Reason-Able

Another Banner Year for the Arms Merchant to the World   By James Terminiello     In his blistering comedy Major Barbara, playwright George Bernard Shaw gives us the amoral ubercapitalist Andrew Undershaft . A self-made and blindingly wealthy arms merchant to the world, Undershaft takes an almost religious joy in supplying any and all sides in a war so he can pile profit on top of profit. Like all great literary villains, Undershaft gets all the best lines and you kind of like his cheerful egotism even though he is an unrepentant dealer in death.     Well, what would this Mephistopheles of Mayhem make of the United States? In 2022 under a Democrat Administration, we exported a robust $51.9 billion in arms - a healthy jump of 49% from 2021 (1). These are State Department figures so they might be a bit slanted on the low side . Old Undershaft, with a bit of competitor’s jealously, might give out with a hardy “well played sir!” or something of that nature...

  Just Because You Want It to Be True …   By James Terminiello     When one is particularly passionate about one’s cause one can fall easily into the trap of the Tinkerbell Effect. In essence, you believe in your cause so strongly that you are convinced it MUST be entirely true. Even in the face of impressive, cutting, and contrary facts.   I was once in a debate with a woman who insisted that all handicapped people could hold down jobs and earn substantial pay .  As the father of an autistic man with severe communication problems, I differed and related my experiences with numerous similarly handicapped individuals who tried and failed in the workplace and had to fall back on work shelters where aides guided them and the wages were, of necessity, quite low .  Their inability to communicate was just one issue that held them back. And there were others.   I was not at all happy with this cruel reality, but I faced it without the comfort and illus...