First I laughed so hard it hurt,
Then later I cried the tears of healing,
Finally, I slept.
Tag Archives: News
Saith Me… Fear as an Excuse
If we let fear become a legitimate excuse for the violation of law then we have lost the war – terror wins.
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History: To Study or Not To Study
The more I study history the harder it becomes to ignore the ignorant who have been fed propaganda and generalizations rather than actual history with all its good, bad, and complicated parts.
The notion that one must tear apart mythology in order to seek fact does not appeal to me, nor does the idea that all facts must be conclusively proven in order to be held as true. Yet on the other hand, I find the the idea that mythology and popular lore should be the only history consumed by a patriotic citizenry just as unappealing.
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Saith Me… Fake News
Sometimes you really wish the fake news was the real news because it makes you laugh rather than makes you want to cry.
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Here’s My Cape – Does Anyone Want It?
This morning’s breakfast conversation centered on the international events headlining the news, and my ongoing attempt to write a thesis on the diplomatic history of the twentieth century. The central theme of the discussion revolved around the notion that great powers prefer a world were there are many large nations rather than many small nations. The conversation also turned to the problems created by superpowers.
When the Cold War ended, many in the United States naively celebrated the idea of being the only superpower. Many believed that being a superpower was better than being one of the great powers, and the opportunity to shed the role of superpower was waived. Now, after a quarter century of being the sole superpower whether in reality or in myth, a greater comprehension of the responsibilities and the dangers of being a superpower has developed.
The problem, however, is that when the United States now asks, “Here’s my cape, does anyone want it?” no one steps up to take it.
When Edna Mode, of The Incredibles, said “no capes,” is this what she was really warning us about? Are superpower capes just too dangerous? Should the capes simply be retired and replaced with the plain clothes of diplomacy?
It is with this question on my mind that I return to the realm of history and try for a few hours to shut out the political realities of the day.
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Saith Me… Choosing to be Miserable
Interpersonal connections through various modes and methods, specifically during this past two months, have reminded me of the old saying,
“You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.”
There is one category starkly missing, some people can never be pleased because they are determined to be miserable.
Regardless of the justifications of misery – temporary or chronic – there is a stark difference between experiencing misery and being miserable.
Wretched, distressful events occur, but it is a choice one makes to become wretchedly distressed by the events. The key factor separating the experience of misery and being miserable is Choice.
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What will be remembered?
Being fully aware of political spin and propaganda, I am wondering if in the end this letter will be what history records for future generations to study.
Willingness to come together for war, but government shutdown in an attempt to stop a health care law. Where does this leave us and what does this mean for our future? Most importantly, what does this really say about us as a nation?
PDF of the letter can be found at the ‘letter’ link and at the following: harry-reid-letter-to-john-boehner.pdf
Pithy Point… Guns
I just read an interesting comment.
If guns don’t kill people, then guns don’t save people.
This comment generated the following thought.
People with guns do kill people and people with guns do save people, but people without guns also save people threatened by guns.
Saith Me… Cause and Effect
There is always a cause and effect to the choices we make. The dilemma is in determining if the cause justifies the effect.
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?
Pithy Ponderings 