January 8

Only a week into this year and it is still feeling like last year only worse. One of the commentators this morning cited a meme they found which said the author wanted to return 2021 having had enough with the "one-week free trial." I don't think we can simply pass over to 2022 and, even if we could, that is an off-year election season. I found this Axios piece this morning that says so many things that need to be said. I have listened to a lot of arguments about both the 25th Amendment (probably a non starter because it depends on Mike Pence to grow more of a backbone than he has ever had before) and a new impeachment trial (given only twelve days before the new administration takes office). I would like to see a successful impeachment (as in a conviction which is where the last one failed) only because a conviction would bar him from holding office again. As an alternative I would like to see an indictment and conviction on fomenting insurrection which would put him in prison for the rest of his hopefully short life. Excising him from our political body is essential and with him his whole grifting family.

I heard some of these stats yesterday. I wonder where all the so-called Republicans will go if #45 is totally out of the picture as a future candidate. I wonder where the country will go since half of the population seems to still support this odious excuse for a human being. Peter Turchin, as he has before often, discusses the mob assault on the Capital in terms of much longer trends that aren't exactly favorable to a peaceful and stable resolution in the near future. 

I haven't said anything about the victories of Rev. Warnock and Jon. Ossoff but I am glad they, however narrowly, retired two of the most odious senators among a stable of odious characters. I just noticed that the victories were both narrow (only about 1% between the pairs of contestants.) I also notice that the the Georgia races gave rise to a 50-50 divide with a Democrat Vice President giving the majority to the Democrats. And the House Democrats have a narrower majority than they had before the election. To get anything done the Democrats are going to have to have Republican help. I am pessimistic given the last 10 years.