July6

 Good morning. Nice and sunny to start. Our high temperature today should reach into the mid 80°s this afternoon. Our neighbors only shot off a couple of fireworks last night so we did get a good sleep. The cats have calmed down but they still won't let us get out of sight.

I was a bit amused reading some of the comments in my e-mail this morning. One of the bloggers had something to say about doctors who have no legal experience commenting on the Supreme Court's immunity decision. One of the commentators wondered what would happen if a president did something claiming it within his role as president but the Court ruled against him. Would, could he ignore the ruling and what would happen if he did? I was amused because that situation has already happened long before our current court made their decision. Andrew Jackson pursued a policy of removing the Cherokee tribe from their territories in Georgia because white men wanted the rich land for new cotton plantations. The tribe sued and won all the way up to the Supreme Court. What did Jackson do? Shrugged and said they made their decision--let them enforce it. Cherokee removal continued and is today known as The Trail of Tears. 

I was amused by the ignorance of history displayed by the comment. Of course, the Trail of Tears is an episode, like many others, that contradicts the story most of us learn of the triumphant conquest of an empty land by heroic (white) American settlers. All too many are happy to continue forgetting such episodes.

I wasn't amused the Court's decision. It gives the lie to our famous boast of being a nation of laws not of men. The court system doesn't have an army or police force to enforce its decisions. They depend on voluntary compliance and, if that fails, to an armed force under the control of a separate arm of government. Over the last couple of years our faith that the courts are (mostly) fair, (mostly) respectful of precedent, and (mostly) free from either oligarchic or popular pressure.

The circus surrounding Joe Biden continues. Robert Reich has a good account of what is happening. Several things irritates me beyond simple irritation. First, how the Republicans have closed ranks around Trump who is everything Reich describes. I remember how the political pundits chewed over whether John Kennedy as a Catholic was acceptable to the voters who wondered if the Pope would be pulling his strings. I also remember how the political pundits wondered if a man who was a DIVORCED ACTOR MARRIED TO A DIVORCED ACTRESS could be considered a fit person to be President. Only one side is asking if Trump is morally, temperamentally, or in any other way fit to be President. Instead we have one of our elderly (three years between them) candidates under fire for being old. Only one being criticized for memory lapses, misstatements, gasping for words when talking though both have been plagued. But only one lies every time he opens his mouth (and it isn't Biden). 

Second, both men came through an established primary system and have garnered the majority of the delegates for their parties. Both parties have been criticized for aspects of the system that seems to have tipped the scales for and against various candidates, including the winners. But my point is that BIDEN and TRUMP won. The efforts to jettison Biden would basically negate ALL the votes cast in the primaries. Once upon a time we talked about political decisions being made in smoke-filled back rooms. Now, it is made in the glare of cameras on news/commentary shows and in social media. In neither of those scenarios do ordinary people have much of a say.

Third, the whole issue is WINNING at all cost. On both sides. Most of the Republicans who hold to ethical/moral values have either left the party, been forced out, or are keeping their heads down and mouths shut. If those who remain win, they are committed to shoving their vision of America down the throats of the rest of us--their "devotion" to individual rights or law/order be damned. Democrats are almost worse. Do they really have a better chance of winning with Biden or by replacing him? No way to know. But some are willing to sell their souls to win.

July 5

Hope you all had a good 4th. Ours was good until the neighbors started the fireworks then it became hell. The cats haven't settled down yet though they are getting a bit calmer. Some of the firecrackers sounded like military ordinance. I looked outside to make sure the crackling and flame colored light that played across our window was not a real fire. Thankfully it wasn't so serious. I hope our neighborhood idiots aren't going to repeat the performance tonight. I suggested that we pack up the cats and check into a motel somewhere quieter between the 4th and the 8th of July. We are both seriously sleep deprived.

Ugo Bardi has an interesting piece discussing the Chinese "one-child policy" including the assessment that it has been a failure and the story circulating on line that the Chinese government used the Club of Rome's LIMITS TO GROWTH. Several points can be drawn from the post. First, you have to check the sources for the story you are reading. Are they credible? What facts, if any, are they presenting? Second, it isn't always easy to tell conjecture from fact especially when the conclusion aligns with your biases. Third, what ever motive governments have for taking the actions they do, people have their own motives for their actions. That is something Bardi doesn't discuss but other commentators have. Fourth, trends are difficult to change especially if people don't want to conform to the changes. China tried to reverse their population policy but people don't necessarily want to have more children for various reasons. Pixie dust can create an desirable illusion but sooner or later reality vanquishes illusion.

