Uncategorized – Page 27

Admiration and Empathy. Dialogue

There are forces that affect us every day of our lives. One is Admiration.

Notice how much effort goes into stressing the differences between us. ‘Look at my Tesla. My Mercedes. Look at how I dress. Check out my handbag – designed by such and such. I live over there, yes, on the hill, above the hoi polloi. I went to Harvard. To Stanford. I dine there – ugh, never will get caught dining at that other place. I can do this, I can do that, and you can’t.’

How we relish the opportunity to show off. To parade our perceived superiority. It’s that narcissism in us, isn’t it? And what a force it is.

But it comes with risks. One such risk is that with the affirmation of what we have or have earned, if not careful, we may open the door for the slow erosion of empathy.

The more we may feel admired, the more we may believe we are special and unique.

And, indeed, we may be, but so are those who’re doing the admiring. They, too, are unique, in their own way. They, too, have their own power, even if not expressed fully for lack of effort or other circumstances.

The person who’s being admired has made an assertion of their power and yet, in between the layers of such assertion, another statement may have been made, ‘I am better than you,’ which leads to the slow erosion of empathy.

Such erosion is insidious, barely perceptible at first, but if not checked may quickly become pronounced.

Where I live, I go for walks in a business district adjacent. There is one beggar I’ve come across often as he sits cross legged on the sidewalk, a cup for donations in front. Now and then I dropped money in his cup but never said anything.

Did I think of myself as better than him?

Yes. And I asked, why does this man keep doing the same thing, again and again?

Not long ago I noticed he had started talking to himself and wondered whether he was mentally ill.

More days passed and then I saw him talking loudly at passing cars as he stood by the side of the street.

I went up to him.

‘Hi… I’ve never seen you talking loudly at passing cars… you seem to be getting worse… did you go off your medication?’

It was the first time I had addressed him and he was surprised. He could have told me off, to mind my own business, but he didn’t.

I then added, ‘I used to work in the field so I know something about it.’

Nothing else was said but days later he had stopped talking loudly at the passing cars.

Maybe that was the problem, I reflected.

Weeks went by. Now and then we would cross paths as we both walked about, sometimes exchanging a nod.

And, yes, I felt my empathy eroding. Is he really trying to improve his lot?

A part of me wanted to give up on him, assigning him to the group of people who have stopped trying, who don’t put an effort to improve their lives. Another part of me cautioned restraint, to wait and see.

Then one day, as he again sat squatting on the sidewalk, I put money in his cup and said, ‘there is help, you know… you could go to vocational rehabilitation. There are things they could do for you so you can give up this lifestyle.’

He looked back, the eyes wide, the skin sun burnt and, yes, a hint of a smile, but said nothing.

I reminded myself not to judge, tempted as I was, for I knew nothing of his story.

More days passed and then I tried again.

I walked right up. ‘Have you looked into what is available?’

He met my gaze, and I thought I saw a sense of satisfaction in his expression. ‘I’ve made an appointment with a psychiatrist and a therapist,’ he said.

I was pleased to hear it and told him so. Will he keep his appointments? Time will tell.

All the while I had been on the edge of giving up on him. To simply avoid him. Stop putting money in his cup.

But I also reminded myself to keep up the dialogue. To not let it die.

Yes, the precious dialogue. The life giving dialogue.

The one with myself, which reminds me that as I have my powers the man must have his, even if not fully expressed.

And the one with him, so as to challenge my prejudices and my tendency to judge.

Oh, dialogue, don’t you ever leave me!

Oscarvaldes.net. oscarvaldes.net

Reflections on Recent News

On Possible Settlements of About $450,000 per Immigrant (WSJ 11/1/2021)

They are now being proposed on behalf of immigrant families alleging trauma when parents and children were separated after they crossed the border – illegally – in 2018.

The separations occurred as part of the zero tolerance enforcement policy put in place in 2018 by the Trump administration to deal with illegal immigration from Mexico.

Talk of settlements is in progress, reportedly to avoid the higher costs of going to trial.

Approximately 940 claims have been filed so far by families affected with no certainty as to how many more will do so. The total cost to the government may reach $ 1 billion.

Clearly, it was wrong and inhumane for the Trump administration to act as they did.

But should monetary awards be granted to such families, absent death or other cruel physical damage? No.

These families crossed illegally. They may have been desperate to cross, in defiance of the law, given untenable circumstances at home, and so they crossed, braving the risks involved in their search for freedom and the opportunity to remake their lives.

Separation of the members of the family was one such risk.

To now have a settlement in their favor is not fair to other Americans who deal daily with labor and housing problems, limited education, reduced access to health care, crime or otherwise unsafe neighborhoods.

In the spirit of justice, these immigrants who crossed illegally and were so mistreated, could be granted a path to permanent resident status. But not given monetary rewards.

Let the new immigrants deal with the same problems lower income Americans have to face every day. Would lower income Americans like to get an award the size of the proposed settlements? Yes, why not? What about our suffering, they would argue.

Mr Biden should not allow these absurd monetary settlements to be granted. There must be a way to block them.

Many Americans would be offended that their own priorities take second place to those of illegally crossing immigrants.

Republican legislators are loudly protesting this idea. It is clear that they see the political potential of playing this up.

