Wars often have an accidental beginning. History demonstrates this to us. Do our leaders acknowledge that? In my earlier days perhaps motivated by self interest I studied the US entry, as a nation, into the Vietnam conflict. Did our leaders actually visualize a monolithic communism, comprised of various countries, spreading their unified tentacles across the … More Containment Forgotten/Accidental Wars
A couple of friends asked if I would join them to watch the movie “Boys in the Boat.” Having spent most of my life on the East Coast, this movie was not particularly significant to me. Now, residing in the Pacific Northwest its importance in this region became obvious. In 1936 in this part of … More Winning The Race, Losing The Gold
Grumbling about federal control of local lands is nothing new. Understanding how the federal government came into possession of land does matter. The US government owns about half of western lands. This is partly due to the fact that much of the territory in the western United States is either mountainous or dry and infertile … More Public Lands for Profit or Public?
Driving along a major interstate highway I could not help but see the super size American flag waving on a extra high pole needed to accommodate its height and width. I never saw such flags while in the military or on government buildings. As I drove past where the flag was located I saw it … More Raising Old Glory
Switching the TV channels late at night sleepy eyed searching for any entertaining escape available has become a regular activity. On the history channel a program on the Vietnam War appeared. Never having been a war buff but it caught my attention. My time in Vietnam ended in 1970. The first Vietnam movie I watched … More Searching For Yesterday
Making America great isn’t what someone can do, it’s actually who we are. We need to look through the current rhetoric which is very much an either/or proposition. It seems that a person must not only support some policy or position in the current times, there needs to be a loyalty which translates into for … More Remembering American Greatness
After reading numerous letters to the editor in support of President Trump and some legislators, I ask myself do these people personally know Mr Trump and their legislators? The letters generally don’t question policies but rather are more personal. Letters that state these people are doing a great job. They are helping people as they … More People Not Politics
The Stars and Stripes is a symbol of our country. This symbol is affixed to many things, flagpoles, ship’s masts, sides of boxes carrying goods to the needy and even the not so needy and on our government buildings. The flag as a lapel pin is very popular particularly among politicians. Being an elected official … More Who’s Holding The Flag High?
No time for anger was a blog posted on December 16, 2016. The attitude conveyed was that maximum engagement in the political process should be the course for people to pursue in objecting to Mr. Trump’s policies. This is a time for active participation but not anger. Working to inform people and help all to … More How Wrong Was I?
This is a tale, a fiction, but one I could imagine happening. Ibrahim, who has lived in the United States for 6 years wrote a letter to his friend in Iraq. Ibrahim emigrated to the US with help from the US Army after working with US soldiers as an interpreter in southern Iraq for five … More So This Is Christmas?
Phil's Personal Perspectives 