Monday Sign-On: A Time of Troubles
Biden focuses on wars abroad as his support collapses at home
Nearly 5,000 people have been killed in Gaza, mostly civilians and a great deal of them children. Over 1 million people have been displaced, Gazans lack food, water or fuel and have no where to escape as Israeli bombs continue reigning down upon them.
The United Nations considered a resolution from Brazil calling on a humanitarian pause to deliver food aid to the millions of Gazans trapped under the bombing. The U.S. quickly vetoed the resolution, affirming its full support for what Israel is doing, to the horror of much of the world.
And perhaps a horror to many Americans as well. A day after the UN veto, President Biden went on television and asked Congress for over $100 billion to send weapons to Israel and Ukraine. And yet, according to a poll from Data for Progress, 60% of voters agree with the statement that “The U.S. should call for a ceasefire and a de-escalation of the violence in Gaza.” That includes 80% of Democrats and 56% of Republicans. Meanwhile, only 41% of Americans say we should continue to send weapons to Ukraine (with 35% against and the rest unsure.)
Biden’s complete fixation with crises abroad - and his inability to seek de-escalation in any conflict he finds - is perhaps one of the causes of his continued political collapse at home.
The tragedy of the House Republican caucus brings comic relief to the grim headlines of war and death, but it is also masking a political crisis for the Democrats. Trump not only continues to lead Biden in poll after poll - he is now leading among 18-29 year olds, this according to Emerson. It may be an outlier (at least in that demographic) but it should cause incredible concern for the Democrats that a poll could even say such a thing. The party has taken for granted that young people are liberal and this generation is especially liberal. Even if this poll is off by a few percentage points, Biden won the 18-29 year old vote by 24 percentage points in 2020. I still think he will win the cohort, but this is bad news for him going into 2024.
Words of Wisdom
“Love the discipline you know, and let it support you.”
- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
What’s on My Mind
The pushback against the Israeli assault on Gaza is much stronger than anything I anticipated or have seen in regard to Israel/Palestine conflicts. Jewish-led groups like If Not Now and Jews for Peace have been demonstrating in DC - and plan to continue doing so in the future. There are marches for support in cities across the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. There is incredible journalism highlighting the horrors that are unfolding on the ground (though almost nothing in the mainstream media.)
This is surely surprising, and I hope, concerning, for the Biden Administration. Much of the world is furious at what is happening and the fury can rightly be directed at the White House for the carte blanche it has given to Netanyahu. I mentioned domestic concerns above, but this also cannot bode well for the U.S. abroad. The American media likes to portray the United States as an indispensable nation that people look up to. The truth is that much of the world is furious and horrified by the United States and how it acts internationally. Thankfully they all still like U.S. pop music, though can Taylor Swift alone save our damaged reputation?
I am also thinking about a piece that Robert Wright wrote about the conflict. One of the things he mentioned is that the moral argument against Israel’s actions probably don’t resonate with a country that suffered the kind of brutal attack that Israel had on October 7. Instead, Wright appeals to the argument that this war will not make Israel safer (indeed the opposite) and is thus largely against Israeli interests. I think he is right.
What Else is Going On
Republicans currently have nine candidates running for speaker. It is hard to see how this gets resolved anytime soon. If there was a consensus candidate, he or she would’ve emerged right now. If there was a compromise to be reached, it would’ve already occurred. I don’t actually think this situation matters that much and I appreciate it for entertainment value. Eventually they will find some poor sucker to take the position and suffer for it. I also don’t think this will have much impact on the 2024 elections. But I do wonder what happens when government funding runs out sometime in November.
Even short runs help. Study after study shows the benefits of running (and/or cardiovascular exercise.) Aside from the physical benefits, running has been shown to be more effective than anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medication for treating those ailments. And now studies show even short runs can help. Not everyone is able to run, but if you are - you should try it.
Argentina’s presidential election is headed to a run-off. It is a race between a very right-wing candidate and a very-left wing one. I haven’t paid too much attention to the race but my hope is always for a left wing win. Neither candidate got the requisite 45% of the vote in Sunday’s election, so now its on to round two
What’s Coming Up
On the Zipcode Zero podcast, this week I am talking to Freddie deBoer about his new book How Elites Ate the Social Justice Movement. Freddie has a lot of interesting things to say about the corruption of many of the recent movements we’ve seen over the years, including #MeToo and BLM. The episode will be up Wednesday morning, be sure to like, share, subscribe and review. It helps build the show.