Florence
+ The Machine
Sometimes music finds you when you
need it most, and that’s just what happened when Florence and the Machine
greeted the earnest crowd gathered at TD Garden last October. She opened with
the song, “June (Hold On To Each Other)” then segued to her anthem, “Hunger.”
Her music as a clarion call to stop looking down, stop giving energy to
needless things, and focus on what really matters.
“June (Hold On To Each Other)”
“Those heavy days in June when love
became an act of defiance.”
Happy belated Pride month, fifty years
since Stonewall, and so much has changed, and yet so much left undone. I ask –
is it really so much about pride, or just simple human dignity? But I digress.
She openly engaged with the audience,
thanking someone in the audience who had given her flowers, calling them her
“anxiety flowers,” and said she could feel the feminine energy in the arena.
Whatever she asked us to do, we obliged. Hold hands, tell strangers we love
them, jump up and down. We would have followed her anywhere.
At the end of the night, she exhorted
us to keep up our hope for peace, joy. “Hope is an action. Keep doing what
you’re doing, it makes a difference.”
We are told so many times, to stay in
our lanes, and stop trying to change things that are outside our control. The
day we stop trying is the day we hang up our cleats and go home. To try is
noble. Our dreams, our ambitions, our passions – we must run to them, run as we
would to pull a drowning child from the water, and rescue them, and keep them
alive.
The
Machines of Climate Change
Speaking of change, next was the panel
discussion on Climate Change sponsored by Mass Humanities at the JFK Library in
Boston on October 28, 2018, moderated by Steve Curwood, titled: Science,
Democracy, and Climate Change: Finding the Tools to Save Our Biosphere.
Panelists included: David Cash, Evelyn Fox Keller, Michael Pasquier, Reverend
Mariama White-Hammond.
Steve Curwood introduced the topic and
some of the challenges in understanding whether climate change is real, and if it
is, what can be done about it. “Science doesn’t care about politics. Science
cares about reality.”
Dr. Evelyn Fox Keller noted: “We have
had the evidence for thirty years. There is a culture of denial by the oil
industry, and no action. It’s imminent now, and we’re still not doing anything.
Why?” she asked. Do we not believe it? Or, if we believe it, do we not grasp
the severity of it? Or, if we understand the magnitude of the problem, do we
turn away because it’s too late? “We don’t need hope, we need courage to face
up to our fear of what we’re facing in the future.”
Reverend Mariama White-Hammond
compared it to addictions. “By the time you realize you’re heading to rock
bottom, it’s too late to do anything.”
David Cash made an interesting
comparison: “We’re clinging to the carbon in the ground because of the economic
value it holds, just as the South clung to slavery; the value of slaves was
more than the value of land in the South.”
By the end of the panel discussion, it
felt like we had entered the Age of Futility. Two key technical advances –
fracking and directional drilling – have revolutionized oil and gas production.
We used to be able to get people around the idea of cutting demand when we were
oil dependent on the Middle East, and in fact many of our military strategies
revolved around maintaining stability in the region for this very reason.
Achieving oil independence took the
wind out of sustainability’s sails. It’s all about market forces, and we are
addicted to oil and gas. We can try to appeal to people’s morality, but even
then – not everyone can afford electric cars, hybrids, solar panels, etc. You
have to meet people where they are, and unfortunately we are dealing with two
crises: people who lack a fundamental science education (and don’t believe climate
change is happening), and the magnitude of the problem, making all these
individual efforts feel too small, like spitting into the wind.
In the current culture of skepticism of
science and real news, scientists must do a better job at communicating their messages
to the masses. Even as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo
moon landing, a Gallup Poll in 1999 found that 6% of US citizens doubted that
it actually happened.
Towards the end of the talk, someone mentioned
that photosynthesis (plant growth activity) removes carbon dioxide from the environment.
I had forgotten all about this until the recent headline about a Swiss study, that
says planting a trillion trees could help overcome the effects of climate
change, since the trees can sequester carbon dioxide.
Here is the link to the actual study
published in Science on July 5, 2019,
titled “The global tree restoration potential.”
Planting a tree has always been a
symbol of hope, something that wouldn’t be realized in one’s own lifetime, but
a legacy for generations to come.
The
Motor City
December found me in the Motor City,
Detroit, for a week, and while parts of downtown are starting to be
revitalized, there are brick ruins and vacant lots along the riverfront crying
out to be re-imagined, for where some see ruins, others see opportunity.
It is a shame that Amazon didn’t pick Detroit for one of its new hubs, and ironic that Waymo (a division of Alphabet, aka Google) did pick Detroit as the place for assembling its driverless cars. Bravo Waymo!
