The Nature of Things

Perhaps we need to reexamine our definition of what constitutes war. Deaths from gun-related violence in this country from 1989 through the end of last year outnumber all the U.S. military deaths from wars that this country has been involved in since its founding. Does that not sound as if we are engaged in a war within the borders of this country? Moreover, this is a war that is waged in large part against unarmed women and children.  I wonder if there is anything that could be done to stop this war.

The drumbeat on the right has been increasing in volume for months now. The same people who talked up the unnecessary war in Iraq that has killed and maimed thousands of people, many of them Americans, are now panting to start such a war in Iran . What is it about these people anyway? Why is their only way of dealing with the world to start a war? Iran is no threat to us. Even if they had a nuclear capability, they would be no threat to us. Furthermore, they have more than enough problems to deal with in their society. Why should they be looking for another one? In fact, as far as I can tell from my reading, Iran is not looking for a war with anybody, least of all the United States, no matter what the right-wingers here and in Israel may be saying. The United Nations sanctions against the country seem to be working. Why would we not simply continue those and seek diplomatic solutions to any problems or disputes? Why would we want to jump in and kill thousands of innocent Iranians as we...

The government is today marking the official end of the Iraqi war. The unnecessary war. The war built on a lie and the swaggering hubris of a small group of small men who had never been to war and had no appreciation or understanding of its costs. In this case, the costs were thousands, perhaps more than a million, dead and many thousands more maimed. Lives ruined that can never be recalled or repaired. A country torn down to build up the egos of those small, swaggering men. And through it all, the men who fomented that war could never even give the country they were destroying the respect of calling it by its correct name. To them the country would always be "eye-rack." They taught a generation of young Americans to call the country - the correct name of which is "ear-rock" - by this spurious, insulting name. It's only one example but it bespeaks the attitude of these despicable chickenhawks, and gives an indication of why many people in that part of the world ...

Well, I guess I won't be looking at my 401k for awhile.  Wouldn't want to depress myself even further by knowing exactly how poor I've suddenly become.  Not that it was unexpected, of course.  After the debacle of recent weeks, financial markets all over the world were already collapsing in panic.  We probably haven't seen the end of it yet. And still our spineless and clueless politicians refuse to do anything positive to actually turn the situation around.  They are in an endless cycle of name-calling and blaming each other.  The Republicans' sole aim now is to defeat Barack Obama next year and if the economy of the country has to be destroyed to do that, well then, that is acceptable collateral damage.  The Democrats, on the other hand, as led by Obama, still seem deluded that bi-partisanship and working together to solve problems is actually possible.  When your opponent has no other goal than your total destruction, it isn't. Meanwhile, back...