Press and Politicians

With the mainstream media and most elected officials, Diogenes would have his lamp burn out before he ever found an honest man. Even Honest Abe was not so truthful.

Old West Hero

You know for everyone who fancied a gunfighter a hero in the cowboy days, someone else likely thought him a villain. I suppose the same is true now in the terrorist or freedom fighter argument. Moral ambiguity seems to permeate life.

Simply Another Species

One of my late great aunts would frequenty declare, "you just can't understand people" as she led her remarkable life that included being a secretary to Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox and to Edward R. Murrow and later a decorator for the Hilton family and a female "engineeer" at Bechtel despite the fact that she never studied engineering (The company apparently did not have a designation for "decorator"), and being an accomplished artist in her own right. I just wonder what Aunt Bertie thought she was if not a person.

Rich Man's Game

Many who seek office are already wealthy. That of course does not mean that they are still not susceptible to graft. If you are poor, you may seek office, but with what campaigns cost today, you have a tough fight ahead.

Of Modest Means

Many folks enter national politics without great wealth, but almost none leave poor. I think a lot of politicians only run for office to feather their own nests. Dennis Kucinich is one of the few to enter Congress not intending to get rich, and Donald Trump lost billions of dollars by gaining the Presidency.

The Year Ahead

Anyone who thinks they can foretell the future will likely be wrong more than right. One thing you can make book on is that many people will suffer in 2022, just as they did in 2021. Another safe bet is that opportunists will try to profit from the pain and fear of others in the coming year, likely using the pandemic to their own advantage.

Count Your Blessings

On this Christmas day, if you are in America, even Biden's America, count yourself fortunate. The poor in the United States generally live better than those considered prosperous in many other countries.