Thoughts Before The Alarm Sounds

Each week several letters to the editor appear in our local newspaper, proclaiming that all the ills of society are due to our having “taken God out of our schools,” and unless we “get back to the Christian religion of the Founding Fathers” our nation is headed for disaster. But this past Sunday a letter from a Christian appeared which really seemed, at least to me, to be a summary of the religion that Jesus would have approved of. I reproduce it in full: Many letters to LNP, and comments by candidates and others during this campaign season, have prompted me to consider the role of faith in our civic life. I am a practicing Christian, and I think it is important for Christians to consider this matter carefully, to avoid misrepresenting our faith. The United States is not a “Christian nation.” Rather, it is a nation where I am free to be a Christian. Or a Muslim. Or a Jew, a Sikh, a Buddhist, or even a nonbeliever. Our Founding Fathers did not come here to become...

Many people (who should know better) have got the idea that the office of President of the United States of America can best be filled by someone who has been the CEO of a large company. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The objective of a Fortune 500 CEO has nothing in common with that of POTUS, as can be ascertained by a quick glance at the mission statements of a few companies:  Chevron - At the heart of The Chevron Way is our Vision to be the global energy company most admired for its people, partnership and performance.  AFLAC - To combine aggressive strategic marketing with quality products and services at competitive prices to provide the best insurance value for consumers.  American Standard - American Standard's mission is to "Be the best in the eyes of our customers, employees and shareholders."   Citigroup - Our goal . . . is to be the most respected global financial services company. Like any other public company, we're obligated to ...

Senator William Proxmire, was noted for bestowing t he Golden Fleece Award (1975–1988) to “those public officials in the United States who, the judges feel, waste public money.” Proxmire issued the award monthly until 1988, when he retired from the Senate. In total, he issued 168 Golden Fleece Awards. The following is a partial listing: A National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded project by psychologist Harris Rubin for $121,000, on developing "some objective evidence concerning marijuana's effect on sexual arousal by exposing groups of male pot-smokers to pornographic films and measuring their responses by means of sensors attached to their penises. The NSF for spending $103,000 to compare aggressiveness in sun fish that drink tequila as opposed to gin. The National Institute for Mental Health for spending $97,000 to study, among other things, what went on in a Peruvian brothel; the researchers said they made repeated vi...

Over the next few days the President is going where no president has ever gone before: Alaska. The purpose of the trip is to upgrade and cement his legacy as the first president to make any substantial moves to fight climate change. To borrow a phrase from the song New York, New York , if he can make it there, he can make it anywhere. Why there? For one thing, one of the prime engines driving CC is man’s use of fossil fuels. Just weeks ago, Obama gave final approval to Shell Oil to drill in the Alaskan Arctic for the first time in 20 years. Alaskans are accustomed to receiving an annual dividend check from the Alaska Permanent Fund, which is funded in large part from oil revenues. In 2014 each eligible Alaska resident received a check for $1,884. To them, the President’s drilling approval is a big step in the right direction. On the other hand, CC is already profoundly affecting the lives and culture of people who depend on traditional ways of acquiring and storing their f...