And the World Was Quiet

 

Going to sea enforced the habit of being overly prepared. Extra lightbulbs and batteries in a drawer at home, and at least a quart of milk in the refrigerator. One would not want to spend the night stuck without a provision. This preparedness came in handy last year, when retail store hours were greatly curtailed, and even so today, as 24-hour availability has become a rarity.  

This Christmas harkened back to olden times- and the status quo in Europe and much of the world. The stores are closed for Christmas, so prepare for your feast ahead of time, and be happy with what you have. Perfection ought to be redefined, from having what you dreamed of- whether it be that spice jar or box of cookies that is probably on backorder; to the resourcefulness of using, and enjoying, what is available at hand.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Are Seagoing Leaders created based on Early Opportunities?

 

Note: Recent graduates have not yet achieved required sea time for capstone licensure. Approximately 135 engineering graduates per year.

Contingency Periods	Peak Year
1959-1975, Vietnam	1969
1990-1994, Gulf I	1991
2001-2010, GWOT	2003
2011- Present, OEF

The shipping industry, in the US and abroad, is known for its cyclical nature. Beyond the massive profits and losses in the commercial sector, and the increased or decreased spending in the defense sector, are professional maritime officers who crew the ships. Their job security and opportunity for advancement from third mate or third engineer to second, first, and Chief Engineer or Master, depends on supply of jobs and the employment demands of incumbent mariners.

Based on information sourced from the US Merchant Marine Academy’s Alumni foundation, it is clear that early career opportunity determines upward mobility within the maritime professions. In the first five years after commencement, graduates must accept employment as a merchant officer at sea, or in the armed forces. Depending on employment conditions and personal motivation, new merchant officers may receive negative reinforcement through stagnation in their roles, or positive reinforcement in advancement and growth.

In contrast to the armed forces, in which a rigid pyramid command structure forces many junior and mid-level officers into civilian employment, the shipboard hierarchy is linear, with one or two merchant officers at each rank. In theory, there is a clear path for advancement. Affecting this is greater churn among third mates and third engineers, who in the US are fairly likely to find employment as professionals ashore, in the maritime industry or not. One US government transportation agency is notorious for hiring freshly-graduated officers instead of investing in refresher training for its experienced mariners.

Opportunities are created when shipping fleets expand, through new construction, activation for contingency, or transfer from Navy to civilian crewing; as well as when experienced mariners come home. Weakened pension benefits, both in government and private employment, has created more “silver mariners” sailing in their 50’s and 60’s. (Silver Mariner refers to 25 years of working at sea, the traditional retirement age of American merchant officers). Lifetime alimony rules of the ‘Me Generation’ era, and personal debt has created “golden handcuffs” among other mariners, who cannot afford to leave seagoing employment.

Why don’t sidelined young officers return to sea when employment conditions improve? It is in the first five years after college graduation that career-adjusting lifestyle choices, such as marriage and children, are typically established. While it is common for single graduates, in their 20’s and 30’s, to return to sea after several years working ashore, this is not the case for those graduates who have established traditional, community-oriented families. In contrast, a graduate who has accomplished career advancement at sea, and who intends to specialize in seagoing work, would (hopefully) partner with a spouse who understands the mission-oriented lifestyle.

 

Other Major Events

1970, Nixon Merchant Shipbuilding Program

1981, End of Operational Subsidies

1984, ABET Accreditation- engineering design courses introduced (KP)

1993, Al Gore Report on Government Waste (KP)

1996, MSP Subsidies & Preposition Fleets Established

2010-2014, Offshore Drilling Surge

2014-2015, Military Sealift Command Offers Jobs to Over 100 New Graduates (KP)

2017, International (STCW) Engineering Management Competency Enforced

2020-2021, COVID Pandemic

KP = Internal milestone for US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point

 

I'll Think About It... How to Procrastinate

 Isn’t it great to sleep on a project, and find the inspiration to finish the problem the next day? In this defense of procrastination, I do not encourage finishing work under an adrenaline rush, or fear of failure; but through the synthesis of information after mulling through it in one’s head in a state of reflection.

At the beginning of this year, I knew that I would be refocusing my blog into the topic of engineering.  I even got an internet domain name. The “study skills” posts of the past two months were an advance party for writing in a new genre: any engineering blog worth its salt needs to talk about the Professional Engineering exam. Then it dawned on me: How much remarkable content could I produce? How many State Board meetings would I need to sit in, to capture good soundbites? How could I be regarded as an authority, when I am still early in my career? Weekly posts on monthlong projects might sound like project status updates. But as I attended the needs of graduate school, and now for Professional Engineering licensure, I let the concept sit; and simmer into good stew.

An older idea I had was to develop a central listserv of continuing education opportunities in the marine engineering field. Today, each ‘school’ maintains its own course catalog of regulatorily- equivalent education.  Since it would not be a blog, per se, I set the idea aside. Now, I revisited why I warmed to this training directory idea in the first place: to share useful knowledge in the marine engineering field. So, in early 2022, after some more planning, I expect to move my blog into that specialized direction. Such clarity of intention took a year to develop; I’m glad I procrastinated.    

Voting Matters: The High Turnout Virginia Races

 

On a recent Tuesday night, Virginia just broke one of the longest statewide Democratic voting streaks in the nation, on par with California and New York. The oft-presumed blue state, which had not elected a statewide Republican since 2009, appeared quite red with a sweep of statewide offices.  With just three statewide offices, in addition to the two senators and the Presidential vote, these races have become high-stake affairs; and down-ballot offices coming with national notoriety.

The Democratic Party bench appears much weaker than before. Former Governor Doug Wilder, a Democrat, wisely criticized incumbents Terry McAuliffe, running for a second, non-consecutive, term as Governor; and Mark Herring, running for a third term as Attorney General, for blocking the advancement of new leaders. Congresswomen Abigail Spanberger and Elaine Luria represent future statewide potential; it seems unlikely that recently-elected Northern Virginia progressives could mount a successful statewide campaign.

 

The Party of Virginia’s Attorney General

Weeks before Incoming Attorney General Jason Miyares was elected, “Woke Prosecutors” found themselves under investigation for misuse of position, retaliation, neglect of office, and neglect of state law. Outgoing Attorney General Mark Herring seemed to be more interested in national issues, such as abortion, than what was happening in his own Loudoun County backyard. Prior to Mark Herring’s narrow 2013 election were a string of five one-term Republican Attorneys General who each sought higher office. Progressives handed Jason Miyares, 45 years young, fuel to feed his political ambitions.

 

Solid South or Something New?

Democrats held the Virginia House of Delegates for 2 years before losing it in this month’s election. Their last hold of the chamber lasted the entire 20^th century. Followed by 18 years of Republican leadership, these long tenures reflect the political stability of the Solid South. The recent, liberal Democratic Party majority chose confrontation, and the brute force of narrow statehouse votes, over lasting collaboration. Their leaders are now paying the price.

