I want to start with a historical note. Once upon a time, about a week ago, the Democratic Party was in chaos as more and more people realized our presidential nominee was kind of old. There were calls from pundits and members of Congress for him to step aside for someone younger, like maybe them. It seems silly now but it really happened. I remember when DK was flooded with pie fight diaries about the subject.
Chaotic Evil vs Lawful Good
What happened? The chaos agents of the Insane Clown Posse have gotten to work to remind the country of what was at stake in this election.
- A mentally unstable Republican kid got an assault rifle and fired it at the Republican presidential nominee, killing a bystander and critically injuring two others. He also hit a teleprompter, pieces of which struck the nominee and caused him to bleed from a cut on his ear. The reason that mentally unstable kid could get an assault rifle was because Republicans have blocked rational gun control. (Biden called the widow of the murdered man. tfg hasn’t bothered.)
- The corrupt members of the Supreme Court decided a president (at least the one who appointed half of them) is above the law.
- A corrupt federal judge who had also been appointed by that nominee dismissed an espionage and conspiracy to obstruct justice case against him. The grounds for dismissal were that it was illegal for the Attorney General to appoint a special counsel, something the then uncorrupt Supreme Court had found was legal fifty years ago.
- There are going to be plenty more reminders in the next few days at the Republican convention, which I promise not to watch, listen to, or discuss further.
The curse “May you live in interesting times” was apparently coined by Austin Chamberlain, older half-brother of Neville. He knew what he was talking about. The 1930s were very interesting. Most of us have no desire to experience any of that.
Joe Biden,
in contrast, is as comforting and unexciting as a glass of warm milk and a cookie at bedtime. Under his administration the government quietly hums along: establishing justice, insuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, and securing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. The November election will be about whether we have interesting times or government by grownups.
I don’t mind a bit of chaos in my life
We have two Boston Terriers who usually provide all that is necessary. But an occasional dose of the hard stuff can spice things up:
In 1982 I was a couple of years into an unproductive postdoc at Berkeley when a friend on the faculty told me that his buddy in Australia wanted to start the world’s first genetic engineering project on pest insects. They needed a molecular biologist. A few weeks later I was in Canberra on a continent where I knew two people. It rescued my career.
WVU took over a small college that was going broke. The provost went down to meet with their brass and took me along to check on laboratory safety and research compliance. We were quizzing them on what they were doing- no biohazards, no human research, no animal research and so on. Any thing else? One of the guys from engineering said “Well, we have a nuclear reactor.” Everyone in the room was speechless. Even their president didn’t know about it. (This incident is probably not remembered as hilarious by our radiation safety officer who had to dispose of the thing.)
I once spent several days on an island resort getting drunk with a friend who was simultaneously pursuing relationships with a porn star, a physician, and a writer, all of whom lived in different states. I admired his ability to strike up all these relationships while doubting his sanity for doing so. I am happy with my marriage which is in its fourth decade.
The Economy is in Great Shape
The S&P 500 just hit a new high. Depending on your news source, this is because tfg survived the assassination attempt, he didn’t pick Eric for VP, or the Fed is unlikely to raise rates (spoiler alert- it is #3). 60% of us own stocks so this is not just good news for billionaires.
Inflation is low and dropping.
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) declined 0.1 percent on a seasonally adjustedbasis, after being unchanged in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12months, the all items index increased 3.0 percent before seasonal adjustment.The index for gasoline fell 3.8 percent in June, after declining 3.6 percent in May, more than offsettingan increase in shelter. The energy index fell 2.0 percent over the month, as it did the preceding month.The index for food increased 0.2 percent in June. The food away from home index rose 0.4 percent over themonth, while the food at home index increased 0.1 percent.
Which is why the Fed will not raise rates.
Unemployment remains low and more jobs continue to be created.
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 206,000 in June, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in government, health care, social assistance, and construction.
Unemployment has been going up a bit lately (from historic lows), but New Deal Democrat, my favorite economic nerd, points out this is mostly due to increased immigration. This is a good thing, because it keeps the US from falling into the demographic trap that many other advanced countries are facing.
I will let Tennyson and Mirren have the final word.