Someone likes the tax cuts! These two cottages with Lake Michigan frontage are going up on one of my regular runs along the lake in the Chicago area’s North Shore. More modest accommodations: on other side of the tracks How does this happen? Is it OK? Is there anything that can be done?
Read MoreWho Votes?
The framers of the Constitution assembled at Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 were educated students of history familiar with the philosophies of Locke, Montesquieu and Aristotle. In 350 B.C.E., Aristotle wrote in Politics about three forms of government and how they evolve: Form: Starts As: Becomes: Rule by One Monarchy Tyranny Rule by Few […]
Read MoreMercenary War Globalism
Talk about Globalism: Blackwater or as it has called itself since 2011, Academi, is now a division of Constellis Holdings based in Reston, Virginia. Marketing Description of Services: “integrated security and technical operations, domestic and international training, security assessment and analysis, risk mitigation, and technology solutions.” In plain words: Runs an army for the United […]
Read MoreDignity?
Revenge Delayed? … a dish best served cold. Being a bully must be its own reward, and intoxicating. But obsessive hatred of people from a foreign land doesn’t bode well when luck takes a turn. Even considering the options selfishly or as America First, where is the advantage denying help to refugees, reneging on humanitarian […]
Read More51st State
It is time for Puerto Rico to become our 51st state. The People: With 3.337 million people (2017) Puerto Rico has a larger population than 21 states and a density higher than all 50. As a state it would fall approximately between Connecticut and Iowa. The largest city is San Juan, the island’s capital. It has […]
Read MoreNationalism or Globalism
Globalism: Goods, capital and people should be able to move freely across borders. Versus Nationalism : Asserting sovereign control over one’s country. Nationalism is at the core of Brexit and the US election of 2016. A troubling aspect of this nationalism is its penchant for xenophobia and for ethnic and religious exclusion. It panders to fear […]
Read MoreBig Enough?
How much is enough? Let’s face it as a species we misbehave. We require the police to maintain daily decorum and using history as a predictor, we need a military just in case. The DoD request for 2019 for $716 Billion says they need more: “To address the scope and pace of our competitors’ and […]
Read MoreHumble Power
Humility: noun a modest or low view of one’s own importance An under appreciated source of power? Humility promotes: Understanding and learning. Empathy Openness to different opinions and ideas Perspective Credibility A lack of humility leads to: Closed thinking Misjudging one’s importance Undervaluing others Missed oportunities Being less persuasive We should insist on humility in […]
Read MoreBlended Cultures
We are not replacing ourselves. But,we need more workers. Maybe immigrants could help? The National Center for Health Statistics has calculated the US birth rate for 2017 at 60.2 per 1000 women between 15 and 44 or 1.76 lifetime per woman (3% lower than 2016). This extends the 47 year US sub-replacement trend. This means that […]
Read MoreProblems, How About Solutions?
Our SAD political situation not withstanding we need ideas and ultimately solutions. The problems are obvious enough double talk and pandering to special interests. Let’s work on these issues! Reliance on carbon conversion for energy Atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide sets the earth’s temperature higher as it rises The oceans absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide making […]
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