I'm Just Watching

     I'd like to have something trenchant and pithy to say about current events; we're oversupplied with holiday tragedy, and then there's whatever the hell is going on between the Trump administration and Venezuela....

     Historically, there's nothing governments feeling their power slipping turn to more readily than a short, victorious war -- and there's nothing more likely to turn on them.  Ginning up an external (and/or internal) enemy is a common element in many authoritarian efforts; George Orwell was drawing on experience when he wrote (managed) threats of both sorts into 1984.

     We're not there yet, and there's a whole of of "old man yells at clouds" going on, at home and abroad.  The problem is that when yelling leads countries, bombs and missiles often follow.

     It's not at all suited to the season -- but when is it ever really okay?  Pugnaciousness and preparedness aren't the same thing; neither are confidence and combativeness.