June 14

 Here we are--half way past the sixth month of the year. We got a nice bit of rain yesterday. Monday when we did our shopping I noticed how dry the grass was. I bet it is coming back with the cooler, wetter weather. The rain suits me because I don't have to water plants. I will, however, have to harvest some herbs when we get a dry period.

Heather Cox Richardson has some very good observations on our current political situation and some of the historical antecedents of it. I am old enough to remember Nixon's resignation and my reaction at the time was disappointment that Tricky Dicky wasn't tried for the alleged crimes. Maybe he would have been convicted, maybe not. But Ford brushing the dirt under the rug didn't get rid of the dirt. He said he hoped that the pardon would help heal deep divisions in the nation. Now, with fifty years of water under the bridge, I understand Ford's reasoning but I don't agree with it. Nixon never acknowledged his responsibility (not necessarily criminal responsibility) for what happened. He insisted that he resigned only because he lost the support of the legislative branch. In a later interview he famously contended that "When a President does it, it isn't illegal." And The Former Guy has often voiced his major grievance: they paid Nixon $18million dollars for the records he took and no one is paying him anything. Ford left a festering lesion which has only become worse over time and a lumpy rug that has only become lumpier with all the dirt added since. Note that the same trend followed after the Confederate leaders escaped prosecution after the Civil War. It left a festering wound that has tainted our history since.

I am getting even more sick the both-sides-ism. Every time some RepTHUGlican politician is asked to opine on TFG's collection of sensitive documents they immediately say what about Hillary or what about Biden. That is trying to redefine an apple as an orange. The similarity between the cases ends at that point because Clinton, Pence, and Biden cooperated with the Feds and corrected the problem while TFG did not cooperate and actively tried to impede the investigation. No matter what mental and linguistic gymnastics TFG and his supporters twist themselves into, the situation remains the same: the Clinton, Pence, and Biden apples are not the same as the TFG orange.

I like to try to read contrary opinions on most things. Sometimes that gives me some ideas to think about often it just irritates. Aurelian has a good piece on his substack today about Ukraine. The only firm opinion I have is that Russia's invasion is WRONG. However, that invasion basically indicates that the world order which kept aggressive governments from redrawing national boundaries unilaterally is breaking down (if not already broken.) I don't doubt that if Russia succeeds (when?) other countries will be on the march. Would China taking over Taiwan be next? I don't think anyone ever dreamed that Russia's military would be so inept. But the only thing that keeps both sides going has been aid from outside. How long can that situation continue? I read an interesting bit in a novel where one character discussed his country's military philosophy: We don't have to beat you. We just have to bankrupt you. I don't know if Ukraine will really have a second act or if Russia will collapse first or if the supporters on both sides will not be able to continue the very expensive support. What will the international situation be after is also a big question.

Well, Punchbowl is writing about the new budget discussions in Congress. The article mentions that we have only 108 days before the government may run out of money. I expected another battle during and after the debt ceiling head butting. The recent actions of the MAGA crowd only reinforced that expectation. Evidently they want to renege on the agreement they made. I guess "what's old is new again" holds in politics. Buckle up.