The U.S. budget sequestration went into effect on March 1, 2013. It was designed to reduce defense and certain non-defense discretionary spending by annually declining percentages through 2021. It applies these cuts with the fine precision of a large asteroid smashing into the Earth. It was said to be designed as a pressure on Congress… [read more]
What Do You Want?
A fundamental question in all negotiations is, “What do you want?” Of course, there are other questions each party must answer but everything hinges on knowing what you want. Absent that, all negotiations are just exercises in defeating the other guy for no clear purpose other than the opportunity to do a little chest beating. … [read more]
The Greater Good – Part 2 of 2
Books have been booked and blogs have been blogged. Pundits have pundited and liars have lied. The consensus seems to be that the invasion of Iraq was about oil. Clearly, it wasn’t about WMD’s or Saddam’s non-existent links to al Qaeda. So, let’s play with the oil theory. We are now in the Situation Room. … [read more]
The Greater Good – Part 1 of 2
There is a lot of craziness that can be rationalized using the words “greater good”. Too often the only participants are those with a bizarre and dangerous imagination and with a vested interest in the outcome. That applies to the separate issues of America’s budget and the U.S. debt ceiling. There is a small band… [read more]
Sam I Am
For many decades Dr. Seuss has entertained children and parents with his delightful rhymes, entertaining pictures and compelling characters. His stories always contain life lessons and they go down easily for millions of children around the world due to his easy style. One of those lessons seems to have been lost on Senator Ted Cruz… [read more]
Deliberative Leadership
Given the current impassioned debate surrounding Syria’s use of chemical weapons, the implications of US military action and President Obama’s handling of the situation, this is a good time to revisit a lesson from World War II. Look at the chart below (click here for a sharper image) that details war deaths. Just to make… [read more]
Sometimes Conspiracy Is The Only Explanation
It is curious that the Republican National Committee decided to hold its own commemoration of the 1963 March On Washington, rather than participate in the national event on the National Mall on the 50th anniversary of the March just two days later. And so it was that on August 26, 2013 Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI)… [read more]
Why Would They Say Those Things?
This was before Rush Limbaugh’s cruelty toward Sandra Fluke. It was in the midst of his racism, but, of course, he’s always in the midst of racial slurs that are presented in the form of dog whistles, like his song “Barack the Magic Negro.” These appeal to the embedded fear and hatred within his audience,… [read more]
Why There Is So Much Push-Back
* * * Special Friday Edition * * * Lyndon Johnson had what was termed by the press a “credibility gap”. You have to factor into your understanding of that term that this was two generations ago when the press was loathe to use the word “liar” and there was still some respect for the… [read more]
Predicting The Future
* * * Special Tuesday Edition * * * The word “Anschluss” became well known in 1936 as Hitler’s Germany annexed Austria. Two years later the next newly familiar name was the Sudetenland, the predominantly German speaking part of Czechoslovakia. Hitler’s pact with England’s Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain paved the way for the rest of… [read more]
