Category: Society

WHAT YOU GET WHEN ONE ISSUE GROUPS PUT UNQUALIFIED PEOPLE IN CHARGE

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The Musk Mess Is Epically Destructive – And Completely Predictable

The Musk & Company Cuts

People are, at different paces and levels of attention, are beginning to figure out that the chainsaw cuts in government generated by DOGE are about as ineffective – and stupid – as one could imagine. Even people who really would like to see large government cuts are slowly but surely figuring out none of this works as it is being done.

A couple of framing thoughts to keep in mind.

First, the idea of looking for opportunities to increase government efficiency and to save costs is never a bad idea.

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“I Love America”

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That Phrase Can Mean Two Very Different Things

A Phrase That Caught My Eye

The Atlantic, long standing, in my view, as America’s best publication, recently did an edition focused on Black history in America. It was riveting and thought provoking on many levels, but one phrase in particular kept my brain whirling for quite a long time:

One can tell a great deal about a country by what it chooses to remember: by what graces the walls of its museums, by what monuments are venerated, and by what parts of its history are embraced.

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In Case You Missed It

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Cruelty Is Not A Byproduct – It’s The Point

Government by Trump

As has been noted widely, there is a lot of chaos and confusion around government a la Trump. That is not surprising. We saw that last time and expected even more of all that on this round. Part of that is Trump’s nature – he thrives on conflict, anger, resentment, and confusion. Part of that is strategy – keeping people confused and feeling overwhelmed gives team Trump more maneuvering room to get done what they hope to accomplish.

Two other pillars of this bunch are cruelty and destruction.

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What If History Was Changed?

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How Might a Few Changes Affect the World?

Not a New Idea

The idea of history coming out differently at some key point, and the changes that could happen as a result, are not exactly new ideas. This play on variants has a long history among historians and among fiction writers. Still, always a fun and perhaps useful line of thought to pursue.

Looking at such scenarios makes one think about how things, people, and events are so intricately involved in real life. Any change, even a small one or a single incident, could have monumental effects.

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Well, Here We Are

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 A Time of Infamy Began at Noon Yesterday

The Irony of January 20

Ironic, isn’t it? On the single day yesterday of January 20 we celebrated the life and work of a man dedicated to service and hope, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ; continued an official period of mourning the death of a president who personified service and morality; and on the same day inaugurated an individual who is the very opposite of character, caring, and competence. What a day. That Trump sniveled about flags being at half-mast in honor of someone besides himself says it all.

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Get Used to Weird Weather

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Mother Nature is Offering Lessons

Climate Change

Remarkable would be the kindest word one could use to describe a reaction to those who still, incredibly, do not accept the reality of climate change. This is perhaps the largest example of willful ignorance in our time. The science is overwhelming and confirmatory in every sector of study and analysis.

We were warned some time ago that when the average global temperature (admittedly, a difficult thing to measure) rose by more than 1.5 degrees, there would be hell to pay. A growing body of evidence it cited that we have now crossed that line and sure enough,

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You Really Do Need to Read That Fine Print

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A Lot of Contracts, Log-Ons, and Subscriptions Have Sneaky Content

Buyer Beware

It is an old truism that when entering into a contract or any sort of transaction, the guiding principle for the person making the purchase is “buyer beware.” The individual has a responsibility to understand what is being offered (and not offered) in any transaction and to act with that knowledge in hand.As we all know, that is often a hard standard to meet in the real world. Such documents increasingly have a mountain of legalese, usually presented in very long paragraphs written in small fonts.

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About Those Resolutions

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A Different Take on New Years Resolutions

We All Know The Pattern

I was a member of a commercial gym for several years. I used it quite regularly; I liked how I felt after exercising, the staff was very good, and the facility was excellent. While I was often there several times a week all year, I was not to be seen in January. For January was that time wherein the gym was full of new users, some who received gift memberships for Christmas, but most who had made New Years Resolutions to get in shape.

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The Three Questions We Raised Last Week

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How Bad Is It, Anything Helpful Out There, Focus on the Next 18+ Months?

Where We Are, How Do We Proceed

Things may not be quite as bad as the image at the top of this post, but you get the point.

Last week, after a welcome and helpful time for reflection, we talked a bit about that infamous election and what we know it meant, vs all the speculation about why it happened. We promised this week to take up the three questions that arise from a recognition as to where we are as a country.

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Laurel & Hardy Come to Mind

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Not The Election We Expected. Now What?

The Value of Reflection

Like most everyone who reads this blog, I expect, I was taken aback (to put it mildly) by the presidential election. Not the result so many hoped for, and at least tentatively expected. Enough was “off track” that it seemed to me prudent to take a deep breath, sort through some data, reflect on it all a bit, and then organize thoughts and potential actions.

My first reaction was that famous quote from Laurel and Hardy, amended to say “Well, America – another fine mess you got us into.” A true statement,

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