Tripping on the escalator

17,000 US troops to Afghanistan then, another 40,000 now... pretty soon this adds up to maybe, uh, 550,000, troops. A real holy hell of a Viet-Nam scale escalation! Well, we've done it before, so we do it again! You know the classic therapeutic definition of insanity, "doing the same thing the same way and expecting a different result!" It's now obvious that US policy makers and shakers are forking insane!

Capitalism

Call it "Capitalism," or "Corporatism," or the "Free Market." One thing's for sure - the system of unbridled, predatory profit for the very few that we have in the United States today has an innate tendency to periodically crash and burn. Lacking effective regulation, a progressive taxation system and an educated, organized work force, it seems destined eventually to self-destruct in a spectacular way.

Historic preservation

I recently passed through downtown Waukesha on a bike ride between Madison & Milwaukee. Unlike Madison, they have done a good job in Waukesha keeping their charming old buildings intact. With that in mind, isn't it ironic that many of the same people who rave about how wonderful and charming the old streets of European cities are don't give a second thought to the tragic, senseless and needless destruction of our historical legacy here in the USA?