Various Ideas VI

As I said last time. The following ideas bother me but they can hardly be viewed as revelations. They're more like thoughts that need development but now's not the time for me. You can do that if you choose. Perhaps I've done them before or perhaps I have other things on my mind. In either case I'll just set them out and move on.

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A clock makes me think. Before time was an issue for me I could think of the future as endless. Now that I've been warned I see everything in the perspective of time and its boundaries. Don't misunderstand. I have every intention of living forever (if it's G-d's will, and with my doctor's help – and the tests so far suggest that it's a possibility. Well maybe not forever). Still there is a (potential) limit set by the clock on everything and it's hard to ignore. Knowledge of time as a factor makes me more appreciative of what I have.

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The replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA – “Obamacare”) passed the House of Representatives today. Some Republicans voted against it, although most supported it. All the Democrats voted against it. This is the Congress which “governs” us nowadays: party-line (party-discipline) votes with no room for debate and compromise. President Truman complained about a “do nothing Congress” but at least the issues were discussed. All that matters now is public relations. The parties are positioning themselves for the next election and the next Congress that will accomplish very little despite the loud rhetoric.

The media glories in such controversies (and this is only one). It sells. And the media promotes controversy. A small group of protesters – even a sole petitioner – is worth a lot of media time and attention. That sells, too. As the protesters plan, the media helps them get their message out. Their complaint is well publicized and has the appearance of validity and mass support. At least it has the support of the media – especially those eager to promote the message. They can publicize those who support their views (as they promote their views in “objective” reporting by promoting advocacy journalism) and there's no cost to the protesters.

As time goes by we're becoming more polarized by those who vow to bring us together.

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In "Family Plot," Hitchcock's last film, there are two "evil" couples, but one kills while the other only pursues scams, like psychic services. The latter pair are appealing while the other pair are to be condemned by the audience. Is there a relativity of evil – are some sins "worse" than others?

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It was interesting to note that liberals, so eager to make changes, and so dismissive of our past traditions and documents, were suddenly horrified by the possibility of a change in the senate rules. It was wrong of Republicans to change the rules although, under Harry Reid, Democrats had themselves done that in 2013 to establish that only 51 votes would be needed to approve a presidential nominee (apart from Supreme Court Justice). It was a party-line vote, and resulted in the passing of what was then known as the “Nuclear Option.” To secure the confirmation of Judge David Gorsuch as a Supreme Court Justice only four years later the Republicans extended the “option” to include that office. They were roundly condemned by the Democrats, who made no mention of what they had done so recently.

The Constitution, was passed soon after our nation was established and it did not require a super-majority. But that was not the tradition that the Democrats honored. They preferred to follow the rules of their more recent Senate predecessors – at least the rules they liked. The initial rules were written by Thomas Jefferson as part of his Manual of Parliamentary Practice and intended to ensure civility and décor. The manual's rules for the Senate were adopted in 1828, more than four decades after the Constitution and, indeed, after Jefferson's death. Subsequently those rules have become our “tradition” and are sacred when they serve the purpose of those who invoke them. I suspect that they should be reviewed and rewritten to reflect current views, but they should in no way be considered our tradition and beyond reconsideration. The wisdom of any changes will be decided by voters.

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Enough. Time to move on.