It would be very harmful politically for democrats to go along with the proposed settlements.

Control of the House of representatives has been in jeopardy. Why add vulnerability? Never mind the Senate which is evenly split. An issue like this may lead the swing vote to give both houses to Republicans in next year’s elections.

Biden has to stop this. This won’t go away and will badly hurt the agenda he seeks to push through to assist millions of Americans who have been waiting for years for fairer policies to improve their lives.

With the proposed settlements, the new immigrants would go right to the front of the line.

Mr Biden and his administration need to keep the big picture in mind.

A Shortage of Butchers in Britain

(The Economist – Oct 23^rd-29^th – Britain Section)

Post Brexit, the National Pig Association estimates there are approx 125 to 150 thousand pigs waiting to be turned into pork. To prevent them from going to waste, the government recently authorized 800 new visas for butchers, although more than 10,000 may be needed.

But there are language requirements (post Brexit) that are raising obstacles.

One representative of the British Meat Producers Association had this to say about such requirement for butchers: ‘they wanted to work with their hands so probably weren’t top of their class.’ Then added, “our HR (Human Resources) people aren’t sure they’d pass the test in their own language.’

Dear sir, must you stick your head up in the clouds so high, just as you need others?

Here are your fellow citizens eagerly asking for the additional butchers (to be drawn mostly from countries in the European Union) and you are putting them down.

All the years spent in the trade and still it got away from you – confronting the old prejudice that manual skills are at odds with intelligence.

You are not alone, for the people in HR appear to think alike.

But, of course, we all stumble here and there.

Just come down to earth and maybe you won’t make the same mistake again.

Manual skills are a precious gift. I wish I had them.

As way of atonement, do give thanks to these expert cutters who are providing the pork that makes you a living.

And as you do, ask yourself, could I do the job?

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net

Money and Freedom. The Price to Pay

Money doesn’t guarantee freedom.

We have examples of people who, having money, go on to surrender their lives to absurd causes.

To mind come two wealthy people, one a man, another a woman, who went on to let sexual perversions destroy their lives. They used their ample means to corrupt others as they indulged their perversions.

I think, too, of a man who’d made a fortune in internet security and then went off to commit a series of acts that diminished his existence.

Years ago, a friend told me the story of a person who was not doing much with his life, waiting for his father – a famous writer – to die so he would inherit the wealth. Was he benefitting from the promise of wealth? No. He was wasting his life by not exploring his personal possibilities.

And in the last few days, the case of a real estate heir has been in the news, after being found guilty of the murder of a former friend. Money didn’t improve his judgment.

The examples abound.

Money is a wonderful source of solace and comfort and a strong incentive to action and creation, but when an inner compass is lacking, then money may magnify the person’s flaws.

The inner compass which helps guide a person cannot be bequeathed. Cannot be handed over like a book. Each person has to acquire it, earn it by the discovery and understanding of what feelings and thoughts form our psychic universe.

Some wealthy people have known this.

Years ago, I read that the American oil tycoon, JP Getty, had bequeathed a certain amount of his money to his children and no more. The bulk of his wealth was to go to the support of the arts – and so it did, over the years multiplying and enlightening the minds of many.

One of our present richest investors, early on apportioned some of his wealth to his children, the rest to be given to philanthropy. From what I read in a book written by one of his children, the investor had made clear to his heirs that the amounts he was distributing would be all they would be getting, ‘so get out there and find a way to make a life for yourselves’.

Something about the struggle to affirm oneself is sidestepped when the reward is given freely.

Such struggle for personal affirmation is eminently personal, different for each one of us.

The person may have had wonderful parents, supportive or indifferent parents, no parents at all or abusive ones, but still the battle has to be fought, for it is the battle for our sense of personal worth, which when well fought reveals us the answers.

What is my power?

Where does it come from?

How do I nurture it so I may enlarge it?

To not accept the challenge is an act of emotional and intellectual self betrayal.

Each one of us has a certain power – the one that nature has endowed us with. Recognizing and pursuing it is every person’s task. In some instances such power shines brightly from the start and so the path is clear. But in many cases it is not easily detected and one has to choose from affinities or leanings and try each one out in the effort to find which one works best.

The process may be tricky, often consuming, sometimes taking us down the wrong road. But it is all part of the essential exploration of the self in the never ending task to answer the question, ‘what makes us stronger and wiser?’

If you find an answer to that question, you have found a key to a good life. I say ‘a’ key and not ‘the’ key because even with that key we can end up wasting our time.

Whatever we wish to try in earnest we need to devote time to. Sustained effort is the necessary ingredient. Which implies defying a measure of uncertainty, as well as recognizing that others will have more than we have and so be it.

But we can live with that notion, so long as we never give up on improving ourselves.

Can money improve our ability to relate to others? No.

It can, however, buy us distance from others which may translate into comfort. But such distance has time limited benefits and can be illusory. Nothing ought to spare us the struggle to find out who we really are.

That knowledge comes from relentless self inquiry and testing ourselves in the world.

If money, whether acquired by our own efforts or inherited, is getting us into a bubble, then we must step out of it.

