Category: Politics and Government

One More Relook at Afghanistan – Surely Not the Last – OK, Two Looks

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Who Did What – Accountability is Due- And What Can Be Learned

Part I

My intent today was to post a modest review of a few key points we should keep in mind about Afghanistan. Turns out it is more than “a few” points, so today is Part I of a two part posting, the second one coming next Friday. With apologies for excessive verbosity, but this one just would not fit into one tiny box. Off we go.

Public Perceptions

 The general public does not seem to think much of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan,

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You Say You “Love America.” Really? Or Just the Movie Version?

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This is a Good Time to Examine What We Mean by “Love of Country”

So, What Defines a Patriot?

This is a bit of a trick question in any country, of course. Most thoughtful people would say it does not mean “Love it or Leave it.” Nor does it mean “My Country, Right or Wrong.” That would be an infantile response. Reasonable adults should be able to care deeply for their country and still recognize when it has erred.

But in America, it is a bit trickier. This is the case because this is a country founded on ideas and an ideal.

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A Sampler of Some Fine Writing and Thinking

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Enjoy These Varied and Well-Done Writings

 

Such a Buffet

As much as we all curse the internet (often with good reason), one has to admit it makes available to us an astounding volume and variety of information, thought, wonder, and amusement. Sure, a lot of what is out there is an embarrassment to our species. But there also is quite a lot worthy of our time and attention.

Allow me to share with you a few I have enjoyed of late. I hope you will as well.

Plants Communicate – A Lot

We have known for some time now that the plant world is no near as inanimate as once thought.

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At Least We Now Know what the Abbreviation “RNC” Means

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In Case You Had Any Doubts, This Week Should Have Cleared Them Up

 

How the Republican National Committee Spent Its Time and Energy Last Week

This was NOT what I planned to write about today. But what has transpired is too ugly, too unacceptable to let pass.

The American nation has a full platter of challenges, risks, and opportunities before it, as we will discuss shortly. In the midst of such times, the Republican National Committee (RNC) decided the most important thing they had to do was to condemn two members of their conference.

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About Supreme Court Nominations

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No Better Time Than Right Now to Talk About “Qualified Candidates”

 

Oh, the Horror!

Right-wing media is afire with angst and anger that the president is about to follow through on his commitment to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. How could he?! What about qualifications?! Is everyone else ineligible for consideration?!

As soon as they finish hyperventilating, let’s see what this really means. And what they really mean.

Any Relevant History Here?

Yeah, just a little bit. Over 300 people have sat on the Court. About 99% of them had a screening criterion – they needed to be white men.

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Read This – It is Someone Else’s Blog – But You will be Better for Reading It

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A Fine and Detailed Recap of Biden’s First Year – A Lot to Celebrate

Press Coverage of The One Year Mark

I find much of the press coverage of Joe Biden’s first year in office to be off the mark, in both content and tone. There is an interesting phenomenon within the media that I have noticed ever more in recent years. I refer to it as me too-ism.

A story gets picked up from one media source and is replayed by many more, at times it seems without much reflection,

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Odds and Ends Rattling Around of Late

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A Lot of Us are Snowed in Now – It’s a Good Time for Some Assorted Observations

Supreme Court on Vaccination Mandates

 The current Supreme Court looks increasingly less supreme with every ruling. I keep thinking it cannot get worse, but they continue to raise the ante. At least they kept the health care workers mandate in place (barely – by 1 vote).

Gutting the large employer mandate on the basis that OSHA is the wrong agency for such a mandate enforcement is ridiculous. This is what happens when you have a court anchored in rigid ideology rather than real life.

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Why the Chip Shortage is So Important

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This is a Vulnerability. It is Also a World-Class Opportunity

 

A Chip! A Chip! My Kingdom for a Chip!

All due apologies to William Shakespeare and King Richard III for the borrowed line above. It seems to fit exactly how a lot of people feel about this global shortage of computer chips we have all been hearing about over the last few months.

The shortage truly is global, in both geographical terms and in terms of what systems are affected. People are waiting for months to get a new car because automakers cannot get the chips needed.

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Two Areas Where Media is Dropping the Ball

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We Need Better Than This

About That Whole “Fourth Branch of Government” Thing

From its earliest days, America – well, some Americans, anyway – have recognized the importance of a free and responsible press to democracy. We all know the famous lines from Jefferson, wherein he stated that if he had to choose between a society with no press or one with no government, he would choose the latter. The press, media today, is that important to an informed citizenry.

Today, let’s talk a bit about the mainstream press, not social media.

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Sometimes the Big Important Things Show Up in Small Ways

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Two Events in Congress Answer the Question- How Bad Could It Get?

A Congressman from Arizona Shows There is No Bottom

A few days ago Rep Paul Gosar ran a little video on Twitter, depicting a cartoon in which he murdered another member of Congress, someone who has already had frequent death threats. This at a time of high levels of political violence here and around the world. Here it ranges from assaults on the Capitol to menacing crowds outside a school board member’s home.

Gosar thought his cartoon was funny. No harm or threat or insult intended.

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