Category: Comment

“The combination of nonmarketable degrees and skills with burdensome debt altered an entire generation’s customs, habits, and mentalities…National and international trends [such as late marrying, less home buying, no or late children] are the ingredients for a culture that emphasizes the self, blames others for a sense of personal failure, wants instant social justice–and expects the government to borrow or seize the money from others to grant it.”
– Victor Davis Hanson

As my mother insists, Monday is a national holiday, my birthday. Just some sushi and drinks planned. Got a new second monitor, too. Worried about the current one as it’s getting foggy.

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Last time we were out, my friend Gijo and I drank a little too much. He can handle his beers. I had to stay over at his place since I should not be driving. He felt bad that he had led me astray. All in fun. But I was sick.

On Friday, we agreed to make it a 2 beer limit for next time.

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My sister’s dog Oliver passed away. She had had him for over 10 years and was shattered. I reminded her of the passing of my first Boston, Sparky. These little creatures are our best buddies. Jax has got maybe another ten years or so, but I will always expect him following so close that I step on him. Did that today while I was exercising. When he yelps you feel so bad and you can’t explain the mistake so he will understand. Just pet him and say sorry.

Nigiri!

Well Facebook’s “People you may know” feature is popping up people from my work Gmail. Not good. FB is truly public.

A couple of months ago i was looking at some watches and, through remarketing, i still can’t get rid of watch ads.

I should expect this and it’s careless on my part to connect private with public. My anonymity may now only be possible with a online service like Incogni.

1. Another embarrassing night.
2. A media circus in front of the world can’t change anything.
3. The western notion of democracy is not on display here.
(4. Elon also wears t-shirts in the Oval Office and that is also disrespectful.)

All around the world

I have always been ambivalent about unions. I have never actually been a member of one until now.

I am first of all concerned about where my dues are going. We have meetings, talking about organizing. One of the main concerns is the pay discrepancy between the different third party employers that contract us out to the client. We all have MAs and PhDs, but are paid very little for our education. Add experience for some of us.

However, the union reps are recommending we read a book on organizing. I am not optimistic. They are young and idealistic. That is not a bad thing in itself, but I think they may be a bit too zealous as opposition to the employer.

Even so, I am wary about a new union. The client may not be happy and I need to guard my position.

Not keen on the Gaetz pick. Just some things too extreme.

There’s a certainty: if one wins, the other will deny it.

Is there an objective observer? Whom would it be? We’ve come so far, yet so short of what we should be.

This is disappointing before it happens.

Until recently, Americans were not accustomed to violent political unrest. But the dissent and violence during the George Floyd riots in places like Minneapolis upended our ability to tune out political turmoil. Freedom of speech, association, and assembly have always been ingrained in our culture, and we’re used to generally less repressive responses by authorities to those kind of events in the US.

Meanwhile, Americans have seen increased concerns about election integrity and voter suppression. While not as severe as in Venezuela, these issues have the potential to erode trust in democratic institutions and lead to political instability. It is important to note that the current crisis in Venezuela is the result of economic mismanagement, political repression, and corruption–hallmarks of socialism. Key events contributed to the crisis and the aforementioned are not an exhaustive list. The situation in Venezuela remains fluid and uncertain, and it will require a concerted effort from both the Venezuelan people and the international community to find a lasting solution.

Americans should understand the parallels between the rise of socialism in Venezuela and the current state of affairs in the US. For now, the US has stronger democratic institutions and a more diversified economy. But the embrace of socialist policies and the erosion of democratic norms could lead to challenges similar to Venezuela in the long run. We should learn from Venezuela’s mistakes and strive for a balanced approach that promotes both economic prosperity and individual freedoms.

The US’s reservoirs of tax money are not unlimited. For every federal outlay, more money is borrowed. The author of the Great Society, President Lyndon Baines Johnson said, “It is not enough just to send in a cheque. Real charity isn’t giving away what you don’t need. Real charity is sacrifice.” Unfortunately, the sacrifice is of taxpayers for programs in sore need for reform. Pretty soon you run out of other people’s money.

While a social safety net is something that we as Americans have assented to, more socialism will not solve our social ills. The socialist solution has been tried and that way leads to debt and disaster.

Americans have avoided the most severe reactions to occasional economic downturns due to, among other things, fluctuations in global commodity prices. Despite the Great Recession and “quantitative easing,” we’ve profited from a more diversified economy and stronger institutions. The risk lies in our increasing reliance on government intervention and unsustainable spending resulting in long-term economic instability.

The US has seen a growing divide between the two major political parties. Populist leaders in the US, both on the left and the right, have seen a surge of support. Americans are disillusioned with the political establishment. Populist leaders offer appealing short-term solutions that could lead to long-term economic and political challenges.

With increasing polarization and gridlock, we may be facing economic challenges and a need for necessary reforms that require cooperation.
Calls for constitutional changes and a “political revolution” power American progressive movements. While these calls are often framed in terms of social justice and equality, they inevitably lead to the concentration of power and the erosion of checks and balances.

Despite such warning signs, the US has seen a push for increased government intervention in the economy. The Harris campaign has suggested price controls and nationalization of certain industries, which could lead to similar economic distortions and discourage private investment.

While there has lately been some dissent over allegations of election fraud in the U.S., the 2018 and 2024 Venezuelan presidential elections were marred by irregularities and allegations of fraud to where the legitimacy of the Maduro government has been called into question by international bodies.

Widespread protests against the Maduro government have been met with repression and violence. As mentioned earlier, dissent over radical economic reforms can lead to government crackdowns on democratic freedoms. National instability can follow. The Venezuelan government should have respected the right to peaceful protest and engaged in dialogue with the opposition to address the legitimate grievances of the people.

Widespread protests against the Maduro government have been met with repression and violence. As mentioned earlier, dissent over radical economic reforms can lead to government crackdowns on democratic freedoms. National instability can follow.
The Venezuelan government should have respected the right to peaceful protest and engaged in dialogue with the opposition to address the legitimate grievances of the people.

The death of Chávez in 2013 and the subsequent election of Nicolás Maduro further exacerbated the crisis. Rather than a “new way forward,” Maduro’s government continued Chávez’s policies, leading to hyperinflation, economic collapse, and a humanitarian crisis.
The Venezuelan government could have implemented comprehensive economic reforms, including removing price controls and liberalizing the exchange rate. It could also have respected democratic institutions and engaged in dialogue with the opposition to find a peaceful solution to the economic crisis.