Sunny and frosty this morning.

Happy Presidents' Day. Interesting poll of historians rated Biden as the 14th most effective president in our history--and Trump as the least effective. And the morning news/commentary show presented a comedy sketch where the host mentioned that Biden and Trump are the oldest candidates for the Presidency--breaking a record they set FOUR YEARS AGO.

I heard another segment that finally mentioned the growth of an international anti-globalist movement that appears to be gaining strength. They mentioned the failure of the Arab Spring movement that has resulted in the entrenchment of even more authoritarian governments. They said that some of the people whose hopes have withered wish the Spring had never happened. The rise of European leaders who also reject the globalist movement and espouse various nationalisms. As they mentioned those I mused that the real birth of anti-globalism was the failure of NAFTA to provide the benefits promised. Less than a minute after I expressed that thought one of the moderators said the same and then commented on the U.K.'s exit from the EU. The process of globalization has enriched a few massively, stunted the economic progress of the many, hollowed out the industrial capacity of advanced countries as the CEOs of various companies in various industries moved operations to countries with lower wages, lax labor laws, and more dictatorial governments. America First marches along with India First (Hindu nationalism), Hungary First (Orban), AfD and other German nationalist groups, the recently defeated similar party in Poland, and Putin's rebuilding a Russian Nationalism based on going back to very traditional practices.

Maha at Mahablog has a good article taking off for the news that a Trump supporter has established a OMG GoFundMe page for poor, poor Donald to pay the judgement he just received. Grifting has been raised to a high art and not just by Trump. As P.T. Barnum is supposed to have said: there's a sucker borne every minute." (Like so many such sayings Barnum may not have said it but that doesn't make it any less true.) Bill Astore makes the same point here.