Bashed by New Books

Volumes emerging to explain the current state of the US executive branch – how it happened and where we may find the origins. Two of the best come from the CEO of the New York Times, who argues that the evolution of contemporary rhetoric is the villain, and from a popular radio/print personality who traces 500 years of American passion for less than the truth. (Reference below).  Believe them both, I do, and they have expanded my vocabulary but not necessarily my perspective. After all, mad is mad.

And then I finally got around to Friedman’s latest book (reference below) which is clearly more forward looking but grabs the history of how slow we are to adapt to new innovative thinking and technology.  Believe him too.  Expanded my vocabulary again.  Skies are gray today.  Temperatures painful. Gloomy.

Went to a brew pub last night and continued my dalliance with voter registration.  Got a couple of the beer mongers (mongerette) to help me buttonhole a couple of thirtysomethings. They spout the bent rhetoric and cite the false narratives on a moment notice.  Groan…..

Mark Thompson Enough Said  St Martin’s Griffin 2017; Kurt Anderson Fantasyland Random House 2017 Tom Friedman Thank you for Being Late

Reminder of the scourge of 16 years of war…on Veteran’s Day

please Note:  (URL's embedded)

• “2.7 million service members have been to the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, and over half of them have deployed more than once “ 
• “Many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans face a life of disability due to the physical and psychological injuries they sustain in the war zones. At least 970,000 veterans have some degree of officially recognized disability as a result of the wars”
• “The VA only began tracking war veteran suicides in 2008 even though rates now appear significantly higher than among comparable civilians.” “the current analysis indicates that an average of 20 veterans a day die from suicide”
• “More veterans succumbed to suicide than were killed in Iraq: 177 active-duty soldiers died by suicide compared to 176 soldiers killed in combat”
• Based on current patterns of benefit claims and medical usage,it is estimated that the total present value of such costs for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans over the next 40 years is in the range of $600 billion to $1 trillion.

 

 

How easy to be snarky when talking about the US military, that allegedly only 1% of Americans know personally.  Easy to let it go when politicians throw out ‘I favor a strong military’ and then move on to another topic to dog whistle.

 

If you like to look at data (we do) the intersection of the military aftermath with the opioid problem in the US defies credulity – the scientific measurement is not yet available since the VA is late to the party with information, but the urban legend is that 60% of returned veterans have a ‘problem’. This ‘problem’ festers, while politicians gasbag.

 

Worse.  I had a pleasant dinner at a neighbor’s the other night.  One fellow was a vet, and proud to say that he has focused some of his business efforts on assisting young veterans start businesses.  No mention of the festering problem.  Simply no on the agenda.

 

Even worse.  We continue to feed the wars (the urban legend is that although there are six recognized ‘hot’ wars globally, there are 90 countries where the US has ‘resources’ deployed and active.  But that is just a legend….right?

 

Comon’  KenBurns!  Can’t the core anti war sentiments in this country be rekindled?

Bah Humbug.

Youth will not be served

Yesterday’s vote was more or less as expected, and I even contributed a small ‘get out the vote’ effort.

However, I had the impression that the twenty thirty forty somethings were not in evidence.  I have asked, but will wait for data. Looking around my polling place was not encouraging.

If it is true it is not a good thing.  These younger generations, after all, will be paying the bill.  Youth will not be served, it will be screwed.

So you want to get involved (even a little) in politics?

Best of intentions, I went to a local political grassroots meeting last night. By background, I have been under the influence of a very good friend, and I have not counterarguement to political involvement.  So I have chosen simple issue -- getting people to vote, starting with the election next week which has historically low turnout.


Coincidentally a group of concerned citizens, also with the best of intentions, was having a meeting in my neighborhood.  I went. They spoke. I felt like a flux capacitor was involved.  With the best of intentions these folks, all motivated, were using a twentieth century toolkit -- yard signs, literature to hang on mailboxes, and telephone canvasing -- in an advocacy posture for their own (to each their own) single issue.  One sponsored a pair of local candidates; another spoke passionately about judgeships; a third wanted to add ACA enrollment deadlines; and most championed sitting at those tables at the polling places on election day.  They signed up for tasks, and then committed to make some phone calls on the spot (even though the world series was starting within the hour).The initiator informed everyone that they had a suggestion that the max time was 20 seconds, but they were not deterred.  Filled with alarmist motivation, they were going to phone and talk.


As you may no, I am not a spring chicken, but I seem to know that the phone call in the evening, or even the daytime is not going to work because of the clutter that has been dominating phone for a couple of decades.  I also know that broad targeting sells very few things, and that basic marketing requires careful targeting and careful tailoring of the message.  I know that a deft use of social media and email often gives better results.


But I do not know anything about politics.  I left the meeting feeling that these well meaning people did not either.  I went to the local brew pub to watch the World Series, and asked twenty people at the bar if they were voting on Tuesday.  Got five 'yes', three "no but I should"; three 'no'; and a bunch of waffeling. One lady was clever enough to ask if I would buy her a beer if she voted. Four days to go.