(Orig Post 6-29-2007---"The Guns of August"-----The Book: The Politics

In "The Guns of August", Barbara Tuchman describes the break out of WWII-----President Kennedy liked the book so much, he had all his staff read it. Some speculate that the book played a role in his handling of the Cuban Missle Crisis-----
In the heat of August----the guns blaze.

On Wall Street too----just sit on the steps near the statue of George Washington some hot, hot August afternoon during lunch----and you know why everyone has gone to the Adriondacks for the month of August. However, all the traders know that in the thin trading of August there are some unusual things than can happen when the experienced pros are at the beach.

So----August seems to be the best time for the experienced pros to slip things through....to start a war or to win by stealth alone.

Locally, the fashion is to do the 1-2-3 punch, or more commonly known as the first reading, second reading and third reading, a.K.a. the June, July, August Slam jam. This is the technique being used by our leaders in Evanville to revise the Smart Growth Plan while everyone is away at the beach.

On the School front, the technique is the same----it is the underestimated revenue, overestimated expenses, and then slam jam the surprise surplus in the heat of July at the school board meeting that bypasses the budget process.

Let's all get ready to celebrate the 4th....the rule of law....the democracy of all...with a wink and a nod.

As Jackson Browne puts it in "Looking East"---"Where the search for the truth is conducted with a wink and a nod
And where power and position are equated with the grace of God."

I've been listening a lot to Jackson Browne lately. I have a special spot for his "Looking East" song, right after the speech of Bill Connors on "Do we really mean it?"

Who will show up in the heat of July and August. Stay tuned. The Evansville Observer. Where the mainstream media listens and watches the news. Watch it on your new IPhone. Listen to it on your MP3 Player. Enjoy.