A Trip To Philly's History

Last Friday, Nora, my son JW and his wife Abbye and I went into the city (Philadelphia) for the day. I had received a Walking Tour book for the city a few Christmases ago, so armed with said book, we decided to walk around the Independence Hall area which included the Betsy Ross House, the Ben Franklin museum and the Constitution Building, among others, as well as a few stops from the adjacent "Old City" Tour, Elfreth's Alley and a few very old churches.

We also planned to eat dinner at the Reading Terminal Market, so we found a parking lot about half way between the Market and the walking tour areas, and set out to enjoy the day.

It was a bit hot, so we popped into a few places just to take advantage of the AC, even if we didn't pay the admission price for an actual tour. But we did hear an interesting talk in the Free Quaker Meeting Hall, where we were told that the Quakers who participated in the War for Independence had to (temporarily) split off from the main Quaker sect to fight, Quakers being renowned for non-violence.

We did spend some time in the Ben Franklin Museum, and also took a tour of the building where the Congressional Congress debated, voted on and signed the Declaration of Independence. 

While the line to see the Liberty Bell was very long, which meant we did not get to see it up close, it was very enjoyable walking around the sites. At one point, we encountered a statue for Commodore John Barry, who is a distant relative of my wife. Pretty cool.

After strolling around the Market for a bit, we ate sandwiches at one of the many food establishments, then walked back to the car and headed off to the Mann Music Center in Fairmount Park were we had tickets to see Japanese Breakfast open for Death Cab for Cutie. We sat on the lawn under the fading evening light, while dragon flies dipped and dove among the crowd, then enjoyed two good performances into the evening. 

All in all, a very nice day, shared with three of my most favorite people.

Two quick observations about the various historical items I learned during our walk.

Well, actually, I knew about this first thing, that George Washington was elected as our first president in a unanimous vote. Of course, for those first few presidential "elections", only the representatives in Congress voted. He received all 69 votes from the electoral college in 1788 and all 132 votes in 1792. 

But the point emphasized by the tour guide was that Washington could have been president for life, had he wanted to, but chose to step down voluntarily, in respect for the premise that America didn't want a leader for lifetime, as they had just fought a war to reject the yoke of such a government. 

When placed in juxtaposition with the current resident of the White House who blithely talks about a third term, a prospect specifically forbidden by the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, and it is crystal clear how far away from the founders ideals a man like Trump has meandered, not to mention how unlike Washington he is, Washington being a man who put his country ahead of himself.

The other interesting thing of note that I learned was that Benjamin Franklin, certainly one of America's greatest innovators, held very few patents when compared to all his inventions. He believed

"that science and knowledge should be shared freely for the benefit of all. He did not seek patents for his inventions because he wanted them to be available to everyone, without restrictions or monopolies. He believed that innovation should be driven by curiosity and the desire to improve the world, rather than by profit or personal gain. His commitment to the public good and his belief in the power of science and education continue to inspire people today." 

That doesn't mean he didn't profit from his inventions, but it does mean that he allowed other people to replicate, even improve on his ideas as he thought that the overall progress or America was more important that individual wealth.

Almost socialistic in its philosophy, but certainly far from our current capitalist mindset where law suits which grapple with the ownership of ideas and inventions are as commonplace as the inventions themselves.

Of course, our devotion to capitalism, which, as I have said before, is the worst form of economic system except for all the other ones, is the real problem as we use it as an excuse to put profit ahead of the health of millions of our fellow citizens, among other travesties.

Gotta watch those isms! They will get you every time! 

Soccer and Testosterone

Before the main point of this post, I wanted to share my (last) thoughts on the World Cup.

First, I was obviously wrong in my prediction that France would make the final and win the day. I also gave our team a 50-50 chance to beat Belgium which turned out to be incorrect as well, as we were never in the game, practically from the start. The US team looked sluggish, hesitant, playing not to lose rather than to win. 