It would be premature to assume that the legislative “Class of 2019” was a mere blip on the Republicans’ rightful legislative dynasty. Prior to the Trump presidency, Republicans held a supermajority in the House of Delegates. Court-ordered redistricting allowed Democrats to gain seats, and suburban voters soured against the Republican Party during Trump’s presidency. Concerningly, today’s new and thin Republican majority has no representation in the first two rings of counties surrounding Washington, DC, and a scant two seats in the third ring; although Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin fares from Great Falls, an upscale district along the Potomac River. These growing Northern Virginia suburbs are at risk of becoming a one-party region.

A characteristic of the Solid South is the maintenance of social hierarchy, with the proven effect of limiting class mobility. Incumbent businesses are protected, creating a drag on productivity and economic growth. At the end of Massive Resistance to desegregation, conservative Democratic Party leader Harry Byrd had a choice: hunker down or embrace change. He chose the latter (although his statue would lose its place at the Virginia Capitol). This libertarianism, once favored by both major parties in Virginia, is found in areas such as gambling, alcohol; and business regulation, such as limiting non-compete clauses and favoring the right-to-work. As liberal Democrats have shied away from economic liberties, Republicans are in a better position than before to secure the votes of educated, suburban, pro-business moderates.  Blue Virginia noted that upscale, educated, politically-balanced districts within Democratic-voting counties had extraordinary turnout in this year’s election.

 

Virginia Senate Changes Little

With a 21-19 split in favor of Democrats, and a spirit of collegiality, one observer quipped that the Senate Democrats would work better with House Republicans than with the Democratic Party progressives who led the last two legislative sessions.

The Democratic Party leadership in the Virginia Senate might prefer to work on compromises to Glenn Youngkin’s agenda, rather than acting as a stonewall. In this later case, two swing-voting Democrats from Fairfax City and Richmond, with the incoming Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, a Republican, would hold immense power in government. In the last year, faced with a single defection from party line voting, marijuana and policing bills were decided on tiebreaking votes in the Virginia Senate. Outgoing Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax tipped these bills in favor of Democrats; on future tie votes, Winsome Sears would tip the bills the other way.

 

“RINO” Hunters Decide that Voting Matters

Virginia is home to many low-propensity and fickle conservative voters that continually vexed the Republican party. Geographically, they are concentrated in rural areas west of Richmond. They came out for John McCain in 2008, but were overwhelmed by Barack Obama’s supporters. They stayed home in 2012, when they could have won; then came out for Trump, but were again outvoted. It was to this group that Trump, in his fury, suggested boycotting future elections. This year, Republicans made a concerted effort to get these dissatisfied citizens to vote.  On gun and religious forums that appeal to this demographic, authors reminded readers to scrape off their bumper stickers reading: “My Governor is an Idiot”.

In a high-turnout election with six weeks of in-person early voting, Republicans prevailed, challenging the orthodoxy that increase ballot access favors Democrats. The 45-day early voting period, a now-permanent product of COVID-19 countermeasures, represents a unique opportunity for Republican Presidential candidates: they can ground-stomp for Virginia votes in October, before turning to traditional swing states in the last weeks of the race.

Staying on Track

 Anyone who works around large infrastructure projects understands that scheduling is a fiction. Why is that? Unrealistic expectations and poor planning, I must say. 

Past results indicate that for the Professional Engineering exam, 300 study hours, or 200 quality study hours, are recommended to pass the exam. For most examinees, that amounts to two hours per day from the time they are authorized to test.  Realistic to ally, one preemptively cancels out major holidays, and other known events . Taking this measure makes the schedule more robust, and approachable for adherence. Myself, yes, unexpected things pop up, like an evening plumbing repair or a real estate meet-up. But I am aware of my study plans, and make sure to catch up as soon an as possible. Written on a scheduled skip day for Halloween. 

Addressing Elephants in the Room

 When starting a new endeavor, I like to go into it with a clear a mind as possible, Which means tying off loose ends of unfinished tasks. One of these is the sustainability of my neighborhood payphone (as written  in a blog post on Oct. 31, 2020). It's not a growth industry, and I looked at options ranging from microgrants to forming an endowment consisting of telecom stocks. The solution came to me in the form of a different coin-operated machine: I could buy into an equity share in a local and established car vacuum business. The return on investment would support the phone operation. In fact, the vacuum business had started as a payphone operation, and according to records, he still maintains a couple of phones in his hometown.

The second loose end was the phone bill. For the past year, my neighborhood payphone  was treated as a general business line instead of a payphone. My local service provider has 132,000 employees, and finding the responsible party was like finding a needle in a haystack. In the past decade, its coin-operated telephone division has moved long distances. Now it is no longer an office of its own, but a group email address. It was in Bloomington, Illinois; a part of the country where state governments have sought to maintain payphone service; then in Garden City, New York, a suburb of New York City, home to 1 out of 5 payphones in the USA. Finally, the "department" found a home in Silver Spring, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC, where federal telecommunication regulations are made. Once I found my point of contact, my service issues were resolved quickly. 

Of course, I have other "want to do" and even a few "need to do items". But I do feel that the pressure has lightened. 

Approved to Test

 "Who knows when thou mayest be tested? So live that thou bearest the strain!"

From "The Laws of the Navy", by Rear Admiral Hopwood

I've been through the routine of large exams: US Coast Guard Marine Engineer Licensing, twice, National Registry for Emergency Medical Technicians, and the NCEES' own Fundamentals of Engineering. Now, it's time for the Professional Engineering exam. 

In contrast to school exams, predictably scheduled,  professional exams occur based on the ebbs and flows of work experience, completion of prerequisites such as career training, and by the individual's own volition. So there is a general sense of when things will come together, but the "statutory" readiness occurs when it does. As for the individual readiness of studying, it's good to be prepared ahead of time, but to prevent knowledge attrition, the six-month period before the exam is critical. 

Which brings me to the point of scheduling the exam. Exams for certain desirable positions, such as high-end firefighting and ship's harbor pilots, only test twice a decade. More commonly, they might be twice-annually, as the Professional Engineering exams used to be. So you would typically schedule for the next exam available. And when there is flexible, daily test availability? Just schedule it and hold yourself to that date.

Break the Ice on Travel

 

I only realized the momentousness of the journey as I rode the drizzly waves on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry between Delaware and New Jersey. It was my first trip outside Virginia or DC since March 2020. During the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, I simply had no need to travel for work, and national guidance advised against leisure travel. Airline flights? Forget about it; I heard enough stories about 4-leg transcontinental flights on routes that had once been non-stop. Hotels that once provided scrumptious breakfasts resorted to handing out bagged muffins “because of COVID”. In fact, until the vaccine was widely available, my employer documented all personal travel out of town, which would start a two-week isolation period upon return to work. Why travel?

Like after 9/11/01, enough time has elapsed so that some of the imposed travails of travelling- perhaps familiar to horse-and-buggy trail warriors in the 19^th century- have been lifted. Last weekend was an opportune time to visit New York; not Manhattan, but the Alma Mater just east on Long Island. Reflective of the times, the Alumni event was scheduled in May after loosening of CDC guidance; then cancelled in August on account of the Delta Variant spike; then resurrected in a low-key format after it was revealed that people had bought non-refundable airline tickets to travel.

