Don’t be corrupt authoritarian jerks. See you next time on… I don’t get it. Everyone says they want simple straightforward answers until you give them one. Then they’re all ‘but why’ and ‘we need details’. Okay, here’s the scoop. The US goes through these periods of self examination. That’s a good thing. The problem starts when we don’t have any goals as a nation or crises to keep us focused. Then we stop self examination and start navel gazing until … Continue reading “What Russia and China Teach the US about Itself”
Why Foreign Affairs Matter to the US
First, let’s get something straight – the sky ain’t falling. No generation has a crystal ball. They all have to look whatever disaster comes their way square in the eye and decide how to handle it. This current ‘upheaval’ is no different. The one constant in the political world is change – usually messy, quiet change until it becomes a big, nasty problem. My favorite cartoon as a kid was a seriously stupid one season wonder called The Drak Pack. … Continue reading “Why Foreign Affairs Matter to the US”
Government: Parent or Pet?
The Twentieth Century was a contest between competing political ideologies. It is a gross oversimplification to say that it was just between Communism and Capitalism or Authoritarianism and Democracy. Politics exists on a spectrum and no matter how hard we try, there are too many issues to have even two people agree on every single one, let alone whole nation-states of people. But since I’m still not interested in writing a dissertation, we’ll settle for the generalization. The Twentieth Century … Continue reading “Government: Parent or Pet?”
Calm Down – This is Normal
I don’t mean the ‘new normal’. I mean normal. The half insane, scary as heck, what are they thinking behavior of not just Russia and China but the entire international community is the real normal. Those of you who can’t remember the Cold War have lived in the weird times. America was the big scary thing so everyone loved/hated it – including some Americans. Europe was preoccupied with becoming something never quite defined. Elites worldwide were convinced – or pretending … Continue reading “Calm Down – This is Normal”