Category: Politics and Government

The Pick of the Litter for 2020 – Useful for 2021, Too

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You and I Shared 141 (!) Blogs This Year – Here are My Favorites (and maybe yours, too)

The Tradition of the Year End Review

Many writers and publishers do a Best of the Year publication at the end of every year. It’s a normal response to the turning of the calendar page into a new year. I have often suspected they did this to save the work of writing yet one more blog on the day the review is published. Having done this a couple of times now, I know better. It’s more work than one might expect going through your own work with an eye toward grading the outcomes.

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Pillars for a Better America, Chapter 4

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A Series on Priorities for the Biden Administration

Happy Solstice, Everyone!

I hope you had the opportunity to observe the planetary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn last night. Best such celestial show in over 800 years. And the Solstice has arrived. Every day ahead for the coming months will be brighter. This is true both astronomically and politically.

Pillars for a Better America – Pillars 10-11

As noted earlier in this Pillars for a Better America series,  the list will run up until the inauguration. It is not all inclusive, nor is it presented in priority order.

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Pillars for a Better America – Chapter 3

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Pillars for a Better America – Pillars 7-9

 

As noted earlier, the list will run up until the inauguration. It is not all inclusive, nor is it presented in priority order. It offers important choices for the new administration to tackle.

This is a mix of domestic and international, of national and regional/local. This list exists in part to address our requirements and shortfalls. It is also exists to encourage dialogue about what we want to be as a country. We need t to get things done.

What Do We Have So Far?

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Let’s Take a Break to Address Some Odds and Ends

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A Short Respite from the Pillars for a Better America Series

 

Recently, we have begun brief discussions of priorities for our new government. I thought to take a short break today, so we do not all suffer from list-fatigue. Let’s invest a few moments into looking at some other things going on around us. A reminder, if you will, that life is not linear, and we do not get to deal with things one at a time.

Shots are Coming! But First, We Must Pass Through the Valley

It is early,

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Pillars for a Better America – Pillars 4-6

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A Series on Priorities for the Biden Administration

Pillars for a Better America – Chapter 2

As noted when this series started, the list will run up until the inauguration. It is not meant to be all inclusive. But it offers a menu of important choices for the new American government to tackle. These recommendations are NOT in order of priority.

When the list is complete, the reader should note that there is not much that is linear or limited to one area. This is a mix of domestic and international, of national and regional/local.

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Pillars for a Better America

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A Series on Priorities for the Biden Administration

 

What’s the Game Plan?


Everyone seems to have a list of what the new administration needs to prioritize. Especially so for the oft cited Day 1 or the first 100 days. This blog joins the parade of advice. For the next few weeks, this space will provide a brief listing and discussions of such recommendations. These are areas that would serve the country well in the coming months and years.

Obviously, the pandemic and the economy, with an eye on security threats,

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Two Mindsets That Might Be Helpful

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Better Starting Points as We Try to Communicate with Each Other

So Here We Are

You may recall that a few weeks ago, we held national elections.

Turns out a lot of us are really angry at each other. Not a big surprise, all in all. But the level of divide and the strength of feelings across millions of people is a something of a surprise.

For a long time, many of us thought “the people” were not so far apart. It was just a lot of divisive talk by political and social opportunists.

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Thinking About Thanksgiving Through a 2020 Filter

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The Idea of Thanksgiving is Both Challenged and Reinforced This Year

 

It is Still 2020

Boy, is this ever a year we will all be glad to close the books on. In some ways Thanksgiving is no exception. Plans and traditions are disrupted for most of us for this most American of holidays. Still, it is not too much of a stretch to reflect on how very much many of us can be grateful for, even this year. Let’s take a small inventory.

You Can Be Grateful If…

  • You don’t have and have not had COVID 19
  • No one close to you has died from the pandemic virus
  • If you are working and you still have a job (and health insurance)
  • You have access to some technology that lets you see and hear those you would like to be with in person.

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Pay No Attention to the Little Man Behind the Curtain

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Are Republicans Finally Starting to Figure This Out?

 

 The Short-Term Risk to the Country in Trump’s Intransigence

Much has been highlighted by others about the dangers of a delayed or blocked transition. The three highest risks are:

(1) Poor coordination and execution at the start of the COVID inoculations.

(2) The risk of the new Administration facing a surprise foreign crisis, that could have been forewarned.

(3) Someone deciding to launch such a crisis specifically because the seams are visible in our national leadership.

By the way,

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While We Wait for Reality to Set In for Some People, A Few Thoughts

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In an Odd Period of Transition, Trump Makes It Even Odder

About Presidential Transitions

These transitions every four or eight years are fascinating, full of potential and danger. Most of the time, they go pretty smoothly. All parties seem to see the value in a smooth and graceful transition. I remember the Clinton team speaking with appreciation and admiration of the Bush team ensuring the best possible transition.

It is, nevertheless, a time of risk for the nation. If anyone is looking for an opportunity for foreign misadventure, this would be the time to spring it on us.

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