Among the several dozen attendees, I was the sole long-haul, work-from-home person. I listened intently to the stories of international quarantine, and promotions earned as a result of others’ early retirements. Onboard ship, in a shipyard, or even in the design shop, the maritime field is very hands-on and relationship-oriented. It felt great to break out of a period of professional isolation, a phenomenon studied in rural doctors, scientists, and sole proprietors; but which now applies to millions of white-collar professionals who ground out their work from laptops at home. While work-from-home has received favorable reviews from workers and some managers, I wondered how many more months of value could be added when professionals were running on autopilot, without conferences, training, and collaboration. In just a weekend, a switch was flipped in me. By Monday, I registered to attend an upcoming workboat show in New Orleans.

The College Experience: Now Customizable

As I walked around Old Dominion University, I felt like I was back in the Fall of 2019. There were students on the streets and in the student center and in the local shops; I was no longer “the lonely graduate student” on an empty campus. While there are many anecdotes of college students joining the full-time workforce instead of attending classes online, evidence shows that traditional college enrollment has remained fairly stable. They have presumably been living with their parents while attending online class. Thus, while dormitories and dining halls remained available during the pandemic, they had been empty save for a small number of non-traditional students. At ODU, the Spring 2021 semester was conducted in a hybrid format. In addition to the essential lab and practical courses for nursing students that were never cancelled, in-person seats were made available in many other undergraduate classes. 

So even when the opportunity presented itself, many of the youngest adult generation passed on "The College Experience". This college generation has better sensibility in avoiding frivolous expenditures. Tuition and expense estimators are now placed prominently on each state university's website. Understanding the effects of automation on entry-level white-collar work, this generation is more realistic about life expectations than those who attended in the early 2000s' campus amenities boom.

“The College Experience” for millennials was not built in a vacuum. As they were born in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a widespread feeling that moral and professional underachievement racked society from top to bottom, from the corporate boardroom’s tolerance of workplace inefficiency, to the high school dropout. Books like A Nation At Risk were published, and programs such as No Child Left Behind, and Common Core were implemented. These were good decades for the professional middle class, but would their children fall from grace?

A concatenation of data did offer a model for intergenerational middle-class replication: The only sensible way to succeed in life was to attend college for four consecutive years, while living on or near campus with peers. This assumption was built into the Post-9/11 GI Bill of 2008, giving extra benefits to veterans participating in the traditional “College Experience”. In addition to ostentatious amenities like indoor water parks, the university had become a city in itself, replete with administrators and counselors; paid for primarily by student debt. This in turn led to young graduates expecting comprehensive workplace amenities and luxury apartments in a time of corporate restructuring.    

As the perceived struggles of young college graduates permeated the media, resentment grew against ivory-tower professors and administrators. Populists, in both major parties, sought to replace “The College Experience” with low-cost community-centered colleges, a few large campuses with good football teams, and massive online open classrooms (MOOCs). The Ivy League and the professional-managerial elite would be banished from positions of authority. I hesitate to call this the “conservative” model of higher education, because it was the early 20^th century Progressives who advocated for vocational and practical instruction at high schools and colleges. In Europe and Asia, students attending barebone but competent colleges engage in the local community for housing and social needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced a break from the perceived path to success, and a reassessment of how young adults are shaped in America. The “College Experience” was very formulaic, and assumed a student’s unbridled control of their future. As late as 1973 in the US, mandatory military service affected where, when, and even in what subjects a college student would study. While students today have more choice in how to spend their pandemic semesters; as online students, trade apprentices or volunteers; the academic interruption of COVID-19 will bring an end to the cookie-cutter resume.     

 

(Enrollment Information: It’s Time to Worry About College Enrollment Declines Among Black Students - Center for American Progress)

Our American Boys who Grew Up in Afghanistan

 

I doubt that we will fully come home from Afghanistan. Our 20-year mission there was not warfare, not a military invasion, but a patriotic duty that started immediately after the 9/11/2001 attacks, culminated with US Navy SEALs executing Osama Bin Laden in 2011, mastermind of 9/11. Unlike the controversial military actions in Iraq that sparked global protest, subduing Al Qaida and the Taliban was an endeavor undertaken by a global coalition.

A small number of Americans bore the burdens of battle in Afghanistan, often with repeat deployments. For the greater armed forces, support of the Afghanistan mission was the spirit de corps, the purpose of arduous deployments and exercises. Support for the Special Operations warfighter included the aircraft carriers in the Indian Ocean that launched sorties over Afghanistan, to the American-flagged merchant ships that delivered countless cargo at the port of Karachi, Pakistan, the nearest seaport to landlocked Afghanistan. Servicemembers from non-combat roles, including present Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, were rewarded in their Navy or Air Force careers for taking Individual Augmentee assignments to Afghanistan.

Twenty years is enough to change the character of the Armed Forces. Islam, and Arabic language and culture, were at the forefront of discussion within the military, from high-level Pentagon war-rooms, to wardrooms, and the soldier-friendly bar. The carefree military of the 1990’s was cleaned up to create “21^st Century Sailors”, etc, who treated the military as a career, rather than a finishing school for small-town America. Support roles, from galley operations to security and the operation of supply ships and tugboats, were divested to civilians as sailors and soldiers were positioned for mission readiness. Navy sailors learned to handle firearms, a practice unfamiliar to those retired from the service.

There are men who spent their whole adult lives on the battlefields of Afghanistan or Iraq, often in the special forces, and later as private military contractors (PMCs). While youth of the 1960’s protested war, young men of recent decades have appropriated war. The AR-15 rifle, military haircuts, Call of Duty and other First-Person Shooter games. Wearing brown and green t-shirts, the undergarments of soldiers, signal solidarity with the armed forces. While belligerence is out-of-taste for the urban elite, a good chunk of the United States sees the military and its contractors as the last provider of family-wage jobs.  Well-heeled members of the warrior culture will continue to support morally, financially, and physically, the resistance to Taliban rule. 

Saving the Traditional Latin Mass

 

I have had time to think over Pope Francis’ changes to the use of the Traditional Latin Mass, also known as the Tridentine Mass, the 1962 Missal, or the Extraordinary Form. I find the reasoning to be generally good: Latin Mass devotees, typically blessed with cultural and economic abundance, must not isolate, but share their talent and resources as one church community. The execution of this motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes, at least at the Vatican’s level, is not pastoral. Some bishops, notably in Costa Rica and Arkansas, received the motu proprio on Friday, and cancelled masses scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. How does that serve the faithful? Other bishops have been more tactful: In Washington, DC, a Solemn High Mass in Latin planned to be held and televised at the National Basilica was cancelled, but Latin masses in the parishes would continue against the Vatican’s advice.  

First, let’s address the elephant in the room: This motu proprio only applies to law-abiding Catholics. Schismatic groups like SSPX will continue to say the Tridentine Mass, under the 1962 or earlier missals. As the good shepherd left the flock to find one lost sheep, Pope John Paul II in the 1980s permitted both forms of the mass to bring Catholics “attached” to the old form back into full communion. Stripped of its steam, SSPX must now peddle sedevacantist theories, that the papacy has been vacant since Pope Pius XXII’s death in 1958, to fringe groups. Weakening support for the Traditional Latin Mass by the Vatican or American bishops will give SSPX new energy.

