-
Democracy: Is the US Defining the Right Target for National Security?
“What is liberty without wisdom and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils, for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.” –Edmund Burke “Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained” –James Garfield Note: I originally wrote this piece in 2008 when I was a US European Command Deputy J5. I have done some light editing, primarily in format and grammar. The National Security Strategy referenced here is dated, but I think the overall content is still valid and important in today’s environment. US National Security Strategy One of the key objectives…
Politics and Candidate Types
Remember back to the distant past of 1991? The US had just won the Gulf War and President George H. W. Bush was riding high and looked unbeatable. None of the leading Democrats wanted to run against him and risk…
Politics, Politicians, and Accountability
There are currently 10 members of the House of Representatives, over 80. Eight are Democrats and two are Republicans. Historically, 64 were in Congress 40 years or longer. Most of these are/were Democrats as well. Five Senators are over…
Our Atavistic Fears
When I sit in my garden office, I often smile at the squirrels, rabbits, and birds as they move about eating and socializing. But on the times that I see the local black snake, I cringe a bit. Now,…
Taxes and Tax Collection
Most people dislike paying taxes, but they see the need to fund the government. But very few people understand how much they really pay in taxes. And that is by design. The politicians and bureaucrats do not want us to…
Responsibility and Accountability Part 5: Voter Responsibility and Accountability
This is Part 5 of a series on accountability and responsibility. This part looks at the voters and to whom they are accountable. As the graphic from My Comic Shop shows, voters are accountable to themselves. But they are also…
Coexist Part 5: Wrap-up
This is part five of the Coexist series. It wraps up the series started in Part 1. It also provides a framework for assessing these groups and their actions. The opening graphic shows the results of the mass Heaven’s Gate…
Responsibility and Accountability Part 4: The Judiciary and Accountability
This is Part 4 of a series on accountability and responsibility. As the graphic shows, the two should work together, but can but can get jammed. But often the two are divorced, or at least separated, in this case, by…
Responsibility and Accountability Part 3: The Bureaucracy and Accountability
This is Part 3 of a series on accountability and responsibility. As the graphic shows, the two should work together, but can but can get jammed. But often the two are divorced, or at least separated, in this case, by…
Responsibility and Accountability Part 2: Congress and Accountability
This is Part 2 of a series on accountability and responsibility. As the graphic shows, the two should work together, but can but can get jammed. But often the two are divorced, or at least separated, in this case, by…
Responsibility and Accountability Part 1: Command, Control, and Customer Service
This is Part 1 of a series on accountability and responsibility. As the graphic shows, the two should work together. But often the two are divorced, or at least separated. Part 1 is a vignette to frame the discussion. This…