Not long ago a famous movie industry person was found guilty of repeatedly abusing women. Whatever his demons, he had ceased to confront them. The bubble, which wealth had facilitated for him, kept him from seeing himself in the mirror of life, then kept him from seeing how his freedom was escaping his grasp. Intoxicated with his authority, he repeatedly missed that those who came to him were doing so in search of their own power. With each failure to acknowledge others, freedom left him.

And he lost it all.

He had thought that his money shielded him, and that the struggle for his existence was over. It never is.

Every day, we ought to keep saying to ourselves, ‘this is my power, I have this, and I commit to furthering its growth through my sustained efforts. And my own power is enhanced by recognizing and respecting that of others.’

Powers so found are not selfish powers but generous instead, fully aware of all that has gone into recognizing, nurturing and growing them.

In sharing them, such powers are enlarged.

The sum of individual powers creates enormous collective powers.

We need only look around us to remind ourselves that the foundations upon which we stand are the result of the collective effort of mankind. The computer on which I write this. The home I inhabit. The clothes I wear. The blood test I had the other day. The miracle of CoVid vaccines. The train I ride.

Every day life challenges our sense of personal freedom. And it is up to us to avoid or confront, to evade or affirm, to grow or regress.

Every day.

When we confront life’s challenges, we expand ourselves, when we retreat we contract.

A few days ago I read of a man in a subway train attempting to rape a woman as others stood by without intervening.

How could that be?

Perhaps the assailant was very strong and the witnesses feared the man would turn on them and injure or kill them. But they forgot what powers they did have. They forgot that if an individual effort might not be deemed sufficient by itself, then the sum of the efforts of all witnessing the act may well be. But fear had paralyzed them. And they stood by as the man continued to injure the woman.

What could have been done by the frightened and shocked bystanders?

Affirm their individual powers and hope it engaged that of the others.

Speak! Shout! Scream in anger and fury at what is happening. Those are all expressions of power. Look the assailant in the eye and say ‘Stop! Stop now! You are hurting another human being and you must stop!’

And perhaps such action might have stopped the assailant, or if not then sparked the rage of the witnesses who could then collectively have devised other actions to stop the harm being done.

Anything but silence.

Would each of those who stood quietly, not have preferred that witnesses screamed in their behalf if they, in turn, had been the victims?

Of course.

Anything but silence.

Each person’s voice matters.

Everyone has some power.

Freedom has a price.

We must be willing to pay it every day for it is always being challenged.

Every day.

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net.

Don’t Violate Moderna’s Right to Profit

The Biden Administration has been pressuring Moderna to transfer its vaccine making know how to other countries.

The argument goes that it is entitled to do so.

Starting with the Trump administration, the US government provided Moderna with essential monetary support that made possible the creation of the vaccine and thus, they ought to give away their intellectual rights to the rest of the world.

According to a report on the WSJ on Wednesday, 12 democrats in congress, led by senators Sanders and Warren, stated in a letter to the White House, ‘that the government may have the right to confiscate Moderna’s intellectual property because it had received huge sums of public funding from American taxpayers.’

In January 2020, the Trump administration did give Moderna $900 million to conduct trials for the vaccine when other companies were unwilling to take the financial risk. Moderna stepped up with a commitment and then raised $1.3 billion privately, enabling it to put together an outstanding product that has saved millions of lives. But it was chiefly the talent that Moderna assembled that made possible the scientific achievement.

Lots of money spent by government goes to waste.

Moderna, instead, transformed the investment into a huge success and fully deserve what profits they may acquire (and easily pay back the government’s money with interest).

Furthermore, the company has contributed significantly to middle and poor income countries by way of donations of the vaccine or selling it at cost.

The World Health Organization has been pressuring president Biden to give more to less developed countries. That is fine, but the US government, not Moderna, should pay for it.

Preserving our intellectual rights is key to our economy. It was here in the US and other free countries that recognize the value of monetary incentives to creativity, where the knowledge to create the vaccines developed. That has to be respected because it is the heartbeat of our system.

That senators Sanders and Warren don’t get it is too bad. Judging by their past performance they will never do.

Somehow, though, they have managed to influence the Biden administration, whose emissary was quoted as saying to the press, ‘We’ve been in very, very intense discussions with Moderna. Do not underestimate the resolve of the US government in addressing this issue.’ Oh, yes, let’s put the squeeze on Moderna, said the man, while sounding like a Chinese politburo member wannabee.

Would the administration dare try such bullying tactics on Pfizer/BioNtech? No, because those players had money of their own to produce their vaccine and can tell the government to go to hell. So pour it on Moderna, instead.

At your peril, Mr Biden.

If you want our country to be the leading contributor of vaccines to the neediest countries in the world, that is indeed a worthy cause. But let us all pay for it. Not just Moderna.

For the record. I’m not a Moderna stockholder, although I wish I was.

Good luck.

Go easy, Mr President, or democrats will lose both houses next year, and you’ll need Mitch McConnell as your de facto VP to get anything done.

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net Also available on Apple podcast, anchor.fm, buzzsprout etc.

Governor Abbott and Covid. Texas USA

The Governor is addressing a large group of Texans assembled in a convention hall in Austin.

Gov – What Mr Biden is doing with his vaccine mandates clearly violates our personal freedom…

Applause from the audience.

