Egypt

The first election is but a glimmer in the eye of lovers of democracy.  The second election is the birth of a constitutional democracy.  The natural non-violent transfer of power is an institutional milestone.  Unfortunately,  in Egypt the first election was followed by a c-section.  The coup may have been necessary for the life of the nation, but the successful transition to a democratic state remains uncertain.

Will Rogers famously proclaimed, "I am not a member of an organized party, I am a Democrat."
The same can be said of the secular/progressives in Egypt.  I was there shortly before the 2011 elections.  My guide came from an upper middle class family, and his wife worked for an American subsidiary.  He pointed out signs and pictures of the moderate candidate he was certain would be the next president.

Importantly, most supporters of secular government are themselves devout Muslims.  Our guide has special dispensation from his Mullah to pray outside of a mosque.  He always found time for his prayers.  But he wanted economic viability from his government.

Moderates, such as my guide, failed to coalesce behind a single candidate or party.  Their vote was scattered, and many refused to vote based on cynicism or political purity.  These revolutionaries won the war, but lost the peace.  Had secularists united to at least form a necessary part of any coalition, Morsi might have remained in check, negating the need for a coup.

If the military holds promised elections,  secularists must learn from their past to secure Egypt's future.

The Kindness of Strangers

Once again, moderates and progressives in blue states are recipients of  largesse, from their, often strange, brethren in red states.  As has been previously discussed, the subsidies in the Affordable Care Act are a boon for those states that agree to expand Medicaid coverage.  The result is a wealth transfer from conservative states, that refuse the subsidies, to moderate states that accept them.

The demise of DOMA is matched by the rise of conservative generosity.  Marriage is a tax favored institution.  Joint tax returns, dependent status, Social Security survivor benefits, tax free wealth transfer at death, and tax free employer paid medical benefits, flow from the union.  In time, this too will result in a transfer of wealth from conservative states, which prohibit same sex marriages, to blue states which allow them.  What the Supreme Court has placed together, let no CPA cast assunder.

In the near term, the wedding industry is booming in same sex marriage states .

Good Mood

For twenty-five percent of Americans, Benghazi is the worst scandal in American history.  Incomplete talking points tragically resulted in one week of uncertainty.  By comparison, overstating and misreading intelligence reports about weapons of mass destruction, resulted in ten thousand dead Americans, countless more injured, and the expenditure of 2 trillion.

This blog has seldom been charitable to ultra conservatives.  But such callous disregard for dead and injured warriors, and waste of American treasure, could easily be called unpatriotic, or even traitorous.  But being in a good mood, I will merely call it stupid.

War Tax

Public opinion has been sharply divided on the Afghani and Iraqi conflicts, as it was with the Viet Nam War.  But the public reaction to the recent wars has been far more muted.

Other differences abound, but fundamentally the American public has no skin in the game.  The draft made the Viet Nam War personal for men at, or near, draft age, and for their families.  Going back to WWII, everyone was impacted.  Rationing, and diversion of resources to the war effort, extended the war to families without active duty participants.  The recent conflicts are remote control wars.  Our only involvement is the nano second it takes to change the channel, if the wars are mentioned on the nightly news.

Skin in the game can lead to fervent patriotism, and common sacrifice, as in WWII, or to the massive protests evident during the Viet Nam era.  But one way or another, the public is involved.  In a Democracy, the expenditure of lives and resources should be predicated on broad public support.

To ensure public involvement, I would propose that any prolonged military involvements be paid for through a duly labeled war tax surcharge.  This promotes intergenerational fairness.  The cost of current policy should not burden the next generation.  But most importantly, the public would literally be buying into the war.  Public indifference will be replaced by a cost benefit analysis.

City Renewal Fails

Mon Land Hot Pot City has long been one of my go to restaurants.  It is a short stroll to my favorite foot massage place, has a great cooking broth, and ethereal lamb dumplings, which are even better when dipped in the broth.  No reason to review a known commodity, so my trusty 7D stayed at home.

But the restaurant is under new ownership.  The decor is slightly classier--gone are the Jetson era atomic lights on the roof.  But to quote George Clinton, "We want the funk," or at least I do.  The changes are not all bad.  Barbecue items have been added to the menu.  In honor of the 10 year anniversary BBQ lamb shank was free.  Even for a lover of cumin, the cumin and salt based rub was heavy handed.  The meat was a bit tough and gristly, but was still good.  The same seasoning was more incongruous on the corn, but it was still tasty.

But we do not come to a hot pot joint for joints of lamb.  We come for the broth.  You have a choice of hot or mild, but most people choose both with a metal divider separating the two. The broth has changed for the worse.  It is much too salty.  Since salt is the least expensive seasoning I expect that its heavy use is in part to distract from the reduction of other, more expensive, herbs and condiments.  The one improvement is that 3 grades of beef are now offered.  You can pay more and get superior or angus beef instead of the standard fare.

The biggest disappointment was the lamb dumplings.  The dough is heavier, and the filling has much less flavor.  I will not be back.  It is not bad, but there are many better hot pot places.

Slam Dunk

Now for something entirely different.  Maybe I am strange, but I would rather watch a pass above the rim to Blake Griffin slammed, than an uncontested swish from 25 feet.  Incentives work.  Let's make slams worth 3 points, perhaps with the exception of uncontested breakaways.  NBA games will be more fun.

The Last Roundup?

If you go to Petco you will be asked if you want to roundup your purchase to the nearest dollar, with the spare cents going to an animal charity.  Gun shops do the same thing.  The NRA is the beneficiary.

This explains much.  On closing background check loopholes, and perhaps even on limiting the number of rounds in a magazine, the NRA position is not that of its membership.  The NRA consistently opposes any legislation that would retard gun, or ammunition, sales.

Of course, every gun manufacturer contributes upwards of a million dollars to the NRA.  But that is still probably less than 10 per cent of the NRA budget.  Gun shops riding in the roundup account for  more money than given by manufacturers.   Gun sales are good business for the NRA.

Many industries thrive on addiction.  Tobacco is the most obvious.  The so called "regulars" in many local bars and liquor stores are alcoholics.  The "black helicopter" fringe group are gun shop "regulars."
Based on latest figures less than 1/3 of adults own guns.  But the number of guns in America exceeds the number of adults.  Some people have a lot of guns.

Ammunition is even more important.  Unless someone is very unlucky, a gun for self protection will not have to be reloaded often.  Hunters and target shooters are heavy users.  But those stockpiling to defend themselves from the encroachment of the "feds," are steady customers.

Gun owners need better representation.