Update no.1020

 Update from the Sunland

No.1020

26.7.21 – 1.8.21

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

            To all,

 

            The follow-up news items:

-- First, as a quasi-erratum from Update no.1919, my words left some implied loose ends that could lead to inaccurate assumptions. I note for the record that the Senate failed to pass the National Commission bill (H.R.3323) [1011] by the required super majority (per current Senate rules) on the 28^th of May [Senate: 54-35-0-11(0)]. Speaker Pelosi chose to go forward with the investigation of the January 6^th insurrection [991] without the Senate. Consequently, the House of Representatives passed House Resolution 503 (H.Res.503) - Establishing the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6^th Attack on the United States Capitol, on the 30^th of June [House: 222-190-0-19(4)]. A week ago Sunday, Speaker Pelosi chose to add another Republican – Representative Adam Daniel Kinzinger of Illinois – to serve on the Select Committee. He continues to serve in the Illinois Air National Guard as a lieutenant colonel pilot. Adam joins another Republican, Representative Cheney, who is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney.

The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6^th Attack on the United States Capitol began hearing testimony on Tuesday, 27.July.2021, with four law enforcement officers who were on duty that day—two Capitol Police officers, and two District of Columbia Metropolitan Police officers. The graphic testimony left no doubt whatsoever that the January 6^th attack was violent, illegal, and a direct attempt to stop the constitutional transfer of power . . . the very definition of insurrection. It was not some normal tourist visit [Clyde; 1018].

The fBICP members have chosen the wrong side of history and their self-interests over those of the nation. Let them reap what they sow.

-- On Tuesday, the 27^th, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued revised pandemic guidance that now recommends vaccinated citizen don a facial mask to protect the unvaccinated. I was really missing my mask, so I suppose we owe a debt of gratitude to the unvaccinated among us, who have enabled the COVID19 virus [946] to mutate, as viruses do, into a more infectious Delta variant (B.1.617.2). For the life of me, I do not understand why it is so bloody hard for so many people to appreciate that it is the hospitalization rate, i.e., the saturation of our critical emergency treatment capacity, that is the most threatening aspect of to COVID19 pandemic—not infections, not fatalities (however tragic). Once the medical system is saturated, there is no capability to deal with other life threatening situations—strokes, heart attacks, gunshot wounds, et cetera.

 

Just to be clear, I use the phrase [person who shall no longer be named] to reflect my deep contempt for the man who was duly elected by our constitutional process to perform as a public servant in the vital role as president of the United States of America. The man took the same oath of office as I did, to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. He has failed to fulfill his oath to this once grand republic. For the record, I once referred to him as president; he deserved the title because he was properly elected to the office by our constitutional process. As his behavior and performance continuously and persistently disrespected the office and responsibilities of the office he was elected to hold, I felt he no longer deserve the title; he became the Bully-In-Chief (BIC) because that was exactly how he was acting, e.g., 25.May.2017. His title (reference) further degenerated to the [person who shall no longer be named] after his conduct prior to, during and after the 6^th of January insurrection; so, it shall be for the remainder of history. No president in history (now except one) has encouraged and stimulated insurrection; history shall so record.

Additionally, so many of the members of Congress who vociferously support and defend their leader—the [person who shall no longer be named]—no longer represent or deserve to be associated with the once noble Republican Party. No, they are NOT Republicans; they have forfeited the title. They are now members of the fBICP (former Bully In Chief Party). They do NOT represent the values supported and espoused by the Republican Party. I note here that a few true Republicans remain in service at least until next year’s primary elections, and they shall retain the title of their affiliation. The rest of ‘em, nope, they do not deserve the title.

 

Then to put an exclamation point on the previous paragraph, I have seen particularly vile flags and posters appear in our community, in our state, and elsewhere in this once grand republic. Those flags said FUCK BIDEN. In my many years of life and service to this republic, I have never seen such signs. There is only one person who I condemn and will hold accountable for such flags—only one—the [person who shall no longer be named]. This is but one glimpse of the destruction he has wrought on this once grand republic. How so, some might ask? He did not make the flags. No, he did not make the flags or posters, just like he did not go to the Capitol Building on the 6^th of January. But, he has enabled that element of our society to flourish with presidential sanction. He alone has encouraged that small segment of our society. To be clear, those folks have existed in American society for decades and centuries; however, once the [person who shall no longer be named] occupied the Oval Office, he gave them voice, gave them cover, incited them to violate the law and Constitution on the 6^th of January. I continue to pray those who assaulted the Capitol Building that day in January are held accountable for their actions, but ultimately, the [person who shall no longer be named] must also be accountable and pay the very heavy price for his actions. President Biden was duly and properly elected to be president in accordance with the Constitution, just as the [person who shall no longer be named] was elected four years before. I took an oath of office to defend the right of citizens to display such flags and posters. The best I can do is to condemn their choices and simply acknowledge the ignorance of such flags. Passion is one thing. Ignorance is altogether a different matter.

