Category: Society

Is it Me or is it We? Is it Freedom or is it Community? All of the Above?

Leave a Comment on Is it Me or is it We? Is it Freedom or is it Community? All of the Above?

America is Having an Internal Search. Who are we? What Do We Value?

America Looks for Itself, in Itself

As the pandemic rolls through America, interesting characteristics are arising. They are arising for individuals and collectively. We find ourselves highlighting sometimes very different aspects of our values. Some are just different; some are in conflict.

This is not a new phenomenon. Like a collective Diogenes, we periodically seek to define who we are and what we stand for. But it is more important than ever this time. We must decide what are our national values and priorities going forward.

Join the discussion at: Is it Me or is it We? Is it Freedom or is it Community? All of the Above?

Good Reading to Share, Just for You

2 Comments on Good Reading to Share, Just for You

 

We All Have More Time to Read, in This Isolation. I Have Some Goodies to Share

Catching Up on Our Back Reading

Like many of you, I seem to always have a stack of magazines lying about that I am behind in reading. If I could sell al the Atlantics and New Yorkers I have lying about, I could probably make up most of the beating the stock market is inflicting on me just now.

But there is good news. As our splendid isolation continues, we get caught up on such things.

Join the discussion at: Good Reading to Share, Just for You

We Need a BIG Recovery- Here are 3 Pillars to Building Solutions

2 Comments on We Need a BIG Recovery- Here are 3 Pillars to Building Solutions

Trying to Get Well from the Pandemic Offers a Golden Opportunity to Advance

 

This country is going to spend a lot of money trying to restart our economy. That is a given, a necessary action. Whether we do so intelligently or not is another question.

Infrastructure Investments, Wherefore Art Thou?

This feeds into our so far, fruitless national discussion about infrastructure. We are about $13 TRILLION behind in our infrastructure investments. That includes not doing new work or maintaining what we have. Remember collapsing bridge stories? We still have thousands of unsafe bridges all over this country.

Join the discussion at: We Need a BIG Recovery- Here are 3 Pillars to Building Solutions

Leadership Right Under Our Noses, Just When We Need It

1 Comment on Leadership Right Under Our Noses, Just When We Need It

Often Lost in Media Coverage in Normal Times, Governors Actually Run Things

Consider Governors

Several recent presidents have been governors: Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush II. Even so, governors often get short shrift in media and in public attention. We tend to gravitate toward Washington personalities. This is an understandable, if oftentimes shortsighted, approach to picking our national leaders.

Washington personalities have the natural advantage of being in a global media capital. At some level, Washington based individuals also often deal in foreign policy and foreign crises. These yield valuable experience for a potential president.

Join the discussion at: Leadership Right Under Our Noses, Just When We Need It

Who Knew?! Surprising Spin Offs from the Pandemic

1 Comment on Who Knew?! Surprising Spin Offs from the Pandemic

We Learn a Lot About Each Other in Such Times, Sometimes with a Laugh.

 

New Environments, Same Old DNA

Well, nothing like a few weeks of pandemic driven self-isolation to see what makes us all tick, eh? People change in new environments, as we see all around. But sometimes, we are predictable as can be.

Much of what has developed in society in recent weeks was foreseeable. Ah, but some were not so predictable. I have noted quite a few (changes? quirks? proclivities?) that I not have seen coming.

Join the discussion at: Who Knew?! Surprising Spin Offs from the Pandemic

There is Another Deadly (but Curable) Virus Stalking the Land

2 Comments on There is Another Deadly (but Curable) Virus Stalking the Land

Here is its formula: I+AxIL/NC = -0

As terrible as the Corona virus is, there is another that is ravaging our country. It is bad enough in and of itself, but it actually makes the other virus, indeed all our national problems, worse.

I am referring to the mental and emotional profiles that make up the Trump administration. If this were a biological infection, its component formula might read something like the following:   I+AxIL/NC = -0

The Chemistry of Failure

I: Ignorance. Simple failure to know, to understand, to study a threat or a problem.

Join the discussion at: There is Another Deadly (but Curable) Virus Stalking the Land

A Singular Failure of Judicial Judgement

5 Comments on A Singular Failure of Judicial Judgement

What Happened in Wisconsin is a Call to Arms

 

This is Not an Especially Complicated Story

Wisconsin had a primary this week. The governor sought to maximize voting by mail. He considered postponing the primary, as have many other states in the midst of this pandemic.

No hyperbole here – people who had to vote in person put their lives – and those of poll workers – at very real risk. This is a no brainer, right? Not so fast.

The Republican legislature blocked any moves to improve safety while encouraging voting.

Join the discussion at: A Singular Failure of Judicial Judgement

This is the Close-in Fight Against Covid-19

6 Comments on This is the Close-in Fight Against Covid-19


But It’s Not Too Soon to Capture Lessons Learned While We Fight

The Close-In Fight

Back in my days as a combat arms officer in the Army, we would refer to the “close-in fight.” This was when the fighting got really close and personal. Wherein you often saw the face of the opposing soldiers, knowing that at the end of battle one group would live to fight another day, and one would not.

At that point, not much beyond what was happening right around you mattered. This was when your planning, resourcing, strategy,

Join the discussion at: This is the Close-in Fight Against Covid-19

How About Some Friday Leftovers?

1 Comment on How About Some Friday Leftovers?

Let’s Chat for a Minute NOT about any Viruses or Politics

How does that sound for a change of pace? Neither topic will be gone for long, but let’s take a short break.

As usual, I have a ton of interesting points, articles, etc. that I enjoy sharing with you, but of late could not justify the use of space. Too much of importance going on. But that will be the case probably every day from now until – oh, let’s say November 3 (just to pick a random date, you know).

So much has been put into the leftover bin,

Join the discussion at: How About Some Friday Leftovers?

All of the Bad News is Real. But There is Some Good News

1 Comment on All of the Bad News is Real. But There is Some Good News

The Corona Virus Has Legions More News to Come. But Not All of It is Bad.

In the Age of the Corona Virus

By now, we are all feeling saturated with talk of the Corona virus. It seems to permeate everything, and we are just beginning to deal with this. We have some long days ahead. As with any major effect like this, there are side effects and spinoffs. Some of them are actually good things.

None of this outweighs the pain and misery of a pandemic. The slow start and remarkable missteps of the Trump administration are going to harvest a bitter fruit.

Join the discussion at: All of the Bad News is Real. But There is Some Good News