Murder in America

At least 75,000 people have died unnecessarily from corona in this country due to a lack of leadership from the executive. Donald Trump is responsible for the deaths of 75,000 US citizens. 

In the coming months many more will die, tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, unnecessarily because of Donald Trump. 

If ever a coup was to occur in the US it would be now. 

Purposes

As a sentient being our ‘purpose’ is to preserve life.
Since that is ultimately a losing proposition the next best thing is to pass along our genes, while helping all of life do the same.
That and try to be nice.

Dying Right II

2994 people died on 9/11.
58,220 US troops died in Vietnam.

America grieved. 

America memorialized. 

145,000 US dead from Corona thus far and ‘masks are inconvenient’, ‘how does this effect me’, and ‘the economy must move forward’. 

To die in some useless war, to be blown to bits by a terrorist - matters. To die of a disease? - weak. 

Fuck your memorials, your medals, your flags. 

People don’t care if you die.

It’s only how you die that matters.

Civil Liberty

My father fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam in part for the freedoms our society enjoys. Guaranteeing our civil liberties was at the heart of what the founders were trying to accomplish in writing the constitution.

And yet the biggest threat to my freedoms and civil liberties today are the police - federal, state, local.
They themselves break the law and then tromp on our hard earned civil liberties as a matter of culture and policy.

And they wonder why they are hated? 

Dying Right

2994 people died on 911.
58,220 US troops died in VietNam.

145,000 US dead from Corona, so far, and most don't care. Not really.
The media wont put faces to names.
Masks are a nuisance.
And how does this impact me?

And really, at the end of the day, dying from a disease is weak.

People don’t care if you die.
It’s only how you die that matters.

To Negotiate With a Virus

We still haven't learned we cant negotiate with a virus. It marches on regardless of economic or political wishful thinking. 145,000 deaths so far and 60,000-75,000 new cases a day.

As things are now the plan seems to be in essence to develop herd immunity while waiting for a vaccine. Currently we are at about 7% infected. Herd immunity requires 50-60% of the population be infected. At 70,000 new cases a day that will require over a year to reach. 

In the meantime people will die unnecessarily and our economy will suffer horribly.

We are beginning to see a spike in daily deaths from the spike in cases that began a month ago. 1200 died today, July 22, 2020 - a death every 72 seconds - and it’s rising. 

It becomes clear we are going to need to completely shutdown again - this time to include aitravel and hotels. If we don't this is going to go on for at least another year at the cost of 400,000 to 1,000,000 lives and the development of a deep and lasting depression. Half measures will not work. 

Given society’s mobility we must act nationally, not just locally. We need to shut down nationally for 2-3 months right now and then reopen with a real plan. Do that and we can bring this under control with less death and overall economic damage. Do this and we could bring the virus under control by September and have the economy open, exactly as most of the wealthy countries worldwide have been able to do, and do it just in time for the election. 

Unfortunately that is unlikely to happen under President Trump, or in a society that asks first - what about me? how does this effect me?, and finds death by disease, weak. And so the price of ridding ourselves of this virus is going to be the death by a thousand cuts.  The unnecessary deaths of at least a half a million lives, and long lasting, economic devastation. 

One With the Sea

The sextant was invented in 1730. The marine chronometer in 1761. Combined, what we refer to as celestial navigation, began. Along with the compass, used by mariners since at least the first century blue water navigation became possible. Or so goes the myth.

Celestial navigation did not begin in the 18th century anymore than the Americas were discovered by Columbus. Reliable blue water navigation employing celestial navigation, began around 1300 BC by the Lapita in the south Pacific and was refined by the Polynesians. Compared to their techniques, western, machinery dependent, navigation is almost as soulless as GPS.

The Polynesians used the positions of rising and setting sun and stars, the direction of seasonal winds and swell, the air and sea interference patterns created by land and currents, the migration patterns of birds, weather patterns, water color and smell, to accurately navigate thousands of miles of unchartered sea and return safely to their homes. The techniques were passed down in song and demanded incredible memory and a keenness for nature’s subtleties. These sailors were truly one with their oceans in a way I can only dream of.

Pictured here is a map drawn from memory of most of the south Pacific by the Polynesian navigator Tupaia for Captain Cook in 1769. Cook was not impressed - too busy shining his sextant I suppose.