Politics

Recently Wordbones blogged about a proposed “Taxpayer Protection Initiative” that Howard County Republicans would like to put on the November ballot. The basic proposal (as outlined in a Baltimore Sun story) is to change the Howard County charter to require a supermajority of four county council members (out of five) to approve any county tax increases. (By the way, does the Howard County Republican party have its own page to explain and promote this initiative? I couldn’t find one on its web site, and Google was no help.) ...

I have a fondness for “big thinkers” and theories that attempt to reflect, integrate, and address a wide variety of phenomena. In the area of national security (broadly defined) my favorite “guru” is Thomas P. M. Barnett. Those looking for a concise summary of his self-described calling as “grand strategist” and his view of the world in the 21st century (including America’s critical role within it) should check out an interview with Barnett that appeared in EnlightenNext magazine, along with the accompanying introduction. ...