Author Archena Posted on January 18, 2023January 17, 2023Categories WednesdayTags , , , ,

Joe Liedn

This comes as a surprise to who, exactly? Biden has been in politics for over forty years and the butt of jokes for most of that time. Being a Southerner, I suspect he only survived this long because he came from Delaware – they all knew him and couldn’t find anyone better who’d run in such a tiny state. Okay, that’s probably not what happened. States get a really bad case of ‘familiaritis’ where they continue to elect the same … Continue reading “Joe Liedn”

Author Archena Posted on January 16, 2023January 12, 2023Categories Current, MondayTags , , ,

No, China Isn’t Fine Now

Seriously, isn’t it hard to live with an attention span shorter than the lifespan of a mayfly? You didn’t make it all the way through that sentence, did you? Sigh. Okay, so for those who can watch all the way through a sitcom, let’s get on with this. Nation-states, including overhyped authoritarian ones, are resilient as all get out. Nation-states can do all sorts of weird and often unwise things that normal people can’t and shouldn’t. Being able to print … Continue reading “No, China Isn’t Fine Now”

Author Archena Posted on January 13, 2023January 7, 2023Categories Current, FridayTags , , , , , ,

Politics are About People

Politics is just groups of people making decisions. We stink at it which makes the political world hilarious and tragic. It’d be a great sitcom. The problem is that the political world affects real people all the time. Every day. Every hour. Every minute. So the answer to the question of why you should care about those idiots in Washington or on Goat Hill or down at the county courthouse or in city hall or on the school board is … Continue reading “Politics are About People”

Author Archena Posted on January 11, 2023January 6, 2023Categories Current, Wednesday

The Fight for the Speakership is how Politics is Supposed to Work

By the time this posts the fight will probably be over. Most observers expect McCarthy to win. Having seen the results from today’s (Wednesday, January 4) fifth round, I’m not so sure. Regardless, the battle marks a turning point for the Republicans. I’m coming to share the view that the leadership sold out the base during the midterms. That is probably proving to be a huge mistake. The Republican party sold out the Tea Party and tried to ditch the … Continue reading “The Fight for the Speakership is how Politics is Supposed to Work”

Author Archena Posted on January 9, 2023January 4, 2023Categories Current, MondayTags , , , , , ,

Lockdowns Make It Worse – See China

I am putting my public health hat back on so this will be less politics and more disease control. Let me first say what disease control is NOT – it is NOT medicine. Public health, when it’s doing it’s job properly, works with doctors, but we aren’t deluded enough to believe that makes us doctors, let alone that we should dictate to doctors. Disease control deals with preventing the spread of infectious disease – it does not deal with making … Continue reading “Lockdowns Make It Worse – See China”

Author Archena Posted on January 6, 2023January 3, 2023Categories FridayTags , ,

Enlightened Self Interest – It’s About US, Isn’t It?

The US doesn’t get to sit out much. If you ask the Ukrainians defending their homeland the war is most definitely NOT about the United States. They’re absolutely right, except for the part where it kinda is. Not because we’re sending them support – who isn’t? Not because we are providing intelligence – ours is cooler because satellites but intelligence is a big tent. Not because we’re the US of A and rah, rah, rah – even we have some … Continue reading “Enlightened Self Interest – It’s About US, Isn’t It?”

Author Archena Posted on January 4, 2023January 3, 2023Categories WednesdayTags , , ,

It’s About Our Future

America is the most consarned, ornery thickheaded mule of a nation-state ever when it gets that isolationistic bee in its bonnet. Dumbest question I hear conservatives ask is ‘why do WE have to be the world’s policeman’? Simple, it’s us or something MUCH worse. I’d be amazed if we could convince Europe to take the job, let alone pony up for the necessary military costs. However, do we really want the folks that brought us not one but two world … Continue reading “It’s About Our Future”

Author Archena Posted on January 3, 2023January 3, 2023Categories MondayTags , , ,

It’s About the Future

Communism and socialism were both born in the latter part of the Nineteenth Century. I’m aware that the concepts of communal ownership and related practices do predate the Industrial Revolution but as political and economic movements, both are born in the later Industrial Revolution. The distinguishing of property into classes which could or could not be privately owned is a modern invention. You get to own your bed but not the land that the house sits on – modernity is … Continue reading “It’s About the Future”

Author Archena Posted on December 30, 2022December 30, 2022Categories Current

It Ain’t About Zelensky or Schlotz or Johnson or Macron or Et Cetera, Either

No, Zelensky doesn’t get his very own post. First off, I don’t think he needs it and second, if I keep posting about each individual player on this stage about whom this is NOT it’ll be Valentines by the time I get through. I don’t wanna write a dissertation about the involved personalities when the war isn’t about ANY of them. Given a choice of listening to Biden, Putin or Zelensky I’ll take a root canal. Seriously, Biden is barely … Continue reading “It Ain’t About Zelensky or Schlotz or Johnson or Macron or Et Cetera, Either”

Author Archena Posted on December 28, 2022December 26, 2022Categories WednesdayTags , , , , , ,

It Ain’t About Putin

Before you ask, yes, this has to do with American politics and yes, it’s Wednesday. I’m not suggesting for an instant that Putin didn’t order the invasion – of course he did. Russia would have lost a LOT more generals and not in Ukraine had they invaded so much as a Mickey D’s without Putin’s say-so. What I am going to tell you is that events have gotten well away from Putin’s control. From the point of view of his … Continue reading “It Ain’t About Putin”