As 2022 approaches, the political situation in the U.S. is unsettling. As I noted in my recent post, “Sharp Right Turn,” the activist base of the Republican Party remains in the grip of Trump extremists who feed off of the toxic wave of entrenched white grievance.
Meanwhile, the activist base of the Democratic Party remains relatively uninvolved and nonchalant about the Biden Presidency. He has never been the charismatic type like Sanders or AOC, but a pragmatist trying to prevent the existing sharp political divisions splinter the country into unreconcilable fragments.
To his credit, he has overseen an economic recovery, the successful vaccination of most of the population, and a relatively peaceful international scene, although trouble looms on all fronts.
If Russia attacks Ukraine, or if China attacks Taiwan, all bets are off in the global cold wars. Regarding the pandemic, some think Omicron, Delta and as-yet unidentified Covid variants will upset the economic recovery, but I’m not among those.
I expect the recovery to continue, the stock market to boom, and unemployment to remain low, which should in normal times guarantee Biden’s re-election in 2024. The midterms will be another story.
Among the impacts of the pandemic may be increased political extremism, and if so, we’ll get an early indication next year in the mid-term elections.
If Republicans regain control of Congress, that will effectively end Biden’s opportunity to get anything substantial done on the domestic front.
Accordingly, global issues will take over, which in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing. The U.S. economy and military are so overwhelmingly the largest on the planet that the case can be made that any U.S. President ought to be governing not from a national perspective but much more from a global perspective anyway.
And what is best for the whole is not always what is best for the folks back home.
That is a difficult case for any politician to make. And that is why the Republicans are stuck with the likes of Kevin McCarthy and Ted Cruz — spineless nobodies who pander to the historically pampered.
White grievance is nothing more than spoiled-kid syndrome. The world has changed. America is changed. It is not a white, Christian, male-dominated society and never will be again.
Get over it or get out of the way. That is the message a true Republican leader would deliver. But where is a conservative politician like that?
As for the activist wing of the Democrats, restless with Biden’s approach, is the country ready for them? A new generation led by AOC, Omar, Mayor Pete, Beto and the like are poised to replace Sanders as charismatic leaders.
But is the country ready for them?
SATURDAY’S HEADLINES
New rules requiring international air travelers arriving in the United States to obtain a negative COVID-19 test within one day of travel will take effect Monday at 12:01 a.m. ET. (Reuters)
Omicron covid variant three times more likely to cause reinfection than delta, S. Africa study says (WP)
New York confirmed five cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, bringing the number of states with cases of the troubling strain to five as Biden announced new measures to combat a winter surge in COVID-19 infections. Researchers are still racing to learn more about the omicron variant, however, and much remains unknown about its capabilities. [HuffPost]
Omicron-stricken South Africa may be glimpse into the future (AP)
Despite shutting its borders to travel from high-risk southern African countries, Australia became the latest country to report community transmission of the new variant, a day after it was found in five U.S. states. (Reuters)
The Atlantic Daily: Omicron Could Be Bad, or Really Bad—Or Maybe Good
Delta anxiety, meet Omicron anxiety. If you’re feeling spooked by the sudden rise of the latter, remember that our tools for combatting the coronavirus are much more advanced than they were in the pandemic’s dark early days. (Atlantic)
Study suggests past COVID infection may not fend off omicron (AP)
For a City That Followed Covid Rules, Will Omicron Change the Playbook? — San Francisco has endured mask mandates, vaccination requirements and lockdowns. Now with the first U.S. case of the Omicron variant, no one’s sure what comes next. (NYT)
WHO says measures used against delta should work for omicron (AP)
COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna that use mRNA technology provide the biggest boost to antibody levels when given 10-12 weeks after the second dose, a British study published has found. (Reuters)
