March 4, 2022
Dear Interested Readers,
After A Week Of Valor And A Good Speech, It’s Not Time To Give Up.
One advantage that I enjoy in retirement is that I can easily redirect my time and attention to events as they occur. As you might imagine, my usual routine has been altered by the events in Ukraine. I haven’t watched this much news since the aftermath of the attack on our Capital back on January 6, 2021. I go from channel to channel and podcast to online newspaper looking for the latest report of a new event or a more enlightening commentary. NPR is playing on the radio in the background for most of the day at home and always while traveling in my car or out for a walk.
Many of the scenes I have seen have brought tears to my eyes and created a tightness in my chest. If you watch enough television you notice that the various broadcasters are sharing and recycling some of the videos. It seems strange to me that I experience no tachyphylaxis of my emotional response to the recurrent scenes even when I know from many repeat viewings what comes next. The tears and tightness still come each time I see the missile hit the apartment house. A wave of sadness passes over me each time I see the recurrent image of a five-year-old boy with his tearful face pressed against the window of the train that will carry him and his mother west to the status of refugees in Poland while his father who must be somewhere on the platform outside the window turns east to become a citizen-defender of his homeland.
I guess that I am old enough to be manifesting elements of the pseudobulbar affective syndrome, but I would rather believe that an ability to view the slow-motion tragedy that is unfolding on my television and computer without feeling intense emotion would be a much more convincing indication of neurological decline. These images should move us all. I am not watching as a voyeur on the misery of others. I am watching because I am looking for some reason to have hope. From the first evidence of the commitment and bravery of the Ukrainian people, I have hoped to see or hear that their example of commitment to community will rekindle some sense of that spirit within this riven nation. As many countries, including ours, are toying with authoritarianism as the next form of civil organization, Ukrainians have been in a thirty-year struggle for a democratic society. As nations go, the current organization of Ukrainian society is hardly an adolescent. I am reminded of the scripture, “And a little child shall lead them.” (Isaiah 11;6)
I was looking for reasons to be hopeful, I was aghast each of the dozens of times I was shown a line of Russian tanks and trucks that stretched for miles past the horizon. I was amazed and inspired and had a sense of growing hope for Ukrainians and for us each time I watched a brief video of the improbable president of Ukraine demonstrating true leadership. I am sure that no matter what ultimately happens in Ukraine, the world has a new hero.
Who was not amazed and inspired by President Volodymyr Zelensky’s refusal of assistance to escape from Kyiv to a safer place. His response, “I don’t need a ride; I need ammunition!” has already been the origin of a song and has been emblazoned on t-shirts. Who knows, because of the spirit it suggests, those words may in times become as famous as John Paul Jones’ declaration, “I have not yet begun to fight!,” Nathanial Hale’s last words before he was hung, “I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country,” or the battle cry of the Texans at the Battle of San Jacinto, “Remember the Alamo!” Who can forget the declaration of the thirteen soldiers on Snake Island who refused to surrender to a Russian naval officer by saying “Russian warship, go f*** yourself.”
I must admit that it has been a real exercise in trust to believe that economic sanctions could ever have the power to tip the momentum of the battle toward victory for the Ukrainian people, but I want to be a believer in that unlikely possibility. Emotionally, I would rather see us send the 82nd Airborne or our Marines while the skies over Ukraine are protected by our jet fighters and our navy protects Ukrainian ports, but I respect the judgment of others that such action or even just creating a no-fly zone over Ukraine could push the world into a wider war with the risk of a nuclear disaster. It feels like Putin is testing our will after he was able to steal Crimea.
The unity and restraint of the free world at this moment have been impressive. I give much of the credit to President Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and the efficiency of our intelligence systems. The sanctions, as discussed in a lengthy podcast this week by Ezra Klein of the New York Times and Adam Tooze, an economic historian and the director of the European Institute at Columbia, are potentially much more potent and effective than I had imagined, which brings me to the president’s “State of The Union” address on Tuesday evening.