What if the Traditional Latin Mass of the 1962 missal is ultimately suppressed? The ordinary traditional Catholic would be satisfied by a devoutly orchestrated Mass of 1970 sung in Latin, with the priest facing the altar (the Novus Ordo in Latin). This mass incorporates the reverence seen at Justice Antonin Scalia’s Requiem Mass at the National Basilica, with further nods to traditional practice. The Novus Ordo in Latin was commonplace before the widespread return of the 1962 missal in Pope Benedict’s Summorum Pontificum of 2007. This mass is ideal for smaller traditional-practicing communities, as it requires little additional training for altar servers who serve at regular masses said in the vernacular.

The Traditional Latin Mass is an effective vehicle for conversions and returns to the faith. Each pierced and tattooed young person dressed club clothes, but sitting in a Latin Mass pew, is a victory for the greater Catholic community. Indeed, the Latin Mass community has simply outgrown the Novus Ordo in Latin, and now has its own altar servers, priests, and even seminaries at full capacity dedicated to the Tridentine Mass of 1962. The Traditional Latin Mass (or a Novus Ordo Mass in Latin) is Catholic Church’s unique product; a clear differentiator from Protestant Establishment and Evangelical churches. It is possible to receive converts who are moved by Catholic theology, but the unique liturgy is the most outward form of parish life.  The Traditional Latin Mass fills pews, funds Catholic education and ministry, and energizes a church community to fulfill charitable works. This small but vigorous revival of Catholic faith and institutions in America ebbs an attrition that has occurred since the 1950s. Why cut down the healthy tree for a handful of bad apples?

Are you looking to scorn “rigid” traditionalists? Go to any upper-income Catholic church, and you will find a group of them, regardless of whether the parish offers Latin mass or not. Undeniably, attitudes of clericalism and self-righteousness exist. The source of these attitudes is not the parishes, but the multitude of unvetted right-wing media outlets that fancy themselves as Catholic authorities. (Here’s a litmus test: is your “catholic” programming sponsoring anti-vax opinions? If so, change the channel).

Some parishioners insist that the 1962 missal is immutable. Yet careful evolution has been a part of the mass since Pope Gregory’s times. Then-recent additions to the Mass were excised in 1958; the Latin Mass’ Good Friday prayers were revised in good faith to the Jews in 1955, and again in 2008. If there is a place for reform of the 1962 missal, it would be to emphasize liturgical readings in the vernacular. There are not enough years in a lifespan to fully absorb the scripture in Latin, as the readings and gospel rotate, in the traditional mass, on an annual schedule.

Strictly speaking, the Mass of 1970 in Latin could have become the primary representation of the Ordinary Form of the Eucharist. If this motu proprio proves to be lasting, it could be the future format of Latin mass performed within church structures. However, faithfulness to clerical hierarchy in the 1970’s led to some of the more bizarre changes instituted at behest of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In this came renewal for the sake of renewal, claimed to be “in the spirit” of Vatican II. In clear contradiction to the reverence found towards Catholic art and music in the Vatican II documents, the USCCB criticized traditional music and church statuary (1). In areas where the Catholic Church held influence, historic preservation authorities allowed radical reconstruction of old church interiors without room for public debate.   

A certain generation embraced the “opening up of the church” with new forms of expression such as folk mass with guitars; and found spiritual fulfilment in it. However, younger generations who might have been attracted to that form of spiritual practice found satisfaction outside the church. When I attended grade school in the 1990’s, this language of “renewal” was still in use, the felt banners hanging on the wall, and folk masses being sung (2). In a short-lived reversal of history, I grew up believing that incense and candlesticks belonged to Protestantism, and plain churches belonged to the Catholic Church. The excesses of the “Spirit of Vatican II” in America perhaps led to a recursion for traditional practice. Our nation is home to the vast majority of Tridentine masses performed worldwide.

What is disconcerting about Pope Francis’ motu proprio is the feeling that the Catholic church had reached an equilibrium in America that, in everyday practice, satisfied a supermajority of Catholics. The dark, destabilizing effects of sex scandals and pederasty were atoned for, financially and spiritually.  When new parishes are built in the American South, there will inevitably be an altar rail and high altar to facilitate traditional masses alongside vernacular masses. When parishes are renovated in old Catholic cities, architects will invariably consult historic photographs and drawings to create a continuity of time and space.

In these times, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s opinions should hold exceptional weight. As a young theologian, he actively participated in the Second Vatican Council, and was known at the time to be a liturgical progressive. He was, and still is, supportive of the Council itself, but had clearly stated reservation about certain expressions of the “Spirit of Vatican II”, whether it be on clapping in the mass, interior design of churches, or on pastoral counseling. Perhaps wisely, he has not yet offered a point of view on the latest motu proprio of Pope Francis. With the retired pontiff at 94 years of age, now is the last chance to set the record straight on the objectives and fulfilment of Vatican II.

(1)   Environment and Art in Catholic Worship, USCCB. 1977.

(2)   “How Felt Banners and Altar Girls Arose form a False Sense of ‘Participation’ in Liturgy”, Life Site News, 2/28/2019

 

A Decade of Jewish Existentialism

 Source: Humans of JNF (www.jnf.org)

Long before the rise of Adolf Hitler, establishing a Jewish state became the rallying cry of Zionists. Subject to the Jewish Question for centuries in Europe and the Middle East, through persecution, exile, pogrom and finally, systematic extermination; it appeared that other remedy could suffice for the Jewish people.

Trouble existed from the beginning. From 1948 to 1967, Jews lost access to their historical monuments and worship sites as Jerusalem came under Palestinian control. The Jewish state was tentative, perhaps a false promise or aberration in the course of history. After Adolf Hitler died in his bunker, many Jews continued to live a psychological holocaust, resulting in secularization, loss of ties to Judaism and the Jewish community.

Survivors of the Holocaust were prolific in writing and thinking in the post-war decade, reviews and analysis of which can be found in the Arts section of The Wall Street Journal. Where was G-d, who let this horrible thing happen? What about the psyche of Jews of America, still excluded from certain neighborhoods, social clubs, and held at an arm’s distance by those in power? Could it happen here, considering the sensational Rosenburg trial that conflated Jewish tenets with communist ideology?

In contemporary evangelical thinking, the Six-Day War of 1967 was fulfilment of a biblical prophecy. Outnumbered by Islamic forces, Israeli soldiers defended and overpowered the assault that was predicted to end the existence of the Jewish state. In the following decades, Israel became a beacon guaranteeing the survival of the Jewish people. The state received persecuted Jews from the Soviet Union, and from Ethiopia.

It has become popular to criticize the existence of Israel. The younger generation of Americans do not know that Israel’s survival was far from certain; or that Israel is merely the size of New Jersey, requiring a strong defensive posture against Hamas’ missiles and guerilla tactics. Nor do they consider that Islamic allies have not offered broad-based residency visas for Palestinians and Israeli Arabs.   

