Vaugeness

22 April 2020

Wednesday has come bringing with it a grey cotton sky and cold, cold air.  Still, no snow is upon the ground, always something to be thankful for. Walked out to the big green recycling bin just now.  My walk was short but it was darn cold for this month and this day.  Grey and cold, this describes both the sky and the mood of the world today.

Listening to a news podcast I learned that the government is blocking applications for permeant residency for 60 days.  This means no green cards will issue. I was made aware that a new stimulus (or recovery) package has taken shape and should be passed into law this week. Finally, the calm voiced announcers told me that Georgia has decided to reopen a variety of businesses in the next six days. Having heard all this I whistled a sad, short whistle.

The last round of “small” business money was depleted almost instantaneously. To the surprise of almost nobody this “small” business money found its way into the hands of publicly traded companies in quite a few cases. Steakhouse chains and fast food chains gobbled up a bunch of the green.  How did this happen?  Well, the drafting and passage of statute were rushed and many of the persons voting for it did not get the chance to read it. Even if they had read it the language was that damn murky legalize.  Such language would render the terms of the law murky to anyone but the drafter. 

According to the podcast the legislators claim this new bill will be different. Yeah, sure.  It may take a year or two, but eventually we will come to know who gets Christmas early with this bill.  Rest assured someone’s alpaca farm in North Dakota with fewer than 30 animals in the fiscal year 2020 (and related by marriage to a sitting senator) will be exempted from taxation by a small clause wedged in this law. Insert cynical whistling again at this point.

The immigration ban for 60 days is truly the epitome of cynicism.  There is nothing that shows a correlation between immigration and the spread of the coronavirus. However, this and an argument that newcomers might steal the jobs of the currently unemployed due to the coronavirus, are the reasons given for the creation of this executive order.  Horse feathers.  

The executive action is simply a ploy to gin up the base of the President. Why?  Well because they are not looking at him with favor due to his apparently inept handling of the pandemic.  Make no mistake, keeping brown people out has always been near to the top of Mr. Trump’s wish list.  The pandemic has just offered him the opportunity to take action on this under the guise of a national emergency.  My guess is that long before the end of the 60-day window this will be made a standing order based on a claim of long-term economic injury. Vague threats are dealt with by real harsh actions in this case. Yep, cold and grey and cynical.

The Georgia move is foolhardy.  I will not fall into the trap I have seen many fall prey to. People are wrong if they categorize the folks in the peach blossom state as dumb rednecks.  Modern Georgia is not the old Georgia of porch swings and sweet tea.  Instead I will say that that crowding people together in bowling alleys, gyms and on beaches is not supported by science, not yet. In almost every news outlet (save Fox) the words of the scientists are clear, to reopen we need proof of control over the rate of infection and this will be made using expansive testing. 

Expansive testing is simply not available.  Lacking the widespread availability of tests (something the President takes no responsibility for) it seems highly likely that Georgia may face a second wave of Coviid 19 infections. But hey, science has not really been given serious consideration by many of those in power for the last several years so why should now be any different?  Slow, sighing, sad whistle.

Okay to get your minds off my depressing rant he is a lovely song by Lyle Lovett.