sept. songs

9-8-09—But there is another type of disturbing behavior, coming from our political leaders and the public at large, that is also symptomatic of a society at loose ends. We seem unable to face up to many of the hard truths confronting the US as we approach the end of the first decade of the 21st century. [e.g., health care, Iraq, Afghanistan, California] The serious wackos, the obsessive compulsive absurdists, may be beyond therapy. But the rest of us could use some adult counseling. ... The first step, of course, is to recognize we have a problem. NYT A21

--9-7-09--Despite a recession that knocked down global arms sales last year, the US expanded its role as the world’s leading weapons supplier, increasing its share to more than 2/3 of all foreign armament deals... NYT A4