In a May 31 CBS This Morning TV interview, Attorney General William F. Barr said, “Everyone dies, and I am not you know, I don’t believe in the Homeric idea that you know, immortality comes by, you know, having odes sung about you over the centuries.” In that part of his interview, Barr told the truth. This stands in stark contrast to his cursory and inaccurate four page summary of the 400+ page Mueller Report released on March 24. And his misleading … [Read more...]
The $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan: Lots of Rhetoric. No Reality.
Push came to shove on May 22 in a 3-minute non-meeting in the White House between President Donald Trump and Democratic party leaders and the 2 trillion infrastructure plan collapsed, blown apart by the tornadic winds from the President’s mouth. The demise of the alleged plan was predictable, because from the start it was built not on strong pillars with deep pilings, but on a house of cards in which the joker was wild. The victim of all of this was the nation’s infrastructure, … [Read more...]
National Service An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Is national service an idea whose time has come? The answer is maybe. The one thing that can be said definitively is that in the first half of 2019 it has re-emerged as a concept for consideration. Fareed Zakaria, journalist and author, suggested a national service program of some type in his commencement address at Ohio State University on May 5 of this year. Mr. Zakaria concludes his article for the Washington Post,adapted from that address, by opining, “National service will … [Read more...]
A Sound Idea That Will Be Difficult To Implement
“The rich are different than you and me” F. Scott Fitzgerald allegedly said to Ernest Hemingway in the first quarter of the 20th century. Hemingway replied, “Yes, they have more money.” Today, in the first quarter of the 21st century, the rich have a lot more money. And because of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), they will have even more and the middle class and average US citizen will have less. That’s what William Gale, the Arjay and Frances Miller Chair in … [Read more...]
Opportunity Zones For Whom?
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 contains a provision for the establishment of Opportunity Zones (O-zones or ozones) across the United States. The question is opportunity for whom? Ostensibly, the TCJA, which gives substantial tax credits to O-zone investors, is designed to increase investments in distressed communities in order to spur economic development and job creation. In its early stages, though, it appears that the primary beneficiaries of this legislation may … [Read more...]
The Automation and Artificial Intelligence Race:
Who Will Win and What Does Winning Mean? Following up on the promise made in his State of the Union address, on February 11 President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence. There was no money provided in the Order for what is being called the American Artificial Intelligence Initiative (Initiative) and each agency was directed to “prioritize investments” in AI research and development. Therefore, … [Read more...]
Mayday: Brexit-Related Decisions and Britain’s Future
Mayday is recognized internationally as a word signaling a life-threatening emergency. The word is repeated three times in a row “Mayday. Mayday. Mayday.” to ensure there is no confusion regarding it being a call for help. In 2019, Mayday has taken on a new meaning for Great Britain. It is a word signaling distress and chaos in trying to reach a mutually agreed upon solution in Brexit-related decisions. There are three Maydays here as well. Mayday 1 was Parliament’s decision to defeat … [Read more...]
Words Of The Year: Toxic Justice, Trumper-Tantrum, Shutdown
2018 is past. May it rest in peace. It deserves a gentle farewell because there was little that was relieving or relaxing during this most tumultuous year. There are many words or phrases that could be used to capture the year’s happenings. They include chaos, division and autocracy. In retrospect, the ones that stand out for us are: toxic justice; trumper-tantrum; and, shutdown. Let us explain why. Toxic justice. The Oxford dictionaries chose justice as its word for 2018. Merriam … [Read more...]
Wishing Americans A Happier 2019
I want to be happy But I can’t be happy Till I make you happy too These lyrics are from a hit song written for the Broadway musical comedy show No, No, Nanette, originally produced on Broadway in 1925. The show was revived in 1971, after the tumultuous sixties, in a production that reminded Americans of more innocent times. In 2018 there is evidence that we Americans are longing for simpler times again. We need someone or something to make us happy. That’s the conclusion that must … [Read more...]
Make America Great Again in Memory of George H.W. Bush
George H.W. Bush made America great. This nation is no longer what it once was. We need to Make America Great Again. In his inaugural address on January 20, 1989, President Bush declared, America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world. My friends, we have work to do. For a very short while the country tried to follow the course that … [Read more...]