And the beat goes on, just a with a different drummer

As election season ramps up and the rhetoric starts to flow in earnest, it seems the hot buttons this round so far are Iraq War, Healthcare, the Disenfranchised and Gay Rights, though probably not in that order. But clearly, the war should take center stage. Recently I saw an interesting, if not slightly naïve question-How has the war in Iraq effected the quality of life in the US? Does war ever make the quality of life better at the moment?

Recently, the current administration definitely struck a raw nerve with its misplaced and totally inappropriate statements that we could and would not abandon the Iraq people to the same disastrous consequences that occurred in Vietnam. Anyone with even an inkling of Vietnam today would find this utterly preposterous. Perhaps though there is some basis to link the two, the most likely being that we again find ourselves fighting a distant war in a hostile land to support of an unpopular, incompetent and corrupt government for reasons that seem to be dubious at best.

To those of us whose generation was perhaps defined by that distant war in Southeast Asia the current quagmire does however serve to remind us of the impact of war on our daily lives, particularly a war that is increasingly unpopular. Wars, no matter how distant, are seldom linked to improving daily life. In fact, one of the most often invoked expressions is the infamous “sacrifice for war in the name of peace”. Constant resources are needed, both human and material, the numbers of the dead and wounded mount daily, emotions are stretched and tempers are tested. In the generation of my parents and their parents, this “sacrifice” of course took on an entirely different meaning as the Great Wars were fought with a global unity and a clear understanding of what was at stake. These sacrifices were a necessary consequence to reach a better future for all mankind. It is pretty hard to draw a similar picture today; in fact, the current situation seems to only magnify that this war, more than most, is drawing us further into a lesser and perhaps more dangerous future.

First, what is the likely outcome? Will winning this war fundamentally change the forces that oppose us or will it only strengthen their resolve and broaden the conflict? Are we not in some respects at war to insure we can continue to feed our veracious appetite for oil, a resource that will inevitably be depleted anyway? Is this truly a war where victory will insure a lasting peace in the region or is it just a battle to be won or lost in a greater and more devastating march to oblivion? I of course do not even begin to have these answers nor do those in charge likely have either. One disturbing outcome of this current war is the degree of polarization fostered among friends and foes alike. Clearly this is not good. Will the outcome bring more security to our nation and insure we are safer in the future. The results are still out of course but the initial outlook is not favorable.

Next, lets consider the financial implications, the billions of dollars that are being diverted away from our country’s, and the world’s for that matter, more pressing and growing needs-hunger, poverty, degradation of the environment and disease. Does a victory insure that these issues can be adequately addressed in the immediate future? Are these only temporary sacrifices that must be made for the common good? Here at home, as I see the population of the homeless continue to climb, witness first hand the growing anger and often violent reactions of the disenfranchised and disillusioned and what appears on the surface to be an accelerating and dangerous decay of infrastructure and institution I can only question if in fact this is money well spent.

Finally, what about the impact on society? Our human resources allocated to this effort seem stretched to the limit. The affect on family, community and even industry has not gone unnoticed. The impact of technology on war has certainly reduced the risk of death on the battlefield, but the survivors carry perhaps deeper and more permanent wounds, both physically and emotionally. Do we have the resources in place to deal with this going forward or are we at risk of only creating a new genre of disenfranchised and disillusioned? As we reach further and further into the fringes to fill these human resource needs do we risk building an army of iniquity rather than one of integrity? Again, I certainly don’t know the answers but believe these are fair questions that need to be answered.

Has this war made our lives better so far? The answer is clearly no. War never does have an immediate positive bump and probably never will. Will it bring a better life in the future? Clearly the jury is still out and the chance of reaching consensus is still distant in any regard.

Happy McBirthday!

Can you believe it? Mr. Big Mac has just turned 40! Its time to McParty!

“Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun” is literally hard wired into my brain as well as it is in most aging boomers! Lets face it, fat tastes damn good to those finicky little organs called taste buds, and a Big Mac literally oozes with yummy carbon and hydrogen molecules. In my mind, the Big Mac is the undisputed king of “comfort food”, but let us not forget it’s almost medicinal like ability to cure the most stubborn hangover. Who among us has not sought out this savory treat after slamming down a few too many? I don’t know about you but those 30+ grams of fat go along way in soothing my neuropeptide starved gray matter.

