View From Here: To Trust or Not

View From Here: To Trust or Not: The Tweet reported a news item. It shocked the reader. Their emotions spiked. The news item was small and quiet. It reported on the ...

View From Here: Late Snow

View From Here: Late Snow: Early am. Sunday. Sky is clear. Black blue, before dawn. Snow on ground. Temperature is 31 degrees. No melting. Yet. An hour later, ...

View From Here: Wither Free Press?

View From Here: Wither Free Press?: Complicated question. Here’s why. The Free Press is a freedom enshrined in the US Constitution. It means no government in the United...

View From Here: Press Secretary or?

View From Here: Press Secretary or?: Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the White House Press Secretary. Or is she? She stopped hosting White House press briefings nearly a year ...

View From Here: International Cooperation

View From Here: International Cooperation: Iran is a rogue nation. It inserts itself in Middle Eastern affairs and disrupts normalcy. This is their region. It is a neighborhood the...

View From Here: Mueller Report

View From Here: Mueller Report: Long hours spent reading major sections of the report. Reading commentaries from trusted researchers and legal minds. Looking for core fi...

View From Here: Education to Rebuild Middle Class

View From Here: Education to Rebuild Middle Class: Education should be available to everyone to the extent they want it and are capable of doing the work required for degrees.   This is tr...

View From Here: Open Mouth

View From Here: Open Mouth: Free speech? Opinions at the ready? Advice to everyone, anyone? At any time of day or night? Yep to all those questions. The Occupant...

View From Here: Sanctuary Cities

View From Here: Sanctuary Cities: Thank God some of us remember we are a nation of immigrants. “The tired and poor yearning to break free…”   They are always with us. They...

View From Here: Law and Government

View From Here: Law and Government: I understand. Some people distrust government. They and others are very uncomfortable with others having authority over their lives, any ...

View From Here: Assange

View From Here: Assange: This man – Assange – is a conspirator to capture security data from US government data systems. His sources hacked into the confidential ...

View From Here: Thinking. Thinking.

View From Here: Thinking. Thinking.: Discrimination. Exists. Raw. Hideous. Against women. Against gays. Against immigrants. Against gay women immigrants. We don’t see this re...

View From Here: Public Pension Crisis

View From Here: Public Pension Crisis: I am a retiree of a public institution. We have a retirement fund created by the State of Illinois. The contributors to this fund are the...

View From Here: Warm Breeze

View From Here: Warm Breeze: An early spring day. In Illinois. Surprising. Comforting. Aspirational! 72 degrees. And a bright light some call the sun. That’s the...

View From Here: Human Resources Problems

View From Here: Human Resources Problems: A person who has rarely answered to another person doesn’t have much room for disappointment from underlings. He says what he wants and y...

View From Here: Making a Difference

View From Here: Making a Difference: Doing something for someone else feels good. To me. You too? The opportunity to do these acts is not always present, or seemingly so...

View From Here: What Unites Us?

View From Here: What Unites Us?: Turn on social media and note the messages. Some are positive. Some are negative. Some are philosophical. Some are interest-centered – ho...

View From Here: Personal Space

View From Here: Personal Space: How close is too close? Who defines it? Is there a norm? Can physical space be replaced by words, looks or action? Subtle? Bold? What? ...

View From Here: Eye on the Prize

View From Here: Eye on the Prize: Through it all – the hubbub, media noise, screeching protesters, ugly videos for newscasts – words are said, actions on view. What does i...

View From Here: Immigration

View From Here: Immigration: I recognize that everyone who lives in the United States, is an immigrant unless they are a native American descendant. Anyone who is a c...

View From Here: Think you know?

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

Think you know?

Good question. So, you’re chatting with colleagues and an issue arises that smacks of politics. Well, it’s not pure politics, but ideology that suggests handling a public problem in a specific way. Is this discussion valuable in understanding the issue? Or is it of value in understanding the colleague, and the others who jump into the fray?


Participating in the discussion is low risk as long as proclamations of truth aren’t spouted. Once they are, the discussion becomes a debate and sides chosen. Not much good happens after that.


I read Foreign Affairs, a bi-monthly journal of academic political scientists focused on international affairs, also a good number of professionals in the field or retired from active international diplomatic circles. Yes, the material is a dense read. Concentration is required to make sense of it. On the other hand, concentration breeds questions and humility in my level of understanding the material. That humility turns out to be a saving grace.


I admit I don’t understand. Later, reading the material a second time helps cement basic understanding. Still later, melding several articles together provides a perspective that heightens more understanding. These are complex issues. They take time to think about. Time needed to weigh ideas, alternative ideas, desired outcomes defined, long-term results of experimenting with one solution over another. Are such efforts working or making matters worse?


The struggle to understand; struggle. An earnest attempt to grasp complex facts with an intention to solve related problems. The struggle is human. It is honest labor in coming to terms with complexities. The idea is not always opinion; it is an attempt to solve human suffering in the main. That honesty is what we need if we are to trust decisions made on our behalf in international relations.


Having said that, think about these terms: nationalism; supranationalism; liberalism of diplomatic relations; illiberalism of the same matters; immigration; refugees. I could go on with this list. But for now, think on those terms and jot down a short definition for each. Then scan what you have written. Do you understand how they are related?


If you don’t, it’s time to sit down with people you like and trust and start a conversation on such matters. Only then will we capture the essence of what we know, what we don’t, and how to move forward to understand these complexities better.


If you are interested, comment on this blog. Maybe we can establish a clearing house email hub with which we can help each other gain perspective. I’m feeling hungry for this. Anyone else feel the same?

View From Here: Think you know?: Good question. So, you’re chatting with colleagues and an issue arises that smacks of politics. Well, it’s not pure politics, but ideolog...

View From Here: April Fool

MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019

April Fool

Just so many jokes and puns can be made this day. I’ll let the opportunity die quietly…….


April. A new month. Rabbit! Rabbit!


Hope this first full month of spring is pleasant. Warming. Sunny. Greening, too. Unfolding drama of Mother Nature is always fascinating to watch. Already at the tail end of March trees are budding and leaf bursts are near. Very faint hints of green buds line many tall trees. The reddish bud coverings are more easily seen this time of year. But all naked branches are thickening and preparing. For the day. Leaves will pop.


Peeping plants are already in view in gardens. Poking above the surface, they promise full leaves followed by flower buds, then full, opening flowers. Then aromas. Entrancing aromas and visions of beauty. A great time of year. The mud recedes. The green lawns stir back to life. The snow has melted. Frozen soil will soon thaw and the hungry earth will open to breathe and drink in fresh spring rains.


Life will happen. Sprout. Push up for sunshine. Plants will mature and leaf out, even bloom some of them. The trees will boisterously puff themselves up. And stretch their limbs to the sky. To capture more of the sun’s rays. And whisper the possible shade of hot days to come.


It is the lawn that attracts my attention. Mealy, broken, patchy now. Mud showing. Scraggly plants of poor lineage still dot the landscape – we call them weeds. And sickly pale green, only a faint hue of what they once were but will yet be again. Spring will bring new growth. Warmer temps and rain will build the green to a crescendo of lush. Yes, the lawn will reappear from winter’s cruelty. The dog will appreciate it in her own way, but for me, the green will restore my sense of peace.


Spring is here. Or soon will be.


Aaahhhhh!

View From Here: April Fool: Just so many jokes and puns can be made this day. I’ll let the opportunity die quietly……. April. A new month. Rabbit! Rabbit! H...