There was a charming period in human history when getting sick involved finding a doctor. America improved this primitive arrangement by adding a Continue Reading
The IRS Knows the Answer and Would Like to See Your Work
Every spring, America celebrates its strangest civic holiday: millions of adults gather around laptops, locate documents the government mostly already Continue Reading
Sometimes You Need the Damn Box
Some jobs require people to put emotion aside long enough to perform. Resilience also means knowing when to pick it back up. There are jobs where Continue Reading
The Pentagon Counts the Rounds. The VA Counts the Damage.
America is finally tracking blast exposure. It still has to own what that exposure costs after the uniform comes off. There is a phrase in military Continue Reading
Marx Is Dead but His Middle Managers Are Thriving
America spent half the twentieth century terrified that communists were infiltrating the country, which was awkward because communists were, in fact, Continue Reading
Clausewitz Never Had to PCS
The United States military can put a carrier strike group wherever it wants, refuel aircraft in midair, deliver ammunition across an ocean, and locate Continue Reading
The Pentagon Can Feed a War but Not the Family Fighting It
The United States military is obsessed with readiness. Aircraft readiness. Medical readiness. Cyber readiness. Dental readiness. Physical Continue Reading
Thank You for Your Service Now Hand Over the Back Pay
America loves veterans the way casinos love high rollers. There are lights, applause, complimentary coffee, and a powerful institutional interest in Continue Reading
Accountability Is the VA’s Rarest Preexisting Condition
America has reached that invigorating stage of institutional failure when somebody suggests abolishing the Department of Veterans Affairs, because Continue Reading
The VA’s Secret Staffing Plan Is Your Family
America has 14.3 million military and veteran caregivers. RAND estimates that their largely uncompensated labor produces between $119 billion and $485 Continue Reading
The Pentagon Put a Résumé on Your Chest
Author’s Note Yes, I’m aware the ribbons, badges, patches, and uniform configuration in the illustration aren’t regulation-correct. Before anyone Continue Reading
The Border Policy with Absolutely No Political Upside
American politics requires us to believe that politicians calculate electoral advantage while choosing committee assignments, tax credits, courthouse Continue Reading