Gov – … but not only that, it is also slowing our economic recovery because his mandate leads to worker layoffs, responsible and hard working Americans who refuse to be controlled by the government…

More applause from the audience.

Gov – … I have thus issued an executive order this last Monday that forbids Texas companies to compel its employees to get vaccinated, so they are free to defy the president’s mandate and set their own compassionate policies, which must uphold, first and foremost, the freedom of all Texans to choose whether to get vaccinated or not, based on their conscience, religious beliefs or other personal reasons.

More applause.

Gov – … We, as a proud people, will not be constrained by dictatorial orders from Washington.

More applause and now shouts of ‘Abbott for president!!’ ‘Long live the state of Texas!!’ ‘Down with Socialism!!’ ‘Abolish all taxes!!’

Gov – The Biden mandate, which applies to businesses with 100 employees or more, is clearly federal overreach and thus unacceptable.

A lady in the audience raises her hand to speak.

Gov – (signaling to her) Please, the lady has a question. Go ahead Ms.

Lady – I am an executive with the Greater Houston Partnership representing over 900 businesses, including Exxon and Chevron, and we welcome president Biden’s mandate because it makes it easier to enforce workplace safety and helps prevent workers going to other companies with laxer rules.

Gov – That may be convenient to you but what about freedom?

Lady – Why should a coworker bear the burden of possible infection from someone who refuses to be vaccinated?

Gov – People who do not get vaccinated use masks… they practice social distancing… for they are prudent and responsible people…

Lady – No, governor, some may do but others do not, so it is not uniform and thus the lack of vaccination represents a threat to the welfare of others, a threat to their freedom to be at lower risk of contagion.

Gov – There is always a risk, isn’t it, but that is the price of freedom…

Applause from the audience. The lady sits down. Now another woman raises her hand asking to speak.

Gov – (signaling to her) The lady over there, please.

Lady 2 – I am a nurse at Houston Methodist Hospital, where we have taken an oath to do no harm, and that means doing everything possible to prevent the spread of the disease and that is why we fired those employees who refused to get vaccinated. We cannot afford to add risk to those who come to us in search of assistance. When we care for a patient, we may need to be very close to them, and we will not permit anything but the highest standards in exercising such care.

Gov – If health care workers are properly suited, with enough barriers against the transmission of the infection, they should be able to deliver the best care and still assert their freedom to not get vaccinated. Or they could get assigned to other duties.

Scattered applause from the audience.

Now a man in an Army uniform stands up. He doesn’t bother to raise his hand.

Man – Governor… I am an officer with the US Army. I served two tours of duty in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban, who gave shelter to Al Qaeda and allowed for the attacks on our nation on 9/11. While fighting the Taliban, if my commander ordered me to go out on patrol in the service of my country – to preserve our liberties – I did not turn around and say to him, ‘What about my freedom?’ No, I just did it. And I did it because I had enrolled in the armed forces to preserve the freedoms of this country… and preserving the freedoms of this country calls for sacrifices. Well, our nation has been at war with Covid, and there ought to be no room for people to say, ‘I don’t want to join in fighting the germ that is killing my fellow Americans.’ Fighting Covid calls for actions that we may not personally agree with, but given they are in the interests of the greater good then they should be followed.’

Gov – Officer, we all appreciate your service… your courage…

Man – Sir, as of yesterday, the average daily deaths from Covid in the state of Texas was 235.6, with a 52% vaccination rate. In the state of Florida, the average daily deaths came to 239.7, with a 58% vaccination rate. But in California, where mandates have been enforced, the average daily deaths was only 98.7, with a 60% vaccination rate. Those are figures taken from the virus tracker site at the NY Times so all of you are welcome to check them. Some of these dead folks may have been older, or immunocompromised, but they are fellow Americans… and they also have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of freedom. So, sir, for you to insist on defying our commander in chief’s mandate, which was meant to protect all Americans, is to deny that the protection of our liberties require everyone’s sacrifice. And that all of those who so loudly complain about preserving freedom, forget what it costs. You, sir, may have your reasons to push your view, but I hold you do so at the expense of American lives and that it is completely unnecessary because we have vaccines. We have the weapons to effectively combat the enemy. Thank you.

The room is silent.

Gov – I have heard you, officer… and I see how you were an excellent soldier. And yet, it is my strong belief that, as in war, the price we have paid is worth the freedom we preserve.

Other Man – (stands up in the back of the room) Do you realize, Governor, what would’ve happened to our economy and the world’s, if we hadn’t had vaccines, the chaos we would’ve been in?

Gov – Of course I do. And I and all of us here, thank all the scientists who have worked so hard to bring us the shots. But Texans should always have their freedom, first and foremost. Thank you, all, and good night.

“Long live Texas!’ ‘Abbott for President!’ cry out two persons but there is tepid applause as the audience stands and starts to file out.

Another person shouts, ‘There’s a reason why Tesla is moving out of California.’

A couple of people laugh but no one else says anything.

Woman – I’m alive because of the vaccines.

The lights dim as people keep filing out.

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net

What’s Holding us Back?

Not passing the budget has become an onerous drag on the economic recovery, lowering projections of GDP for this and the next year.

