I sit here contending with a bout of near-depression. I am usually very much an optimist, but this election brings out the pessimist in me. I wonder what great sin in my past warrants the punishment of watching my great country on the verge of being brought low.

Donald J. Trump President

I celebrated when Donald J. Trump was elected president. His business background and campaign promises foretold prosperity for the country. I was not disappointed.

• The wages for blue-collar workers grew faster than for white-collar employees.
• Unemployment decreased as there were more jobs than qualified applicants. Also, the unemployment rate for minorities was lowest in years, for some the lowest ever.
• The number of illegals crossing the border reduced by an improved border wall and agreements between the United States and Mexico.
• The stock market grew by bounds as Americans spent their increased wealth and corporations reported their earnings. Individuals with stocks saw their accounts grow rapidly. Working Americans with 401k or IRA accounts enjoyed the same.
• President Trump began withdrawing America from Middle East wars after destroying ISIS. Troops are returning to the States, and no new wars started. For the first time in over twenty-five years, Israel and several Middle East Nations signed peace agreements.
• He increased funding to the military with pay increases for members and replenishment of equipment and munitions.
• Reformed the Veterans Administration to provide improved care for veterans.
• Signed an Executive Order to make hospitals post their charges for care to allow price shopping by those seeking care.
• Signed an Executive Order to make pharmaceutical companies price drugs at their cost in other countries, benefiting all Americans.
• His opponent regularly attacks the response to COVID-19. The facts are President Trump took quick action to fight the virus’ impact.
  • Shut down flights from China and Europe after conferring with experts.
  • Shut down America’s economy after consulting experts again.
  • Cut through red tape and used his influence with pharmaceutical companies to begin the rapid development of a vaccine.
  • Used his emergency powers to have companies build personal protective equipment at a phenomenal rate. Used the Army Corps of Engineers to erect field hospitals in cities where hospitals approached capacity because of the many infected.
  • Signed multiple funding bills to mitigate COVID-19 financial impact on businesses and those laid off.

President Trump’s efforts resulted in the return to work for many of those furloughed and the largest growth in Gross Domestic Product ever. This, while several states continue keeping many businesses locked down or operating at reduced capacity.

There are many reasons for optimism brought with the election of Donald J. Trump, so what is the problem—the possible election of Joe Biden.

Joe Biden

Joe Biden, Vice President under President Obama, made concerning promises. A summary follows.

• Will fight COVID-19 but hasn’t any plans different from what the President has done.
  • Shut down the economy if experts recommend it.
  • Mandate mask wear. President Trump recommended but didn’t mandate wearing a mask.
  • More personal protective equipment, though there are surpluses now.
  • Accomplish some things that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended for getting schools reopened and vaccine development.
• Promises to repeal the Trump tax cuts, which gave the average American family an extra $2000.00 a year and more for those with children. These go away with the Biden plan.
• Increase taxes for corporations that will increase the price of their product or reduce pay or benefits for workers to maintain corporate profitability. A third option which many may employ is to move overseas where taxes are lower.
• Spend on extensive infrastructure. The spending is for clean energy and to fight climate change.
  • Spend to move electricity generation to solar and wind sources.
  • Buy millions of electric cars and install thousands of charging stations.
  • Increase the demand placed on power plants, oooppppsss—I mean wind and solar power sources that even now can’t meet California’s needs.
• Stop all new drilling and forbid fracking on government lands. It begins the destruction of the fossil fuel industry.
  • Eliminate the subsidies to the oil companies.
  • Less oil and natural gas produced domestically will increase gasoline, electricity, and heating fuel costs.
  • Cause America to be energy independent no longer and make America reliant on imports once more.
  • Interesting point: windmills and solar panels are created with energy from fossil fuels. Without great energy sources, windmill and solar panel parts will be built overseas. This conflicts with the promise to “Buy American.”
• Promises to make MEDICARE available under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to those who couldn’t afford insurance.
  • MEDICARE is practically on life support now. Adding large numbers of new users will create funding issues, and likely lead to socialized medicine as insurance companies can’t compete with government funded plans.
  • In other countries, government (socialized) insurance has resulted in long waits and rationed care.
• Promised to make eleven million illegals eligible for citizenship.
  • Open the borders and allow thousands to enter the United States, who will contest Americans for entry-level jobs and depress Americans’ wages.
  • Those who come will levy a heavy load on schools, hospitals, and social services, which again adversely affects American families.

He and his socialist running mate have made other promises, which brings on my borderline depression. It is contrary to my lifetime optimistic nature, but where I am today.

Resolution to Depression

There is only one resolution to depression, the reelection of Donald J. Trump on 3 November 2020. Elation is his reelection, and the Senate remains in Republican control. Jubilation comes with those and the House of Representative going Republican.

Until next time, remember to be safe during this trying time.

First, my wife and I are doing well, sitting out the Covid-19 in a half-opened Maryland.

Summer Time

Covid-19 has affected our usual summer. What do two senior retirees do for the summer? Other years, we would have bowled until early May in leagues. After the leagues, we would use a visit to the lanes to give a reason to leave the house. Sometimes, we would take some of our grandkids bowling on dollar day, so we could also afford to feed them . We mostly stayed home this year.

“Living” at the alleys since 1985 has gained us friends we enjoy being with away from the lanes. We would get together for dinner, sharing our lives over a delightful meal. The lockdown did more than keep us home. It enforced it with the closure of our favorite and not so favorite eateries. The upside is that we will have lots to catch up once we can dine together again.

