http://harrisonlives.com Railing Against the Setting Sun Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:34:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 en hourly 1 http://harrisonlives.com/2010/02/08/who-are-or-what-is-the-elite-politics-today/ http://harrisonlives.com/2010/02/08/who-are-or-what-is-the-elite-politics-today/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:50:44 +0000 Harrison http://harrisonlives.com/?p=379 What is it to be a member of the “elite”?  How does one become an “elite”?  And why are people against the “elite”? The word comes from the Latin, eligere, “to elect.”  In general usage, the elite is a relatively small and dominant group within a large society, having a privileged status perceived as being envied [...]]]> http://harrisonlives.com/2010/02/08/who-are-or-what-is-the-elite-politics-today/feed/ 0 http://harrisonlives.com/2010/02/04/teabagger-politics-in-the-off-year/ http://harrisonlives.com/2010/02/04/teabagger-politics-in-the-off-year/#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:20:51 +0000 Harrison http://harrisonlives.com/?p=370 Teabaggers.  Disgruntled with everything Washington, everything politics.  No one is safe from their ire, and they will equally aim at either major party.  They’re mostly independent voters, and their choices next fall will be based upon the candidate who best represents their views, regardless of party. The movement has a big weekend conference coming up in [...]]]> http://harrisonlives.com/2010/02/04/teabagger-politics-in-the-off-year/feed/ 0 http://harrisonlives.com/2010/01/25/what-now-mr-president-politics-today/ http://harrisonlives.com/2010/01/25/what-now-mr-president-politics-today/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:53:39 +0000 Harrison http://harrisonlives.com/?p=359 There’s nothing wrong with running for public office because you want to win.  Winning is good. There’s nothing wrong with running for public office in order to become the first African-American person elected as President of the United States.  This is also good. As political and social statement, winning and being the first to win, are both [...]]]> http://harrisonlives.com/2010/01/25/what-now-mr-president-politics-today/feed/ 0 http://harrisonlives.com/2010/01/20/thank-goodness-its-over-politics-today/ http://harrisonlives.com/2010/01/20/thank-goodness-its-over-politics-today/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:25:13 +0000 Harrison http://harrisonlives.com/?p=352 If you live in Massachusetts, you are most likely glad the campaign to fill the U.S. Senate seat is over.  Chances are if your phone rang in the last five days, it was one of those really annoying automated calls from one of the candidates.  Don’t you just hate them? Rarely do they come at a [...]]]> http://harrisonlives.com/2010/01/20/thank-goodness-its-over-politics-today/feed/ 0 http://harrisonlives.com/2009/11/18/political-spam-and-wasting-time/ http://harrisonlives.com/2009/11/18/political-spam-and-wasting-time/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:10:34 +0000 Harrison http://harrisonlives.com/?p=306 I received one of those chain emails this morning, which by the way, I can’t stand. There’s enough crap circulating on the Internet, well over 1 billion pieces of spam per day sent around the globe, that it irks me to receive a piece so misguided no matter how well-intentioned. This one took a shot [...]]]> http://harrisonlives.com/2009/11/18/political-spam-and-wasting-time/feed/ 0 http://harrisonlives.com/2009/10/29/for-what-purpose-to-what-end-war-politics-today/ http://harrisonlives.com/2009/10/29/for-what-purpose-to-what-end-war-politics-today/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:43:10 +0000 Harrison http://harrisonlives.com/?p=292 For all of the talk about needing and wanting to send more troops to Afghanistan, at least in public by those who hold decision-making responsibility, there is very little frank and honest disclosure. Many government officials just outside that circle of responsibility, and many political commentators, talk of thwarting the Taliban in order to [...]]]> http://harrisonlives.com/2009/10/29/for-what-purpose-to-what-end-war-politics-today/feed/ 0 http://harrisonlives.com/2009/10/16/plenty-of-disappointment-to-go-around-presidential-politics-today/ http://harrisonlives.com/2009/10/16/plenty-of-disappointment-to-go-around-presidential-politics-today/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:53:25 +0000 Harrison http://harrisonlives.com/?p=280 My memories of politics go all the way back to the Eisenhower administration, the classroom’s daily salute to the flag and the hoisting of a glass of milk to the President at lunch time.  I also heard President Kennedy speak and saw him in person as a kid, and I was convinced he was speaking [...]]]> http://harrisonlives.com/2009/10/16/plenty-of-disappointment-to-go-around-presidential-politics-today/feed/ 0 http://harrisonlives.com/2009/10/13/blowhard-entertainers-and-the-president-politics-today/ http://harrisonlives.com/2009/10/13/blowhard-entertainers-and-the-president-politics-today/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:57:01 +0000 Harrison http://harrisonlives.com/?p=270 Here I was thinking I would turn over a new leaf and find something good to say about everyone, and how quickly one’s intentions can be tossed out the window when provoked. I have an old friend on the other side of the political spectrum, a fellow I went to college with, who happens to work [...]]]> http://harrisonlives.com/2009/10/13/blowhard-entertainers-and-the-president-politics-today/feed/ 0 http://harrisonlives.com/2009/10/05/unartful-discourse-part-2-who-does-it-help/ http://harrisonlives.com/2009/10/05/unartful-discourse-part-2-who-does-it-help/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:55:16 +0000 Harrison http://harrisonlives.com/?p=266 The advice “Deep Throat” offered to Bernstein and Woodward in that underground garage way back then has been quoted often – “Follow the money.”  It set them on the way to discovery that eventually brought a president down.  Those young reporters were looking for a story and hoping to find truths to guide them in [...]]]> http://harrisonlives.com/2009/10/05/unartful-discourse-part-2-who-does-it-help/feed/ 0 http://harrisonlives.com/2009/08/11/palin-propaganda-and-politics-today/ http://harrisonlives.com/2009/08/11/palin-propaganda-and-politics-today/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:08:25 +0000 Harrison http://harrisonlives.com/?p=182 Citizenship in the United States can be based upon nothing more than an accident of birth.  It can also be acquired by meeting certain eligibility requirements and taking an oath.  Although American history is taught in all public schools, it is likely that those taking the oath to become naturalized know more about it than [...]]]> http://harrisonlives.com/2009/08/11/palin-propaganda-and-politics-today/feed/ 0