War, Politics, and Life by Bruce Maulden
Yeah… Gain may be temporary and uncertain; but ever while you live, expense is constant and certain: and it is easier to build two chimneys than to keep one in fuel. — Benjamin Franklin (Illustration found here via Google Images). From CNN: Gas prices have jumped nearly 20 cents over the past two weeks, approaching…
“There is nothing more wicked, more disastrous, more widely destructive, more deeply tenacious, more loathsome.” “…once war has been declared, then all the affairs of the State are at the mercy of the appetites of a few.” — Erasmus and War, 14th Century (Illustration of Picasso’s “Massacre in Korea” found here via Google Images). Despite the…
(Illustration found here via Google Images). The current US political scene sucks through an extremely-thin straw, making it hard to swallow a possible federal government shut-down this Friday (tomorrow!). In my humble estimation, there’s never been a more nasty, chaotic mess than DC right now, and the real losers are the ordinary, rank-and-file US peoples…
An example of the fiscal foolishness of war. From Stars and Stripes: The Air Force secretary says the service has been spending about $4 million a day to keep 50 fighter jets and nearly 40 support aircraft in the Libya conflict, including the cost of munitions. Secretary Michael Donley tells reporters that the Air Force…
Climate change has already worm-holed its way into the tattered fabric of everyday life. The American Medical Association and its editorial from yesterday (Monday): If physicians want evidence of climate change, they may well find it in their own offices. Patients are presenting with illnesses that once happened only in warmer areas. Chronic conditions are…
In another attempt to pinch-out a phrase for the times, President Obama launched his 2012 re-election bid this morning with a stirring, “It begins with us,” planted on his official site at barackobama.com. I knew 2008 personally, and this ain’t 2008. From CNN: Shortly afterward, Obama sent an e-mail to supporters to say he will…
An interesting post from Australian writer on peak oil, Cameron Leckie, on the most-interesting concept of catabolic collapse, and how this view of the inevitable failure of complex systems affects/effects our current world — a most intricate, interconnected, and near-fragile-to-the-touch world. Leckie examines employment and how the world’s work force will shift from techno to…
Ordinary US peoples are financial slaves to the rich: In terms of types of financial wealth, the top one percent of households have 38.3% of all privately held stock, 60.6% of financial securities, and 62.4% of business equity. The top 10% have 80% to 90% of stocks, bonds, trust funds, and business equity, and over…
In the face of so much bad shit going on right now — even another US theater of war in Libya — the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan is taking a deep-back seat on the runaway bus of a 24-hour news cycle. However, death is still there as six US GIs were killed Tuesday in eastern…
Despite the over-abundance of mustard, a shit sandwich is still a shit sandwich. US peoples know stupid when they realize it — something ain’t right: Just 32 percent of respondents viewed the tea party favorably, while a record-high 47 percent had a negative view of the movement that propelled Republicans to dramatic Congressional victories last…