 

As tired as I was in illuminating the despicable conduct and behavior of the [person who shall no longer be named] and the gaggle of consumers of his magic snake-oil elixir, sometimes referred to as his believers, I have wanted him to be relegated to the dustbin of history. I have written about our responsibility and obligation to each other to break the chain of infection with respect to the COVID19 virus. We bear witness to exactly what happens when substantial chunks of a susceptible populations refuses to do their part to meet that responsibility and obligation. The rising infection, hospitalization, and death rates today are a direct, inevitable result.

Some bozo stated on international 24/7 news program, “I’m not anti-vaccine. I’m pro-freedom.” Unfortunately, and regrettably, this guy is not alone; there are far too many of his ilk among us. As the data tell us, 99.5% of all the hospitalizations in today’s surge are unvaccinated people. Consequently, the CDC changed their guidance to all of us. Now, those of us who have done our part to break the chain of infection—isolated a year ago, wore a mask, and took the vaccine (Moderna February-March this year)—are being told we must mask up again after being free for several months. Why? Because the unvaccinated chose to impose their choices, their values, on all the rest of us, and now we must protect them from themselves.

 

Every citizen has a right to refuse a vaccine or to not wear a face mask. NO citizen has any right whatsoever to impose their choices, their decisions, their behavior on anyone else, including me. As citizens of this once grand republic, our responsibility is to break the chain of infection during a pandemic. I chose to wear a mask in public and take the vaccine as soon as it was available to my age group. Those who choose not to take the vaccine or wear a mask offer a fertile host environment to a highly infectious virus, i.e., they refuse to do their part to break the chain of infection, often in the name of personal freedom. I am good with personal freedom as long as the choices of others do not affect my choices. I respect them. They should respect me. Asking me and other vaccinated citizens to carry the burden of protecting the unvaccinated is not respectful or reasonable. Johns Hopkins University reports that 97-99% of hospitalizations in the last few weeks are unvaccinated people. The longer there are sufficient fertile hosts for the virus, it will continue to mutate in search of a form that will overcome the obstacles presented to its replication. It is long past time for the unvaccinated to carry their own burden for their choices.

[Footnote: I wrote this paragraph before my response in the Comment Section below. Please forgive the contradiction.]

 

The national infrastructure bill – INVEST in America Act (H.R.3684) – finally achieved demonstrable progress in the Senate this week, after passing in the House of Representatives on July 1^st [House: 221-201-0-8(5)]. On 28.July.2021, the Senate voted to invoke Cloture [Senate: 67-32-0-1(0)], and then two days later, the Senate took another vote, this time, to Proceed [Senate: 66-28-0-6(0)]—another step closer to passage of the US$1.2T bipartisan infrastructure funding bill. Senate Majority Leader Schumer kept the Senate in session to finalize the wording of the bill. Over the weekend, on various talking head programs, several Republican and Democrat senators stated they expected vote on passage by Friday next week. This action is several administrations (plural) overdue. Of course, the [person who shall no longer be named] reportedly burst into a tirade against the Republicans who supported the legislation, which means it must be a good bill.

 

The State of California oversees nearly a quarter of the nation’s charitable assets and has enormous regulatory responsibility to ensure charities under the state’s authority abide by the law. One of the tools the state has installed to perform their regulatory oversight is the requirement of every charity to submit a copy of the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 990, Schedule B that requires charities “to disclose the names and addresses of donors who have contributed more than $5,000 in a particular tax year (or, in some cases, who have given more than 2 percent of an organization’s total contributions).” The Schedule B submittals are confidential, held in a secure database, and not disclosed to the public. One of the charities that claimed to be affected by the state’s Schedule B requirement challenged the constitutionality of the state directive—Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta [594 U. S. ____ (2021); No. 19–251]. An ideologically divided 6-3 court declared the California law unconstitutional as an undue burden on a citizen’s right of association.

The so-called conservative Supremes appear to have fallen victim to the exact same affliction that infected their political colleagues—imposing a solution looking for a problem. They did not explain why California’s exact same use of the federal IRS Form 990, Schedule B data is unconstitutional while the federal use remains valid. Writing for the dissent, Justice Kagan had to give Chief Justice Roberts an English lesson and rightly so, I might add. She was correct. While the Prosperity Foundation decision is not as broadly impactful as Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission [558 U.S. 310 (2010); 21.1.2010] [424], it is comparably lopsided in favor of money and the monied elite of this country. The Prosperity Foundation ruling is just as wrong as the Citizens United decision. But hey, this is what we get with too many conservative justices.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.1019:

Comment to the Blog:

“I have at least three friends named Karen, and I don't appreciate the disparaging use of their name.

“Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has a cloud hanging over him from his time in the administration at The Ohio State University during the time a sports doctor sexually abused hundreds of athletes.

“You seem to focus on Presidents' oratorical skills. I'm into policy.

“I have seen rain in the desert, on one occasion in Tucson. It was more dramatic and dangerous than any rainstorm I remember in the Great Lakes or the Deep South.”

