A writer is a person whose "overpowering impulse is to gyrate before his fellow man, flapping his wings and emitting defiant yells. This being forbidden by the police of all civilized countries, he takes it out by putting his yells on paper. Such is the thing called self-expression."
--H.L. Mencken
The news is moving fast. Editorials need to keep up:
• Can we assume that Kyrsten Sinema, the senator and Democrat in good standing from Arizona, is on the side of George Wallace and Jefferson Davis? She said Friday she opposed changing the Senate filibuster. (See the president's remarks in Atlanta last week.)
• Can we also assume that Joe Manchin of West Virginia, another Democrat who opposes changing Senate rules, is on the side of Bull Connor? (See the president's remarks in Atlanta last week.)
• American and European intelligence types say Russia has prepositioned a group of operatives to conduct a false-flag operation in the Ukraine soon, to give Tsar Vladimir Putin a pretext for invading another neighbor. It could be a modern-day Gleiwitz Incident, only with more pre-press. Such pretexts didn't fool anybody in 1939. This one will fool few in 2022 as well. But being honest and forthright is not a priority for those who are looking to start a war. ("I've hired you to help me start a war. That's a prestigious line of work with a long and glorious tradition."--Vizzini)
• Speaking of war in that region, on Friday word came across the wires that a number of Ukrainian government websites were hit by a massive cyberattack. Why, of course. These days, the first volley doesn't come from artillery shells to clear the way for the infantry. The first volley comes electronically. The better to disrupt all the computers that have a role in national defense.
• Inflation in the United States jumped 7 percent in the last Consumer Price Index report, something the nation hasn't seen since 1982. The president has an answer, or at least a target for blame: President Biden and some Democrats in Congress say large corporations are taking advantage of their customers.
According to our wire story: "They say meat producers and other industries are taking advantage of pandemic-induced shortages to drive up prices and profits." Because, you must understand, companies have a habit of turning off consumers and pushing them to other products. You would think that somebody would explain to our betters how government spending policies--and government money-printing policies--affect the value of a dollar. Or lack of it.
• Some of us are old enough to remember 1982. The Fed, with a nod from the White House, decided to raise interest rates to bake inflation out of the economy. For a few months, the economy went through a rough patch. But with inflation controlled, the nation went through a decade of prosperity. The policy worked then. Could it work now? If not, somebody is going to have to explain to us why.
• The U.S. Army said last week that it plans to give up to $50,000 bonuses to highly skilled recruits who join specific branches of the military. That doesn't surprise. Somebody with language skills, who goes to jump school to become airborne, and who works in a hard job like signal or intel or medical, and who signs for six years, well, all that is worth something. What does surprise: Our story said the average signing bonus for all recruits is about $14,000. My, how things have changed from the old days. But defending a nation is never cheap. And most Americans would consider it money well spent.
• The IRS tells Americans to expect delays in tax refunds this year. Also, expect to have trouble if you call the IRS looking for help. Apparently the IRS has staffing troubles like everybody else. But you will still have to sign--on penalty of arrest and jail time--that everything you turn in is perfect. No wonder so many Americans use a tax preparer, with a guarantee that the preparer will handle audits should the IRS come a-calling.
Once again we are reminded that Americans don't necessarily mind paying their fair share of taxes--this country is a great bargain--but why does the government have to make it so hard?