Written by Matt Fay | 10 August 2008

South Ossetia and WWIII

The United States needs to keep its nose out of the current conflict between Russia and Georgia

By: Matt Fay

“If there is ever another war in Europe, it will come out of some damned silly thing in the Balkans”

- Otto von Bismarck

And it was some “damned silly thing in the Balkans” – the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand – that brought about World War I. Now, with conflict finally breaking out between Russia and Georgia, over Georgia’s breakaway province of South Ossetia, it will remain to be seen if World War III begins because of some “damned silly thing in Caucuses.”

I am sure that there are probably a few people scratching their heads right now, wondering “Where is South Ossetia?”; “What are the Caucuses?”; and “Isn’t Georgia right next to Florida?”

Written by Matt Fay | 07 August 2008

HBO’s Generation Kill

By: Matt Fay

For those of you who have never read this blog before, I will happily admit that I have never seen military combat. I say that “happily” because I consider myself extremely fortunate, not because others have to experience what I am lucky enough to have avoided, but because war is something that we should always “happily” avoid. Unfortunately, there are those among us who think that war is, to quote the late, great George Carlin, “Just F’n Dandy!”

Many of those who look at war as a positive part of what we do as a country; are those that we see daily on TV. They are the pundits, talking heads, politicians, political consultants, lobbyists, and commentators who, in many cases, have never seen war personally but agitate for it consistently. It is a very rare occasion that the average American has the opportunity to hear, unfiltered, from those responsible for doing the actually fighting. HBO’s newest mini-series offers the American people such an opportunity. Hopefully, it is one they take.

Written by Matt Harrison | 28 July 2008

The political failures of the Baby Boomers, and the challenges for the next generation
By Matt Harrison

You know your government is bad shape when it starts comparing itself to fallen empires of the past. Unfortunately, that's the case in modern America.

The Government Accountability Office, the independent agency charged with investigating the (in)efficiency of government programs, recently warned us that our "burning platform" of unsustainable public policies was so dire that the agency felt obliged to warn of the "striking similarities" between our government's situation today and the fall of the Roman Empire.

In this panoramic landscape of abject government failure, political liability should spread across the generations. Intransigent leaders from the Silent Generation have delayed social and political progress. The apathy of voters from Generations X and Y has entrenched the power of reckless and incompetent politicians. But given their power, influence and rhetoric, the leaders hailing from the Baby Boomer generation have been the most disappointing in their contributions to our current mess.

Written by Matt Fay | 24 July 2008

Washington’s Bi-Partisan Consensus

America’s fake partisan divide

By: Matt Fay

“Allow me to explain how our federal government works. To begin with, by the federal government I mean Democrats and Republicans working together. And the only thing dumber than a Democrat or a Republican is when those pricks work together.”

- Lewis Black, “Black on Broadway”

If you were to listen to mainstream political pundits, it might seem that the only thing going wrong inside the Beltway is the “partisan politics” that are stopping congress from getting anything done. In his memoir What Happened, former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan claims that the partisan divide in Washington, D.C. is worse than ever. This contention, though, would ignore the over two hundred years of American history that have seen actual brawls take place on the senate floor, a nation ripped apart by Civil War, and even one of the Founding Fathers killed by another in a duel. Outside of bickering, analysis of Red-States and Bule-States, and petty rhetorical posturing during election years, though, bipartisanship is the order of the day and the differences between Republicans and Democrats are less clear all the time.

Written by Justin Hartfield | 14 July 2008

If the US Government Were Run By Apple...

By Justin Hartfield

 

 

• Federal income tax returns would be exclusively online and consist of three or four extra large text input buttons.

 

• The United States Postal Service would be ridiculously overpriced but insanely fast.

 

• There would be a team of perky, pastel-shirted DMV employees waiting to renew your license as soon as you walked in the door.

 

• The WhiteHouse.gov website would include at least three web 2.0 gradients, a Last.fm widget, and a link to the President's featured iTunes selections.

 

• There would be a three hour wait to get the latest $5 bill. It would also feature a web 2.0 gradient.

 

• The State of the Union would be a Keynote presentation, with the most important policy being revealed at the end, after the President says, "Oh, and one more thing..."

 

• Incarcerated criminals would be rehabilitated by learning new skills in prison -- however, all their training would take place on an eMachines running a torrented version of Vista beta.

 

• The eggs at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll would be replaced with iPod minis, making the challenge much more difficult and lucrative in the process.

 

• For welfare, student loans and other government aid inquiries, you'd visit a 'money genius' to help you with your problems. (Much like Apple's Mac Geniuses, they would take an hour to acknowledge your presence in that smug, Nick Burns condescending sort of way.)

 

• Instead of a Social Security number, all newborns would receive a free MobileMe account.

 

• The cabinet would add the Department for Ergonomic Design, including a new position called the Secretary of Feng Shui. The office would debate the merits of using Arial versus Helvetica on street signs. Additionally, the Lincoln Bedroom would be upgraded with a mini rock waterfall and tiny Bonsai trees.

 

• Steve Jobs' face would inexplicably appear next to Roosevelt's on Mt. Rushmore.

 

• A Macbook would be standard equipment for every incoming high school freshman.

 

• Searching for patents, business names and the like would all be controlled via a single Spotlight search box.

 

• Steve Ballmer would be found murdered in a Trotsky-esque fashion, with a Windows Vista CD found embedded in his skull.

 

• Every bank account in the US would still be insured up to $100,000. Yet, if you buy the Apple Care Protection Plan, you can extend that limit up to $300,000 for five years.

 

• 10% student discount on all government services.

 

• "In God We Trust" would be changed to "Getting Things Done".

 

• Opponents of Apple policy changes would be publicly ridiculed in "Mac Vs PC" style commercials.

 

• The President's Cabinet would consist of Tim Ferriss, Merlin Mann, Darren Rowse and the Omni dev team. Steve Wozniak would be conspicuously absent.

 

• The Statue of Liberty would greet new immigrants with the prospect of freedom, opportunity and free wi-fi.