Things That Puzzle Me

by E. P. Unum: Now that the Spring Semester has come to a close and I have submitted final grades for my students, I find myself struggling and trying to understand many of the things that are going on around me in the world. Here are some of them:

1. I listened to President Biden respond to a question about why the price of gasoline at the pump had increased nationally by 67% and in my neck of the woods even higher. Almost as if he expected the question, he quickly responded that the increase was attributable to the Colonial Pipeline shut down due to a cyber-security attack by criminals who live in Russia. Of course, this is a blatant falsehood. Costs have been rising steadily all across the nation ever since Biden canceled the Keystone XL Pipeline a few hours after he took office and then disallowed oil and gas exploration o federal lands or offshore. These facts alone contributed to significant cost increases due to the cost of transporting oil from Alberta Canada to US Refineries via truck and rail. In addition, with the stroke of his pen, Biden wiped away decades of work and effort, culminating in the United States achieving complete energy independence. Indeed, under Trump, America for the first time in history became an oil-exporting rather than importing nation. Given our vulnerabilities to cyberattacks on our oil and gas delivery systems, shouldn’t we be building more pipelines, not cutting back on our system of delivery?

2. Of course there is the argument posed by the liberal progressives on the left that Biden’s decision was necessary as an important first step toward weaning our nation off from fossil fuels and transforming America quickly to the use of battery-powered electrical vehicles. Putting aside the important essential about just how batteries are produced, has anyone thought through just what would occur if, for example, electric cars were jammed on major travel roads like the Cross Bronx Expressway in New York; the Long Island Expressway, the infamous 405 connecting San Diego and Los Angeles and many other highly traveled roads. Cars breaking down in need of recharging and an inability of road service to get to them because of the congestion. It is really a simple, straightforward question so vitally necessary in forward-thinking planning. I’ll wait for an answer…..

3. Imagine if you will, that you are a young college-educated employee in his or her first job. You are making $50,000 per year or $961.54 per week but are laid off due to the pandemic. You file for unemployment, are approved for $400 per week tax-free, and the Federal Government chips in another $300 per week until September 2021, approximately four months from now. So now you are making $700 per week tax-free sitting home, going to the beach (it is now summer), and hanging out with your friends or girlfriend/boyfriend. Your employer calls and asks you to come back to work at your old salary. What would you do? I’ll bet you would opt to continue on unemployment which is what most people are in fact doing, and it is perfectly understandable. Our government has created a system that rewards people to not work and that is undemocratic as well as ill-advised in terms of economics.

4. Yes, indeed good ol’ Joe Biden speaks to us in a calm, easy style quite unlike that curmudgeon Donald Trump who sometimes (heaven forbid) got angry and yelled at people. He even dared to send mean tweets and Facebook posts. Oh, my goodness! Maybe it is so nice listening to calm, soothing good ol’ Joe from Scranton PA, but I’m having a tough time reconciling what he says with what is happening in the world under Biden versus what it was under Trump. For example:

• Trump, unlike all his predecessors, created peace in the Middle East with the Abraham Accords with Arab and Muslim nations, for the first time, opening trade and commerce with Israel. Today, calm and folksy Joe Biden is now dealing with a possible full-scale war between Israel and the Palestinians. That did not occur under Trump, and indeed, would not occur under Trump.
• Biden desperately wants to re-institute the Iran Nuclear Agreement which Obama pioneered. He has removed sanctions with Iran and is considering releasing about $1.0 billion in funds held by the U.S. It remains to be seen what we will get in return for this goodwill. If Iran holds true to form, we will end up getting nothing. Trump walked away from Iran and the Obama Nuclear pact because it was, and still is, a pathway for Iran to develop a nuclear bomb which they have repeatedly said they would use against Israel.
• The U.S. Navy stopped a huge cargo ship containing weapons, anti-tank missiles, and other hardware destined for the Houthi Rebels in Yemen who are waging war against Saudi Arabia, our ally. Those weapons came from Iran. And Biden wants to reopen negotiations with this rogue state? Doesn’t make sense to me.
• Joe Biden says he is a practicing Roman Catholic. Yet he unilaterally negated the Mexico Accord making abortions in foreign nations U.S.Taxpayer funded. Why would Biden take such a step without any clamoring from citizens demanding it?
• We have been fed a steady diet of media hype such as the American Rescue Plan; the Family Plan and the Infrastructure Plan, each costing trillions of dollars…money we don’t have. Billions of dollars embedded in these plans include gifts…grants… to foreign nations, some of whom don’t like us very much. I’m wondering…are there nations in Europe or Asia whose citizens pay taxes to their respective governments who, in turn, give aid to America? Many of America’s homeless are veterans who risked their lives to ensure those nations had freedom and came back home with profound disabilities. Some did not return at all. Do we ever receive any grants and gifts from these nations? Asking for a friend…….
• I am still puzzled by the fact that doctors at Bethesda Naval Hospital have not given President Biden a complete physical and disclosed to we the people that our President is “fit for duty” physically and mentally. Aren’t we entitled to this? Keep in mind that Joe Biden suffered two….two…subarachnoid hemorrhages (bleeds in the brain) usually requiring lifelong medications and continual monitoring. Do we know what medications he is taking? Is he fit to be the Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces? He seems to be having difficulty speaking and focusing, and I do not believe I am the only one concerned about this.
• If you have children or grandchildren you should be enraged by what is happening in terms of educating our children. Today, our children are being exposed to Critical Race Theory and Cancel Culture. They are being taught to hate our country and to view everything through the spectrum of race. CRT and Cancel Culture are essentially un-American and un-democratic. They are rooted in Marxist/Socialist/Communist Ideology and you need to stand up and express your displeasure with these ridiculous curriculums.
• The real existential threat to the United States is not climate change. The real threat is China. And we need to unite ad bid together to meet this threat head-on. Climate Change is not real. It is unsettled science and advocates and town criers like John Kerry, perhaps the most dangerous man in America, need to shut up and stay home. How about a nationally televised debate on climate change moderated by independent scientists. Seems to me we ought to have the opportunity to consider the arguments from both sides before spending trillions and changing the face of our nation.
• Finally, notwithstanding the decision by the CDC and President Biden to state that citizens who are vaccinated need not wear mass outside or inside anymore, Dr. Fauci had to chime in. Dr. Anthony Fauci of the NIH stated unequivocally that children should still wear masks when playing outside. I find that inexplicable. Dr. Fauci once played basketball in high school in New York City. I wonder how he would feel about playing basketball wearing a mask? I wonder if he heard about the female high school 800-meter runner who was forced to wear a mask and collapsed at the finish line. Maybe the Prophet of Doom ought to think before he makes such proclamations.

Yes, indeed, a number of puzzling things going on.
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E.P. Unum is US! H/T McIntosh Enterprises - May 17, 2021.

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