More Groundhogs

Talk about boring, this Lizz gal, the new Prime Minister, is taking it to a new level, apparently an attempt to swing away from the wacky Boris Johnson show, a little less Monty Python, a little more Margaret Thatcher. The moment the Queen was in the ground she busts out this amazingly unique and creative solution to England's economic woes. Ready for this? Cut taxes and regulations! Talk about phoning it in. Capitalism can't even pretend to try anymore. With interest rates surging she wants to take on massive amounts of new debt, praying the Job Creators will jump into action with this largess. Where have I heard this before? This is what "progressives" and social democrats seem to have so much trouble understanding. When workers start making gains, Capital has tools to put them back in their place. And despite a few Starbucks, Capital is not worried about widespread unrest. The white working class is too busy fretting over guns and Muslims. RIP Pharoah Sanders. His music was often difficult, reflecting difficult times. Most people, myself included, want music to soothe the ache, not intensify it. But Pharoah played the truth. As Washington put it, like a chicken and gravy picnik in outer space. Anyway, tough times. Defeat of the Chilean constitution, yet another student uprising in Iran, the far right winning today in Italy (my prediction), and the stock market tanking prior to the US elections. Expect nothing and you won't be dissapointed. The death spiral spins in fits and starts but always in the same direction.

From William F Buckley to Herschel Walker

To stay with the theme of modern conservatism, I read in the WaPo that Herschel Walker has taken a de-fault position in his upcoming debate with Warnock. Using his broad appeal to the "stupid" constituency, he has claimed outfront that he is "just a country boy", or as it's put in the popular song from the 80s, a Simple Kind of Man. In other words he has no knowledge or reasoning ability or discernment skills. What he has that qualifies him to be a Senator is "common sense". About "country" stuff. One imagines William F Buckley preparing for a debate with Gore Vidal by saying "I'm just a dumb shit up against a guy in a fancy suit." The problem isn't that Walker was a football player rqather than a lawyer, it's that like conservatives in general, but especially the new MAGA variety, thay have zero interest in learning anything. They lack even the little bit of imagination it would take to wonder if they have a coherent world view. Trump spoke to a crowd of Ohio MAGAs and as they played the Q Anon theme song the crowd held up the finger for "one". An injury to one is an injury to... oh no, that's a different "one". Rather than take one second to try to understand a critique of capitalism, a logical, historical straightforward narrative about hierarchy and power, these country folk prefer a convoluted, inchoate drama about sex rings and conspiricy plots. Buckley is rolling in his grave. The other interesting point is that Trump's theme was the Darkness that has descended all around us, crime, inflation, decay. He was a "nattering nabob of negativity" to quote the great Spiro Agnew. It is too late then to Keep America Great. The few black people in the crowd cannot understand this as coded language. As Trump would say: sad.

Trucks, Physique and Patriotism

Went to the health club and noticed all the huge, beefed up pick-up trucks in the parking lot, many adorned with Patriotic insignia. In the locker room were guys wearing American flag t shirts and other USA gear. Then I noticed all the massive, beefed-up guys (and a few gals) in the gym, working out. This leads to my amatuer sociological analysis, that these 20 somethings are people who went into the military, probably apolitical, were indoctrinated in Americanism, and now identify with large, powerful vehicles and bodies. They were able to buy these expensive gas hogs with the money they made in Iraq or Afghanistan or serving on any of the 700 plus bases the US has around the world. The other notable sighting was a young gal in pink tights showing off her huge butt. According to my wife, she is a butt specialist, advertises classes on facebook for increasing the size of your butt. It's a thing.I don't do facebook and miss so much. All of this only makes sense in a country that is experiencing a record heat wave (116 degrees in Sacramento) while passing legislation to make the permitting of fossil fuel infrastructure EASIER. The death drive takes many forms.

World Without Meat

As the earth's ecosystems become more and more stressed, concerned socialists increasingly turn to meat production as an easy target upon which to set their sights. This fix has the advantage of sounding both morally righteous and anti-megacorporation. if only those privileged First World steak eaters would give up their luxury food, we could save the planet AND reconnect with our animal cousins. With Mother Nature. We could be better, healthier people. And stop Con-Agra. I just ran across this argument in the book Half Earth Socialism, which draws on E.O.Wilson's idea of setting aside massive amounts of land for the purpose of conservation and re-wilding. The authors mean well, their critique of capitalism is good, but their veganism is fetishized and their analysis of animal agriculture extremely flawed. Whose earth gets set aside? Whose herds get taken away? By whom? Of course industrial meat production is bad. That's a no brainer.But you don't jump from there to no meat production period. Baby with bathwater. You don't jump from jungle slash and burn to all grazing is bad. Grazing creates critical ecosystems. And huge amounts of protean. As for living morally, in a balance with nature. Did/Do indigenous subsistence hunters live in a balance throughout pre-history? Were/Are they connected to nature? Just wondering if they were/are as "connected" as modern vegans.

Compromising Our Way to Extinction

California just passed some major climate legislation, promising big reductions in emissions. But it also relys on nuclear energy, leaving Diablo Canyon open to make up the short-fall. It was a compromise made for "political expediency", much like the expansion of oil and gas drilling was a necessary compromise in the Federal Investment Act. Pragmatism, realism, compromise. As the crises intensify there will be more impetus to "get something done". We will hear more and more talk of "trade-offs". But there won't be any trade-offs when it comes to GDP growth, to profit taking or continued accumulation.

Reaction and Reform

When Biden says "the answer is to spend more on policing" he emphasizes what we already know. Reforming "democratic" capitalism is a fool's errand. A kinder capitalism with fewer cops is as big a fantasy as a more sustainable capitalism through cap and trade. Or solving homelessness with affordable housing. In each case the reformists resist anti-capitalist messaging in order to appease moderates, in order to avoid a reactionary backlash. They insist on incremental adjustments and tiny tweaks. And in each case reformists end up with nothing. Reactionaries have no such qualms about wanting what they desire. Burn books, target minorities, deny climate change, whatever. Being anti-woke-anti- socialism energizes and invigorates the left-behind masses. Radical right-wing goals builds inspired cadres, even if they are fighting against their own self interest. At least they are fighting. Hunting down Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence in the Capitol is totally insane, like ISIS building a new Caliphate, but you have to give them credit for trying. And lots of people do. We ask people to sign a petition or write your Representative. Yawn.

Big Jon

Our Senator can't be considered a DINO because this is what Dems do. Here is his latest message about the Investment Act. " We need to stop relying on our adversaries like Russia and China to power our country. We need to unleash energy production here at home, and that means our entire energy portfolio. This bill expands offshore and onshore oil and gas leasing while investing in renewable energy production to ensure we're powering our economy and creating jobs responsibly in the face of a worsening climate" Did you even know China was our "adversary" (not enemy, yet)? Think of all the new weapon systems Jon can vote for so we can defeat China. But his main point is that with a "worsening climate" we will expand fossil fuel use for energy security. Is he a moron or scumbag or both? Cynical, craven or just stupid? Just to double down on his pandering idiocy he wants to stress that : "This bill is not the Green New Deal and won't hurt Montana's oil and gas industry. I oppose the Green New Deal, full stop. This is a compromise bill that will increase domestic energy production across all industries." Moron scumbag full stop. But I will be pressured into voting for him as the lesser of two evils. Democratic capitalism on full display. Jon is actually more evil than Manchin or Sinema in his slimy having it both ways.