[November 16, 2017] A couple of months ago I started a new blog thread because I simply could not write about all the topics of leadership I wanted. This clearing the spindle1 post today focuses on morality and our failures to live up to rudimentary social values.
U.S. military personnel and veterans across the world were dismayed recently when a U.S. military judge, Colonel Jeffery Nance, ruled that U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl would not serve any time in prison for desertion of his post in Afghanistan. People will now consider “desertion in time of war” as only a minor offense and ask whether military values matter. Frankly, the sentence was a travesty of military justice and one of my favorite writers about the military and history is retired Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Peters. His spot-on article about judge’s decision is posted here: http://nypost.com/2017/11/03/bergdahl-goes-free-but-the-injured-serve-life-sentences/
The Black Lives Movement has brought to the forefront of national debate the inequities “chained” minorities experienced in the past and kept them from greater and more valuable achievements. This is not a new idea. Back as early as the 1960s, the concept became popular along with the solution; racial quotas. Yale Law School was one that adopted a quota system for blacks but the impact was not what the administrators expected or desired. In 1969 California appellate judge Macklin Fleming, a Yale Law graduate, wrote a letter to Dean Louis Pollak. Fleming’s analysis of the system of quotas was a relevant then as today. See his 9-page letter here: https://www.nationalaffairs.com/storage/app/uploads/public/58e/1a4/ae3/58e1a4ae36717528770103.pdf
In his weekly column, Andrew C. McCarthy compares and contrasts the Obama administration’s investigation of the Hillary Clinton email matter under former FBI Director James Comey with the current collusion investigation of the Trump administration. Reviewing the evidence so far is this very one-sided investigation (some say “politically motivated” investigation of Trump) is interestingly different in how Democrat Clinton’s offensives were handled. His article is here: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/453659/mueller-paul-manafort-investigation-hardball-tactics
Appeasement never works. The recently NFL controversy over players disrespecting the flag, our military personnel, and the nation was addressed by Paul Mirengoff at the PowerLine blog. He brings to our attention Roger Goodell’s endorsement of legislation that would mean lighter sentencing for drug felons. This has nothing to do with football but is nakedly apparent that it is a weak attempt to pacify (appease?) professional football players. Fans of football are disgusted and refusing to attend or watch the games; revenue is down dramatically. See Paul’s article here: http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2017/10/to-appease-kneelers-nfl-backs-leniency-for-felons.php
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- Clearing the Spindle: Politics – https://www.theleadermaker.com/clearing-spindle-politics/