Tag Archives: America

Returning Now To Our Regular Program, “The Fiscal Cliff”

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Photo by John Hayden

It’s 10 days since I last posted on Work In Progress. The Earth continues to spin. Gen. John Petraeus and Paula Broadwell, et al., were pushed from the front pages by a deadly rocket battle between Israelis in Israel and Palestinians in Gaza.

Full-out war appeared imminent, according to cable TV news. But a ceasefire was called in time for Thanksgiving.  (Appropriate that it’s an American holiday. We have so much to be thankful for, compared to the rest of the world. And we take it all for granted.)

The waning of the Middle East crisis made room for a seasonal story: Walmart employees threatening to disrupt kickoff of the Christmas shopping frenzy. (Starting time for the frenzy advanced from Black Friday to Thanksgiving Day, henceforth to be known as Black Thursday.)

The Walmart protests fizzled, naturally. They had as much impact as Y2K. Walmart workers stand exposed as powerless against the energy of American consumerism.

Now we return to the dreaded “Fiscal Cliff,” at least until the next distraction. Be not faint-hearted! In the grand scheme of things, the fiscal cliff is a bump in the road.

Most importantly, the fiscal cliff provides a unique opportunity to put the brakes on the runaway military-industrial defense complex.  Seize the day!    Continue reading →

The Real Scandal — Petty Corruption Destroys Institutions And Families

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Do we care if Gen. David Petraeus’ ego is so big he has to have a personal biographer follow him around a war zone? Do we care if a smart, beautiful, and physically fit Harvard doctoral student “works her magic” on a general? Not really.

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commande...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is it scandalous? Based on the definition of “scandal,” the answer is technically, “Yes.”

But realistically, matters of ego, ambition, and romance are simply “human.” It’s strictly a private matter.

Until it begins to corrode the quality of work being done by important institutions, such as the U.S. Military.

Petty corruption pervades modern society, from highest to lowest.    Continue reading →

Lives of the Rich, Famous & Stoopid

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“LIVES OF THE RICH, FAMOUS & STOOPID” — Tentative working title for my proposed reality TV show starring Gen. David Petraeus, biographer Paula Broadwell, and socialite Jill Kelley. Roles reserved for Gen. John Allen, Natalie Khawam, attorney Abbe Lowell, and crisis manager Judy Smith, if they can prove they qualify.

Link

The David Petraeus scandal: Cast of characters is a slide show featuring 14 photos on the Washington Post Web site.

The Fiscal Cliff — Seize the Day, Cut Military Spending Now

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The U.S. defense budget, worldwide military overreach, and the influence of the military-industrial complex — these are the root of America’s economic and debt crisis.

Not Social Security, not Medicare, not Medicaid, not government pensions, not anything else you want to label as “entitlements.”

Continue reading →

Gen. David Petraeus & The Dragon Lady

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Fox News is already comparing the Petraeus Affair to Watergate. White House paralysis is gleefully anticipated at Fox, just days after the election. What did the president know, and when did he know it?

To what can we compare the misadventures of Gen. David H. Petraeus, director of the CIA, no less, and Paula Broadwell, his esteemed biographer from Harvard (and herself a former Army officer)?

Continue reading →

How High Is A “Fiscal Cliff”? What Happens At The Bottom?

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MAYBE THE FISCAL CLIFF LOOKS LIKE THIS sand dune in Ocean City, Maryland, after some serious pounding by Hurricane Sandy. A sudden drop off at the top, followed by a sloping hill of sand.

Ever notice how the terminology we apply to important issues in the public sphere can blow things all out of proportion. Continue reading →

Post-Election Blues

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POST-ELECTION BLUES — It’s part of life. Comes with the territory. You go to college four or five years — You graduate?!  Get a steady job — Laid off?!  You get married — Maybe you get divorced?!  Work like a maniac on the big project — Suddenly, finished.  An election focuses your attention — Over, done, results are in.  Letdown, big time!  We might need a few days to catch our breath, figure out where the heck we are. And what to do next? — John

Election Day 2012 Part 2

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ELECTION DAY 2012, 11:48 p.m. It was as cold as expected in Maryland today. I was wearing Obama T-shirt over my winter jacket (layering is key in cold weather). This is supposed to be a conservative precinct. Almost no minorities. Not many men, either, I guess. Women, esp. young  women, voting in much higher numbers than men. (I can’t explain it.)  Young women and young men — many first-time voters —  voting in surprisingly high numbers. I didn’t know we had so many women under 25 here. Lots of them signaling a quick thumbs-up. Obama wins this precinct, unless my eyes deceive me. Ohio has been called. Looks like Obama will be a two-term pres. Health care wins. Women win. I hope Obama wins the popular vote too, or it may be a long four years. — John

Election Day 2012

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ELECTION DAY — November cold and gray in Maryland. Must be bitter cold across the northern states. I’m working at the school from 2 p.m. to closing time. Done it many times before, from early morning opening to past closing time in the darkness. No more all-day shifts for me now. It’s mainly a matter of being present in warm clothes, standing silent witness for Obama and Democratic principals. Polls open until 8 p.m. in Maryland. Results from early voting will be announced shortly after 8. A long day and night. I can predict the results in MD (if you want to know, call my cell phone); who knows how it will end nationally.  — John