Current Events

After everything you did to keep your incredibly dangerous personal information secure it’s out there for the highest bidder. Your loss and that of maybe half of the U.S. population just dumped a big new opportunity on a Congress that badly needed somebody to toss it a bone.

If there are any stories of people being refused rescue in Houston because of who or what they are, we haven’t heard them. White nationalism didn’t overwhelm the relief effort. Racism isn’t deciding who gets saved and who doesn’t. When a natural disaster like Harvey strikes the petty, mean-spirited congressional attacks on our country’s character are put in perspective.

Remember the criticism leveled at George W. Bush for sitting in a Florida classroom after hearing the news of the 9/11 attacks? He was accused of indecision and not knowing what to do. Years later he is still blamed for not reacting differently, though it’s hard to imagine that leaping from his chair and sprinting for the door would have been treated fairly by his critics.

All presidents fail at something sooner or later, but I don’t remember a time when we were so determined to make it happen. Our expectations for fixing the problems dumped in Trump’s lap should be pretty low. There is a very long history of failed presidential leadership and unsolved problems before him.

I don’t recall Barack Obama making many speeches to the NRA. Maybe he did, but somehow I doubt it. He liked talking to the press and rubbing elbows with celebrities at White House bashes. Obama hung around people who helped him look good.

Too bad America’s left isn’t more militaristic. Missiles and uniforms would add some impact to this year’s May Day rallies. Russia is way ahead of our liberals on this one. How can you celebrate May Day without a show of force?