6-3; could this be a spring thaw?

About two weeks ago an 80-mile-long crack opened up in Lake Erie, crossing the lake diagonally.  It was about a mile wide.

I haven’t seen or read the tariff decision.  I haven’t even read a good analysis, but it does feel that a 6-3 vote giving the President a setback may be a crack forming in the ice.  When the six includes two members who were appointed by Trump, that feels like a thaw, like a warming breeze.  

Of course, it could be the excuse Trump needs to launch a war against Iran or do some other stupid thing.  Still, 6-3.  Not bad. 

Curses for the 21st Century

Remember “A plague on both your houses.”  I know you’ve heard it, but you might not remember it’s from “Romeo and Juliet.”  Three witches also cursed Macbeth, boiling all sorts of disgusting ingredients in their pot.  But those are so medieval.  Here are some more up-to-date invectives you might want to hurl:

May Social Security go bankrupt six months before you turn 65.  

May all your co-workers be MAGA.

May you be stuck with a Cybertruck no one wants to buy.

May your parents watch Fox News.

May you have a cat that needs to take a pill.

and this one that hits really close to home:  May you have a family member who doesn’t know how to text.

Credit goes to Bev Potter, “Updated Curses for the 21st Century,” Funny Times (March 2026), p. 20.

Setting Congressman Ryan Mackenzie straight

Congressman Ryan Mackenzie

121 Cannon House Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Congressman Mackenzie:

The newspapers are full of articles headlined “Trump Orders That...” followed by some outrageous action on his part.  Increasing tariffs, bombing fishing boats, deporting kids, making deals for his family members, selling out Ukraine, pardoning drug importers, ending EPA mandates, re-writing history....  You can add to the list yourself. 

And where is Congress when this is happening?  I don’t know.  It seems to be in permanent hibernation.  I have a copy of your letter asking supporters for help in your re-election.  Why on earth would you want to be elected to a body that does nothing?  And why on God’s earth would you place at the top of that letter a photo of you standing and grinning next to a president who is doing everything in his power to make the United States into an authoritarian power.

You do not deserve re-election.  You are obviously not the solution to our country’s problems.  In fact, you are a large part of the problem.

Sincerely,

Roy Christman

What you do matters

That’s the title of a booklet from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  It has pictures and stories of people who helped people escape during the Nazi terror in Europe.  Some were government officials, like Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania, who issued about 2000 visas for Jews to get to Japan and from there to safe countries.

Ukrainians Tatyana and Ania Kontsevich sheltered Shimon Redlich along  with his mother, aunt, and uncle in their attic and shed.  Ania, who was ten, was in charge of bringing them food and water. 

When the Germans occupied Serbia, the Mandils, a Jewish family from Belgrade, escaped to Albania.  Mr. Mandil opened a photography shop and hired Refik Veseli, a 16-year-old Albanian Muslim as his apprentice.  When the Mandils were threatened by deportation after Germany occupied Albania in 1943, Rafik Veseli convinced his parents to hide the Mandils in their home village.  The children posed as Muslims.  Their parents lived in the barn until liberation.

 

Celebrating the 250th

I’ve been to a number of meetings in which the participants have discussed celebrating the 250th anniversary  of the U.S.  They are using the Declaration of Independence as the starting point, although that was no sure thing in 1776.

I can let that slide.  What I can’t understand is how people can discuss celebrating when it is clear that we are losing our republic.  On Feb. 8 the Opinion Page of the New York Times contained a line graph of 12 Markers of Democratic Erosion.  One end of the line was democracy; the other autocracy.  For every marker the indicator was moving toward autocracy.

Here are the 12.  Incidentally, the two markers in which the indicator had moved the closest to autocracy were “Vilifying marginalized groups” and “Using power for personal gain.”

Stifling speech and dissent

Persecuting political opponents

Bypassing the legislature

Defying the courts

Declaring false emergencies

Using the military at home

Vilifying marginalized groups

Controlling information

Trying to take over universities

Creating a cult of personality

Using power for personal profit

Manipulating the law to stay in power

You look at that list and tell me what on earth we have to celebrate.  

Congrats to Brazil

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the gold medal for the Men’s Giant Slalom at the Olympic Winter Games.  It was the first gold medal won by Brazil at the any of the Winter Games.  In fact it was the first gold medal won by anyone from South America at the Winter Games.  Nice work.  

The midterms

It is obvious that Trump knows he is in for a drubbing at the midterms, so the Republicans are already gearing up to cheat on the elections.  They began months ago with the gerrymandering of congressional districts.  Now they are pushing for ID’s that many poor and older people and married women who changed their names won’t be able to produce.  

I will.  I have a passport.  How many MAGA people will be able to produce either a birth certificate or a passport?  This may backfire.  Of course, if they are white or carrying an assault rifle or wearing MAGA gear, the ID requirements will be waived.

Don’t worry about the elections being cancelled.  Russia holds elections.  Hungary holds elections.  Authoritarian governments don’t cancel elections; they rig them.