Monthly Archives: June 2010

Whither Thy Course, O Ship of State?

Posted on June 24, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

I for one feel a little less alone on the issue of Afghanistan now, reading George Will in today’s Globe (6/24/2010).  He even used the phrase, “Viet Nam redux”.  He also said, “The American undertaking in Afghanistan is a fool’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Government, Foreign Policy / War, Politics, War | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

It’s Bedlam, Do You Mind?

Posted on June 21, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

Hospitals are dangerous places. They are a necessity if you are in acute need but if you want to keep your health you would be wise to minimize your stay.  Let me tell you a true story about hospitals. Forty-nine … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Health, Medical errors, Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s In A Word?

Posted on June 20, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

This appeared in the June 15 edition of USA Today: STATE DEPT. SAYS IT NEEDS OWN COMBAT FORCE IN IRAQ – the Associated Press WASHINGTON — “The State Department says its diplomatic staff will not be safe after the American … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics / Morality, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Policy / War, Government waste, Islam | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SURPRISE !

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

A mere 5 centuries ago, which is one-quarter of one percent of the time we humans have been around as a species, humanity was just emerging from the Dark Ages.  That was a time of incredible ignorance, superstition, disease and … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiscal Policy, Health, Politics, Science / Engineering | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

. . . One Nation Into Babel, With Liberty and Justice for All

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

Of late we are seeing more home-grown American terrorists.  Fortunately, they have been pretty stupid so far, flying to Ethiopia and Afghanistan trying to get training on how to blow the rest of us up.  Apparently they didn’t know you … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Sociology | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Palace of Excess

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

“The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom”, said William Blake. That quotation was placed in context for me when I saw the USA Today article about America’s monument to bureaucratic excess.  The embassy’s sprawling “campus” has an … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Federal Government, Government size | 1 Comment

Symptoms

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

As the campaign rhetoric begins to flow toward this fall’s elections I offer a small anecdotal observation to support the idea that whatever the government subsidizes results in more of the same. My wife and I often revisit the same … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Government, Fiscal Policy, Government size | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments