New York Times

    What’s the point of a draft in Russia if there has been a mandatory year of military service?

    As of 2021, all male citizens aged 18–27 are subject to conscription for 1 year of active duty military service in the armed forces

    I guess you can keep draftees longer than a year?

    It's the GOP, stupid

    Paul Krugman writing at The New York Times

    Right now America is a superpower without a fully functioning government. Specifically, the House of Representatives has no speaker, so it can’t pass legislation, including bills funding the government and providing aid to U.S. allies. The House is paralyzed because Republican extremists, who have refused to acknowledge Biden’s legitimacy and promoted chaos rather than participating in governance, have turned these tactics on their own party. At this point it’s hard to see how anyone can become speaker without Democratic votes — but even less extreme Republicans refuse to reach across the aisle.

    Any decline in America’s perceived status on the world stage is at the hands of Republicans who have gleefully throw their support to full blown chaos in response to Obama’s presidency.