If there can be a good war, then World War II was it. It was an unambiguous battle between good and evil and the good guys won. Another bonus was – oddly – the universal draft that pulled men from all walks of life and ranging in age from late teens to early 40s. The […]
The Fourth of July was cool and rainy in Vermont, as it seems to be with surprising regularity. I suppose that’s why my town sets off its fireworks on the evening of July 3rd, which was perfect for pyrotechnics this year. Fireworks finished, I had all day Wednesday to contemplate this year’s version of American […]
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss? George W. Bush announced his next phase plans for Iraq to the nation last night, sending “over 20,000” additional troops, many of whom will be dispersed in Baghdad neighborhoods. On its face, Mr. Bush’s plans seems likely to increase the pace of American casualties, unless all […]
These are heady days for a news junkie. The elections are less than a week away, Minnesota is still mourning for Paul Wellstone, the DC sniper has been caught, Kim Jong Il has a nuclear weapon (but we’re not going to war with North Korea), Vladimir Putin is gassing his own people (but we’re not […]
It’s been a terrible year. We have all found renewed purpose and patriotism, we’ve all regained a badly needed sense of perspective, but few of us have fond memories of the past 12 months. It’s not just about terrorism and international politics. The last year has seen 300 Roman Catholic priests removed from their positions […]
The Far Side of Apocalypse
This week’s news is dominated by the war debate in Washington, where the president and his generals urge the Congress to pour more lives and money into the Pit of No Progress. Elsewhere in the news, Russia’s Vladimir Putin fired his prime minister and legislature, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his resignation after months […]