Bowling in or after Covid-19

The lanes being closed does not disrupt our league participation, not yet. We don’t bowl summer leagues, though I practice several times a month. This year, it might not matter if fall leagues don’t restart. Currently, the base commander is allowing the lanes to open for food service but not for bowling until late August. The re-opening depends on the Covid-19 numbers then.

My fear has to do with league bowlers returning and attracting new bowlers. The men’s league, and most of the others, have a large number of seniors. My wife’s senior’s league requires bowlers to be fifty or older; most are older than sixty. How many seniors will return if the disease is still rampant?

We recruit new bowlers during the summer when they come to practice. This option is not available this summer. Will new bowlers seek a league in September, if the alley opens?

Finally, how much disruption to bowling practices will bowlers accept? Will they wear masks? Would they accept changes to regular schedules to comply with social distancing rules? E.g., bowling every other week, or split shifts? These, and other questions, worry me that my league may not start on time, or at all.

RVing or not

There are other effects of Covid-19. This week found us planning the meals and snacks for a recreational vehicle trip. Decisions based on if any grandchildren were traveling with us. But Covid-19 has disrupted our plans. We will not spend late July with relatives in Texas like we have the past three years.

Instead of making the Texas trip, we have considered a local RV excursion. I suggested taking the RV for a two day trip into western Maryland. We would enjoy some beautiful scenery and the road trip.  The RV would enable us to stay safer, eating, and sleeping in a space we control. We shall see.

Lastly, I am so disgusted with the anarchy seen daily. Laws ignored and federal, state, and local government is abetting the lawless. How, by refusing to confront the criminal segment who have co-opted lawful, peaceful protests. It needs to stop before it goes so far that average citizens feel the need to push back against the lawless themselves. Our leaders need to stop it before it goes too far.

Be safe during these trying times!

I always appreciate comments. Share your thoughts with me using the available form.

What do I mean?

Blue Angels flyover

The Blue Angels flew over the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland this morning. One of the television stations broadcasted the flyover.

Within minutes, people began commenting on the video. The first several comments lamented the flyover as a waste of money.  One noted the Blue Angels should not be celebrating first responders again, grossly misunderstanding the real purpose. There followed a demand to cancel flyovers and send the money to hospitals or to purchase personal protection equipment. Quickly more comments in the same vein followed.

Graduation

Now for my thoughts regarding the aerial demonstration. I have been in Maryland for almost forty years. Each year, in May, the Blue Angels honor the graduating Academy class with an aerial show. This year the show was a simple flyover to honor the men and women destined to serve their country as officers in the Navy or Marine Corps.

I know the Blue Angels and their air shows are part of the Navy’s recruitment effort. Though Blue Angels are not doing air shows, they need to maintain their proficiency for when the shows return. Flying in close formation is a skill best honed by doing it.  How close do they fly? The Navy frequently asked questions (FAQ) says they fly as close as eighteen inches during one maneuver.

Training and Shows

Wikipedia states the Blue Angels train in California during the winter months. They fly over 120 training missions before returning to their home base at Pensacola, Florida. There they fly practice sessions each Tuesday and Wednesday and air shows on weekends pre-pandemic. Their next air show will be in June 2020. Training and demonstrations paid from the thirty-seven million dollars allowed from the Department of Defense’s annual budget.

Bias taints my perspective. I am a retired US Navy Officer who loves watching the Blue Angels fly. I am not the only one who appreciates their air shows since the estimate is eleven million spectators watch them fly each year (Wikipedia again.)

Get a life

My advice to those who criticized their flyover today is to get a life. Enjoy the Blue Angels as they celebrate the graduation of this year’s Academy class.

What makes up unnecessary travel? One could look at what businesses are open in Maryland. Based on my trips, the following are open.

Necessary Trips!?

I picked up my prescriptions at the Navy pharmacy and shopped for groceries at the base commissary. The pharmacy and commissary are about twenty-seven miles from our home. There were few others on the road at the time of our trip.

My wife and I took advantage of the curbside service Sam’s store offered seniors. We gave our order to one of their employees, and soon another brought it to us. The number of cars in the parking lot, and the number in line, surprised us.  We filled up with gas at Sam’s gas station on our way home.

My wife required an ingredient for dinner, and  I found it at the local Safeway grocery. The store was swarming with people. The store marked the floor to help shoppers maintain social distancing during checkout. It was a busy store with many shoppers.

My wife and I picked up bulk shelled peanuts for our squirrel friends, grass seed, suit, and onion set from the county co-op. I had trouble finding a place to park the first visit, and a little easier the second time—so many finding going to the co-op an essential trip, including me.

My son-in-law and I made a deposit of branches from a down tree in the county. We filled the bed of my truck with limb debris from a tree recently downed. We were one of the few customers.

I should include the farm where we bought fresh free-range eggs. That was a pleasant drive after leaving the interstate through rolling farms, stands of trees. I remember commenting to my wife I hadn’t noticed a car on the road for miles.

We would like to get out more but there are limited places to go. All of the precautions, with the closures, give us very few choices.

COVID-19 Response Necessary?

I hope there will be a serious conversation regarding whether there were better ways to deal with this virus.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there were 38 million illnesses, 390,000 hospitalizations, and 23,000 deaths from the latest flu strain as of March 25^th  in the United States alone.  These numbers are like every year’s as additional strains of the flu attack. Yet, we don’t shut down America for it.

COVID-19 has not run its course, and the numbers are still going up. I am sure they will have the numbers eventually. But, will they be able to learn the number of deaths caused by the shutdown? How many who lost their businesses or jobs committed suicide or turned to drugs? What was the increase in domestic abuse? There were severe repercussions from shutting down America besides those attributed to the virus.

Your thoughts about the shutdown. Have you been out during this trying time? Share with me using the comment form.