Category Archives: Only the Short

Short Posts

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What if…

This week I have been reviewing the history of peacekeeping, all the while following the news reports of revolt, violence, an bloodshed. So it is not strange that today I find myself pondering a profound what if.

What if there had been a greater supply of and access to guns during the American Revolution? 

Certainly we just need to look to the American Civil War to see what happened when technology improved and the availability increased. 

Would the weaponry of today shortened or lengthened the American Revolution? Would there have been more or less bloodshed? Would the decolonization process of the North American colonies been just as turbulent as the process elsewhere in the world?

 

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News of Declassifications through FOIA

The real news is not simply that stuff gets declassified. The real news is that every day scholars seek more declassification of information through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) without seeking fame. It is from their efforts that we have a chance to broaden our understanding and not simply our talking points.

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Saith Me… Fact Check Rant

It is understandable that we may not have time to fact check every story that pops up in the news. However, it is appalling that inflammatory or sensational stories are so readily and eagerly shared by people who are not the authors and have not taken the time to check the basic facts. As dismayed as slanted media makes me, I am more dismayed by the people willing to share stories that are more tabloid than news, more lies than truth. In an age of information, it is discourteous to pass on incorrect material – regardless of what political agenda you may think will benefit from a “bit of exaggeration.”

Check the facts

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Saith Me… Let the tears fall…

There are sorrows in life that one simply cannot avoid.

There are sorrows in life that through diligence can be avoided.

There are sorrows in life that arrive despite diligence.

When faced with sorrow, it is best to let the tears fall…

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Outsourcing Security: Does it really make us secure?

While many US citizens debate the issue of security versus privacy, they neglect to seek answers to the most important question? Is the US bureaucratic and military muscle doing the work of securing the nation or has it been outsourced to those whose loyalties lie in the $$$$ rather than the flag?

 

The following are some of the current discussions on the issue of outsourcing security and defense:

The outsourcing of U.S. intelligence raises risks among the benefits

How Spy Agency Contractors Have Already Abused Their Power

US Lawmakers Give Defense Contractors Reason to Sweat After PRISM Leak

U.S. Relies on Spies for Hire to Sift Deluge of Intelligence

What You Should Know About The Intelligence Community’s Contractors

Intelligence contractors on the rise since 9/11

News Articles from Clearancejobs.com 

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Questions… Taking Sides and Losing Unity

Is there a danger in supporting YOUR TEAM rather than supporting OUR Team? Have we lost the OUR NATION and become irrevocably divided in a contest of finding fault? Has history become only the Myths and Legends with which we batter and attack the opponent? Or can history still teach us something about the reality of human fallibility and the imperfect nature of trying to do our best and falling short of expectations? Can truth ever be found if we only see what we want to see, only hear what we want to hear, and only perceive what we already perceive?

Are we still trying to learn, grow, evaluate, and improve – or are we simply taking sides?

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“Note to Democrats and Republicans: This Is Not a Game” by Mathew Dowd