The perception of legislative gridlock in Capitol Hill is unwelcome news, coming as it does right after a period of severely dysfunctional government under Mr Trump.

For most of us, the expectation from the new administration was that we would be looking at government proposing meaningful legislation that could pass, and that even in the face of fierce opposition, there would be dialogue with the minority party.

But we do not have that.

What we’re getting, instead, is political polarization that is here to stay.

We cannot put that only on republicans, because in the democratic party itself, divisions have grown more and more bitter, as if this moment were missed then legislation proposed would never, ever, get another chance.

It that is the case, then legislation of that type should not pass.

The fact that 50 republican senators are consistently opposing democratic initiatives has to be telling us something, for those legislators represent just under half of the nation and we need most people aboard our ship to move ahead.

Mind you, not all those republicans are princes for many remain beholden to Trumpism, but even then, for democrats to not reach out and find compromise is missing out on a great opportunity to show that polarization can be overcome and must.

And just maybe some republicans have good points.

Why should community college be free for those who have the means to pay for it? Because they do it in Europe? Well, we are not Europeans and their productivity is not on a par with ours, even with all our flaws.

Why should the child tax credit be extended to families who can pay?

Why should child care be extended to those who can afford it?

Generous benefits to workers during the pandemic made a difference for our economic recovery but continuing them may well be keeping people from returning to work.

The debt ceiling needs to be lifted and republicans have been obstructionistic on that count but limits are necessary. We can’t spend without restraint.

There is much necessary spending that has been neglected – to renew our infrastructure and support our scientific research and development and so bolster innovation.

And taxes – always a divisive issue – need to be made fairer, as in not permitting the super wealthy to channel their earnings through corporations instead of having it taxed as personal income, or fund managers getting taxed at the lower rate of capital gains.

But not all of it has to be done this moment. It can be phased in.

Pulling out of Afghanistan was a huge step and I remain supportive of that action.

That president Biden’s polls are down have more to do with gridlock in Capitol Hill than with Afghanistan. More to do with his reluctance to confront the progressive wing of the party and moderate their demands.

Inflation is predicted to be manageable and maybe it will be, but it could prove tougher to deal with, particularly with people not returning to work.

The lingering pandemic, now finally easing thanks to science, remains an obstacle to our economic recovery but so is wavering leadership.

Gradualism and compromise have been crucial factors in our history. We are always better off when we let the other side feel part of our forward movement.

Keep gridlock up and democrats will lose both chambers next year.

Oscar Valdes Oscarvaldes.net

Guns and Abortion. Deep in Texas

They’re sitting at a bench in a park. Pete and Joe, old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while and met up at a nearby store.

Pete – I don’t get it.

Joe – What’s that?

Pete – You are a staunch supporter of the right to bear arms, to be able to carry without a permit.

Joe – Got that right. Mark of my freedom. There isn’t a dark alley I can’t go into. There’s no man stronger than me. No man taller than me. No man meaner than me. So long as I have my gun at my side.

Pete – The equalizer?

Joe – That’s it.

Pete – Of course, I know you, Joe, and you wouldn’t hurt a fly.

Joe – Unless it decided to mess with me.

Pete – Right.

Joe – Freedom, Pete, that’s what it’s all about.

Pete – But Joe, I feel free and yet, I don’t feel the need to have a gun with me at all times. I mean, I keep one at home, just in case some nut wants to break in for whatever reason.

Joe – You ever fired it?

Pete – I haven’t.

Joe – You’d better practice or you’re liable to hurt yourself instead when the time comes to use it.

Pete – You’re right. I keep putting it off. But back to the main question. I don’t feel the need to have a gun when I’m out and about… not like you do.

Joe – Well, you and me are different. I like to cover every possibility.

Pete – Aren’t you being paranoid when you insist on always being armed?

Joe – I’ve thought about that. And maybe I am… a little… but stuff happens when you least expect it and that’s no paranoia. It’s the freedom, Pete, that’s what it’s all about. Freedom. Personal boundaries. No one bothers me. You should try it sometime. Clears your mind.

Pete – I’d be worried I’d overreact.

Joe – I don’t overreact. How do I know the other guy is not carrying too?

Pete – You have a lot of control.

Joe – Gun at my side reminds me of it.

Pete – Not carrying a gun reminds me to think of alternatives. Are there men, or women, meaner than me, stronger than me? Yes. And so be it. Every person, man or woman, has their power. I have mine.

Joe – You say it to yourself every day?

Pete – I do. I say it to myself all the time. And it helps me be more tolerant of others. More compassionate. And more careful.

Joe – I can do the exact same thing and still have the gun for insurance. Just in case the mental exercise doesn’t work. You said it before. Guns are the equalizer. I’m the master of my life.

Pete – I know you and I know you as a man of restraint. But not everyone with the right to carry a weapon is.

Joe – That’s true.

Pete – What about those who take advantage of the right to carry a gun and then go on to kill innocent people?

Joe – Messed up. Really messed up. But there are other ways to keep people from doing that.

Pete – There are, but it takes time and effort to spot and work with them and it’s so much easier to buy a gun and shoot away.

Joe – Pete… I understand it’s not fair… all those shootings… in fact it’s pretty messed up… but that’s not enough to justify depriving the rest of us law abiding citizens of the privilege to carry.

