Veterans' Day

Welcome to Veterans' Day 2023. Time to remember those who served and those who died before they could enjoy the life they fought for.

Stray thought: during one of the segments on the Israel-Hamas conflict an observation was made about how Israeli society, usually almost as divided and contentious as our own, has come together. The commentator noted that Israeli society has numerous "rituals" that bind the whole together. He mentioned an acquaintance who went to live in Israel to be with her boyfriend and was surprised when the holidays of Remembrance Day and Independence Day came around without the ubiquitous sales pitches we experience here for every holiday. Everyone stopped and every one participated in the holiday. Veterans' Day is not a commodified as the rest but we are still bombarded by the ads. And the military is also a unifying factor since they have nearly universal service with a long period of reserve membership after active service. Only certain ultra-Orthodox Jews are exempted. In our country only about 1% of our population serve and there is a growing divide between the officer corps (wealthier and college educated usually) and the enlisted ranks (from poorer backgrounds and less educated). Something to ponder on this day.

Second stray thought: one of the bloggers today said that one of the problems Biden has is the fact that not only is he 80 years old but he is seen as an OLD 80. But why haven't people noted that The Former Guy is only 3 years younger but is also an OLD 77. I have noted frequently how his appearances lack the vitality he had during his first campaign and the first couple of years of his presidency. If you compare the "mental acuity" of the two men I would give the edge to Biden. I was disappointed in 2017 when none of the younger candidates in either party were able to gain traction. I am disappointed this year as younger candidates are also unable to advance. I still think this is the last hurrah of the Boomer generation and it is past time the torch was passed.

Third stray thought: a comment that passed quickly in one of the blogs makes me wonder if simply passing the torch to a new generation will help things. The writer noted that many of the younger politicians coming up in both parties are young but they don't have many really new ideas among them.

Fourth stray thought: I didn't watch the Republican "debates" and so haven't remarked on it. However, the responses of three of the "candidates" in the last one made (featured on the news) has me absolutely sure I wouldn't vote for any of them if they did get the nomination. On the issue of Israel and the recent attacks on American forces. Three of the four advocated a serious strike against Iran describing it as "cutting the head off the snake." We have fought two long wars in the area (Iraq and Afghanistan) which amounted to a vast expenditure of lives, material, and money for little no gain. I question their sanity. On the question of abortion the same three were all in on greater repression and bans. They consider their problem as a "messaging" problem which would go away if only they could convince all their opponents that what they want is really good for everyone. They don't respect people's right to make decisions for themselves unless they agree with the decision.

And a fifth stray thought to finish off: I just read a piece titled "We Are The History We Choose To Believe. It came up on a religious site that often has interesting article though I don't sing in any of those choirs. The author discussed different positions people take on the notion of the Bible as history and notes that there are always at least two histories in every history. There is the dominant history told by the "winners" in the struggle for power, wealth, etc. And then there is the history of the rest who haven't fared so well (the poor, the colonized, the conquered, the subjugated). That is true in all historical studies. Think of the controversy over the "1619 Project." It makes sense for the African American historians to make that the base year for their story since that was when the first African slaves came to Virginia. A lot of other historians and a lot of politicians were deeply offended and wanted to take 1776 as the base because that was when the Revolution started. They could have just as easily taken other dates: 1783 when the Revolution was successful, 1789 when the Constitution was ratified, choose your favorite. They could have also chosen the same 1619 because that was the year the House of Burgesses, the first elected legislative body, met in that same Virginia where the first slaves were unloaded. What is the story of your past you want to believe?