What's In a Word? #232
By Hank Silverberg
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Let's start with a common basic word: patriotism!
Merriam-Webster defines it this way:
To many people, that means flying the flag, joining the military or singing the National Anthem.
But that is not what it really means. Love of country comes in many forms, including caring for the sick or hungry citizens of your country, teaching future generations, or when necessary, petitioning your government to express grievances in the form of peaceful protest. That part is in the Bill of Rights. You love your country enough to try to make it better.
The problem is, one group, usually on the right, gets all bent out of shape over things like football players kneeling for The Star Spangled Banner, or protests in the streets. Meanwhile, the other side on the left doesn't like flag waving and parades with uniforms and terms like "American exceptionalism," which seem to be more of a brag than a reality.
So, the word patriotism gets co-opted into something it is not.
Which brings me to this week's bastardization of the word "insurrection."
Here's Webster's definition:
insurrection
noun
Under that definition, there is little question that the attack on the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, was an insurrection. The people outside were angry, and in some cases armed. They used violence to get into the building seeking to attack their leaders.
But during these past two weeks in Tennessee and Montana, the word "insurrection" was corrupted.
In Tennessee it was used to describe two lawmakers who started a protest from their seats in the legislative chamber and were joined by members of the public in the gallery, who had gotten in by following the rules. The lawmakers (Democrats Justin Jones and Justin Pearson) were kicked out of the House, and the protestors arrested for demanding action on gun control just weeks after a mass shooting. It was NOT an insurrection, but there was an almost immediate effort by the GOP to compare it to January 6th. They used the word several times in their condemnation of Jones and Pearson.
Then came Montana where it got even worse. One lawmaker (Democrat Zooey Zephyr) was stripped of her right to speak because she told the House that blood would be on their hands if they banned gender affirming care. That too was quickly labeled "inciting insurrection."
It did not go by unnoticed that Jones and Pearson are Black and Zephyr is trans-gender.
This is part of a growing effort by the GOP to whitewash the right-wing rhetoric and hate that has been fueling their politics for the last eight years.
Words matter. Words have consequences. It's likely some politicians are going to find out what the consequences are the hard way come election day, and I hope they do.
Robo Tanks
This news is a few weeks old, but it's very unsettling. One of the biggest horrors of war is the death of soldiers in the field. But what if the combatants are not in the field? It's an issue you have heard a lot about because of drones being used to go after difficult targets.
But the war in Ukraine has also showed us Russia's use of unmanned drones on civilian targets. And now comes word that Moscow is deploying a new battle tank which has no crew in the turret.
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| (The T-14 Armata From Vitaly V. Kuzmin) |
The only good news here is that Russian commanders may be hesitant to use the unproven technology on the battlefield, and Reuters reports the Russians have not met their production quota of 2,300 of these tanks that were supposed to be done by 2020. Supposedly a few of them have been deployed in Ukraine. They have also yet to face direct combat with new Ukrainian armor and sophisticated western technology.
Of note, the Russians are not the only country developing drone ground weapons. Companies in the United States are also experimenting with robot vehicles that have no people in them. In most cases so far, their projected use is for reconnaissance or things like bomb removal. There is even one that is being developed called the Battlefield Extraction Assist Robot. The BEAR is being designed to pick up wounded soldiers on the battlefield and bring them back for medical care.
But how far away are we from robots fighting wars for us with innocent civilians caught in the middle? Add in progress with Artificial Intelligence, and it sounds like an apocalyptic sci-fi movie coming to life.
GOP Attacks Healthcare Again!
The Republicans in the House are going after health care for some of the country's poorest citizens. Buried inside their negotiations to approve an increase in the debt ceiling is a plan to cut Medicaid, forcing many of the recipients to work to stay in the program. It would affect all able-bodied people on Medicaid between 19 and 55 who do not have children or other dependents. They would be required to work, train for a job, or do community service to stay on Medicaid.
It's estimated a half million people would lose their coverage right away. The Congressional Budget Office says this change will save $109 billion over ten years. But the non-partisan CBO also says it would not improve employment among Medicaid enrollees.
And here's the thing. It would have NO impact at all on the nation's debt since that is money already spent.
It's unlikely this provision will survive the negotiations with Democrats, but it gives you a good idea of what the Republicans are thinking.
https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-work-requirements-republicans-debt-bill-
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Now, some of you may be thinking, why is this blog always so partisan against the GOP?
The reason is simple. The Republican Party has lost all sense of reality. Ronald Reagan's shining city on a hill and George H.W. Bush's thousand points of light have blacked out. Today's GOP continues to look backward towards things that have failed in the past instead of ahead to innovation and unity.
The party has blinders on.
Dumbest Quote of The Week!
This week's dumbest quote comes from a new source, former South Carolina Governor and Republican presidential candidate, Nikki Haley.
In an appearance on Fox News (where else?) there was a discussion of the presidential race. She made this casual remark:
"If you vote for Joe Biden, you really are counting on a President Harris because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old is not something that I think is likely." 
(Ready for the big chair?)
And to make matters worse for Haley, she was given a chance to walk back on the comment later, and she didn't.
CNN Anchor Stunned Nikki Haley Said Biden 'Likely' To Die (mediaite.com)
Mr. Biden is 80 years old, the oldest man to hold the presidency, and those of us old enough to remember Ronald Reagan know that he turned 80 in his last year in office. We learned after he left office that he had begun to suffer from Alzheimer's disease near the end of his second term.
Yes, Mr. Biden's age and health are a legitimate campaign issue. But the way Haley phrased her concern, declaring Biden almost dead-on-arrival for his second term, shows she lacks the kind of tact and caution we want from someone in the Oval Office. And that raises a question of whether she is up to the job.
The latest health reports on Mr. Biden say he is in good shape, and healthy. Unlike his predecessor, we get regular updates on his health. Trump is 76.
Haley is 51, but like many Gen Xers she is showing very little respect for the Baby Boom generation, which still yields quite a bit of power at the ballot box.
If Haley is suggesting that Vice President Kamala Harris is not up to the job should something happen to Biden, then she should say it, otherwise she appears to be dissing a whole generation.
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