Pete – The cost in lives is huge. How many people died in Vegas in 2017?

Joe – Nearly 60 and over 500 injured. It pained me deeply to see that happen.

Pete – Freedom has a price?

Joe – Yes.

Pete – Did you ask yourself where was god in Vegas?

Joe shakes his head slowly as he looks down at the ground.

Joe – It could be… that my children will grow up not to think the same way I do. I mean, they will go to college in other states where the laws are different… but there’ll always be Texas. And if you don’t want to carry you don’t have to, but it’s there if you do. I don’t have the answer. I don’t think we should be selling guns to people we know will be using them to coerce or kill others. It’s messed up. I’m against that. Free enterprise ought to have some limits.

They look at each other.

Pete – You believe in abortion?

Joe – No. It’s not right to take a life God created.

Pete – But it’s not god creating the life, it’s a man and a woman coming together.

Joe – If they came together and she conceived it’s because God wanted it.

Pete – Didn’t you say a little while ago that you were the master of your life, that having a gun gave you that feeling?

Joe – Yes, I did.

Pete – Where does god come into it? Well, it’s the same with a woman. If she has sex with a man of her own free will, then she’s opening up the possibility of creating a life. She is. Not god.

Joe – But once you create it, that’s it. It should stay that way.

Pete – Wait up. When you carry a weapon, you’re giving yourself the right to end a life that threatens yours. You are acting as the master of your life. Why doesn’t that apply to a woman?
Maybe she just changed her mind, or didn’t intend to get pregnant and an accident happened. She has her right over the life creating capacities of her body, just like you have the right to put a stop to anything that threatens your life. No different.

Joe – Hmm.

Pete – You will fight for the right to deter or end the life of anyone threatening yours, but you don’t allow women the same choice.

Joe – How’s pregnancy threatening a woman’s life?

Pete – It’s a life altering condition for a woman. Significantly so. Anything can happen. To their health or the baby can be deformed.

Joe -They can always give the baby away.

Pete – Don’t think that’s easy to do. But we should ask a woman. I find it difficult to comprehend that people can be so insistent on depriving others of the right to their bodies. And that those same people may be ardent believers in the right to bear weapons, which means the right to fire them and to injure or kill others. Those who oppose abortion are saying that women don’t have the right to enjoy the fullest of freedoms, the right to own their bodies, which you so proudly assert when you insist on the right to bear arms.

They are silent for a moment

Joe – Women can bear arms, too…

Pete – Yes… but can’t fire them to stop a law that forbids abortions.

They turn to look at each other.

Joe (cracking a smile) – There’s work to do.

They laugh.

Pete – Now, there are politicians… and other leaders… who will stir up feelings just to get elected… and do the least possible to make us think.

Joe – I can think of a few. I even fell for it, once or twice. Not proud of it, either.

Pete – But you’re willing to reflect, Joe… imagine all those who don’t bother. And if their numbers add up enough, they get to rule us.

Joe – It’s happened.

Joe takes off his hat. Holds it in his hands, looks at it.

Joe – How’s the wife?

Pete – We’re separated right now.

Joe – What?

Pete – Been together 25 years… only man she’s ever known. She’s a good woman. We love each other. But the kids are all grown and on their own… and she said she wanted to try something different.

Joe – I’m sorry, man. But that’s freedom for you.

Pete – Twenty five years is a long time…

Joe – The world is vast… and worth exploring.

Pete – Very true.

Joe – When did this happen?

Pete – 6 months ago.

Joe – You miss her?

Pete – Yes. I figure we get to learn how deep we went into each other.

Joe nods, puts his hat back on as he looks off.

Joe – It can happen to any of us. Hope she finds what she’s looking for. You ever need me, just give a holler.

Pete – Thanks.

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net

Where Are you Joe Biden?

Photo by Abdullah Ghatasheh on Pexels.com

The inability to come to an agreement in Washington has created much unease, and there’s more to come.

Biden’s budget will be pared down. But that would be okay – the budget was ambitious to begin with – were it not for progressive and moderate democrats tearing each other down and sending the negative signal that we can’t get it together, that we can’t compromise.

Biden has had a full plate but he’s not stepping up to reassure the country.

Will the debt ceiling be raised in time? I think so, but it just might not, not because it is intentional but because with all the infighting we could run out of time.

And the markets will sink, a recession will set in and the sense that leadership is deeply flawed will be seared in our minds.

Mr Biden, you’re the president of this country. You are no longer the senator from Delaware.

It is good that you have negotiating skills to make deals but you have an obligation to the voters to address us all.

In these difficult times you should be taking 5 minutes of your time every other day to speak to us directly to reassure us that the debt ceiling will be raised.

You are now the President. Not the senator.

And just what is the point of delaying the endorsement of Jerome Powell as Fed chairman? Trying to score points with progressives, score points with Senator Warren?

Mr Biden, reach into yourself and find the same resolve that you did when you chose to pull us out of Afghanistan. Then you spoke with assuredness, with conviction.

We need that again.

Republicans, meanwhile, five times more dysfunctional than democrats and toxic to the core, are increasing their chances of winning both houses next year. And that will be on you.

Voters have short memories.

