Let’s start with the great news from NASA. Most of us old folks will remember the beginning of manned space flight, with John Glenn and other astronauts in 1962. Then we watched Neil Armstrong take “one small step for man” on the moon, July 20, 1969. Even more amazing was the fact they could leave the moon surface and fly home safely. After a couple more moon landings, no American had gone to the moon since 1972. The focus for human space flight shifted to low Earth orbit, ignoring the moon.
Now, 54 years later, we have Artemis II. Young students today need to be excited at the opportunities and challenges. Can you imagine the physics and engineering involved in sending 4 people on a 10-day, 700,000-mile flight around (behind) the moon? And they landed exactly on schedule, 8:07 p.m., within a mile of the exact target in the Pacific. And we won’t have to wait 54 more years for the next steps. Landing on the moon and setting up a permanent base at the South Pole.
Then on to Mars. Wow! I had to look this up: Mars never gets closer to us than about 35,000,000 miles. It will take about 100 days to fly there.
There’s no deal with Iran. The (temporary) leaders met with V-P JD Vance in Pakistan and refused to budge. No change in 47 years of dealing with the Islamic terrorist regime. They choose death over common sense.
Here at home, there’s some doubt over who’s winning the war in Iran. It depends on which TV network, newspaper, or social media “expert” you’re paying attention to. The Iran military is reduced to fighting with guerilla warfare tactics. Their air force is reduced to drones; their navy is mainly small motorboats. The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, not owned by anybody. Unlike some turnpikes, there is no toll booth. Freely shipping oil, nitrogen fertilizer and other goods through the Strait is essential for the global economy.
Every recent President has said that Iran can never have a nuclear bomb. But until now, no President did anything to prevent Iran from having a nuclear bomb. Critics claim that Iran’s enriched nuclear materials do not pose an “imminent threat” to us. I reckon the threat wouldn’t become imminent until a missile with a bomb attached was a half hour from landing in New York City.
Meanwhile, income taxes are due this week. Most of us will be happy to know that the top 10% of income earners pay about 75% of all Federal income taxes. Imagine our tax bill if those top earners took their income and moved to Guatemala.
Will Rogers had plenty to say about taxes. Enjoy a few of his quotes.
Historic quotes by Will Rogers, on Taxes.
“The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has.” WA #17, April 8, 1923 (also WA #99, Nov. 2, 1924)
“There is some talk of lowering (the income tax), and they will have to. People are not making enough to pay it.” WA #17, April 8, 1923
“If your Income Taxes go to help out the less fortunate, there could be no legitimate kick against it in the world. This is becoming the richest, and the poorest Country in the world. Why? Why, on account of an unequal distribution of the money.” WA #421, Jan. 18, 1931
“Our financial ills will never be settled till you fix it so every man will pay an income tax on what he earns, be it a farm, grocery store or municipal or government bonds.” DT #2068, March 21, 1933
“There is a tremendous movement on to get lower taxes on earned incomes. Then will come the real problem, ‘Who among us on salary are earning our income?’” DT #1051, Dec. 8, 1929
“We got a long-sighted government. When everybody has got money they cut the taxes, and when they’re broke, they raise ’em.” DT #1770, March 27, 1932
“The crime of taxation is not in the taking it, it’s in the way that it’s spent.” DT #1764, March 20, 1932
“It costs ten times more to govern us than it used to, and we are not governed one-tenth as good.” DT #1770, March 27, 1932