My response to the Blog:

No offense intended. One of my aunts is named Karen. Just a popular moniker for offensive public behavior in stores, airplanes, trains, ships, and other public venues,

Indeed, and the cloud keeps getting darker and darker—a true fBICP believer and sycophant. The 4^th District that Jordan represents is a good example of gerrymandering.

I focused on oratorical skills because they detracted from the policy message coming through clearly. I wanted to hear policy. What I was able to discern I liked, but delivery is crucial.

Yes indeed, rainstorms in the desert should never be underestimated.

 

Another contribution:

“Never come across this CRT before, I need to Google that one and I will.

“Sounds as though you both had an excellent trip ‘up north’ and good flights.

“I admit it’s difficult for us Brits to appreciate the size of your country. Although we do fly around somewhat it’s nothing as you may do. We remember the surprise we had when we travelled by train from Perth Western Australia to Sydney, it took 62 hrs! Of course we had a cabin and meals. We flew back! An excellent event one that will never be deleted from the grey matter.”

My reply:

CRT is an intellectual tool to understand institutional racism that has existed in the United States from before the Revolution and persists to this day despite myriad laws and constitutional amendments. The reactions of the fBICP reflects sensitivity of some to those painful realities. Understanding and appreciating what CRT shows us is a worthy intellectual exercise. It is NOT some radical left-wing conspiracy. The fBICP has chosen to vilify and condemn CRT to stoke the fears of a minority element of our society, and I doubt any of them have made any attempt to understand. As General Milley so appropriately stated, reading the Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei does not mean he agrees with the document or makes him a communist. Understanding all sides of any issue is vitally important. The fBICP penchant to embrace ignorance over knowledge is what is so bloody tragic. Their intransigent perpetuation of the BIG LIE is despicable, unconstitutional, and contemptible by the greatest possible means.

Yes, Jeanne and I had a thoroughly enjoyable visit with our children and grandchildren—time and money well spent.

Yes, the United States is a large country, but we are only the 4^th largest by land area. A train ride from Perth to Sydney (or in reverse) sounds like a genuine experience. The story I am currently working on features the transcontinental railroad completed in 1869 that finally connected the east and west coasts, and enabled the westward expansion of the United States. I am so glad y’all were able to enjoy Australia.

 

From a related but different thread regarding the CDC pandemic guidance and Dr. Fauci:

“Just to be clear, the guidance is presented in such technical terms that it is useless to the general public. The additional flaw is that the restrictions are advised for those least likely to follow them.

“Your anecdotal evidence is poignant but not particularly relevant.”

My response:

Oh hell, I guess the [person who shall no longer be named] was correct all along—it’s every man for himself, screw everyone else. Hail to der Führer!  I will try to stop trying to convince people to do their part for the survival of the collective. I am practically a reclusive hermit already, immersed in the words of my stories. Viel Glück an alle. Es lebe der Anführer.

 . . . Round two:

“I don't know where that came from. I'm still discussing incompetence, not lack of concern.”

 . . . my response to round two:

My mood at the moment, I’m afraid.

Dr. Fauci is a scientific expert in virology. He does not make or enforce policy. If we want to discuss things, let us focus on the data, and not attack Fauci. I am just very tired of the personal attacks on the man who is doing his job. Yes, he made a dreadful mistake early on due to the exigencies of those circumstances. How do you (or anyone else) think it would have gone down last year, if he had said, “Look folks. This virus is serious. Masks can give you significant protection. But, we do not have enough masks for everyone, and we must protect our frontline health care professionals first before the public.” The United States was dreadfully and painfully ill-prepared for the pandemic. He was on the line, not us; I give the guy a little tolerance.

 . . . Round three:

“It's not as personal as all that. Fauci is not nearly the only incompetent government servant here, although I think we'd have benefitted if he'd retired at 65. Pretty much every government official, regardless of party or position, has shown serious incompetence, particularly in encouraging vaccination. I'd do a partial exemption for our governor here in Ohio, who at least discovered the value of incentives, but he still whines every time he talks.”

 . . . my response to round three:

I am sorry you are so dissatisfied with governmental officials. I do not share your dissatisfaction. Further, I have no idea what you expect or want to be done differently? Would you feel better if they told you what you wanted to hear?

We have all been bombarded by a plethora of disinformation that is not easy to sort through. I listened to the interview of another, non-governmental doctor who focused her words on lethality and masks do not affect lethality. Listening to her words, it would be so easy to latch onto hey, masks don’t work. IMHO FWIW, her words were not factually wrong but precisely incorrect in the societal context. The issue with the COVID19 virus has never been lethality; it has always been hospitalizations, i.e., the saturation of our serious illness treatment capacity.

It is in this particular context that I find the criticism of Dr. Fauci and others so bloody frustrating. As always, you remain free to speak as you wish . . . as do I. Vilifying Fauci serves no purpose whatsoever and is distracting at best. The threat is hospitalizations, not Dr. Fauci’s words.

 

            My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)