.
19 May 2021
Insurrection Investigation
Democrats! What are you afraid of? Accept the Republican challenge and widen the agenda of your proposed insurrection investigation to include Antifa and Black Lives Matter. Those examples will only strengthen your argument that the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, was anti-democratic and encouraged by a sitting President. If the Democratic side of the bi-partisan commission acts vigilantly and quick-wittedly, it will show that (a) ANTIFA only exists as a characterization of dissension by right-wingers and (b) BLM represents a genuine and constitutional eruption of the long-suppressed dissatisfaction of a racial minority. Moreover, property damage and violent unrest will be shown to have accompanied BLM demonstrations largely at the instigation of outside agitators and opportunists
14 May 2021
Trumpism
The media have created this phenomenon. It only feeds Trump's childishness.
Trump is still the impetuous brat that his parents indulged. They did it because they could afford to. They thought they could escape responsibility by packing him off to military high school. However, he never changed. Moreover, he continued to be indulged by the Wharton School, several banks, and finally by the rudderless Republican Party.
After Trump's reelection defeat, cable news as well as traditional electronic and print media have reverted to near incessant coverage of TrUmp’s antics in pursuit of the favor of an increasingly passive consumer audience. Those viewers, listeners and readers seek entertainment to fill their leisure time. In line with his previous success portraying a business mogul on the “Apprentice” TV program, Trump naturally eased into the role of a presidential candidate. Much to his surprise, he ended up spending four years in the White House.
The chaos and self-aggrandizement that characterized his tenure fulfilled nothing less than the expectations of Vladimir Putin and others who seek the weakening of American world leadership. Thankfully, adherence to constitutional election process saved the republic from continued disorder.
Meantime, the media have labeled the philosophy that drives the minority of voters who still fly the Trump banner as Trumpism.
The Donald never aspired to be an autocrat. It’s too much work. He is just along for the ride given to an entertainer.
Unfortunately. I and my friends who persist in bemoaning him only prolong his dominance of conversation. Let’s all dismiss this topic and condemn Trump to the hopefully permanent trash-heap of history.
04 May 2021
Russia Confidently Played Trump
Trump’s people didn’t even know that the Biden/Ukraine story was a Russian made-up conspiracy theory. Putin loves to take advantage of anyone stupid enough to believe those kinds of things.
Belief in conspiracy theories is a common weakness of a would-be despot’s followers. A psychologist may be able to explain the inclination of people who willingly accept the frequently overblown or false claims of an autocrat. I suspect that these symptoms evidence their self-doubt and low self-esteem
Trump himself believes the world is nothing more than a figment of imagination. In his mind, all others might as well also live in their own worlds. Therefore it doesn’t matter what he or anyone else do. He didn’t feel compelled to use his last-minute pardoning power to protect people like Rudi Giuliani or Matt Gaetz, It is a mystery why he used it at all. Trump must believe that Roger Stone could be uiseful in a future election campaign, Despite the adulation of Rudi Giuliani and Matt Gaetz they didn’t get last-minute presidential pardons.
In any case, Vladimir Putin probably thinks that a foreign adversary is more pliable under the leadership of someone like Trump than of either Hilary Clinton or Joe Biden. And Donald Trump must believe that a vigorous investigation of Russian interference in either the 2016 or 2020 presidential elections could only uncover his campaign’s grateful acceptance of their help.
01 May 2021
Inevitable Pandemics
What can one do but scream “0h, the humanity!” COVID-19 reminds us that tragedy is inevitable. It will always lead us to finding ways to mitigate it , but we will not obviate it.
We believe we’re getting smarter as time passes but we also foolishly believe that the world becomes more hospitable as a result. Unfortunately, because of humanity’s resistance to adapting the natural world, or genetically modifying it we allow it to evolve on its own. As a consequence of that humility, we enjoy the benefits of nature only by continuing to be subject to unpredictable catastrophes, such as novel global pandemics.
The current miserable situation in India, like in the U.S. and Brazil, illustrates the danger that a society risks by shirking its responsibility to prepare for unforeseen disasters. Although the mortality rate from COVID-19 in the U.S. has risen to the highest per capita level in the world, the country has fortunately started to recede from that leading position because of witless luck and a strong late surge of determination. India and Brazil, for example, are only late in matching and surely surpassing the toll of disease and death sustained by America.
The real question now is whether these countries and the rest of the world will reform their public health infrastructure in recognition that despite the advance of human knowledge and skill, we still live in and are part of a world governed by a heartless Mother Nature.