Checklist

 As I was pursuing work and a dense course load for grad school this Spring, there were a lot of “things” to do that I put on a list for later. Some of these tasks were time sensitive, like renewal courses for a project management certificate I earned as an undergraduate: I finished the current semester May 1, and the renewal was due June 1. Done. Others, like selling excess belongings on EBay, have not been done yet. I'll get to it when I have time!

Since first writing the list, I have not cancelled any task I had not completed. A bit surprising that everything retained its salience, whether it was fixing a leaking faucet or building out my college 529 plan. This list, paperclipped to an Old Dominion University-issued planner, serves me well. When something new comes up- add it to the list.

Task switching is a distraction

I automated the bill payments that I could, and the others (natural gas, for one) I resolved to handle twice a month. This "zero-minute task" did take actual time and attention. I finally figured that it was OK to leave these in the “inbox”.
General correspondence for political surveys and professional organizations would also be done twice a month.
Currently, I publish blog posts every two weeks. The best writing comes to me in waiting rooms, and in contrast to many novelists, I find no need to set a writing hour on the calendar.

The Underrated Profession

 The collapse of a bridge in Washington, DC and the a condominium in Surfside, Florida offered me a new perspective in the importance of the engineering profession. As I begin to prepare for state licensure, I could not help but think about how people within the profession view this position of trust: "Always have a job"; "The headhunters will find you"; "The paper looks good on the wall". Now, engineering for some time has been regarded as the most "9-to-5" learned profession, not the type to throw lavish parties for clients, or work overtime. A select few study research and development from the laboratories of universities, and put it into their practice; continuous professional development is often overlooked. Most, though, prefer work-life balance.

Nor does industry wish for engineering to be a cohesive, comprehensive profession. Architectural and engineering review requirements are being waived on larger and larger building projects, and licensure is generally not required when working on industrial design projects. Builders and manufacturers, in theory, then take on extra responsibility and liability to increase their profit a tiny bit. Thus, everyone is an "engineer" until nobody knows who an engineer is. In contrast, the medical profession has taught the public how to differentiate between a "Medical Doctor" and a "Doctor of Nursing". As a major infrastructure renewal bill nears approval in Congress, it's time for engineers to remember what the profession is about: to ensure public safety in the built environment. 

Forgotten Sustenance: Nutty Cheese Sandwich and New York's Greatest Era

 

New York of the 1950s could be categorized as a worker’s paradise. Liberalism of the era prioritized affordable housing, tuition and healthcare. Immigrants from war-torn Asia and Europe, penniless artists and thinkers from the heartlands came to build their American dream. This was the “Old New York” of the pre-Bloomberg era, a time before capital reigned supreme.  How did these strivers live, and how did they dine? Low-cost diners, public cafeterias, and lost recipes like Date Nut Bread were not glamorous, but sustaining for a day’s work.

The Nutty Cheese Sandwich comprised of Date – Nut Bread, lathered with cream cheese and served with “regular” coffee (cream and sugar, please). Served at Chock Full of Nuts cafes once ubiquitous in the city, it was a Depression-era favorite whose price mirrored that of subway fare: 5 cents in the early 1930’s, and 15 cents in the 1950s.

I made a loaf from a recipe posted by Politico: Lost Foods of New York City: Date-nut bread sandwiches at Chock Full o' Nuts (politico.com)

Everything I needed to make the loaf was in my pantry. I substituted dates for raisins, which I had on hand. The rich aroma of nuts and fruits filled my home as the loaf baked.  Taking a slice of this loaf and layering it with cream cheese made a creation that closely resembled a carrot cake, but with more wholesomeness than sugar. The outside of the slice was crusty, and the inside soft, but substantiated by the nuts and fruit. It was everything a hungry artist would want.

One might say that the fast-food dollar menu replaced the cheap restaurants of bygone decades. But what would your three dollars buy? Four slices of bread, two thin pucks of ground meat, and French fries. You would get your calories, but not a balanced meal. No fruits or vegetables would be served, other than ketchup; or a packet of jelly, if you ask nicely.

What did the cheap restaurants in? Foodservice wages have been fairly stable. Rents have gone up. Business overhead, to pay consultants and managers, has certainly increased in the restaurant sector. But the cheap restaurant relies on volume to stay afloat; I would argue that the critical mass of working-class and middle-class diners dissipated when it became too easy to put a “dining experience” on the credit card: Buy now, pay later versus pay-as-you-go. Yes, that rising standard of living.  In a more money-conscious era, diners would have prioritized nutrition and heartiness; while today, these gaps are filled by eating more.

Heads Up: John Warner; Exxon

The Virginia Senator

John Warner’s career in the US Senate bookended the Republican Party’s short era of dominance in Virginia. He was narrowly elected in 1978, in a state which favored conservative Democrats; and retired from the US Senate in 2009. He was certainly part of the Defense establishment, which once held economic and political power in Virginia; the submarine USS John Warner (SSN-785) is named in his honor. He drew support from across the political spectrum, running unopposed in 2002. Before his retirement, the nascent Tea Party movement branded this popular moderate as a RINO (Republican in Name Only). John Warner was indeed a RINO: “Reasonable, Intelligent, Nice and Open-minded”.

Warner's death comes at an inflection point as the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) attempts to rebuilt from a lost decade of nominating Tea Party and Trumpist candidates, who failed to win any statewide election since 2009. If proof is found in pudding, these rural hardliners typically lost their November elections by 10 points or more; while mainstream candidates in 2013 and 2014 fell just one point short of victory. The RPV is optimistic for this year’s races, as the nominees are both diverse and chosen by suburban voters, who have marched towards the Democrats in the past decade. John Warner was richly eulogized by the nominees, showing that the late Senator is a model to be followed. 

 

Exxon Going Green?

This one is personal to me, as I dumped this laggard of a stock last year. Shareholders put Jeffrey Ubben of Value Act Capital onto Exxon's Board of Directors, in hopes of bringing the large corporation up to par in the future of energy. Ubben's unique thinking is that an "oil company" can be part of a "Responsible Investing" (ESG-focused) portfolio.  For other petroleum companies, the transition to green energy is nothing new. BP (British Petroleum) had long styled itself as "beyond petroleum", embracing a green sunflower as its logo.

The Fascist Moment

 In the manifestos of various nutjobs, there is a common theme favoring increased control of society, particularly in areas of immigration and family policy. To the disenfranchised, these radical solutions offer false hope of increased status and wealth. It would be easy to ignore the effect of such writings, but for the fact that crazed manifestos have enabled great evils in the past, from Mein Kampf to the writings of Dylan Klebold. Dare I say, we did have a Beta-Test of fascism in America, an unintended consequence of the national coronavirus response strategy.

At a fundamental level, fascists are miserable because you are outwardly happy. Their grievances often come from perception of deficit in their social lives, and they fantasize ways to remove joy and spontaneity from relationships, including hook-up culture. As an example of pattern rupture, the year-long government shutdowns of “non-essential” businesses such as bars and concert venues in many states may permanently alter what it means “to go out” for an evening. While social activities have moved from public spaces to private settings (at one service academy, daytime liberty on weekends resulted in a 15% COVID infection rate after just two months), researchers have found increased malaise among young adults. This may be confounded with other factors like lack of hiring in well-paying jobs.

