One benefit of the long slog that is
my daily three-hour commute to and from our Nation’s Capital is that I have
found additional time to read. At least on the Metro. Page-turning is oddly frowned upon whilst behind
the wheel, thundering down Randolph Road.
Yet another tell-tale sign of incipient fascism.
Of course, the automotive leg of the
journey carries with it certain advantages as well. Observing the flora and fauna that inhabit
Arcola Avenue, especially in the spring-time, has a restorative impact. The other morning, I watched a small fox
family traipse across the road before scurrying off into the near-by woods. All with NPR or Jazz and Justice on in the
background, it creates the pleasant illusion of advanced civilization.
If nothing else, it serves as an occasion
to not focus on the appalling hypocrisies and moral deficiencies of those “leaders”
and others who cower on the Right or Radical Center, as Kevin Phillips might
refer to the latter group, with their inability to see that the current
occupation of the White House is no Second Coming of Reagan. Even with his own flaws, which were
considerable, our 40th President was north of the Mendoza line when
it came to sanity. Personally, I find
that an important attribute in American Presidents, in the nuclear age. Others may disagree.
So I look forward to cracking upon my
latest acquisition, A Struggle for Power: The American Revolution by Theodore
Draper, which I picked up yesterday at Second Story Books, near DuPont
Circle. In it, Draper re-evaluates the
causes of the Revolutionary War by employing a realpolitik lens that includes,
but transcends, ideological yearnings for Liberty and Freedom. By acknowledging that it was a power struggle
due to other, grounded political and economic reasons, he re-frames the
rationale for our War of Independence. I
am very much looking forward to delving into it.
On an (unrelated?) note, Progressive HoCo is holding their kick-off meeting on Sunday, May 21. According to their website (http://www.progressivemaryland.org/progressive_maryland_weekly_memo_for_may_15_21)
it will be at: “3 p.m. at the
Savage Branch of Howard County Library, 9525 Durness Lane, Laurel 20723. Please
contact Dave Bazell at daveb13704@gmail.com for more information.”
Stay
tuned, as more will follow.
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