It should not be a surprise to you to learn that I am a fan of the president. I am one of the 41% of Americans who approve of the job he is doing. Being president of our country is the most difficult job on the planet. Our president is held accountable for any failures or disappointments we experience whether or not he has any control over the critical events that might change outcomes.
Not all countries have the same attitude about their leadership. In 2006 and 2007 I traveled twice to China because one of my sons was studying Mandarin at Tsinghua University in Beijing. One of the things I enjoyed most was watching him have conversations with ordinary people, often in Mandarin but occasionally in English on the street. The people on the street and in stores, markets, and restaurants were eager to talk with Americans. Some were clearly motivated by the opportunity to practice their English. A favorite topic was Chairman Mao. He was held in great respect despite the fact that his leadership and the Cultural Revolution cost millions of lives and created great economic hardship. I was amazed by one man who said that the Chinese loved and respected Mao because he was 70% right. When I heard the “70% right” comment, I asked myself what American president could be given a pass on being 70% right. We demand perfection and have long and unforgiving memories for any errors or failures that occur while they are in office. If none occur, you can be sure the opposition party will claim that they did. If you question that observation just listen to Iowa’s Governor Kim Reynolds who gave the Republican response to the president’s address.
The president’s speech was well written, and pretty well delivered. My favorite part was the first third which was, in essence, a tribute to the Ukrainian people and a commitment that neither we nor the rest of the free world would abandon the people of Ukraine in the weeks and months to come. The challenge of the speech was to reassure the nation that things could be better. The president reassured us that we would survive inflation, overcome all of the inconveniences of supply chain disruption, and would never again experience the losses, inconveniences, and social isolation we have endured over the last two years from the pandemic. Traditionally, these State of the Union speeches when delivered by a president who is a Democrat are attempts at a laundry list of all the programs desired by the progressive wing of the party while not terrifying the center of the party, and simultaneously explaining to the universe of the skeptical why all of the promises of the campaign have not yet become law. Biden did a credible job if those were the objectives.
I was unrealistic in my hopes and fantasies. I wanted the president to say that he had told Chuck Schumer to begin the process of canning the “filibuster” so that the Senate could pass the two voting rights bills and the “Build Back Better” bill that the House has already passed. Even before I learned that Joe Manchin had decided to sit with Mitt Romney in the midst of the Republicans while he listened to the speech, I knew that this easy path to improving healthcare and the social determinants of health was just a dream. The Hill described the scene and offers explanations from Manchin.
Manchin exited the speech flanked by two Republican colleagues, Romney and Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.).
And he sat on the Republican side of the aisle during the speech.
His spokesperson told NBC that “Manchin sat with his colleague Sen. Romney to remind the American people and the world that bipartisanship works and is alive and well in the U.S. Senate.”
Manchin’s sense of bipartisanship is to be the lone Democrat to resist the fundamental improvements offered by Build Back Better. The Hill article described what Biden said he wanted to do and what Manchin prevents:
The president then ticked off several key components of the Build Back Better package he negotiated with Manchin last year, including a proposal to give Medicare authority to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, a plan to double solar and wind energy production, and a proposal to lower the price of electric vehicles.
Biden also highlighted his proposal to cut the cost of child care, subsidize long-term home health care for seniors and the disabled, and universal prekindergarten for 3- and 4-year-olds.
Manchin, however, appears more interested in working with Republicans on bipartisan legislation than on trying to revive the Build Back Better Act, which Democrats hope to pass through the Senate on a straight party-line vote under special budget reconciliation rules.
It seems that there is a greater likelihood of the Democrats increasing their Senate majority in the elections this fall (slim) than having Manchin change his mind (none). As you can see from the map if you click here, there is at least some chance that a miracle could occur. The sad truth is that most pundits see it to be more likely that Republicans will recapture the Senate than it is that Democrats will increase their majority. President Biden has a lot of convincing to do and change to initiate if he hopes to keep Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell from swapping roles.
