Update no.1046

 Update from the Sunland

No.1046

24.1.22 – 30.1.22

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

 

            To all,

 

            The follow-up news items:

-- Beginning at 14:00 [R] EST (19:00 GMT), 24.January.2021, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) [1041] fired its onboard thrusters for about five minutes (297 seconds) to complete its orbital entry burn maneuver. The JWST is in its final stable halo orbit around Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L2, which in turn orbits the sun in synch with the earth. The deployment of the JWST is complete. The mission team now begins the process of calibration and certification of the telescope and its associated instruments, a task that is expected to take three to five months. We hope to see the first processed image around June of this year.

-- I stand with Ms. Stephanie Gregory Clifford (AKA Stormy Daniels) [879].

 

Associate Justice Stephen Gerald Breyer announced his decision to retire from the U.S. Supreme Court at the end of the present term. The speculation on who and by what process Breyer’s replacement will be confirmed began immediately. After the travesty of McConnell in 2016 and his redux in 2020, I feel the strong urge to say I do not care who it is, jam it down the throats of the fBICP just as they did to the rest of us. But, I must resist that human compulsion. With Breyer’s retirement, I am hearing quite a bit more about Sotomayor’s ideological anger rather than collegiality. Every time I hear the criticism, I ask, do you mean like Thomas’ and Alito’s ideological anger? The Supreme Court is yet one more example of how badly my generation has so grossly goobered up the stewardship of this once grand republic. And, to think, all of this failure may well stem from the political conservatives and social conservatives’ inability to comprehend the greater meaning of Roe v. Wade [410 U.S. 113 (1973)] [319]. This one Supreme Court case may best represent the forces at play that are pulling apart the very fabric of this once grand republic. If that is the case, then so be it; our fundamental right to privacy is too bloody important. Perhaps we are not worthy of the rights, privileges and freedoms entrusted to us.

 

An odd observation: the orange one held his latest non-political, political rally at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Conroe, Texas, 35 miles north of Houston. When I see and listen to the orange one, I see and hear Adolf Hitler. Why is that? My guess, like his apparent role model, he doubled down on the BIG LIE and his instigation of insurrection. He directly attacked and undermined the very heart of the American system of democratic governance. After that despicable performance, millions of American citizens who vote, actually still believe the man to such an extent that they will do anything he even hints at needing. Perhaps I answered my own query.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.1045:

Comment to the Blog:

“I have long been unclear about Tulsi Gabbard. Thank you for the clarity.

“Biden marks a return to the broad pattern of the past 40 years, where the President is the tool of one of the parties. As with some of his predecessors, it’s hard to keep track of all the nonsense used to justify the positions.

“People have in fact suggested a return to the ‘stand-up’ filibuster, but their voices are drowned out by headline grabbers.

“The abortion debate will continue indefinitely because it turns on when a fetus becomes sentient separately from the mother, and that remains unknowable. Remember that outlawing the procedure doesn’t reduce the number of times it’s performed but does increase the risk to the pregnant person’s life five-fold per the National Institutes of Health’s discussion of results before and after Roe v Wade.

“Many prominent politicians are hypocrites, and that may be even more common among elitists like Boris Johnson. I have no clue why your UK correspondent is surprised.

“I’ll skip the vaccine debate except to differ about visiting a hospital. Hospitals are rife with infections, even more so right now. Stay away from there. I am.”

My response to the Blog:

Yep, she crossed the line for me on that one.

I do not think I can go that far. President Biden deserves criticism but being “the tool of one of the parties” is a bit too far for me. He is still monumentally better than what we had with his predecessor.

I was specifically pointing my filibuster comment at Manchin and Sinema, since they both voted for the voting rights bills but refused to break the filibuster deadlock to pass the needed law. I am also disappointed one of the moderate Republicans did not step up. The all or nothing stance is just wrong. And as a consequence, the state fBICP legislatures roll on with their draconian voter suppression laws—Jim Crow v2.0. Nonetheless, we shall overcome; it will just take more time.

We are in agreement on the abortion question. As I have long contended, prohibition is NEVER a successful approach for social change. I truly wish the medical procedure was never needed ever again, but until we can find a more informed and progressive means, we must make it safe. The reasoning in Roe v. Wade [410 U.S. 113 (1973)] [319] was careful, precise, logical and responsible. The justices tried very hard to balance the rights of the mother and protect the maturing fetus. Unfortunately, and regrettably, the social conservatives have gone high and right on the question. Now, it is just a social contest rather than reasoned law. Given the recent writings of the conservative justices, I am not particularly optimistic regarding the question before the Court.

Good point. Perhaps s/he will explain.

Hard to stay away from a hospital if you experience a life-threatening affliction like a heart attack, stroke, perforated ulcer, appendicitis, et cetera. Some necessary medical procedures must be performed in hospitals. Beyond that, I agree; I do not go unless there is some unavoidable requirement.

 

Another contribution

“Thanks Cap-my word what an excellent Blog, you’ve been busy.

“Our Downing Street saga continues with more and more accusations heaped at the front door. We shall see, what a mess.”

My reply:

A mess, indeed. There are many similarities between the fiasco of the PM, and our previous president; they apparently believe laws only apply to us riff-raff, and not to them. I dare say, the PM may feel the consequences long before [the person who shall no longer be named], such are the features of our similar but different forms of governance.

BTW, another reader asked why you were surprised by PM Johnson’s conduct?

 

A different contribution:

“Interesting discussion of how the honorable T-Party fell victim to the ultra-right (at least that seemed to be one 1045 topic among the continued stabs at the former POTUS. As a disappointed supporter of early TP efforts continuing to bitterly resent the GOP emasculation of its sympathizers in Congress, I shall attend the Mississippi Libertarian Party convention this weekend to seek hope in an alternative for the bad choices offered by the corrupt major parties.

“I have read and agree with the Libertarian Party platform in principle and intention and have only a few concerns with some wording, nothing to compare with my concerns about the clear socialistic direction of the Democrats or the suicidal actions of the confused Republicans. The last Libertarian candidates for POTUS and VP were impressive, but they are presently laying low. I have been impressed with the sincerity of the one MS LP candidate for Congress I have spoken with.

“I'll try next week to give you a summary of my reactions to our experience in Gulfport Saturday.”

My response:

Yes, it is an interesting topic that pops up in my writing from time to time.

I stab at the orange one because he will not go away. Full stop! If you were at all interested, you could go back and read my Updates from the months after his official candidacy announcement [16.6.2015]. I did not think the event was worthy of any words. I was gobsmacked that he gained any traction in the early Republican primaries, but he did. I knew he was a train wreck from long before he became a candidate. And yet, he not only became the Republican nominee, we elected him president by the constitutionally specified process. If he would disappear or go to prison where he belongs, I would not be stabbing at him. He is a virus that will not die.

As I have written, if I had to pick a political party that comes closest to my thinking, it would be the Libertarian Party. However, I have more than a few differences that separate me. We need a strong federal government, not an emasculated one. Case in point, the pandemic response. The Libertarians tend to be more laissez-faire and isolationist than I think is sustainable. To me, most importantly, the federal government is required to establish and defend our freedoms in liberal and conservative states—a common standard. Again, to me, it is our fundamental right to privacy (even though not mentioned in the Constitution) that is the heart of the matter. I want a strong federal government, but I also want strong state governments, properly balanced between federal & state’s rights. Lastly, I will say, I think the Libertarians are more likely to unravel the travesty and insult that is the Controlled Substances Act; prohibition is wrong; and that retains my attention.

I eagerly anticipate your report on your experience at the Mississippi Libertarian convention.

 

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

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)