Random Monday Musings

Of the Draft, Medical Debt, the Media, and Two Grumpy Old Men

Young Americans are now facing mandatory registration for selective service, i.e. a military draft. Meanwhile, recruitment for the “all-volunteer” military remains sluggish. But no one in authority suggests the obvious solution to recruitment shortfalls: downsize the U.S. military’s imperial bootprint, i.e. stop striving for “global reach, global power” and focus instead on true national defense.

I saw where the Biden administration is “helping” Americans to qualify for home mortgage loans by deleting medical-related debt from credit reports. In other words, people still have to pay their medical debts; the fact that they have medical debts will just be masked so that they can qualify for more debt in the form of a home mortgage loan. If that doesn’t scream Biden compromise, I don’t know what does.

It’s so sad and disheartening how quickly Aaron Bushnell’s sacrificial suicide to protest genocide in Gaza has been dismissed and forgotten by the corporate-owned media in America.

Get ready for two grumpy old men and a lot of shouting

I’m not looking forward to the “debate” between Biden and Trump this Thursday. I expect a 90-minute shouting match between two grumpy old men. Still, I feel obligated to watch it, if only to write about it here. I expect Trump will be Trump (angry, insulting, undisciplined, and boastful) and Biden will be Biden (unfocused, confused, and also angry, shouting and pointing for emphasis).

I remember taking a class in high school on debate and discussion. It was all about persuasion through command of the material, of staying on subject, of stating facts clearly, of being logical but also of connecting with one’s audience. This week’s CNN debate dispensed with the audience, apparently because Trump is far better at connecting with (or pandering to) an audience than Biden is. I expect Trump to “win” in the sense he’ll be more spontaneous and less confused than Biden, but of course the real loser of the debate won’t be Biden or Trump. It’ll be us.

It’s hard for me to get past scenes of Members of Congress waving Ukrainian and Israeli flags and thinking it’s both patriotic and representative of the American people to do so.

I’m betting that in Thursday’s “debate,” neither candidate will speak much, if at all, of peace and diplomacy. I expect the corporate tool moderators won’t mention genocide in Gaza. Indeed, I think Biden and Trump will compete over who is more slavishly pro-Israel and pro-Bibi. I’m guessing Biden will win that competition, since no U.S. political figure has accepted more money from AIPAC and other hardline pro-Israel lobbies. “Lunch bucket” Joe has had to wield a wheelbarrow for all the millions in campaign cash he’s accepted over his fifty years in politics. But he’s a man of the people!

I understand many people want to thumb their noses at a corrupt system that produces corporate tools like Joe Biden and sells them as caring for the “little people.” But thumbing your nose shouldn’t lead you to cut off your nose to spite your face by voting for a narcissistic billionaire who sells overpriced Bibles and golden sneakers.

Unhappy with Biden/Trump? Vote for someone else. Jill Stein. RFK Jr. Don’t confine yourself to the Hobson’s Choice offered by America’s two corrupted parties.

Enjoy your Monday, everyone!