Winters' Dis-Content. . .

(Winters' Dis-Content. . .)

Made glorious summer by this son of York ? Doubtful. These are lines from Shakespear's Richard III, the last Plantagenet monarch and whose remains were recently discovered under a parking lot in Leichester, England. They since have been re-interred in Westminster.


Today is the first day of Winter and considering how cold things are getting, the timing could not be better. Between wars, an impending refugee crisis, and endemic political infighting, there is a lot of dis-content to be had. One can begin in the Ukraine. With the New Year all but here, the Russo-Ukraine War will have been persisting for eleven months, with hundreds of thousands dead, economies destroyed, whole regions devastated. How things happen in war. Russian President Vladimir thought for a short war when hostilities commenced last February. The reason the war has lasted is because material support has been provided by the West. Russian forces have suffered significant attrition over these past months. Losses in armor and other munitions, not to mention personnel are not sustainable. Putin has already called up a class of reservists.


Immigration has been discussed over recent days namely that there is no end to it and there have been indications that the flow will be increasing with the "termination" of Title 42. Not that the Biden Administration would ever discourage such migration and, as the Supreme Court has put a stay on '42's ending, the Administration has been looking for mechanisms to change the Court's mind. Several million have been known to have entered the country illegally and that is not considering those who have gotten away. All by design apparently. And, this this Omnibus has funding for Ukraine but none for securing the Southern Border.


Finally, one has to take note of the GOP civil war. The Senate, with required Republican participation, will advance the $1.7 trillion Omnibus bill to the exclusion of the House and its potential to act independently and cut some spending. Beyond that, however, these Senate Republicans are in face voting to increase taxes, especially at the corporate level. Ostensibly, Republicans are supposed to oppose such hikes but as the price of getting this Bill advanced, to the exclusion of all other considerations, before the Holiday and the New Year, consequences will ensue. For his part Congressman McCarthy has said that the House will not cooperate.


It goes without saying that these three crises are counted among many. The only thing anyone can do is to just take things day by day. So, take heart ? It is rumored that Good News drops in a few days.

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