Halting immigration from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia has featured in multiple extremist manifestos. The national border is sealed with policies reminiscent of the isolationist 1930s. Based on the adjusted travel patterns of my peer group, I would surmise that most international travelers and immigrants today are coming to the US from Europe, rather than the Global South.

Record Gun Sales- Gun ownership has increased, especially among women and racial minorities Some Leftist groups have embraced gun ownership, often as a response to the outwardly firearm-toting Far Right groups. It is impossible to stereotype who might be armed today. Notably, the new generation of firearm owners, predominantly urban or suburban dwellers, have purchased firearms for reasons other than hunting. Marksmanship, tactical training and self-defense have grown in prominence: this disassembled militia appears in manifesto writings.

Inequitable Health Outcomes- Higher COVID death rates among disfavored groups represents a racially and socioeconomically unequal loss of life. COVID infection crossed all walks of life, as seen in how the virus first spread through the global jet-set. But those with less reserves, in wealth or health, were more likely to perish.  Social Darwinist policies are frequently invoked in manifestos.  

Discussing birth rates during a prolonged crisis is a difficult subject, because of conflicting mainstream philosophies. On one hand, it is seen as the “responsible choice” to delay childbearing until one’s socioeconomic situation improves. In the other stream of thought, childbearing is life’s most essential activity, and minimal constraints should apply: in the religious context, this would include marriage between biological parents. As many of my friends are in this stage of life, I am interested to see how countermeasures applied in the Spring of 2020, such as no-visitation policies in maternity wards, affected the rate of home births; or if it caused couples to be discouraged, resulting in a birth rate drop this past Winter. What the evidence shows is that couples have postponed childrearing, except for the wealthiest young adults (see Refinery29, Insider). Survival of the fittest, much?

Reversion to traditional gender roles: Celebration of the family puts a softer edge on the general bluntness of fascist policies. Women, though, tend to bear the strain in domestic workload and missed career opportunities. As modern resources that enabled the two-income household became unavailable; be it daycare centers, grandparents, foreign au-pairs, and, yes, public schools; one parent had to step back from full-time work. In the past, it was assumed that a woman would take up domestic responsibilities; today, income, stability, and now, essentialness, are hashed out between the couple. Egalitarianism is to let the math speak for itself, and most often, Dad keeps pursuing his career.

Hopefully, the experience of the past year and a half has debunked any thoughts that fascism is a viable solution to the political difficulties in the United States. High-priority issues that have come to the fore-front in national discussion are learning and skills loss, alleviation of childhood poverty, and newfound respect for individual freedom.  There appears to be bipartisan agreement in saying “never again”, with regard to the challenges people and the nation have endured.

Two Slaveries and the Church

 

Waging the long spiritual fight against communism in Eastern Europe and Greater China left little room for self-reflection, which has now come to the forefront of Catholic consciousness. If the Church had the power to initiate an orderly transition from communism to democracy in Eastern Europe, what power did it have, and did not use, to end human slavery? From today’s lenses, the Catholic Churches’ role in 1800’s slavery appears to be participation and implicit approval. This must be reconciled.

Looking back to the 1890s, in the same papacy of Pope Leo XIII, the Church made a switch from being soft on chattel slavery to being tough on the mental slavery of Marxist communism. By this time, the Church had been stripped of its earthly powers, particularly the papal holdings in Italy (prompting the Leonine Prayers in the Traditional Latin Mass). The world changed greatly at the dawn of the 20^th century. France underwent secularization around 1905. Hereditary monarchy was discredited after WWI. For centuries and millennia, monarchs held a special place in state religions, setting the ‘tone’ for the population, and occasionally practicing intolerance towards religious minorities in their realm. For the Church, there was a real threat that monarchy across Europe would be replaced by communism, as happened in Russia. If monarchy was obsolete, and communism intolerable; then democracy, or transitional autocracy (as in Portugal, Spain or the Republic of China), had to be embraced. Unlike most events in world history, the people would decide, through ballot box or popular uprising, their self-determination.  

 In previous generations, the Church’s worldly concerns as landlord and investor had created a close intertwining of Church and the Spanish and French colonies, where chattel slavery was a common practice.  In theory, slaves in French and Spanish colonies had more rights than slaves in English and Islamic areas. In French practice, mixed-race children were born free; while this was not the case in the American South at large. In practice, life was harsh for all agricultural slaves. Work in the Caribbean sugar plantations was known to be a virtual death sentence. Would the Church have placated itself on false platitudes? Emphasis on pastoral care emerged in the late 1800s, with focus on various groups such as immigrants, Black Americans, and Pacific Islanders. In this context, a focus on human liberation became a natural outcrop of charitable work to feed, educate, and care for the disadvantaged. Leo XIII’s successor, the pauper-born Pope Pius X, would understand that proclamations of human dignity had to be backed by action.

Appalachian Serenade

 

For at least the past decade, New Hampshire has been attracting conservative and libertarian-minded individuals from the Northeast, through the Free State Project and personal initiative. Strong gun rights, no state income tax, and boundless opportunities for rugged outdoor activities provide the incentives. The Granite State’s rural areas vote Democratic, while the more educated and urbanized southern part of New Hampshire, closest to Boston, prefer Republicans. This inversion of modern political trends can also be found in another mountainous state: West Virginia.

Lest anyone forget, West Virginia was a solidly Democratic state until Al Gore and John Kerry were nominated by the Democratic Party in 2000 and 2004. A legacy of coal-field patronage and low-wage labor resulted in a highly-unionized workforce and economically progressive politics. Until Obama’s “War on Coal”, it was unthinkable that West Virginia would make efforts to appease the staunch Republican appendage of the Eastern Panhandle, closest to Washington, DC. It already had competitive advantages in being home to the states’ highest average incomes, federal employment, two interstate highways, and a commuter rail line. But nobody can bring back coal: Virginia’s recent elimination of a coal production tax credit, which was was cut for economically ineffectiveness (the environmental reasons are still too touchy to mention), was but one signal that coal is dead or dying, and that clear minds needed to create a new strategy for economic growth in Appalachia.

West Virginia’s Governor Jim Justice (himself a Democrat turned Republican) passed a Right-to-Work bill, once unthinkable in a strong labor state. More interestingly, he has proposed eliminating the state’s income tax. Just west of Washington Dulles International Airport, the freeway splits. The left turn is for Route 7 /Harry Byrd Highway, into the prosperous horse-and-wine country, which is also growing as suburban bedroom communities. The right turn for Route 9 is the road less travelled. The narrow, meandering road heads into the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, which lies directly north and parallel to Route 7. Using radically pro-growth policies, and seizing on the current political turmoil and stagnant growth in non-metropolitan Virginia, Governor Jim Justice’s goal is to make his road the more travelled road. The experience of New Hampshire shows this to be a real possibility.