If you don’t step up you will coast to a one term presidency – Harris won’t be able to fulfill her promise, and we’ll have Trump or a clone (Haley) again at the helm.

What kind of legacy will that be?

Meanwhile, at the politburo in Beijing, they are smiling broadly,

‘Americans are falling on their own sword. Again.’

oscarvaldes.net

Chairman Xi Speaks to a Group of University Students

It is a fair sized room in the university’s theatre – and it is packed with 500 elite students.

Xi begins. ‘If you have any doubts that we will defeat America, consider this: how many people have died from the coronavirus in China?’

Pause.

‘A little over 96 thousand. That is a lot, but we will do better next time if there is a next time. I say if, because we’re already working on preventing the spread of any other viral disease the moment it arrives.

Applause.

‘How many people have died in America because of the coronavirus?’

Silence.

‘Over 706 thousand… and counting’.

Gasp from the audience.

‘Which shows the ineptitude of that system. Put simply, the government in America lacks the capacity to persuade its citizens to do what needs to be done. And just what do some Americans say when they object to getting vaccinated?

“Oh, I have a right to my beliefs…”

Laughter from the audience.

“I have my principles…”

More laughter.

‘But no, you don’t – continues the chairman – because your not getting vaccinated puts a burden on all other citizens and the entire system, and if you become infected then you may transmit the virus to them. Plus the additional health costs that could be prevented.

Here in China we say No. No to anyone claiming the so called privilege of infecting anyone else.

So there it is. We, Chinese, believe strongly in the power of the collective, in the power of caring and respecting each other.

To do that we must surrender some of our individuality – not all – but most of it in the interest of the greater good.

While in America people are seen in the streets of every city lying on the sidewalk begging, hungry and ill, or abusing themselves with drugs as well dressed and well fed passersby don’t even glance at them, here in China we pick them up and give them shelter and medical care. And if they answer that it’s their right to lie there and kill themselves, we say no.’

Applause.

‘In the state of Texas in America, a very rich state, people over 21 years old now have the right to buy and carry a gun, concealed if they wish, no permit necessary, and go around all day doing so. And the thing is, they are very proud of that so called right. But I ask you, what is the purpose of it? To say to others “don’t look at me the wrong way because I may have a gun?”

Laughter.

‘I think people from Texas that do that must have very fragile egos…’

Laughter and applause.

‘… and are paranoid.’

More applause.

‘By the way, that state voted heavily for Donald Trump… one of their own.’

Laughter and applause.

‘And after Trump’s defeat, they complained loudly that the election was fraudulent.’

Silence.

‘In no developed country in the world is there such high number of mass killings as in America, people who are unhappy with their lives for one reason or another, deciding to buy a gun or machine gun or a cannon to fire on innocent people. And they can do it because all those weapons are for sale. Everything is for sale in America. Everything. There is no morality in America. Except for the one the dollar buys. Because if you make a lot of money, then you have arrived. Then you are a saint or a god. Never mind who you trampled on.

Silence.

Xi looks around the room. ‘There are a lot of women students here. But if you were in Texas, you would not have the right to have an abortion. That’s right. You would have to go to another state to have it done. So the same state that insists on the right to carry a gun to defend themselves from who knows what, denies women the right to their bodies.’

Boos from the audience.

‘There was an article in the American press the other day about judges who did not recuse themselves when hearing cases between parties when they had a financial interest in one of them. In most cases where they had a financial interest, they made a decision that favored their side. So corruption is everywhere, even in the courts.’

Boos from the audience.

‘So why do I say all of this? I do so to remind you that we are better than Americans.

That we will defeat them when the time comes. We are fighting that good fight as we speak. Their military and technology are presently better than ours, but we will soon surpass them. We will surpass them in science and technology and social organization, and we will because their individualism will keep them from organizing effectively.

We will defeat them while they play Tik Tok.’

Laughter

‘We will defeat them because they do not wish to learn to speak to each other.

If they did, then they would be harder to beat because they are a strong people. But we in the Communist Party believe Americans will fail to unite, and that alone will give us the power to surpass and conquer them.’

Standing applause.

‘Thank you. Thank you very much. Let us not take time for a few questions,’ continues Xi.

Student – Chairman, we here in China, have surrendered some of our personal freedom in the interest of the nation. In matters political we have to defer to the party at all times. How long is that to last?’

Xi – Good question. We must first dominate America. We must first be the uncontested leader of the world.

Other Student – Chairman, do you think we will need to go to war with America?

Xi – No. We will beat America with our markets, with our creativity and daring, with our superior intelligence, while they play video games. I am confident that America will implode from within. The Right and Left will not learn to speak to one another and slowly crumble as they kill each other.

Another Student – Chairman, how long do you think that will take?

Xi – 20 years. Maybe less. Our weapons to victory are our economic and scientific might. Though we keep strengthening our army and developing nuclear weapons to act as deterrent, our victory will be economic and scientific. Consider this, we have been able to send spacecraft to the other side of the moon entirely on our own. We were the first to do so.

America rejected our request to be part of the international space station, and yet, there we are in space. And we will keep building. And we will build a space station that will be the envy of the world.

Applause.

Xi – There is no need to hate America. They have helped us get started. So we are grateful for that, but we must rise to our rightful place as the most capable people on earth.