Because there wasn't much on TV last night for the hour or so before we tried to go to bed (see the first paragraph to remember why I used "tried"). Though only a few of the district elections were called before we tried to call it a night, the exit polls were indicating a probable humiliating defeat for the Conservative (Tory) government. This morning confirmed what the exit polls were projecting. Rishi Sunak is out and Kier Starmer is in and the Labor party has a huge majority in the House of Commons. A couple of interesting points came out of the commentary. First, some of the numbers indicate that Labor didn't really increase its normal vote totals by much. Instead, the Conservatives lost a lot of support that went to a new "Reform" party or to other smaller parties. Second, the Conservatives will need to rebuild their party going into the future though they are still the second largest party. A lot of disaffected Conservative lawmakers moved over to those third parties. They and those Conservative members who were defeated were very bitter and vociferous in their criticisms. Medhi Hasan hits most of those criticisms in his "good bye and good riddance" post. It reminds me of some of the complaints from former Republicans who are still conservative but have left the party.

July 4

 Happy Independence Day

So far it has been quiet. Last night not so much and probably tonight as well. Our neighbors across the street fired of some very loud firecrackers last night and our  cats were definitely not happy. They cuddled close all night. At least we haven't had fireworks going off every evening for the previous month and, I hope, might not for the next three weeks like we had some years.

I don't plan on doing anything much today except read and, maybe, some needlework. Mainly because I have done both almost every day for the last 60+ years and they still give me pleasure. So here's what I am reading today:

Starting off is this piece by Robert Reich which seems rather pertinent given the political situation. Given all of the "pearl clutching" on the Democrat side about Biden's abysmal performance at the debate the issue of age might be a good topic of discussion. What isn't is the fact that there is no similar discussion on the other side. Biden is old, unquestionably old. But Trump is only three years younger. While Biden admits the fact Trump tries to cling to an illusion of youth which is shattered every time he opens his mouth and issues another incoherent or insane "thought." On a personal level, Reich's observation resonates with Mom and me. We aren't as spry as we once were. We forget where we put the keys. We make lists of groceries we need to buy and errands we want to accomplish. We nod off while reading, watching TV, or playing a game on our computers. Sometimes it is damned frustrating. A stray thought on all the political crap: I wonder who will be the "power behind the throne" with either candidate. With the Supreme Court decision on Presidential immunity, that phrase is very appropriate nowadays. I would rather trust the advisors behind Biden than the Heritage Foundation twits trying to return the society to their notion of godliness who are behind Trump. I lived a third of my life when women couldn't open a bank account, open a credit card or get a mortgage without a male cosigner. Or when you couldn't get a divorce unless you could prove fault. Reno and Las Vegas did profitable business in providing divorces to those who could afford to establish residence. I have no desire to go back to that just so some self-righteous and smug assholes can feel good about themselves because someone else has to feel worse.

Michael Klare at Tomdispatch has a good piece on American foreign policy. One aspect of Klare's essay reflects something I have thought for some time. Our foreign policy as he describes it rests heavily on our military power but military power is a hammer and not every problem is a nail. Englehardt's intro to the piece notes that our circle of "friends" seems to be shrinking. I don't think many countries in the "developing" world were ever really friends though we often tried to portray them as such. Russia and China, have been making diplomatic advances in that group for some time. Trump's last administration and the possibility of another is cracking the alliances within NATO and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have cracked other relationships as well. A third part of Klare's piece also reflects my own thoughts: we are still stuck in a Cold War mindset even though the Cold War ended, so we were told, in 1991. Neither of our adversaries today are the same as the respective countries in 1991 but we are pursuing the same tactics. Andrew Bacevich wrote extensively on this matter in ON SHEDDING AN OBSOLETE PAST. Unfortunately, we have on candidate for President who following a Cold War strategy and another who is the front man for a cabal that wants to throw us back to even more distant time. 

July 1, 2

 Welcome to July. Nice and sunny. Not too hot. Tomorrow I will have to water the gardens. I think the balloon flowers have just about finished their blooming cycle. They are supposed to be perennial here but that doesn't mean perennial in my spaces. I will observe them through next spring and see if they come back. I need to get out in the morning to get some plants pruned back and a couple of supports in spots to corral a couple of plants threatening to spread into other plants.

I started a new crochet piece in a pineapple variation. I like doing those patterns. I tried to start one of the filet patterns but the only white thread I have is size 20. I used to crochet with that size fairly often but I don't have the dexterity or eyesight to use it any more. We stopped off at Michaels and I picked up two gigantic balls of the size 10 thread. So far I can work with that.

02**********************************************************************

I got things watered this morning. And made some mental notes for some pruning and pots needing trellises. The weather prediction today indicates showers moving in later today and persisting through the next three days. Update: the predictions changed and pushed the rain to later in the week with a more broken pattern.

Responsible Statecraft posted this piece by Edward Hasbrouck on proposed changes to the National Defense Authorization Act which deal with the military draft--and yes it is still out there. I agree partly with his final conclusion: it is unworkable today and they should not have contingency. I agree that a draft today is unworkable for many of the reasons Hasbrouck cites. And I think that the draft itself should be eliminated but there should be contingency planning in case we find ourself in a DECLARED war. I emphasize that term because none of the wars after WWII were declared in any Constitutional manner. In other words, if the government isn't prepared to mobilize the society/economy for a war don't have a draft. And if there is a declared war women would be drafted along with the men.