I report, you decide
Posted by Ron Coleman on October 14, 2007
Posted in Nuvo-Techno, Oppression, Politics and Poker | 12 Comments »
Weighing war words
Posted by Ron Coleman on October 14, 2007
Sanchez said he felt he could not resign and go public with his reservations while he was in Iraq, because he feared that move
could further jeopardize troops serving there.
“I think once you are retired, you have a responsibility to the nation, to your oath, to the country, to state your opinion,” he said.
Is that right? It’s an interesting proposition, actually. On the one hand, his formulation sounds intuitively correct. How could you be silent if you knew, perhaps better than anyone, “they” were blowing it, costing lives, still doing it all wrong?
On the other hand, how could you speak when your comments give aid and comfort to the enemy?
Given that both of these things may be present — as they seem to be, and it seems frequently will be — how do you weigh the opposing interests?
Posted in Orient, Stragety | 1 Comment »
Dim days
Posted by Ron Coleman on October 14, 2007
No, I’m not writing about politics again — just noticing that, Daylight Savings Time or not, we’ve turned the corner on afternoon light.
I’m in a new building now, and it is true that I get a lot less post meridian sun in my window than I did in the old place. But still — it’s barely 3 PM and I can tell, the day is all but done.
I hope you don’t have seasonal affect disorder. I’m going to need a lot more light in here.
Posted in Sisyphus | 1 Comment »
Stopping the bulldozer
Posted by Ron Coleman on October 13, 2007
I used to think the eventuality of a Hillary Clinton presidential run was “no problem,” because surely the brain trust at the tippy-top of the GOP has been working out this strategy, utilizing higher math, the alignment of the stars, dumpster-diving and elaborate drills and simulations, for a decade. Her candidacy, I figured — as Carl Rove says — was a gimme for the Republicans, and all we had to do was let the Democrats step into the trap of nominating her, and then — fwip! — we’d have her figuratively hanging by her ankle in a net. “Heh,” right.
No such heh. I saw the Republican leadership in 2006… saw them mishandle the immigration debate… watched the porkathon of 2007 with horror… and saw the GOP become the face of gross political corruption. Unless “simulate utter political incompetence” is really one of those grand Roveian master plans, it’s going to take a lot more than the party that keeps giving us the likes of Trent Lott for leadership, to avoid this bad dream:
Clinton yesterday said she would meet with Iran without preconditions. “I would engage in negotiations with Iran, with no conditions, because we don’t really understand how Iran works,” she said.
“Because we don’t really understand how Iran works“?!
Save us, God!
So, how do you stop a bulldozer? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Politics and Poker, Stragety | 1 Comment »
Kennedy ‘Eating Ice Cream’ After Surgery On Artery
Posted by Ron Coleman on October 12, 2007
Rather odd way of prioritizing the “news” part of the story, isn’t it? Talk about “dog bites man”!
Posted in Americana, Jocularity | 3 Comments »
I just wanted to buy a book
Posted by Ron Coleman on October 11, 2007
Social networking is one thing, but have you noticed how unwieldy Amazon.com is these days?
It’s looking more and more like MySpace. I just wanted to buy a book.
Think I’ll walk across the street to Barnes & Noble to clear my head….
Posted in Nuvo-Techno, Stragety | 3 Comments »
It’s the right thing to do
Posted by Ron Coleman on October 11, 2007
One reason to like George Bush more than Jerry Ford:
US President George W. Bush will risk angering China by attending a ceremony next week to award a Congress medal to the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama, at the bastion of American democracy[, the Capitol].
What does the late, mediocre Jerry Ford have to do with this? You mean, you don’t remember when Ford, afraid of upsetting our then-would-be-masters (also Reds, yes!, now that you mention it), refused to make a similar gesture to Nobel Prize winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the prophet of Communism’s tragedy.
It’s a different time; the power equations are, somewhat, different; the dissidents and their messages are, perhaps, not the same. But the contrast between two Republican Presidents is what is most compelling.
Posted in Past is prologue | 2 Comments »
Moses and Queens County, New York
Posted by Ron Coleman on October 9, 2007
Mosaic Law mural, Queens Supreme court
Originally uploaded by Ron Coleman.
A rather odd juxtaposition, but give them credit for aspiration.
The courthouse was built during the LaGuardia Administration. Old Fiorello was, of course, famously “on the side of the angels.”
Posted in Metropolis | Leave a Comment »
I know you think you know what I think you know…
Posted by Ron Coleman on October 9, 2007
ANOTHER INTELLIGENCE BLUNDER? “Al Qaeda’s Internet communications system has suddenly gone dark to American intelligence after the leak of Osama bin Laden’s September 11 speech inadvertently disclosed the fact that we had penetrated the enemy’s system.” Let’s hope things aren’t as bad as this report makes them sound. This constant leaking is a real problem.
Maybe. But let me just axe: Why wouldn’t an occasional story like this, itself, function as really good disinformation? Just saying, as we say.
Posted in Nuvo-Techno, Stragety | Leave a Comment »
Guess who’s coming to kiddush
Posted by Ron Coleman on October 9, 2007
Roger Simon writes about “Why They Hate the Neocons” (via Insty) but besides a passing reference to the subject, completely ignores the Jewish issue and the underlying accusation against neoconservatives, at least on one level, of dual loyalty.
But it is not to be ignored. To even fail to address it at least by refutation suggests that perhaps Simon is not being honest… about himself.
UPDATE: “They all look alike” (same hat tip) but, again, the obvious issue is ignored — even though it’s as plain as the nose on my face.
Posted in Faith and Works, Oppression, Politics and Poker | Leave a Comment »
