#1049 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Wednesday January 8)
Good morning,
A potpourri today…
THE PRISON SYSTEM
I have been writing on and off for years about the ridiculously long prison sentences that are meted out, often for crimes that do not endanger the general public, in conditions that are reprehensible, offering little in the way of rehabilitation or job training. I don’t think we really can appreciate just how dire the situation is in many of our prison systems. Then I got this commentary from a reader regarding the Florida prison system:
“I have a friend in jail. He rooms with three other guys. There is one toilet and a cold water only shower for all of them to share, in the center of this cell. The ‘mattress’ is one inch of foam with a sheet on top. They eat breakfast at 3:30 a.m., grits usually. Lunch, bologna sandwich, is served at 10:30 a.m. Dinner is at 3:30 p.m. Lights are on from 3:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Once every two months, someone comes by to cut their hair and/or trim their beard.
The conditions are not fit for an animal, let alone a human being. It is the minimum required by law.”
The indefinite caging of those convicted of crimes—particularly when those crimes aren’t violent, with little rehabilitation of job training, is an act of dehumanization for which our society should be ashamed.
GAZA WAR AND REBUILDING SHATTERED LIVES
Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas and the architect of the October 7th spree of murder, rape, and mayhem, is dead. Without its leader, with Gaza in ruins, and with the Hamas fighting force degraded, it would seem time for this brutal war to end. But is it even a war anymore, or has Gaza become a giant killing field, with minimal access to food, water, and medicines? Exactly what will it take for Israel to end its offensive, declare victory, allow in appropriate amounts of humanitarian aid, and start the rebuilding?
I don’t dispute for a minute that Israel had a right to seek out and eliminate Hamas, in the interest of its own security. I don’t dispute Israel’s right to attempt to obtain release of its hostages. But after bombing Gaza into ruin, and after countless casualties, I think one safely can conclude that Hamas is in no condition to lash out against Israel any time soon. The war has been won, and probably was won months and thousands of lives ago. The continuing violence against the civilian population cannot be justified by whatever small advantage might be the trade-off of continuing the destruction. At some point, it is time to declare victory and dedicate oneself to the hard task of rebuilding—rebuilding lives, cities, communities, trust, and dignity. It will require thinking out of the box and taking some calculated and cautious risks.
I would hope Israel, having demonstrated its ability to quash Hamas, can feel strong and secure enough to take the initiative to publicly propose a Palestinian detainees-for-hostages deal. It could be accompanied by an end to offensive action in Gaza and a promise to leave when a pan-Arab coalition is prepared to enter and stabilize a pacified Gaza. While Hamas cannot be allowed to govern, and Israel is incapable of governing (and presumably has little will to do so). The Palestinian Authority is diminished and reduced, in addition to lacking popular support. No Arab countries have yet stood up to govern, but hopefully they can be persuaded that it is in the interest of everyone in the region to do so. It is difficult to see what’s next but it is time to turn the page and end what has evolved from an action to destroy Hamas into an endless siege of death, destruction, and the denial of basic human needs.
I understand Israel’s argument that essential needs of the population are being interdicted by Hamas. And while that no doubt is true, it does not relieve Israel from finding other methods to feed the hungry, treat the wounded, and house the homeless. The humanitarian crisis is real; supplies are slow in coming; lives continue to be on the line. Israel should act now, not only in the interest of the civilian population, but to demonstrate its moral clarity and improve its standing in the international court of opinion.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE PLAYOFF PICTURE
Last week’s four quarter-final games certainly were quite exciting, with Ohio State upending an Oregon team unprepared for the grass-fed linemen from the Midwest. Texas got a number of breaks and suffered a near-death experience, finally hanging on to beat Arizona State. Penn State handled Boise State with ease. Finally, I am not often a supporter of Notre Dame (largely due to their rivalry with USC), sometimes one can’t help sheering for the Irish. It’s a great team with great traditions, it’s well coached, and their fans are knowledgeable and inviting. Plus, how many people who don’t live outside of Georgia don’t revel in watching the Bulldogs go down in defeat? As to my picks this week in the semifinals, I’m going with Texas and Penn State, both likely underdogs.
The playoffs seem to have paid off for college football. Twelve teams involved, some good games (but a few blowouts). The downside, of course, is the diminishing of the glamour of the other Bowl games. But the biggest problem these days is the effects of players able to sell their “name, image, and likeness (NIL).” Some saw this as a means for the big advertisers (cars, beer, AFLAC, etc.) paying big bucks to the marquee players. What has happened, instead, is a growing cottage industry of alumni who fund massive funds to pay these players, largely based on the position they play. There’s a lot of money out there and the alumni with the deepest pockets and the willingness to pay up for players will generate the greatest success for the alma maters.
But the worst thing about NIL and the “transfer portal” is that players don’t stay around with one team for their entire college career. Transfers used to be rare. Alumni would watch their favorite players mature on the field and get to know them as student athletes and members of the greater university community. Those days are over, as players can play for a different team each year. There is no loyalty. The fiction of the “student athlete” has been laid bare. There is little reason to believe that football and basketball players are at these schools to attain a meaningful college education. They are playing for minor league training teams for the NFL and the NBA.
We have been reduced, as a friend pointed out to me, to “rooting for uniforms.” We don’t root for the players, with whom we develop knowledge, experience, and affection. We are rooting for whomever suits up in the uniform of our school in that year. Next year, the players will change but we still will root for whoever suits up.
Money, in the end, makes the world go around—often for good and often for ill…
BACK VINTAGES
My friend Steve Fishman’s son-in-law Max has an on-line wine store. I recommend it highly, for the breadth of what it has available, for the pricing and convenience, and for the wise counsel Max provides. Here is the link to his on-line store:
The other day, I saw the most recent vintage of a great wine I enjoy and asked Max whether he could get the wine at the same price. His response was priceless: “Glenn, this is a great wine that will reach its peak in 20 years. Given your present age, I have a number of back vintages that might be more appropriate for you.” Gulp…he’s right!
DEPRAVITY AND WANTON VIOLENCE
It’s not just a spate of gun violence we are experiencing, but a parade of acts of moral depravity. Just in the past month, a 61 year-old woman was set on fire in a subway station; a man was shoved in front of a subway train, and a truck plowed into a reveling crowd in New Orleans, killing 15 and wounding many others. Are the times worse and the respect for life so lost, or is the news simply more ubiquitous and focused on tragic stories such as these? I think it’s a bit of both but, sadly, I believe there is a decline in humanity and a disrespect for “the other” that will see a continuation of these events.
Have a great day,
Glenn