Every time in our history enough people decided it was OK to engage or threaten to engage in violent resistance to the United States and its laws, the only response that’s worked has been to send in the troops, from the Whiskey Rebellion to the Civil War to the civil rights movement. The kooks are a clear and present danger to our country.

Maybe the right wing bullies would be less effective if people like Obama would stop letting themselves be bullied by them.

The dance begins again today. Won’t be much different than the last one.

Good morning, pups. Today it’s Keller and Krugman. In “Chuck Hagel’s War” Mr. Keller has a question: Could military experience actually be a handicap for a secretary of defense? Prof. Krugman, in “The Big Deal,” says yes, progressives have some real victories.

Here they are.

The coffee, tea and hot chocolate are ready, and the biscuits are out of the oven. I’ve got about 10,000 things that I’ve got to do today, so after I fortify myself with another cup of tea I’m going to wade in and get started. Have a great day.

Thanks, attaturk, it’s that oldtime religion, extremism in the service of conservativism is not violence (to paraphrase Goldwater, who told it like it was, and so enlightened, the voters rejected him.)

Thanks, Marion, what a delightful theme, experience in what your job involves is really a handicap. All future defense posts to require that you show you have no idea what is involved in actual combat, so you can make decisions designed to do the worst damage to all involved that is possible. Treasury dept. requires bumbling your finances, too. Ag would be great that way, do you have a black thumb? Come right in.

I can’t see into the future but you’re most likely going to be proven correct.

I don’t know. I think some experience in death up close and personal might be just the thing that would discourage sending in troops for the least little excuse.

I rather get the feeling from Keller’s thing that that’s what concerns him… He (Keller)seems to worship the MIC.

Yeah, I got that impression too. Gotta go to work.

It’s almost funny. If you know what you’re doing, you’re in the wrong job.

Good morning all,

Peter principle at it’s best.

Sorry for your recent loss {{ Ruth ))

Thanks.
May I wish you all the pleasure I experienced yesterday, being able to walk through a big old house full of detritus of lives, relatives scrabbling through the treasures, and take a kerosene lantern and leave saying no, thanks, I don’t want any of all that. Even got a call later asking didn’t I want Something? No. Had more than I needed, am getting rid of stuff.

Morning Ruth,
I’m not really awake yet. No coffee yet, so for that reason, I read a blanket and a thumb.
Of course, they’d be looking for someone with a black thumb for AG, but, it’s kind of funny to imagine a cabinet full of Linuses, too.

All the best Ruth. Nice to see you here, as always.

For your morning minds to contemplate.
Tom Paxton

(Doesn’t auto play at this link.)

You found a good ‘un, Nonquixote. Thanks.

Good morning everyone.
(((Ruth)))
I am having trouble finding Over Easy this morning and it is already 7:32 our time and it usually pops up at 7:00.
Anyone else not seeing it?

impatient me, I just went back to check again and there it is with 8 comments already.

Ruth, Welcome back. I’ve certainly been thinking about you and wishing you best. Glad that step of yesterday is behind you. Hope you are gettin some quiet and rest. Holding you in my thoughts.B

Thanks for the link to the article on the West Point study. It provides a link to the study itself, which looks like it will be required reading:

http://www.ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ChallengersFromtheSidelines.pdf

Might be convenient to save a copy for perusal before the wingnuts force them to take it down.

Thank you for staying on this theme. In Albuquerque, a young man is now apparently the source of a further atrocity in precisely the situation you presented in your previous post, which I found very informative. The tv stations here all uniformly promote the ‘right to bear arms’ theme, and on the morning of the day this happened, gun owners brandished their weapons at the State Capitol, along with the guncrazies of Gun Appreciation Day.

Please, all gun owners – this is not a right; this is a mistake.