Jinn of Quality and Risk

There are about 4,500 documented mammalian species, but only 110 have gone extinct in the past 400 years. Similarly, there are about 9,500 species of bird, with only 103 recorded extinctions. The huge majority of endangered species are insects, but they receive scant attention. 

Russia and NATO have become partners in an expanded alliance, from Vancouver to Vladivostok. Do you remember:

• when the former adversaries threatened each other with nuclear annihilation (the MAD doctrine)
• Checkpoint Charlie
• German "peace" activists chanting Lieber Rot als Tot (rather red than dead)
• where you were when the Berlin Wall came down (I was in the army)
• flight KAL 007 with 269 people onboard, deliberately shot down
• Ronald Reagan's "evil empire" comment
• European deployment of the Pershing missiles
• Budapest 1956, Prague 1968, Afghanistan 1979

At the time, I couldn't imagine I'd see the end of that threat in my lifetime. I much prefer today's Russia to yesterday's Soviet Union. 

The essence of the Welfare State, and why democracy is worse than a constitutional republic: A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend upon the support of Paul. —George Bernard Shaw 

You don't want to discover one day that you gave them up for nothing, do you? Keep true to the dreams of thy youth. —Johann von Schiller 

As a professional journalist, it may seem odd for me to write for free. In fact, it makes sense on several levels. When I profiled Dave Winer more than a year ago for Wired, he told me that the Web is a writer's medium. I appreciated his take then. Now that I blog, I understand it.