That was also my perception of England in their match against Argentina. When they pushed upfield they looked as good, perhaps even better. But once England took the 1-0 lead, they went into a defensive shell. Very few aggressive runs, very little offensive attacks. Again, playing not to lose. One might even say they played into the hands of Argentina, allowing them to mount wave after wave of attacks which ultimately led to two goals, and a 2-1 win.

As I had looked past Spain in my expectation that France would beat them, it might be foolish for me to do the same, to predict Argentina will successfully defend their 2022 title. But I truly think that the Argentina team just won't accept defeat, that they will find a way to win. If so, it would be a spectacular way for Messi to finish his World Cup career, assuming he won't play in 2030. But Spain is formidable so it won't surprise me if they prove to be triumphant. 

All in all, an enjoyable World Cup despite the antics of our president who couldn't help interjecting himself into the controversy regarding the red card given to our best scorer. While the foul was certainly questionable, his involvement made FIFA's rule committee appear feckless (apparently it was just one member who made the decision to revoke the suspension) and put the team itself in a no win situation as, had they won, Trump would have taken credit for it, while they would have looked to the rest of the soccer world as a team that needs their mommies to intervene for them. Not that Trump cares about other people, but just once I would like him to put aside his overwhelming narcissism and think about someone else for a change.

Which brings me to our Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Yesterday he announced that all military members would receive a testosterone test, and have available treatment (I assume at taxpayers expense) if their testosterone level is low. 

I commented on Mr Hegseth in a previous post called Jane Goodall and the Warrior Ethos. Rather than summarizing what I wrote, here it is word for word.

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Which brings us to Hegseth and his military meeting.

While there was some speculation that he might announce a bunch of firings, it turned out the purpose was to tell the leaders of the United States military, how to do their job. And specifically, how we need to get back to the macho version of the military that an insecure person like Hegseth, and his boss, Trump, deem necessary to demonstrate our collective manliness.

The phrase, "me thinks he doth protest too much" rings loud, considering the president served nary a day in the military due to a medical exception, while Hegseth, after serving, (and I give him credit for that), spent the last ten years railing about how soft the American military has become, by allowing women in combat, investigating sexual harassment claims by women in the military, and promoting women and people of color to positions of authority over any white male.

But even more importantly, so he says, the military has stopped creating and building the warrior ethos that needs to exist, both to scare our adversaries, and to vanquish them in battle.

Now, if I wanted to be sarcastic, I would say that Hegseth spent too much time reading the history of Sparta, or the conquests of the Roman Legionnaires.  Or that he must have really enjoyed those stories about throwing young boys into a pit to fight, as a way to separate the warriors from the weak.

Considering Trump's obsession with having his face on coins and mountains, perhaps they share that fixation on all that is Roman.

Also, if sarcasm was the goal, I might ask if Hegseth and Trump are planning a ground war anytime soon, as it seems that the nature of war, when both sides are adequately armed as is the case for Ukraine vs Russia, has turned to remote attacks via drones, long range missiles, targeted bombings. So, while it is quaint to think of our armed forces as the biggest, baddest men on the block, don't we also need really smart people, even nerds, if you like, to program the technology that is in use today. I certainly don't see a near future with battles featuring hand to hand combat with bayonets drawn, do you?

But let's get to the real danger of Hegseth's philosophy which, I believe, is bad for America, and especially bad for our armed forces.  

First, for the individual soldiers who are attracted to the idea that a warrior ethos makes them a better man, they might want to ask themselves if such an attitude will make them better fathers, husbands, citizens, when their military career ends. 

While a belief system that inspires our soldiers to think, act and lead like warfighters might lead to victory on the battlefield, it hinders the adjustment that veterans face when taking the next hill or killing one's enemy, is no longer a viable coping mechanism when dealing with the daily demands and tribulations of life.

Just ask any of the family members of the 17 veterans who kill themselves every day, a number that is staggeringly higher as a percentage than for non-military people of the same age. 

