First, something I should have added to the recent post relating to the passing of former Wall Street Journal Personal Financial Columnist Jonathan Clements: although Vanguard founder John Bogle, legendary investor Warren Buffett, and Mr. Clements all believe/ed that the American stock market would rise and individuals would reap satisfactory returns over the long run by investing in no-load, low-cost index funds tracking the markets, Mr. Buffett has famously said that he has no idea what the stock market will do tomorrow, and Messrs. Bogle and Clements would have undoubtedly agreed. Accordingly, any funds one requires for an impending purchase should be safely harbored until spent in a federally-insured cash account. There – my Irish Catholic conscience is clear (at least on this score 😉).
It appears that President Donald Trump is brokering an end to the Israeli-Hamas conflict. Whether any settlement will last – at the time this is typed, the shooting reportedly continues, and Middle Easterners have been warring for as close to forever as you can get in this finite existence – Mr. Trump may be achieving what I consider the most important immediate priority relating to the conflict: ending the brutal slaughter of Palestinians, particularly children. Although Israel’s activities were obviously precipitated by the Hamas attack, its response has been savagely disproportionate. This is no reflection on the Israeli people, but on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who should be in an international jail for life. Although I am not the first to say this, I acknowledge that Mr. Trump’s intervention was pivotal. The “only Nixon could go to China” analogy is grossly overused, but it is accurate here. The leaders of the cooperating Arab nations trust him because he thinks like they do. Although the objective terms of the announced pact overwhelmingly favor Israel, Mr. Netanyahu could have suspended his military operation in Gaza long ago had he wished to do so. When Mr. Trump pressured Mr. Netanyahu, as he reportedly did, to cease his military assault, Mr. Netanyahu was undoubtedly mindful that Mr. Trump was the only American president since the founding of Israel who could if he chose cut off aid to Israel and get away with it politically.
Putting aside the moral dimensions and looking at the assassination of MAGA Activist Charlie Kirk in cold political terms, it is arguable that the only things that the deranged young man who assassinated Mr. Kirk achieved through his heinous act was to drive all reference to Mr. Trump’s relationship with convicted Child Trafficker Jeffrey Epstein – the one area in which Mr. Trump had seemingly been vulnerable with his MAGA base – out of the media consciousness, and to provide Mr. Trump and his MAGA minions a pretext upon which to more aggressively harass and stifle the free speech of Mr. Trump’s critics.
With the return of the NFL season, I have been spending more time with sports media. This may just now be registering with me, but growing up in a family plagued by addiction – albeit a different one — I am appalled at the emphasis placed on gambling in these telecasts. I have noted repeated ads by FanDuel, by DraftKings, by BetMGM, am aware that there are many other online betting organizations, and hear plenty of betting talk among the commentators. So let’s take a bunch of immature, unmoored, desperate, mostly impecunious, mostly male young Americans and constantly wave the temptation to bet in their faces, make it easy to bet, make it look easy to win, and see what happens. I have not read the 2018 Supreme Court decision that enabled widespread online sports gambling and concede that this decision is not the most injurious to the American way of life that the Court has or will issue, but that doesn’t mean that easy-does-it online sports betting hasn’t and won’t lead to the ruination of quite a few (disproportionately young) lives.
I am disgusted with justifications frequently put forth to defend those Congressional Republicans who allegedly deplore Mr. Trump’s policies – and him – behind closed doors, but through their subservience enable Administration activities. Those seeking to rationalize these Republicans’ behaviors note that these officeholders fear being “primaried” by other MAGAs professing greater fealty to Mr. Trump, and/or that they fear literal physical retribution against themselves or their families if they don’t adhere to the MAGA line. I don’t buy it. These Republicans — if such do exist — are in the Congress of the United States. Nobody made them run for Congress. Under the Constitution, they each get a vote as to whether the United States should declare war on another nation – and if they so vote, thousands of military families, whether or not they agree with the declaration, will find loved ones in harm’s way. So these gutless Republicans fear losing a seat in Congress? As to the fear of physical retribution, they should, given the responsibility they have voluntarily chosen, be placing their own physical safety below that which they consider good for the nation and their constituents. While all can sympathize with a member’s concern for the wellbeing of his/her family, my reaction here is: send your family to live where they cannot be easily located by MAGA zealots while you finish out your term, announce that you are stepping down at the end of your term, and then do what you believe is right during the remainder of your term. If you can’t do that, take the simpler approach, and resign right now. Grow a … er … spine. You’re not in high school, the frat, or the sorority any more.
Enough impressions for one note. Nationwide NO KINGS rallies are scheduled for Saturday, October 18. Judging by the national website, there will be one near you, no matter where you are. If you plan to participate, anticipate that ICE or other Administration agents will establish a presence. STAY PEACEFUL. NEITHER PROVOKE, NOR BE PROVOKED. In the meantime, enjoy the fall weekend upon us.
McCoy's Noise 