‘The fire that’s here’: US is still battling delta variant (AP)
Beijing Olympic officials concerned about Omicron (NHK)
Omicron threatens to stoke US inflation, warns top Fed official (Financial Times)
Donald Trump: Superspreader in chief (Edit Bd/WP)
The Gateway Pundit, which started as a tiny opinion blog, saw readership surge to 50 million views a month as it amplified Donald Trump’s false stolen-election claims. Reuters documents the impact:25 election workers targeted by more than 100 violent threats or hostile messages citing the pundit. (Reuters)
Trump faces flurry of investigations beyond Jan. 6 probe (AP)
What Roe Could Take Down With It — The logic being used against Roe could weaken the legal foundations of many rights Americans value deeply. (Atlantic)
The Women's Health Protection Act would protect the right to access legal abortion care across the country by providing safeguards against state bans and medically unnecessary hurdles. It passed with historic support in the House — but the filibuster may need to be eliminated for it to get through the Senate. [HuffPost]
Suspect’s parents charged in Michigan school shooting (Politico)
Russia has massed more than 94,000 troops near Ukraine's bordersand may be gearing up for a large-scale military offensive at the end of January, Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov told parliament, citing intelligence reports. (Reuters)
Astronomers discover hot, dense planet with eight-hour year (Phys.org)
Biden warns Russia’s Vladimir Putin against Ukraine invasion (AP)
Scars of remote schooling linger in a San Francisco high school (WP)
With No Resources, Authority or Country, Afghan Ambassador Presses On — Adela Raz arrived in Washington just before her country fell and has struggled to keep her embassy going. A dinner with U.S. veterans was a priority. (NYT)
Afghanistan's Taliban government released a decree on women's rights, which said women should not be considered "property" and must consent to marriage but failed to mention female access to education or work outside the home. (Reuters)
Turkey’s Economic Turmoil Sends Desperation and Inflation Soaring (WSJ)
A Slow-Motion Climate Disaster: The Spread of Barren Land — Brazil’s northeast, long a victim of droughts, is now effectively turning into a desert. The cause? Climate change and the landowners who are most affected. (NYT)
A group of Senate Republicans seeking to dramatize their dislike of President Joe Biden's efforts to encourage vaccination against COVID-19 backed down from their threat to hold up a government funding bill, after the idea proved unpopular. “I am glad that, in the end, cooler heads prevailed, the government will stay open," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). [HuffPost]
A map that contains a description of Japan's 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor is on display at the US Library of Congress in Washington D.C. This month marks 80 years since the attack occurred. (NHK)
The Tech Moguls Are Looking for a New Playground — Jack Dorsey’s decision to leave Twitter, like Mark Zuckerberg’s pivot to the metaverse, shows us where the internet is heading. (Atlantic)
‘Flash mob’ robberies spike at outlets piled high with holiday inventory (WP)
Baldwin: ‘Someone is responsible’ for shooting, but ‘not me’ (AP)
Soon when you walk down the street, 3-D creatures could try to sell you something (WP)
Michigan vs. Iowa: Prediction, pick, Big Ten Championship (CBS)
A vision realized: Aidan Hutchinson’s relentless pursuit of greatness (Michigan Daily)
Party Evacuated Following Reports Of Host Assembling Some Sort Of Activity (The Onion)
SATURDAY LYRICS:
“Reflections of my Life”
Songwriters: William Campbell Jr / Thomas McAleese
The changing of sunlight to moonlight
Reflections of my life
Oh, how they fill my eyes
The greetings of people in trouble
Reflections of my life
Oh, how they fill my eyes
Oh, my sorrows
Sad tomorrows
Take me back to my own home
Oh, my crying (Oh, my crying)
Feel I'm dying, dying
Take me back to my own home
I'm changing, arranging
I'm changing
I'm changing everything
Everything around me
The world is
A bad place
A bad place
A terrible place to live
Oh, but I don't want to die
Oh, my sorrows
Sad tomorrows
Take me back to my own home
Oh, my crying (Oh, my crying)
Feel I'm dying, dying
Take me back to my own home
Oh, my sorrows
Sad tomorrows
Take me back to my own home
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