Ezra's Essays

Category: Politics

  • OF PISSANTS, POLITICIANS, AND CUPIDITY

    The breadth of the title of this essay might lead you to believe that it is a formidable undertaking.  But when taken by its individual parts it is not necessarily so formidable operation.  Let us take the pissant part to start.  The word pissant is far from a vulgarity.  It identifies a living creature who…

  • THE THIRD RAIL SQUARED

    When someone speaking to me works the phrase “critical mass” into a sentence, this illiterate mangler of words tends to believe that there is a degree of condescension in the conversation. It is much like a former AT&T colleague using the phrase “pro-active.” My impulse was to say, “What the hell does that mean?” But…

  • “….AS A CHRISTMAS GOOSE”

    Richard Cheney is the rotund and sparsely beloved Vice President of the United States. The civilized world regards him with no affection whatsoever. During the last week of November, Mr. Cheney had a bout with atrial fibrillation. This is a cardiac condition that, if left untreated, could result in grave damage to the heart muscle…

  • DEBORAH JEAN’S ACE IN THE HOLE

    The United States government has its hands full in dealing with the war in Iraq. There is also the problem of rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, gasoline prices going through the ceiling, the bust in real estate prices, and the failure of the Attorney General and his chief assistant to answer questions put to…

  • THE PENTAGON’S EASTER SURPRISE

    On Good Friday, 2007, which was April 6, the Pentagon leaked the information that 12,000 National Guardsmen would be activated and called to service starting early next year. They will be sent to Iraq and will serve at least one year there.* There are some significant thoughts about this development. This will be an involuntary…

  • ALBERTO’S FORGETTERY

    On April 19th, the Attorney General of the United States appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer questions about the firing of eight prosecutors. In five hours of testimony, the Attorney General, Alberto Gonzalez, was not very helpful in that he said on more than 70 occasions, “I can’t recall.” Two weeks earlier, his…

  • EATING OUR OWN SEED CORN

    Informed citizens such as myself believe that the earth is completely flat. We also have an unshakeable belief that Joshua did in fact stop the sun. If that were untrue, why did he write about it in the Bible? Please see Joshua, Chapter 10, Verses 12 and 13. The flat earth doctrine and Joshua stopping…

  • A TRIPARTITE PRESIDENCY

    To the readers of the Carr essays, I am pleased to announce that Charlie Rangel, Barney Frank, and your old essayist have declared their intention to run for the first Tripartite Presidency in American history. A tripartite presidency would work like this. Let us say that Barney Frank starts off as President with Charlie Rangel…

  • THE INTERREGNUM

    In ancient times when one king died or was deposed and there was a period before the new king was crowned, it was called an interregnum. Scholars have told me that this term comes from Latin sources. As I attempt to compose this modest essay today on November 25, the American public wants the interregnum…

  • GETTING CALIFORNIA STYLE PRIORITIES RIGHT

    Chuck Scarborough has been broadcasting the evening news on NBC in New York City for at least 12 or 15 years. During that time, his sidekick has been a spirited black woman named Sue Simmons. Scarborough’s demeanor comes off as something between sober and dour. When Christmas week arrived this year, Scarborough was to read…