The time has come today, and other rants

As a former reporter, B. Jay Cooper respected deadlines, but nowadays people are always late. And don’t get him started on politicians who act unethically. The state of politics and society is just frustrating.

M any years ago, I was a newspaper reporter. Deadlines were important. You met your deadline; you did your job. You didn’t make your deadline; well, you didn’t do your job.

That may be why I notice more (and probably are more sensitive to) people being late, which seems to have become the norm in recent years.

How? Well, you invite someone for dinner at 6, and they arrive at 6:30. Or, you have a doctor’s appointment at 3, and you’re not called in to see the doc until an hour later. OK, that one, I cut a break because docs are under so much pressure to make money these days, they need to devote time to help a patient with their issue, and they give me the same “extra” time if I need it.

Still, would it hurt those office workers supporting the docs to come out occasionally and say, “I’m sorry, the doctor is running late but will be with you soon (if it is going to be soon).” Even that nicety would go a long way to relieve my angst in not knowing what the heck is going on.

If you watch cable news regularly, and they say the President will speak at 3 and then doesn’t show up until 5. That bugs me. And while I’m at it, when did cable news anchors begin to say things like “this just happened,” when it really happened hours before? Or, say the President will be speaking soon, when he’s already an hour tardy?

OK, one more, when did news anchors start to say things like “CBS just learned…” or “CNN just learned” when I read it in the Washington Post hours before? Then again, maybe they didn’t get to read the Post until “just” now.

Time doesn’t matter anymore, unless it’s a deadline for you to pay a bill.

Rant over.

OK, the rant isn’t over, but this doesn’t have to do with being on time.

How about that Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene? She of the potty mouth, non-facts, crazy-lady ilk? She apparently was just thrown out of the radically radical Freedom Caucus. That’s the one that requires believing in conspiracy theories, fantasies and spewing hatred toward various groups before being eligible for membership. That’s the one group Marjorie (pardon this pun) is Taylor-made for. But, she apparently made the only transgression that gets you tossed outta that group when she insulted, inserting a filthy word for a woman, co-Freedom Caucus member Lauren Boebert on the House floor.

Last rant.

Former President Donald Trump has been impeached twice, indicted twice and lost in court to a woman who alleged he tried to rape her and defame her. Still, Trump went out right after he lost that case and – defamed her again! There seem to be a couple more indictments on the way, and Trump uses them to pilfer money from his rank-and-file supporters who think they’re giving to elect him again, but actually, he uses a lot of the money to pay for his lawyers – if he actually pays them and when he can find attorneys to represent him.

Trump acts like a thug from the Mafia who, during his career to this point, attacks his “enemies,” gaslights his supporters and lies like the rest of us eat potato chips.

Why is he like a Mafia boss? He uses intimidation and threats to silence critics; his willingness to use violence or the threat of violence to achieve his goals; his need to surround himself with loyal followers who will do whatever he says; his use of secrecy and deception to avoid scrutiny; his willingness to break the law to get ahead.

Can’t he just go away?

I know it’s not in him to go away, but one can dream of the day he’s not dominating the Republican Party and driving it 180 degrees in the opposite direction of what its decades of values and beliefs have been.

Oh yeah, and while we’re at it, what’s with this Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who has put a hold on all military promotions? Right now, he’s holding up about 250. These are senior-level officers, flag officers – generals and admirals, by and large.

Why is he doing this? He objects to the defense policy that took hold after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Under the policy, the Defense Department pays for travel for a service member to get an elective abortion if one is not available where they are stationed.

The President has nominated a new chairman of the Joint Chiefs, whose appointment will fall under the hold, as does the appointment of the commandant of the Marine Corps, which is pending.

Remember when the GOP supported the military and tried not to interfere with it doing its job?

Oh, and Tuberville apparently is also unhappy because the Secretary of Defense has called him only once to resolve the issue. This is what passes for grown-up leadership in the Senate.

Rant(s) over (for now).

Sources

▪ Text: This piece was originally published in The Screaming Moderate and re-published in PMP Magazine on 11 July 2023, with the author’s consent. | The author writes in a personal capacity.
▪ Cover: Adobe Stock/Nimue.