Volume 264 | No. 20

Echoes of 1942

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Somewhere in my house is an envelope containing my grandfather’s World War II certificate for a Class C gas-rationing sticker. I last saw it a quarter of a century ago, before my father tucked it away again, probably in one of the trunks in the upstairs closets. Gasoline was one of the first commodities rationed by the Office of Price Administration after the attack on Pearl Harbor. They called it “mileage” rationing, and gasoline was not the item they were saving. What we were lacking was rubber, since the Japanese had taken early control of the rubber plantations of Southeast Asia. Metal soon became scarce, …

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Beware a of a Trump Coup!

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These mass protests against systemic racism are driving Donald Trump plumb crazy! Of course, that’s a pretty short drive for him. He would be hilarious if his buffoonery was not so dangerous and destructive. For example, he had peaceful protesters gassed, clubbed, and shoved out of the public square across from the White House so he could walk out and pose stone-faced with a Bible, as some sort of political stunt. Especially dangerous, though, is the craven willingness of our top military officials to play along with his infantile attempts to appear manly. When Trump strutted out to do his little Bible photo-op, guess who …

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Vocabulary Lesson

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Idiocracy, n; (1) the political system of the United States; (2) the system of governance in practice in the United States; (3) the culture resulting from such a political system of governance. Related: Idiocrat, practitioner of said system; Idiocratic, adj; Idiocratically, adv. Example:“Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, and Brett Kavanaugh are living proof that the United States of America is an idiocracy.” — W.D. Ehrhart

A Disgusting Truth About Finance

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To the Editor: Fox News apologized (shocking) for the “insensitive” (on Fox News?) post showing the increase in the S&P 500 with a shooting death of a black person. The awareness of Fox News is quite a surprise in itself, but the posting actually revealed a disgusting truth about the financial industry—the stock market really does thrive on racial violence. Why do we place so much faith in this epitome of our vaunted capitalist economy? Is this who we are? Dan Mannschreck Barrington, N.H. Dan: We plead “not guilty” to the charge of having faith in this economy. The Editor

Whither The Halcyon Days of Yore?

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To the Editor: To paraphrase the golden rule, treat others as you’d like to be treated. When I was a child, my mother explained that freedom did not mean you could yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater. I took that to mean that I couldn’t do what I wanted, when I wanted if that put others in danger. Rather, I had a responsibility to others to take their well-being into consideration. This was just common sense. Tell the truth. Don’t unnecessarily endanger others. It is not freedom to possibly harm others by ignoring public health warnings or by treating others as you would not want …

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President (t)Ramp

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To the Editor: Everyone knows the President was walking slowly down the ramp at West Point due to his bone spurs. The cause of his trouble drinking water is not as widely known, however. He acquired that disability saving Puerto Rico from the hurricane. He was injured throwing paper towels! Case closed. Have a little sympathy, will ya folks? K. Fowle The Skunk Farm Hillsborough, N.H.