Fortunately, it is still eight months before the election. It’s also possible that events will change the prospects for Build Back Better over the coming months. It would be the answer to prayers if Russia were defeated by a combination of the valor of the Ukrainians and the foreign policy expertise of the president and our allies. It is interesting to imagine that a victory for the Ukrainians over Putin might improve the social determinants of health here in America. It could happen. Just imagine a Ukrainian victory giving our president a lift in reputation that sweeps the 2022 elections for the House and Senate and giving him the majority he needs to give us the social legislation that improves the health of the nation. Wouldn’t that make 2022 a great year! Stranger things have happened. Remember 2016?
Walking Through Winter’s Last Few Weeks
It’s still winter here. We have had snow three of the last seven days. Overnight, last night, the temp dropped down to minus one. The high for today, about the time this letter hits the Internet, will be twenty-seven. We do anticipate a bump to fifty on Sunday. Despite the cold, I have been able to walk most days.
Last week was the one-year anniversary of the fall that I took on an icy road that left me with a foot drop. My first reaction as I was lying on the road was that I had broken my hip. But after a few minutes, I was able to get up and hobble the mile and a half home. The first month was confusing with intense neurogenic pain that prevented sleep. I assumed that I had contused my sciatic nerve. About a month into the process it became obvious to me that the numbness in my lower leg and foot was associated with a foot drop that made it difficult to walk. MRIs showed that I had an old man’s lower spine and nerve conduction studies revealed a peroneal nerve palsy. Just how the fall on my hip caused the palsy is unclear to me. Perhaps during my intense pain, my most comfortable leg position put pressure on the nerve. Who knows for sure? What is very clear is that it is difficult to walk with a weakened leg with a foot drop.
It has been a long road back, pun intended. I need exercise daily. In warmer weather, I was riding my bike and swimming. I was given an expensive brace that was custom-made for me but difficult to use. I bought a less sophisticated brace for $28 on Amazon which was almost as good and much more comfortable. I have been doing Pilates for several years and intensified the routines that would strengthen the muscles in my left leg that did work. Twelve years ago a very good orthopedic surgeon told me I needed to have my left knee replaced. I declined and started PT and in about a year and a half I was able to jog five or six miles. I am a believer in PT as long as the function is improving and pain is not a problem. Five years ago I sustained a total tear of my right rotator cuff. I am left-handed. PT, not surgery, was the answer again.
There’s a humorous saying that has shown up as a line in a few songs, “Time wounds all heels.” It’s a joke that is obviously based on the much older saying that “time heals most wounds.” I have played it both ways. Over time I have absorbed a lot of wounds, especially of my lower extremities, but not my heel. I have been fortunate that in time my wounds do heal. I feel like singing that exercise and time heals or improves a lot of wounds. Despite my fall, with the help of my braces, and a lot of work, I have been able to walk 175 miles since January 1! On the days when the weather makes walks unwise, I enjoy a push on the Peloton.
Today’s header is a picture taken at the “turnaround” of my second favorite walk. This “alternative walk” passes one pond, one old mill falls, follows a tumbling brook down a hillside into a small lake, and then after crossing a highway, continues on a dirt road through a nicely wooded stretch where there are huge ancient white pines. Walking this road is literally walking the road to recovery. In a few weeks, winter will fade into mud season and I will need to avoid the unpaved road on this walk for a month, but after the mud is gone I can look forward to good walks in the woods in the spring, summer, and fall.
I hope that you will find some way to enjoy the interface between winter and spring. It is about six weeks until “ice out” and seven weeks until the opening day of the trout fishing season. We probably will have a few more cold days and a little more snow before winter is completely over, but spring is not very far down the road. My goal is to jog again this summer. Things are getting better, and Spring is coming. I hope that all is well with you!
Be well,
Gene