Ironically, it was about this same time that I was reading the book, Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter, which really could and should be made into a movie.
Some other recommendable books from my reading list:
Bernadette, Where’d You Go? By Maria Semple, also being released as a movie this August.
All
The Light We Cannot See,
by Anthony Doerr, a book so beautifully written, one almost weeps with each turn
of the page, knowing that it only draws you closer to its end. A story about radios, a mineral museum, and occupied France
during WWII. And a can of peaches.
Less, by Andrew Sean Greer, on the surface
about a book tour, a bit of a travelogue, and a lot about understanding one’s
place in the world, and how misinterpreted it could be. For anyone who has ever felt less than. It would also make a great
movie.
Dragons
Love Tacos, by Adam
Rubin.
If
I Built A Car, by
Chris Van Dusen.
A
Gentleman in Moscow, by
Amor Towles, another story of community living, shaped by the landscape of
Russian history, and perhaps gives us another take on Groundhog Day.
I am still in the middle of reading
this last book, when it struck me, this quote that comes at the end of a
conversation between the main character, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov and Osip,
in 1946, on the similarities and differences between the Americans’ and
Russians’ rise to power.
“But where do we stand now? How far
have we come? By marrying American tempo with Soviet aims, we are on the verge
of universal literacy. Russia’s
long-suffering women, our second serfdom, have been elevated to the status of
equals. We have built whole new cities and our industrial production outpaces
most of Europe.”
Count Rostov asks at what cost, and
Osip replies:
“At the greatest cost! But do you think
the achievements of the Americans – envied the world over – came without a
cost? Just ask their African brothers. And do you think the engineers who
designed their illustrious skyscrapers or built their highways hesitated for
one moment to level the lovely little neighborhoods that stood in their way? I
guarantee you, Alexander, they laid the dynamite and pushed the plungers
themselves. As I’ve said to you before,
we and the Americans will lead the rest of this century because we are the only
nations who have learned to brush the past aside instead of bowing before it.
But where they have done so in service of their beloved individualism, we are
attempting to do so in service of the common good.”
This difference in motivations between
Americans and Russians observed by Osip, could equally well describe the divide
between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans philosophically seem to ascribe
to economic Darwinism, survival of the fittest, and what is good for business
is good for the nation, and anyone can make something of themselves, and all
the beauty and illusion of the Horatio Alger story: anyone can make it if they
work hard enough and persevere. Or, can they? Or, are there fundamental inequalities
in opportunity that hold people back? This takes me back to the Baseball &
Business blog. People like John Henry seem tormented by this question, and how
to level the playing field, and bring everyone along.
Democrats philosophically seem to
advocate for the greater good, as a social conscience, ensuring there are
safety nets for the weakest and most vulnerable in society, as well as our
future generations.
This quote by Amor Towles’ Osip seemed to capture the divide that has so polarized the country since the 2016 election, when people’s true colors have been exposed, the hatred seething just below the surface. Reading about Russia, and thinking about the philosophic differences between Republicans and Democrats, of course brought to mind:
The
2020 Election
The following observations and
predictions are shared strictly to promote dialogue, in the interest
of our Democracy, and in the spirit of free speech, non-partisan, and never
seditious.
What
will the Republicans do?
The Republican nominee heir-apparent is President Donald Trump. No other Republican is going to announce their candidacy. It would be career suicide.
What
will the Democrats do?
Right now there are over twenty
candidates. It is like a condo meeting one week after an assessment has been
announced; everything is not okay,
and everyone is showing up. The problem for the Democrats is that the strongest
front-runners right now are the most polar opposites from President Trump. Like
a horse race, the early leaders don’t always win the race.
What
should the Democrats do?
Speaking very pragmatically, the best
candidate for the Democrats needs to be not
the most different from Trump, but the one who is closest to and most palatable
to the mainstream. The Democrats need to think pragmatically and strategically.
I hate to bring this up, but every symbolic, emotional vote for Bernie Sanders
in the 2016 national election was a vote for President Donald Trump. There, I
said it.
Who would be the ideal Democrat
candidate for President?
Someone who is not just smart, but
wise.
Well-spoken, strong, and well-respected.
Someone who has experience, and a
demonstrated career of service.
Someone who has served in the House,
the Senate, and even the military.
Someone with character beyond
reproach.
Someone worthy of this highest office.
A tall order? Yes.
Impossible? No.
Does such a person exist? Yes. Figure
it out.
While we are back to politics, and how
best to level the playing field, I had some ideas, which I’ll share below for
any of the candidates to pick up and use.
