I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to having our first woman president for these disjointed United States. I’ve noted in the past that the female sex seems to be out-starring those of us equipped with low voices, a larger body frame, and somewhat larger biceps. I suspect it is because of our…
John Andrist: U.S. Healthcare Is Too Big to Succeed
I would have loved to have given North Dakota a crack at devising its own health care system. The federal government is hopelessly in debt, while our state has the luxury of multiple savings accounts, called trust funds. We’re smarter, smaller, and far more innovative than Washington. And we have a can-do mentality. That’s why…
John Andrist: Intellect Applied . . . or Just to Argue?
It’s almost 70 years since I was a high school student, but I still remember a discussion from our Present Day Problems class when we were seniors. The earth’s population was about 2 billion people, and the scientific community was debating at what point population growth would create mass starvation. They could not have conceived…
John Andrist: You Just Can’t Corral the Economy
What kind of system do we have in this country? Some say it’s a republic, some say it’s a democracy. My conclusion is it is a market system. We can modify it, curse its shortcomings, try alter it, or regulate it. But you can’t overcome it. Neither can the rest of the world. Most of…
John Andrist: Tell Me You Love Me
When you really like someone but don’t want to tell them you love them, what word do you choose? Chances are the word that comes to mind is love. That really works for me, and I suspect most older people. But younger folks hesitate to use love as a verb, because it has so many…
John Andrist: Must We Pay All Those Bills?
In today’s world most of us would concur with the wish that everyone could receive quality medical care. And who among us would not bring food to a neighbor in need? The very thought of someone in our neighborhood going hungry is simply unacceptable to us. We regularly pass on used clothing to those in…
John Andrist: Rediscovering Pieces of the Heart
Last week, together with 1,195 others, I spent a whole day listening to 22 short speeches suggesting we take a look at our world with new eyes. The event was not political, not anything for that matter, other than idea sharing. They call it TEDx, which stands for technology, education and design. The presentations were…
John Andrist: Searching for Civility Amid Conflict
A recent, brief visit with Tina Simonson Moe rekindled memories of her mom, Ailsa Simonson, and the special relationship we shared. Ailsa was a full-blown Democrat activist in her heyday, probably the strongest party leader Divide County ever produced. She rose to the position of state chairman of Democratic women during the party’s North Dakota zenith, at…
John Andrist: A Problem Which Defies a Solution
The score is even now. It’s a dead heat, and I think we are headed for overtime. When the Affordable Care Act was enacted with practically no study, the Democrats were determined to ram it through. They didn’t really care what. Remember, Nancy Pelosi made her infamous comment: “We have to pass it to see…
John Andrist: God Bless America
As a self-employed person I never cared much for holidays. When you work for somebody else your day is over at 5 o’clock, or whenever your work shift ends. When you are self-employed your day always ends with some work not being finished. Holidays complicated getting the paper to bed, or getting it delivered. So…
