THE FLAG
Posts
🇺🇸 Mississippi Mess

🇺🇸 Mississippi Mess

Plus, getting paid to do nothing.

The Flag America's Newsletter
September 07, 2022

POWERED BY

Good morning, and happy Wednesday! We know breaking a sweat every day is good aerobic exercise – new research shows it also keeps your brain young…

Plus, this Japanese man made a business out of his ability to “do nothing”...

Also, this Flag Find lets you put a little patriotism in your morning cup…

FLAG POLLS

📉 Biden Job Approval: Approve 45, Disapprove 53 (Rasmussen Reports)

📉 Direction of Country: Right Track 29, Wrong Track 65 (Rasmussen Reports)

🐘 2022 Generic Congress Vote: Republicans 47, Democrats 42 (Rasmussen Reports)

🐎 2022 Generic Congress Vote: Republicans 44, Democrats 47 (Wall Street Journal)

POWERED BY HEAR.COM

The Smallest and Most Powerful Weapon Against Hearing Loss

Don’t just “aid” your hearing, this device will change your life. Utilizing leading German technology and Bluetooth, the Horizon is smaller, stronger, and better than ever.

Hear.com’s Horizon delivers amazing speech quality and connects to your smartphone – it’s “mumble free” and virtually invisible. The key to fighting hearing loss is boosting clarity, not just making things louder. Explore that capability and hear your world once more, by clicking here.

QUICK CLICKS

Juul Settlement, Murder in Memphis, Who Is Cincinnatus?

US: Juul will pay $438.5 million to states over youth vaping investigation (The Verge)

US: How cops were able to locate body of missing heiress Eliza Fletcher (NY Post)

World: Boris Johnson's reference to Roman dictator Cincinnatus hints at his return (Sky News)

US: Here's everything we know (so far) about Biden's student loan forgiveness plan (CNBC)

World: ‘Invest in Ukraine’: Zelensky asks for support while remotely ringing NYSE opening bell (MarketWatch)

World: US: Russia to buy rockets, artillery shells from North Korea (AP)

US: Why a Cowboys for Trump co-founder has been barred from office (MSNBC)

US: “Top Gun: Maverick” broke a new record thanks in part to National Cinema Day (Quartz)

US: Forget ‘quiet quitting.’ Workplaces should really be focusing on ‘quiet firing’ (The Hill)

US: WH press secretary grilled as tweet about 2016 election results comes back to haunt her (Fox News)

US: Dr. Oz bought Palm Beach mega-mansion with help of man embroiled in immigration fraud scheme (CBS)

US: ‘Hilarious And Sad’: Hollywood A-Lister Mocked For Saying Tucker Carlson Haunts Her Nightmares (Daily Wire)

INFRASTRUCTURE

Mississippi Mess

Jackson, Mississippi continues to face a water crisis, as it’s now been over a week since the Pearl River flooded, overwhelming the city’s system. Residents have been without potable tap water, although pressure was restored as of Monday.

Reporting From the Right: Jackson, Mississippi water crisis: FEMA administrator says it’s unclear when water will be safe to drink (Fox News)

Reporting from the Left: Water pressure restored in Jackson, Mississippi, governor and city officials say (CNN)

From The Flag: Jackson, the state capital, has a largely Black population, and close to 1 in 4 residents live below the poverty line. The ongoing water crisis has sparked conversations concerning climate change, infrastructure spending, and allegations of systemic racism. Here’s commentary from both sides.

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Jackson Is a Forgotten Black City, and a Warning for Country At Large

While Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the US, the rest of the state and the country can and should pay for emergency repairs of this type.
This should be taken as an ominous sign for other US cities: if you delay infrastructure investments and repairs, you court disaster.
Jackson, with a declining population made up of largely impoverished residents, cannot overcome racist "White flight" on its own.

“Can You Drown Government in an Empty Bathtub?” Paul Krugman, New York Times Opinion: “Mississippi has long been America’s poorest state… The United States, however, is a rich country, so Mississippi doesn’t look that bad by international standards… a bit poorer than Spain, a bit richer than Portugal. … Yet the citizens of Portugal and Spain have things that not all citizens of Mississippi have, things like universal health care — and running water. … Mississippi as a whole, despite relatively low income by U.S. standards, surely has the resources to provide safe drinking water to all its residents. However, Jackson — a largely Black inner-city core whose economy has been hollowed out by white flight — does not. … But never fear: Back in April, Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, announced that he was making ‘an investment in Mississippians’ — by ‘an investment’ he meant a tax cut rather than spending on, say, education or infrastructure.”

