Monthly Archives: January 2003

The Oil Moment

1/30/2003 – 3:22 pm

The Bronze Age lasted 2,500 years; the Iron Age 1,100. As technology becomes more sophisticated one age is quickly overtaken by the next. What should we call the period dominated by petroleum products? “Age” seems too expansive a term for what will be an eyeblink of history; perhaps we should call it [...]

By floegel | Posted in Commentary | Comments (0)

Push Comes To Shove

1/23/2003 – 3:19 pm

The Bush Doctrine, as enunciated by the president, says the United States may launch a pre-emptive war against any nation, at any time, if the president determines that nation is a threat to the interests of the United States.
There has been – and continues – discussion about what that means for international relations. But [...]

By floegel | Posted in Commentary | Comments (0)

Ozzie and Harriet’s Bad Seed

1/16/2003 – 3:17 pm

Consider the case of Douglas Nelson. Mr. Nelson is spokesperson for a Washington-based trade association called CropLife. As a spokesperson, it’s Mr. Nelson’s responsibility to see CropLife portrayed favorably in the media, so he works with spin; he tries to put an attractive face on news concerning his trade association.
One person’s spin is [...]

By floegel | Posted in Commentary | Comments (0)

The German Example

1/9/2003 – 3:15 pm

I’m an American mutt. My German surname, which few people pronounce correctly on the first attempt, tells only half the story. My mother’s family is Irish; both parents are the children of immigrants. In the time and place I grew up, it was common for families to have mixed ethnicity, but strong [...]

By floegel | Posted in Commentary | Comments (0)

More War Than We Bargained For

1/2/2003 – 3:11 pm

Happy New Year. There seemed little cause for merriment Tuesday evening; flawed as 2002 was, few of us were happy to see it give way to 2003. Nearly all of us expect this to be a year of war, the only question is: how many?
Just as Washington was dissolving for the Christmas holiday, [...]

By floegel | Posted in Commentary | Comments (0)