Longer Step: Ideas for Justice and Sustainability

  HW Bush (the father) had honorable military and CIA service, and was the last Republican who was intelligent, honorable, and competent, though I disagreed with many of his positions. Romney comes to mind as an intelligent, honorable man, though he lost. Then there were a pair of unsatisfactory Republicans: one an idiot and the other both an idiot and dishonest: younger Bush (who tormented us when we lived in TX; his greatest failure was starting unnecessary wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which cost trillions and permanent brain injuries in thousands of American soldiers), and Trump, a narcissistic Facist who understands almost nothing except how to berate and antagonize others for personal gain. Most of the less-educated citizens now follow that party. The Democrats fare a little better. Clinton was a moral scuz but most of his positions were good for the country (except his excessive support of Big Business), and Clinton has the distinction of being the last President who oversaw...

 As small banks are failing due to lousy management, I've been thinking a lot about why we need banks. We actually don't. America is addicted to debt. We have to have a good credit score, in order to get a job, get an apartment lease, get a mobile phone, get cable TV service, etc. If you avoid debt in your life (as many of our immigrants do), you are significantly punished in the US. Having a good credit score has become proof that you are a reliable person in non-financial ways. Without debt in America, you are a lesser person. Think about that. 1. Isn't it interesting that a good credit score, which proves you are a trustworthy person, can only be obtained if we buy lots of stuff on credit? Meaning, if we buy lots of stuff. Hmm--I wonder if big businesses had anything to do with this system of compulsory borrowing?  2. In most other countries, people have far less debt, or often, no debt at all. It's seen as a sign of poverty, of hopelessness. 3. And "cheap debt...

  BIG new study concludes that, for older folks, getting the latest bivalent Covid booster provides 84% less risk of hospitalization if you catch Covid (the boosters no longer help you prevent catching Covid, but they do prevent your getting really sick or dying). And yet only 14% of adults and older kids have gotten that booster. Which is free. I'm vaxxed and boosted; I've had Covid and didn't like it. But at least I could be sick alone at home, and I survived without needing to bother the healthcare system, which is overburdened now. I don't like others' doing things that overload the healthcare system, because that's bad for all of us, including h'care workers, who are struggling with overwork now.  And masking clearly helps slow the spread of Covid, but on our recent trip, where we wore our N95 masks everywhere inside unless eating, I would guess only about 5% (sometimes close to 10%) of adults inside were masked. The new Covid variants are highly conta...