Author Archives: Brent

Iraq : once more unto the breach? (seriously?)

To intervene or not to intervene. It’s one of the great issues of our time for the few countries powerful enough to consider such a thing. But Iraq for a third time? This should be an easy decision. Iraq’s history is once again not going the way we’d like it to go (those of us […]

June 17, 2014 – 11:59 am | By Brent | Posted in Posts | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Risk Management

In the late 1990s a large number of Wellfleetians organized to keep cell phone towers out of our town. A big part of it was aesthetic. We didn’t want them dominating our modest skyline, competing with church steeples. We didn’t like the prospect of people polluting our pristine experiences at the pond and ocean by […]

June 13, 2014 – 5:18 pm | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Community Policing: problem concept?

On June 16th (7 pm, Senior Center) Wellfleet will hold a forum on “community policing.” It’s a well-intentioned effort to address current concerns about our town’s policing, “worrisome incidents” as one citizens put it. But the very concept is a problem. According to Wikipedia, “Community policing, or community-oriented policing, is a strategy of policing that […]

June 11, 2014 – 6:06 pm | By Brent | Posted in Posts | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Cops and community: what style of policing do we want?

It’s not a rumor that there are rumors going around town that our police are getting tougher, more zealous. Overly zealous. I have no personal experience of this myself, but the rumors probably don’t come from nowhere. What is being alleged is conceivable. And if true, it raises issues that should be addressed at the […]

June 6, 2014 – 1:28 pm | By Brent | Posted in Posts | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Cops and community: where should the buck stop?

What was the story of the arrest of two Wellfleet locals in front of the Wicked Oyster restaurant on the evening of May 3? Actually, there are currently two very different stories. The story told in the police report mentions some serious-sounding crimes such as DUI, assaulting an officer, endangerment of the two kids in […]

June 2, 2014 – 9:57 am | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged , | Comments (0)

The human interest of the Tiger Woods saga

The Tiger Woods story—it’s not about golf. It’s a sports story but not only a sports story. It’s also one of the great human stories of the past couple of decades: the Tiger Woods miracle—and now, in a way just as compellingly, its apparent collapse. It’s hard to think of anyone who has achieved such […]

May 28, 2014 – 1:18 pm | By Brent | Posted in Posts | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Lifespan statistics: we’re kidding ourselves

There’s a lot discussion these days, as boomers hit retirement age, about how boomers have a whole other phase of life to look forward to, a whole new shot, time for second careers, and so on. Many more years than their parents or grandparents of serious living. All such upbeat talk starts with the premise […]

May 23, 2014 – 12:05 pm | By Brent | Posted in Posts | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Retirement: it’s got issues

Given our growing number of retirees, it’s surprising that there isn’t more debate, in these pages and elsewhere, about the theory and practice of doing what so many of us are busy doing: aging. Having reached the age when I’m no longer taking immortality for granted, I’ve begun to pay attention to the discussion about […]

May 19, 2014 – 1:21 pm | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Harwich beachfront owners may be legal but they’re wrong

I’m sorry to see Harwich town meeting decide not to defend traditional public access to Bay View Road beach. It’s hard for a town to go up against the determined wealthy and their lawyers. It would in any case have been a tough fight in the courts. Owners have sought to restrict public use of […]

May 14, 2014 – 7:44 pm | By Brent | Posted in Posts | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Battle of the billionaire titans

One email response to my recent column lamenting our democracy morphing into oligarchy (plutocracy, corporatocracy, what have you) went, more or less: Hey Mr. leftwing columnist, how come you’re complaining about Koch brothers money playing a role in government? There are plenty of rich progressives throwing their money’s weight around. What about them, hunh? And […]

May 11, 2014 – 9:30 am | By Brent | Posted in Posts | Tagged , | Comments (0)