Royal anniversary provides needed relief

Some days, I can only be awed by the historic events that we are now witnessing, though much of it isn’t good. Let’s see, we have double-digit inflation, a war in Europe, an energy crisis, too many people shooting at each other, and supply line problems with infant formula of all things. Fortunately, Mother England provides us with a multifaceted distraction that incorporates political science, history, the role of the church, and just enough tabloid sensationalism to keep it interesting. That’s the fun part, but let’s take a quick look at our issues first.

Inflation is hitting all of us from a multitude of directions and so far, there seem to be no easy answers. I only know enough about economics to be dangerous to myself and others, but nothing I learned in school taught me that government spending and high deficits reduce inflation. With our debt now sitting at 110% of GDP, double-digit inflation, and statistically full employment, many economists believe that the only way to correct our situation is to increase interest rates to a figure higher than the rate of inflation. Personally, I find it hard to imagine anyone, in either party, having the political will to do so, but I would welcome the surprise.

The war in Ukraine is unique in that it has brought the specter of proxy war out into the open. Yes, we have been in proxy wars with the Soviet block and/or Russia on a number of occasions, but I don’t remember them being openly discussed as much as this one. Think back to Angola, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Vietnam, and El Salvador.

Vietnam, of course, was a hot war for us, but Soviet involvement was less evident. Soviet action in Southeast Asia was a poorly kept secret, nonetheless, it was intended to be a secret. We had a rare glimpse into our activities in Nicaragua, compliments of the Iran-Contra scandal, but beyond that, we never heard much about the rest.

Now, we are having overt, public discussions about whether the weapons we supply to Ukraine are defensive or offensive in nature. The distinctions are mostly dictated by where and how the weapons are used, but we are doing our best to avoid a hot war with the Russian Federation and most Americans polled indicate that we would rather spend money on armaments than send our youth into harm's way.

The fuel shortage is interesting. Republicans blame the Biden Administration for over-regulation and discontinuing the Keystone XL pipeline, yet Democrats claim that domestic oil production is the highest it has ever been. Can they both be right? What I know is that the folks in Las Vegas are making book on whether gasoline prices (national average) will reach $6.00 per gallon by the end of summer, but the smart people are saying that Americans will likely step up and pay whatever is necessary. It is believed by some that the real trouble will begin when Americans are forced into rationing. Those of us who lived through the 1973 embargo remember the odd/even days and waiting in long lines, sometimes only to receive a few gallons. I don’t see my fellow Americans putting up with that for very long.

As for the formula issue, I am forced to offer a disclaimer. I thought it was blatantly silly when critics on the left blamed the former president for a shortage of cotton swabs used to screen for COVID. I am of the opinion that presidents have things to think about other than cotton swabs. Having gone out on that dangerous limb, it would be hypocritical of me to hold the President personally responsible for a shortage of infant formula, at least before it became a problem.

Nutrition for babies is a serious topic and while I can excuse the administration for not being more proactive, there are suggestions that they were also slow to react. Regulation issues that have delayed the reopening of Abbott Labs are certainly one part of the equation, and a 17½% tariff on baby formula doesn’t help either. Behind the scenes, I am hearing whispers of a possible backstory that involves the WIC program as a primary vendor that moves the market. I haven’t ferreted that one out yet, but there may be more to learn about that topic.

Sadly, there are also the shootings. I am critical of those who use tragedies such as these to advance a political agenda, yet I fully understand the frustration that drives us all to want to do something; anything. Good people can have different opinions and we will have a frank discussion once folks have a chance to bury and mourn the victims. For now, I will only say that this is a very complex issue and I am 100% convinced that there is no single solution to the problem.

Throughout all of this strife and nonsense, we are offered a moment of relief across the pond with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Yes, the lovely young princess who became an accidental queen, has now been serving the UK for 70 years, outlasting the reign of her great-great-grandmother Victoria as the longest-serving British monarch. At the age of 96, she is a walking example of why the word, “spry” was invented, yet carries with her an institutional memory of dealing with 17 prime ministers, not the least of whom was Winston Churchill. Less well known is the fact that she worked with more than 170 ministers throughout the commonwealth at varying stages of independence, and toured her empire accordingly.

I think it does Americans well to see a proper ceremonial head of state in action. As a family, they have their share of peccadilloes, as does any family, but the Queen usually manages to stay above the fray and continues to deliver value to a public that might otherwise view the monarchy as being anachronistic.

In our country, the Kennedys and the Bush clan are as close as we come to a royal family. Instead, we are treated to a bumbling Biden, a crass Trump, or a Kamala Harris who, if nothing else, truly appreciates the “significance of the passage of time.” Seriously, she really gets it.

Although it was before my time, I have always been drawn to the elegant radio address that the young Princess gave to children being displaced by the bombing of Britain. She delivered the speech in October of 1940, at the age of 14 years and even then, the young princess was able to offer a dignified comfort to the very frightened youth of a very frightened nation. If you haven’t heard it, or haven’t heard it lately, it’s on Youtube as “Children’s Hour Broadcast” and at just over four minutes, is well worth a listen. At times like these, perhaps we too can benefit from the stoic reassurance of a divinely inspired monarch. God save the Queen and God Bless America.