“Jackson’s water crisis is a warning for other cities” Editorial Board, Washington Post : “It is tempting to write off this tragedy as a local event, reflecting Jackson’s specific circumstances. In fact, cities and towns facing ever-greater natural risks must think, now, about how to avoid repeating Jackson’s experience. … Jackson’s population has steadily shrunk since the 1980s, largely driven by an exodus of wealthier, White households after public schools integrated. Its tax base is 20 percent smaller than in 1980, and more than a quarter of its residents live below the poverty line. This has left the city, which is more than 80 percent Black, struggling to fund repairs for aging infrastructure … Jackson’s crisis offers a warning for other cities. It is hardly the only place in the United States suffering from disinvestment in essential services, even as climate-related disasters become more frequent and intense. ... Far better to invest proactively than wait for an emergency to strike.”

One more opinion piece from the Left: Jackson's water crisis is a racist hostage situation Jarvis DeBerry, MSNBC Opinion

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Stop the Misplaced Blame and Media Games. Focus on Culture, Politics, and Taxes.

While the media wants to point fingers and play the blame game, fixing Jackson’s water system will take collaboration.
Jackson’s problems with violent crime and endemic poverty erode its tax base, leaving it unable to fund infrastructure upgrades.
Democrats have run Jackson, MS for over 70 years with a Black mayor since 1989, but the media still blames systemic racism.

“How the Jackson Water Shortage Happened and How It Can Be Solved” Russ Latino, National Review : “Though this crisis is only now gaining national attention, it has been brewing for years. … Sensationalist media want to play to the lowest common denominator and pit people against each other, but this problem will require cooperation to solve. Mississippi leaders — state and local, Democrat and Republican, black and white — have an opportunity to work together and get Jackson’s water flowing again. … Jackson’s water system was failing long before recent flooding occurred. … an operation relying on antiquated infrastructure, an insufficient number of qualified staff, and no clear plan to monitor and improve the system or to provide adequate safety notices to citizens. … One idea percolating is to create a regional utility district that is larger than Jackson. There is precedent for this in Mississippi, with the six coastal counties forming regional districts following Hurricane Katrina.”

“What’s The Matter With Jackson?” Rod Dreher, The American Conservative : “The water situation in Jackson, Miss., is a national disgrace. People in that poor, black city are suffering from an inability to get clean drinking water. In a country as wealthy as ours, this is unacceptable. No American citizens should have to suffer like this. Period. The end. We owe it to them as our fellow Americans. That said, the stories examining how Jackson got into this mess are all predictable. It's racism's fault, they say. … If you have a lot of black people in your state -- Mississippi is 38 percent black -- you will have a disproportionate number of births to unwed mothers. And that means you will have a disproportionate amount of dysfunction, including criminal dysfunction, correlated with fatherlessness. In turn, you will drive away people of all races who want to live in a safe, stable place. And there goes your tax base. It's not a racist conspiracy. These are just the facts. Culture matters.”

One more opinion piece from the Right: Democrat-Run Jackson, MS, Can’t Even Deliver Water to Residents John Nolte, Breitbart

FLAG THIS

Uncharted Waters: Americans Feel Shaky About Infrastructure

Polling conducted this spring found Americans are losing confidence in the nation’s water infrastructure. Since 2016 the number of respondents who said US water infrastructure is in “good or very good condition” has declined from 59% to 41%.

The same poll found 87% feel it’s “extremely or very important” to use federal infrastructure funds in order to ensure drinking water is safe (Value of Water Campaign).

Are you confident in the water infrastructure where you live?

FLAG FINDS

American Joe, Pet Playtime, Personal Protection

☕ Enjoy a rich cup of coffee, roasted right here in the USA. Prepared by fifth-generation Master Roasters, Amora Coffee is based in Montgomery, AL, and offers several delicious blends, cold brew, and espresso. Shipped direct for superior taste and freshness. Take 50% off 2 bags of coffee at this link.

🐕 Does your dog tear up the house or become sick with anxiety when you leave? Pick up this smart ball toy that keeps your pets preoccupied when you aren’t around. Separation anxiety and boredom lead to bad pet behavior. This ball has motion sensors and keeps them engaged. Check it out here.

🟢 This is a tactical defense laser. It sounds high-tech, but it’s extremely effective. Pepper spray can backfire and get on your hands or in your own eyes, leaving you even more at risk. Other self-defense methods can be even more dangerous. See how this device can blind attackers and keep you (or family members) protected.

WATERCOOLER

The Blitz Begins, Reversing Cavities, Born of Fire

On September 7, 1940, 300 German bombers raided London, in the first of 57 consecutive nights of bombing. This bombing “blitzkrieg” (lightning war) would continue until May 1941. Above is a German bomber flying over London's East End at the start of the raids.

Mental Floss: Yes, You Can Reverse a Cavity—Here’s How

Popular Mechanics: An Alarmingly Deep Dive Into the Science of Baby Yoda

Smithsonian Magazine: It’s Time for the Fashion Industry to Launch a Farm-to-Closet Movement

Today I Learned medieval myths surrounding salamanders being resistant to fire were due to salamanders' habit of hibernating in logs. Placing a log in a fire would result in a salamander scurrying from the fire, which led to people believing they were “born of fire."

Reply

or to participate.