 

 

Easter Greetings

 

We've come a long way since last Easter, when public services in most states, and by many denominations, were cancelled. The churches will be "full" this Easter, and I think it will mostly be okay. (Mine is at 50%, with every other pew empty, so people don't breathe on each others' necks).                      In contrast to last Christmas' gatherings that led to tragic loss of life in January, we now have widespread availability of COVID vaccines among senior citizens, and a lower infection rate overall.

Do I expect to see a moderate spike in cases in three weeks? Certainly, especially with the cold weather on the East Coast this weekend, which will keep families indoors. Am I afraid that public health officials will use the explainable blip to cancel open-air graduation plans tentatively scheduled in May and June? Certainly, but I think now is a good time for optimism. 

  

Curation or Censorship? eBay's Very Public Decline

Recently, eBay crossed the Rubicon by prohibiting the sale of now-collectible Dr. Seuss works, relatively obscure books that are now out of print by the decision of the Seuss estate. With that action, among others, eBay lost its market distinction as an online emporium.

At one time, eBay was a unicorn. The online business achieved a level of trust in which customers feel comfortable carrying out large transactions in gold and silver, electronics and jewelry. The scammers are becoming more sophisticated, though, so security is an area where eBay must focus. In this new cybersecurity paradigm, eBay does not have time for nitpicking the merchandise decisions of its core sellers and buyers; nor can afford the overhead of having staff manually cancelling listings.

The premise of the online marketplace is that customers search for what they want and find it. If they can't find what they want, they will take their business elsewhere. I am sure that eBay lost bibliophiles who look for collectible and out of print works. That was eBay's niche in the book market, and they blew it in one week. Amazon and Barnes and Noble remain top sellers of commodity works like in-print books and textbooks. eBay was not competing effectively in that arena, nor should they try.

eBay is still the preferred marketplace of coin buyers. But if they go on a whim to cancel listing of coins from certain countries or regimes, then the credibility of eBay as an open marketplace diminishes for the numismatic community.

Now, staying above the line of the law was a founding value of eBay. Drug paraphernalia and cockfighting tools are banned. Prohibiting these sales likely helped to bolster the reputation of e-commerce. eBay has also engaged in well-understood social policy, such as not selling Hypodermic needles - though this is part of a lively debate on the risk and benefit of access to clean needles: deterrence and mitigation. Early in the current pandemic, it was advisable to stop marketplace sales of PPE- but small , certified, upstart manufacturers lost sales as they could not communicate with eBay et al. that they needed a wider distribution stream that e-commerce could provide. (NY Times)

User experience has suffered: by 2019 users were “bombarded” with irrelevant advertising. Sellers note that the pages have been overrun by “cheap Chinese merchandise”, and that “eBay can NOT operate as another Amazon”. To top it off, the flailing company is cancelling its longtime eBay bucks program in April.

eBay forgot it’s flea market roots, where buyers move on to the next seller's table, if they find one table to be distasteful. The browser does not quit the market, unless the majority of sellers have gone rogue. Or the owner of the market makes bad strategic decisions. 

Harry Byrd: The Bigot Who Closed the Black-White Wage Gap.

Harry Byrd, a segregationist who ran Virginia's political machine in the mid-20th century, is losing his place near the seat of government in Richmond, VA. A statue erected in 1976, featuring the long-term Senator sizing down the federal budget, is expected to be removed from outdoor display. How did he fall out of grace so quickly?

Too recently, White Supremacists dominated the Deep South. In contrast, segregationists were
"racial moderates" in the South, as they were called in their time. Politicians of the later group were often socially conservative, and fiscally liberal, the "Blue Dog" epitaph today. Public health and education improvements occurred in the mid-20th century by a separate and somewhat equal policy. 

 Atlanta, Memphis, and Washington DC hold America's 3 historically black medical schools. These cities, in general, were forward-looking and not in touch with racial attitudes in their surrounding region. Graduates of Black professional schools built a self-sufficiency in border state Black communities that leaders like Frederick Douglas  and WEB DuBois imagined. 

 

Yet in the heart of the Jim Crow era, many African-Americans worked as peanut, cotton and tobacco sharecroppers under the peonage system in "Black Belt" counties. Predominately Black urban occupations such as movie attendants, domestic servants, and shoe-shiners were exempted from minimum wage laws. (This shortcoming was symbolically closed in recent years). 

Federal directives on equal employment in the defense sector during and after World War Two played a key role in leveling the harsh discrepancy between Black and White income. Senator Harry Byrd of Virginia, a Democrat, maintained cordial  relations with President Eisenhower, the later of whom was able to push civil rights bills through a recalcitrant congress in 1957 and 1960. This relationship made Virginia a powerhouse in infrastructure (Dulles International Airport was build with federal funds), technology,  and the defense industry. In major Virginia cities, college expansions were paired with the opening of a Black college. Hospitals opened or were renovated in underserved communities (Credit to the US Government's Hill-Burton Act of 1946). The racial wage gap compressed further.

Source: Virginia Pilot

With an emerging black middle class came legal action that closed the chapter on Jim Crow. Strength of conviction and legal connections led plaintiffs to sue for equal rights. Cases include Morgan vs. Virginia (1946), desegregating interstate transportation; Boynton vs Virginia (1960), reinforcing the 1946 case; Davis vs Prince Edward County, which became part of Brown vs Board of Education (1954); and Loving vs Virginia (1967) on interracial marriage.

If there is evidence that the latter generation of segregationists delivered for minority citizens, it is found in voter turnout. The same Southern Democrats who defended segregation often gained support of Black voters towards the end of the 20th century. Governor George Wallace and Senator Al Gore, Sr, are two examples.

Virginia Pilot Link: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pilotonline.com%2Fnews%2Fvp-nw-racial-income-gap-virginia-20200915-b5t4cl7p6fa7hkdtufpwrnj34e-story.html&psig=AOvVaw1LnHGSMJxgd3yiDhRFqXd8&ust=1612839349840000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCMisp_ek2e4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Ride the New Current: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

 When you type “Virginia Electric Ch...” into a search engine, results for the Electric Chair come up. Electric Charging Stations, the wave of the future, are an afterthought. As far as the adaptation of green transportation solutions go, this is a sad state of affairs, but an opportunity.

DC Fast chargers (DCFC) operate on 450 volt power, which is provided to every commercial and industrial property. There is no fuel leak hazard or noxious fumes. There is no logistics chain- no fuel laden hazmat trucks. The downside is that these fast chargers cost $50000 each, currently. This is one-tenth the cost of a new petrol station, but a price that prevents rapid proliferation.

Drive Electric Virginia has set a goal of making charging stations available to 95% of residents, within 30 miles of their home. This is a barebones system. A short term goal should be saturation in suburban and urban areas, and a charging station at every freeway interchange.

Multiple car and charging station manufacturers are condensing on a standard type of charging outlet, and electric car manufacturers, even Tesla, are providing adapters to their early-adopting car owners. Say goodbye to proprietary standards in the next 5 years or so.

