Thursday, December 26, 2019

Current Events Discussion Topics

An on-line "Zoom" discussion is conducted every Monday morning at 9:30am Chicago time through the North Shore Senior Center hosted by Ron Mantegna. You can enroll in this discussion session at   https://www.nssc.org/

Ron conducts a Northbrook Library zoom discussion every 1st and 3rd and 5th Thursday, 10-11:30am. Open free to all who enroll.  Contact the Northbrook Library to connect with Ron Mantegna.                                                                        

What happens now with Iran? Trump says the Strait is open. Iran says the Strait is closed, and fired on two tankers. Iran’s Military command warns that it will continue to block transit through the Strait as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect. Iran has multiple leaders:  Religious, Military, and Civil governmental. Not all are on the same page. How does this end? With who?

 

Pope vs. President. Who is more right? Trump: “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy” posting a “Jesus-Doctor” image. Pope Leo: "The message of the Gospel is Blessed are the Peacemakers. I do not look at my role as being a politician."  VP Vance, a Catholic convert, tells the Pope he should “stick to matters of morality” and stay out of public policy. Who is standing on firmer moral ground? What are the political ramifications, given that 1 in 5 MAGA voters are Catholic?

 

Could China replace America as “Leader of the World”? President Xi is showcasing the fervent interest of world leaders to now develop closer ties with China. Xi is positioning China as a source of stability and bulwark of respect for international rules, against the backdrop of Trump’s threat to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages.” Xi has held at least five high-profile tête-à-têtes in recent days, including Spain’s Prime Minister, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince, and with the new leader of Vietnam.

 

Is it OK that Virginia Democrats redistrict in ways that lead to a temporary net gain of four U.S. House seats? Current 6-5 D advantage would become 10-1. (Trump started redistricting “wars”.)

 

Should we reinstate the Draft?  Starting in December, we will implement automatic registration for the Selective Service System for eligible men aged 18–26. This updates the registration process and does not indicate an active draft, which hasn't occurred since 1973. Why just Men? Might it be a good idea to force general public “buy in” before sending Americans to War? Today, do people care less?

 

How do you see Artificial Intelligence affecting you? If you don’t use it…why not?

 

Is Musk’s idea plausible? “Universal HIGH INCOME via checks issued by the Federal government is the best way to deal with unemployment caused by AI. AI/robotics will produce goods & services far in excess of the increase in the money supply, so there will not be inflation.”  Concerns: It doesn’t address sense of purpose. People go to work every day feeling they matter. Take that away, and all you’re left with is unlimited free time, more Netflix, video games, and consumption of X-rated content over doing something productive.

 

The color of money is now gray. What are the ramifications? Over the past 40 years, American wealth has grown ever more concentrated among the oldest generations. In 1989, Americans over age 55 held 56% of it; today they hold 74%. During that same period, the share of wealth held by Americans under 40 has shrunk by nearly half, from 12 to 6.6%. Much of this shift is the result of demographic change: 18% of Americans are senior citizens today, up from 13% in 1990.

 

Is Cuba earmarked for another “Military intervention”? The Pentagon is quietly planning groundwork for a potential U.S. military operation. How do we feel about that?

 

Overt Racism? Sec. Kennedy: “Every Black Kid who takes Adderall needs reparenting.”

 

Does Hegseth’s religious views disqualify him from office? Hegseth overtly promotes his Christian faith as a personal crusade. In fact,  he carries a huge body tattoo that promotes The Crusades in image and words. He apparently sees himself “sent by G-d” to vanquish Muslims. And now he sees the Media as “pharisees” from Biblical times. What’s going on? Are you OK with this?

 

Is it OK to allow bets on ANYTHING?  People who’ve never worked on a trading floor are moving markets with informed wagers. Some are getting rich.

 

Should we revisit the issue of Presidential Pardons? A negative more than any plus?

 

A major Democratic group announced plans to target 17 House Republicans representing solidly red districts, a sign of how Democratic confidence is growing ahead of November’s midterm elections as President Donald Trump’s popularity slumps.

 

What does it mean if the U.S. government is “insolvent”? That’s the conclusion of the Treasury Department’s own consolidated financial statements for fiscal year 2025, released to near-total media silence. $6.06 trillion in total assets against $47.78 trillion in total liabilities as of 9/302025.

 

Good idea? Sunlight at night via mirrors: a big Night Light in the Sky. A Start-Up Wants to Launch a Space Mirror. The company is seeking F.C.C. approval to test an idea to reflect sunlight to Earth at night, possibly powering solar panels. Is it worth the risk? What could go wrong?

 

What’s the risk a nut-case takes this to heart and “kills for God”? Hegseth’s closest spiritual adviser repeatedly attacked Talarico on a podcast hosted by a former pastoral intern at their church. After calling the Texas Democrat “a wolf,” a “demon,” a “snake” and an “enemy,” the two talked about what they hope becomes of Talarico. “I pray that God kills him,” one said. “Ultimately, that means killing his heart and raising him up to new life in Christ.” The other concurred. “Right, right. We want him crucified with Christ.” He repeated that he wants “death and new life” for Talarico. “And if it would not be within God’s will to do so, stop him by any means necessary,” he said.  (ANY means? Really?

 

Efforts to strike or rename events honoring United Farm Workers leader César Chávez are accelerating after allegations surfaced that he sexually abused girls and young women.

 

Trump’s focus is on securing the Western Hemisphere.  Is “Shield of the Americas”  the “Don-roe Doctrine”? Is his foreign policy approach: “You take yours. And we’ll take ours.”

 

Michael Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI. Trump pardoned him. The Justice Department dismissed the case. Our government then gave Flynn $1M for “wrongful conviction”. Can every J6 felon pardoned by Trump look into suing America for “wrongful conviction”?

 

Stats show Crime falling. But, do you feel Crime is truly on the decrease? Violent crime dropped significantly in 2025. Big cities saw murders down 19-21%. Robberies and aggravated assaults also down, with some metrics falling below pre-pandemic levels to 100-year lows. 

 

Is eliminating all standards for greenhouse gas emissions in our best interests? How smart is it to totally disregard the concerns of scientists vs. moderating how standards apply?

 

$3 meals? Agriculture Secretary  Rollins claims their revamped food pyramid leaves plenty of room for us to maintain a healthy diet for as little as $3 a meal. Just eat “a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli”, “a corn tortilla” and “one other thing”.

 

NY Times: Are there any limits to your power? “My own morality. My own mind. That’s the only thing that can stop me.”