Thoughts Not Slogans

A series of short essays on politics, economics, business and other topics with an emphasis on reasoned discussion rather than shouting and slogans.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Headscratcher (14)

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Your correspondent was shipped off to Hogwarts Elementary (Without the Magic) at the age of eight. One of the things at which that instituti...
Thursday, November 21, 2013

An Abomination in the Sky

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The Federal Communications Commission has proposed that airline passengers be permitted to make calls on their mobile telephones while in fl...
Friday, August 30, 2013

Misadventure in Syria

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There doesn't seem to be a great deal of doubt that Bashar Assad is a monster who is guilty of using chemical weapons against his own pe...
Thursday, July 18, 2013

Concealed Carry

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The acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin raises the question of the value of being armed in public and, spe...
Sunday, July 14, 2013

Zipper Failure

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As Henry Kissinger famously said: "power is the ultimate aphrodisiac." Among those for whom power and inappropriate sex are mixe...
Thursday, June 27, 2013

Carbon Emissions and President Obama

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President Obama's recent speech, on the subject of global warming and carbon dioxide emissions, shows that he generally understands the ...
Sunday, November 18, 2012

The $1,000 per hour consultant.

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There seems to be a major shortage of consultants who can design accessible hotel rooms and bathrooms that are actually usable. All of the...
Monday, November 12, 2012

Investing - the eight Bs

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Very few miners made significant fortunes during a gold rush. The people who really made money were the suppliers of services and equipment....
2 comments:
Thursday, November 8, 2012

Some Thoughts About the Presidential Election

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In the interests of full disclosure, your correspondent admits to having voted for Governor Romney but only as the lesser (just) of two evil...
Friday, November 2, 2012

American Socialism (8)

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A common characteristic of all market economies is that scarce products and services can best be rationed by means of price. Students who at...
Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Dictator of the World (2)

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As the not-so-outer edge of Hurricane Sandy passed through the Washington DC area, the power went off. and your correspondent was literally ...
Thursday, October 25, 2012

A Reluctant Conclusion

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To understand a problem is the first step to solving it - but only the first step. To be in a position to solve a really critical problem ...
Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Fixing Things

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As we come to the end of the sailing season, at least for those who do not live in California, Florida and the Antipodes, we are faced with...
Saturday, October 20, 2012

Dictator of the World

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When I become Dictator of the World, there will be a very substantial Ugly Boat Tax. Starving artists will be hired, at a modest daily rate,...
Wednesday, October 17, 2012

A Message to the Democratic National Committee

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How come you never call? I live in a very Democratic part of the Independent Peoples Republic of Northern Virginia and I expected you to b...
Tuesday, October 16, 2012

A Message to the Republican National Committee

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Go away! For the last two weeks, I have received from the RNC at least two, sometimes more, telephone calls every day. I don't want to...
Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Foreign Policy - Advice to Governor Romney

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Governor Romney would do well to take heed of the wise words of two former Presidents: First, spoken by John Quincy Adams:  "Americ...

On Writing

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I asked a friend, who is an author of excellent fiction and a number of interesting blogs, whether writing was an incurable disease or merel...
1 comment:
Monday, August 1, 2011

Time for a Wholesale Change in Congress

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Left wing - and even relatively moderate Democrats - seem to think that it is reasonable for our country to adopt a financial position akin ...
Saturday, July 23, 2011

Raising the Debt Ceiling

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That the United States urgently needs a program to reduce its annual budget deficit is a given. That this should be done mostly by cutting s...
Friday, July 15, 2011

A Thought for Today

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Most politicians and senior executives find humility and a little modesty - even false modesty - too much to endure. All of us, not just tho...
Monday, July 4, 2011

Two Hundred and Thirty Five Years Ago...

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... Congress approved the Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies. As our great nation, although far from insolvent but cursed ...
2 comments:
Wednesday, June 22, 2011

War in Afghanistan (3)

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President Obama will speak to the nation this evening. He will tells us that he intends to begin the process of withdrawing troops from Afgh...
Saturday, June 4, 2011

Headscratcher (13)

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Rarely does a week go by without Sarah Palin demonstrating her total unfitness to serve in any elected office - or even as an elementary sch...
1 comment:
Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Temporary Hiatus

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Your correspondent will be taking a temporary leave of absence while he recovers from a fall and the ensuing hip fracture. Surgery tomorrow....
Saturday, April 30, 2011

Raising the Ceiling on the National Debt

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Consider a car racing down a highway at 150 miles per hour. Then consider that the highway leads to a river - quite a few miles away - and t...
Thursday, April 28, 2011

Headscratcher (12)

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The most important feature of Hong Kong's tax law is a flat income tax with a universal rate of fifteen percent. Their entire tax law is...
Saturday, April 23, 2011

Where Next?

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Since the beginning of George H.W. Bush's Presidency in 1989, the United States has been in involved in major military actions in Panama...
Thursday, April 21, 2011

Penny Wise and Pound Foolish

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Reducing government expenditure is critical but those who would cut budgets need to remember the old adage that it is easy to be penny wise ...
Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Courage and Failure

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Senator John McCain, in a lengthy article published in 2004 - a year in which he was not a Presidential candidate, discusses courage, failur...
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About the Author

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Hugh Elliot
Mr. Elliot is a founding partner of Collingwood Partners, LLC. He has been an independent management, mergers and acquisitions, finance, and business consultant since 1979. His clients have included government contractors, manufacturing, service, research and development, financial, professional, and banks. He specializes in assisting small and rapidly growing companies with strategic planning, financial management and the management of growth both organically and by acquisition. Mr. Elliot was born and educated in the United Kingdom. He immigrated to the United States in 1968 becoming a naturalized citizen in 1991. He graduated from the University of Cambridge (England) with a BA (Hons) in Agricultural Science and an MA in Agricultural Economics. In addition to his other responsibilities, Mr. Elliot serves as an International Judge for the sport of sailboat racing.
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