Here I add a historical note. If the Germans during WWII had not targeted the Jews, if they had left them alone and instead made them their own, they would have conquered all of Europe, and the United States would not have prospered from European markets as they did and a different balance of power would now exist.

If the Japanese would have done business with us instead of trying to slaughter and rape us all, then it would not have ignited in us the rage to fight back and Mao may not have had the strength to form the Communist Party.

So we must avoid the hate of others as a motivator, and instead let our markets conquer the world.

Another student – Chairman, which do you think will be better to negotiate with in America, a Democratic or Republican administration?

Xi – Democratic. Republicans are too elitist. And they still think of Ronald Reagan as the Second Coming.

Laughter.

Xi – The best president they have ever had was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who guided them during the depression and WWII and started much needed social programs.

Other student – Chairman, what about President Biden?

Xi – We’re still trying to figure him out.

Other Student – Chairman, you really think we are destined to rule the world?

Xi – Yes. And do so by example, not by force.

Student – Chairman, president Biden is saying the same thing to Americans, ‘Let us rule by the power of our example and not the example of our power.’

Xi – Yes, but to do that you must be able to speak to each other, and Republicans and Democrats are unable to do so and they will sink their nation. Which will help China rise faster.

So be patient and work hard. This is our time. This is China’s time.

All the students stand and give Chairman Xi a standing ovation.

All Students – in unison – Long Live China! Long Live Chairman Xi!’

Oscar Valdes oscarvaldes.net

Transferring Power. Good Governance. Grandiosity.

Mr Biden’s aplomb in addressing the pandemic differs markedly with that of his predecessor. And so it reflects his willingness to transfer power.

Pointing to the scientific evidence that the incidence of Covid infections is higher amongst the unvaccinated, he has taken charge and mandated that federal and other workers take the vaccine.

It was his duty, he said in a televised address, to protect all Americans and so he was issuing the edict. Right away, though, his detractors started to complain that their freedoms were being infringed. But what freedoms? The freedom to increase the likelihood that you transmit an infection that could be fatal? Is that a freedom? When there are means to prevent it?

The president countered his critics by saying that they were taking a cavalier attitude toward the infection and he is correct.

What stands out in the president’s firmness is his willingness to do what is right. This is what the science is saying and I stand with the science.

By doing so he is showing his willingness to transfer power to science. And to whomever speaks the truth.

The previous president was incapable of doing so. When Mr Trump held his televised appearances at the height of the pandemic, with his scientific advisors standing beside him, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on the mike to put his twist on the facts.

Had the previous president been a man willing to transfer power to the scientists and to let them do what they know how to do, then we would long ago been all vaccinated in this country and the economy would have been much farther along than it is now, let alone the lives that would have been spared.

But the previous president could not do it. The height of this incapacity showed when, after being soundly defeated at the polls, he insisted that it was not so. How could it be?

Deep in his mind a voice kept resounding, ‘why should I transfer power?’

And there were enough gullible people to buy into it that they marched on one of our highest symbols of democracy, Capitol Hill, just as the electoral ballots were being counted.

Their aim was clear. Disrupt the process.

They did not do it. Barely. But their intention was clear.

Notice how when Mr Biden speaks to us he is not surrounded by other officials. He stands alone when he addresses us. It is symbolic of his wish to convey that the final responsibility is his and he will exercise it fully. He will not run from it. But he is also willing to acknowledge his limits.

And because of it he can transfer power.

People who are able to do so are freer people. They think better. More clearly. For they are not burdened by grandiosity.

They are people who know themselves to be flawed but are willing to carry the burden of full responsibility for their decisions. Mr Biden will seek the opinion of experts in matters which are not of his competence but he will make the final choices, painful as they may be, as he did in Afghanistan.

Because, as all men, he is flawed, Mr Biden will make his mistakes, but it won’t be because he was careless or didn’t seek the best expert advice. A myriad other factors may intervene to make what appears to be a good choice go bad. But he will have tried his best.

And so he will stand alone behind that lectern and say as he did when announcing the vaccine mandates, ‘this is what I believe is the right thing to do for all Americans.’

And you can say what you want about him, but he gives you the sense he is doing the best he knows how to do.

The impulse to grandiosity lives in all of us. And all of us have to wrestle with it and try as hard as we can to pin it down so it won’t let us run in the wrong direction.

Some world leaders succumb to its allure.

Name any world leader who is diligently working to extend his hold on power beyond the legal limits that brought him to it, and we’re seeing an example of grandiosity not being confronted and restrained. And it belongs to all of us to not let it happen.

Unlike Mr Trump, Mr Biden is fully aware of his mortality. Because of it he is the competent leader that he is.

And so I thank him for being forthright, full of candor and decisiveness.

Keep it up, Mr President.

A final note: My take is that Jerome Powell is doing a great job as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank and you ought to reappoint him. He’s a most talented man and it will help maintain economic stability.

And on the matter of Latin America, should you choose to lift the embargo on Cuba, the spirit of that decision will put a smile in the hearts of all Latin Americans.

You’d be saying, ‘I’m transferring power to you. Now see what you can do with it. I’m getting out of the way.’

Good night, Mr President.

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net.