It is in the nature of man to seek change. We are never completely satisfied with the status quo. Many of us with a idealistic bent see the flaws in our present society and dream of utopia. Most of us are pragmatic enough to realize that perfection will never be achieved, but we strive for […]
The recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, have reignited the gun debate. I am deeply disturbed by these tragic events, but I’ll try to look at the issue from a pragmatic viewpoint. From this perspective, I offer the following observations. Today, there are more than 300 million rifles and pistols in […]
Many of us have globalist feelings. We like to think of the brotherhood of man and hum that delightful tune “It’s a Small World After All.” Why can’t we tear down the borders of hostility and learn to live and work together in peace? Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Woodrow Wilson had such a vision in […]
In September 2018, I and millions of my fellow citizens witnessed a fascinating drama on television. It was the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate conducting confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh prior to his elevation to the Supreme Court. I and countless others were riveted by the high drama of the proceedings. Judge Kavanaugh […]
I am alarmed by the hysterical attacks by left leaning entertainers, journalists and politicians against President Donald Trump. First, let me say that I am often dismayed by Trump’s intemperate criticisms of his political opponents. Trump is a counter-puncher, and he fights dirty. He is also extremely sensitive to criticism; and he is liable to […]
Napoleon is recognized as a military genius. Hitler probably thought of himself as his equal. In any analysis of World War II military campaigns, especially the Russian campaign, Hitler receives blame for many of the German military reverses. Hitler was always interjecting himself into the strategic planning, often overruling the advice of his senior military […]
Have you ever been in the presence of someone whose apparent brilliance was intellectually intimidating. Their mastery of the vocabulary and factual details about a particular subject may be beyond impressive. Over years of observation, however, I have found that many of these savants have a very narrow range. On some subjects they might be […]
One hundred five years ago, on July 27, 1914, Austro-Hungary declared war on Serbia. During the week that followed, all major European powers slid into the maelstrom of a general war. Last summer I described World Wars I and II in a post that I titled “War and Madness”. In this post I provide a […]
From time to time scholars question President Harry Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb in 1945. How easy it is to look backwards and see things so clearly. There are those who maintain that Japan would have surrendered, without invasion and without the atomic bomb, prior to the end of 1945 — and probably […]
In 1978 my brother Branch Fields lost his dear wife Ruth to cancer. They had celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary earlier that year. In 1979 Branch came east to visit family and friends in North Carolina, and he also managed to spend a few days with us in Columbia, Maryland. We really enjoyed his […]
Jordans-Journey 