EVgo Triples Fast Charging Network Through The Drive Electric Virginia Program - EVgo

The Educated Working Class

Despite the vocal assertions of mainstream media, student loan debt is not killing millennials as a whole- 2/3 do not have loans as they have paid them off, acquired scholarships or grants (such as the GI Bill for veterans), or did not attend college. Furthermore, the average balance for those with outstanding loans is a reasonable $8000. (The conservative National Review provided these stats). But there are 6% with over $100,000 in loans, and likely a larger group with high five-figure debt: we could say a solid demographic quintile have large outstanding student loans.

Among this group, many face growing balances as a result of low monthly payments and a high interest rate. Many students were taken in for surprise: there is no counseling requirement for undergrad loans. This was the cost of following your dreams into struggling fields like journalism. Existentially, it calls into question the role of higher education: to pursue a passion, or seek return on investment? Historically, attending college was a ROI proposition, with exceptions for the wealthy elite and certain upwardly-striving debutantes. Then if everyone sought the ROI method, society would suffer as a whole. Compensation for teachers, social workers and public advocates did not rise to reflect the cost of increased professionalization in these fields. Low compensation is endemic to career fields with origins in “women’s work” and advocacy.

While the college graduate still out earns the non-college grad, the wealth gap has closed. At age 35, the skilled tradesman has a higher net worth than the loan-taking college graduate
An economic realignment of the tech and COVID eras has occurred. White collar unionization at workplaces such as Google is emerging. This reflects the precarious nature of employment: contract workers without a sufficient war chest  (cash reserve) to mitigate the risks of self employment or small business entrepreneurship.
A decline in entry-level positions makes it more difficult for new graduates to deploy learned skills in a meaningful way. Such self-employment is a principal part of the skilled trades. In the trades, the “get a good job” mantra could bring a middle class income, but creating your own job was the ultimate goal. White-collar professionals must now reckon with the change.

Politically, what can be done? Portable health insurance ( through the Affordable Care Act) is a key enabler. Universal Basic Income would assist in lieu of unemployment benefits
I advocate for student debt relief through interest rate reduction, rather than cancellation of principal. This is the fairest approach considering that a majority of students do make compromises to manage the cost of education, such as attending community college as a commuter student, or pursuing part-time studying while working. 

The college grad is in a different cultural milieu than the traditional working class, but its economic standing is not too far. It is a force to reckon with, electing progressive candidates. The hippie generation recovered its economic standing during the 1980s-2000 bull market; some college educated millennials from the comfortable middle class may not.

There exists dichotomies in political theory: working class vs rich, highly educated vs not; as well as labor vs management.
Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican, has called for a multiethnic working class party. Most likely speaking of  Economically secure part of the working class, holding rare or marketable skills, who is in control of their work life.

A New Golden Age of Medicine

Imagine the 1950s in medicine. Within a generation, public health advances had eliminated communicable diseases; medical discovery brought antibiotics, vaccines, and new medicines; and surgeons performed daring operations to correct conditions of the heart and brain. The family doctor was an approachable, respected professional who often performed house calls. With memories of premature deaths and disability caused by now-treatable conditions, people were grateful for the work of medicine.

Ahead of the establishment of Medicare in 1965, the government discovered that some seniors and the chronically ill did face financial difficulty due to medical expenses. In general, though, medical care was affordable for the out-of-pocket payer: Walt Lillehei was the best in his field, and charged just $400 (or $4,000 today) for each cutting-edge heart surgery he performed in the 1950s, and often did not deposit the check, anyway (1). There were fewer healthcare administrators and managers to take a cut from the surgeon’s pocket; in contrast to today, hospitals were run by experienced physicians, not businessmen.

Things changed. Institutional Review Boards for medical research, informed consent for every procedure, the rights revolution of the 1970s (both on the new age left and the religious right), legalization of physician-assisted suicide, and widespread skepticism seemed to slow progress. Research doctors no longer worked in clinical practice. FDA regulations and the threat of massive lawsuits forced a risk-adverse approach to new medicines, devices, and treatments, to the detriment of patients waiting for a cure.

The convolutedness of medical billing forced a focus on quantity over quality, and closed many private practices: few new doctors today imagine opening their own office. Access to healthcare has improved marginally- many Americans remain uninsured and delay medical treatment due to cost. 1 million Americans declare bankruptcy each year due to medical expenses (2).

At some point, things have to get better. Recently, my friend quit his job in finance and went to medical school, following his old passion: he conducted small public-health research projects in high school, and his father is a physician. Operation Warp Speed, the American effort to discover and produce vaccines against COVID-19, was a demonstration of new prowess. The leading vaccines use mRNA research, which had been conducted behind the scenes for decades, and finally implemented for cancer treatment ten years ago. It is being released to the American public on Emergency Use Authorization: a breakthrough of red tape. Due to the costs of approval, promising treatments for small populations and the developing world had been left to wither, as there was no commercial viability. Hopefully, the new public focus on medical research and clinical trials will push government officials to do what is right for patients. This could be the herald of a new golden age in medicine.

 

(1) King of Hearts, book by G. Wayne Miller

(2) Medical Bankruptcy Statistics (thebalance.com)

Coronavirus: Vaccine is Here and Now

 

But how to get in into peoples’ arms?

On the administration of the vaccine, mathematicians and their game theories have surpassed credentialled public health professionals in predicting how to proceed. Health experts did not predict that a significant number of workers would decline the vaccine (up to 40%), because of immunity acquired from previous exposure, personal choice, or even the preference of an anti-vax supervisor. The “discouraging supervisor” has not been discussed in the media, but will come into greater view if vaccination clinics maintain limited hours which shift workers find difficult to access. There has been hesitance to release unused doses of vaccine, even as early expiration dates come near.

In New York, Governor Cuomo ordered that healthcare providers who circumvented state-mandated priority groups for vaccination would be fined $1 million, and their license revoked. This is not a general statement about maintaining fair distribution of the vaccine, but a substantiated threat as ParCare Community Health Network, a New York State provider, was sanctioned for “fraud” in vaccinating over 800 high-risk adults ahead of schedule before New Year’s Day. This action has had a chilling effect on providers in the state, who have since allowed unused doses to go to waste, instead of administering them to the general public.

As the vaccine is becoming available to greater populations, bureaucracy and appointment-based systems are hampering the effective distribution of the vaccine. At some hospital systems, there is an hour of administrative work for each dose of the vaccine given. As a result, it is not uncommon for a hospital to vaccinate only 20 of its staff in a day. A well-planned clinic, such as the military Branch Health Clinics, should deliver at least 400 doses per day. A Pfizer vial contains five doses, and must be used within six hours of its opening. Emergencies and medical deferrals can cause planned recipients to miss their doses, and in the interest of public health, another recipient must be found. In rural areas, it will be necessary to relax priority groups to ensure that vaccine does not go to waste. I know a ship’s officer who drove 8 hours to get his vaccine in Norfolk, Virginia; this is not a viable option for senior citizens or low-income individuals. Centralized vaccination centers, as Florida and other southern states have set up, have shown great effectiveness in reaching target groups. Nobody likes to wait in line, but practical evidence shows that a queue is necessary to administer the vaccine without waste.