Married to the Revolution

This weekend we remember the War for American Independence, a revolutionary act that inspires an annual surge of patriotism and summer barbecues.  I am also contemplating getting engaged, so I am mindful of a few comparisons between revolutions and marriages, namely,  they are both fun to plan, exciting from a distance, and passionate at the outset.  However, it takes a few years to see if either a marriage or a revolution will work.  Take the American Revolution, for example.

As a thrilling tale of daring bravado, the American Revolution is hard to beat, but, even if you are not Sarah Palin, it is easy to overlook some basic premises of revolution that are routinely underestimated.  Click on the jump to read five common perceptions about revolutions.  Chew these over while you have your spouse hand you a Bud Light.

Father of Money Reviews Begin....

A recent review from Military Review provides a good summary of Father of Money by using selected quotes. It is a solid account and I encourage you to have a read. If you order  the book, please feel free to leave your comments and questions here or over at the Father of Money homepage.

Fathers and Soldiers

Father’s Day summons a flood of mixed emotions for me. I am both a son and a father, though I am neither by choice.  I became a son through no decision of my own making, though at the cellular level I must have been present. I became a father in a moment of uncharacteristic abandon within months of my deployment to Iraq.

Being a combat soldier, becoming a father had no real effect on me. Nor did it outwardly affect any of the soldiers I fought with. People often speculate on why soldiers fight and why they sacrifices, but the answer that keeps turning up is that they fight for each other. Full stop.   I never once heard a soldier say, “Sir, I can’t drive the Humvee tonight, because I have kids.” I never heard that, because soldiers don’t think that way.  They can’t think that way. Although, for their kids’ sake, I wish they could.