Today’s semi-random thoughts – Before jumping into politics, business and other topics, don’t forget today is Veterans Day, a state and national holiday, and here’s a fitting Globe story on Shirley’s Joe Landry, a WWII veteran who just recently celebrated his 100^th birthday. … It’s still hard to believe there are so few WWII vets left. They were so much a part of my Baby Boomer youth, with many of my friends’ fathers having served in the war. … Speaking of the military, this is a very disturbing story about how some in the military are quietly discussing amongst themselves what they can and should do if Trump orders them to put down any domestic disturbances he deems a threat. … Potential military interference in internal domestic affairs was precisely why the Founding Fathers wanted a small standing army in America. Now Trump may ask the military to do just that — interfere in internal domestic affairs. Something to think about on this Veterans Day… And here’s an excellent WSJ story about how Ukraine’s tech nerds are changing the face of warfare via drones, which can now literally hunt down enemies hiding in outhouses or gathering in abandoned school auditoriums. Remember that Israeli drone video of the last moments of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s life? That’s what’s happening each and every day and hour in Ukraine — to much deadlier and gruesome effects. The WSJ piece (sub. required) is one of the most up-close, graphic articles I’ve read about the war in Ukraine. … Yes, this isn’t a day to contemplate the deeds and sacrifices of the Ukrainian military. But the Ukrainians are fighting the good fight, and so …. 

Healey’s approach

The Herald’s Howie Carr and Peter Lucas have pulled out their old and tired conservative punditry playbooks for beating up liberals, this time going after Gov. Maura Healey over her I-won’t-cooperate-with-Trump stance on future immigration matters and other issues. But I much prefer  Liam Kerr’s take at CommonWealth Beacon on how Healey has actually tried to steer away from far-left purity tests since 2022 and how Dems might learn from that approach after this past week’s election debacle. … Healey seems to understand, unlike many of today’s progressives, that politics is about addition, not subtraction, and that purity tests actually hurt more than they help party interests, as Kerr notes.

Making Moulton’s point

Speaking of purity tests, it’s pretty amazing to watch the Dem IP establishment in Massachusetts rising up against U.S. Rep.  Seth Moulton, who had the gall to say he didn’t agree with the new trans-athlete orthodoxy of the party. … His former office interns are lining up against him? What next? High-school student protests (organized by the purist adults, of course)? … Question: Is Steve Kerrigan chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party or the Massachusetts Progressive Democratic Party? He’s acting like the latter, i.e. an enforcer of purity tests. Not exactly a big-tent approach to building the party amid a slight rightward shift in the state electorate. … Heretic alert! From Maureen Dowd : “Democrats learned the hard way in this election that mothers care both about abortion rights and having their daughters compete fairly and safely on the playing field.” … Oh, no. Another heretic! Nicholas Kristof, shame on you. … Maybe Kerrigan can organize a local boycott of the NYT.

Bernie leaves something out

You may have seen this call-to-arms Globe op-ed over the weekend by Bernie Sanders, who, rightly, says Dems need to focus more on the concerns of the working-class. But something’s missing in the op-ed. Can you spot its absence? … There’s no mention of “identity politics,” in contrast to his prior criticism of IP politics in the same NYT story that’s gotten Moulton in so much trouble with the purist police. … Fearless Bernie? Not really.

NIH cuts in his sights

I wrote over the weekend about how Trump’s tariff policies might impact Massachusetts manufacturers (see post immediately below). And the Globe had a good piece on how future Trump policies could negatively hit the state’s emerging clean-energy sector. And now along comes STAT with a timely article on the widespread nervousness among medical researchers about probable coming budget cuts at the National Institutes of Health. … Needless to say, major NIH cuts would have a major impact on Boston-area  teaching hospitals and other medical researchers.