Category: Government Studies
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Mental Deviants & Gun Nuts
A dozen years ago when I worked in Saudi Arabia, the government had a habit of referring to domestic terrorists as ‘deranged’ and calling them ‘mental deviants.’ We mocked the Saudis mercilessly for it. The Royals were denying reality. They failed to acknowledge and confront the extremist forces at loose in the Kingdom, extremist views…
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Walden in Africa & Other Diplomatic Readings
Among the 53 titles compiled in this Month’s Foreign Service Journal is Dan Whitman’s Answer Coming Soon. Whatever else it provides to those who read it, Answer undeniably will provide this: a reflection on the power of books. The power is especially profound for those who spend their lives in places where electricity can be spotty…
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Prophetic—
Patchworks is sadly a timely tale of national character and individual insight, juxtaposing individual lives and Second Amendment rights. One reads this engaging, often amusing, and ultimately disturbing account in light of an advancing history of public massacres involving firearms. WorldView Magazine’s Peter Van Deekle reviews Patchworks at Peace Corps Worldwide. Excerpts: B.A. East brings…
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Remarks at Indie Author Day
My new novel is the quintessential Washington, DC book. At the climax to Patchworks, hundreds of federal workers stream from their offices, urged on by the sound of a screaming alarm. They gather on a grassy knoll near the National Mall, some of them leaning on one another, some of them sobbing, others in stony,…
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The First Freedom
If standing is obligatory, it is also meaningless. As a form of non-violent expression, taking a knee during the National Anthem epitomizes a fundamental principle in every fiber of the flag. Taking a knee honors, rather than dishonors, the Stars and Stripes. The First Amendment reads: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,…
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Patchworks–Reviewed
Visit Michael Sahno’s website and take up his offer to receive his latest work, Rides from Strangers. He also reviews Patchworks, excerpted below: Patchworks: A Book Review by Michael Sahno | Oct 2, 2017 | Articles Today I woke to the all-too-familiar tragic news of yet another mass shooting. Sadly, we all know what will…
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Response to Domestic Terror
Yesterday, a respectful silence. For the victims. For the families. For those traumatized anew by preventable violence. Today, rage. Rage, and an assertion: The collusion between congress and the NRA’s K St campaign threatens American freedom more than those other popular bogeymen of fascism: illegal immigration and foreign terrorist organizations. The U.S. Government’s response to…
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I Pledge Allegiance to…
Pro footballers aren’t the only ones questioning what it means to practice freedom of expression. Take this scene from Patchworks, released Thursday from Moonshine Cove Publishing, in which two federal bureaucrats dispute the meaning of loyalty. For the rakish Brad Harcourt it means standing beside his desk every day and pledging allegiance to the flag,…
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Comic Relief for Troubled Times
Taking aim at the institutions we once trusted to save us from ourselves. Out Today. AMERICA’S NEXT GUN MASSACRE IS INEVITABLE. Unless one government intern can make a miracle of his odd DC jobs. Gabriel Dunne’s internship has him tracking gun violence in America. But before he can start, boss Chloe tasks him with planning…
Ben East Books 