Or perhaps we should look to the number of veterans that are homeless in America, a number that has decreased in the last few years, thankfully, but is still indicative of a group of Americans that struggle to cope once outside the military.

Do we really think that making them emotionless warriors who are trained to kill without thinking, will provide them with a better mindset when dealing with noisy children, a daily routine that is less than exciting, various family members who may disagree with them, or any of the innumerable problems that face us everyday where violence is not the solution?

Hegseth wants a strong army, fine, but he seems to think that the soldiers who make up that army are plastic soldiers that can be replaced with a new batch when they become worn, or weak.

Of course, for a man who has a history of treating women like play toys, again, like his boss, perhaps that is consistent. 

Even worse, America is also a victim of such thinking, as this administration seems to think that being the bully of the globe will make everyone else respect us more, and do what we want. Like the tariff chaos that is ongoing, Trump has forgotten the kindergarten lesson that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

Perhaps I am wrong, but the bullies I encountered in my life, whether as a child or an adult, did not earn my respect. Perhaps fear, but not respect. And certainly not a desire to see them succeed. So it should come as no surprise that this America first selfishness that goes hand in hand with "my way or the highway" is driving our traditional allies away. 

Or perhaps Hegseth and Trump think that "turn the other cheek" and "treat others as you would want to be treated" are too woke for their world view of warrior ethos.

I truly believe that most Americans would prefer that we treat our fellow Americans, as well as the other 8 billion people who share our planet, as Jane Goodall engaged with the primates she lived with and studied. That we should hold out an open hand to help rather than a closed fist to hurt.

Unfortunately, I also believe that many Americans, perhaps more than half, are on board with treating our enemies inhumanely. That all is fair in war, including killing civilians, bombing schools and hospitals, stealing children from their homes, because, well, I guess because that is what they would do to us. 

And, if there is one thing that Trump is superior at, it is telling us who we should hate, who we should consider less than human, who is out to get us. 

Whether it is the people in the boats that he is blowing up in defiance of international law, or the two million Palestinians that he thinks should be killed, or moved, or starved, or the immigrants who come here to seek a better life but are from a country that isn't white enough, or the federal workers who don't kiss his ring, whether they be in the DOJ or FBI, or any department that democrats like, or the countless number of Americans who love America but despise how Trump is remaking our country, Trump has an endless list of those we should hate, and consequently treat as if they were less than human.

So sad that people like Hegseth and Trump talk about America first yet enact policies that place Americans last. Even sadder that people who are on board with such cruelty, claim to be Christians as well.

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In retrospect, not much to add to that. But here goes anyway.

Perhaps I am missing something, but aren't the two superpowers of the world, the two countries that have overwhelming supplies of nuclear weapons, enough to blow up the world many times over, aren't they both having difficulty in their respective wars, as we speak?

Russia has been at it with Ukraine for over four years, and while they have taken some land and have certainly sown fear in the hearts of the people who reside there, they are also suffering immense casualties on the field and are now fearing for their own infrastructure and citizen deaths due to Ukraine's amazing drone capabilities.

Iran, no ones favorite country, a place where the leaders care very little for their own people, especially women, and are willing to sacrifice literally, everything, to declare they are winning, now have, a bit of  leverage in regards to the Strait of Hormuz, something they did not have before the war began. While one could can say that they have not won even one battle, that their military capabilities have been severely damaged, that they have even less friends than before due to their attacks on some of their neighbors, America is not in control of how this will end.

Makes one wonder if all that money spent on the military, especially the  trillions we have spent on nuclear weapons, was a waste if both of the nuclear powers in the world are struggling to beat nations with far less resources.

So, again, Mr Hegseth can promote bad ass men who can beat up anyone they encounter, but unless those testosterone fueled soldiers are going to deployed on Kharg Island, or Tehran itself, to take and hold oil fields and land, his anachronistic perception of warfare is as useless as the silos filled with nuclear weapons that will never be fired.

