These are the scariest words I’ve seen in a long time. I’ve been waiting for them. They are here. And, I have no idea what the world will do with them.
A variety of projections that extrapolate current policies and make plausible assumptions about the future evolution of the economy show a structural budget gap that is both large relative to the size of the economy and increasing over time.
Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
- George Santayana, philosopher, poet, critic
I’m convinced that the recently released “Torture Memos” need careful reading.
I’ll be royal here for a moment.
“We” need to develop the skills to see through the veneer of rhetoric and “we” need to develop these skills now.
“We” need to take advantage of these relatively placid times in which we currently live to learn how atrocities can “spun” with labels such as “patriotism” and “national defense.”
“We” need to learn what spin looks like so that “we” are able to act with greater competence and vigor next time (and there will be a next time) someone in authority wants to throw human rights under the bus in favor of the “expedience” of the moment.
Find the Memos here (warning — 10MB PDF file) and…I implore you to do the patriotic thing on this so-called “Patriot’s Day”….learn.
I am only about an hour into the book, but I must say that it is a fascinating read. Certainly, there is nothing surprising here, however, the book is bringing its thesis out of the nagging corners of my mind and into the daylight of front-and-center conscious thought.
I also agree that the following picture — which spurred Fred’s read of the book — provides a fresh ray of hope. I believe that this book can help us (and apparently those that could lead us) see ourselves and our country on the world stage in a new context — in a context of what’s coming, rather than in a context of what has been.
As I approach the remaining 7 hours of this book, my hope and curiosity is sparked afresh.
j² |j skwər-ed| n. 1. A forty- something amateur (one lacking the skill of a professional) parent of two beautiful girls (all bias acknowledged). 2. A husband of a bit more than ten years. 3. A partner in the Silicon Valley Office of a Boston Law Firm. 4. A home winemaker. 5. A part-time blogger. Email me.
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