A Holiday to Celebrate a Genocidal Murderer!

What would you think if Germany decided to create a holiday to celebrate its great World War II leader, Chancellor Adolph Hitler?  What would the world think?  Perhaps Uganda should have an Idi Amin Day.  What do they have in common?  Genocide. No one in their right mind would propose

Syria: Is Force the Only Option?

I remember well General Colin Powell presenting his charts and irrefutable evidence, proof positive, that Saddam Hussein’s Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and must be “taken out.”  Yes, he was a ruthless dictator. However, he was [also an] ally, our friend.  Our Government did not object when he gassed

Humpty Dumpty and the Brotherhood

Nursery rhymes are more instructive than many people are willing to acknowledge, although I don’t know if today’s generation is all that familiar with them. So, I will include this one:  “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall; Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the

GOP and Muslim Brotherhood: Two Peas in a Pod

One might be inclined to think that the Republican Party (GOP) and the Muslim Brotherhood are about as opposite as any two entities could be.  However, that certainly is not the case.  They are so alike!  Let me count the ways. Both consider themselves to be “conservatives.”  However, their definition of

GOP and Muslim Brotherhood: Two Peas in the Same Pod

One might be inclined to think that the Republican Party (GOP) and the Muslim Brotherhood are about as opposite as any two entities could be.  However, that certainly is not the case.  They are so alike!  Let me count the ways. Both consider themselves to be “conservatives.”  However, their definition

What Snowden Revealed Was No Secret!

End the hissy fit!  It has long been known that there are agencies and individuals in our Government that have spied and will continue to spyon us, as we exercise our constitutionally-protected rights.  They have always been associated with a police agency, spy agency, or private contractor hired to spy

Rewarding Thieves and Punishing Their Victims

What kind of justice system would reward a thief and punish the thief’s victim?  None, you say?  Not so fast.  It is happening!  Let me explain. I am not a disinterested person in this crime.  In fact, I’m a participant.  I worked for the State of Illinois for four years. 

Voodoo Economics, Science and the Pope: Stupidity vs Wisdom

I am, by training, a scientist.  Anyone awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree by an accredited university has a research degree.  They are scientists.  As in every field, some are better at their profession than others.  Sometimes even bright, well-accomplished individuals can make pretty serious errors.  That is why scientists

Who Would You Trust: The IRS or the U. S. Congress?

After more than 50 years of filing my Federal income tax and having been audited a number of times, I still have far more faith in the IRS to do the right thing, than I do our present Congress.  Several years ago I got a letter from our friendly IRS

It’s Time to End the Korean War!

It may seem preposterous, but the Korean War–also known as a United Nations “police action”–never ended in a peace agreement.  Technically, it is a war that has not yet ended. An armistice was signed arranging a cease fire, that did not officially take effect until January 31, 1955, even though

If Corporations Are Persons, Why?

What would you think of a person that tells you they would like to move to your community, because you have good schools, good roads, great libraries and parks, excellent police and fire departments, and a lot of nice, hard-working people–but they don’t want to pay their fair share of

Sequester Stupidity, Please!

The idea that the Federal Government should slash spending by 10% in every budget account would be so terrible as to force lawmakers to a compromise on spending is more than just ludicrous.  It is insane!  It is especially insane when you consider that this is precisely what the so-called

Should Our Economic System Be Fair?

That’s an easy question; yes, it ought to be fair.  The problem, what is fair?  We all have our notions of fairness.  As a principle, I believe that we should all be compensated in accordance with the effort, skill and dedication we put into our task and relative to the

Can We Ever Forget this Christmas Season?

The massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School is a teacher’s nightmare.  It cast a pall over the Christmas holidays.  It makes every parent with a school-age child pause and think, “Could this have happened to us?”  Unfortunately, the answer is, “Yes” Turning schools into forts will not solve the problem. 

China Part Four: Confucian

Before leaving Beijing, we had to see the Confucian Temple.  If China is noted for anything, it’s the sayings of Confucius.  Other than that, probably few non-Chinese could tell you much about him.  It is said that he was born on August 27, 551 B.C.E. to his father’s sixteen-year-old concubine