Even worse, his Neanderthal (and I hate to disparage an entire species without really knowing them personally) perception of what makes a man a man will do far more damage than good for those young men who believe that being able to follow commands that order them to kill our enemies, no hesitation, will confirm their masculinity. Of course, if they intend to leave the military and join ICE so they can kill those people whom this administration deems less than human, at least they will have a job. Perhaps no morals, but at least a job.

In my dissection of why England lost to Argentina in the semi-final match, I point to their lack of aggressiveness, there seeming decision to cede territory (on the pitch) without a fight, to play not to lose. Perhaps it then sounds hypocritical to condemn that same methodology when promoted by Hegseth and Trump.

I guess I consider sports and the strategies that result in winning a game, just that, a game. And assuming good sportsmanship which is the rule rather than the exception, the two sides meet on the battlefield, perhaps shake hands, maybe even exchange shirts. 

While training our young people so they can kill other human beings without remorse, without questioning the morality of it, with efficiency even, is abhorrent. No communion after the fact, no comrades in battle greeting each other with respect. Just death.

But not unexpected from men like Hegseth and Trump. 

And so the decline continues. 

 

 

Happy 4th of July!

In light of the recent decisions handed down by SCOTUS, and to celebrate our 250th birthday, here is my post for this important day.

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Does anyone else wonder how conservatives will react when the next Democrat in the White House uses all the new powers that the Supreme Court just granted the office of the President?

Will they howl when a future president from the Democrat party, or horrors, someone who labels themselves as a Democratic Socialist, fires a slew of federal agency heads, civil servants, bureaucrats from the departments which oversee our health, food safety, air and water quality, etc?

Will Mr Trump, now a private citizen complain when all his appointees (the best people ever appointed, as he likes to say) are replaced with people "loyal" to the new president's agenda?

And, will the judges on the Supreme Court continue to rule in support of the unitary executive theory which they are using to justify their recent rulings, or will they pull back when the new President uses those very same powers to do things that they do not agree with?

Short term thinking has always been an attractive way of operating one's life, a focus on instant gratification being preferable to long term planning in deference to the future.

One might speculate that the Founders were attempting to think about the future by creating the three, coequal branches of government, as a way to preserve their belief that too much power in the hands of any one part of the government might work in the short run, but not for long. And, of course, because they were very specific in their rejection of the power of the king of England, those disagreements very clearly delineated in the Declaration.

For us liberals, "radical" liberals as the president constantly states, perhaps we will see how this all plays out in a mere two and a half years.

Until then, sadly, we are in for a rough 30 months during which DJT will stomp on even more constitutional rights, will abuse the tax dollars we all pay to continue his vanity projects, will profit in a way unheard of in our history as he sells access to the White House, all because he has been given carte blanche by a Supreme Court that has decided that they prefer to judicate in his favor rather that just abdicating their power as the GOP controlled Congress has done.

On this very special day, our 250th birthday, I am proud to be called an American, proud of our national accomplishments, especially those which promote global health, reduction of disease through programs like PEPFAR. and all the great work done through USAID, not to mention our pivotal role in defeating the powers which attempted to eliminate people not like themselves.

Talk about putting the teachings of Christ to work!!

But less than proud at how we have turned our backs on the most vulnerable of our planet, are actively creating laws that punish children for being born to the wrong parents, and prefer a president who lauds leaders who control their populations with fear and violence (like Putin) while denigrating the democratically elected heads of state at every turn.

America is an amazing place, one might even say an amazing concept in terms of providing the most opportunity for, not only its own citizens, but those who the Creator chose to be born in other countries. And yet, with a history of denying those ideals to some people due to their skin color or even gender.

Despite what many people think, it is possible to have two thoughts in your head at once. To recognize the great achievements of the United States of America, while also acknowledging that we have also fell short of the ideals of our foundational documents.

