Category: Society

Ruminations at Large

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A Few Quick Notes on Assorted Items in the News

Trump’s Waning Influence

As the primaries conclude, one can take some encouragement from the results in terms of Trump’s impact. When he backed the best known candidate in a crowded field, he had some luck. But in a number of places, on both candidates and issues, he came up short.

This is not an end-state Happy Days just yet, and lots of infected people are asserting themselves and running for office across the country, but there are some hopeful signs. It is important to remember that these were Republican and conservative Independents in many places who said with their votes that they were tired of Trump,

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Reflections from a Poll Greeter

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Observations from the Front Lines During Primaries

The First Votes are In

Primary season is upon us, about wrapped up, actually. I think what I saw in working at the polls for a few days in my neighborhood likely reflects what others saw in many other areas. For the most part, more good news than bad, which was something of a pleasant surprise. Let’s hope the good things noted below carry through to the general election.

Primaries are important for many reasons, but they have unique characteristics that do not always carry forward to the general election,

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The Long Political Season is Upon Us

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Suggestions to Stay Informed, Yet Stay Sane

We Are Off to the Races

If you think you have already been awash in political news, arguments, and solicitations, stand by. This has only been the warmup. Both the pace and the volume are sure to pick up and be sustained at high levels for about the next six months – which will perhaps feel like an eternity as we deal with all that information and disinformation.

And the deluge will be coming from every imaginable outlet. From the internet, emails, snail mail, phone calls, text messages,

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Big Government Is Good- When It Does What YOU Want

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The Hypocrisy is Palpable

First, Let’s Admit a Near Universal Truth

I know you will be shocked to hear this, but hypocrisy is rather common within our species. It can be especially virulent among our political class. All those old aphorisms about “watch what they do, not what they say,” “power corrupts,” and similar sayings are true pretty much across the board.

People change their tunes when circumstances or opportunity calls upon them. While this is a near universal truth, the scope and depth of such hypocrisy within the Republican party today is unique,

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An Homage to Our Senses

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We May Overlook the Gifts of Our Senses. Today, We Recognize Them

A Change of Pace for Agents of Reason

More times than not, this blog talks about our lack of sense – as in Common Sense. National and international news has been so intense of late (and will get more so over the next 6 months), I thought we could use a little change in focus for today. About those other senses, not about common sense.

I have mentioned from time to time how important our senses are, but only in passing.

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Competition is the Key

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For Governance and Economics, This is The Key Ingredient

Human Frailties Will Arise, Every Time

Every human endeavor has the potential to be a thing of beauty and long-term benefit for all concerned. Unfortunately, they also hold potential for great distortion and damage. Eventually, those failures of excess and lack of perspective almost always rear their ugly heads and do damage to people, the planet and everything in between.

One thing seems to be the best preventive measure/corrective process – good old-fashioned competition. Most of us basically understand this in economics, although as we will note in a moment,

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Core Issues – Balance and Perspective

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Deciding Issues of Rights, Responsibilities, and Governance

Two Topics Dominate the News – More is at Stake Than the Obvious

 While Ukraine and other important issues continue to be important and visible, two new topics have seized the headlines and our consciousness: the sale of Twitter and the risks to reproductive freedom, especially for those without economic or political power, in today’s America.

Both issues have some components that often are overlooked but are key to why there is so much energy around both issues. Let’s take a look.

 Twitter

The still to be finalized but likely to go through purchase of Twitter by Elon Musk,

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Humor, Humility, and Hubris in High Places

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A  Demonstration This Past Weekend of Important Qualities

A Long-Delayed Event

The White House Correspondents Dinner happened last weekend, the first time in several years, and the first time in 6 years one has been held with a sitting president in attendance. It is very much an insider’s gathering, but this one had some useful observations for us all.

A confession: I have a soft spot for this event. I was a guest for it one year and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is the Washington version of the Oscars and the Met, rolled into one,

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Four Great Reasons to Quit Carbon Energy

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No Matter Your Politics or Economics, Now is the Time

Energy Remains a Defining Element of Human Life

The ability to harness energy has been a defining qualify of human existence for a very long time. So much of what we know, do, and assume is based on harnessing energy. That is not going to change any time soon. More likely is that it will never change.

While I admire, and to at least some degree support, calls to minimize energy usage, it is most unlikely that we will economize our way out of the problems this posting highlights.  

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What We Need Is Trust

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Part II of the Discussion – The Workplace and, Meeting Space Deficits

 

Trust Writ Large

We talked earlier this week about the serious erosion of social trust, including the all -important but often unrecognized weak link trust that makes for a functioning society. We discussed that while a bit of this is a part of human nature, the downside of such distrust got a long term and deep boost from the Reagan era, which fed right into what the conspiracy theorists and far righters have brought to maturity over the last 4-6 years.

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