Goodness, what a week! Management had directed the Writer’s Section to stay above the venal corruption which appears in our nation’s politics, but allowed as how we could note that “earmarking” is back. That is a process by which a member of Congress can append projects to appropriations bills for matters beneficial to their states or districts. And with the controversy over the Presidential election , it is of note that the top 96 ear-markers in this session of Congress were members of the GOP.
That is to be expected, based on their narrow, but real margin of majority. It is something that was of note the same phenomenon was observed in the Dem-majority sessions of Congress that were continuous from the Truman to the Clinton Administrations, but does represent a certain continuity of tradition.
But that would lead to a longer discussion of the nature of American politics, which is under significant structural change without much debate. The President is subject of great debate since his lackluster performance in the Debate last week. Close observation of his performances in events since then have been better in appearance, with some animation in short controlled campaign events and an interview with former Clinton advisor George Stephanopoulos failed to address many of the concerns being raised in the Party about how to progress. When asked about taking a cognitive assessment to demonstrate his level of performance, the President insisted he had done so, and George then pressed ahead on other matters, failing to ask when that test might have been.
So the American excitement continues, with the Incumbent apparently intending to stay at the top of a ticket filed with uncertainty.
That’s not all, and mixed signals are emanating all over with two land wars in progress. America’s closet major ally just had a major rejection of the Conservative Party. New Labour Prime Minister Kier Starmer moved into 10 Downing Street immediately after election results were announced. He has met with King Charles at Buckingham Palace and entered the PM’s residence’s famous black door to start work. New tally in Parliament looks like 412 Labor to 121 Conservatives, lowest in their history. There are another 123 seats held by the assortment, but the Labor victory is a landslide. What does it mean for Britains’ exit from the EU, or alignment with the US on global issues? Unknown, but clearly a new path in a world with Ukraine aflame.
Which brings us to the other slide in the EU. French Prime Minister Macron is what passes as a “centrist” in his nation’s political alignment. He facing defeat from populist opponent Marine Le Pen, and opposition from his far left. He is showing a similar desperation to the one in the United States, saying that if Le Pen achieves victory there could be civil war. We hope it is election hyperbole, but reflects a world in which the old phrase “Death to America!” is being chanted in streets- in America.
So, that is the situation over there, with the NATO leadership coming to a summit across the riveer here in DC next week. That has barely blipped the messaging screen- yet- but clearly a matter under discussion with be the elections in Iran that filled the Presidency vacated by Ebrahim Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash last Spring. The new President is Masoud Pezeshkian, and a reputed ‘moderate’ as things go in Iran, He has advocated limited social reforms and engagement with the US over his country’s nuclear program.
So, world reaction is generally positive but tempered by the reality that the President remains subservient to the desires of his boss, Maqâm Moazam Rahbari, Head of State and highest political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic.
The leadership of Russia and China are unchanged and unrelenting in their policies of national expansion. The election tensions and results depict the variety of responses to the world in which we are reacting with apprehension and lurches, left and right, that reflect not optimism, but a bit of dispair over the policies of the leaders who have brought us to the current situation.
Which is why things are sort of crazy here in this season. There will be no answers on how it will play out until the elections are held here, which in turn could cause other actions to influence the result. It is going to be an interesting high summer here, and a very important Fall. First, the NATO folks across the big brown River next week…
Copyright 2024 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com