It is in that balance that we find ourselves at odds with each other. If nothing else, I hope that as we work through our national discussion as to how we will navigate this decision, how we will treat each other, and those who still look to America for the same freedom and opportunity that our ancestors, all (unless you are among the very small percentage of Native Americans who live in our country) of whom were born elsewhere, we will remember that if we choose to turn our backs on the premise that America is as much an ideal as a place, then we will be turning our backs on ourselves, and the pride we have in our wonderful country.

Happy 4th of July!!!


 

World Cup 2026

The 2026 World Cup has been ongoing since mid June. It is being hosted by three countries this year, a first in World Cup history, with games being played in Canada, Mexico and the United States. 

I posted about the 2022 World Cup, after it ended. Here is a link to that effort. 

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2022/12/world-cup-2022.html

In the 2022 post, I detailed both negative and positive aspects of that World Cup. Negative in terms of its host country, Qatar having little infrastructure when chosen, a poor record on human rights, summer temps that forced the tournament to be held in December, and many examples of workers' rights being violated as they scrambled to build the necessary venues. 

Positive in terms of the unity that sports can build, within nations and between competitors from different countries, and the games themselves, especially the final between France and Argentina which featured two of the world's best players, a 2 goal comeback in the second half by France, a late, tying goal in the 2nd overtime by Argentina, and then a thrilling series of penalty kicks that resulted in Argentina's victory.

Similarly, there are some negatives associated with this years edition, especially in light of the threats by the Trump Administration to dispatch ICE agents to the various American city stadiums, the ugly treatment of the Iranian team epitomized with the current DHS secretary who stated that he "did a little dance" when Iran was eliminated, not to mention the hesitancy of some people born in other countries to come to America to see their team in action. 

On top of that, the cost to attend the events was staggering, from the tickets themselves to the transportation fees to get to the various sites, especially at the MetLife stadium.  

Fortunately, those obstacles did not keep a record number of people from jamming the various arenas to watch. I will resist the desire to comment on our questionable priorities, considering the billions of dollars that will be spent during this tournament.

I must admit, I initially decided to boycott the games, to not watch any of the games. In addition to the negatives I mentioned above, I felt hypocritical in supporting FIFA, especially in light of their obsequious gifting of a "peace" prize to DJT. I know it is all about flattery and bending the knee for the bigger picture, but Infantino, current FIFA president, makes me want to throw up in my mouth when I see him talking on TV.

I say initially, because I finally watched parts of two games this past week, and all of the USA round of 32 match.

As expected, I enjoyed the games I watched, putting aside my displeasure of FIFA and the threats from our own government to have ICE agents on the ground, instead relishing the athletic prowess of the players, and their ability to perform under such intense pressure.

At this point, with half of the round of 32 over, I expect that France will be back in the final on Sunday, July 19th although they will have to get past (probably) Morocco and Spain. 

The other side of the bracket features three very strong South American teams, Brazil and Columbia along with Argentina, and a very interesting match this Saturday between Mexico and England. 

As for the United States team, I think they have a 50-50 chance to beat Belgium, and if someone upsets Brazil, perhaps, having shot their wad so to speak, the USA squad can move onto the semifinals to face France. I don't see them winning that match but hey, you never know, there having been one big upset already, as Germany can attest to.

Alluding to my belief that France has an easier bracket, that perhaps the other really good teams will have beat up one another to the point that France is fresher, healthier, I won't be surprised if France is the ultimate winner, but would never discount the level of competition from the South American teams.

Regardless, I only hope that the rest of the tournament progresses without incident, that we are gracious hosts to the world, and that if our team does not advance past Belgium or Spain or France for that matter, we accept a loss with humility. And celebrate the eventual winner and their fans.

Sports truly has a way of bringing people of disparate circumstances together, if even only for a month, and that in this particular common thread, soccer, we can recognize our similarities while also respecting, even rejoicing in our differences and in the diversity of life on our shared planet.