Returning Harmony to Nature

I voted for Donald Trump, frankly, with a heavy heart. Had either Former President Biden or his last-minute substitute, Former Vice President Harris, earned even a shred of trust or confidence, I might have overlooked the fact that the Republican candidate was most definitely better for Israel and gone back to my roots as an ardent Democrat. But once Biden proved that he no longer had the mental acumen or physical well-being to be the leader of the free world and Harris obscenely concurred, for all practical purposes, that Israel was guilty of genocide, I was left with no choice.

I ruefully grimaced as the president-elect spent the months prior to his inauguration announcing to the world who he intended to appoint as members of his cabinet, not in the least surprised that he was concerned less that the candidates possess adequate subject-matter knowledge and relevant managerial experience than he was with appeasing self-serving billionaires and rewarding blind, lap dog loyalism. Even more frightening was his unabashed readiness to redefine civil rights as guaranteed by the constitution. For far-right zealots and white supremacists, Trump was a dream come true.

My mood brightened, however, when, on December 14, the president-elect unexpectedly announced that it was his opinion that daylight saving time (DST) was “inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation” and that he and the Republican party would make a concerted effort to “eliminate” the twice-annual time change. That, as the saying goes, was music to my ears.

I never liked DST and was never convinced that the benefits proponents of the change to nature’s harmony cited were in any way real or actual. My hope was that if the United States brings an end to this unnecessary and troublesome practice, Israel would, as a demonstration of solidarity with the POTUS, do the same. While there is certainly no guarantee that Israel would adopt the same change to the existing paradigm, Bibi – or whoever might be in charge in another year or so – would think twice about not dancing to the same tune as the Big D. More often than not, what’s good for them is good for us.

Nothing would please me more than to see the daylight heat of July and August end an hour earlier.

Trump did not take long to validate my concerns over having him as president. In the early days of his incumbency, he seemingly haphazardly and without any study or analysis signed one executive order after another, potentially impacting the health, environment, and economy of both the United States and just about the rest of the world. Not surprisingly, several of them have already been blocked by pending lawsuits, others have been modified in response to howls of protest, and a few have been rescinded due to adverse public opinion.

Nothing, however, regarding (DST) has yet been released from the White House.

Insofar as the United States is scheduled to move the clock forward in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 9, it’s highly unlikely that Trump’s intention to abolish the practice will be realized this year. This was, I suppose, to be expected. Bringing an end to DST is clearly not overly high on the White House’s to-do agenda. I’m not unaware that there are more than a few far more critical and significant issues on the president’s plate, including, of course, facilitating the end of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas and freeing those who are still languishing as hostages. I guess, then, that I can endure the endlessly long days of summer for one more year.

Trump, to be sure, is not inventing the wheel with his opposition DST. Over the last decade or so, scientists have regularly recommended that this internationally adopted practice be stopped, arguing that the potential harm far outweighs the advantages – whatever they may be – of that extra hour of summertime daylight. For the last twenty years or so it has been confirmed that the energy saved during daylight savings time is negligible, if there are any savings at all.

More importantly, documented studies have proven that human beings wake up easier and healthier with the aid of bright sunshine while the low light of evening provides positive support for beneficial sleep. This delicate balance is severely disrupted by the morning darkness and brighter evenings of daylight savings time.  This “social jetlag” has significant health repercussions, including lack of sufficient sleep, decreased attention spans, and mood disorders. There is even suspicion that this annual change to the body’s misalignment may result in a shortened lifespan.

It seems, then, that I have no choice but to patiently wait and remain optimistic that by this time next year Standard Time/Winter Time will be permanently ensconced both in the United States and Israel. That, if nothing else, would justify my vote for Donald Trump.