In My Time – Book Review
20 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Book Reviews Tags: Book Review, Democracy, History, Politics, White House
In My Time
By Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney
Full of historical data fashioned as only the Chaney’s can. From his beginnings with Don Rumsfield and President Ford to the final days of the George Bush Presidency, Mr. Chaney explains his outlook and position on the recent past.
The walk down memory lane is done with dignity and honors many. Even his discontent with some Cabinet members is not based on petty politics. It is shaped around values and a behavior system often not in sink with the younger generation. You can hear the frustration in the tone of his writing. You can also hear the love for his family, friends, members of the military and country.
A good read for those interested in politics and current affairs. An educational experience everyone should read. As an e-book, it had enough section stops to provide natural breaks.
It’s a keeper.
Calming Mother Earth
30 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
in Prose, Spirits Tags: Democracy, Mother Earth, Raven
I had a wonderful conversation with a scientist this past week. We had been talking about Mother Earth and the many violent events that occurred this past year.
We started talking about earthquakes and the events in Japan. Off the coast of Oregon is a fault line of the same structure called the Gorda Ridge. But, he argued, a Tsunami on the Northwest Coast couldn’t come inland as far because of the coast range. True enough, but it could cause extensive damage and kill thousands. Then we talked about the fault line here in Utah and the losses that could occur if it started moving. The entire Wasatch Front sits directly overtop.
Yes, Mother Earth seems to be unhappy. The major flooding and earthquakes in Australia, Haiti, and the awakening of volcanoes in Hawaii, and now the worst tornado season in the US since the “dust bowl” days, makes one wonder what she’s up to.
Brian Williams, news anchor for NBC, keeps asking “what are we doing to cause all these disasters? “ He is, in my opinion, trying to get Weather gurus to say its global warming. We have to find something to blame?
The real reason – Mother Earth is tired and is looking for some rest. The burden of overpopulation is breaking her back, while at the same time we suck out bullions of gallons of oil and natural gas from her innards.
Father Sky is worried about her condition and he brings violent weather patterns with excessive amounts of water and snow to help cool her down. Grandfather Sun tries to help by not radiating quite so brightly, but causes crop losses to create starvation conditions. And Grandmother Moon, Keeper of Emotions, turns up the dial on male egos. Violence erupts in the Middle East. Thousands demonstrate and ask Allah for a leadership change – they want democracy and freedom and a better quality of life.
In Europe we see widespread financial devastation and Great Britain cuts government by 20%. What are we to do?
What is Mother Earth asking us to do? Lighten her load, reduce birthrates even more. Remember to thank her for every beautiful thing. When you take a rock, leave a corn seed. It will grow, feed people and critters, and the Raven will continue to thrive as he roams the Earth, cleaning up after us.
Democracy
28 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Prose Tags: Democracy, Prose, Unions
The following is a short writing I received from a friend many years ago that appeared in a magazine. Written by Alexander Fraser Tyler, an Economist/Professor at Edinburgh University at the time of the American Revolution, he wrote:
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largese (generous benefits) from the public treasury.
From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising them the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
The average of the world’s great civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequentce:
From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependence back into bondage.
