Tag: solutions

Quote of the Day – Problems

Seawriter
Seawriter Contributor
2012
 

For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong. – H. L. Menken

We have seen this illustrated daily over the last week in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Recovery involving the rescue of thousands of people in remote mountain areas is a complex problem. Yet government – on most levels, from federal to county – all offer the same clear and simple answer to the problem: let us run everything. Do not assist without prior permission and clearance from us. Most of all, respect my authoratah!

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At War with God

Mark Eckel
Mark Eckel Coolidge
681251
 

Versta, Photostock ID: 317290838 (Shutterstock)

We blame others. But it’s our own fault. It’s all our fault. Complaints about “identity politics,” “structural racism,” or “cancel culture” begin with us, according to Mary Eberstadt from her speech, “Men Are at War with God.” Eberstadt’s research into the storied wreckage of human lives begins with breakdown in families. She reports:

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Running Out of Gas (in More Ways Than One)

Susan Quinn
Susan Quinn Coolidge
60151679
 

In the corner of my kitchen, I have an Easter lily that always tells me when it’s thirsty: it droops. And when I get busy, I don’t always give it the attention it needs. But when its leaves touch the floor, I hurry for the fertilizer water and give it a good douse. Within an hour or two, it springs up and lives to see another day.

Lately, I’ve been wishing that I had a treatment that would benefit me in the same way as I provide to my lily. I feel beaten and beleaguered by the onslaught of bad news about the Biden administration and how it is mismanaging our country. I may be projecting my feelings on my friends here at Ricochet, but I don’t think I’m alone in my reactions. In one way or another, I think many of us are feeling bruised and discouraged by the news; that attitude shows up in posts and comments.

In the last 18 months, I’ve swung from the mindset of bitter and hopeless, to resting in the comfort of detachment. As a person who tries to be realistic and resilient with a sprinkling of optimism, I’ve experienced my usual equanimity to be slowly eroding.

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Quote of the Day: Solutions

Seawriter
Seawriter Contributor
108
 

There are no solutions; there are only trade-offs. – Thomas Sowell

There is no better illustration of this piece of Sowell food than the events of August. Joe Biden claimed he has solved the problem of America’s endless war in Afghanistan, through a precipitous pullout. This is only sort-of, kind-of true. The US’s war in Afghanistan is over. We are not there. However, war in Afghanistan continues, albeit between different groups of Afghans.  And it certainly continues for the thousands of US citizens stuck in Afghanistan.

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Quote of the Day – The Solution to Every Problem

Seawriter
Seawriter Contributor
910
 

It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the solution is always for us to give the government more money and power, while we eat less meat. – Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit)

The blogfather is obviously talking about the solution always offered by socialists, statists, and authoritarians of every stripe, rather than his own beliefs.

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The Struggle is Real

Susan McDaniel
Susan McDaniel Inactive
127
 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV)

Spiritual warfare is very real and it takes place on many levels. First, there is the personal, where we struggle with temptations of everyday life that threaten to pull us into sinful behavior. Second, it occurs within our families, as things of this world pull people apart. Third, it transpires within our communities where crime rates and substance abuse rise. Forth, it spreads throughout the nation causing division and anger amongst the citizenry. And fifth, Spiritual warfare runs rampant throughout the Church, itself. This constant conflict is everywhere, all the time. The results are clear; cultural chaos and unrest.

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