Understanding Logic
Yesterday, I was struck in the face by an intellectual 2×4. Luckily, it was an abstraction because a genuine 2×4 to the face can really hurt.
So, this group of influential Senators held a hearing to explore the mischief of our United States Postal Service Postmaster General — a man whose detractors widely described as a “Trump stooge.”
The usual suspects came loaded for bear, but I think the Postmaster General (only two months into his job, showing a bit of the learning curve) disappointed them as he was an unlikely target as he brought no real fight to the fight and seemed to have a good answer to all of their inquiries.
Some of his answers were comical in that he said, “Well, no that never happened and never will happen.”
Many of the inquiries arrived dripping in venom. This is not a unique phenomenon for these type of hearings.
In any event, many of the inquisitors left slightly mollified, but many did not.
In the House of Representatives — the hot coffee cup spilling over into the Senate’s cooling saucer by Constitutional design — they voted to give the US Postal Service $25,000,000,000.
Came back into town on a Saturday for an emergency session because it was apparently essential — an emergency — to give the Postmaster General $25,000,000,000
They did NOT take up any COVID Relief Package, but they gave the Postmaster General $25,000,000,000 for an unknown reason that is not even remotely related to COVID, the elephant in the room.
Thereafter the House returned home saying, “See, y’all, in a month. Sorry we didn’t get to that COVID Relief Package, but we did give the Postmaster General $25,000,000,000.”
He had not asked for any funds and had no real plans as to how to spend such a great sufficiency, a largess of gargantuan proportions.
[Note: By law the USPS is NOT funded by taxpayers, so this is a monumental deviation from the prior practice. The USPS relies upon their income — stamp sales, package delivery fees — to fund their operations.]
The logical dilemma looks like this:
1. One group of influential politicians is certain the Postmaster General is a “Trump stooge” and believe he is trying to wreck the Postal Service in order to impact the election and nudge it in the direction of the odious Orange Man.
It would be fair to say they are apoplectic. They intend to exert discipline upon this dangerous Postmaster General. Jerk a knot in his ass, so to speak. Rein him in. Tell him how the cow will eat the cabbage.
2. A similar group of like minded influential politicians (holding the same opinion of the Postmaster General) voted to give this Postmaster General — refreshing your memory, the “Trump stooge” Postmaster General — $25,000,000,000 with no real plan as to how he might spend it.
A big gob of money seems to ensure mischief and rather than jerking a knot in anybody’s ass, it conveys incredible flexibility and potential for questionable decision making.
Does this strike you as slightly illogical?
It did me, but then what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car.