#172 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Monday October 18)
Good morning!
First, and most important, “Congratulations, Dodgers!” What a great series. Max Scherzer and Mookie Betts, wow! I suspect they will make quick work of the Braves (sorry, Jeff) and face either the Death Star (the Red Sox) or Dr. Evil (the Astros) in the World Series.
ABANDONING OUR FRIENDS
Much has been written about President Biden’s abandonment of some of our supporters in Afghanistan. I have three observations regarding our exit:
Contrary to news reports, the airlift of those who aided Americans was a remarkably successful operation. Thousands were taken to safety. While the pull-out was hardly an exercise in efficiency and organization, it perhaps was as good as was possible under the circumstances.
It was still shameful that anyone may have been left and are dependent upon the good graces of the heretofore intolerant Taliban. One wonders what might have been had we begun the effort earlier and with greater coordination.
This is hardly the first time.
Conservative commentators are having a field day about how President Biden has abandoned our allies. They are once again engaging in the “whataboutism” that suggests that, were they in charge, things might have been different. By the way, this practice is not the exclusive domain of the right; the left participates in this sport nearly as much, but the right has turned it into an art form.
The narrative is that President Trump knew who our allies were and would never have left them in the lurch, much less at the hands of a cruel enemy. Yet one need only look back at the shabby treatment the Trump administration afforded the Kurds in Iraq and along the Turkish border to see the lie of their statement. Mr. Trump also committed some time ago to us to pull out of Afghanistan. Mr. Trump was no friend to our friends.
But this ignominious handling of friends and allies goes back to President Obama in the abandonment of Libyans who supported our efforts against Qadaffi. And it even goes back to Nixon moving from war footing to quickly negotiating a messy peace treaty with the North Vietnamese, which led to the abandonment of Saigon just a few years later.
It doesn’t feel like we have been the best friend to have…
BASEBALL’S GREATEST, REDUX
Among the greatest pleasures of writing these Musings (we’re nearly up to 600!) is the interchanges with readers. None is quite so intense as (or less important than) disputes about baseball. While much of the commentary is thoughtful, I can’t help but think that any sort of commentary must be accompanied by a disclaimer that “I am a lifelong fan of the _______.”
Last week Cindy Kohlbry, an inveterate Cardinals fan (sorry about that Wild Card game), basked in the glow of Bob Gibson’s picture atop last Friday’s musing. Mark Shpall (Dodger fan) noted that it seems absurd that Mike Trout remained on the list this year despite being out of the lineup much of the year.
Paul Kanin (Dodger psycho fan) notes “juicers ok; gamblers, not?” Peter Bain (lifelong Cincinnati fan) agrees, finding it interesting that Clemens, Bonds and McGuire are on the list, stating, “apparently MLB itself is ignoring those who cheated and juiced.” He believes anyone who used steroids should be ineligible for consideration. I disagree. Ty Cobb was a notorious cheater and racist. Pitchers have been doctoring the ball for years. I believe the test should be the quality of the play on the field and playing by the rules at the time and as enforced at the time.
Peter and I agree that it is akin to heresy that Pete Rose is not on the list for the 1975 season. In a polite dig to me (a lifelong Angels fan who, oddly, finds himself supporting the Dodgers, Yankees and White Sox), Peter states, incredulously:
“Help me with this: the Angels have both Trout and Ohtani and can’t make the playoffs. How can that be? Are they destined to be the 21st century version of Ernie Banks?” Ooh, that stings… But the Angels have been proving for the last few years that good pitching beats good hitting all the time.
WHO GETS TO DECIDE?
A deeply disturbing post on Facebook:
“It is my duty as a parent to research and question everything for the sake of my children; not blindly trust. Doctors are not the authority, teachers are not the authority, government is not the authority. I am.”
Experts be damned! We are all going to make scientific/medical decisions based upon our own limited research on Facebook and/or tuning in to Newsmax or Fox. Forget the “unproven” vaccines! [Of course, they are heavily tested and analyzed and are the result of decades of research and multiple trials]. Instead, let’s go with unproven therapies once one gets the disease—therapies that really ARE unproven! The world has turned upside-down.
Have a good week,
Glenn
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