There’s quite a bit I haven’t written about today. The topics in the opinion pages have been inflation, Ukraine, the Jan 6 committee, COVID-19, and Trump. I’ve very nearly written everything I have to say on all of those topics. Let’s hit the highlights one at a time.
Like just about everybody else I think that inflation is too high. I don’t think it’s transitory; I do think it’s multi-factorial, and I do think that fiscal policy was one of those factors. What I wish more people were noting was that Congress is very likely to do precisely the wrong thing in response to inflation, particularly in an election year—they’re likely to appropriate more money they don’t have. There’s a risk of a positive feedback loop with monetary policy and fiscal policy at cross-purposes.
On Ukraine whatever we do we should absolutely, positively not commit troops to Ukraine, in effect treating it as though it were already a NATO member, unless Germany puts some serious skin in the game. Germany’s mugwumpery is reprehensible.
I thought that Speaker Pelosi erred in not letting the Republicans put whomever they chose on the committee. Not doing that weakened its legitimacy. The Republicans are definitely not covering themselves in glory in their public statements.
It looks to me very much as though public opinion and conduct were forcing the hand of policymakers on COVID-19. I think that people (like me) who are at risk for serious disease due to age or predisposing conditions should be fully vaccinated and boosted.
With respect to Trump’s carrying government records home with him, I think as I think about so many things. Either the law should be enforced or it shouldn’t be a law. That includes the Records Act. Performative jurisprudence is loopy. Enforcement of the law shouldn’t depend on how much you like the person. It may actually be the case that the Records Act does not apply or, at least, cannot be enforced against the president.
Any bets on when the statistics on “encounters” at our southern land border will be updated? I would not be surprised if they weren’t updated until after the mid-term elections.
Update
Forgot about Joe Rogan. I don’t much care. Never listened to his podcast. Probably never will.
Not sure what it is. But the mood in February… hopefully it improves soon or else we maybe in for another long hot summer.
Noticed that once again, spooky agencies are listening in on phone calls, email, etc and as usual, the chattering/keyboarding class seems not to care.
BTW, its not encounters I’d look at but rather Welcomings or similar category is reported. After all, we need a steady flow of cheap labor that will make their ballots correctily
American troops need to be stationed in Detroit, Buffalo and Watertown for potential implementation of War Plan Red (revised).
I presume you’re joking, PD, but that’s exactly the sort of move that could produce a full scale insurrection within the U. S. The scenario would go something like this. The troops are ordered to quell demonstrations/riots. They turn on their general officers and join the demonstrations/riots.
I am sure American officials; even governors, secretaries, and Presidents aren’t familiar with Canadian history.
Justin Trudeau is the son of Pierre Trudeau. The most controversial act Pierre Trudeau did was to impose martial law on Quebec in response to an act of terrorism in 1970 — he literally called in the military and suspended the writ.
So when American officials are calling for Justin Trudeau to use “Federal powers†to stop the protest; there is a lot of symbolism that Canadians may take that Americans didn’t intend.
By the way, Trudeau has now copied his father — invoking the “emergencies act” which does give him and his government extraordinary powers to override normal civil liberties and due process.
He’s got reasonable support and the protests were fading slowly; so maybe this is an effective hammer blow. But if it doesn’t workout; you can bet there’s going to blowback for American officials who egged Trudeau on this path.