One of the least talked about topics
this past year is the change in tax code that increased the standard deduction to
such an extent that it essentially leveled the playing field for renters and
homeowners. Many people who used to get tax refunds wound up owing money,
increasing the tax revenue funding stream. Historically, this tax loophole, the
deduction of mortgage interest and real estate taxes from one’s income,
essentially discriminated against people who have been unlucky enough to not be
able to raise the funds needed for a down payment. Think about it. Two
households might have the same monthly expenses, but one pays rent and the
other pays a mortgage, but the latter would get a tax break. Let’s be honest,
it often takes more than hard work alone to come up with enough money for a
down payment on a house.
And it’s that way with so many other
things as well. Those who are in the worst financial situations have the least
access or means to pull themselves up, and are exposed to further
vulnerabilities when any kind of disaster strikes.
The trouble is that we can no better
predict natural disasters than we can personal disasters. Things can change in
the blink of an eye.
FSA accounts are a meager attempt to
help, allowing use of pre-tax dollars to pay medical bills, but they require
you to decide on an amount at the start of the year. If you guess too high, the
unspent amount disappears. If you guess too low, it’s too bad, sorry Charlie.
They are not that flexible, despite their name: Flexible Spending Accounts.
It’s almost laughable.
What I would propose is to deduct all
health care costs from one’s income prior to applying the standard deduction,
the same way that contributions to retirement savings plans (401Ks, etc.) are
all deducted from one’s gross income beforehand. Health care costs have a very
real effect on one’s net income, and this would be a way to level the playing
field.
What if we took this one step further,
and to promote education, what if we did the same thing for school costs? Every
dollar earned and invested in your education would not count towards your
taxable income.
These are measures that would provide
both a safety net for all members of society (as we are all truly “one phone
call from our knees”) and a motivation to pursue education and invest in
oneself. It would be the perfect blend of Osip’s ideals, in service of both our
“beloved individualism” and “the common good.”
Happy (Belated) Birthday, America!
Truly a nation of thinkers, dreamers, believers,
do-ers, and makers.
Post-Script
Florence + The Machine: The opening band was so loud, I was
delighted to find that ear plugs are available at Guest Services, on the Level
4 Concourse, next to Loge Section 4, at TD Garden.
Thanks to Mystic Coffee Roasters for hosting
my photo exhibit over the winter!
Thanks to Brookline Booksmith for
hosting book readings by Adam Rubin and Chris Van Dusen.
Reading to a child is a great way to
have a positive impact on a child’s life. Anyone interested in volunteering
with Read To A Child, check out their web page:
Detroit:
Thanks to the Holiday Inn Express
downtown, offering friendly service and perfectly good accommodations, despite
being a little worn, the hotel had everything a traveler really needs: a
comfortable bed, quiet room, and great water pressure. Right across the street
from the Westin, you have access to Starbucks in their lobby, and their
multiple restaurants, including 24 Grille, which also offered live music, and had
a surprisingly good Gumbo. I am hopeful for Detroit.
While working in Detroit, we ordered
in lunch each day, and every single day just got better than the last. We had deli
sandwiches from Mudgie’s, Shawarma kebobs, BBQ from Slow’s Bar BQ, and some of
the best Thai food ever.
Maybe Waymo could start with making
food deliveries!
Mark
Your Calendar:
· August
16, 2019: Movie release date for “Where’d You Go, Bernadette.”
· HUBweek
2019: October 1-3, in the Seaport, where Music, Art, Science, and Technology (MAST)
collide! https://www.hubweek.org/
For those who really like to plan ahead:
· June
27, 2020: Shadow of the City Music Festival, featuring Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers,
in Asbury Park, NJ. Tickets on sale now: http://shadowofthe.city/
References
Bastin, Jean-Francois, Yelena
Finegold, Claude Garcia, Danila Mollicone, Marcelo Rezende, Devin Routh,
Constatin M. Zohner, and Thomas Crowther. 2019. The global tree restoration
potential. Science, 05 July 2019.
Vol. 365, Issue 6448, pp. 76-79. DOI: 10.1126/science.aax0848.
Bigelow, Pete. 2019. Waymo to build
self-driving cars in Detroit, invest $13.6 million in factory. Crain’s Detroit
Business. April 23, 2019.
Borenstein, Seth. Planting a Trillion
Trees May Be the Best Way to Fight Climate Change Study Says. Time/Associated Press. July 4, 2019.
©
2019 Rosemary A. Schmidt
Rose
Schmidt is the author of “Go Forward, Support! The Rugby of Life” (Gainline
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