Longer Step: Ideas for Justice and Sustainability

 This is a fascinating election. The only thing we know for sure is that Oregon's next governor will be a woman: 1. Tina Kotek (Democrat): Speaker of the House. Has lengthy OR govt leadership experience. The frontrunner. Enjoys an electorate which, much to the dismay of the Republican 75% of the state (by area), has elected a Democrat governor for decades now. She would get my vote were I still an Oregon resident. Oregon used to be a great state, or at least looked like one. But now, it's beset (OK, mostly Portland is beset) by rampant homelessness and violence which spiraled out of control on Tina's watch. But she did push through statewide rent control (which I think I disagree with due to its interference with the rights of property owners), but at least it was designed to try to help renters who couldn't pay their rent), and her Republican opponent Drazan organized a Republican walkout from the legislature, which killed Kotek's attempt to increase homeless shelt...

This article in National Affairs is too long and meandering, but I love this line: " Paying off bonds with currency that is worth half as much as it used to be is like defaulting on half of the debt ." I've been thinking (and saying) for a long time that we will see inflation, not deflation, because the only way to repay the federal debt is to do it with ever-more-worthless dollars: Print too much money, cause inflation, and repay the debt with devalued dollars. Our government is stealing our future from us, in order to keep the balls in the air a little longer. But it is a sucker's game, and at some point it will become obvious to everyone that the US dollar is worthless. And all who hold their wealth in dollars at that time will suddenly realize they are financially ruined. A sane economic plan would see: a. Progressive income tax rates that raise enough money to fund the entire government's expenditures for the year; b. A vast (VAST) reduction in federal spend...

I see leaves quivering in the breeze, Just like how we shimmy our outstretched hands, In gratitude, sometimes, instead of clapping. The trees are happy, Happy that you are here, with the rest of us, Trying to make this a better world, together. And because the trees know that you are here, doing that, You cannot quit on them. Hang in there.

  Since 1945, a long long time ago, the USA has never won a war. Not that we didn't try--we've killed, maimed, and displaced hundreds of thousands of innocent people since then. But, each time, we lost. Now, on our great nation's holiday, many around me are shooting off fireworks. Big ones. Just like artillery, missiles, rifles. Thick. A cacaphony. Maybe it is a form of apology for all the wars we lost? But, sadly, maybe not. Maybe it's a continuation of the collective lie that this is still a great nation. Depends on how you measure great, I suppose.

I have an acquaintance who retired as a CA state employee, and was able to sell his CA house (probably with low or no mortgage balance) for a huge chunk of cash. Then he moved here (SW WA State) and bought a nice house, and a giant RV, with that cash, and he lives pretty richly on his CA pension. For him, it was a no-brainer, as the cost of living is lower here and he greatly improved his situation. He got a bigger, better house and better weather (including better protection from climate change here), and his living costs are lower. That's why many thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of Californians are moving to OR, WA, and ID. It makes one wonder if there are enough homebuyers in CA to soak up all that slack. But for us, the picture is different. He is a big load on CA taxpayers, and he's a loss to CA's economy (he's not spending his CA pension there). California is paying him, but he's spending that money in Washington. And this migration is raising real estate...

  Highly recommend Lyn Alden ; she (having a rare combination of an engineer's mind and an economist's training) is a national treasure re unlocking the mysteries of the economy; national debt; the Fed; etc. The Fed is trying to increase unemployment (you read that right), in order to reduce demand, which should reduce inflation. But that will also likely cause a recession. So if you need to make a big expenditure, it might be savvy to postpone it IF it is the sort of cost that is unusually high now but normally cheapens during recessions (e.g., using contractors to do some construction work). But if the item is subject to inflation (e.g., a new car), it's anyone's guess how successful the Fed will be in controlling inflation, and when you should buy. This entire mess could become painful and ugly. She makes the point that it's like the 1940s again for the US, except this time we are a debtor nation in decline, with a mostly-aged population demanding a heavy load ...

Watching " Outer Range" triggered these thoughts: Some of us watch a show as spectators...we watch and are entertained. But others watch and participate -- we are drawn in and play 'what if' we were a part of that world. It's not a psychosis...it's not delusional. But it is a deeper level of imagination and interaction. It is like we (imagine that we) project ourselves into the story, and see what we can feel, what we can learn, from that perspective. I think this is an important way to perceive any story. The Greeks perfected comedy and tragedy, in order to allow spectators to project themselves into a portrayal of the story, in order to feel as if the story was happening, or could happen, to them. It allows an emotional catharsis, a cleansing or reboot of the soul. Storytelling, whether it is Greek plays or fiction books or movies, is virtual reality. It is a way to expand your mind by imagining yourself in a different sort of life. Maybe the Metaverse wil...