USA and Socialism

 To continue on the same topic. True, USA is the country of an ultimate individualism. However let's talk about San Diego Balboa Park. The park is open to public and has a huge parking lot at Inspiration Point (300 spots? not sure ) plus plenty of free parking on the street along Park Boulevard, plus plenty of free parking at San Diego Zoo. Everybody can come and lay on the grass, picnic. There are plenty of museums, some expensive, some free. And here it is, the true diamond of Balboa Park: Balboa Park Recreational  Center.  This is the place to play badminton, ping pong and volleyball, 7 days a week.  It is an indoor facility! There is about 30 badminton courts there.  Here it comes... The facility is free to use by everybody. It is supported by property taxes and perhaps by some personal grants (?). You come, sign up and play. 

How does it compare to other countries?  Indoor sports facilities in Europe are expensive.  When I lived in Sweden, it costed about $5-$10 per hour  to play.   China is the badminton center of the world. Yet as I hear from my Chinese friends, playing badminton in China is expensive, it is the sport of the chosen few and rich.

The classical argument is: yes playing at Balboa Recreation Center  is free but only rich folks know about it and play there; the poor people are too busy to put their food on the table and are not there. However, this is not what I see there. This place is truly a melting pot of incomes, cultures, and nationalities.  You can see rich, very rich, poor and very poor people playing together.  You can see Chinese, Vietnamese, Filippinos, Indians and Whites all playing together. You can see young people, children,  old and very old people, all playing together.  Perhaps it is an illusion of a social peace, but it is there.

Deja vu from the past: similarities of the US and USSR

 1. Democratic Party.

In December of 2024, in the middle of the war between Ukraine and Russia, and between Hamas and Israel, a Democratic Party leader, 84-years old Nancy Pelosi was on an 'official trip to Luxembourg', to commemorate the WW2 Battle of Bulge.  While being on this trip, she fell and broke her hip; her hip has been replaced since then and she is doing OK.   I am assuming that the 'offficial trip' lingo means that all her expenses on the trip were paid by the Democratic Party.  Here is the list of my questions to Nancy

1. Is the trip to Luxembourg important and the highest priority for the Democratic Party, at the time of the two major international conflicts, and the loss of the presidential election?

2. Why a 84 year old woman choses not to be more concerned with internal US politics and stays home?

3. Did she participate in the Battle of Bulge (I am assuming not) or perhaps any of her family member did?  Why is she there in the first place?

2.Republican Party.

A few days ago, my neighbors  have seen a major cavalcade of police cars on our local streets - I was not there but the Nextdoor website  shows the video. 

This is what the neighbors say:

'So what VIP is in Carmel Valley right now? As I walked on Carmel Creek Road and approached the intersection of Carmel Country Road, I saw police cars followed by at least 10 unmarked black SUVs and a black van all with red/blue flashing lights plus an ambulance — all tailed by the two SD Police cars whose taillights I managed to capture in this photo taken as they drove down Carmel Country Road — maybe toward the Grand?'

Turns out that it was a  visit by JD Vance, the vice president, perhaps because of the family connections  (his wife is from San Diego).  JD Vance kind of plays the game of being a straight talking blue color guy. Why then  so much of security and entourage? Is it really needed?