July 28

 Muggy this morning with more possible thunderstorms. If the forecast comes through I won't have to water anything for at least a week. Now if it would just dry out a bit and the temperature would drop a bit I could make some progress in thinning out the planters on the patio. I spent a lazy weekend not doing much but It has already been a busy morning today. Just basic chores. That will give me plenty of time to read my e-mail and (maybe) comment.

First this morning is this post by Ugo Bardi. I wondered often during the war between Russia and Ukraine if it would be a case of Russian "winning" but in the end losing. The use of drones has simply prolonged this mess at a lower human cost--for the Russians of course. However, the Ukrainians have shown themselves quite inventive in the same technology. Bardi has some interesting comments.

William Hartung posted this piece on Tomdispatch today. While Bardi wrote about how drone technology is driving down the cost of killing, Hartung outlines the U.S. military-industrial complex focused on the most costly and questionably effective technologies. I read a novel where one character told his foreign counterpart that he didn't need to defeat any country's military--he only needed to bankrupt that country. I wonder how long it will be before our military "budget" will bankrupt us. Probably only after that sector has gobbled up all the resources spent to support people. By the way, I wonder where the meager "savings" DOGE stole from various parts of the government went.

Bill Astore published an article this morning on the spread of American Militarism and how far that ethos has permeated. I would add an observation or two. I was concerned when I saw the news reports about 15 years ago about the Federal government transferring "surplus" military equipment to state and local police departments. Suddenly every little town and hamlet in the country was lusting for its own storm troopers SWAT teams. Over the intervening time police forces have come to resemble an occupation force finally culminating in in masked, armored, and aggressive (read abusive) men snatching people who may or may not (usually not) be the criminal aliens we were promised were their targets. The militarized mind set has permeated deeply into our society.