Aside from Big Mac’s obvious health benefits and its undeniable appeal to all the gastronomists of grease out there, perhaps some of you might be unaware of the enormous influence of Big Mac on global financial markets? It is almost with certainty I say many monumental and life changing monetary decisions effecting you and me today are likely based on some policy wonk’s take on the latest “Big Mac Index” numbers so diligently compiled by The Economist, that bastion of fiscal acumen.

Those identical twins of water-laden, ground cow parts; solidified by a blast of liquid nitrogen, topped with a massive dollop of American “French” dressing, shredded iceberg lettuce, a slice or two of Velveeta and a sliver of dill and onion and then tucked between three layers of bread with the absorption power of a truckload of Bounty towels; may just be one of the most important innovation of our generation.

Dear Master McMarketers of the McDonald Universe, please don’t ever think of taking our beloved Big Mac away! If anything, maybe times are ripe for a “Supersize” upgrade!

Some Anniversaries are Hard to Forget

The anniversary of one has just passed and the other's is just around the corner. This is the time of year when I often reflect on modern America's two greatest disasters, the aftermath of Katrina and the horrors of 9/11. The impact on the psyche of America if not the World was deep and profound as disbelief gave way to horror, and horror turning to anger. During each of these tragedies I was living outside of the US and the reactions to the events of those around me and their thoughts and questions and the opinions left an impact on me as well, as lasting and no less profound than the events themselves.

On the evening of September 11th I was at the gym watching CNN on the monitor in front of me as I plodded along on the Stairmaster; just a normal Tuesday night after work. Suddenly, half a continent away, as people made their way to the office to start their Tuesday morning, the image that flashed on the screen was almost surreal, a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center. Before even able to comprehend the first image fully, another plane streaked into view with more devastating consequences, and over the course of the next hours the shock of the carnage and horror begin to take hold. But what happened in the gym around me as these despicable act unfolded was to me, an American, a far greater and sadder tragedy. As the second plane impacted, a small group gleefully looked on and actually cheered, some even going so far as to say, it was long overdue. How and why had we as a nation become so disliked to bring about this reaction?

The Katrina story was even more perplexing. At the time of the storm, I was living in a country prone to typhoons and the resulting destruction and risk to life that they, like hurricanes, so often bring. The media coverage of the storm had already prepped most of us with the notion that the consequences would be severe, but what transpired in the aftermath was unparalleled in its absurdity. As my colleagues and I watched the uneven and ill-guided response, the obvious differences between what was actually happening and what we were being told, the blatant denial of responsibility from government, both local and national, and ultimately, the complete breakdown of civil order, their, and my, sense of disbelief was overwhelming–this just could not be happening in the US could it? How could the world's only remaining so-called superpower so miserably fail its citizens? But perhaps the most unsettling image to my foreign friends was the raw display of anarchy into which New Orleans soon descended. Time and time again, I was asked how can this happen in America? What is wrong? Why are these people killing and robbing each other and why does the government not send more resources to help out?

I am back in the US today, and sadly to say, dislike for the US and the resulting loss of respect globally seems to have grown since the events of 9/11, and New Orleans remains but a shell of what it was, riddled with crime and little progress made in its rebuilding effort; and the questions that bewilder and haunt me, no easier answered than before, perhaps never fully answered.

But one thing I do know and see is that the number of the poor and the disillusioned and often violent disenfranchised citizens in the US continues to grow at alarming rates. At the same time, the displaced notion that our brand of democracy is the answer for all the world's troubles is as strong as ever in the minds of our leadership. Our foreign policy remains a mystery to most and enormous sums of money are being consumed by wars that history has shown to be futile. Is another great disaster lurking around the corner, waiting to unfold?

As these infamous anniversaries are solemnly observed and the politicians and pundits alike fill our ears and eyes with words of why we should or should not ever witness such a tragedy again, perhaps each of us should also ask ourselves the same questions I still cannot answer fully.