Comedies are often far better at revealing subtle truths than are drama; perhaps that’s why good comedies are more rare than good dramas. In a scene in the movie “Major League” the Cleveland Indians, ahead by one run, face a tight situation: runners on, the big Yankee slugger stepping into the batter’s box. The relief […]

Snow here in the Country. No one with any sense is going anywhere. The larger is sacked and the fire is roaring. – Vic The Corporate Conscience There’s a common warning, given to everyone at one time or another, to “stay in your lane.” Stated otherwise, focus on what you’re supposed to do. A recent […]

A really smart friend of mine once noted, while speaking of the DOD: “You need to remember that we don’t do why!” Joe’s point was that there is, in all government bureaucracies, a resistance to anyone trying to get to the primary reason that would explain actions, because in the end bureaucracies are really about […]

People don’t change, as a friend reminded me just the other day. 800 years ago the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Moscow wanted more land, buffer zones between them and the “others.” Kiev soon became part of the Russian “buffer zone.” But, Russia lost Kiev (and Ukraine) in 1991. They want it back. In […]

Shortly after Pearl Harbor Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Marshall tasked then Brigadier General Eisenhower to provide a strategic assessment of the situation faced by US Army Forces Far East, trapped in the Philippines by the Imperial Japanese Army. Eisenhower studied the problem and several days later told Marshall there was no possibility of […]

Lost At Sea Since October four men, none of whom were friends of mine, but each known well by friends of mine, committed suicide. Three were in the Navy, one was a Marine; three on active duty, the fourth retired less than 2 months. One made the news, Vice Admiral “Sterno” Stearney, commander of US […]

Good Government There’s an old adage that if something is “stupid but works, it’s not stupid.” There is, of course, a corollary, that if something is brilliant but doesn’t work, it’s not brilliant. This is particularly true with regard to government. The folks who cobbled together the Constitution understood this. In the Preamble, the goals […]

President Trump and Emperor Xi appear to arrived at an understanding: tariffs on Chinese goods will go no higher, and China agrees to purchase “substantial” amounts of grains, energy (presumably oil), industrial and other items from the US, as well as designating fentanyl a controlled substance. The two countries will continue to negotiate to address […]

The 116th Congress will sit on January 3rd 2019. Maybe we should consider what the new Congress needs to address. The prime responsibility of Congress, in practical terms, is to fund the government. Congress passes laws to direct – in general terms – what the executive branch does, and then provides the money to carry […]

A poll taken after the mid-term elections reveals that some 50% of Democrats label Republicans as evil, and 44% of Republicans use the same label for Democrats. 54% of Democrats view Republicans as ignorant, 49% of Republicans reciprocate. The polls goes on and on, detailing a growing schism, each calling the other bigots, sexists, racists, […]